Not so Merry Christmas...

Well this will definitely be a Christmas to remember. We have celebrated Christmas with Kevin's family, but have not seen ANY of my side of the family. While up in Fort Wayne, Isaac and I BOTH woke up with vomiting and diarrhea on Christmas Eve. I have never felt more sick in all my life. It was awful.

Since I was having a hard time keeping fluids down (and anything else for that matter) and I was having more severe symptoms of a recurring UTI, my doctor recommended that I go the ER. On Christmas Eve. So after Isaac was sound asleep, Kevin and I headed to the hospital. We were so thankful that they were not busy, as I was able to get right in. They hooked me up to an IV, gave me fluids, anti-nausea medicine, and pain killer. Once the IV ran out, they sent us on our way.

We were supposed to leave Ft. Wayne that night, but we really weren't feeling up for travelling. I woke up the next morning feeling a bit better, but Isaac was still vomiting with diarrhea. We headed back home later in the day once we were both stabilized. We hoped today would bring even more healing, as were planning to celebrate Christmas with my mom's side of the family tomorrow.

I'm still feeling queasy. Isaac is still throwing up and has horrible diarrhea. And now Kevin has started in with the vomiting and diarrhea. YUCK. OH...and we had to take Mona to the vet, because yesterday Kevin noticed she had bloody urine. She is now on antibiotics for a mega urinary tract infection. Not a one of us is feeling good. :(

Merry Christmas to us, right? :) I just hope we can get over this soon...and celebrate Christmas with our families. This morning, we thought Isaac was doing better. He was playing like normal (though he still had diarrhea)...and I managed to get a couple of photos of the little dude.

Enjoy!

Videos, videos, videos!!

Haven't uploaded videos in awhile...so I thought I'd show you what we've been up to!! :)

Isaac, being his goofy self, enjoys sniffing while crunching his nose. It leaves us cracking-up daily. He almost looks mad, but he's totally just being silly. Here's what I'm talking about:

He has also learned how to clap on command (without copying someone else). When I ask, "Isaac, can you clap your hands?" He just begins clapping. Pretty cute. And fun to see him understanding what I am saying!! Here's what that looks like:

He still gets a kick out of Mona on a daily basis. The other day, he was cracked up at her playing in the little snow that was on the ground. Here's what that looked like:

And finally...someone has decided that he has what it takes to start walking!! In the past two days, he has gotten a lot more confident on his feet. He's only taken 4-5 consecutive steps at a time, but with each day is getting more comfortable with it. We caught some of it on tape as well!! Have a look:

The Ober Times

Well, those of you who usually get our Christmas card each year may be surprised at the absence of the Ober Times, our yearly update. :) So I thought I'd do an electronic version right here!!
If I were to describe 2008 in one word, it would be CHANGE. A close second would be JOY. :) The first major change to our lives was the wonderful addition of Mr. Isaac Michael to our family. Wow. Life with a baby has been busy, scary, interesting, blessed, and pretty much amazing. He brings a level of joy to our lives that we never knew possible. What a blessing he is to us! Praise God!!
With that change, came a few others. The biggest being our move back to Indiana to be closer to Isaac's grandparents, aunts, and uncles. We have definitely missed our neighbors and friends, who grew to be just like family to us in Cincinnati. But being within an 8-minute drive to Nana and Papa's has been wonderful. It has also been nice to be closer to Kevin's family, who now only live about 2 hours away (instead of the 4 hours from Cincy). We moved into a 2-story, 4-bedroom home with plenty of room to grow. Kevin is using one of the bedrooms as a home office. His company, which he's loved working for since 2003, graciously agreed to allow him to work from home, with only occasional travel back to the office in Cincinnati for meetings. What a blessing this has been!! No commute has meant more time with the family. It has been wonderful!
Another change has been in that of my hobby. While I thoroughly enjoyed painting, I have put that aside for awhile. It is a very time-consuming art and takes up a lot of space as well. Though I am no longer painting, I have found an artistic outlet. This year, I've discovered a real passion for photography. I have always loved snapping photos wherever I am, but having a child has taken it to a whole new level. I love capturing the innocence and purity that are at the very core of every child. And I have the perfect little model to help me with that!! :) I continue purchasing better equipment to take my photos to the next level, and continue dreaming of doing this as a business and ministry someday. We'll see what God has in store for me!! :)
And finally, the last change has come more recently as we were delighted to find out we are expecting blessing (I mean child) number TWO!! Isaac's little brother/sister is due in June, which will make them about 16 months apart. We acknowledge that we will have our hands full, but we are thrilled nonetheless. God is so good to us, and we are so thankful for all of the blessings He has poured out on us over this year. We hope you and your family experience His love and blessing throughout this next year as well!!

Grace and Peace,
The Obers

Some new things...

So I am trying out a new thing with my photographs...it's called watermarking. Basically, in case some random person out there were to decide they wanted to use one of my photos for their personal gain, this just makes it a little trickier for them...as they are all marked with my name! Just seeing a watermark on my images makes them feel so professional to me! :)

Another new thing is that we are revisiting the adventure of cloth-diapering. Woo hoo! We took a break from it when we moved and tried starting back up about two months ago. We failed miserably (or I should say the diapers did!). For three diapers in a row, Isaac was soaking wet. Not sure what was going on, but it was enough to make me say, "Forget it!" However, after spending that last couple of months going through $20 worth of diapers each WEEK, we have decided that it would be worth another try. This time, we are using a different system/brand. And two days into it, I can say that I am LOVING it. It's so easy...not ONE single leak...and they are super cute on him. See for yourself...

