Tales From The Crib

An after-Christmas delight

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:02:00 +0000

Hospital's first newborn of the new year brings joy to his parents, siblings with a well-timed arrival

By Darcy Gray
The Hutchinson News
dgray@hutchnews.com

Micah Emmanuel Roberts, the New Year’s baby, is surrounded by his siblings – Keian, left, Megan, Blake and Melia – and his parents, Ty and Amy, on Thursday at Promise Regional Medical Center in Hutchinson.

Amy Roberts was due to give birth on Christmas, but little Micah Emmanuel Roberts decided New Year's Day was when he would make his entrance into the world."He just chose a different holiday," Amy said, smiling, as she looked down upon her infant son Thursday. "I never dreamed in a million years I'd have a New Year's baby."

Baby Micah, son of Ty and Amy Roberts of Wichita, was born at 12:18 a.m. Thursday at Promise Regional Medical Center of Hutchinson, weighing in at 10 pounds, 6 ounces and measuring 22 1/2 inches in length - a healthy baby boy.

The couple's hospital room was abuzz Thursday afternoon, not only because of their new bundle of joy, but because Micah's four siblings were everywhere. Ty, a Sylvia native, and Amy, a Stafford native, have had all their children at the Hutchinson hospital, including Blake, 10; Megan, 8; Melia, 4; and Keian, 2.

"We stay pretty busy," Ty said, laughing. "They're definitely a blessing."

The Roberts family is nothing short of extraordinary.Ty, a field director for the Boy Scouts of America, is a former Reno County Sheriff's deputy who also served in the Army Reserve as a military police officer.

Amy, a stay-at-home mother and freelance writer, started homeschooling their children about six years ago and has made cloth diapers for each of the children, too.

"The cloth diapers aren't like they used to be," Ty said. "She makes them with snaps and Velcro."

And the oldest children are a "huge help" with the younger children, he said. Even in the hospital room Thursday, 4-year-old Melia quickly retrieved both a pacifier and a bottle of formula when baby Micah was inconsolable. And Blake, at 10, can already cook.

"I help hold a lot," Blake said, proudly describing his experience taking care of the babies. "I'm not that good at changing diapers, though."

"They all help each other out, and they're all very close," Amy said.

From tragedy to joy
The past year has been an emotional one for the Roberts family.Emily Roberts, who was born on the Fourth of July in 2007, died last February at 7 months old.Six weeks later, the couple discovered Amy was pregnant with Micah.

Ty said Emily had intestinal malrotation and was not able to endure the multiple surgeries needed to correct the condition, which causes twisting of the intestines.But the couple will make certain all their children know what a blessing young Emily was to the family, he said.

"She taught us a lot of things," he said, with a tear in his eye.

He grabbed an open Bible from the table in the hospital room, where a gift basket full of Micah's diapers and new toys sat, and quickly pulled out pictures of Emily with the family.

"In Ephesians, it says life is like a vapor," Ty said. "Everyone has a certain amount of time, and she taught us a lot in the time she was here."As Christians, we view (her death as) she's that much ahead of us."

"Our children are blessings," Amy said, "and we hope the Lord will continue to bless us."

Ty added, "However many (children) the Lord blesses us with, we'll do our best to raise them as good Christian men and women."

Amy thought about having another child and noted the Roberts children have been getting "successively bigger," from their firstborn Blake, who weighed more than 8 pounds at birth, to Micah, coming in more than 10 pounds.

"We spent Christmas Eve in Stafford with my family," said Marilyn Minks, Amy's mother. "And she was monstrous. She always heard those rumors, 'She must be having twins.' "

"No, I'm just having a toddler," Amy said.

As Melia wrestled with Ty's father, Greg Roberts, aka "Papa Greg," Ty acknowledged the family had "maxed out" their minivan.

"We want a 12- or 15-passenger van," he said. "It's definitely something we'll have to look at."

Oh Christmas Tree ... We found you.

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:54:00 +0000

I like to call this story of the quest for the perfect tree.

Not a brown tree. Or a tree trunk.

Not a Charlie Brown tree. Or a hall tree

A big, pump, green tree is what we were after.

It was a dark and snowy night.

Ok, not really, but it was a cool, crisp day. And there was a perfect tree to be found amid a small clump of pines at Hullets Christmas Tree Farm near Hutchinson.

So we went traipsing. We ran. And we managed to secure a tree that would be deemed perfect by just about anyone, including Charlie Brown.

