Team Bartz

2012-01-07T16:23:00.001-08:00

Happy chicken party!!

2012-01-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

Happy new year!

2011-12-31T13:23:00.001-08:00

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2011-12-27T08:00:00.001-08:00

Sylvie's first big slide ride

2011-12-25T14:46:00.001-08:00

Brinnon's snowman painting.

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2011-12-25T14:44:00.001-08:00

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Not enough time

2011-11-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

There just doesn't ever seem to be enough time to get photos uploaded, but here are a few before the Sylvie girl turns 1. Here are a few of the darlings....

Parade

Brinnon in a box!

A few photo updates

2011-05-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

B and OliviaB and Eden riding in a box

I'm beginning to sit up on my own!

Starting to eat rice cereal....

Smilin' Sylvie at 5 months

Baby Sylvie Mae

2011-02-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

Here is Sylvie's first time on the blog, only took two months. Sorry about that, life is a little bit more busy with two little ladies! It's been a fabulous transition with her. She has been a dream baby and Brinnon has been loving the new role of big sister.

Singing B

2010-11-07T18:21:00.000-08:00

Untitled from courtney bartz on Vimeo.

The hills are alive with the sound of music. With songs they have sung for a thousand years. The hills fill my heart with the sound of music. My heart wants to sing every song it hears. My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds that rise from the lake to the trees. My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies from a church on a breeze. To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls overstones on its way. To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray. I go to the hills when my heart is lonely, I know I will hear what I've heard before. My heart will be blessed with the sound of music and I'll sing once more.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T19:26:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!
I was so excited to be a ladybug princess, thanks to Tenzy helping me with my great polkadot (pink, of course) ensemble. It was a great success! We even got to go to a haunted house and I saw a werewolf inside the maze. Creepy!

Pumpkins I carved with Mom and Dad

Congrats Chaddy and Ella

2010-10-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

Uncle Chad and Auntie Ella got married on September 12. It was a lovely fall day to be a princess. People came from all over the country for this big celebration and I was lucky enough to throw flowers for Princess Ella. The camera ran out of batteries before the dance party, but you should have seen the entrance dance Ella and Chad did. I couldn't stay off the dance floor. Didn't mean to steal your thunder. Love you both.

Visit from the Lockharts

2010-10-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

These beautiful boys came to Duluth to visit me and wow did I fall in love. They have the same energy level (or a little more) than I do but there are two of them. I'm very impressed by their parents, Dana and Walker, and their ability to keep up. Saturday they came to my house but Sunday we all went to Gooseberry. It was a gorgeous Labor Day weekend.
I couldn't tell the boys apart, so Dana offered a bit of advice. Oliver wears green and Finn is usually in blue.

Porcupine Mountains

2010-10-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

Princess and the potty

2010-03-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

You guessed it, B is officially a big girl! No more diapers for this little princess!

Random shots of friends

2010-03-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

Here I am sitting on Sally! She really does like it.

Olivia, Avery and me

Wilder and I watching E-I-O

Elias and I avoiding a photo op for our moms

Painting

2010-01-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

If she could, she would paint the world.

Happy New Year

2010-01-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

Making and eating guacamole Mylo is my sticker book
Trying to whistle

Brushing teeth with my pal, Anya

A romantic New Year's Eve meal with Wilder, Maeva and Anya

Deck

2009-08-02T21:04:00.001-07:00

Not so sure that pulling the front deck off the house was the best 'quick weekend plan' but after we pulled it off, we realized it was a good thing. Maybe a year into owning the home the front deck quickly got labeled a hazard for using as an entrance into our house. Lately I have felt we needed to put caution tape across the front. Although those who were not too familiar with our situation would quickly realize it was really unsecure and use our side door.

Whoever it was, and usually we blame the previous owner for all the mishaps, did not pull a permit or think about building the deck to use long term. Kelly pretty much pulled the deck out of the ground and off our house with not too much effort. These same folks did not seal the wood behind the deck with any type of house wrap so if you scroll down you can see what the deck's absense revealed. Rotten wood which leads right into the house. Oh for fun!

On the positive side we now know the situation and Kelly has already saved the day. We also have decided to put on a little bit bigger porch rather than a small one that had existed previously. We have removed the bushes (or we are in process) and hope to have the deck run the length of the house. Our view is decent so why not. And at the end of the day, we were lucky enough to have a rainbow. This made Brinnon's day...she's rather obsessed with rainbows and if she could, would certainly love to climb on one.

Random pics

2009-08-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

Iowa 2009

2009-08-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

The family took a road trip down to Iowa for a McLuen family reunion. Instead of returning back to Duluth with Kelly, Brinnon and I detoured to Osky, Iowa to visit Kate, Bill, Eva and Baby Sam Snellman. It just so happened Linsay, Issac and Jack were there too (they are our neighbors/Linsay and Kate sisters). It was a full house of people and the Snellmans were more than gracious to host us all. Brinnon quickly fell in love with Eva and they played so well together. She is quite the lady. We also met baby Sam. I've never met a baby so....well....perfect. His worst case scenario is a miniscule screech, if you could call it that, for a second to say I'm hungry. It's amazing really.

Eva and B in their suits B loved this bouncy chair...sorry Sam
Morning
Got it!

