Casey Linstad

Moving

2007-02-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

Hi to anyone who checks this out. I am going to start blogging on my MySpace page instead. You can see pictures there and catch-up. Just search me out on Myspace.com
Thanks!!

A Long Time...

2006-11-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

It has been a very long time since my last posting...what all has happened? Jack is now walking. He took his first steps to me about three weeks ago, all the while holding onto his toy cell phone. It was really great!! John was hunting (side note: no luck this year) at the time, so he had to wait to hear the news, and I told EVERYONE!! He is now about 10 and 1/2 months old, and the holidays are quickly aproaching. Last year at this time I had so many unanswered questions about the baby inside my belly, and now I've known him for close to a year and wonder how I ever managed life without him. He got to experience his first Thanksgiving today, and loved the turkey and mashed potatoes. The stuffing and the green beans, not so much. I've continued to run. I just did my 4th 5K this morning and ran my personal best time of 32 minutes and 28 seconds. Im very proud of myself, and feel great. I never thought that running would be something that I would do regularly, but Im proud to be able to call myself a runner. Besides that everything is great and we are Thankful today of the numerous and continual blessings we receive daily.

Has anyone seen my Puff?

2006-08-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of him!! Jack is now 7 months old and it has flown by!! He is officially crawling...all over the place. It is awesome, but every tiny little piece of anything on our floors is of great interest to him. Solid foods are going smashingly!! He is like his Daddy, not very picky about what he is eating, just likes a lot of it!! Things are going well for John and I as well. John has started his fall ball league. Monday night church softball took 3rd place in the league. I get to watch him play fall ball, because it is on tuesday nights. Kelsey and I are still working out regularly. We've decided to set a goal for ourselves to run a 5K. We've been really good about running regularly, 3-4x each week. We've been running the entire 5K in around 40 minutes, give or take a few. Im proud of us, it feels good to get my body back. Things are still going well for us and we count our blessings each and every day.

Cereal

2006-06-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

Hello! Our Jack is almost 6 months old now and I finally gave into the feeling that he was ready to try cereal. We gave it a whirl yesterday and he did, as I had anticipated, very well. It was more of a big deal for me than for him. I guess that will be true of a lot of things in his life. I've also given him a haircut a few weeks ago, and I think it looks smashing. He is quite the active little guy and he is rolling all over the place. I feel like crawling is just around the corner. Seeing him experience life and enjoy most of it makes me enjoy everything more and more. I've found myself being so thankful that I've been able to work part-time and spend such a great deal of time with him. It is truly such a blessing. I especially treasure our mornings together. We usually wake-up together and we sing or talk or just smile at eachother for some time before we decide to start our day. Auntie Kelsey has motivated me to get myself into the gym more often. It seems as if we have finally connected with eachother. Growing up we weren't the best of friends, and I always wondered when we would be friends. I guess it just took us to go through the process of bringing Jack into the world. She is amazing. We are working out 2-3 times a week. I've began to see some results already, but this sweet tooth I've acquired isn't helping at all. Oh well, 9 months on & 9 months off. I've just been so thankful for everything we've been given. Im trying to learn from my patients at the hospital when they talk about taking the little things for granted. Im trying to appreciate the small things, the daily blessings that often go unnoticed. Im just so thankful.

Four Months and Counting...

2006-05-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

I've just spent some time going through my blog and even one year ago I had no idea what I was in for. Having Jack around makes everything better. Im more in love with John that I have ever been, I love working and making new friends. It just seems like because he is here, life in every area is just plain better. He marvels me daily with his good disposition. I cannot keep a bad mood because he is generally smiling and laughing (sometimes at nothing) and it is infectious. I cannot believe that he is four months old now. We have introduced him to the sippy cup. He gets it into his mouth some of the time. The NP we see told me that having him sit with us during dinner and giving him the sippy cup then is a great way to begin Family Dinner. I am a firm believer in the traditional Family Dinner. I did a huge research project on it in college. Everything is good about Family Dinner, social graces are passed along, manners, vocabulary skills, healthy eating habits, and the family is forced to look at eachother and (hopefully) converse with eachother for the duration of the meal. I'll step off my soap box now.... So we've begun the famly dinner! On a last note, I've started my new job at the VA...and it ROCKS!!!!

Jack Tried to be Ella

2006-04-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my attempt to recreate an awesome picture taken by my new step-sister of her beautiful daughter Ella. It didn't work as well as I'd hoped. Jack was antsy to get his hands into his mouth asap and was wiggling up a storm. So, Jack is three months old now and we are in love with him more everyday. He is smiling A LOT and we've even gotten a few giggles out of him. Everyday with him is better than any day before he was here. I am just enjoying him immensely. He is an awesome baby and is just happy being happy. He is spoiled by his family and I think that that is just great. During my maternity leave I learned that the nursing home I am working at will be closing on April 22. It was a sad announcement, but I have found a job at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis, and actually it is only 30 hours a week and that will allow me to spend a ton of time with my little guy. I will start the monday after Easter. This is such a wonderful time in our lives. We are just so happy and thankful for our wonderful families, the opportunities that come our way...we are truly blessed each and every day.