By nightfall, that tree had lights. It had ornaments. It had class. It was a Bickel-perfect Christmas tree. And the girls were happy.

But it's three weeks later. Christmas music is off the radio. The tree droops in the living room. And I am sad.

I still have Charlie Brown Christmas on DVD.

A successful deer season

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Another year of successful deer hunting. I bagged an 8-pointer. John got a buck and a doe, and now we are in the middle of processing nearly 200 pounds of deer meat! The girls love it. So far, meals have included deer steak, deer breakfast sausage and deer brats!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:45:00 +0000

So they lost their first competitive competition

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:40:00 +0000

Little Brett and Daddy waiting for the 2 and under contest judging.

Yes, Kaci has her pacifer in her mouth.

Happy Brett.

We're losers, but we sure are cute!

Kaci

Grrr ... I'm a Giraffe

My children are losers.

As we all are at some point of our lives.

It might sound harsh, but it’s true. Some of us have lost participating in sporting events. Others have lost in 4-H showmanship contests, playing video or board games and even the lottery.

My little girls’ first loss, however, came at the Gypsum Fall Festival’s Halloween contest.

Not a big deal? Oh contraire.

For years, I prided in the fact that I’d win this contest. I won as Oscar the Grouch, wheeling around the auditorium in a real trash can. I was a Smurf, with my face painted blue. I was Snoopy on a bike turned Red Baron airplane, a hula dancer with a real grass skirt, Michael Jackson with a microphone and the headless horseman on a stick horse.

All first places, mind you.

But this year, the girls’ first year, I didn’t prepare. I bought two cute giraffe outfits and figured that might work.

Boy, was I wrong. We lost to a book worm, which consisted of a mother pushing her baby in a umbrella stroller with a big cardboard book gracing the front.

Second place was Little Bow Peep with her “sheep” dog covered in white cotton balls. Coming in third was a sleeping bumble bee thing.

As for the girls, well, they handed us a bag of complimentary M&M’s, and we were on our merry way.

Oh, the pain. I’ve been bothered ever since at my poor attempt to dress the girls for their first official contest. I’ve failed my competitive nature. More than anything, I’ve failed as a mother.

No worries. I’m already making plans for next year. We won’t lose.

And, no, I’m not telling my grand plan.

Gypsum October Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:21:00 +0000

The girls and I attended the 2008 Gypsum October Festival this year. I haven’t been back for the decades-old tradition since I graduated from high school, when our high school band director forced me to march with my trombone in the band (Yeah, he hated me :) ).

I grew up in the little Saline County town of Gypsum, population 400-something, if even that. I always loved the October Festival, included dressing up for the parade (I’ve been everything from Wonder Woman and Snoopy in a float, to the Red Baron and a pioneer on a covered wagon. I always won, too!).

Now, maybe the girls can enjoy it a little bit. At least, they liked the suckers all the politicians and others threw out.

Here are a few of the pictures from this year.

My dad, Gary Bickel, and his 1948 John Deere B.

We used to decorate it at Christmas. It was awesome. Now he doesn't do that as much. Probably because I'm not around to help and beg him to decorate it.

Dad, and the B.

OK, I'm not the best picture taker. But here is the backside of Rep. Josh Svaty, who was throwing candy. I doubt he'd read this, but if he did, I'd like to tell him I'm impressed with how long he stayed at the festival and mingled and hung around. Most politicans aren't that considerate. Anyway, he was there a good six or seven hours, and I don't think he was even hanging out with anyone.

My mom and Brett. Brett loves cows (one of her first words was cow and moo), and for some reason, kept calling the horses cows. At least she is a beef eater, like her mother.

Like I said, Brett loves the horses, or as she puts it, Cows. Aunt Lori needs to take her to her farm to see their stockers. She'd be ecstatic.

The girls sitting at the Gypsum gazebo. This is a rare moment of them sitting still.

Brett, my sister, Lori, Kaci, my nephew Jason and my brother-in-law Randy Hahn. They're watching the parade going down Main Street Gypsum.

Lori and Kaci watch the parade.

Grandma Karen and Brett.

Daddy's football team

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 18:32:00 +0000

The weather is colder. I love sweatshirt weather and watching football. Sadly, however, the football season is coming to an end.

I guess.

My husband coaches high school football. I usually go to the home games, at least for a little while.

With two girls, however, this proves to be a little difficult.

