Christmas in the Mountains

We had a great time in the mountains with the Sustakovitchs for Christmas this year. Of course there were way too many gifts as usual. We continue to say every year that we're going to do less and then we end up doing more.

I really enjoyed seeing my sweet grandma who means the world to me with my daughter. Grandma Faye spent a lot of time holding her great granddaughter and Jacey-Kate loved sitting and reaching for grandma Faye's face. We missed the Kiefers this year, but are looking forward to spending Christmas with them next year. Hope your Christmas was wonderful! Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Jacey-Kate 5 Months

Jacey-Kate is 15 lbs!!!! She's a chunk and it's soooo cute! This past Sunday, Lindsey, Danny and Lily drove down to Serenbe for lunch and a family photo shoot. We had so much fun and the pictures are amazing. Lindsey did wonders for us and the pics of Jacey-Kate at 5 months are just too cute. Lily and Jacey-Kate are 1 day a part in age, they were so cute checking each other out and telling secrets. Check out the slideshow below to see some of Lindsey's work and visit her website to see more of what she's the BEST at!!!

lindseymcintoshphotography.com

Make a Smilebox slideshow

SEC Championship Game

Russ and I had the privilege of going to the SEC Championship game this year. We owe it all to our AMAZING friend....Joey Potter. Joey and I met through Woodward's FCA last year. He's been a blessing to our school, to us and the Woodward community. Fellowship of Christian Athletes is lucky enough to have Joey working for their cause! Russ and I want to thank Joey for his dedication to a school and organization that we adore. FCA wouldn't run as smoothly at Woodward without Joey. Thanks Joey and Cathy for all that you do. Y'all are an inspiration to us! Click on the slideshow below to see Joey in action!

JPOTTER@FCA.ORG
www.fcaatlanta.org/Joey?
http://botaproject.org/
Facebook- Joey Potter

Thanksgiving 2009

Jacey-Kate had a wonderful 1st Thanksgiving and is gearing up for an amazing Christmas!! We had Russ' family for Thanksgiving week which was so much fun. My parents drove down for Thanksgiving day which was so nice since we all haven't been together since our wedding almost 3 years ago. The week went by so quickly, we worked really hard on the back yard, loved on Jacey-Kate a lot and enjoyed lots of yummy food as you'll see in our scrapbook below. Hope your Thanksgiving was as much fun!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

4 Months OLD

4 months can seem like an eternity when your baby is screaming at the top of her lungs and nothing you do helps, but it can also seem like the blink of an eye when you look back over those 120 or so days and remember the happy moments. Jacey-Kate's personality has really come alive over the last couple of weeks. She's always smiling and giggling which makes us laugh. The stage she's in right now has her putting anything and everything her little hands can get ahold of in her mouth. She's found her feet and usually holds onto them when we're changing her diaper. One of her mommy's favorite things is watching her focus in on a toy that's in front of her and then bringing her little tiny hands up to grab ahold of it. She's just precious. Russ taught her how to kick a soccer ball this week. Every time he put the ball in front of her foot, she kicked it. She's a natural....just like daddy!!! We started giving Jacey-Kate homemade applesauce with baby oatmeal. She loves it and eats a lot!!! We spent Russ' birthday in Asheville at the Grove Park Inn. He had to attend a conference for work there, so Jacey-Kate and I tagged along. We were lucky enough to have lunch with Jill Hawkins at the Biltmore which was so much fun. We're looking forward to Thanksgiving with the Kiefer's, they fly in tomorrow. We have SO much to be thankful for!

NJ and Halloween by Jacey-Kate

I went to see my great grandparents in New Jersey two weekends ago. They were really really sweet and I loved sitting on my great grandma's lap. I was a good girl all weekend long, even on the 2 hour plane ride. Each night when I went to sleep, I decided to try my new trick on mommy and daddy....I can roll over now! We had lots of fun with my great aunt and uncle, great cousins, grandma, grandpa and aunt Laura. Great uncle Gregg was the funniest guy I've ever met! He told me lots of funny things to do to my mommy and daddy. :-)

My first Halloween was so much fun especially because my Lulu, Dee, Uncle Jared, Aunt Christy and my cousin Luke came to visit. I got to be a pumpkin and went to a Halloween party in Serenbe. It was definitely past my bedtime, so I only stayed for a little while. Long enough to drink my bottle and give everyone a quick smile. I can't wait until next Halloween. Mommy has a great idea for a really fun costume for me! Hope you had a Happy Halloween, too!!