Almost Two Months With Our Guy

2006-02-19T18:16:00.000-08:00

We have almost had Jack around for two months and I have a hard time remembering what we did before he was here. He has just brought so much to our lives. Both John and I are totally in love with him. This weekend my mom got married!! She is now married to a wonderful man who loves her dearly. They are so happy, and I am happy for her. This marriage brings together two families of kids and so this weekend I acquired two more sisters, a brother, a brother-in-law and an almost brother-in-law!! Hooray. The best part is that all of the Kids get along really well. I am so happy that we are a part of eachothers lives. There are now two new babies in the mix as well, Jack (of course) and beautiful Ella. She is awesome and I cannot wait to watch her and Jack grow-up. I am feeling overall blessed and just thankful to be a part of such a wonderful family on all sides of my life, my moms new family, my dads family and my in-law family. I feel that Jack will truly be raised my a loving, kind family village. Don't forget to check out the shutterfly website!! www.caseylinstad.shutterfly.com

At Home

2006-01-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

We are just getting used to having Jack at home with us. He is doing really great...night feedings included. It feels really great to be a family. John and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary. Johns mom made us some awesome pastas, and sent over a complete dinner basket (with focaccia and wine). I dressed up for the occasion by adding mascara and the new string of pearls John got me for our anniversary. We even had a slow dance (Jack watched intently) in the kitchen. It was the best anniversary yet.

Jack Rowan Arrives

2006-01-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

Hello to all. Jack has made his debut. He joined us on January 2, 2006 at 9:40pm. He weighed in at a whopping 6 lbs. and 11 oz and a whole 20 1/2 inches long. He is totally awesome, and John and I are super in love with him. Go to www.caseylinstad.shutterfly.com to see an album of first photos. Wish us peacefull nights.

Belly Pictures

2005-12-27T15:54:00.000-08:00

John and I had Belly Pictures taken. They turned out to be really beautiful. I am so pleased with them. Go to http://caseylinstad.shutterfly.com to see the collection of pictures. Let us know what you think...the next blog entry should be one announcing someone's arrival.

35 Weeks

2005-12-09T19:01:00.000-08:00

Well, We're getting there. Im to the point of visiting the midwife on a weekly basis now. We've finalized everything for a waterbirth!!! Hooray!! Im very excited for that. The holidays will be seemingly less stressful this year, both by choice and family circumstances. So...we are in good shape. Im trying to take good care of myself, but chocolate and ice cream seem to find their ways into my belly. I think the baby already has a sweet tooth. John and I are having conversations about what it will be like when labor actually starts, who to call when. We want to keep the "event" somewhat low key...and as relaxing as a birth can be. The philosophy of Woodwinds is right in line with my beliefs about childbirth. The nurse midwifes take their cues from the mother and are there to support you as much or as little as you need it. I no longer have any fears about the birth or labor. I think that I am still very naive as to what will actually happen to me, but at this point ignorance may be indeed bliss. Im just going to keep my eyes on the prize, and know in the end the greatest reward will be resting in my arms.

31 Weeks and 4 days

2005-11-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

This is me at 31 weeks and 4 days...just shy of 8 months pregnant. It is hard for me to notice that I've gotten bigger, except when I see the last pictures. WOW! It is getting to the point of becoming uncomfortable. I like being pregnant, but am starting to feel the strain on my body. The baby has a busy time of 3-5am. What I mean is that I generally make a pit stop around 3 and then the baby decides its time to dance in my belly. That leads to a need to have a snack and then my mind wakes-up...you know the drill. They say that this is natures way of getting you ready for when the baby is up at night anyways...at least John will be able to help with that part. The baby's room is all set, tonight we got in the mail a high chair from all of my college girlfriends. John is setting it up now. More to come later....

Charlie and Anessa

2005-11-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

We also had a chance to visit friends we met in Cozumel while we were in Texas. Charlie, Anessa (in the picture) along with Tony and Lauren. We went to their house where we ate real Mexican food and just laughed a lot!! We were trying to feel the baby move, but being me and John's son or daughter it was being quite stubborn. Go figure. We are looking forward to their visit to Minnesota!!

