Rob and I have decided that each year we will adopt a family or give back to those who need a little more than us.  We decided that each year we will participate in the Toys for Tots drive and have Olivia bring little boys and girls toys for Christmas.  She is obviously a little too young now, but we took toys over to KARE 11 last night and proudly gave our toys to the Marines.


Next year, we will have a better chance of explaining to Olivia the real meaning of Christmas and help her understand why giving is an important part of this special holiday!    If she is anything like her mother, she will likely grow up to be the next Mother Teresa!  HA HA!


Anyhow, it is just a little thing we hope she will learn to have some ownership over and grow to love doing more for others.


The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have.
    Leonard Nimoy

Sunday my mom, her friend Jeanne and I headed out to St. Catherines University to see a lovely production of the Nutcracker.  It was so adorable to see all the little ones prancing around in mice costumes and the neoclassical ballet moves made me reminiscent of my days of dancing.
I've already scoped out the dance studio where Olivia will be participating when she turns 1! 


We followed by eating at the Wild Onion in ST. Paul, were we really got WILD! ; ) 

About 6:30, they dropped me off and I spent the rest of the evening loving Olivia with lots of hugs and kisses. 

We really wanted to go out for a friend's birthday, Saturday, but we were unable to trap a babysitter for the evening....  Needless to say we had party on our brain and decided to whoop it up at our place.  So after a nice dinner we headed home for Margaritas and old school video games.


We played Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, Pole Position and Dig Dug!  The best part, Margaritas were about $15 for all the mix and ice and we didn't need one quarter for all the games.

Rob has been doing lots of thinking about adding a little sidekick to his life and last weekend, Saturday, his dream became a reality! 
As you know, Rob had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was about  15.  He has been an amazing patient and takes care of himself better than I could ever ask.  
More recently, he has acquired a new doctor, that he actually trusts, and has been more willing and interested in using a insulin pump.   
Your wish is our command....
This pump arrived at our home last week and Saturday a nurse came to our home and spent several hours with us to show us all the features and detailed operation.  
There are several features that will allow him to eat when he wants with limited finger pricks to test blood glucose levels, an instant meter reading right on the pump digital screen and very importantly consistent insulin flow to avoid drastic jumps (high or low).  
So Far So GOOD!
This weekend was an incredible success and we are so lucky to have Rob feeling powerful and enthusiastic about life!   He was able to eat all the food he wanted, share margaritas with mommy, eat chocolate turtles without being a nervous wreck about how his sugar levels would be in a few hours.
Obviously, there will be a few adjustments along the way, but we are so excited to see Rob feeling more than confident with his diabetes.

Click here to see some information from Medtronic's Site.

Last night Rob and I brought little Olivia to my mom's so we could spend some time together for our 1.5 (12/12/09) year wedding anniversary.
We celebrated by going to a movie that estimated the world ends in 2012.
We're being optimistic!
Let me just say that I absolutely disapproved of even setting foot in the car to even go to this flick, but we were really hungry and under a time crunch so we went to a Cinema that also serves dinner.  
The movie was so cheesy and terrible that I feel stupid even telling you we saw it! It was so bad that Rob and I were ready to leave after we finished our burgers (mine Boca, of course). 

               WARNING: DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!
  

So over the last few weeks I have been noticing a sore mole on the back of my neck.  I thought I'd go in and get it checked out by my doc.  
Yesterday, I headed in to see what he had to say and he told me that he wanted to remove it.  OMG!  I wasn't expecting that and asked how, exactly, this processes is done.  He said, "Oh, it only takes a few minutes and I just inject something to numb the area and take a sharp razor blade and scrape it off."  I nearly fainted hearing the details.  "Then we send in to a lab to see if it is melanoma or not."
He said he'd take it very seriously and have it removed a.s.a.p.  but I just couldn't bring myself to agree to doing the procedure right then and there.  
So, for a little time to prepare myself, I made an appointment on January five, when Olivia gets her boosters for H1N1 and Flu shots.    This way Rob will be able to come with and give her his attention while I undergo my "Surgery"!    

The whole time I was thinking about......

