Spring Time

Happy Spring Time Finally Spring is here, I can't believe that Long winter we had but finally I think it's safe to say it's over. We have finally been able to get outside for a bit and enjoy some of these nice day's we've been having. Brandon got his first bike this year. So far he isn't too fond of it. He has a hard time pedaling so we are working on practicing that. He does really love his scooter though from Uncle Matthew and Aunt Lindsey. So that he's been having a blast with. Of course we play with the usual Chalk and Bubbles too. Brandon has made a new friend 'Sam' who lives next door to us. Sam has a little brother 'Ben' too but Brandon is more interested in playing (or trying to keep up) with Sam. Sam is 4 years old. So it's been fun, when we are outside playing, Sam likes to come over and play with us too. His mom is really nice too. Brandon and I just got back a week or two ago from a trip down to San Antonio, Texas to visit with Aunt Lindsey and Riley. We had a blast. Weather was great. We even brought our friend Kelly and her new baby Molly with us. (Kelly and Lindsey are really good friends too). So that was a good time. Lindsey and Riley have been alone (well, without Matt) for the past few months while he does his flight training out in Colorado. So that's why we thought we'd go visit so they didn't get too lonely. We also just found out last week that Brandon is going to have another cousin. Andy and Lynn are going to have another baby. They are due in November of 2013. We can't wait. Atlas is going to be such a good big brother. In June Jason and I are planning a trip out to the Berkshires of Massachusetts, as our friend Dan Smithwick is getting married out there and we were lucky enough to be invited. We have a house rented and everything already. It's going to be a blast. Andy and Lynn are going to be out there as well. We are also hoping to make another trip down to Texas maybe in June or July to visit once Matt get's home. Jason and I are coming up on our 7th Anniversary on the 13th of May. So far we don't have anything special planned. Maybe just a night out to dinner or something. Jason is going on a fishing trip that same week with his buddies up to northern MN so our date night will have to wait a week or so. I think that's about all that is new with us. Love you all!

Our Life Now

So I know it's been OVER a year since I posted in here. Wow I didn't think I was that busy but I guess we have been. So i'll just review the last few months or so... Brandon has been a busy little 'almost' 3 year old. He keeps us busy each and every day and tests us each day as well. We're learning to try to be more patient with him but some day's it just isn't easy! He is such a smart little guy and amazes us each day with what he knows how to do. Well since last time I posted it was just after Halloween, i'll start there. Brandon had a BLAST at Halloween this year. He dressed up as Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. He was so cute. He had so much fun going up to everyones doors and ringing the doorbell and saying trick or treat. Then to his surprise they gave hime candy. This made him even more excited. He wanted to go trick or treating for the next month. I had to explain to him that you don't always get candy when you ring there doorbells. Ha ha.. We got to take Brandon down to Texas the week before Christmas to visit Uncle Matthew, Aunt Lindsey and baby Riley. This was Brandon's longest plane ride yet. It was challenging at times when he just didn't want to sit anymore but he did pretty good. The flight home he was an Angel. We had a blast down in Texas. Matt is stationed there for the next year in San Antonio. So we got to go see The Alamo and The Riverwalk down there. It was a lot of fun. Christmas was great as well. We took off for Aberdeen on Christmas Eve and stayed until the 26th. It was nice to finally see the family over the holidays instead of the week before or after. We didn't do much for New Years/Jason's Birthday. We went out for an early dinner then stayed in the rest of the night. We did make it till midnight so that was good. I get to take a trip in February down to Alabama to see my brothers commissioning to become an Officer in the Air Force. My whole family gets to be there (mom, dad, Andy and I) which doesn't happen often. So that will be a really fun trip. After that Jason and I are hoping to make a quick trip to Paris for a few days. Jason has some vacation time in February so we're hoping to work that out that we get to go there too. Not too much new with me, still at the same job still liking it. I am working Part time right now but there is talk that they may eliminate the part timers so I would have to become a full timer again. Which isn't the end of the world. It just worked out so much better when I could do Part Time. So we'll enjoy it while it lasts. Jason has become the new Union Rep for his area at work. So he is the new go to guy with all the union questions or whatever they will need him for. I guess that's all for now. Love everyone and thanks for reading. Sandmeiers

Surgery

Well, I know it's been a long time since I posted on here. So This is what's new with us...