Mommy's Little Bama Baby

Jacey-Kate had her first college visit this past weekend. We had so much fun in B'ham and Tuscaloosa visiting old friends for Homecoming and Kara's cheer reunion. Aunt Yumi spoiled Jacey-Kate with a cute new sweater dress, tights and piggy bank. Thanks Yumi!!! Roll Tide!

13 Weeks or 3 Months

Jacey-Kate has really surprised us with all her new talents lately. On her 3 month birthday, she decided she'd shock mommy and sleep 12 hours! 7:45pm-7:45am and I woke-up in a panic wondering why she wasn't ready to eat again. :-) Actually, I hear I'm quite lucky because Jacey-Kate has been sleeping 8-10 hours the past 2 1/2 weeks. I should thank the rice cereal and baby oatmeal for her new sleeping habits.

Russ and I are surprised every day because she'll do something new. Giggling is just adorable and the baby talk is too cute. A few week ago we went in to get her up and she had rolled herself over in her crib. She's such a big girl!! We are loving every minute of being parents. It's hard to believe that you can love someone so much, but it's a completely different love than I have ever experienced. Loving Jacey-Kate like I do gives me a glimpse of how the Lord loves us. I'm blown away at that thought. Enjoy the pics!

10 Weeks

Jacey-Kate had an exciting 10th week of life. She went to an assisted living home to hang out with some fun older folks, attended a party in her honor with the women of Serenbe, and she even slept through the night. She continues to make her Mommy and Daddy proud!

My Great Grandma's 95th Birthday

Those of you who know Grandma Faye will really enjoy looking at these pictures. She had not met Jacey-Kate before yesterday, so her 95th birthday party was very special. Grandma's birthday wish was to live for 5 more years! We all hope that will be possible and loved spending time with her yesterday. It was really nice to have all of dad's side of the family together again.

Jacey-Kate enjoyed being held and cuddled with yesterday. She was really interested in her cousin, Luke. He wasn't quite sure what to think of the little baby, but was really excited about the doggie. The birthday party must have worn little Jacey-Cakes out because she fell asleep around 9:30 and didn't wake up until 6:15 this morning! YEA for Jacey-Cakes!!!! YEA for mommy getting to sleep 7 straight hours. :-)

My Favorites at 2 Months

I can't believe Jacey-Cakes is 2 months old! Our sweet daughter weighs 11 lbs. 8.5 oz and she's in the 90th percentile for her height. We were told that her height should take on her parents' genes by the time she's 2. So much for her being tall!!! Here's a slideshow of Jacey-Kate's favorite things to do as a 2 month old. Hope you enjoy!

Football...Finally!!!!

 


We are all so excited that Labor Day Weekend finally arrived. :-)
Jacey-Kate enjoyed her first football games! We had a lot of fun with Annie and were really happy to see her. It had been too long!
Good thing both of Jacey-Kate's teams won. Roll Tide and go Buckeyes!!!

Jacey-Kate's Surgery

Russ and I are so happy today is over with and so appreciative of all the prayers and well wishes from friends and family. We were definitely comforted by the support and encouragement we received. After the OR nurse took Jacey-Kate out of my arms to go to surgery, we walked downstairs to get a cup of coffee. I brought a book I'm reading with me and the name of the chapter that I read this morning was "To Experience God's Peace". I love it when He does stuff like this...the scripture at the beginning of the chapter was 2 Thess. 3:16 which says "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." How cool is that?

Last night before we kissed Jacey-Kate good night, we talked about how everyone else has been anxious and freaked out about her surgery, but we've had a total peace about it. I won't lie, before the nurse took her from me, and as she walked away with my baby, my heart just sunk in my chest and I realized how little control I had over this situation. (Not that I thought I had any control to begin with) I'm so thankful that God gives us the strength we need to make it through each day.

