The Berg Family

We're a little busy... but, busy with LOVE

2011-11-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

Obviously I am the world's worst blogger... but there is a reason. I know everyone is busy, but I think we might be slightly overbooked! My new motto is, "If you want something done, ask a busy person."

Here is a snapshot of our lives...

3 kids to clothe, bathe, feed, brush teeth, comb hair, make lunches, hold, tickle, wrestle, wipe, etc. (you know the drill)
2 full time jobs that are flexible enough to make life work
As a couple, we lead Emerson's Sunday School class
Michael coaches Emerson's soccer
He also decided to pick up cycling and rode in his first MS150 (in LA)
I volunteered to be President of our neighborhood Mom's Club that has 130 moms who make our neighborhood the BEST in Houston... it is legendary.
We run L.E.A.D. (last year of our 6 year commitment to those boys)
I started a Culture Advisory Board at a large pharmaceutical company because apparently I like to work more for free and obviously have a lot of spare time
AND somehow I got wrangled into being Davis' room mom. He is the infant, so no brownie points for mom :(
Oh and we are a little busier than usual in the fall with all 5 birthdays falling between September and November. My one saving grace... the boys can share an over the top party!

Sweet Emerson had the perfect princess party for the big 5

In October, Jackson turned 3 (going on 18... this kid is a charmer)

Last but certainly not least, Davis turned ONE!!! (And I cried...)

Every Saturday morning we hit the fields.

(Emerson has scored two goals and is surprisingly "sporty")

I wish I had time to do all the fun crafts, and cute kids stuff that a lot of mom's do (I admire you and sometimes want to be you!!), but the truth is there simply not enough hours in the day. I've let it go, I will not be the mom with cute gift bags at halloween, the homemade valentines day cards, or homemade meals the majority of the week, but I am a mom with a HUGE heart. Michael and I both, give, love, give and then love some more. But you can see that effort manifest itself in our kids. They are so well behaved and so loving to us and to each other. They are independent and easily adaptable, very sweet, and outgoing. I have been told by the kids school that we have wonderful kids and we look like we have it all together. The truth is there are days I feel like we do and other days not so much. But our time spent as a family is the most precious... because of work, it might not be quantity, but is quality. BIG LOVE at the BERG's.

9 months already??

2011-07-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

Sweet Baby Davis,

Quite simply, you are the the cherry on top to our perfect, not-so-little family. You are cute as a button, as sweet as sweet can be and you have everyone you come in contact with completely charmed. The last 9 months have gone by in a blink and for that I am sad, but I am overjoyed to see a little man opening his eyes to the world and so blessed that you are mine. You laugh out loud at your brother the second he walks in a room, you coo at your sister because you know deep down she's the one who adores you the most, and you are a mama's boy (for now) and I love that. Your first word was "Mama"(YAY!!!) and you always say "bye, bye" and quite possibly "hi." You have even mastered blowing kisses and now pucker your lips to make kissing noises. You have one little tooth and instead of crawling choose to scoot around on your bottom. You do get your feelings hurt if something is taken away or mama tells you no, and you let out a little cry that is soooo sad it breaks my heart. Those big blue eyes and quick smile stop strangers on the street, most recently one said you were nothing but pure positive energy. They were right.

We love you more than you could ever know. Thank you for making our family complete.

Baby Davis is 4 months!

2011-02-20T20:13:00.001-08:00

I didn't think it was possible for the subsequent children you have to be any better than the ones that came before them, but boy, Davis is giving them a run for their money. This little ball of love is SOOOOO happy and is a man all his own. He is the perfect mix of his brother and sister and so far the only true brunette... Mama is so proud. He is so cute and perfect! In the dead of night when its just the two of us, I thank my Lord for bringing him to us and completing our family. God is so good and His light definitely shines bright in this precious miracle.