For me, I just had Surgery about a week ago to have my Bunion fixed on my right foot. So They Shaved the bunion off the bone and broke my bones in my big toe and the one next to it and realigned them and put pins in them so they stay in place. So I have been on crutches for the last week (not fun, or easy for that matter). I have been doing my exercises the doc gave me to strengthen up the joint to my big toe. It is still swollen and black and blue, (not a pretty sight). I really just wish I could put some weight on it. Now that Jason is back at work it is really hard to do things for myself. Even though I try. Luckily Grandma and Grandpa Sandmeier were in town for my surgery so they were able to help out with Brandon for the first few days, then they took him to SD so I could have some time to relax. Plus I couldn't take care of him by myself right now anyway. Jason and I are heading to SD tomorrow to spend the week with the family for Thanksgiving. We are so excited to have more than just a few quick days in Aberdeen, THis time we have monday-Friday to spend with friends and family.

Jason is doing his first Flight Deck Ride Along today. He is flying to New York and back in the cockpit of the Delta Aircraft with the pilots. This is so the Pilots can ask the Air Traffic Controller questions and vise versa, so they both can get better ideas of what each job entails. He was very excited about this trip and I am excited to hear how it went when he gets home.

Brandon is learning so much each day. It amazes me all the new words he can say each day. He really is starting to repeat everything so it's time to watch what we say I guess. ha ha.. Right now his favorite things to say is "What's that?" he asks that question a million times a day. He also loves to say "oh, there he is" when he is looking for something or someone. He says a million other things but those are by far his favorite. He also is getting pretty good at grabbing his butt and saying "poop" when of course he has pooped.
Brandon will be 22 months old tomorrow. I can't believe it is almost his 2nd Birthday already. We are probably just going to throw a little party.
He also is getting very independent. I guess he always has been in a way. But now he can put on his shoes on his own, which he wants to do all day long. When it's time for a snack I will say "do you want some raisins?' he replies, "um, no" then I will ask, "do you want some Teddy Grahams?" he replies. "um, no" and we go through this until I pick out something he really wants then he says "YEAH" but the way he says yeah is like he's saying. "Oh my gosh,yeah, what a great idea" It's funny!

Not too much else is new here. I am going to be out of work at least until after christmas and depending how well my foot is healing maybe longer. Who knows. I guess that's all for now. Until next time!

19 Months old

I know it's been a while since I posted anything. We have been busy. So B is now 19 months old. He is learning so much each and everyday. He is starting to say more and more words.. here are a few he knows and uses quite often.

Uh Oh
Bye
Hi
Bubbles
Star
Please
Daddy

He can say others too but doesn't usually say them in the right way. Like he will say mama but he points to himself. He's doing pretty good though.

Brandon is also growing like a weed. At his 18 month appointment he was 26.5 lbs which is just about average. He is in the 80 percentile for height too. So as of right now he is a tall boy with a big head. Ha ha..
He is still a super picky eater. He has about 5 or so go to meals that he loves but other than that he isn't really much into trying new foods. He sure does love his milk though. He could sit and drink two sippy cups full of milk at each meal.
B has been having a fun summer swimming in the pools at our friends houses (just kiddy pools) and playing outside. We actually just had a playmate with my cousins today and Brandon got to have his first ice cream cone after lunch. He loved it of course.

I am going to have a schedule change starting in September so I will be going back to the night shift. 2-10pm. I am not very excited about it but I am excited to spend the mornings with Brandon and some mornings with Jason too. So we'll make the best of it until the spring when my schedule will change again.

That is all for now. Hope you enjoyed.

The Sandmeiers

California Trip

Well, last week Jason and I got some time off and were able to take a trip to California. It was an awesome time (even though the weather didn't cooperate with us).