Jacey-Kate's surgery took 35 minutes, she was back in our room by 9:10 and nursing immediately. We were initially planning to spend the night, but we were released around noon today. She has done really well and has slept for most of the day. Dr. Burstein did great work from what we can tell so far. Her steri-strips should fall off within 7-10 days, so I'll be sure to post pics of her nose once they come off. The pictures below are super cute! Before and after shots as well as her little surgery gown and hospital/recovery gown that we got to bring home. There's also a picture of Jacey-Kate after mommy gave her the first dose of antibiotic. You won't miss it! Thanks again for praying for our little girl and for us. We love you and appreciate you. :-)

Jacey-Kate Update

 

Lots of good news to report...

1. Jacey-Kate's genetic testing came back normal.
2. Surgery is scheduled for Monday, August 31st and we get to spend the night at Scottish Rite.
3. Our sweet girl smiled for the first time this past Sunday!!

We feel very confident moving forward with her surgery and are excited to see what her nose will look like after Dr. Burstein operates. Thanks for your prayers and encouragement. We'll keep you posted on her progress.

The Kiefers' Krazy Lives

There's lots to report from the Kiefer household. We have kept ourselves busy through the month of August. Lulu, grandma Sustakovitch, was here for two days to play with Jacey-Kate, we met with the genetics' doctor, scheduled surgery and had grandma and grandpa Kiefer here for a week!

Jacey-Kate loves her Lulu! She can't wait for her to come back and visit next week. Kara's so excited to have her mom spending the night, babysitting and going to doctor's appointments for Jacey-Kate with her. Jacey-Kate's going to miss her daddy next week...he'll be in St. Louis for work. :-(

Our appointment with the geneticist went really well. Kim was so sweet and complimentary of Jacey-Kate's cuteness! She gave her a clean bill of health and thought she was ready for surgery. Jacey-Kate did have her blood drawn, she slept through it, not sure how, but she was an angel. The blood drawn will be used to test her chromosomes to make sure there isn't anything else going on as well as to check to see if the fronto nasal dysplasia was a mishap during the first trimester, or if it's something that runs in either Russ or Kara's genes. Either way, we're so grateful that she's healthy!

I'm taking Jacey-Kate for an eye appointment on Monday and then pre-op with the surgeon on Tuesday of next week. Surgery is scheduled at Scottish Rite on Monday, August 31st. We'd love for you to be praying with us for her surgery. Not sure what time yet. We're so glad we're not having to wait long to have her nose taken care of.

Grandma and grandpa Kiefer flew in on August 14th and spent a week with us. Jacey-Kate really enjoyed being with her grandparents. Russ and Kara loved having them here as well. (Not just because they helped with several projects around the house...that was a huge bonus!!) Our backyard looks like it's had a hair cut, or a new landscape job and Russ' tool area in the basement is actually organized. Everything has it's place! Grandma knitted Jacey-Kate a precious sweater for this winter and finished the curtains in Jacey-Kate's room.

We were able to take Jacey-kate to church last Sunday, she really enjoyed hearing Andy speak on Losing Your Religion. Afterwards, we went to the Varsity!!! Everyone must try Atlanta's favorite grease pit...it's Grandma Faye's all time favorite place to have a chili dog. Jacey-Kate also got to go to the aquarium. She really enjoyed the tropical fish display. :-0

Russ and I can't believe how quickly she's growing. We're so impressed with her chubby cheeks and how she's sleeping through the night! Grandma Kiefer was nice enough to help us get her sleeping from 10-6 am!!! Dr. Denmark...she's the bomb.com! If I had known about her philosophy on newborns, I'd have done this from day one.

Oh well...next time!

1 Month Check-Up

Jacey-Kate weighed in at 9 lbs and 7 oz when we went for her 1 month check-up this morning. Her parents were shocked to hear that she has also grown 3 inches and her height is in the 75% for her age. We have a healthy little girl that we're so thankful for and couldn't imagine life without her.