Okay...so those "tights" on him are called BabyLegs. And they were free with the order of diapers. I couldn't resist. I got the most boyish color they had...but I'm afraid they still look a bit girly. What do you think??

a scarf and a naked baby...

Santa Pix...

Well, Isaac had is first experience sitting on Santa's lap. I was so proud of him, as he did not freak out like some babies tend to. He was his typical self...serious and inquisitive, with mouth gaping. :) He just sat there and stared at us for a few seconds and then slooooooowly turned his head to see who in the heck was holding him. I held my breath for a moment, as I thought for sure he would begin screaming right then and there. But nope...he just stared intently at Mr. Claus. Gave us all a good chuckle. Here are a couple of photos to show you what I mean...

Lots of Pics...

I am having a hard time deciding which photos to put up here, so I'm just gonna put them all! Enjoy the many faces of Isaac Ober...

a sneak peek...

Our little stocking stuffer isn't so little! Didn't quite fit!

I DARE you to not CRACK a smile!! ;)

New Doctor...New Outlook

So I had my first appointment with my new doctor today. It was WONDERFUL. She seems like a really great doctor. I enjoyed her personality and her methods of practice. Very cool. Praise God! And we got to see our little one again via ultrasound.

We saw a perfectly healthy, active little baby wiggling around in there! He/she even waved at us!! And wouldn't you know...there was not even a HINT of a herniation near the umbilical cord. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. We looked and looked...and the baby looked completely normal. No fetal omphalocele. We also heard and saw the heartbeat...it was just beautiful! God is amazing. We are SO thankful for this blessing. In six weeks, we'll have one last ultrasound to find out the sex of this little one.

We (as in Kevin and I) have been fighting off a sinus-type infection this week. And I'm also on antibiotics for a urinary tract infection. Woo hoo (not)! But aside from these things, I am feeling pretty good. Well...and except for my lower back killing me...and the fact that I've been SO exhausted. But seriously...other than those things...I am feeling GREAT. Hehe. ;)

Here are a couple more recent videos of our little guy. I want to capture every minute of his precious little life on tape! I'm so afraid that my memory will fail me (because it usually does) some day...so I feel the need to document it all very well. Hopefully it pays off! :)

Isaac signs "more"

We've already got a reckless driver! Yikes!!

(He whined for a minute after falling...but he was just fine, in case you were wondering!)

12 weeks and counting...

While yesterday was Isaac's 10-month birthday, it also marked the end of my 12th week of pregnancy! Can you believe it? Wow! I am into my 2nd trimester already. Craziness. Anyway...I thought I'd celebrate with a photo of my ever-growing belly. I did these type of photos every couple of weeks last pregnancy. I guess priorities change when it's your second one! Haha. Anyway...here I am at exactly 12 weeks:

I will be seeing the new doctor tomorrow afternoon, as well as getting another ultrasound. I will definitely update once I know anything more. We are hoping for good news!!

10 months old today!!

Our baby boy is getting so big! I can hardly believe it's already been 10 months. Craziness. Let's see if I can give a sufficient update. :) Isaac is still cruising along the furniture (and on us). He loves to grab on to the back of our legs and walk with us (head between our legs). He has figured out how to climb on a few of his toys to get to things he wants (like his sippy cup off of the table). AH! He still enjoys playing with Mona, and "gets" how to play with her now. He will grab one of her toys (and well...sometimes a loose sock or other item)...and wave it in her face until she grabs hold of it. He shakes it wildly with her hanging on, and then squeals in delight as she yanks him to the floor, dragging him until he finally lets go. It is QUITE a sight!! And you can bet that Mona is loving every minute of it!

Aside from playing with Mona, Isaac's favorite toys these days are anything with WHEELS. You name it...trucks, cars, lawn mowers, trains, walkers...if it has wheels...he's all over it! :) And just recently, he has been really into balls. Big ones. Little ones. He LOVES balls. He makes funny noises with his mouth on them...throws them (well, sort of)...lifts them above his head, and chases them around the floor. Very entertaining.

He also likes to make NOISE...lots of it! :) Whether it's banging on a pot, clanging toys on the hardwood floors, or just screaming...he's happiest when he is loud. For the past 3 days, he has been signing his very first word: MORE. :) I've been working really hard with him and signs since he was born. It has felt like forever for it to click for him. But it finally is. He still doesn't QUITE get what it means, though. I think he thinks that the sign for more means "Cheerios"...I guess we ask him if he'd like more cheerios too often! Haha! But it's fun to see him signing nonetheless. :)


We think he is saying his own version of "doggy" every time he sees a dog. It sounds more like "a-ghee"...and always with a ginormous smile. He LOVES dogs. We have one little Mona Lisa to thank for that!! Aside from that, he will occasionally say, "bye-bye" along with a wave. Oh...and he can also "give fives." Pretty fun.

Okay...I think that's enough about this sweet baby. He continues to bring us SO much joy. I love being a mommy. I can't believe that in 6 short months, I will be mommy to TWO babies!! WOW! We are SO blessed. Thank you, Lord! Here are some of our newest videos...ENJOY!

Isaac climbing up to get his sippy cup off of the table:

And playing with Mona...

Isaac and me dancing to "I am blessed."