A tribute to our first baby... Dakota

2011-01-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

Dakota Berg

10/1999- 12/2010

This is a tough one, but Dakota deserves her own post. As many of you know, we lost a key member of our family just before Christmas. It was a tough decision we had to make, but we know we were losing more and more of the Dakota we loved day by day and she was deteriorating fast. We loved our dogs immensely and essentially they were our first children and were treated as such. As my Dad would put it..." I hope I come back in another life as one of your dogs." Michael got Dakota before we were dating in college, so I never really got to love on her as a puppy, but I can only imagine the mess she was because as a full grown adult she was absolutely priceless. Dakota was the super dog. Even people who didn't like dogs loved her (and she knew it). She was was born a people person (dog) and usually found a way on to someone's lap and into their heart. We miss her tons and there isn't a day that goes by that she isn't thought of. Our kids are quick to yell out "there's Kota!" when they see a picture of her. You realize how quickly 11 years passes in an instant and you also know that dogs lives are just simply too short. We love you Dakota and you will always have a special place in our hearts.

And then there were 5...

2010-10-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

Davis Michael Berg

Born 10/12/10

7lbs 9oz

19.9 inches

3:12 pm

I sit here the mother of 3 kids and it amazes me how life can be created so quickly and change so quickly. I feel like we were just in college, just getting married, just buying our first house and now we are responsible for 3 little lives. Michael and I are sooooooo unbelievably blessed to have been put in charge of 3 of God's precious angels. With it comes BIG responsibility, but if any of you know me and Michael, we crave responsibility.

Little man Davis came into this world in the easiest fashion. No rush, no pain, no fuss, just EASY. After the last two births, God knew we had paid our dues and deserved this one. Michael and I had an early morning trip to the hospital, we were immediately ushered in and put on the usual cocktail. Apparently my body is NOT one of those which goes into labor, I need all the help I can get. But I will say, once I was helped along, I followed the script quite nicely. The worst part of the whole ordeal was the IV and the epidural, both having to be done twice. Michael and I were left alone for the most part to just be. It was kind of nice, just talking and laughing and waiting patiently for a new baby to enter our lives. I love that man and I know he will never leave my side- I can barely get him to leave the hospital room to go get lunch. We waited patiently as my doctor and her partner ran around delivering babies around us (7 in fact) and then they came in and asked if I was ready. And I was... baby Davis was born not 10 minutes later.

He was perfect. It was all over so fast that our spirits were high. I could sit back and enjoy this one without the utter exhaustion that the other 2 brought. It was an amazing day. The thing I am most thankful for is that we have been so lucky to have 3 healthy children delivered into this world without the pain and anguish that so many others have to go through to conceive. With each pregnancy I got more and more nervous about the 'what-ifs.' I guess I was just waiting for my luck to runout. We now have our family complete and I can move forward one very blessed momma.

Here are some pictures of the day that made us a family of 5...

Eeny, Meeny, Miny Moe...

2010-08-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

7 weeks and counting... has time just flown by or what?!?!? NOT FOR ME!!

Baby Berg #3 should/will make his appearance sometime near the 20th of October. We did a 3D ultrasound with all 3 little ones and it was so fun to see them without the grainy black and white fuzz. I love a good sneak peak!! Just for kicks I decided to compare pictures. The last 2 kiddos have come out looking very similar as newborns, so tonight I pulled up all 3 kids and had Michael pick who was who.

We have a full grown little girl upstairs and it is making me a little sad. She was born with such a sweet soul and is still just the perfect little girl in our eyes. Michael and I both feel like we were born "old souls" and Emerson is every bit that. So mature, so grown up for such a young age. I get asked all the time when she is starting kindergarten and I am embarrassed to say she isn't even 4 yet, so we have 2 years to go. I am kind of glad she is the only girl we have because God definitely broke the mold with her.

Little man Jackson is ALL BOY and loves to taunt, antagonize, and charm his way through life. He is still very sweet and loving and says the cutest "please" and "thank you" after every sentence. (I think he has better manners at this point than Emerson did.) But, when you try and discipline him he just smiles back at you and it takes everything in your power to not crack and stay stern. Only his father is able to accomplish this. He already knows women have a weak spot for him... he was born a ladies man. Lord help us!