The three of us went to Georgia's 1st birthday party yesterday afternoon. We had so much fun, like we always do, even though Jacey-Kate slept through most of it. :-) As you can tell, Jacey-Kate is a daddy's girl, unless of course she's hungry! Next year we'll be sure to keep Jacey-Kate a little more awake and hopefully Georgia's birthday will be in Serenbe.

Jacey-Kate at 4 Weeks

It's truly amazing how quickly a newborn grows. We go Monday for Jacey-Kate's 1 month check up, so we're not sure exactly how much she weighs, but she definitely feels close to 8 lbs. Jacey-Kate is so loved, she has visitors come by to meet her all the time. Bailey, Brynna, Leslyn and Liz are among her favorites!!! Thanks for stopping by to see our little Jacey-Cakes.

We really appreciate all the prayers, encouragement and support. Jacey-Kate went for her CT scan yesterday morning at Scottish Rite. Kara was really nervous that Jacey-Kate would nurse and be wide awake which would make her move all around and fuss while they were trying to do the scan. If that happened, she would have had to have been sedated. We believe all of our friends and family's prayers helped her to lay completely still and to not be scared or cry. She was absolutely perfect! You can see by the pictures below how tiny she is compared to the CT scan machine. Russ and I stood there watching her go through this and thought about all the other parents that have been in our shoes and how they must have felt just like we did at that very moment....helpless. It's amazing how God gives you the strength you need in the exact moment you need it. We're very grateful that Jacey-Kate's scan took less than 5 minutes, but the biggest blessing is that we've already heard from our doctor and the CT scan was clear! The next step is to meet with the Genetics' doctor on the 14th, back at Scottish Rite, which by the way is an amazing hospital, especially when you know a few nurses. :-) After the genetics' tests are completed and our surgeon has the results, we can schedule Jacey-Kate's surgery to fix her nose.

Jacey-Kate is 3 Weeks

3 Weeks seems like a long time, but it's gone by so quickly. Jacey-Kate is gaining weight, not sure exactly how much, but you can definitely tell by her pudgy cheeks and growing belly. We've made some great progress with sleeping at night and then we've also taken a few steps back which seems to be normal from what all our friends have shared. Jacey-Kate says thanks to all her visitors, it's been fun for us to see our friends and family hold her and get to know our sweet girl.

A CT scan has been scheduled for Jacey-Kate on Thursday morning next week. We're hoping she won't have to be sedated for the procedure, but that Kara's milk with be enough sedation to get her through it. :-) This is one of the first steps to be taken before her surgery. Thanks for the continued encouragement and support! We'll keep you posted.

Two Weeks

Our little bundle of joy has been with us for two weeks now and we are having a hard time remembering what life was like without her. We are getting settled in to the pattern of eat, poop, sleep, eat, poop, sleep, eat, poop, sleep. She is doing great at all three of her favorite pastimes and we are getting much more sleep than we had anticipated (Russ significantly more than Kara). Although we have had a few minor medical issues to deal with, she is in great health and anxiously awaiting her nose-job in early fall. We have been so grateful for all of the friends and family that have visited, sent their well-wishes, and provided meals while we adjust to our new life as parents- we can't express how much we have appreciated everyone embracing our little girl.

Jacey-Kate's 1st Week

Jacey-Kate wanted to share her favorite pictures with you. She has really enjoyed her first week at home. She said it's way better than the hospital and almost as good as in mommy's belly. :-) Our precious daughter is adjusting well. We were really worried about the lack of sleep, but so far, it's been great. Kara has gotten up twice each night to feed her and that's been it. We do hear that babies tend to wake up by week 3, so stay tuned!!!

The Count UP Begins

Jacey-Kate is one week old today! We can't believe we've been home for a week with her- time flies. It's been quite a learning experience (especially for Russ), but we have been enjoying every minute of it. We have had lots of visitors stop in and are so grateful for their generosity- our little lady is definitely loved very much!

Jacey-Kate's Big Day

Here are a few more pictures from when Kara's water broke through Jacey-Kate's delivery. Kara made a birthday cake for her a week or so ago and froze it until she knew she'd be going to the hospital. The first pics are of Kara making and icing Jacey-Kate's birthday cake Tuesday morning. Thanks for following our blog and keeping up with our sweet baby's progress into our world! We're about to see the neonatologist and then head home. Daisy and Jonah are so excited to meet their little sister!!!

