These next two months are going to be very stressful. In the next 48 hours, Steve will receive his start date and we will be able to get in contact with a realtor to get our house on the market. Most likely, Steve will be leaving on August 10th or 11th and will be in Maryland from then on. I get to stay behind for a bit as we try to sell the house. I find this very frightening as I have to watch over my two sweet little monsters. It might not be so bad if I had a near by adult to spend time with but most of my friends and family live at least an hour away. That makes it hard to just get up and go find some good company.
There's also the fact that I have to try to keep this house immaculate while I remain here. Ideally, we will find a townhouse to buy within the first month that Steve is there and, after another month, we will be able to move into it. However, there's never any guarantees that things will work out the way you want. So, I plan on bracing myself for the worst. Even while doing that, though, I plan to keep myself sane by reminding myself that this isn't forever and my situation is not that bad. It isn't. I'm not completely without help, it's just a little ways away. This isn't forever.
I'm glad that we are finally getting close to the end of this journey. I am very much ready to move.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Children's Inspiration
With an impending move ahead, I've been thinking about the (eventual) direction I would want to take with the kid's rooms. Decorating a room just the way you want can be expensive, so these are merely ideas to get me started. I thought I'd share some of my favorite things I've found so far!
For a shared room:
For a room just for Bella:
For a room just for Jude:
I'm really getting into the idea of fantasy and fairy tale themes for the kids. I've always loved anything fantastical, so why not immerse my children in it!
For a shared room:
For a room just for Bella:
For a room just for Jude:
I'm really getting into the idea of fantasy and fairy tale themes for the kids. I've always loved anything fantastical, so why not immerse my children in it!
Make it Work
It's been 6 months since Jude was born, even though it doesn't really seem possible. All along I've been making things work. Feeding two kids at the same time. Getting two kids to sleep at night, at the same time. Getting two kids to take a nap at the same time.....working on that. Keeping a house tidy....really bad at that still. Keeping Steve and I fed. There's always a laundry list of things that need to be done.
I have a problem of making things as simple as possible. Doing the bare minimum, if you will. My goal for the rest of the year is to change that. I want to find a way to make things work without sacrificing the quality of the outcome. Things have been so up in the air for months now with this move looming over our heads that I haven't done much of anything I've intended to do. Now, we're going to move in the next couple of months, and possible again shortly after that if we go find a house. No more waiting. All of the things I've wanted to do, its time to take the steps to make them reality.
I need to start setting my goals and looking at the steps I need to take to attain them. I want a massive white board with sectioned off areas. That would be great :).
I have a problem of making things as simple as possible. Doing the bare minimum, if you will. My goal for the rest of the year is to change that. I want to find a way to make things work without sacrificing the quality of the outcome. Things have been so up in the air for months now with this move looming over our heads that I haven't done much of anything I've intended to do. Now, we're going to move in the next couple of months, and possible again shortly after that if we go find a house. No more waiting. All of the things I've wanted to do, its time to take the steps to make them reality.
I need to start setting my goals and looking at the steps I need to take to attain them. I want a massive white board with sectioned off areas. That would be great :).
Thursday, July 14, 2011
One baby per month (sort of)
Holy cow! Babies be everywhere! I can't even guess how many babies that have been born in my circles in the past few years. In fact, this year, it's almost 1 a month! Steve says that we are just at that stage of life and I completely understand. Most of our friends who are married have been so for at least 2-3 years and have had a chance to settle into a career or whatever else it is they've wanted to accomplish. That means babies!
For example, 2008 started it all. 2 babies (April and December). In 2009, 6 babies. In 2010, 8 babies. This year, 7 have already made their appearance. There's still 5 to come....that I know of. And we have our first entry for 2012. One of my cousins is expecting his first in January next year, around Jude's birthday. This is crazy, in a good way of course.
After talking about it with Steve, he made the point that it will be like this for a few years. It's family building time. Honestly, there is not better time of life! The next 20-30 years are going to be a grand adventure that's for sure. Then, our kids will be doing the same....scary.
For example, 2008 started it all. 2 babies (April and December). In 2009, 6 babies. In 2010, 8 babies. This year, 7 have already made their appearance. There's still 5 to come....that I know of. And we have our first entry for 2012. One of my cousins is expecting his first in January next year, around Jude's birthday. This is crazy, in a good way of course.