Earrings

Outdoor fun with Eva

Birthday Weekend

2009-08-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

Grandma made me Strawberry Shortcake

Lil made me this bakers hat and apron to go with my new kitchen

Jess, this one's for you! :)

2009-07-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Holiday with Jessa

2009-07-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

Jessa was visiting from Seattle and invited us to come stay at the cabin with her near Cass Lake. Mom and I made the three hour journey and boy was it well worth it. By the time we left I was begging to go to sleep. Jessa's dad laughed because he had never heard a one-year-old plea for a nap. Thanks Wubbels for an amazing time.

Learning the ropes from Cap'n Wubbels Yee Hah. I love this lake! Neenert!

My mom couldn't believe there were lady slippers on the property. What a sight to see!

Mom caught a fish and I loved holding it!

Yes there was even a full moon that night!

The next morning I was ready for another cruise!

This time Jessa let me drive. There were a few times I nearly lost my mom overboard. I haven't yet executed the wheel. My turns need a bit of help.

Falling asleep with Jess

2009-07-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

Harvesting Chard

2009-06-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

Picnic for Karen

2009-06-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Garden Girl

2009-06-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

Lights Camera Action

2009-05-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Brinnon in action. I am pretty sure at one point she spots a flock of seagulls (not the band) in the sky and counts each bird. At the time I didn't know what she was saying but as of late she counts up to five... it sounds similar to what she says when she sees the birds.

Debbie

2009-05-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

Debbie (Brinnon's doll named after one of our best friends) has suddenly become the highlight of B's day. She rocks her, pushes her all around in a doll stroller, puts her 'night night', changes her diaper (which is very stinky according to B) and is just plain obsessed. It really happened overnight. Her actions are just hilarious. One moment she is a major caretaker and minutes later Debbie is whipped on the floor for something more interesting. Sorry Debbie. Welcome to Brinnonland.

Photo Albums

2009-05-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

My Grandma Linda made photo albums of me for my mom. This was my mom's gift but I just LOVE them. It's so fun to look at me, a little baby, with my mom. Thank you Grandma.

Weekend fun

2009-05-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

We had weekend visitors over my mom's birthday. Katy and Mac came up to celebrate. My favority dolly also got out and about. Her name is Debbie.

Dirt

2009-05-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

Can you believe all this dirt? My mom and dad ordered so much dirt to fill their new garden boxes. I got to help fill the wheelbarrow over and over. Eventually I got bored and started to make dirt creations, which yes included me getting covered with dirt. Please note my lovely white hair in the sunshine. . . pretty stylish.

Love the hair do!

Bracelets

2009-05-23T19:15:00.001-07:00

Grand Rapids

2009-04-14T19:39:00.001-07:00

My mom had a week off work so we took off to visit my Auntie Chrysta, Uncle Rod and cousins Maya and Anhel. We had so much fun playing all day in the gorgeous weather Michigan gave us. Thank you Coronado family for treating us to a wonderful week!!! We miss you already.

Rod, Maya and Anhel

Maya playing the guitar
Trying on my cousins bike hat

Kissing Lula (Lua)

Hiking at the Nature Center

Riding with Chrysta

My favorite shot with my idol, Maya!

Giggles

2009-04-01T19:52:00.001-07:00

2009-04-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

My block stacking skills have taken off in the past few weeks. Not only do I love to stack the blocks, but I'm capable of setting a small block on top of another one(even cylinder shaped) and they stay in place. My frustruations are diminishing the more I can do by myself.
I am so proud!

Mama, look what I did all by myself (sorta!)

Get a picture, Quick!

CHEEEEESE!

Dress from India

2009-04-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

Grandma Shaw went to India for a month and brought me back this super fun outfit. I LOVE it and think the belt/scarf (not shown here) is the best part of the dress. Thanks Grandma!

BBQ

2009-04-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

We welcomed the beautiful sunshine on Sunday and finished the day with a early spring BBQ. The Heydts, Linsay and Unkie Paw came over to play as well. Can't wait for the next one!

Lake Walking

2009-04-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Scribbles?

2009-04-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

Brinnon has found a new favorite past-time---Coloring. She can sit for up to a half hour (which trust me is LONG for her attention span unless it's E-I-O) and color. She'll swap out colors and make beautiful circles all over the paper. It amazes me she can identify that she is making circles by saying "circle mama". Who is this child that was just recently eating every color on the wheel and is now making 'art'? Bring on the art supplies, B is ready!

Dancing with Sesame Street

2009-03-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

My daycare is so much fun. Sometimes we get to watch this Dance Along video and I absolutely love it. Jody let me bring it home for the weekend so I could show off my dance moves to the family. Note Eddy in the background...pretty cute!

Cheers

2009-03-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

My friends Katy, Mac and Sally came into town for the weekend. Sally taught me how to do a cheers with our drinks. Of course I didn't want to stop after learning such a fun trick! Thank you friends for coming to visit me. Love you!

Pizza dough

2009-03-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

My mom and I made pizza dough for dinner. I had so much fun kneading the dough, I even ate some!

A Gorgeous Saturday

2009-03-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day today and we took advantage of the warm 50 degrees. First I had a fun playdate with my pal, Avery. After my nap, Mom and Dad took me down to see the lake and I was really excited how much 'wah...wah' there was. I loved all the puddles to soak myself. What fun! Spring is in the air!