First Photos

Baby Kiefer Has Arrived!!!!

At 7:15am on July 8, 2009, Jacey-Kate Kiefer emerged from her exhausted mother and caused quite a stir from the first minute. She is now happily nursing with Kara. She can't wait to meet all of the wonderful friends and family that have been praying for her safe delivery! Jacey-Kate weighed in at 6lbs, 6oz and is 19in tall. She stole Daddy's heart the moment she arrived.

4:35am

Kara has dilated to 8-9cm and is dozing off to a well-deserved nap. The midwife said she will probably wake up when the baby is ready to be pushed out, so it looks like we will meet our little one in just a few hours. Kara has been really amazing. I can't describe the feelings I had watching Kara in labor- I'm an incredibly proud husband (and soon-to-be Dad)!

Contractions...

kinda suck. They're about 2 minutes apart and coming pretty strong. My wife is my hero.

10:45

Our midwife just examined Kara and we haven't had much progression since we got to the hospital. We have just started pitocin and are anticipating the arrival of contractions shortly. It looks like we could be in for a long night, but I'll keep you updated as things begin moving.

The Countdown Begins...

It is about 5pm on Tuesday, July 7, and we are at the hospital waiting on our baby to arrive. Kara's water broke this morning at 10am and we have since been waiting on and praying for contractions to begin. It looks like if she doesn't begin contracting before 10pm, we will need to start some Pitocin, which we are very much hoping is not necessary. We will keep you posted as often as we can, but in the meantime, please be praying for contractions to start ASAP!

A Serenbe 4th of July

We had another wonderful 4th of July with our neighbors this year. It started with a parade down Selborne Lane, potluck at Lisa's, fireworks in Grange (that's the part of the neighborhood where we live) and ended with a dance party back at Lisa's house. I figured I'd try to dance that baby out of my belly!!

One reason we love summer in Serenbe is because of the delicious tomatoes. Russ made lunch for us and as you can probably imagine, the pizza was delicious! I just picked some yellow pear tomatoes and yellow cherry tomatoes from our garden. I can't wait to taste those bad boys!!

Hope you had a wonderful 4th, too!

1 Week to go....

Baby Kiefer is due one week from tomorrow!!! It's hard to believe that the day is almost here. Kara saw her favorite midwife yesterday and has dilated to 2 cm, is 75% effaced and the baby's head is way down in the shoot. Brandy thinks it could be any day now. Who knows...maybe a firecracker baby is on the way!!

From Baby Kiefer

Happy Birthday Daisy Doodle!!

Daisy received her birthday gift today via UPS. Russ was so excited that he ran downstairs just in time to meet the delivery man at the back door. To Daisy's surprise, her birthday gift didn't turn out to be all that great. Poor Doodle....happy Russ!!!

From Daisy's Bday Present

I LOVE my daddy!

Jonah biscuit posed for the camera. He loves going night night with Russ! Sometimes Jonah and I fight over who gets to cuddle up with Russ at night. Just kidding, we don't fight, I always win. I thought these were really cute pics and wanted to share.


 

Baby Shower Weekend

I'm so blessed to have such amazing friends and family. My sister-in-law and mom's Skylake friends hosted a shower for me on Saturday afternoon. We had so much fun! As I opened each gift, I asked for each person to give me advice on being a new mom. I enjoyed hearing from all the ladies and am thankful for their advice.

Sunday afternoon, Grandma Faye and I drove down to Atlanta for another shower that my mom's friends hosted for me. We played a few baby games, had wonderful food and enjoyed being together. I've posted the pics from the showers. Thank you to everyone that was able to attend, it meant so much to me. Not much longer now!!!

9 Months- The Countdown Begins

 

I'm a little behind posting my 36 week picture. Russ and I have 3 1/2 weeks to go...and it doesn't seem real. We were sitting in the baby's room last night sorting through gifts and talking about how crazy, but amazing it is that we'll have a baby within a month.

