16 Months

Evie is now 16 months old! She is growing up so fast. Ev can now walk very well and is getting better at running. It's so cute to see her walking all over the house. She is very curious, constantly asking me "this this?" wanting to know what everything is. Ev getting more and more fun everyday, but at the same time providing new challenges for us as parents :)

This is Kyle's new favorite picture of his baby girl :)

Judah Scott Borg

Today was our big ultrasound! We ( but especially Kyle) are pleased to annouce that we are expecting a son in April. We have decided to name him Judah Scott. Judah means "I will praise God" and Scott is after Kyle's Dad. We can't wait to meet our little Judah!

Thanksgiving/Pregnancy Update

Kyle's parents, as well as his brother Matt and his wife Nancy, all came to our house to visit for Thanksgiving. It was fun to have them here for a few day! We had a lot of fun hanging out and eating good food :)

Grandpa Borg captured this shot of Ev

On Friday night (well actually Saturday morning) we ended up taking Evie into the ER because she had been screaming uncontrollably for hours and tugging on her ear. We figured it was probably an ear infection that had been bothering her for some time. Sure enough her right ear was infected. We were in the ER until 3:00 am, but it was totally worth it to get her feeling better. The doctor gave her some ear drops, amoxicilin and some drugs that knocked her out so she could get some sleep (I LOVED those drugs because I got to sleep too finally :) ) The photo above is so sweet; Evie rocking with Grandpa on Saturday morning after a traumatic night.

Evie and Grandma read lots of books during the visit. This is one of their favorite things to do together.

Our pretty table set for Thanksgiving dinner. It was fun to be able to use our nicer dishes (thanks for those Mom) and table linens (thanks Dad Borg). Growing up with five siblings and a huge extended family we never did the fancy table thing; it just wasn't very practical. So it was fun for me to be able to do this, although part of me still missed the big family gathering. I guess it's good that we can experience both between both sides of the family. Well for now anyway, the Borg family is growing very quickly these days :) Matt and Nancy are expecting their first child in July! We are sooooo excited for them :)

I'm 21 weeks today! This pregnancy continues to fly by, I can't believe we are over half done. Our big ultrasound is on Tuesday; hopefully if the baby cooperates we will be able to find out it's a boy or a girl. I can't wait! My instinct tells me that this baby is a boy....but I thought that with Evie too so who knows :) We will keep you posted!

Our little skunk :)

We had a great visit back to La Crosse last weekend! Evie dressed up as a skunk for the Reformation party that we went to; it was super cute. It was so nice to see some old friends as well as most of our family! We definitely miss La Crosse and being closer to family, but we are very thankful to be here in Grand Rapids at this time. God has been so good to us here and it has been a growing time for both Kyle and I.
Thank you to the Lohse's for letting us stay with you while we were back :)

Borg Update

• Evie took her first steps last night! She walked about six steps across the room to get a toy I was holding. It was fun that both Kyle and I got to see it! We have been thinking for about three months that she would walk any day :) I think she totally forgot that she walked yesterday because I tried to get her to do it today and she had no interest. Oh Evie :)
• On Tuesday I had a prenatal appointment with my midwife. Everything is going well. We got to hear the heartbeat which was going nice and strongly :) Today marks my entrance into the second trimester (14 weeks) yay!
  
• Julie (Kyle's Mom) is coming for a visit tomorrow and staying through Monday; we are looking forward to her being here. Hopefully Evie will take some more steps so that Grandma can see.
  
• We are going back to the La Crosse area the last weekend in October. It will be fun to see friends and family! We haven't been back there since our brief visit in April.
  
• Kyle is keeping busy (as usual) with work, school and family. He is enjoying the two classes he is able to sit through this semester.
  
• I'm feeling better these days, no more nausea and extreme fatigue. It's nice to have a little more energy. Soon I will be making the transition to maternity clothes :)
• Evie and I are going to this program called Babies N Books at a local church here on Wednesday nights. It's great! We learn about the importance of reading and Evie gets to play with other kids her age. She is a very social child and loves interacting with other babies. Evie gets a free book every time; it's great!
  