Smiles and Tears

2009-03-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

Brinnon has caught on to the instant gratification of digital cameras. She hasn't yet learned that in order to see a picture you have to take a picture. How do you explain that to a toddler? It's becoming a battle...she yells "hold it (camera), mommy, hold it". Tears are not always worth the photos. Here are some I captured despite the tears.

Black Pearls

2009-03-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Applesauce

2009-03-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

Don't I look great with purple hair? It's just blueberry applesauce, no worries Mom and Dad!

Like a glove

2009-03-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

One may think I wouldn't fit in this bowl, being a rather large 19-month-old gal,but I'll let you all know I fit perfectly, see!

Taladega Bartz

2009-02-02T06:25:00.000-08:00

The Heydt kids have taught me a new fun game called "1-2-3 GO". As you can see I'm not nearly as quick as my pals...but with time and practice I'll hone my running skills and be able to keep up.

Kate S...the conversation going was regarding Lins wearing jeans skiing with Jack. Thought you might think that was funny!

Enjoying the weekend

2009-02-02T06:11:00.001-08:00

This weekend was above 30 degrees, so as a family we ventured on a hike and to the park. I even got to slide down the 'luge' in my backyard.
Sunday we had a Superbowl party. We invited good friends over to enjoy chili, cornbread (thanks Alina) and other yummy apps brought by Turk.
Tenzy and Rilo are so much fun to play with. I couldn't stop hugging Tenz. She is my idol!

Tenzy, me, Rilo

Check out my mouth full of spaghetti
Playing outside with my folks. I didn't want to go in.

Brushing my friends teeth

2009-01-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

Holly Days

2009-01-11T19:05:00.000-08:00

Cousin Maya feeding me a nanaWatching a movie with my Cous
Watching the snow fall with my Grandpa
Jammin' with Lil

Look what Santa brought me!

My Gramma and Auntie

All of my cousins on Christmas Eve

My Great Uncle Linden and Di Di
I became a bit obsessed with this snowman..it sings "winter wonderland"

My Great Auntie Wilma

Dance Party

2008-12-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

A much needed Playdate

2008-12-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday Duluth was blessed with loads of snow. It was a beautiful weekend but didn't give Brinnon time to get out and play. Due to the snow and extreme cold temps the storm brought, all Duluth and surrounding area schools were cancelled today. Brinnon's good pal, Avery, didn't get to go to her school so instead got to come over and play. Right when B saw Avery, she got so giddy and excited to play with her pal. It was absolutely adorable. The girls are perfect playmates!

Brinnon bringing her toys to Avery

Looking up to Avery
Avery
Having a dance party

2008-12-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

In Daddy's boots

Dying of laughter

Happy Thanksgiving or This one's for LoLo

2008-11-29T18:38:00.000-08:00

pumpkin soup

doing a pretty good job

mom, give me the camera PLEASE! oh the tears...

Bumblebee

2008-11-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

We've obviously stuck to the bug theme for Brinnon's halloween costumes. Hmmmm...I wonder what lies in store for her next year? She is quite the tropper and tolerated the costume extremely well. The Coop had a haunted house in the basement that we thought may be fun. There was a live folk band that Brinnon danced to...found a few instruments left out to play and enjoyed the bee get up as much as a one year old should!

Symbiosis

2008-10-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

"the living together of unlike organisms".

Brinnon has become a huge fan of her pull toys. They have been her best friends these days. No doubt she then wants to share them with everyone in her life, including Mylo (the cat). What a lucky kitty! :)

Here's to Brinnon and Mylo figuring it out!

Last days at the beach

2008-10-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

GOBAMA!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-19T08:55:00.001-07:00

Our friends gave this awesome shirt to Brinnon to help show her support to our presidential hopeful. B is very passionate about this election and is happy to wear this shirt as often as she can! Thank you Sandy!

Fall

2008-10-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

more camping shots

2008-10-01T20:01:00.001-07:00

brinnon and rilopack of babes

super mom
weizel butt

Heydt/Weizel/Bartz Campathon

2008-10-01T19:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent photos of Brinnon while we were hanging with the campers at Jay Cooke State Park. (GO Heydts and Weizels). B was not feeling up to it so we just did the day camping thing with her. Next year, though, we will partake in the full weekend deal.

Miss Maeva

My Blankie

2008-10-01T19:45:00.001-07:00

Independence

2008-09-02T19:29:00.000-07:00

Dad's favorite

2008-09-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

This may be blurry, but it's Kel's favorite photo of babe so far. Check out those chompers!!!

Labor Day Weekend 2008

2008-09-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

My first Inflatable Jumping Gym experienceWHEEEEEE
We hit the beach on Sunday afternoon and ran into the Heydt's. Thanks T for playing with Eddy!
My favorite new food.

Walking, Yes Indeed!

2008-08-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

lost photos

2008-08-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

These pics were saved on our camera and just recently downloaded to our computer to give me access. Brinnon was eating Bunny cereal with no hands (face onto tray) and kept getting them stuck to her nose. She and I both thought it was funny! This first photo looks like me when I was little...

Cabin Baby Jam

2008-08-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

quintessential dirty

wilder rolling in the tentenjoying the sunny morning with my pals anya and turk
moms and babes in the morn
can you get any cuter?