After talking about it with Steve, he made the point that it will be like this for a few years. It's family building time. Honestly, there is not better time of life! The next 20-30 years are going to be a grand adventure that's for sure. Then, our kids will be doing the same....scary.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Here we go
So, we're officially moving. Now we officially need a date. This whole mess is very frustrating. Until Steve gets some paperwork turned in, we don't really know what's going on and contacting the relocation people is pointless. I'm very excited for this move to be done and it hasn't even started. And by done, I mean we're there, settled in, and our house here is sold. That last part is VERY important. I mean really, who wants to pay for two residences.
There are some things working on my side for all of this. I do have to find a new pediatrician (BOO) but at least I have until October to find one for sure. That is when Bella will have her 2 year and Jude will have his 9 month appointment. I'll have to find new doctors for Steve and I, not that we ever go now. However, we probably should.
I can search for new Mother's day out programs for Bella. I like the one we're in, but there might be a Catholic one in MD and Steve would be excited about that. Also, perhaps there will be a little bit of variance in the pricing.
The one thing that I'm really excited about, though. DE-CLUTTERING! During this move, we have to be able to whittle down our belongings to what can fit in a 2 bedroom apartment. I must say, I love that idea. I feel like we have so much junk and half of it doesn't get used. Time to clean out!
One added bonus is that I might be able to go see my parents (who have been in Alabama for a month now). It would be a tad out of the way, but what better time to go than when you're on the move anyway!
By the end of August, all of this will be decided and done. It seems unreal that in 2 months we will go from knowing nothing to not being in Texas and everything (almost) being decided. Here we go.
There are some things working on my side for all of this. I do have to find a new pediatrician (BOO) but at least I have until October to find one for sure. That is when Bella will have her 2 year and Jude will have his 9 month appointment. I'll have to find new doctors for Steve and I, not that we ever go now. However, we probably should.
I can search for new Mother's day out programs for Bella. I like the one we're in, but there might be a Catholic one in MD and Steve would be excited about that. Also, perhaps there will be a little bit of variance in the pricing.
The one thing that I'm really excited about, though. DE-CLUTTERING! During this move, we have to be able to whittle down our belongings to what can fit in a 2 bedroom apartment. I must say, I love that idea. I feel like we have so much junk and half of it doesn't get used. Time to clean out!
One added bonus is that I might be able to go see my parents (who have been in Alabama for a month now). It would be a tad out of the way, but what better time to go than when you're on the move anyway!
By the end of August, all of this will be decided and done. It seems unreal that in 2 months we will go from knowing nothing to not being in Texas and everything (almost) being decided. Here we go.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Never Bored
I'm very bad at updating, aren't I? Well, it's been an interesting month so I suppose it isn't a big deal. Recently, I've had to learn to cope without my mom being in town. Now she's not just not in town, she's not in state. It's been strange, but I have done a lot better than I thought I would. I find things to occupy our time and I think it's been easier on the kids being at home all of the time.
Being that we're in a new situation, we've been trying some new things as well. Steve and I decided that it was time to sleep train Bella. It's been 3 weeks, and while we've had success we certainly still have a ways to go. She still cries when she has to go to bed, but that's our fault for not creating good sleeping habits for her in the first place. Another thing I know will need to happen soon that could throw a wrench in our plans is moving to a toddler bed. She's starting to climb and I'd rather not experience broken bones if I can help it.
We also started back up with food therapy since Bella was starting to slip in her growth again. We've seen immediate progress! She's begun to eat more solids and take less bottles and now we are slowly trying to wean her off formula all together. Now, she's a solid 22 lbs and continuing to gain weight, so now seems like the right time to move in that direction.
As for Jude, well he's so delightfully normal that it's almost boring. I say almost because he's my son so he simply can't be boring to me! He's gone through all of the vegetable purees and we're almost through the fruits. This kid can pack away the food, that's for sure! I'm guessing he's close to 19 lbs now. Then there's his quickly emerging personality. Lots of people thought I would have a nice calm, sweet baby since Bella is such a ball of energy (and has been known to be a bit challenging at times). That's a load of baloney! Jude is super energetic and is already becoming quite talkative. He doesn't really say any consonants like Bella was at this point, but he loves experimenting with raspberry sounds and gurgling, among other things. He's getting close to sitting on his own and then most likely crawling will come very soon after.
I'm certainly not bored during the day. Perhaps a bit overwhelmed at times, but never bored.
