New Addition!

Meet the newest addition to the Kouhoupt family....Princess, an 8 week old Aussie puppy!! Congratulations sis! What a sweet little puppy!

Lunch?

Daddy: Lily, what do you want for lunch today?
Lily: Ummmmm.......ketchup?
Daddy: OK, what else do you want?
Lily: Ummmmmm.....cake?

Happy Girl!

Our little pumpkin is really coming out of her shell...

Combat Lily

Emma, 7 Weeks

Here are some recent pictures of Emma. We can hardly believe that she is 7 weeks old today! She is getting so big, as you can see by the pictures. She has more alert periods and seems to enjoy her play mat and tummy time leaf more and more. She is sleeping four to five hour stretches at night and two nights ago she even slept from about 10:30 to 5! Jeff and I were so excited. Although she is still waking at night, it seems to be a quick feeding and back to bed. Mommy and Daddy are lucky in that regard.

During the day she is has her fussy times, mainly around feeding time. She gets really gassy while drinking and gets upset. We are working on modifying my diet and doing our best to burp her really well. However, we are definitely seeing more of Emma these days. She interacts with us a little more and seems to be interested in her surroundings. Lily especially loves hanging with and helping her little sister. It is really sweet!

She still dislikes the car seat, swing and lotion. Diaper changes and getting dressed are better and she loves her bath and cuddling with Mommy and Daddy. We are so happy to have another sweet little pumpkin to love!

Emma & Mommy

One of my favorite times of the day is the just before bed. Besides the fact that I am exhausted, I love my one on one time with Emma. Although she has been a bit fussy these first 7 weeks, her alert, happy moments are increasing each day. I love when she hears my voice and turns to look into my eyes. She seems to be showing us more of her personality with her many different facial expressions (see post below). Jeff and I just melt when we see that big, flashy smile!

The Many Faces of Emma

(Click picture for larger view)
Smile

Smirk
Surprise

Silly

Serious

Laughing

Bright Eyed

We love them all Sweetie!

Happy Anniversary!!

Happy 8th Anniversary Cindy and Josh!!! What a beautiful life you have together. We love and miss you. Can't wait to see you in August!! Enjoy your day together.

Congratulations Brett & Megan!

Welcome Hannah Laurie Christensen... 6 lbs 1/2 oz. 18.5 inches. Congratulations Brett and Megan. She is beautiful. We can't wait to meet her.

Happy 4th

Happy Fourth of July to all!!



Today is rainy and sunny at the same time...go figure!! We are having Kim and Larry over for some good old fashioned BBQing. We hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th. Please take a minute to remember the troops who have fought and are currently fighting for our country.

Fun at Kinderland

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Potty Time

Here is our little munchkin trying to figure out the whole potty thing. It all started last week when her friend Grace was over for a play date and went potty. Lily decided that she also wanted to sit on the potty and "go pee Mama". Her first try was unsuccessful, however the next day (June 28) Lily sat on the potty and actually went pee. Daddy and I were over the moon, I actually got teary eyed. We weren't planning to potty train until we arrived in Virginia due to the big move and a new baby, but if she's ready, we're going with it. Lily is so funny like that, when she is ready for a new milestone she just jumps in head first.
She has had a lot of awareness the last few days, but no actual success. She tells me directly after going so we are working on the timing. However, Jeff and I decided we are not pushing. We have a trans-Atlantic move in 6 weeks and I am not interested in power struggles and soaked pants on an airplane.
Lily and I made a sticker chart this weekend for the bathroom door. I am hoping to give her some motivation. Wish us luck, she may just figure it out quicker than we expect!

The Bodensee

This post is a little late, but I still wanted to get it up...

June 17th, Father's Day, we decided to head south to the Bodensee for a day trip. It had only been three short weeks since Emma's birth, but we were all feeling a little cabin fever and wanted to get out and enjoy the beautiful summer weather. We packed up the car, two kids, Linda and headed out Sunday morning. The weather was bright, sunny and VERY hot. A great day to be on the lake! The hour and a half drive was breath taking.

We drove to a little town called Meersburg, Germany. The Bodensee, also known as Lake Constance, lies on the border of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The lake is 9 miles across at its widest point and 46 miles long. It reaches 826 feet in depth. There are several quaint towns around the Bodensee, all with spectacular views of the lake.

We started the day walking around Meersburg and then enjoyed lunch at a restaurant on the water. After lunch we took a ferry over to Mainu, known as "Island of Flowers". The Island was beautiful and looked like a botanical garden. The views were amazing. We strolled around and just enjoyed being outside. We spent several hours on the Island, as there were many walking trails and places to just sit and relax.

After the island, we grabbed some pizza and gelato. Lily was an angel and loved all the special attention from Grammie Prager. Emma was a little fussy, we may have taken her out of her element a little early. Over all we had a great day. I had to make a slide show (I know, I know, I'm a slide show junkie) of all the pictures as there were so many beautiful shots.
Enjoy the show....

Bodensee Slide Show

Diana's Baby Shower

June 28th, we celebrated Diana's pending bundle of joy. Beth and Jen hosted a "Pamper Mommy, Pamper Baby" shower at the Ochsen Restaurant. It was a wonderful evening with friends. We ate delicious German food, drank some Italian wine, played games and showered the mommy-to-be with both pink and blue. Diana and Brent have decided not to find out the sex of the baby. Jacob will just have to wait until September to see if he'll have a little brother or sister. Diana, you look beautiful! I'm so happy that I was able to celebrate with you before we left Germany. I can't wait to see pictures of your little angel.
My vote... September 25th.... a girl...7lbs, 6oz.

Congratulations Brent, Diana and Jacob!!!

Jacquie's Farewell Dinner

June 26th, Deborah hosted a lovely evening at her house to farewell our good friend, Jacquie. Deborah cooked a delicious meal, which we all enjoyed. The table was elegant, the company was divine and the food was spectacular. Thanks so much for including me Deborah. I had so much fun chatting and relaxing with the girls. What a wonderful way to say good bye to a friend. Jacquie and her family flew to Japan yesterday to start a new assignment. We hope that your flights went well and you are getting settled in your new home!

Dinner at the Brauhaus

One of our favorite things to do here in Germany is head to a Bier Garten on a beautiful day and enjoy some warm weather, time with friends and yummy German food. Jeff loves to indulge in the beer, while Lily loves running free on the playground. It's such a relaxing experience to eat outside and enjoy good company. A few weeks ago we went to the Brauhaus in Boblingen to hang out with our friends and say good bye to the Waskiewicz Clan. They are moving to Japan and we wanted to get a few more visits before they flew out. It was truly a relaxing afternoon. Emma slept in the bjorn and the kids played on the playground. We all sat under an umbrella ate, drank and just chatted the day away. It was a wonderful afternoon.

Good Luck Jacquie, John, Lexi, Anika and Alexander! We hope the move goes smoothly and you enjoy your time in Japan! We'll miss you!

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

Here are some cute pictures of our Lilybug enjoying the beautiful summer weather here in Germany. She is such a monkey and absolutely loves being outside. Playing with the dog, running in the fields and climbing on the playground are her favorite activities. She is such a firecracker, we have a hard time keeping up with her. Let's hope Emma is a little less active or Mommy is really going to have her hands full.