California Babymoon

We had an incredible time driving the northern coast of CA. The beauty of the mountains and the ocean literally took our breath away. Our trip started in Half Moon Bay, where we stayed 3 nights. We took a little day trip to Palo Alto and to two wineries which Russ really enjoyed since he had his own personal driver. The 4th day, we drove down to Carmel, through Pebble Beach and then to Monterrey. Pebble Beach was spectacular! Carmel was great, we both loved our stroll through the town and sitting on the beach thinking about how great it would be to live in CA near the ocean. We had a great lunch at this cute little french bistro, got lots of great ideas for new dishes to serve our friends for dinner. We ended the trip by driving back up Hwy 1 to San Francisco. The weather was gorgeous and the food was delicious! If you're ever in S.F., stop in for dinner at Bar Jules. YUMMY!!!

Baby Bedding

Baby Kiefer is going to love his or her new furniture! The dresser and crib arrived this past Wednesday. Russ put the crib together and it looks great. The dogs tried to help, but unfortunately, they were more interested in rubbing their faces in the carpet. Our glider should be here in 4-6 weeks, just in time for the birth of our baby. Grandma Mary Jo and Aunt Laura finished the bedding and it was mailed earlier this week, too. It was waiting for us on our front porch last night when we got home from PJ and Mary Pierce's wedding which was so much fun. Of course we had to stay up and put the bedding in the crib to see what it was going to look like. I couldn't have asked for anything else, it's PERFECT! I can't wait to place our little baby in the crib. Thanks Grandma Mary Jo and Aunt Laura for working so hard on the bedding! We're getting so excited and can't wait to see the room all put together.

Kara's Last Day of School

It's hard to believe that I'm now a retired teacher...or at least for a few years. The last day was bitter sweet. Our math exam was given yesterday, the last exam of the year. I had to stay and grade and then post my grades and verify them before I could leave, so I wouldn't have to go back on Monday. My eyes hurt by 5pm when I finally finished. I was ready to go home, but very sad to leave such a wonderful school. My time at Woodward Academy was truly an amazing experience and I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to work there. Go Eagles!!

Baby Furniture Arrives

Baby Kiefer is going to love his or her new furniture! The dresser and crib arrived this past Wednesday. Russ put the crib together and it looks great. The dogs tried to help, but unfortunately, they were more interested in rubbing their faces in the carpet. Our glider should be here in 4-6 weeks, just in time for the birth of our baby. Grandma Mary Jo and Aunt Laura finished the bedding and it was mailed earlier this week, too. We're hoping to get it before our trip to CA on Monday. We're getting so excited and can't wait to see the room put together!!!

Week 4 of our Garden

Neither one of us can believe how easy it is to grow veggies. We've been blessed with lots of rain this spring which has helped quite a bit. Kara can't wait to pick her first veggie and Russ can't wait to start cooking with it. The next hurdle is to keep the bugs from munching on everything. Any tips are appreciated. :-)

32 Weeks and counting...

Kara's 32 weeks pregnant today. Huge difference between last month and this month's picture. Today's appointment went well, but the midwife said if she had to guess, the baby seems to be standing up rather than head down ready to come out. Our friend in Serenbe who is a labor and delivery nurse said she thought the baby's bum was still straight up like last month, so who knows. We're praying for that baby to get into position by the time he/she is ready to make his/her debut.

May Updates...

Our 1st Attempt at Gardening...

Russ broke his back getting my garden ready for me a few weekends ago. :-)
We planted 3 kinds of squash, zucchini, cucumbers, rosemary, thyme, chinese sweet peppers, eggplant, 4 kinds of tomatoes, and blueberries. I definitely didn't think any of it would come up, but it did!!! We're really excited to see if we actually get some veggies and fruit this summer. We'll keep you posted.







Kara's Last Woodward Graduation for a while

It was bitter sweet. Kara cried and she didn't even have a senior graduating. Must be the pregnancy finally making her emotional.






Kara's 1st Baby Shower

Kellie, Kelly and Yumi were such wonderful hostesses for Kara's baby shower. She was overwhelmed with such thoughtful and fun gifts. Baby Kiefer is going to be so spoiled!!!