Being that we're in a new situation, we've been trying some new things as well. Steve and I decided that it was time to sleep train Bella. It's been 3 weeks, and while we've had success we certainly still have a ways to go. She still cries when she has to go to bed, but that's our fault for not creating good sleeping habits for her in the first place. Another thing I know will need to happen soon that could throw a wrench in our plans is moving to a toddler bed. She's starting to climb and I'd rather not experience broken bones if I can help it.
We also started back up with food therapy since Bella was starting to slip in her growth again. We've seen immediate progress! She's begun to eat more solids and take less bottles and now we are slowly trying to wean her off formula all together. Now, she's a solid 22 lbs and continuing to gain weight, so now seems like the right time to move in that direction.
As for Jude, well he's so delightfully normal that it's almost boring. I say almost because he's my son so he simply can't be boring to me! He's gone through all of the vegetable purees and we're almost through the fruits. This kid can pack away the food, that's for sure! I'm guessing he's close to 19 lbs now. Then there's his quickly emerging personality. Lots of people thought I would have a nice calm, sweet baby since Bella is such a ball of energy (and has been known to be a bit challenging at times). That's a load of baloney! Jude is super energetic and is already becoming quite talkative. He doesn't really say any consonants like Bella was at this point, but he loves experimenting with raspberry sounds and gurgling, among other things. He's getting close to sitting on his own and then most likely crawling will come very soon after.
I'm certainly not bored during the day. Perhaps a bit overwhelmed at times, but never bored.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Jude is on a Roll
Today, Jude and I went to his 4 month appointment. As I already knew, everything is going wonderfully. He is still the polar opposite of his sister and making it relatively easy to have two kids. He has now reached 17 pounds and 26 inches long, and it's only a matter of time before he catches Bella in size.
After talking with his doctor, he now has her full blessing to start solid foods. We've already sampled some cereal but within a couple of weeks we can also try adding a vegetable to it as well. This boy is huge and he wants to eat. The more I get him to like food now, hopefully, the more he will want to eat later. I have a feeling that he won't have any trouble picking up whatever I put on his tray and gobbling it up. You never really know until you try it, but all signs point to this conclusion. Of course, I have to get him sitting up on his own and picking things up first :).
Jude is also rolling around to his right. He'll try to roll to get somewhere, but only to his right. I don't know why, but I suppose anything to his left just isn't as interesting. This also leads to lots of waking up in the middle of the night. At least he'll go back to sleep in a decent amount of time without me having to feed him. We'll get back to consistently sleeping through the night soon enough. By 6 months, we expect him to be sitting on his own and possibly start crawling. He's right on track. Soon, he'll be the one knocking his sister over!
In the meantime, I'll allow Bella to torture him with her hugs and kiss because it's just that adorable!
After talking with his doctor, he now has her full blessing to start solid foods. We've already sampled some cereal but within a couple of weeks we can also try adding a vegetable to it as well. This boy is huge and he wants to eat. The more I get him to like food now, hopefully, the more he will want to eat later. I have a feeling that he won't have any trouble picking up whatever I put on his tray and gobbling it up. You never really know until you try it, but all signs point to this conclusion. Of course, I have to get him sitting up on his own and picking things up first :).
Jude is also rolling around to his right. He'll try to roll to get somewhere, but only to his right. I don't know why, but I suppose anything to his left just isn't as interesting. This also leads to lots of waking up in the middle of the night. At least he'll go back to sleep in a decent amount of time without me having to feed him. We'll get back to consistently sleeping through the night soon enough. By 6 months, we expect him to be sitting on his own and possibly start crawling. He's right on track. Soon, he'll be the one knocking his sister over!
In the meantime, I'll allow Bella to torture him with her hugs and kiss because it's just that adorable!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Why Yogurt?
I'll tell you why. Because, it's packed with nutrients and it can be calorie loaded as well. And, what's most fun for Bella, you can dip stuff into it including (but not limited to) crackers, a spoon, and your fingers. She is particularly fond of doing this with her fingers. The messier we can get, the better the experience. This isn't really my favorite philosophy, but it's what's best for Bella. As I type, she is covering herself in peach yogurt and talking about how she likes it. She also has taken to saying "Mmmm" when she eats. Steve is highly amused by this.
Feeding Bella is certainly an adventure. It takes time and effort and you aren't always successful. Really, you might be successful 50% of the time, if you're lucky. However, this is something we can overcome. In fact, this is how Bella is going to become proficient with a spoon and fork, because heaven knows she won't let me feed her anymore :).
And now there's a big glob of yogurt on the table. The most fun you can with a spoon is flinging your food.
