Christmas Letter- 2010

Dear family and friends:

     2010 has been a year full of changes for us. The “Dombek Bunch” came together when Greg and I were married in March with our toes in the sand at Ocean Isle Beach, NC.
     Greg graduated with his Master of Business Administration degree from Northwest Missouri State University in April. He accepted a new job at B/E Aerospace in Lenexa, KS. B/E Aerospace makes interior components like seats, overhead compartments, galley inserts and oxygen systems for commercial aircrafts. Greg is an Operational Excellence Specialist and uses lean and six sigma manufacturing techniques to improve business processes. His job required us to relocate to the Kansas City area. We bought a house this summer that has kept Greg busy with yard work and many home improvements. Greg is currently finishing a 4th bedroom in the basement.
     I have made it to my final semester and will graduate December 17th, with a B.S. My major is Child and Family studies with a minor in Gerontology. I am excited to finally be done with college after many years of hard work. Since we moved, I have been commuting an hour each way to class 3 days a week. I also stay busy being a mom, volunteering at the kids schools and being pregnant.
     Kaden (almost 8) is enjoying her new school and loves her 2nd grade teacher. She has made some new friends and seems to be adjusting nicely. She is doing well in school and is one of the 3 fastest at addition problems in her class. She is taking gymnastics lessons and loves doing gymnastics in the living room. Her favorite things to do include; playing school, playing Barbies, writing and coloring.
     Brylie (almost 6) is in Kindergarten and enjoying her new school as well. She talks about all her friends and the fun things she does in class. She has started reading and is very smart. She is taking gymnastics lessons and is also in Girl Scouts. Brylie still likes to think she is the baby of the family some times. She does well letting her sister boss her around and not complaining about it too much. She loves to draw and write, watch movies, and play house.
     Jaren (21 months) is a happy, healthy big boy. He is an easy going kid that loves to play with his sisters and follow them around. He is a major Daddy’s-boy and always wants his dad to hold him. He has a very big vocabulary for being so young; he picks up on everything so fast.
     Baby Ellie – We are expecting a daughter that is due February 5, 2011. She is a very active baby in mommy’s belly. We are thinking she might come a little earlier since mom is already having contractions. Everyone is very excited to get to meet her and have her join our family.
     We wish all of you a great holiday season.

Love,

Greg, Heather, Kaden,

Brylie, Jaren & Ellie

Ellie Update

31 Weeks

     I am getting closer every day!  I went to the Doc yesterday and everything is looking good.  I have stayed dilated to 1 cm for a month now, so she isnt too worried about it anymore.  Ellie's head is really low and getting in position for her birthday!  I am still having lots of contractions. 
I am done with school next week and then it will give me time to get ready for Ellie.  I have lots of the girls clothes to go through and wash.  I bought our first pack of diapers and some bottles yesterday.  I figure we better have the essentials now in case she decides to come a little early.
Knowing my luck, she will be stubborn and be a few weeks late!!

     Greg and I are getting so excited.  We are going to our childbirth class soon!  We cant wait to meet Ellie and hold her.  We already argue about who is going to get to hold her more.  Greg says I better get my fix while he is at work because once he comes home- she is all his until bed time!  I think this little girl is going to have her daddy wrapped around her finger!  It is so sweet to have a husband that is so ready to have a baby.

Thanksgiving weekend

It feels like I havent posted in a long time.  Things have been busy here as my final semester is winding down and all my assignments are being due!

Greg and I were alone for Thanksgiving this year and our plans kind of fell through. So we decided to go out to eat instead! We went to a yummy buffet at the Ameristar casino in KC. I thought we would be the only ones out to eat on Thanksgiving, but the place was packed!!! Here are a few pics of my food:



Turkey, Ham, Prime Rib, Potatoes & gravy, stuffing



Dessert: Bread pudding, something very very chocolaty, and some apple pie (not pictured)

We also did some shopping during the wee hours of the morning for Black Friday.  Greg had never done it before, so I made him come with me.  It was so crazy!  We saw two ladies get in a fight over one of them taking something out of the others cart!  The lines were insane and too much for this pregnant lady to handle.  After our first store, we gave up!

We also went to a Missouri Mavericks Hockey game.  It was really fun.  Greg graduated from the University of North Dakota, in Grand Forks, ND (where I lived when Kaden was born).  We have both been to plenty of Sioux Hockey games, but never to a game together!  Even though I knew no one on the team, there was plenty of excitement.  Live hockey games are the most fun sport to watch!

The Mavericks Won!

On our long weekend without kids, we have also been trying to clean the house and get a few things rearranged before the baby comes.  We are moving every kid in this houses room to give baby Ellie her own room!

Speaking of Baby Ellie, I am almost 30 weeks now.  I have been in the hospital already for having contractions early.  I spent a night there and had contractions every 4 to 8 minutes all night long.  I am already dilated to 1 cm.  They didnt give me any medicine to stop the contractions and I still have them irregularly throughout the day.  They told me to just rest more and drink more fluid.  I went to the doctor last week and I was still at 1 cm.  I am thinking Ellie wants to come early.....which is fine with me, as long as she waits until January, so that she is healthy enough to not have to stay in the NICU!  She is the most active little girl in my belly.  I get kicked ALL day long.  I dont think she ever sleeps in there.

Growing Belly

It has been 10 weeks since I took a belly picture.  I am totally pregnant now with a HUGE belly.  You cant NOT notice it now!  I have another doc apt this week.  I will have to post again after that. 

Baby Ellie is a very active little girl.  She likes to kick me all day and all night.  I dont know when she ever sleeps!  I have been feeling the Braxton Hicks contractions already and find them to be quite annoying! 

We are excited that we are finally towards the end of this and will get to bring our baby home soon to enjoy.

We are planning on taking child birth classes next month since Greg has never been to them, and he will need to know how to rub my back and give me lots of encouragement!

Ellie has a little set of drawers in the kids closet that we have been filling with all the newborn things we find around the house.  It looks like she has enough clothes for the first month of life already too :)

Ellie, we cant wait to meet you!



Having a Bouncing good time

We went to a new place that is full of different "bouncy" play sets for the kids to run wild on.  They all loved it.  Since the weather is getting colder, we have been looking for fun indoor activities to do.  This place was great because there was so much for the kids to do, they totally ran for hours and wore themselves out, and it wasn't even busy on a Saturday evening!

We will definately be going back in the future.

The kids faces in these pictures say it all!

Talented Kaden

The 2nd grade put on a musical concert called:

"This is MY Country" in song

They sang lots of cute patriotic songs. 

They honored our soldiers and veterans. 

The program listed all the childrens relatives that were in the service.

Kaden honored her Grandpa Scott and her Uncle Ryan.

Kaden has been singing these songs at home for weeks and was so excited to get to perform them for us.  The Platte County 2nd graders did a great job!

Going Private

I think its that time again.  I have decided to make my blog private so that we can post more details about our family, especially with the new baby coming.  I just want to be safe and not announce to the whole world that we have a newborn living here (in a few months anyways). 
Anyone who reads my blog currently is invited to keep reading it.  Just push the comment button on this post and type me your email address, that will add you to my "private list".  No one else will see your email because I have to read all postings before they are published, and I wont publish that.

Thanks everyone, I look forward to lots of future blogging!