Only God knows what #3 will be like, but I am sure he will be perfect too. We are excited to have our family complete and are even more excited about raising these sweet angels. Three kids, ages 4 and under will be a challenge, but we are ready... I think.

Can you guess who is who??? Sometimes even their own parents can't. :)

Of course I put them in birth order to make it easy, but #3 definitely resembles his sister...

Boy OH BOY

2010-05-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

Well the tide has turned in the Berg family and the days of me and Michael surrounded by a majority of girls (Wiesehan girls, Mimi, the Glover/Bonner ladies, etc.) are over.

NUMBER 3 IS A BOY!

I get asked a minimum of 10 times a day what I am having, what I want, and why, so I have invested a lot of time thinking about this. I WANT a healthy baby, first and foremost, but I was hoping for a girl so that we wouldn't dash the dreams of our resident 3 year old girlie girl. After all, I am a people pleaser. She really wanted a sister and today after school we did what any parent would do... sit her down, give her the news, and promise Chick-fil-a for dinner! She was a little upset and tears started to well up in her eyes, but we explained that God wanted us to have a boy and that would be the perfect family for all of us. She's okay now, but I am sure we will have many more discussions about it.

As for Michael and I, we are excited that Jackson will be gaining a brother close in age. Am I prepared to have another little man running around, probably not. Having come from a family of all girls, I never pictured my life being outnumbered in the gender department. We now have to fully invest is some serious boy equipment. Jackson still plays with whatever princess stuff we have laying around. Of course he has plenty of balls and cars, but it will officially be out with the pink and in with the BLUE!

Tonight as E watched TV with Michael and I, we held our only girl a little closer, knowing that as parents, we forget to focus on what we have in the here and now. We are constantly waiting for the next weekend, the next season, the next milestone, or the next child to make their appearance. For what? We will miss today when it is gone and I now realize we will only be a family of four for a short time longer. We are joyful what God has given us today and so thankful he is bringing us another baby boy. We are so blessed!!

Man-to-Man vs. Zone

2010-03-31T13:49:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of March Madness and Michael winning his office bracket pool this year, we thought we would break down the differences between the Man-to-Man defense vs. the Zone defense. A good coach should always start with teaching a Man-to-Man defense because it gives players a firm base that you can build and adapt from. Each player is assigned an opposing player and is to follow him around regardless of where he goes. Players always know who they are supposed to block out and more pressure is applied to the offense since Man-to-Man is the more aggressive defense. The Zone defense refers to each player being assigned an area of the floor that they are responsible for. They are to defend the goal against anyone in this area. The Zone defense can be taught fairly quickly and helps protect players in foul trouble. The Zone defense will be better if players first learn the fundamental man-to-man principles.

Now that you have been given a quick lesson in basketball defense, the Bergs are about to change things up by moving from a Man-to-Man defense to a Zone defense. In other words, around October 29^th, 2010, we will be outnumbered. By that time we will have four years of endless man-to-man practice under our belts and hopefully established a rock hard foundation to build our new zone defense upon. Baby Berg #3 will complete the perfect Triple Threat alongside the All Star Team of Emerson Michal and Jackson Ryan.

All analogies aside, we are extremely excited about our future addition to the family. Emerson asks about the baby every day and is really pulling for a girl. Jackson has been carrying around babies, balls, trash, and whatever else he can find and putting them “night night” under blankets and napkins. We can’t wait to see what he’ll do with a real live baby. We have the opportunity to find out if the baby is a boy or girl in about 7 weeks. We thought about letting this one be a surprise, but Emerson is so excited that we might take her to that appointment so she can be the first to know what her new sibling is going to be. We will keep you posted!

In the mean time, here are some pictures since our last post of our babies growing up way to fast. Enjoy!

Jackson sort of hunting for eggs at the neighborhood hunt

Day at Discovery Green

Emerson enjoying the tractors more than the animals at the rodeo

J not looking to happy about his new haircut

E and J before school on Valentines day, the day we found out about baby #3!