They won't sit in the stands. They won't stand on the sideline.

They want to run, run and run some more.

So, we walk. Around the track. For several miles.

We eat Fig Newtons and Cheerios and Teddy Grahams. And drink milk.

But when the food runs out, so do the girls.

They are home and in bed by half time.

So Maybe It Sounds Bad ...

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:20:00 +0000

But she was OK. And you can see just how active little Kaci was at the K-State game.

I'm sure they like K-State ...

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:26:00 +0000

But they wouldn't sit still

Sometimes I wonder what I’m thinking.

I had visions of darling girls dressed in purple, cheering on the Kansas State University football team alongside dear old Mom.

What John and I got on that September venture was two toddlers, pissed off they couldn’t run, climb and everything else that 18-month-old girls would rather be doing.

Obviously, they wouldn’t like to sit at a football game.

We should have known it would be bad when they wouldn’t even sit still during tailgating. John and I chased them around an enclosed tennis court.

The game, however, was worse.

Brett would watch the jumbotron a little bit, but Kaci didn’t care about the music, the players on the field or the cheers from the stands. She wrestled to try to get out of my arms, wanting to climb the stairs and run, run, run.

I fed her those Goldfish crackers for a while, which seemed to appease her. When they ran out, we moved on to Teddy Grahams.

I gave her to John, who had to leave the stadium by the end of the first quarter.

My venture ended at half time. Brett was mad. Poo was running from her pants. She probably ate too many hot dogs.

My husband says he’ll never go to another K-State game again with the girls in tow.

Not that he cares. He’s a KU fan.

Future K-State graduates

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:52:00 +0000

At least, that's what Mom hopes! Dad, on the other hand ...

Kaci and Brett

Bickel and Kaci at the Kansas State football game.

A rare moment of her being good.

Uncle Scott, John and Brett

Uncle Scott teaches Brett to clap for K-State.

Pronto Pup, Pronto Pup, Yum Yum Yum

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:47:00 +0000

Kaci says "yummy."
Girls at the fair. They were having a blast.
Finishing the pup.

Little Brett loves food. And Pronto Pups.
Kaci and her first pup. I think she likes it.
Kaci tries to eat the stick

I know my girls are a little bit like me.

They had their first Pronto Pup at the Kansas State Fair. And they loved it.

If you don’t know what a Pronto Pup is, well, its one of the fair’s top stick foods. What it isn’t is a corn dog. Pronto Pups are made with a mixture of rice and wheat flour. They’re a state fair staple. As the sign says on the famous yellow buildings – Banquet on a Stick.

So the girls had lunch in their little red wagon while we meandered around the fairgrounds.

Unfortunately, bad batter this year caused the pups to fall apart, which, in turn meant the girls’ first dogs fell apart, which means that it was all over them.

We had to dump out the wagon and wipe it down. The girls were a mess.

But all in all, they had fun. They loved it. They take after dear old mom.

Pacifier advice

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:03:00 +0000

After my latest column on the girls regarding little Kaci and her pacifier, I received a ton of e-mails from readers with advice, which I plan to try soon. I'll let you know if anything works. Here's a few experts from the letters and e-mails.

They won't take it to college!

Just read your woes with weaning from the binky... The good news is my eldest didn’t go to wsu with his two weekends ago. :-) He was pretty attached to his, AND his blankie.What I finally did was start clipping the end off of them. It took about three clips, and there was little, if anything, for him to hold onto.Then I had to convince him we’d lost all three of them, and they no longer MADE binkies anymore. (all gone!)Good luck. :-)

Lose them for good

I raised a family of 4 children along with my husband. Obviously most of us do whatever we need to do to have peace and quiet and especially like you said when you are at restaurants, church, public outings etc..

Our son was the most addicted to his pacifier but as he approached 18 months of age I decided as he lost them they would not be replaced. He had lost the last one and had gone almost 6 weeks without one. We had come in late one night in June from harvesting wheat and I was on the phone when my 4 year old daughter came running down from her room waving a pacifier and shouting "I found one, I found one". I hurriedly got off the phone and grabbed that pacifier and proclaimed to her to absolutely not let her brother see that thing--he'd gone 6 weeks and we weren't starting in again.

Really I don't have any sure fire methods other than if she really seems not ready maybe wait another 3 months or so and try again. I have to chuckle now that I have daughters going through the same thing with their babies. My daughter weaned her son off his pacifier pretty much cold turkey and really didn't take very long--2-3 days and he was doing OK. Good luck and have fun.