Feeding Bella is certainly an adventure. It takes time and effort and you aren't always successful. Really, you might be successful 50% of the time, if you're lucky. However, this is something we can overcome. In fact, this is how Bella is going to become proficient with a spoon and fork, because heaven knows she won't let me feed her anymore :).
And now there's a big glob of yogurt on the table. The most fun you can with a spoon is flinging your food.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Back to Therapy
Today, Bella was evaluated for ECI again so that we can resume feeding therapy. She has made so little progress with eating textures and also not putting everything she picks up in her mouth, so we thought it was time to pick it back up again. Well, they do a full evaluation anytime you start services or restart them.
It was interesting to see where Bella is on their scale of development. As usual, she sits a bit behind on physical development (4 months behind). However, much of this has to do with her tibial torsion and shorter stature. For instance, she has a more difficult time going up and down stairs without getting on hands and knees. With all that the physical therapist found, she decided it wasn't worth doing therapy to "catch up". What Bella is behind with will come with time. Nothing to worry about.
Bella is also behind in social development (at 12 months). Again, we talked about it and the only reason she ranks lower in this department is due to the fact that she doesn't really do pretend play yet, nor does she seem to care when you tell her to do something or not to do something. Bella does what she wants, when she wants. If she doesn't feel like doing what you've asked, she ignores you :). Most 18 month old kids are responding to requests that they don't wish to do with a resounding "no". A lot of this comes from the fact that Bella isn't around other children her age. So, really, that isn't anything to worry about either.
Now, the speech factor. This is what we're looking at because it has to do with her feeding. Bella is a very orally fixated girl. Her way of playing with things is to put it in her mouth. This also contributes to her being "behind" in some of the social and physical points. When we measured her development in speech, Bella actually comes in at around 21 months. She is a very verbal girl and does a pretty good job at communicating what she wants, what she doesn't want. She also picks up a lot from repeating what Steve and I do. However, this is the therapy we need. Funny, isn't it?
What speech therapy will do for Bella is help her eating habits and also help to curb her oral fixation. Her therapist and I will work on getting her to drink more creamy beverages, eat a larger variety of textures, and get her to strengthen the muscles in her mouth so that she won't keep her mouth open all of the time (eliminating much of her drooling) and keeping her from putting everything in her mouth.
Some things we have to look forward to:
It was interesting to see where Bella is on their scale of development. As usual, she sits a bit behind on physical development (4 months behind). However, much of this has to do with her tibial torsion and shorter stature. For instance, she has a more difficult time going up and down stairs without getting on hands and knees. With all that the physical therapist found, she decided it wasn't worth doing therapy to "catch up". What Bella is behind with will come with time. Nothing to worry about.
Bella is also behind in social development (at 12 months). Again, we talked about it and the only reason she ranks lower in this department is due to the fact that she doesn't really do pretend play yet, nor does she seem to care when you tell her to do something or not to do something. Bella does what she wants, when she wants. If she doesn't feel like doing what you've asked, she ignores you :). Most 18 month old kids are responding to requests that they don't wish to do with a resounding "no". A lot of this comes from the fact that Bella isn't around other children her age. So, really, that isn't anything to worry about either.
Now, the speech factor. This is what we're looking at because it has to do with her feeding. Bella is a very orally fixated girl. Her way of playing with things is to put it in her mouth. This also contributes to her being "behind" in some of the social and physical points. When we measured her development in speech, Bella actually comes in at around 21 months. She is a very verbal girl and does a pretty good job at communicating what she wants, what she doesn't want. She also picks up a lot from repeating what Steve and I do. However, this is the therapy we need. Funny, isn't it?
What speech therapy will do for Bella is help her eating habits and also help to curb her oral fixation. Her therapist and I will work on getting her to drink more creamy beverages, eat a larger variety of textures, and get her to strengthen the muscles in her mouth so that she won't keep her mouth open all of the time (eliminating much of her drooling) and keeping her from putting everything in her mouth.
Some things we have to look forward to:
- getting more calories into her diet by getting her to drink creamier drinks
- strengthening her jaw so she won't tire out from eating so quickly
- getting her to eat different textures so she doesn't have to vigorously chew everything she eats, which tires her muscles out
- getting her to use utensils more and teaching her to use a straw
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Time for an Update
Jiminy Cricket! I have not had any desire to blog for a long time. But now, I'm feeling the itch again! Mostly because I'm going through all of my beloved names again and I have a feeling that's mostly where my entries will go in the immediate future. But first, a life update.
