Photo Shoot Part 2

Second batch of pictures taken by
Sarah Jokerst

The Tooth Part 2 and 3

It seems my dear little one has two more teeth coming up. This sure has been a busy week! They aren't all the way in but close.. I suspect in a day or so the other two will make their appearance.

The Tooth, and nothing but the Tooth

Spring has sprung. Not only has the pollen arrived, giving the tell-tale yellow dusting all over everything, but the azalea is in full bloom outside our back door and the trees are cheerfuly budding. The garden has been plowed and is waiting to receive little sprigs of plants. They began their journey in peat pots, in a red coke crate, in a black container, under the window, on the sun porch... in our house! (The coke crate was for ease of access and the black container helps to water them continually.) Anyway, they have germinated and are just about 1-2 inches tall. I'm very excited about the new life, the prospect of a bountiful garden and the new season.

As the seasons change, time passes and my little one gets one day older. It's life, you know. But as you may have guessed from the title, his first little tooth has emerged. Just like the big boy tomatoes and the zucchini squash, in what has seemed like mere days Levi has sprouted his first tooth. The drool and constant gnawing have finally paid off. It has broken through! So will there be a bountiful vegetable harvest this summer? I hope so.. Will Levi be able to partake of it? Quite possibly-- He's well on his way to being an herbivore. I'll miss the gummy smile!

5 Month Photo Shoot

Photos by Sarah Jokerst

(Vote on your favorite!)

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling...

Well, it's official. L. can roll! A month or so ago he kind of accidently flopped over and I was very proud. But alas, the REAL thing is here. Yesterday he rolled from front to back and from back to front. It is definitely an intentional thing. I am afraid we must watch out, he's already trying hard to crawl while on his belly! My sweet-pea is growing quick... Don't blink!

Side note: another first for the record. Yesterday he reached with intention for me. WOW. Be still my beating heart (only mothers will understand.) There was a look in his eye that went will those chubby little arms reaching out that said to me, "I want you!"

"Date Night! Sat-ur-day night!" 'You gotta date?' "Nah."

Tonight we had our first date since the baby was born! My mom kept Levi while we went to dinner at Ruby Tuesdays and coffee/desert at Barnes and Noble. We browsed around looking at nothing in particular but enjoyed the freedom. Concluding the evening with a quick run into Lifeway and a zip by our friends house to deliver a few borrowed things.

Overall it was weird. It didn't quite seem like 'before' baby, but it was not that I thought of him constantly cutting into the time away. Somewhere in the middle. Perhaps it was because I trust my mom with him, had just fed him before leaving and planned to return home in a relatively short amount of time.

Before I delivered Levi I was the typical emotional pregnant lady, and cried over the truck being a two seater and how we would "never again be riding in the truck together." Now what that really meant to me was C-H-A-N-G-E. After dabbing away the tears I concluded that the truck would be our date vehicle! That somehow would satiate my need for riding in the truck, which represented the life as I had known it. Now having had little Levi, and not riding in the truck in Five months, it seems a trifle thing. None the less my darling hubby remembered that and you guessed it, we took it on our date!

I think our date tonight will have refreshing effect on me. We enjoyed the lightheartedness of our conversation over dinner. Life has turned into a machine since the kid arrived, so in the future date nights will have to be put on the calendar. And not once every five months. Enjoy your freedom pre-children friends!

Another bonus of family visiting from out of town is the ability to work on projects. I was able to pull out my trusty sewing machine and whip out a few stuffable diapers and work on Green Tea Bags. I'm enjoying the instant gratification, as Gwen put it. They're so quick and easy and are creative and useful. How much better can it get?

Check back here to see more pictures from this weekend. I haven't had the time to get them posted but they will be fun! Or at least funny looking!

Old McLevi had a farm E- I- E- I- O

It's been very exciting around the house lately. We have had visitors (my parents) and been very productive in the back yard. To just give you an idea of what it was like, imagine a jungle... that's all, just a jungle. Oh alright I exaggerate a weeeee little bit. But just a little!

Not only was it jungle-ish.. it was the backyard formerly known as junk yard. So, everywhere you look you see glistening bits of glass, hunky pieces of metal protruding from the ground, and enough bricks to build a nice sized dog house.

This all changed last weekend. I'll let Levi tell you the story!

Hi Ya'll!

I'm just sitting here, strapped into my bouncy seat. Why you ask? Because Mama, Granna and Pop are working on the Yard. Daddy is at work today but yesterday he worked hard.

Daddy drug the loud Tractor round and round the yard 'mulching' the bushes. It's much clearer now. When I'm bigger Daddy and I can play catch back there. He says he wants to plant some fruit trees. But Mama is thinking it would be a great space for a pen for a milk goat.

I enjoyed testing out the tractor with Pop. He helped me push the button that sounded the horn. It starttled me but I didn't cry. I'm a big boy now... 5 months old you know.

For the ground breaking ceremony (literally), I was moved to a new location. I napped.

I watched as the first ever Koehn family garden emerged from the ground. There was much fuss over getting this part of the yard ready. Mama says I'll not have to eat canned veggies, but I'm not sure what canned veggies are. I'm a breastmilk man, myself.

First step: Plow

Second Step: Toss out the junk... my that pile is growing!

Third Step: Till it 'til the cows come home.

I was able to get in on the action at this point. I supervised!

Step Four: plant seeds. Mama already did that.. and we have sprigs of life! The lettuce and marigolds are already sprouting! Isn't God's creation wonderful!

Wow, Levi that was such a great description of what we did this weekend. And might I add, you were a perfect angel the whole time!