Family Vaca Numero Uno

2008-08-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? When I ever get a free second the last place I think to put my energy is into the blog...but I know we have got to keep it fairly updated as to keep you all informed on B's happenings. So here is a quick synopsis of our family vaca to Iowa. First stop, Northfield Minnesota to visit Angie, Chris and Elias. He (Elias) is so big now and such a cute sweet boy. His growth now reminds us how long it is between visits with the Ekerns...too long. While in Northfield we wandered over to the Eastvold/Pettis residence to play with them and eat a delicious brunch. THANK YOU both families for the wonderful hospitality and yummy food! We then ventured on to Lanesboro, MN. A really nice small town in Southern MN with a lot to do probably when you don't have a baby that naps twice a day. We quickly figured that camping with B wasn't what our vacation was going to consist of. The Snellman's got a early phone call asking if we could bombard them a few days early. Fortunately they said yes! We detoured into Decorah (SO beautiful!), IA and then through Waterloo (where I was born) and eventually into Oskalooska/Cedar Iowa. We were welcomed with only the best to drink (Coors) and entertainment. I've got this great video of four grown men syncronizing a slip and slid routine but I don't have the time to download it. One day it will be recognized...
While in Iowa we played at the beach, sailed the Hobie (thanks Bill), ate great food, played at the pool, fell head over heels in love with Eva and just relaxed. It was a great time and we felt so lucky to see all of our pals along the way. On our way home we stopped in to see Grandma and Grandpa Bartz. Then we headed to Gramma and DiDi's to say hello before we went off to the Baby Cabin Party...

The Ekerns

Getting loved by Ang

reading at the campground in Lanesboroavery embracing brinnon
'hey girl'

playing at the beach near Pella

and on the hobie

what a nice Iowa welcome
where my mom was born!
relaxing in the car

i LOVE the beach and waves. i have no fear.

eva helps me wash my hair
grillin' with the snellmans in iowa
country road strollin'

Another Bday Party

2008-08-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

Can one little girl have too many parties? I'd say No especially when it's a pool party with cake, presents and lots of good company.

Perfect Ending

2008-07-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the perfect way to end the weekend. Brinnon had her first pool experience and loved it. She giggled almost the entire hour. We also found it was a great way to exhaust her (see following post). After the pool we went home and hung out on our deck. The sun was out and we took advantage of the great weather!Brinnon and Maya

Jenn and B Cute butt!

Finally!!!!

2008-07-22T19:56:00.001-07:00

Our little girl doesn't sleep in the car. I swear. You wouldn't believe it by looking at this picture, because she looks like a natural 'car sleeper'...doesn't she? Sunday we found the secret recipe to have her fall asleep.
First step is throw a party (baby being the center of attention) with at least 40 people in a very crowded house...enough to over-stimulate your child. Cut out necessary naps. Bring her swimming for an hour during her nap time. Ignore her exhaustion. Feed her and put her in the car. Drive.

Party Time

2008-07-22T18:38:00.000-07:00

Brinnon's birthday party was a blast. The weather didn't cooperate for us to have it at the local park, so it ended up being a lot of people in a little house. None the less, we had a great time and a wonderful celebration for our sweet little one year old darling! Thank you everyone for coming to share in the 'birthday bash'!

You might not know, but I'm a pretty big deal: THE ONENESS

2008-07-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday Brinnon you are 1 year old!

I suppose we could reflect back on the past year of events and give you a highlight reel of all of the many firsts B has accomplished, the bumps and bruises, the laughs, the realizations... but we don't really have time we are parents of a 1 year old. Please see the appendix (our past blog posts) for the synopsis.

Yes we live in the now of a fully mobile little girl who if you are not watching is probably chewing, sticking her finger in, or falling off something you don't want her to. It's great, she can't quite talk except for a few words, dada being her favorite (hmmm interesting), but she can express if she is in distress and you will know. So will the young couple who were sitting next to you in the restaurant talking about how cute their child would be... until you ran out of cheerios. You may think these things are a negative but on the contrary it is wonderful to see her come into her own with opinions and personality. The louder her screams get the bigger her smiles get. Mom can get her to laugh so big when she attacks her, now B is starting to attack back. It's that evolution that is so fun to be around; how she can watch-learn-do. The gaps of time between these steps are getting closer and closer.

Speaking of steps, B just can't get enough of them... until she's at the top.

mount stairs from Kelly on Vimeo.

So our little girl is 1. Or is it 12 months? I've always been confused by this. In "babyworld" babies are 2-4-6-8-10 months, fair enough. Then they reach the age of a recognized calendar year, the unit of which history is most commonly denoted, the year (1). Then it's back 12-14-16-18 months. Is this holiday, dare we say her only character that separates her from nothing (zero), a whimsical, divisible, 12 in a flurry of months we have seen fly by?

I say NO! She is 1. Brinnon is the prime number, a whole.

Granted I understand the need to separate the great monolith from the rest of the herd to identify all of her many changes and first times. Also, so dad does not try to put those footy pajamas on her that are in the bottom of the drawer when the rest are dirty.

But, I am 385 months old. I have no idea what that means and I will forget that once I close the calculator. Months are there for guidance and scheduling and to know when the next year is coming due. They are not the monumentous scores put on our life to show triumph and conquests of months past. These are years and Brinnon has succeeded her first. And as we all know, that's a pretty big deal.