Jude is now 2 months old. And he's the size of a 6 month old. I am in complete awe of how fast he's grown. We're already thinking about when he'll be ready for a high chair and when we're going to have to buy the next size car seat. There's no doubt that he is the polar opposite of Bella in this regard. Their temperaments are somewhat similar. Jude is much more of an arms baby. Bella wanted arms a lot when she was little because she didn't feel well. Jude just LOVES to be held. I've also been very fortunate that he is a champion eater, unlike Bella. In fact, he eats well enough that he will now sleep for up to 8 or 9 hours at night. That's such a wonderful thing to have.
Bella is now walking everywhere. Because of that, she's also getting into everything. Surprise, surprise. She's a super curious girl. And she talks like no body's business. She has already mastered 50+ words. I'm pretty sure I lost count at 20 or so. The only thing we really need to tackle now is her sweet little bow legs. I'm hoping that will just require a special set of shoes to help keep her from walking on the edges of her feet, but we will see next month when we visit the orthopedic doctor.
Two major things have happened since Jude was born. The first was the passing of our niece, Audrey. It was so sudden and certainly unexpected. My sister has been devastated ever since, but I don't think we could expect anything less. I cannot fathom losing a child and how much sorrow comes with such a loss. The hardest part has been seeing the grief and sorrow that my mother has gone through. Audrey was more than just a granddaughter to her, so it has been extra difficult for her this past month and a half. I can only pray that those I love will be able to come to terms with Audrey's passing but I know that won't be easy. We all miss her so much.
The second major change in our lives has been the impending job change that Steve has been looking for. As of right now, he is in negotiations to take a job in Maryland. We are currently waiting for Raytheon to finalize the offer so they can officially offer the job to Steve. Nothing is certain yet, but it is most likely going to happen in the next couple of months. That means we have to sell the house and pack up to leave Texas. That will be strange for me since I have lived her since just before I turned 5. I've been here for 20 years. The other thing that this means for us is that we are looking for a new home for our puppies. I am not to keen on taking them to Maryland and having them cooped up in townhouse or worse, an apartment. So hey, if you know anyone, give me a call!
I suppose that's enough of an update for now. Somebody refuses to nap unless he's in mommy's arms, and that sure makes it difficult to type! Oh well :). Until next time.
Jude is now 2 months old. And he's the size of a 6 month old. I am in complete awe of how fast he's grown. We're already thinking about when he'll be ready for a high chair and when we're going to have to buy the next size car seat. There's no doubt that he is the polar opposite of Bella in this regard. Their temperaments are somewhat similar. Jude is much more of an arms baby. Bella wanted arms a lot when she was little because she didn't feel well. Jude just LOVES to be held. I've also been very fortunate that he is a champion eater, unlike Bella. In fact, he eats well enough that he will now sleep for up to 8 or 9 hours at night. That's such a wonderful thing to have.
Bella is now walking everywhere. Because of that, she's also getting into everything. Surprise, surprise. She's a super curious girl. And she talks like no body's business. She has already mastered 50+ words. I'm pretty sure I lost count at 20 or so. The only thing we really need to tackle now is her sweet little bow legs. I'm hoping that will just require a special set of shoes to help keep her from walking on the edges of her feet, but we will see next month when we visit the orthopedic doctor.
Two major things have happened since Jude was born. The first was the passing of our niece, Audrey. It was so sudden and certainly unexpected. My sister has been devastated ever since, but I don't think we could expect anything less. I cannot fathom losing a child and how much sorrow comes with such a loss. The hardest part has been seeing the grief and sorrow that my mother has gone through. Audrey was more than just a granddaughter to her, so it has been extra difficult for her this past month and a half. I can only pray that those I love will be able to come to terms with Audrey's passing but I know that won't be easy. We all miss her so much.
The second major change in our lives has been the impending job change that Steve has been looking for. As of right now, he is in negotiations to take a job in Maryland. We are currently waiting for Raytheon to finalize the offer so they can officially offer the job to Steve. Nothing is certain yet, but it is most likely going to happen in the next couple of months. That means we have to sell the house and pack up to leave Texas. That will be strange for me since I have lived her since just before I turned 5. I've been here for 20 years. The other thing that this means for us is that we are looking for a new home for our puppies. I am not to keen on taking them to Maryland and having them cooped up in townhouse or worse, an apartment. So hey, if you know anyone, give me a call!
I suppose that's enough of an update for now. Somebody refuses to nap unless he's in mommy's arms, and that sure makes it difficult to type! Oh well :). Until next time.