A Traumatic Day

Today I took Evelyn to her 12 month well child visit (she is actually 13 months). The doctor said that she seems to be doing great and looks very healthy. Evie weighed in at 20 pounds 4 ounces (25th percentile) and measured 29.5 inches long (50th percentile). I don't remember quite what her head circumference was but I know she that it was in the 75th percentile. The sad part of the visit was that Ev got 5 shots. She did very well considering that she was held down and poked 5 times :( The nurse gave her a sucker right afterward and that helped a lot. But to make things worse, we were then informed that she needed to go up to the lab to get some blood drawn :( It took awhile because the lab tech had a hard time finding a vein in her chubby little arm. She is in recovery now (upstairs napping :) ), hopefully she isn't too sore when she wakes up.

Poor baby :(

5 Bugs Bunny band aids on her thighs :(

Naptime

Baby Update: 10 weeks

I had my first appointment with my midwife on Tuesday and everything went well. Basically it was just a physical and we talked a lot about Evie's birth and the circumstances surrounding it. She said that she has no reason to expect that this baby will have that same issues as Evelyn did (asymmetrical growth and low amniotic fluid). As a precaution she is planning on scheduling an extra ultrasound at 36 weeks just to check on growth; I'm not going to complain about that :) The midwife said it was still too early to hear the heartbeat (I was about 9 1/2 weeks) but that my uterus felt like it was right on with my dates. I go back the middle of October for my next appointment and hopefully we will hear the heartbeat then!!

I've been feeling alright....just very very tired, often taking an afternoon nap when Evie does as well as going to bed at around 8:00 pm.

Our Baby is a Toddler...

I read today that at 13 months a child is considered a toddler. Well our babe is practically there. She doesn't even look like a baby anymore, but that's alright she gets more and more fun everyday.

Yay!

Kyle and I are happy to announce that we are expecting baby #2 around April 15, 2010! We are super excited and thankful for another blessing from the Lord. So far everything is going well, I've been extra tired right from the start but I was like that with Evie also. I have my first appointment with my midwife (we are doing a hospital birth with a midwife this time around) on September 15. At this appointment they will try to listen for a heartbeat and if it is still too early to hear it (I will be 10 weeks at that point) they have a small ultrasound machine in the office that they will use to look for fetal heart tones. I'm looking forward to hearing the heartbeat! That was such a great experience with Evie and I'm sure it will be this time as well. Hearing the heartbeat just makes things a little more real and there is also the added relief of knowing that everything is going well.

The last of our visitors (Jake and Alexi) just left this morning. We have had Kyle's parents, my family and Matt and Nancy all stay with us during the month of August. We had tons of fun but it will be nice to get back into our regular routine. Kyle starts classes tomorrow so life will begin to get busier for him. This semester he is taking Practice Preaching, New Testament Intro, Theology Proper, Prolegomena and Greek.

We hope and pray that you all are doing well! Look for more updates/photos soon.

Evelyn's One Year Photo Shoot

On Monday Grandma Borg and I took Evie to Sears to get her one year pictures taken. She did very well and loved the photographer! Last night we had the first of Ev's birthday celebrations because Grandpa and Grandma Borg were here visiting us. Her Aase grandparents, as well as her aunts and uncles, will be here on August 17 (her actual birthday) for another party :) It's hard to believe that Evelyn is almost one! Sometimes I miss the little infant stage, but she is becoming more and more fun everyday.

Our New Home...and Puppy

We have already been in our new home for two weeks! It has been a lot of fun moving in, getting settled and working on projects together. Kyle's mom, as well as my Mom, sisters and John were able to come out and help me paint most of the rooms on the main floor. Everything looks so much better now! I love how the paint colors turned out; I was a little nervous about them being too bold, but I think that they worked quite well. Kyle's project over the last couple of weeks has been to put in laminate wood floors in the kitchen and dining room (see below). He just finished this up yesterday! I was impressed that he was able to do this by himself without having any previous experience; what a man!

