Friday, March 12, 2010

Crazy Days


What are the Stenbergs up to these days?

We are expecting our second baby!
Baby Stenberg will arrive somewhere around August 11 or 12. The date is TBD and will be a scheduled c-section. We'll find out April 2 (Mark's birthday) if it is a boy or girl. Yes, we are finding out this time. We didn't with Callen and loved every minute of that. But I feel the need (with all the other uncertainties in my life these days) to know the gender of this baby.

We have moved in with Mark's parents.
We packed up all our stuff from our sweet little bungalow on Grand Ave and have stored most of it while we build. We are hoping to dig and get started on the house by the end of this month or early next. Slowly I am settling in to this new normal. There are certainly adjustments. Marilyn and Red (Mark's mom and dad) are amazing. They love having Callen around. He is having a little trouble adjusting - it is showing mostly in his behavior and the crawling out of the crib. So more transitions ahead - to a "big boy" bed and more.

As quickly as I was back on staff at Cornerstone, I'm going to be done!
With much wisdom, Troy (lead pastor) has decided that it is indeed time to have someone on staff FULL TIME to think about the Family Ministry. What a great move for our church! And that means that I can step down (again) and be at home with Callen and concentrate on these crazy days ahead. Cornerstone is our church home and we'll always be a part of what goes on there. This season of life just simply requires more attention on home and family than dividing it with work too. And the ministry at Cornerstone deserves to be led by someone who can give it their all! So at the end of this month, its back to full time mommy-hood for me.

Texas Vacation
We had a marvelous time with Angie B and Philip, Mom and Aunt Carolyn, Uncle Larry, CJ, and Caitlan Dallas. I also got to catch up with some great "old" friends from college and seminary. It was great to relax, enjoy time with family, shop fun stores, and eat WONDERFUL food. Mark and I even had a date night away while Callen hung out with GiGi (Angie). We ate at III Forks Steakhouse. It was probably the best meal I've ever had in my entire life.




Quick Trip to Arkansas
Not too long after we got home from our Texas trip, and in the midst of packing to move, I go a call from my mom that my Grandma Fowler (mom's mom) had passed away. She had been ready to be done with this life for quite some time. So it was one of those bittersweet times. Mark and I made some quick arrangements for Callen to stay in Ames (he was still recovering from Texas and an ear infection) and we made a drive to Arkansas. I got to see TONS and TONS of family (some I didn't even know were related!) and was able to say goodbye to my last grandparent.

Callen
Mr. Callen is quite busy. He is usually the life of the party. He is full of smiles and energy. He did quickly discover that he could crawl right over the edge of Grandma's crib. So we are in transition mode to his big boy bed, as already mentioned above. I'll take any suggestions. I just cut his hair last night. I think it looks just dandy. He does like his new room at Grandma's house. We had it all set up for him with his familiar toys on the day of the move. So he's doing OK. I can tell that he is still adjusting. I know it is also an age thing - how he is consistently pushing the envelope with his behavior.

Anyway, as you can see, these are crazy days for the Stenbergs.

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