Happy Mother's Day!!!

Russ surprised me this morning with an amazing Mother's Day present....our stroller!!! He also picked out such thoughtful and sweet gifts at the 1st Serenbe market yesterday, so my stroller was full of surprises. The dogs are going to smell great with their new soap, our sweet baby will love to wear his/her new Carry Me to Serenbe onesie and Kara can't wait to wear her new turquoise May Day t-shirt! Russ is the most thoughtful, caring and loving husband. I don't know what I'd do without him! He's the BEST!!! Hope y'all had a wonderful Mother's Day, too!

7 Months and Counting...

Kara's belly has grown! She's feeling great as the third trimester has gotten off to a good start. We go back to the doctor next Thursday and will have another ultrasound, so we're excited to see what the baby looks like at 29 weeks. We'll post pictures after our appointment. It's hard to believe in 12 weeks from today we could have a baby!

Easter at Serenbe

We had a wonderful Easter weekend with Jeremy, Shannon and Irene. It started on Friday night with a hail storm, but ended Sunday with beautiful sunny 70 degree weather. Irene got to see dyed baby chicks for the first time at the Serenbe Stables Easter Egg Hunt and 4 new baby goats on the farm. At the end of the weekend, we decided that the Iwaszkowiec's should move to Atlanta!

Six Months

Our sweet baby decided to pop out this month! Thank goodness...people were starting to think I wasn't pregnant. :-)
Russ is out of town all week training for his new job, so when he returns home, he can tell a huge difference in Kara's belly.

Brazil 09

Spring break came and went so quickly this year! We have been planning to take 7 Woodward Academy students that Kara teaches to Brazil to work with our 3 friends who live there and work with kids in Rio. It's hard to believe that we've already been and are back getting ready for work tomorrow. Take a look at our slideshow, these are the highlights from our trip. We can't wait to go back!!!

Blizzard 2009

We woke up this morning and within 2 hours it was snowing!!! Kara had heard we were supposed to get 3-5 inches, but knowing Atlanta weather, there was just no possible way. By 4:30 this afternoon, we had 3 inches on the ground. Take a look at the pictures of Serenbe. Today was a gorgeous day and what a surprise, especially since we had 77 degree weather yesterday!

Fun with Jonah and Daisy Doodle

We've realized that Daisy gets bored during the day. How can a dog get bored when she has her own room and yard to play? Russ caught the dogs in action on Saturday afternoon and of course I was the one who really enjoyed watching and capturing this funny event on film. All Jonah wanted to do was lay on his bed in his warm dog room, but Daisy had a different idea of fun. She dragged Jonah's bed through the dog door and out into the yard. Obviously from the pictures, you can see what happened next.

Kara's Growing Belly

Thought you might be interested in seeing my new belly this month. We're hoping baby Kiefer might make a huge debut while we're in Brazil. Huge as in popping out, not coming out. :-)

Valentine's with the Preiditsch's

We had a really nice Valentine's with our good friends and hopefully some day neighbors...Rob, Merry, Cole and Georgia Preiditsch. Rob lost the bet he and Russ had between Clemson and S.C., so he cooked an amazing 8 course dinner paired with wine (and non-alcoholic pairings for Kara). We started our progressive dinner at 4:30 out by the Grange trampoline and it ended at 12:30 in our living room by a cozy fire. Cole even stayed awake for the final course! We love to spend time with Rob, Merry and the kids. Thanks Rob and Merry for a delicious Valentine's dinner- you've definitely raised the bar and Russ is starting his research to find the perfect meal to prepare for y'all. We've posted the menu with pictures, so try not to drool. Happy Valentine's!!!

Kara's Growing Belly

Kara is excited about her growing belly. She's hoping in month 5 she'll actually be able to feel the baby move. Her wonderful friends are letting her borrow maternity clothes, although she's thankful that she can still fit in her work clothes for now.

Bama Baby

Kara was soooooo excited to get these onesies from Jennifer- it looks like Russ is going to be outnumbered by Bama fans once the baby arrives.