Full of Events

2008-07-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! Grandma, Di Di, Auntie Chrysta and Cousin Maya came to visit Thursday and Friday. We went out to breakfast, had a bbq, played guitars, hiked and played at the park. There was never a spare moment! Brinnon was 'loved' up by Cousin Maya. What a fantastic cousin you are Miss Maya. Thank you for all of your help with B. Big news, today she independently pushed her walker toy around the house...for almost an hour. We removed the rug and let her have the entire floor for her new skill. Addicted!
Today was gorgeous, we had to get outside and enjoy the weather. These are the days when we want to live no where but Duluth...the lake, the sun and the beautiful green trees and flowers! Ahhhhhhhh! What a weekend!

Pointing to the plane

Dodging Eddy's legs

Random Pics

2008-07-02T20:19:00.001-07:00

Avery and Brinnon...B/F/FBig Blue Eyes
A Dandelion
Tiger in the Grass
Glamour Shot

Where does the time go? Summer has come and Brinnon's first birthday is right around the corner. Enjoy these random pics of her for now. Kel promises to write a big entry for the birthday blog, so be prepared for a good one very soon!

Baby Q 2008

2008-06-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

We just have to make a note for the sake of it-
Last weekend we saw Brinnon's aunties, LT and V, while they visited from NYC, yo! Of course we forgot our camera so you'll have to check out the Baby-Q through other sites...but worth it! It's amazing to see alot of our friends as parents! What a treat!
Good to see all the little ones and thanks to the Bourdaghs (especially Baby Dash) for sharing your home with us!
Maeva (oh precious baby!), Rilo, Tenzy, Henry, Evelyn, Bella and Wilder (who am I forgetting?) it was great to see you!
http://bourdaghs3.blogspot.com/
http://subterraneanterrier.blogspot.com/

Tubby Time

2008-06-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

This little girl loves the bath! Kel usually has bathtime duty but he's been gone and I've now seen the babe in action. She is from one end of the tub to the other in seconds. Flopping on her belly and rolling on her back to sitting up throwing toys all over and splashing...splashing...splashing....
It's funny because up until now, I used to think bathtime was a way to relax.

Cheap Date

2008-06-06T20:16:00.000-07:00

If anyone ever wants to have fun with Brinnon, just bring her to a Tupperware Party and let her go. She'll be the life of the party I guarantee.

Worth Something

2008-06-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

When our pals Kate and Deb (primarily Debbie) took the fuzzy beast away, both Kel and I thought we would feel sad and miss him. Our feelings only became stronger that we aren't really 'cat' people. We are finding, however, our daughter just might be a 'cat' person. Her first word was "Kitty Cat", every time she sees a cat she flips her gidget. Life didn't work out for Mylo in the big metropolis of Minneapolis, apartment living ain't his thang, so we got him back. Well, at least it makes Brinnon happy. That makes him worth something, I guess. Welcome back, Mylo!

Assume the Position

2008-05-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Enjoy a great laugh!!! So worth the time you won't notice it's length!

Scoots McGunderson gets Wheels

2008-05-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

Scoots McGunderson gets Wheels from Kelly on Vimeo.

Mom's weekend

2008-05-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

Porcupine we saw at Jay Cooke State Park, Eddy didn't even chase it
My cute family
Hiking at Jay Cooke

Consistency

2008-05-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

consistency : condition of adhering together : firmness of material substance b: firmness of constitution or character 2: degree of firmness, density, viscosity, or resistance to movement or separation of constituent particles
3 a: agreement or harmony of parts or features to one another or a whole. ability to be asserted together without contradiction b: harmony of conduct or practice with profession