A been there, done that mom and glad it's history. (I love my kids dearly but glad God made seasons of life for a reason) The season of grandparenting is wonderful.

Cut the nipple (the most popular advice from readers)

When I was breaking my twins of their "chewie" habit, I cut a little slit in the nipple, not enough that they could chew off a piece, just enough that it was deflated; they didn't like it and they just quit using them at that point. They made the decision which made it easier on me!!

They don't make new ones?

Just had to write and tell you how we weaned our twin girls from their pacifiers. Our girls are now 48 years old, but I remember it well.. I think your girls are a bit young for this. When our girls were 2 years old and their pacifiers were getting a bit chewed up and with a little help from me tearing them up a bit more. We told them the pacifiers were broken {at that age they don't realize you can buy new ones} Had no trouble during day but for a couple of nights they woke up with 'Where's my "pacifier?' I would go in and remind them it was broken and they would soon go back to sleep. It only took a couple of nights and they forgot all about their pacifiers. I do think your girls are a little young to have their pacifiers taken away. Wait till they are two.

Vinegar, Yum!

We broke our oldest daughter of her pacifier dependency by dipping it in vinegar before giving it to her. "Ki-Ki" (it was a pacifier with a kitty face on it and we had to buy several because those were the ONLY ones that would make her happy!) then tasted yucky and SHE made the decision not to put it in her mnouth. We praised her for being a "big girl" and this took about 3 days. She didn't have the anxiety of not having it (therefore we didn't have anxiety over a crying, panic stricken child), but she realized she didn't want the yucky taste in her mouth either.

No rush ...

What a struggle you are having!!! please don't hurry and pressure Kaci to give up something that is obviously so important to her. each child has special and distinct needs--even if they are twins. i had on daughter who sucked her thumb--the dentist told me to just leave her be--i could do more harm forcing her to quit than any harm to her health. i know that goes against the current thought, but she didn't go to kindergarten sucking her thumb, and Kaci will not go to kindergarten with her pacifier. these years are so fleeting--let her be--you will have much bigger battles to fight in the coming years--just wait until she is l3!!!! you will survive this, and so will she. enjoy while you can.

Real Mothers ...

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:38:00 +0000

Someone sent this to me ...

Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it (who ever makes quiche ... I don't even know what that is. Does it have Macaroni in it? I can make that.)

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox (is that why I found a teaspoon on the front porch this morning? Last night Kaci was chewing on an egg beater ... no idea.)

Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids (yup, yup and yup, although my husband promised to shampoo the carpets this weekend -- the twins love to throw food like Spaghetti, and milk and um, yeah).

Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets (I don't know about play dough. Just spaghetti)

Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up (why vacuum? They just mess it up again. Actually, vacuuming in my house means John gets out the shop vac. It sucks up whole food better)

Help, please?

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:23:00 +0000

Little Kaci and her pacifier

Kaci and Brett

Breaking the binky addiction a tough task for parents

Tales from the crib

Amy Bickel

The Hutchinson News

abickel@hutchnews.com

She tears apart the house. Her eyes watering, she frantically searches the floor and under her bed. In desperation, she peers up on cabinets and dressers. She's like an addict trying to get a fix - a dieter trying to find some sweets hidden in the kitchen.

She is a 17-month-old in search of her pacifier.

I'm ashamed to say it. My youngest daughter, Kaci, has an addiction.

My husband, John, and I are the parents of twin daughters - Brett and Kaci. We've been on a journey for nearly 1 1/2 years, trying to learn the ins and outs of raising our firstborns.

We've been through the spitting-up-on-mommy-and-daddy stage and the let's-throw-solid-food-on-the-floor stage.

We're still in the everything-is-mine stage.

The latest feat, however, is the get-rid-of-the-pacifier-cold-turkey stage.

We have a lot to learn.

As soon as they were born, the nurse gave our girls pacifiers.

Since then, John and I have spent money making sure their little mouths are happy.

Pacis help get them to sleep. Pacis keep them calm during rides home from day care.

It keeps them from crying during outings to public places - like sporting events, restaurants or the grocery store.

Ultimately: A pacifier nips a screaming baby's tantrum quickly. And when a baby wakes up wailing at midnight, John and I have been known, in a frantic state, to scour the baby-room floor ourselves.

I think we're just as addicted to the little sucker as they are.