Christmas Came Early!

2009-12-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas came early at the Berg house in the form of a large cardboard box. Let this be a reminder to parents that all kids really need are the SIMPLE things in life... love and the freedom to be a kid. E and J spent a good hour just being two kids in a box... (unfortunately I will have to hide it Christmas morning so they can enjoy what Santa brought them.) I realized in that moment that I love their age difference. They really do love each other and Jackson came just in time, so that Emerson never really got used to life as an only child. She wouldn't know what to do without her "little bother."

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2009-12-04T19:32:00.000-08:00

The Berg's are officially having Christmas fun. Emerson is at the age where EVERYTHING about Christmas is so exciting. I mean the girl loves a good birthday party and since she knows this is Jesus' birthday ALL MONTH LONG she is over the moon.

The day after Thanksgiving we headed out to Dewberry Farms and picked out a tree and played till the sun went down. I wish Jack Jack would walk more than 5 steps because he would have really had a blast. Miss Independent loved it because she could be independent.
The next day Michael put the lights on the house and we played outside all day. J is OBSESSED with being outdoors, as most boys I know are. He cries when we go inside and points to the door for a good 30 minutes after we have come in, so on a good day we just live outside.
The ELF on the SHELF has made his appearance once again this year and is a family favorite. E is very concerned with how he flies from spot to spot and she even wakes up from her naps thinking he should have moved already.
The snow in Houston was fun, but cold and we realized our children just don't have the clothing for winter weather... good thing Santa's coming! We lit the fireplace for the first time in our new house and love how cozy it feels. These days in our house there is no TV, just some Christmas tunes and us playing with the kids.
Tonight before Emerson went to bed we drove around the neighborhood to look at some snowmen and some lights. That little girl is amazed by the lights and could care less about the snowmen. She is such a girl and a sweet one at that... we saw a Christmas tree through a window while we were driving and she said "all the trees are beautiful!" She was so excited at every turn.
Next on the Christmas agenda is the Second Baptist kids Christmas show... so good! And in a few weeks we will head to College Station for Santa's Wonderland... so worth the drive!

At this point we have no gifts under the tree and I kind of like it that way. It is amazing to watch the joy and wonderment of a 3 year old as they fall in love with everything Christmas. At this point, the only thing Emerson has asked Santa for is a jewelry box with a spinning ballerina. This month has already been great and surprisingly our tree has survived having a one year old boy in the house. Once I wrap the gifts, we will see how long it takes him to open all of them when we aren't looking.

Jackson wishing he could get in the snow

Emerson eating the dirty snow

We don't smile at the camera anymore, so we take what we can get

The Cool Bus

The wittle wittle

Our mantle...

the extra stocking is for our other child, Aunt Michie

What I am thankful for... Jackson Ryan Berg

2009-11-27T21:09:00.000-08:00

On October 10th, 2008, the Lord blessed us with one amazing little boy! Knowing how our precious Emerson had touched our lives we were excited to experience life along side a little boy... and boy is life different! We call him "our little man" and he is definitely that. Unfortunately he is vocal and opinionated like his mama and a picky eater like his dad. The only good traits we can take credit for our his big blue eyes and his blond hair, all his other redeeming qualities are purely his own. He is a lovey dovey little boy who likes to snuggle and gives kisses all the time. We already know he will be the comic in the family because he knows how to play to an audience. He can put on quite a show making silly faces to get a reaction out of you or cocking his head to the side when he wants something he knows he shouldn't have. He knows about 4 words in sign language and most of the important body parts, but his favorites are his tongue and his feet. He can say the vital words that will get you thru most situations in life, like "mama," "dada," "down", and "boo!" and the always classy tongue fart. If you sit by him at a restaurant he will smile at you and make you fall in love with him, and your meal will be completely disturbed. He has picked up many women this way, including all of the ladies at the pediatricians office. He is patient, but not when it comes to food. He LOVES his big sister and thinks she is the funniest person on earth. His favorite parent right now is Dad because he wrestles and is fun in so many ways. Mom is good for hugs, kisses, food, and diaper changes. So far Jackson is the opposite of Emerson's perfectionist ways, he throws food, throws tantrums and at this point will only consume fruit. He is tough, and completely a boy. He loves hammers, balls and anything with wheels. He already has a great arm and he gets a lot of throwing practice in, despite being unable to stand on his own for significant periods of time. Right now he takes 4 or 5 steps and decides he likes to crawl, since he is much better at it. He loves Dakota and likes to pull at her fur, ears and paws- we are lucky Dakota likes him too. At one year old Jackson is definitely growing into everyone's favorite little boy. He is a great mix of sweet, smart, handsome, strong and tough. We love him more and more each day and we can't wait to learn what God has planned for him. We know this perfect angel will make his mark on the world because he has a way of touching the heart of everyone he comes in contact with.