As I was up changing B's diaper a few minutes ago, I realized how one word has defined the last nine months of my life. Consistency. Truly I couldn't think of a better word. In the beginning it started out with Brinnon's poop. Her stool had the look and consistency of mustard with cottage cheese. However it was never really consistent in its texture. After a few months, Brinnon's poo turned somewhat mucousy and really watery, which was a different consistency than what most infants have. B had consistent blow-outs (changing outfits EVERYTIME she pooped). We were told from her pediatrician there was not too much cause for alarm since she was still 'chunking out'. We went with it and just thought our B was a big pooper, we were proud of our little darling. About two months ago she started to have blow-outs 5 to 6 times a day. Since she was eating solids (or foods that had a pureed consistency) we didn't think an infant should be having stools with this consistency. Finally a month ago we brought her in to our pediatrician and discovered Brinnon may have a milk allergy or sensitivity. It was a scary time since she had lost a pound and had WBC and sugars in her stool, meaning malabsorbtion of her food. Our doctor put me on a strict no dairy/no soy diet to get Brinnon's stools back to a consistency of a nine month old who was eating solids. If this worked and I could be consistent with my diet, we could determine if this source was wreaking havoc on our little B's gut. Why did B's doctor think of this?
Brinnon got really sick two or three times this winter and the virus could have stripped her lower intestine of the enzyme 'lactase' which digests the protein 'lactose' (milk protein). With this information we now understand why B screamed and was frantic at the breast, why she had so many blow-outs, and why she was losing weight. Without the ability to produce lactase, her body viewed the milk protein (and soy mimics the milk protein which is why I had to cut soy) as invasive or foreign body. This created her lower intestine to shed (hence mucus) layers and rid itself of anything in her gut the minute it entered her digestive system. Poor poor little girl!
To test our doctor's theory I had to cut milk and soy for a month because I am breastfeeding. The cows milk protein goes into my breast milk and therefore into Brinnon. To find if this was the culprit, I had to remove it too. With the elimination of both dairy and soy we hoped to see an improvment in Brinnon's behavior and stool. We saw both! Within two and a half weeks we started seeing formed stool and a little girl who enjoyed breastfeeding again.
Allowing her body to heal in this month could also give the intestinal tract a chance to recreate lactase. We are now in the slow reintroduction phase of dairy, to see if B can digest it now or to see if the protein will again create havoc. The future will tell. I have to note how lucky I feel to be at this point. Today I had creamy whole milk yogurt with my favorite granola. Every bite was cherished...Oh how I missed you Brown Cow!
Eliminating dairy and soy from the American diet takes true dedication. Soy is in every processed food as a thickener/binder and dairy...well...they are both in everything quick and easy. The month went slow..................................................
Consistency also plays a huge role in our parenting. I feed Brinnon on a consistent schedule, or most days. She naps at consistent times and has a consistent bedtime. Her food has the consistency of apple sauce and is slowing getting more texture. Her stools are getting to be more consistent with a normal consistency. She is consistently getting cuter and more fun to be with and our love for her is definitely and unconditionally consistent!
What can we say? Our lives are finally defined! Thanks Brinnon! :)
And by the way, it's been day two with dairy in my diet and so far so good! No blow outs! YEAH!

Rock Me Amadeus

2008-04-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

Musical talent runs deep in both sides of the family so it's no surprise to either of us that our ever so talented daughter took to the xylophone as quickly as she did. It brought a tear to my eye...a proud mom moment...to see her be such a natural with the 'piano' like her mommy. Some of you may snicker thinking "Courtney...musically inclined....piano???" Yes it may come as a shock to you, but it's true. I was once a piano wizard. Let's just say if you ever get the chance to hear me play "Hey Jude" or "Tomahawk Chop" (Chrysta I'll need some assistance as it's not the same without the duet), all questions will be lifted from thought. Kelly is a fabulous guitar player, Grandpa and Auntie Chrysta too...so when Brinnon picks up a guitar and starts finger pickin' without help, these relatives can claim that talent but I'm taking the piano/xylophone. I spent eight LONG years taking lessons down in the 'dungeon' of our teacher's basement every Wednesday eve from 2nd grade to my junior year of high school. Chrysta and I practiced (with severe force and/or threats) everyday (or most) for a half hour with hopes from Mom that one of her daughters would become the next Mozart. We often heard "One day you'll thank me for this". Unfortunately I only remember "Hey Jude" by heart, and I do a great version of Chopsticks with my favorite piano partner, trouble maker, co-conspirator Chrysta! Maybe Brinnon will be able to teach me a thing or two, by the looks of it at 9 months she already is better than I ever was.

We're BAAAAAAAAACK!

2008-04-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

For you that are still checking out little B, I want to apologize for being so lame. Kelly has taken a blog sabatical. I've been hoping the lack of me bringing it up-to-date would motivate him to add a few pictures or words. Nope. He's pretty much done. This is a bummer to me too because I've enjoyed his posts probably as much as you all have. Maybe you could call or email him to get him to post an editorial. Who knows...you may have a more persuasive effect on him than I. My ability was lost once I said "I do".
Last time I put photos up was when lil B and I went vacationing down south to the land of Saguaros and Coronados. Kel and I came home from our travels and Kel and B got sick..AGAIN. We have decided that they definitely have the same immune system, unfortunately for B. Kelly was so sick: high fever for over a week, coughing his lungs out nearly three weeks, and no energy for weeks. Brinnon didn't get it as bad as Kelly, but she still was out of sorts for a while. Easter we traveled to St. Paul to meet Wilder Bourdaghs (see picture above). He is a darling! Thanks Mike and Angie for letting us stay with you and meeting your little sweetie! Saturday we headed down to Lake Crystal to see Grandma and Grandpa Bartz and Auntie Lil. We stayed a day longer because of the sick family members. Monday we headed to Maple Grove to visit Grandma squared. A lot of traveling, especially with sickies. It was still wonderful to see everyone! Although the pictures of B are quite adorable as a bunny...she felt so yucky it almost seemed wrong to subject her in an "Easter dress with bunny ears". Lily and I couldn't help ourselves...she is appeasing us.Brinnon and I now have a new job. We are taking care of an adorable little girl named Avery. She is five months older than B and they get along great. B just loves Avery and most definitely thinks she is the bees knees.

During all the chaos of losing jobs and gaining them, the Snellman's came to town from Cedar, Iowa. Here is a picture of their adorable daughter, Eva. Can you tell she has had a camera in front of her face since she was a newborn?