NASCAR

2005-11-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

Well...John and I officially gave in to our Red-neck-ness and went to a NASCAR race. We had a really great time. We took an extra long weekend to Texas and saw my family, the race, and visited our friends we met in Cozumel. We had a blast and really made our last hurrah before the baby comes great!! Click on the link below to see our other NASCAR pictures.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AYsWLNwzbt37w

25 Weeks and 5 Days

2005-10-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

Baby Pictures

This is a picure of me at 25 weeks and 5 days being pregnant. I am at a point where being pregnant isn't a novelty anymore and it seems so far away that the baby will be here. They say that is typical of this time of pregnancy. The baby kicks all the time which is totally awesome!! I really love that. It seems that if I am worried about something the baby knows to kick to let me know he or she is a-ok!! It felt to me as if my tummy wasn't getting bigger, but now that I look at my last photo it is obvious to me that I am indeed growing. John and I have tried to pack some last minute things into these last few months. Between now and the babys arrival we have a wedding (which I am officiating), a Nickle Creeek concert, my birthday, Halloween, a trip to Texas to see a NASCAR race, thanksgiving, a Big & Rich concert, Christmas, and a New Years MN Wild Hockey game....along with several other family birthdays, finishing up some last minute house-things, and child birth classes. I think that maybe this "bored" period is about to come to a crashing halt!!

Linstad Baby

2005-08-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

Well I guess that I should finally tell people that John and I are going to have a baby. This is a picture of me at about 5 months. Pretty good, eh? I am feeling great. We had an ultrasound a few weeks ago, she couldn't tell if there were girl or boy parts, but everything else looked good. We're very happy and excited to jump into this new adventure in our lives. More to come...

All dressed up...

2005-07-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

John and I are all dressed-up for the second night in a row. I loved my hair. It is so much fun to have it done by someone who knows what their doing. All of the other bridesmaids were really great. The bride had a blast as well as the groom.

Jessie and Darin's Wedding

2005-07-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Our friends Jessie and Darin got married this past weekend. John and I were in the wedding. John as a groomsman and myself as a bridesmaid and the officiant. It was a packed weekend. They had the rehersal on thursday, the wedding on friday (with a select group of family), and a huge blowout reception on saturday with almost 300 guests. It was a great way to do a wedding. It was fun to get to wear the bridesmaid dress twice. One of the other bridesmaids, Autumn, did all of the girls hair (with help from her assistant). It was a blast. The food was excellent, the music awesome and everything went smoothly. Thanks to the well planned event by the bride.

The Bata Shoe Museum

2005-05-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

The Bata Shoe Museum was a highlight of the Toronto portion of the trip. I have a shoe-thing. If you want to see a slideshow of some of my favorite shoes click the link below: http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAMWLFm4Zt27mo

2005-05-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

Casey's bar and grill also in Toronto Canada

2005-05-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

Captain John's Seafood restaraunt in Toronto Canada While in New York we had the opportunity to take a few trips. We spent time in Niagra Falls (where we had $10 prime rib, and toured the Ripley's believe it or not museum...I believe by the way). We also got to go to Toronto. We had a great time there, it is such a neat place to visit. We had a really difficult time deciding where to eat. But as luck would have it we ate at a great Italian restaraunt called Roma Tomato. If any of you know how I feel about tomatoes, you probably know that this restaraunt was very close to my idea of heaven. We even found two restaraunts with our names. Very cool.

Kelseys Graduation

2005-05-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

Kelsey graduation May 2005 This is my little sister. She recently graduated from college in SUNY-Brockport (upstate New York). She graduated with her degree in Dance, and is hopefully heading to the Kennedy Institute for an internship and then to San Francisco. We had the opportunity to see two dance performances while we were in town, and they were breathtaking. I really enjoyed myself. Kelsey has become quite magnificent in her dance. She has a unique balance of art and business that I believe will take her far in life. Congratulations Kels, way to go!! To see an album of photos from graduation click on this link....http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAMWLFm4Zt27kg

2005-05-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

Homemade Pesto at 3:30 is always the best!

Spring Break 2005

2005-05-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

Spring Break 2005 My very best girlfriends came to visit recently. We had a really great time. I love these girls so much. Kate on the left is a newbie to the Twin Cities. KT next over is in PT school in Ohio. Lisa is getting married very soon. And then there is me.... We had a great weekend. It is nice to have good girlfriends. This picture is a copy of something we did for a few years in college. If you look closely we are each indicating the spring break year...good luck!!

May...

2005-05-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

I think so much ha s happened in my life since the last post that a quick re-cap is necessary. Work has been a mess lately. We are going through another transition of department head staff, and it is getting to be exhausting. But I think that we may be at the point that we can begin to re-create a base and give our residents the care they deserve. We are approaching Nursing Home Week, and that is always a fun week filled with employee apreciation fun& games.

As for home life, not a whole lot of changes there. John is still wonderful. It is once again softball season. I have opted out of playing on the team this year, Im going to try my hand at cheering, bookkeeping and 3rd base coaching...can't strike out that way. John and I are making our way to New York next week to see Kelsey graduate. I am very excited to see her dance performances.

Riley is officially in Adams Spanish Immersion. I am so happy that she will get to have that experience. Learining spanish is one of the most important things that I have learned. She also lost her first tooth on monday. I believe that the Tooth Fairy paid her a visit.

Delaney is Delaney...she is surely independent and stubborn. She is a Lumpkin after all.