October... Jackson turned 1, pumpkin patch, Halloween

2009-11-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

If I was a good mother I would have multiple entries this month. I just downloaded 300+ pictures from our 2 cameras and realized that we have had a lot going on. The BIG event was Jackson turning one (he will get his own post soon) and the joint birthday party we had to celebrate. LOTS of kids and LOTS of bouncers. Next was the pumpkin patch... cute as always, as long as Jackson didn't actually ingest the rotten pumpkin pieces on the ground.. And then there was Halloween and boy did we have fun! What I know to be true (this month) about my kids... Emerson has a rhyming song for every event in life and Jackson eats more food than humanly possible. Enjoy the pics...

The Halloween crew... The Berg kids and the Barrett kids.

Jackson along for the ride

The bee and her ferocious dinosaur

Jackson was a monkey for the school halloween parade

because the tail didn't fit in the stroller.

Waving to his peeps at the zoo

E and J at the pumpkin patch

Our surprise guest at the birthday party... Camdyn Finch!

Jackson loves to push his sister around

Damage done... we loved the cake

Jackson's boy cake

Emerson's princess cake

Our first baby is not a baby anymore...

2009-09-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

Emerson turned 3 on September 25th. The last 3 years have flown by and E just gets more and more fun by the day. She definitely has a silly side, but mostly she is a sweet cuddly little girl. At this point she is pretty close to perfect... and boy does she love perfection! She is so organized, remembers everything- nothing gets by her. She is meticulous about her activities... currently it is collecting seeds on the school playground (we come home with at least 20 a day and have to plant them every night). She says sweet, yet funny things like "good dinner pizza man" (very polite, but usually she thanks Mom and Dad). Her baby brother is her best friend and she is a lot of help with him. She knows she shouldn't touch ANYTHING until her hands are wiped down. She always wears dresses, she likes to decide how her hair will be and she doesn't want any help washing her hands. Miss Independent. She is the definition of the first child and we are thankful for that. We love her more than life itself and could not have imagined a more beautiful baby girl, both inside and out.

Emerson 3 months old

Emerson age 3

Our yearly ritual

2009-09-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

For the past 3 years our great friends, Davy and Ellen, have invited us to Rockport to do a little relaxing on the beach, fishing, dominos playing and of course eating. This year was no different. We loved the people, the waves (or lack there of), the sun and the house. The time away is something we cherish once we come home and get into the usual routine again. Here are a few pics from our Labor Day weekend...

Mom and her sweet baby girl

Jackson's daily nap on the beach... tough life. (Emerson took this picture- not bad.)

Dad and his crew

Men are just born this way... he was a natural!

E and her meticulous sand activities

I am pretty sure Jackson ate a few shells and plenty of sand.

Finally a vacation!

2009-09-11T18:57:00.001-07:00

Well summer is over, so what does that mean for the Berg's (who work all year and have no concept of time)... it's VACATION time! We decided a few years ago that busy places like Sea World are much better after the school year has begun and we got a heck of a deal at our favorite family hang out, the Hill Country Hyatt. We had a GREAT time floating the river and swimming with the kids. We even got to ride on a horse drawn carriage and of course enjoyed a movie on the lawn. You know your baby girl is growing up when she is glued to High School Musical 2 and could care less about Bolt. So sad. Even Jackson had a fun time. The man is addicted to the water and he loved Shamu. He pointed at the whale the entire show. It is amazing the difference a year makes. The last time we were at the Hill Country Hyatt I was pregnant with Jackson and it was our last hoorrah as a family of 3. This was vacation #1... #2 to follow.

