Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Unfortunately the Berg household was hit with the stomach bug on Christmas morning. Emerson was the first to go down, but not before she was able to rip open all of her gifts. Michael and I were so busy with her we didn't get any pictures of the mornings events... only a home movie. The BIG gift for the Berg household is our very own Macbook. I am sooooo excited to have a computer I can actually download things to... we both have work computers we have used for the last 3 years so I never was able to do all the things I wanted to do. For all of those people out there who are hesitant to go to a Mac... DO IT!!! I have made Michael a believer... he is a sucker for gadgets. We traveled to the Valley and only spent one day there before I came down with the illness so we headed back and are hanging out at home this week. We went to the zoo, put away all the Christmas decorations and are getting ready for real life to start on Jan. 5th- thats when I go back to work and both kids will be in day care. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Our little Santa

Is that a smile or just the look of relief after he spit up!

Emerson waiting for me to get her some yogurt

Christmas with our cousin Aiden

The Christmas party at school with Dad

Playing catch up...

My 3 months of maternity leave is over and our sweet baby boy isn't on the blog enough, just one of the many things that hasn't got done... well Emerson just deleted my post and Jackson is up from a nap... so all I have for you are some pictures. More to come later... AFTER the kids go to bed.

The Joy of Having Kids

Well the Berg household has been non stop lately. From changing diapers every 5 minutes with Jackson to potty training Em, we have been busy. I can honestly say I think the Thanksgiving weekend was one of the greatest we have had yet. We ate like pigs on Thanksgiving, of course, Emerson helped bake the pumpkin pie with Mom, Michael hung Christmas lights on his 30th bday, we went out to dinner with the Barretts, we went to the park with the kiddos, and we completed the Christmas tree. It definitely feels like Christmas around here now. I realized this weekend how blessed we are that having kids hasn't slowed us down, we have just been given new reasons to live life to the fullest. Here are a few recent pics I love.

Emerson has learned the word "Patagonia" because of her hat- every 2 year old needs that in their vocabulary.

One of our 20 zoo trips... we love the zoo!

Jackson watching Mom get ready in the morning.

His first bottle and he grabs it like a pro.

Hmmm... I wonder if they're related??

We must have pictures of our friends... Pam do you recognize the bear, she rescued it from the dogs and now claims it is hers... sorry Aiden.

No I don't have to go potty!

Having fun at Discovery Green.

Our first Sunday back at church.

God Bless America

It is a new day in America. No matter which side of the aisle you are on it was a moment to behold last night. I might not agree with the politics but this change empowers people of all races and creeds. It is a new day and we have a new president and for that I think we can all be thankful… this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.

This is noteworthy... I think history will grant this man the honor and respect the American people couldn't muster. No sex, lies and scandal... just a godly man trying to do his job.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122584386627599251.html

Halloween Fun

Here are some of the pictures from Friday night. We had a great time hanging out with the neighbors and trick or treating. Emerson was a bee and Jackson was a pumpkin. Jackson slept the whole time and was a joy to take along and Emerson was excited with every piece of candy she got. We now know that Emerson's favorite candy is a lollipop. I can't wait for the little man to be able to enjoy it as much as E did.

He's Here!

Jackson Ryan Berg was born on October 10th at 5:52pm, weighing in at a hefty 8lbs 15oz, 20.5 inches long.

Now for the back story... so it goes that with the 2nd child (and any there after) that you just don't document things the way you did with the first. Before his birth this definitely was the case, but I am trying to make a better effort now that he is here. I think we only got one belly picture this time around... which is just fine by me! For all of you who asked repeatedly about belly pictures I thought I would include it here... this was taken the Saturday before I had this linebacker! Mama was HUGE!

I was induced on Thursday night and got the big drugs on Friday morning. Things were touch and go late Friday afternoon and I was about to be wheeled in for a c-section when the little man decided to turn so he could come out. Jackson heard my prayers and was delivered 20 minutes later happy and healthy. After my first labor with Emerson this one was a breeze!

I am blessed to have Michael home with me for 2 weeks while we settle into life with 2 kiddos. It has felt like old times and has been a lot of fun spending time together with our newest baby. Emerson has been wonderful with Jackson. She is already a little momma and helps in whatever way she can. Usually she just says "it's okay baby brother" or "don't cry little one" even when the guy isn't making a peep. She loves to hold him and get close to him whenever possible. Let's just hope it stays this way!

Here are the latest pictures of the little man as he enters his second week of life. He looks just like his big sister did at this age. I will have Michael do a comparison post later because the two of them look like twins.

Another event in our world was my 30th birthday. I can proudly say I had Jackson when I was "in my 20's" and we have the hospital records to prove it. On the big day I got a 2 hour nap and a pedicure and manicure... exactly what every mother wants for her birthday! I told Michael he was off the hook for a present since we have been a little busy, but of course he came up big! Michael took a beautiful picture of me and Jackson while we were in the hospital and it has quickly become one of my most treasured possessions. He gave me this picture in a frame with the sweetest note. I love him and I am so blessed that he loves me. Having him by my side has made the events in my life that much more special... our kids are so lucky to have him as a father... I like to say they won the daddy lottery!