I can already tell that having a house is going to mean more work (cleaning, yardwork, etc.), but I am really enjoying it. We are so thankful to the Lord for providing us with this home. We are excited to be having more visitors in August (family for Evie's first birthday). If any of you readers are ever in the Grand Rapids area please feel free to come over for a visit! We would love to have you :)

Another exciting annoucement! Kyle finally got the dog that he has wanted since we got married. Huckleberry is the newest addition to the Borg family. He is half beagle and half golden retriever. We have had Huck for a week now and are enjoying our time with him. He is a very loving little puppy....I mean big puppy :) Evie loves having her kitty and puppy around, although she doesn't like it very much when Huck decides to lick her face. Our house is definitely a lively place with these three little ones; there is never a dull moment that's for sure :) Well that's about all the news I have for now. I will try to post again soon!

11 Months!

On Friday Evelyn turned 11 months old! She can now easily pull herself up and walk around furniture; a few times she has even let go and balanced herself standing. I think that she will be walking in the next several weeks. Ev babbles constantly and loves playing with her toys, reading books and just hanging out with Mommy and Daddy in her new house.

Update Time!

So, if you have been asking yourself lately, "I wonder what the Borgs are up to??" you have come to the right blog :)

* Kyle sacrificially has permitted us to get a kitty (he hates cats). She is pictured to the right; her name is Mary and she is 11 weeks old. We have had her for two weeks now and Evie loves her. She gets super excited and points when she sees the kitty.

* Evelyn now crawls as fast a speeding bullet, well not quite but she is really fast. I have my work cut out for me doing damage control all day. Ev is an incredibly curious little child and doesn't like to be told no...but I guess no one does. Ah my totally depraved little baby. She also is a pro at pulling herself up on furniture and walking while holding on to it.

* Kyle LOVES his job at Reformation Heritage Books! He is also working on getting Greek 1 & 2 done online this summer.

* Evie's going to have a new little cousin! Kyle's twin brother Michael and his wife Rachel Anne are expecting their second child sometime in December. We are very excited to see them all again in about a year Lord willing.

* WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! We close tomorrow and move in early next week. It has four bedrooms, 2 baths and fenced in backyard. We are going to be having a lot of family coming to visit over the next month to help us move in/get organized and do some painting. We can't wait to be in our first home, Kyle and I both fell in love with it right away. Now that we will have plenty of room we would LOVE to have lots of visitors from Minnesota/Wisconsin :)

* I've been continuing to enjoy my time being able to stay home with Evelyn and be a homemaker. I'm so thankful for this opportunity! Evie and I fill our days with cooking, cleaning, reading, laundry,walks, some garage saling and occasional outings with friends that we have made here, and of course lots of playing with toys and snuggling :) Lately I've enjoyed looking at paint colors and deciding which ones to use in our new house. I've been thankful for Kyle's creative eye in this...I totally lack in that area, but it has been fun to play around with different color schemes.

Once we move in we will try to keep the blog updated with photos of our house as well as our family! Check back for more updates :)
~Rachel

10 Months!

Today Evelyn is 10 months old! This month has been a very monumental one in the life of our little girl. Evie now has two teeth, can crawl, pull up and says dadada pretty regularly. The other day she looked at Kyle and said dadee...he was pretty thrilled about that one! She is becoming faster and faster at crawling and is constantly getting into things. Because of this, life at the Borg household has become a little more exciting lately :)
Evelyn has started going to the church nursery during the service on Sunday. She got to the point where she was much too loud/active during church and was becoming a distraction to me and others. I wasn't sure how she would do, but she LOVES playing in the nursey with other babies. I don't think that she even notices when I leave! I know that that might change soon as she is approaching the age where stranger anxiety hits, but we will see. It nice for her to have exposure to other kids. Kyle and I plan on bringing her back into the service as soon as she can understand what we are saying when we tell her to sit quietly and listen.