Not only did Brinnon and I get a new job, but Auntie Lil got a job at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. What a wonderful and exciting adventure for her! Way to go Lil! This is the first time since she was a teen that she's actually been a resident of Minnesota...we are so excited to have her close. Now we just need to work on the other Aunt in Tucson.
Jennilyn and Reggie came by while we were in Maple Grove to see the little munchkin. Brinnon fell in love with Reg. He is a natural with kids and very weathered since he has five-year-old twin daughters. Brinnon has been experimenting with facial expressions. Her latest and greatest is what Lowell Heydt calls the "Dickens Face". See picture below.

It's finally FINALLY officially getting nice out. This past weekend we were hit with another blizzard. UGHHH! One would think in April the snow should be done, but we got nailed. Thursday evening when the storm hit our power went out. Not only did we lose power, we lost our beautiful 40 foot pine tree that separated our property line to the south of us. Lucky the winds were coming from the North and the tree fell in our favor. Our neighbor two houses down wasn't so lucky. 2 am she awoke to a huge pine tree in her roof and front porch. It was quite the site! We had no stove, oven, heat, cooling system for food, laundry, computer or radio. A day off from work and we could do nothing but hang out. No cleaning or blogging or anything...just time together. It was wonderful! And it's always is nice to hear Kelly play the guitar and watch Brinnon admire her daddy's talents. Maybe one day she'll be a lot like him! :)
We weren't too concerned about the power until it didn't come on at all after the storm dissipated. There were 163 homes in Duluth that were affected by long term power outages...we were in that lucky statistic. Fortunately for us we had the Heydt's rescue us from our dark cold powerless dwelling. Their downstairs became our pseudo home for two days. We are so thankful for them being so generous to us!!!

Welcome little Elias Ekern to the world. Last Thursday our friends Angie (Vogt) and Chris had their little peanut three weeks early. http://ekernfamily.blogspot.com/. He is a tinky tiny little guy, only 4 lbs. I've talked to dad and Elias is doing great. Congrats to you!

Last, a few cute shots of B.

Waking Up...Peekin' Out

Look how much I've grown (9 months) and....

Brinnon at one month

Mommy and Baby Lollygaggers

Tucson here we come!

2008-03-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

Cousin Maya hiking at Bear Creek

Playing with my Auntie Chrysta

Sun Setting on a Sauguro CactusMaya hitching a ride from daddy Rod
...what a view behind us!

Eating a lid...one of my favorite toys in Tuscon

Maya and Anhel would play in the mud for hours, check out that hole to the right!
My big cousins, Anhel (frog) and Maya (elephant)
Me and Moms hiking up the Creek
Foot Freedom!!!! Plus, if you look close you will see my first battle scars. Mom walked too close to a cactus and it sratched me three times. Trust me, I let my mom know!!! WAAAAA!

Music Time Open House

2008-03-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday Miss Tanya (pictured with gray sweatshirt, blond hair) comes into the Infant room and sings with the little ones. Sometimes we dance, use maracas or tamborines and she even uses puppets for Old McDonald. As a parent and also as the lead teacher, I felt the parents of the rest of these little ones needed an opportunity to see their precious musicians in action. Tanya and I set a date and were pleasantly amazed to find that at least one parent from each child attended the event. Way more than expected! It was a blast! Total we had 12 children and 18 adults present in one small space! What an awesome turnout!

Herbster Cabin

2008-03-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

Nate and Alina invited us for a nice weekend getaway to Herbster, WI. We got to sauna, eat yummy food, drive across the "Ice Highway" from Bayfield to Madeline Island, and ReLaX! It was a fun time and gorgeous weather!

Brinnon from the Beginnin'

2008-03-06T13:26:00.001-08:00

This is my favorite work from my Daddy. Mommy laughs out loud when reading it too!
Why the story? It has become 'tradition' on my Mommy's side of the family to write a story every Christmas about something that has happened to you during the year or years past. My Grandma keeps track (or supposed to) of the stories so when my cousin and I grow up we will have all of these neat stories to reflect on. Since I can't write yet, my Daddy took the honors and came up with a real clever poem for me. I helped with what I could.....Enjoy!

Brinnon from the Beginnin’

This is my first Christmas and storytime letter
So this tradition is a given, I don’t know any better

Since stories come from history and my time’s been quite limited
I give a brief synopsis of this life I’ve been gifted

You would think I would say it started with a bright light or a spark
But, from what I recall everything was blurry and dark

Of course I was screaming, it was cold with masked strangers
Here I thought spicy foods were the worst of life’s dangers

This wild new environment made my mood quite surly
Though I was told I was late, I’m sure I came early

It was loud, it was crisp I had to see, hear, learn breathing
That was all before I heard this term called feeding

It was really quite easy being fed from a tube
Now my day is spent hunting and pecking for mom’s boob

(So when dad watches the boob tube I don’t quite get it technically,
But then I’m pretty new, it will come to me eventually.)

Back to the timeline as the learning curve curved
I was held by my mom as her tired “love you’s” slurred

On to recovery for both of us I guess
Mom with her tummy and me with birth’s stress

As a family we ventured home where it was about 1,000 degrees
Even as a baby I knew there shouldn’t sweat behind your knees

Sleep, eat, poop, sleep was the M.O. for a few weeks
Then all of a sudden I started showing sneak peaks…

Of who I was now and was going to be
I started smiling then laughing and started to see.

The sleep, eat, poop, sleep was still the routine
But there were cute looks and maybe a scream in between.