Before there were kids... there were dogs.

2009-08-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

Colby "Bear" Berg

I have put off doing this long enough. Right about the time we got settled and I was ready to show everyone the house and blog about the kids and our new life in Houston... life hit us in the face. Our sweet Colby had been sick for some time and we knew we would have to say goodbye soon. I just didn't know it would be when I was away on business. Most of you reading this know that our Colby and Dakota were a pair, they were 'sisters' and both would have been 10 in October. Our beloved Colby went to Doggie Heaven on July 20th. She is missed and will be missed for a long time to come. Here are a few great pictures of our first babies.

The Girls

Colby and Baby Emerson

The Berg's are on the move!

2009-04-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

It looks like it's official... the Berg's are moving to Houston. It is amazing how life can change in 6 weeks. The kids will be in a great school and we are excited to be living closer to family and friends. The sad part is we will be leaving our beloved neighbors, but we knew at some point that would happen. You know, you really don't know someone until you all have kids and share the ups and downs of parenting and life. God has blessed us with some amazing neighbors and we will be sad to leave... but that is precisely the reason we are doing it now - I couldn't bear to steal our kids away from friends when they are older and have real friendships. So one more month in good ol' Pearland and then... the Barrett's will be seeing ALOT of the Berg's.

oh ya... we have a blog

2009-03-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

Well two months does pass quickly when you have two kids. I can't believe it has been that long since the last post. Jackson is now 5 1/2 months old. He is such a blessing. He laughs all the time and pretty much adores his sister (or anyone who will pay attention to him for that matter). We call him our 'little man' or 'sweet boy.' Gosh we thought it couldn't get any better in the baby department after our perfect Emi, but he is pretty great. My heart swells with love when I think of our two kiddos. I will include some pictures that Anne Marie Photography took of Jackson and Emerson while we were in town to visit baby Camdyn. It is amazing what they can do when you just throw a kid on the front lawn and start shooting!

The major news in our life is that we are thinking of making a move... to the other side of Houston. We have been in Pearland for 6 years now and decided to get serious about finding the place we want to raise our kids where we are closer to friends and family. We thought we would be here forever and then you realize you bought too small of a house having one boy and one girl (and possibly another at some point). We also know that in this current "ECONOMIC CRISIS" we are NOT in a crisis and we should take advantage of the buyers market. So we will see where we end up but for now we find comfort in knowing we have done everything right and the Lord will bless us for being faithful and patient. Knowing we are such planners it is kind of fun just putting the house up for sale and letting tomorrow worry about itself (except for the kids daycare... some things cannot go unplanned).

Emerson sitting pretty

Couldn't be any cuter... ladies watch out!

Can I be in a picture... with my sippy cup

Six Years and Counting

2009-01-25T19:46:00.000-08:00

Six Years. It feels like it has been longer and that's a good thing. Looking back through the photos of the memories we have shared I feel like we have grown up together. Grown into the people and parents we are today. I can honestly say there is NO ONE I would rather share my life with. You are an open book to me and I to you. That is what I love the most. We know each other better than we know ourselves. You are my comfort, my rock and the person I most take for granted. Thank you for giving me the two angels that have forever blessed our lives. Jackson is lucky to have a man to emulate and Emerson has the hard task of finding a man who can love her as much as her daddy. I love you T.

Jackson-3 months old

2009-01-25T19:20:00.000-08:00

Our little man is growing into a BIG BOY! He is now over 15 lbs (maybe more), he has had 2 colds (no ear infections, thank heavens!), dodged the stomach virus, and still spits up a ton, but is generally pretty happy about it. He is constantly smiling and he "talks" all the time. He is a great baby, but he still wakes up a few times to eat. I can't blame the kid... I think he just likes the company. Oh and he is still Emerson's favorite little man. She can't get enough of him as you will see from the pics.