Now, we're trying to fight the binky battle. Progress is slow.

Little Brett has been a champ. She doesn't seem to mind the fact she doesn't get her pacifier anymore. She's too high on life.

Kaci, however, bursts into tears every time we take it away. She doesn't sleep without it. She even has a name for it - her ba-pa.

There's a statistic out there that says 40 percent of smokers try to quit each year but fail. I now can understand why.

I keep trying to get rid of it, but frankly, I don't have the guts.

I like my sleep. I like quietness.

Is there a pacifier's anonymous?

We are making progress - slowly but surely. And someday, John and I will be able to look back and say proudly: She's been clean for six weeks, six months, maybe even a year.

For now, pacifier anyone?

Any advice? E-mail Amy at abickel@hutchnews.com. Visit http://www.hutchcountry.com/talesfromthecrib/ to read more about the twins.
"Tales from the Crib" runs quarterly.

We got a grant!

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:27:00 +0000

Brett and Kaci in their wagon at our town's football field

where Daddy coaches high school football.

Thanks to our little girls, Brett and Kaci, the town I live in will have an outfield fence for the ball field.

This summer, I wrote a grant for the KC Royals Charities, which offers $5,000 matching grants. Besides telling them about the need for the town, I mentioned Brett and Kaci.

If you haven't guessed by now, little Brett is named after KC's great George Brett. Daddy, a die-hard Braves fan, picked out the name and spelling of Kaci without realizing the significance. I didn't tell him until after she was officially named, either.

How cool is that?

Anyway, the grant committee called this week to tell us we got the grant. They also said they loved the pictures we sent of the girls.

Of course they did!

Future duck caller

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:47:00 +0000

Little Brett learns how to blow on a duck call from Daddy.

Children's science exam answers

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:56:00 +0000

Q: Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.

Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can
be made safe to drink.
A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it
removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and
canoeists.

Q: How is dew formed?
A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them
perspire.

Q: How can you delay milk turning sour?
A: Keep it in the cow.

Q: What are steroids?
A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.

Q: What happens to your body as you age?
A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.

Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes.
A: Premature death.

Q: What is the fibula?
A: A small lie.

Q: Give the meaning of the term "Caesarian Section."
A: The Caesarian Section is a district in Rome .

Q: What does the word "benign" mean?'
A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight.

Fourth of July fun

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 01:23:00 +0000

Sometimes I wonder if our children are more hyperactive.

This Fourth of July, while all the other kids in their clean little outfits ... khaki shorts and cute little tops, stayed clean for their parents, our twins were covered in dirt.

They didn't sit still. They ran around like little monsters. I knew the other parents at the party we attended were wondering if we had control of our children.

We do, but if we want to talk to anyone, we have to let them roam. After all, we are watching two, not one.

Brett and Kaci are cute. They are funny. They are a handful. But we love them dearly.

Still, the girls had a great Fourth of July. Grandma Vicki bought them some cute red and blue outfits. We spent most of the day at our city's July 4 celebration, which was a lot of fun. They picked ducks out of a pond, played in the dirt, watched a volleyball and basketball match and played in the dirt some more.

By the end of the day, they needed baths before heading to the annual fireworks display.

We drove up town to watch it. However, they were asleep before it even started.

Advice?

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:11:00 +0000

Brett like the word "mine," even though she doesn't really own anything, yet. Maybe someday.

She's about ready to go to church. She's in her Sunday best, as I would call it.

My life is a little less hectic. My husband and I direct the rec program in our little town, and we've been swamp. Plus, I cover agriculture for my job at the Hutchinson News, and wheat harvest is a busy time. But it is all fun. I'll be posting some new photos soon, as well as updating my column for The News.

As for the twin girls, they are great. If anyone has advice on how to solve the "Mine" problem, that would be awesome. Little Brett loves the word, and gets mad when she doesn't get what she wants. Any advice would be appreciative!

They can be good ... sometimes

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 01:30:00 +0000

Brett and Kaci in a rare moment being good.

SWIM! and Play

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:08:00 +0000

The girls are enjoying summer! So far, our summer days and nights include a lot of playing outside. That means playing softball, riding behind mom's Instep bicycle, lots of wagon rides and pool time. Our little pool at least keeps them cool. Now if we could only teach them to swim.

Kaci is having fun in the pool and outside of it.

Brett and Kaci swim time.

Kaci finds the hose more fascinating than the pool.