The people that came they act like they knew me
And their voices are somewhat familiar but less soupy

But I take them in stride and give them a smile
Thats usually all it takes, then they hold me a while.

It’s a slippery slope once you start sqwaking and bawking
I learned mom and dad really responded to this talking

Whether good or bad when I have something to mention
When I holler Mom and dad jump to attention

This is a good system I like how it’s efficient
If it continued for 30 years that should be sufficient

What else, let’s see oh yeah my feet!
My socks are the coolest so are my toes underneath

I grab them and eat them and stand on them with aid
Eventually I’ll move to work off the chunky thighs mom made

My plan is to roll then maybe start rocking
Next thing you know I’ll be crawling then walking..

Then running, then jumping then driving my own car
Dad you better start saving it’s really not that far

It really goes fast 5 months have already past
I don’t know about you but I’ve had a blast

I hope it only gets better and gets even cooler
I hope to grow teeth soon so I’m less of a drooler

I’ll try to be an angel and if not to be forgiven
love to my family
yours truly, grinnin’ Brinnon

Gramma

2008-03-04T15:38:00.001-08:00

Gramma came to visit me and I sported my hat all weekend long. Do I look like a cupcake in my hat?

Nona G and Baby B

2008-03-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

This is one of the cutest videos I've captured. Nona came over one afternoon while her mommy, Grace, ran some errands. After B woke up from her nap, the two girls played so well together. I've never heard B laugh out loud on her own until Nona was there to interact with. Hopefully Brinnon and Nona will have a lot more playdates!

My Little Science Experiment

2008-03-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

I am so sick of boogers I think I just might scream.
"Get used to them, you have a child!" I tell myself.
But then I ask myself "Can one ever get used to boogers? Can anyone ever get used to watching/hearing their child sneeze and then witness two gargantuan rivers of yellow mucus pour into their mouth?"
My belief is no.
At least for me.
I know I will never get used to boogers. They will always always be disgusting to me. I blame B and every single boogery kid with contributing to the cause of everyone I know to be sick. Yuck! My lovely B is a living breathing petri dish!
My darling daughter just sneezed....so I must run to catch the tributaries before they empty into the great basin.

Bathtime Curls

2008-02-26T19:37:00.000-08:00

I've got TEETH

2008-02-06T15:47:00.000-08:00

thompson smug look

DARS

2008-02-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Diarrhea. And. Respitory. Sickness.
Dinner. Ain't. Really. Settling.
Duluth. Area. Really. Sick.
Don't. Allow. Re-visit (from). Sister.

Whatever you want the acronym to stand for TeamBartz had it... bad. Ew. Last week B came down with a cough first that escalated into a horrible, contagious virus with big nasty teeth and a viscious streak a mile wide. Now, I am going to exercise a bit of brevity here so you all do not have to relive this week... and neither do I.
Basically, B & Court came down with a fever, a bad cough and stomach nastiness together on I think Tuesday. Wednesday it was ugly for B she was having real trouble breathing but Court was coming around. By Wed. night we knew we were in trouble with high fever and vomiting from the little one and a contraption from he hospital called the nebulizer. With a name like that you would think there would be at least one lazer on it and he ability to turn something into a pile of dust. But alas, it was just a supposed breathing aid that works under a similar philosophy of getting a drink by throwing a bucket of water at a thirsty person. Ahh modern medicine.
ActII. With jobs and sickness a stresser my philanthropic, and conveniently unemployed, sister who was just up the weekend before offered to come and assist the sleepless team bartz. So she came on her white horse, in the guise of my parents prius, to save us from the afore mentioned large toothed frothing monster of a virus. A noble selfless act she would later regret.(foreshadow)
By Friday I had it - fever, stomach, yada yada. B was still not keeping food down and since Tuesday she had lost a pound. That may not sound like much but at the moment that is a 17th of her weight so it was not to be taken, no pun intended, lightly.
Since we've been through the de-hydration bit before we had the syringes and the know how from the last virus to keep her boderline with fluids, but not really improving. This was, unfortunately for us, just enough for the doctors to give a pat on the shoulder, a wink, and a "keep it up your doing great". At that moment, I hated them.
By Saturday sister Lily got it too. No food was to be contained by her stomach, oh no, it all escaped. She slept until about 3 on saturday... Then went to bed around 5. ONLY, because of the great service Lil did for us by sacrficing her health for her niece will I withhold the picture we took of her in those 2 hours she was awake. It will be archived for coercion at a later date.
Through all of his B was still, and is, throwing up most of her food. We talked to the doctors, they would tell us to keep on keeping on.
Finally, Monday the fever broke and she sarted smiling a bit (Lily and Brinnon). But B was still getting sick. Tuesday we though she HAD to be on the road to recovery..... Then, supermom Courtney notices White dots all up in B's grill. You guessed it, she now has a case of Thrush. For those of you who don't know what that is, have a baby.
That pretty much brings us up to present day where mom and dad are so so rested, sister Lily finally made the journey back down south and B has Thrush.
But, we may not have made it through without the help of my sis, thank you so much Lil you were a lifesaver.
I'm sure we'll all look back on these couple of weeks in a year or so and say: "That sucked."

Poor Sick B and Poor Sick Dad

B having no fun.

So much for brevity.

Funny Faces

2008-02-06T15:20:00.000-08:00