New Years Eve

2009-01-25T19:03:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics from our mini New Years Eve celebration with our neighbors the Morrisons. (Yes I am just now uploading those pictures.) There's nothing like ringing in the New Year with a few two year olds fighting over toys, kids not eating their dinner and the parents just trying to enjoy one glass of wine! Oh how times have changed!

Just so you know they don't make the kiddie fireworks like they used to. Sparklers don't last as long and give off a ton of smoke and the poppers we got were totally dangerous... the sound like gun shots! We are a little scared for the yard men that mow our lawn because there are a few rogue poppers in the grass. oops!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2008-12-31T10:53:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-30T14:56:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-02T08:33:00.001-08:00

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!

2008-10-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-10T07:54:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

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.

We live for weekends...

2008-05-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

Well the Bergs have been very busy every weekend for months now and I think things are going to start slowing down. Last weekend we were in Austin visiting Cory and Jen and took part in their crawfish boil. This weekend we were on a whirlwind tour of Houston: Stop 1: The Johnston's Fishing tournament, Stop 2: My old boss' crawfish boil, Stop 3: The Astro's game on Sat. night with Davy and Ellen. We are exhausted, but we did manage to make the 8am service at church. This weekend alone I think we saw over 20 people we know and quite a few of them were at Goode Co. Taqueria after church. Great FUN, Great FRIENDS!

Emerson had a few major milestones this week... first of all she copies every word we say and when we are home she calls for Dakota and Colby NON STOP!!!! I think they are sick of her and love it once she is asleep. Her big achievement this week was saying "I love you" and "bless you" after we sneeze. It just melts your heart! We love this girl and she definitely loves us.

Emerson hanging out on Cory's couch

Picking up a live crawfish

Kate Johnston hitting the beer early

Emerson in the pool at the Wilbur's

It's a BOY!!!!!!!

2008-04-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Bergs are bringing a boy into the world! After the doctor getting the sex wrong for the first 5 minutes of the ultrasound thinking the boy parts were the umbilical cord, we now know it is definitely a boy. He gave us a pretty good shot so there was no mistaking it. We are very excited and we seem to be following the girl/boy trend that surrounds us with all of our friends. This also means momma gets to go shopping for baby stuff all over again and now we get to redecorate 2 rooms! YEAH!!

Where did a year and a half go???

2008-04-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

Those people that tell you that time goes by quickly with kids are soooooo right. I can't believe that she is a walking, talking, opinionated TODDLER! Emi is so much fun right now and definitely has ALOT of personality. I can tell she is the perfect mixture between me and Michael. She likes everything in it's place and goes behind me and closes doors that should be shut (like Michael), but loves the chaos of the dogs running around and barking, laughing at everything, and is definitely not quiet (like me). Gone are the days of momma and mommy, she now calls me "Mom" like she is 10 years old. Later this month we find out if baby #2 is a boy or a girl... YEAH! I guess baby #2 will get it's own posting when we know what we are having. At this point you sometimes forget you are pregnant with all that is going on, but go 4 hours without eating and you quickly remember. (From the sampling of the pictures below it looks like our child is usually covered in food... this isn't the case, but feeding time is the only time she is still.)

Wearing Daddy's hat

The only picture she has ever posed for.

Half asleep on Easter morning!

I am officially a blogger... weird!

2008-03-29T19:15:00.001-07:00

Well after much soul searching and realizing that EVERYBODY blogs, has myspace accounts, and has websites, I realized that my 18 month old daughter will surpass me with her computer knowledge if I didn't so something quick. So here we are... the Berg's have officially entered the 90's and we are online. Now hopefully I will be better at keeping up with this than I am at syncing my work computer... 18 days and counting... ouch! Hello to all of my online friends, I am sure we will find each other at some point. Till then... meet the Berg's!