Last Family Vacation with an Only Child

For the holiday weekend, we packed our bags and headed to San Antonio for four days at the Hyatt Hill Country. It was a much needed vacation for us all. Emerson could not get enough of the water and Kim got to relax while floating the baby belly around the lazy river. The resort is a very kid friendly place to stay. They have so many kid activities thoughout the day including smores in the evenings and movie night on the front lawn. It is definitly a place we will go back to. We also spent some time at Sea World since it is less than 5 minutes from the resort. Emerson was a trooper. We went two days in a row and she made it until 2:30 or so without a nap. Both days she crashed within seconds of getting into her car seat. She loved Shamu, petting the dolphins, and the sea lion show. Her favorite part was probably the water park. She just has no hesitation with getting wet and having water splash her in the face.

The real reason for our vacation was to take one last trip with Emerson as an only child before her baby brother comes along. Her smile and loving nature reminded us everyday how blessed we are to have her. It was so much fun watching her experience all the sights and sounds of Sea World, swimming in the lazy river, playing in the sand, petting horses, and all the other aspects of our mini-vacation. It brings a whole new meaning to experienceing the world through your child's eyes. It's like being a child again which makes life so much more fun. Here are some pictures of Emerson from our trip. Enjoy!

Name Game

Well once again the Bergs are slacking with the updates... here is what has been going on in our world. Great Grandma came in from Tampa and was basically a Hurricane Dolly refugee. She couldn't make it to Harlingen since they were without power for five days. (I just realized we didn't manage to take a single picture of her and Emerson together... I really need to do a better job of documenting moments like that.) Emerson came down with a crazy fever virus followed by an ear infection a week later and then Daddy Berg got hit with a serious lung infection. Other than my normal annoying pregnancy ache that they tell me is ligament pain, I remained healthy. THANK GOD! Here are some pictures the Kellie and Traci snapped of Emerson when we were visiting NB. Thank you anne marie photography!

Sorry the belly pictures haven't surfaced yet, at this point I fear they might scare young children. We are at 31 weeks and counting... I am beyond ready to get this one out. With #2 my body has gone from big to bigger and the pain is more pronounced since I have a 25lb toddler that wants to be held by mommy. After a busy weekend I feel like I could sleep for days. Here is the first real picture of our baby boy. It was fun to do the 4D ultrasound this time around and compare the two kiddos. They both have chubby cheeks and all the fingers and toes are accounted for. We are so excited to meet this little man and Emerson can't stop talking about her "Baby Brother." Oh and the reason for the title... the kid doesn't have a name yet. We can't decide and have gone around in circles on 3 different names. I know I am way to analytical about this and it is only getting worse. The name I like changes daily. Poor little guy.

LEAD Trip, Weight Loss, and Big Girl Bed

As most of you know, Kim and I help run a non-profit program called LEAD (Letting Everyone Achieve Dreams). It is a leadership program for inner-city kids from Houston which focuses on outdoor experiential learning by teaching communication, teamwork, and essential leadership skills to help return these kids to their communities as effective leaders. I just got back from our third successful trip in which the kids were challenged physically and mentally in the mountains of Colorado. We partnered with a camp I went to 12 years ago called Adventure Experiences, Inc. (AEI). It's an amazing faith-based camp tucked away in Gunnison National Forrest near Taylor Park, Colorado. We are not a faith-based non-profit, but it's hard not to have a little faith when you are sitting in the middle of God's creation. Cory Jackson (AKA Brother from another Mother) and I took 13 kids to the mountains this year. He is the third member of our team that helps mentor these kids. We started the week with some low and high ropes courses. Then we moved on to some rock climbing by scaling four different routes on a 50' high mountain side. Then we moved to the hardest part of the week with a two day backpacking adventure and a 13,500' peak ascent on Prize Peak. We didn't make it all the way up because some kids had a tough time with the altitude, but we managed to make it to a ridge about 500' from the top. To cap the entire week off, we went white water rafting on the Taylor River which was a very cold 38 degrees. This was by far our most physically challenging year, but the kids really learned more about themselves and achieving their goals.

Here's a picture from rafting. You can't really tell, but it was very cold water!!

Rock Climbing was fun!

Fog covered the valley as we made our peak ascent. Truly amazing.

