Ch-cha-cha-Changes!

It's been over a month since the last post but there is good reason for our neglect of the blog which is we've been BUSY.

The most important change came on Wednesday March 6th at 7:58am with the birth of Vida Evangeline!  She was born at Aspen Valley Hospital the same as her sister.  Unlike her sister, however, she was born with a head full of dark hair (hidden under her newborn hat in the photo below)!  Hair aside, her facial features are very similar to Freja's during her first week.

Kelly and I spent 3 nights in the hospital before coming home with our new bundle of joy.  During that time Freja got to hang out with Grandma Cecelia which she has enjoyed immensely.  Freja 'seems' to love her new sister asking her "Baby Vida, what doing?"  The answer is usually sleeping.

So, if having a newborn at home wasn't enough we also moved into a new house in Carbondale two weeks before Vida was born.  We loved our townhome in Basalt but the layout wasn't conducive to raising two girls.  The move itself wasn't too bad and we are now feeling cozy in our new home.  Freja even likes to say "This is my house."  (everything is her's these days :o)  I don't have a good photo to share yet so those that want to see it will just have to come for visit.  Below is a photo of Freja 'brushing' the driveway.

Finally, the addition of Vida to the family and moving to a new house wasn't quite enough for me, so I added a change in jobs to the mix.  After 9+ years with Aspen Skiing Company I left to take a Director of Finance job for Timbers Resorts (http://www.timbersresorts.com/).  The job is primarily based in Carbondale which means it is a short bike ride to the office, but I will also be traveling to Vail often to oversee an accounting staff at the hotel Sebastian at Vail.  This was my first week at the job and I'm excited for this new challenge and opportunity.   Best part of the new job so far was a spontaneous lunch date with my lovely wife.

So, that is the update from the Koorn family.  We are enjoying all of our changes and looking forward to a great 2013. Lots of love - Jan.

A Day at the Farm

Freja & I met up with Sawyer, Julie & Julie's mom Sandee at Rock Bottom Ranch this morning for a fun winter farm tour. We saw lots of chickens, a few goats, one turkey, several big rabbits, lots of ducks, some sheep, plenty of pigs (including 3-month-old and 6-month-old babies) and this lone snapping turtle. Whew! It was quite an adventure. We are lucky to have such a fun & family-friendly nature center nearby.

Baby 2.0 - 36 Weeks!

Here are a couple of ultrasound pictures of the baby taken at this week's checkup. Again we think she looks like Freja - and we'll find out in person soon enough. I'm 36 weeks pregnant now, which is a milestone, in that I can have the baby in Aspen. (Had I gone in to labor before 36 weeks, I would have been flown to Denver to deliver, because the "rural" Aspen hospital doesn't accommodate preemie births.) So it's a huge relief, needless to say! And obviously it also means we've got just a month to go.

My mom (Cecilia) went back through old blog posts and saw Freja's last ultrasound pictures (see December 2010), and she also thinks baby 2.0 looks a lot like her big sister.  I'll let you decide.

Wonder how big the baby is now, and what she's up to?
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement. See what your baby looks like this week.

I Splashing!

She was splashing around a lot today, and having a lot of fun doing it. xo

Sad Face

Freja. & I met some friends at the park today for some sledding. It's a common theme this winter! Here she is watching Julie & Sawyer load up in their car. You can just see the disbelief on her face that we were all headed in different directions. Definitely a "Mommy how could you!" moment. So so sad whenever it's time to say goodbye.

Sled Heads

After several weeks of cold, cold weather (think lows below zero, every day, for weeks!) we're getting some warmer sunny days up here in the mountains. Freja & I have had a little cabin fever with such cold weather, so we were so happy to get out & about and soak up some vitamin D today. We met up with Willow & Brian at the Willits Park for some sledding and as you can see from the picture above, all the fun led to some big smiles (and a few tears when it was time to leave the park).

We've finally got an official closing date on the house, February 19. That week will be extra busy and extra special, as we celebrate Freja's big #2 birthday, close on the house and start the moving process all within a few days. Baby 2.0 is due just two weeks later, so we'll have LOTS to keep ourselves busy & distracted unpacking and getting settled before she arrives.

What's the baby up to at 33 weeks?

Your baby's crown-to-rump length is about 17 inches. She weighs about 4 1/2 pounds (about the size of a pineapple) and gains about eight ounces every week.

Your baby has probably moved to the head-down position and may descend into your pelvis at any time in the next six weeks and begin to press into your cervix. This position not only prepares her for birth but allows blood to flow to her developing brain. The dark quiet of your womb is perfect for this activity. Right now, your baby is also in the process of receiving your antibodies. If she were born right now, her immune system would be immature, and extra care would need to be taken to keep her in a sterile environment.

Day at the Park

Freja & I ran a few errands this morning, so while we were out we stopped at Crown Mountain Park to burn off some energy. It was pretty cold, with temps in the teens, but with the Colorado sunshine it seemed quite a bit warmer. Freja really doesn't like walking in snow, even with those big burly boots on, so she'll stop where the cleared-off sidewalk ends and the snow begins, and say "Mommy, I carry you." I gave her a lift once in a while but am trying to get her used to snow. We do live in the mountains after all.

Baby 2.0 is moving so much, big roly-poly movements that stop me in my tracks sometimes, and are usually visible from the outside. I've said before that it's reassuring feeling her movements, but, uhhh. I'm getting to a point where I could do with less powerful punches! She really keeps me up at night, if not from all the kicking and rolling, from using my bladder as a trampoline. Wonder what else she is up to at 31 weeks?

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

See what your baby looks like this week.