My aunt Sue has introduced my mom and I into a world of sewing.  So this past Sunday we indulged in our crafts!  For a wedding gift, I had received a self-threading Singer and it made my mom's machine look like dirt!  ; ) 
We got our machines set, bobbins and all, and had a lovely afternoon of gossip and thread.  The boys, Bill and Rob, watched the football games and watched Miss. Olivia. 

Click below to check out our site and order up!  There is still time for last minute shoppers!       sewyousewme.weebly.com

Each Year, we attend the Theisen Christmas party and each year we have something new.  The first, obviously, we started dating.  The second, we were still dating but being harassed about getting hitched.  The third, Bob announced we were engaged, but we really weren't and I cried!  The Fourth, we were engaged and 6 months into our planning.  The Fifth, married and pregnant!  The Sixth, Olivia finally joined us!  


Sadly, Bob couldn't make the trip and it really wasn't the same without him.   He was greatly missed and I took lots of pictures so we can show him at Christmas.  
As usual, we bring a $10 wrapped item and play the dice game to win a gift.  This year I really scored and won a pink Snuggie!  Now, I just have to find a pink Snugglette for Olivia! 

Last week Thursday, the three Theisen boy's got another call that Bob had been found breathless and no heartbeat.  They all rushed from their jobs to head up to Garrison.  Meanwhile, Bob was taken into the E.R. and recovered rather quickly.  Apparently, he had been sick with another UTI, which later was determined to be false.  Regardless, the two local boys, Derrick and Rob, rushed to be by his and their mom's side during another scare. 

While Rob was heading home that night, traveling South on 101 towards 94 in Roger, going nearly 70 mph, his axel broke.  He felt an immediate drop in the front of his car and suddenly left him sliding from lane to lane and abruptly stopping by a snowbank partially in the right lane and shoulder. He sounded so shaken when he called to inform me and his hands were shaking still after a few hours of being at home.  He was terrified to stay in his car, as the rear was an easy target for an unattentive driver. and... He didn't want to stand outside because it was COLD, -6!.  He made the best judgement and sat in a tightly buckled carseat just until Derrick was able to rescue him.    While Derrick brought him to Robbinsdale, I arranged for a tow truck to drag the Dodge Avenger to our favorite repair shop, Gregg and Jims, in Golden Valley.  The car was successfully repaired by Friday evening and came with another hefty price!  

They say bad things come in three... Well, who ever they are, they are right! My mom called me about the time Rob was coming home from work, Thursday, and let me know that Bill, my step-dad, had been admitted to Abbott for some trouble with his heart.  He had been working out on Wednesday evening and noticed that his heart rate monitor was showing something odd.  He started to feel very faint and contacted his doctor immediately.  He then was brought to Abbott and admitted to the Cardiac Unit.  They had shock his heart back into a normal rhythm and now is on heavy meds and blood thinners for a undetermined length of time.

THANK HEAVENS there are angels watching over my boys!  Each year/Holiday season we should be thankful and take time to reflect on the good in our lives... This year is very special for Rob and I and we have a great deal to be thankful for. 

Yesterday, we headed to the doc for Olivia's shots and somehow I got roped into to getting two myself (flu and h1n1)!  

Olivia was given her three boosters, the H1N1 and the Flu shot.  I was unsure if she was able to get them at exactly 6mo. but my, very trusted doctor, said it was completely appropriate.

She has five band-aids on her little legs.  Last night we stuck her in her little bouncer and she was kicking and bouncing around, so she must not notice the soreness, like I do on my arms.  (Who's the real baby? Yuk, Yuk, Yuk.

She is in the 95th percentile for height, measuring in at 28" inches, this means she is TALL.  She weighs a healthy 17lbs 14oz. and head measuring at 16".

Quick fact:  Over the last 6 months she has grown 7", packed on 10lbs 7 oz. and her melon expanded 4". 

She is doing very well and we were told at about 7 months (January) to start feeding her "Gerber 2 foods".... I am not excited about this, as there is meat in it and it makes me want to gag just thinking about it.  I guess I'll have to set my issues aside and let her make her own decisions when she is good and able.
Until then, our little chunky monkey will be dining on veggies and bamama's.