Little Brett just lounges. She just likes sitting in water.

Little Brett

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Little Brett isn't as active as Kaci, but she is a ham. She loves to laugh and smile, although she does have a complex about getting her way, something both JY and I need to work on. I think her favorite words, besides Mommy and Daddy, of course, is MINE! STOP IT! and NO!

Leash or no leash

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:51:00 +0000

Kaci is into everything.
I swore growing up I wouldn't be one of those parents who leased their kid.

It looks inhumane, for one. Words like pathetic, trashy, terrible come to mind.

That is, until I met Kaci.

This weekend, the family is going to the lake for the first-ever mini "vacation" away from home. With two girls to watch, and one who is hyped up on life, runs everywhere she goes and is as smart as she is quick, I fear finding her a the bottom of the lake.

And I don't care what anyone says about leashes. I love my little girl too much.

So this weekend, she'll be leashed. I'll feel better despite the scorn of uppity folk look down on me.

And we'll hopefully never have to leash up our child again.

Top baby names of 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:08:00 +0000

My girls' names didn't make the list ...

The Social Security Commission has revealed the most popular baby names in 2007 - and has broken it down for a state-by-state view.
In Kansas, ``Ethan'' topped the list of boy's names and ``Addison'' was the most popular girl's name.
``Jacob'' and ``Emily'' topped the national list and were among the top five most popular names in Kansas.
Take a look.
Boys names:
1. Ethan
2. Jacob
3. Alexander
4. Jackson
5. Noah
Girls names:
1. Addison
2. Emma
3. Ava
4. Madison
5. Emily
For more lists, including the 1,000 most popular names for 2007 and the top 100 twin names in 2007, visit www.socialsecurity.gov.

Child left in car

noreply@blogger.com (Bickel) — Thu, 15 May 2008 01:37:00 +0000

I tend to wonder if the whole thing was exaggerated a bit. Especially since the woman wasn't very far from the car. Then again, I wasn't there. I try not to go places with two girls. Dad takes them grocery shopping once in a while, but I think he's very brave!

What do you think?

Charges dropped against Tinley Park woman who left child in car

Crestwood police stand behind decision to arrest

While a Tinley Park woman celebrated, the Crestwood police chief said he was disappointed that prosecutors Thursday dropped charges of child endangerment and obstruction of justice against her for leaving her toddler asleep in a parked car.

"We're not happy with the decision. . .she clearly refused to cooperate with our officers that night, and we believe this sends the wrong message to the public," police Chief Timothy Sulikowski said. "We stand behind our officers and the decision they made that night to protect the welfare of that child."

Ellen "Treffly" Coyne, 36, appeared Thursday afternoon in the Bridgeview branch of Cook County Circuit Court, where Assistant State's Atty. Peggy Gill-Curtin told Judge James J. Ryan that "based on the completed investigation into all the facts of the case, the state has concluded it would be unable to meet the burden of proof at trial."

As she walked toward the courtroom door, her husband, Tim Janecyk, 38, met her in the aisle and hugged her. As they embraced, the judge said, "Sir, you have to go outside."

Coyne and her three daughters, Sierra, 9, Haley, 8, and Phoebe, 2, went to a Wal-Mart in Crestwood on Dec. 8 to donate $8.29 the children had collected for the annual Salvation Army kettle drive. Phoebe was asleep, so Coyne said she parked at the curb, shut off the engine, locked the doors and activated the hazard lights and car alarm before leaving the station wagon to take a photo of the girls as they put their coins into the bucket.

Coyne said she was never more than 30 feet from the vehicle and was gone for only a few minutes. A Crestwood community service officer saw the girl in the car and called for police.

In Illinois, parents who leave a child age 6 or younger unattended in a car can be charged with misdemeanor child endangerment, which carries a penalty of up to 1 year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

"We have contended all along that the child was never unattended in the vehicle, that Miss Coyne, the whole entire time, could see the vehicle from where she was standing," said Coyne's attorney, Michelle Forbes. She added that the community service officer did not have a clear view of Coyne while she was away from her car.

"The officers at the scene never bothered to listen to her story—they just chose to charge her," Forbes said. "We're glad that the state's attorney's office reviewed all the evidence, looked at the [store security] videotape and agreed with us that no crime was committed."

News stories about Coyne's arrest sparked heated debate across the country on Internet message boards, with some accusing the police of abusing their power and others supporting them for their quick action.