Evelyn getting into Daddy's books this morning; she knows that she is doing something she shouldn't...look at that face!

Happy Birthday Grandma Julie!

9 Months!

Today Evelyn is nine months old! Kyle and I continue to be SO thankful to the Lord for our little girl. She is so much fun! Ev is getting closer to being able to crawl everyday. She has mastered getting into the crawling position, she just hasn't figured out how to coordinate the movement between her arms and legs. It's hard work! Evie is really just a very laid back, well tempered child. She is happy as long as she is spending time with her Mama and Daddy. Oh I almost forgot! She said Mamamamama the other day :) Evelyn was napping in her crib and she woke up and I heard "Ma ma ma ma ma ma" from the other room. It could have been a fluke, but I would like to believe that she was calling for me :)

Special Post for Grandpa Lee!

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Grandpa/Dad, happy birthday to you!!
We love you and are very thankful for you :)

Updates!

* Kyle just got hired today by Reformation Heritage Books! We are so excited about this job! It is full time starting this summer. Kyle will be working in the bookstore, which is in the same building as the seminary. He will still be able to take classes part time in the fall. I think that he will LOVE this job. We are so thankful to the Lord for his provision and faithfulness to our family! Yay :)

* This week Kyle is taking a modular course with Dr. Sinclair Ferguson and Dr. David Murray on the Westminster Standards.

* Next Friday we are leaving for Minnesota to go to my sisters' (Ruth and Rebekah) graduation party. We are looking forward to the opportunity to visit family and friends.

* Evelyn is in pretty rough shape these days. She has been sick (for the first time) since Sunday afternoon. Some of it may be teething, but I've thought she has been teething for awhile now so who knows what is going on with those teeth. It's hard seeing our baby in pain but she is generally a good sport about it (as long as Mom is constantly holding her). Hopefully she starts to feel better soon!

* Thank you to everyone who has been praying for and supporting us through this uncertain time of unemployment and adjustment to a new place. We love you all very much!

Crock Pot Wednesday

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Meatballs

* 1 (12 oz) bottle chili sauce
* 9 oz grape jelly
* 1 can pineapple chunks in 100% juice

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 lg. onion, grated
* salt to taste

Instructions:
1. Whisk together chili sauce, grape jelly and pineapple juice (strained for can). Pour mixture into the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Combine ground beef, egg, onion and salt. Mix well and form into 1 inch balls. Add to sauce and cook on low about 4 hours.
3. About an hour before serving, add pineapple chunks to the crock pot.
4. Serve over rice.

My Two Favorite People :)

Ah this picture melts my heart :) I love these two soooo much!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Evie loves her "lambie" from Grandpa and Grandma Borg

Evie having her lunch of banana/applesauce mixture after church. Most of it ended up on her face...and the couch.

Focaccia Bread

For the last couple of weeks I have been experimenting with different ways to make focaccia bread. At last I think I have it perfected! I am in charge of making around 25 of these loaves for my sisters', Ruth and Rebekah, graduation open house which is two weeks from Sunday. It should be fun!

Update Time!

Here's what is going on in the life of the Borg family:

* Kyle finishes up his finals today!! Yay :) I feel like I haven't seen him all week. He seems to feel pretty good about how the semester is ending up. Wow he is already done with his first semester of seminary! I think that he is a little excited to catch up on his sleep tomorrow :)

* Evie is doing well! She is getting closer to crawling however I still think it will be awhile. Sometimes she will rock back and forth on her hands and knees. She often gets herself in really awkward positions when she is trying to get a toy that is just out of her reach. I took Evelyn to get her 9 month pictures taken yesterday; they turned out pretty cute! Although Evie's newly developed stranger anxiety prevented her from being super smiley with the photographer.

* Not too much new with me. I'm enjoying my time being at home with Evie and I am very thankful for the opportunity to do so. I can't imagine anything else that I would rather do than be a homemaker/wife/mother. It's great! The weather has been nice for the most part, so Ev and I have been getting out for a walk on most days.