For the past twelve weeks, I have been been involved with an office version of The Biggest Loser. It almost seems cruel that I would do such a thing while Kim is pregnant with our baby boy, but I was determined to win this and get into shape. Monday was the last and final weigh in and I came away the winner with 15.08% weight loss which was 33 lbs. The total pot for the winner was $350. I started at 218 lbs and ended at 185 lbs. My daily regimen was simply eating right and running. I started out running a mile a day. By week two, I had pushed myself to 2 miles a day. By the end of the contest, I was running close to 4 miles almost every day. I cut my time from an 11 or 12 minute mile to a 7 minute mile which just isn't natural for someone that never really ran more than the length of a basketball court. I also started a 5 am boot camp class two times a week that is pretty much the hardest hour long workout ever. Now that the contest is over, I plan on keeping up with the running and seeing where it takes me.

The biggest news over the past few weeks is our little girl isn't little anymore. We painted Emerson's room, her bathroom, and the guest bedroom over the weekend. All of Emerson's furniture went to the guest room which is now "Baby Brother's" room. We picked up a twin bed for Emerson and she loves it. We thought the transition was going to be tough, but she has proved us wrong. She has slept in her "big girl bed" all week without any problems. Now we have to finish cleaning up the mess we made from emptying closets and bedrooms and moving furniture around. I'm not sure where we will put everything now that our guest bedroom/junk room has been converted into "Baby Brother's" room.

Emerson helping Daddy put Baby Brother's bed back together since it wouldn't fit through the doors.

Time Flies

It's been three weeks since our last post and it feels like we just updated it yesterday. We are all so busy with work, life, and kids that we seem to keep up with each other by checking blogs rather than picking up the phone or stopping by for an unexpected visit. Gone are the days of flying by the seat of your pants. Now everything is structured around meals, nap time, play time, school time, and work time. I guess that's just a part of life.

Two weeks ago we had a successful garage sale. Anything with inches of dust or clothes that haven't been worn in years were free game for what we now call garage sale professionals. Of course you get the newbie or the curious neighbor, but most of these people come with a pocket full of cash looking for a deal. They hide it well because when you say something is $5, they mysteriously only have $2 until they find something else they might want. They buy things for themselves or they buy broken electronics with hopes of making some sort of profit at their farmers market booth the next day. How much can you really make on a $10 broken TV? We also sold some big furniture to make room for Baby Berg #2 and clear out the "Children's Retreat" as the original building plans call it. We ended up making just over $900 which is great considering all of the junk would have gone to Good Will or the Salvation Army.

We ended up spending most of our garage sale profits they same weekend on our precious golden retriever, Colby. She has lost about 20 lbs in the last six months and we were scared she might have cancer or something terminal. After blood tests, ultrasounds, and a visit to a specialist, it turns out our sweet pup has an extremely rare liver parasite that comes from snails. She either ate one, licked one, or walked through a puddle that contained one and then licked her feet. She just finished a dose of medicine that is supposed to kill it, but we won't know until the doctor runs some more tests in another week or two. We're just thankful it wasn't something terminal.

Kim's sister, Pam, came to visit this past weekend. She was in town for a wedding with her husband David and their son Aiden. Emerson enjoyed having him around for a couple of hours and was very gentle when hugging and kissing her baby cousin. This is all a good sign for when her baby brother arrives.

On Sunday, we went to the zoo. Since buying our yearly pass in January, it has definitely paid for itself. Emerson loves making animal sounds and calling them all by name. The zoo had a special surprise for the Orangutan who turned 5. His entire habitat was decorated with bright streamers and gifts placed in different places for him to find. Emerson had to get on my shoulders to see because of the crowd. She also enjoyed crawling through the fish tank tunnel to see the all the fish. Below are some pictures from this past weekend.

I know we're not the best at updating our blog, but update your blogs people!! That's how we keep up with you. Until next time...

Emerson & her cousin Aiden

The Orangutan's 5th B-day

Emerson enjoying the Orangutan's B-day from the highest seat in the crowd!

Crawling through the fish tank with Daddy

Latest Obsession

I'm sorry it has been so long since the Berg's last post. Emerson had a nasty stomach bug Memorial weekend that lasted from midnight Friday to Sunday morning which put a damper on all of our fun plans for the long weekend. It took almost a week to get the bug out of her system and finally get her appetite back. We knew she was feeling better last weekend when we took a day trip to Lake Livingston on Saturday. Michael's boss has a lakehouse there and she practically ate him out of house and home. I never knew a 21 month old could eat an entire large carton of strawberries, but apparently it is possible. Michael took Emerson out on the wave runner and she seamed to really enjoy that. He is creating a little daredevil!

Our latest obsession is shoes and dress up. No shoes are left untouched. Daddy's shoes and socks are fun to put on, but too big to walk in.

Emerson is already a pro with Mommy's heals!

Trying on all the shoes at Macy's.

Monkey see, monkey do. I saw Mommy put on a bra and just had to have one too!

Michael and Emerson just before they hit the lake on the wave runner.

Michael's boss took us for a spin around the lake in his boat. Emerson fell asleep for part of the ride, but she really enjoyed it while she was awake. We bought the life jacket she is wearing that morning and she wouldn't take it off. Michael had to scan her across the register at Academy to buy it.