Brandon got to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa Sandmeier in SD since they are both retired now. Brandon had a great time while he was gone. I don't think he missed us at all.

On our trip we started it out flying into Sacramento and rented a car. From there we drove to Napa and spent two nights there. While in Napa we visited a few little towns around there, one is called Yountville, which is so so beautiful. We ate at a really good restaurant there (twice actually) called Bouchan that is one of Thomas Keller's restaurants, he is a chef that Jason really enjoys. We also visited a Winery called Sterling Vineyards, in Calistoga, CA. It was super fun to tour this winery and see how it is all made. We got to taste 5 of their wines while on the tour.

Then we drove to San Francisco, and spent two nights there as well. We went on the Anchor Brewing Company Tour, which was very cool. We got to taste MANY of their beers there as well. Very good! We drove past the house that is the house that the Tanner family lived in, in the 80's TV show Full House. I watched that show everyday growing up so it was cool to see the house. We also ate at several great restaurants in San Francisco. We got to check out Fisherman's Wharf and Chinatown as well.

All in all it was an amazing trip. Unfortunately the weather was crappy. It never got above 65 degrees and was cloudy or raining the whole time which is very odd for california this time of year. They kept calling it "Juneuary" on their news stations there. Apparently they thought it was pretty bad. Which it really wasn't. But oh well. We still had a great time.

Well just to update you all on Brandon. he is now about 16.5 months old and of course busy busy busy... He keeps us running all the time. He now says his first words. "uh oh", and he says it a lot. Sometimes he says it before he even does something, like he will say Uh oh then drop his pacifier or whatever he his holding. Sometimes he does something naughty then says uh oh. LIke he digs in the dirt in the plant, and when he sees his dirty mess he will look at us and say Uh Oh. I think he is starting to figure out how to say "mine" too. If I am holding something he wants he says 'my' which i think means mine.

That's about all for now.

Love the Sandmeiers

Almost 15 months

Next week Brandon will be 15 months old. WOW. We go to the doctor next week to see how big he is getting.

Brandon has been busy growing lots of little teeth. he now has 11 teeth all together. The molars were pretty rough coming in but now has 3 of them in. Just one more to go.

This last week has been tough, Brandon was sick with the flu. It acutally only lasted a day or so. But it was a rough day. He ended up throwing up 4 times all together. It was so hard to watch him like that. Luckly we got some help from our nurse and she suggested we don't give him much milk since that seems to upset the tummy a bit more, and that helped. He hasn't thrown up in over 24 hours now so he is doing much better. I am hoping by tomorrow his diet will be back to normal. Since he was sick yesterday, I went to target and bought him a new toy to try and cheer him up. I got him the Little People Airplane toy and he presses on the pilot over and over until it sings the song about flying in the clouds and he rocks back and forth with the music. He loves it. I think it helped a bit.

B loves to sing songs, well not so much sing yet but do the actions. He has Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes almost all figured out. He points to his head and toes in the right spots and now is starting to point to his eyes too in the appropriate spot of the song. He also can do the actions to Paddy Cake. He claps his hands and then can just about do the rolling part but thats about all. He loves it when his little Puppy sings those songs.

It was nice last week for a few days so we did get to go play at a few different parks a few differnt times. He has lots of fun just walking around the park and swinging on the swings.

He is still quite the picky eater. We are still working on that. We still feed him some baby food about once a day or so just so he can make sure to get some fruits and veggies in his diet. Some of his favorite foods are Waffles, Pancakes, Boca Burgers, Grilled Cheese and he even ate a real burger the other day that Jason grilled for us. He liked that too.

We are very excited for Easter weekend so we can see Uncle Andy, Aunt Lynn and Cousin Atlas. We haven't seen them in a while. Even the Easter Bunny is gonna come this year.

Well that's about all for now I guess. Jason and I are doing good too... not too much new. Jason is starting his new work schedule next week, which means no more midnight shifts. So he is excited about that. Nothing new for me though... same ole same ole.

Danielle and Family

Growing Up

Here is our Latest video of Brandon. walking around like crazy.