* Kyle still has not found a job so we are still thinking and praying about our plans for the summer. We appreciate your continued prayers!

Like Father Like Daughter

Think that they look alike? ;) You can click on the collage to make it bigger; it didn't turn out the greatest but at least you can see the pics side by side.

My Dad is Kinda Famous :)

Click here to read the article featuring my Dad from Sunday's edition of the Minneapolis, Star Tribune. I would just like to say that I was the one that initially convinced him to join Facebook :)

Crock Pot Wednesday

Well it's that time of the week: Marmalade Curry Chicken

• 5 (6 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 (12 ounce) jar orange marmalade
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch ground ginger
• 1 can coconut milk
  

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and place into a slow cooker. Whisk together the marmalade, chicken stock, curry powder, cayenne pepper, and ground ginger in a bowl. Pour over chicken breasts.
2. Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 5 to 7 hours. Make sure to flip over the chicken breasts once during cooking.
3. About one hour before serving take out and shred chicken. Place back in the crock pot and stir in the can of coconut milk. Serve over rice.

I was unsure about this recipe at first because I'm not a huge fan of curry and I've never used coconut milk before; however we ended up really enjoying it!

Snapshot Saturday

Evelyn up and ready for the day!

Yesterday Ev woke up from her afternoon nap with quite the hairdo :) It was hard to capture in a photo but it was hilarious!

Funny face!

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Evelyn Grace Borg

Just hanging out in my crib :)

Crock Pot Wednesday!

At the request of Megan Pence this week's recipe is...

Crock Pot Spaghetti
1-2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained

1 T. minced onions
2 t. salt
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. dry mustard
1/2 t. pepper
1 can (16 oz) tomato sauce
6 c. tomato juice
8 oz. spaghetti noodles

*Brown/drain hamburger. Place in crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients except the pasta.
Cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
Add 8 oz of uncooked spaghetti 1 hour before serving.
Make sure that you use your large crock pot (5 qt.)

Review from Kyle:
"This recipe made me like spaghetti again! I love it! Especially with cheesy garlic bread!"

8 Months!

On Friday Evelyn turned 8 months old! Time continues to fly by and she is bringing us more and more joy everyday. Evie still is showing absolutely no interest in trying to crawl, but we are fine with that....she can take her time :) She does very well with sitting up and really enjoys spending time on the floor playing with her toys. Most days Evelyn will entertain herself for a big chunk of time this way. She is doing much better with solid foods and is now eating three meals a day like a "big girl." Evie has seemed to be teething for the last several months, but as Kyle says, she still has a big 'toothless' grin. I'm just waiting to wake up one morning and see a tooth poking through her gums.

Evelyn imitating her Aunt Bekah's famous head tilt :)

Now for a few updates...
* Last week Grandpa and Grandma Borg came to visit us for a few days! We had a great time with them; it's so fun to see Evelyn interact with them.
* Kyle left this morning for the Gospel Coalition Conference in Chicago. He was able to ride with some guys from seminary so that should be a good time for him. Evie and I already miss him a lot and are looking forward to seeing him on Thursday night.
* Kyle has been pretty busy finishing up his first semester of seminary. I think he has two weeks left....yay the home stretch.
* We are still searching for employment for Kyle, please continue to keep this in your prayers. We greatly appreciate all of your prayers and support.

Crock Pot Wednesday

Black Bean Chili
1 T. Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground Turkey (or Hamburger)
3 (15oz) cans black beans, undrained
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 T. chili powder
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. dried basil
1/2 T. cumin
1 T. balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat; cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add turkey and cook, stirring until meat is browned. Place mixture in crock pot and add the remaining ingredients. Cook on low several hours until flavors are well blended. Garnish with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Happy Easter!

Just sitting outside playing in the grass :)
Sunday afternoon nap on Mom and Dad's bed.
Happy Resurrection Day!

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
"Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:54 ~58