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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Can He Possibly Already Be 8 Months?!

I truly cannot believe how fast time flies with the 2nd child. Time with Rachel went quickly, but not nearly as quick as this! Noah was 8 months on Monday. The little squirt is finally really starting to get the hang of crawling. And when I say "crawling" its more of a combo of a crawl and a scoot. Using and moving his knees up under him, but occasionally lunges on to his belly too. But it definitely is more than the inch worm scoot his sister did! He still doesn't have any teeth, but I have started giving him baby finger foods that basically melt in his mouth. I hoped that this would improve his hand coordination. He seems to be having trouble realizing HE controls his arms and hands, but I am starting to think he is simply LAZY! The little fits have begun and I think soon he will have to start being "punished" for some of his actions. He wants things he can't have...cords, papers, Rachel's hair...and he KNOWS he isn't supposed to have them. Hmmm...2nd verse same as the first! (Rachel was just like this! Still is!) :) I can't believe the time is going so quickly, but I always look forward to what he will do next. Crazy days, but oh so fun!

Friday, May 20, 2011

The Approval Rating Of The Backyard Just Went Up!

For quite some time we have wanted to get a swing set/fort outdoor play set, but they are just soooo expensive. New they cost somewhere between $500 and $2500, depending on which model you want. The kind we wanted was right in the middle...1500 smack-a-roos! Needless to say,the quite sometime kept getting longer and longer. I'd look on CL, but they were still just too much for us to pay. Even used, people were selling them for $600-$900! Nevertheless, I scouted CL every day...eventually I hit the JACKPOT! At about 10:30pm on a Friday someone posted exactly what we wanted for $350! It said to call, but I wasn't looking at the ads until almost 12:30am, so instead of calling, I just emailed and left my number saying we could for sure pick it up the next day. I got up early the next morning hoping to have a response and there was none. At this point (7:30am) I decided to text because "normal" people are up at this time of day, right? :) Well, he must have been an "abnormal" like me because I didn't get a call back until 9:45am, but at least it was a call to say I was the first person to inquire and I could come pick it up! It was quite the project to take it apart, haul it, unload, and reassemble, but soooo worth it. Rachel is in heaven and we go out almost daily. Noah obviously can't climb yet, but thoroughly enjoys his time in the swing, just as his sis did at that age. I'm sure this addition will be fun for several more years and I am so glad to have it. I don't know who's more excited...Momma or Rachel?! :)








Saturday, May 14, 2011

One Of The Greatest Day Of Our Life

The long awaited day has finally arrived and will soon come to a close. After Brett graduated from high school he didn't plan to go to college right away, or really ever plan to go at all. About the time we started talking about getting married he was "encouraged" to begin taking classes in the fall of 2004. He originally enrolled at WSU taking 12 hours his first semester. School was never really his "thing." He hated high school, so needless to say this was not a decision that was made happily, but he knew it really was something that needed to be done. The following semester, he transferred to Cowley County Community College where he finished a Associates Degree in December of 2006. He then transferred back to WSU to start working on the remaining 2 years of his Bachelor's degree... Unfortunately, that 2 year program ended up taking 4 1/2 more years!! There were semesters/years taken off, semesters where he only took 3-6 hours at a time due to job changes, babies, and layoffs. He struggled for quite a while after we were both laid off in early 2009 (If you remember, he received his layoff notice 2 weeks after Rachel was born, and then I received mine his last day of work) He was off work 2 months, but thankfully found a job by the time my last day rolled around. Although he had a job, he absolutely hated it. After despising his job for over a year, he then realized how important this degree might be. We jointly made the decision he was going to do anything and everything he could to get done with school. In January of 2010, the "final battle" began. He knew if he really wanted to, he could be done in May 2011. At the time it seemed so far a way and it was going to require working full time (50 hours a week) and then going to school full time as well (the last 3 semester he didn't take less then 13 hours per semester. 13 hours may not seem like a lot, but believe me...when you leave the house at 7:30am and don't get home until almost 10:30pm every weeknight except Friday, it's A LOT! The last 3 semesters were 13 hours, 16 hours and then 13 again!) He has done everything he can the past year and a half to make this long awaited day possible, and I could not be more proud of anything he has ever done. He accomplished something many never thought he would. It's almost like he accomplished the impossible and he is a better, stronger person because of it. I respect the dedication and love the fact that he didn't want to do it, but knew he had to do it for me and our 2 beautiful children. How could I ask for anyone better in my life? He truly put our family at the center of his life, and I am so excited to see him every evening, all evening instead of waiting for him to get home just to go to bed. Our lives will forever be changed in so many ways that I know we never saw 6 1/2 years ago. I am so proud of all he has accomplished and the man he has become. Congratulations Brett, on all your hard work and on your Bachelor's Degree from Wichita State University in Business Management! I love and appreciate all the hard work you have done. May this be a day you remember all your life; I know it will be remembered by me.










Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Orange Leaf Experience

After church a couple weeks ago we met some of Momma's friends at Orange Leaf (a new frozen yogurt place in town). A lot of people I know love to go to this place, so we thought we would give it a try. Rachel loved getting to do her own and as always Daddy thoroughly enjoyed himself, but I really just thought it was "just another ice cream place." I liked the idea of selling the ice cream and toppings by weight, but as far as the environment (with young kids) it couldn't have been more stressful for me! It was so crowded, and there was hardly anywhere to sit. So, needless to say I was standing, holding Noah (who wasn't very happy that day) trying to eat my ice cream and visit with a friend I hadn't seen in about 4 months. THEN to top it all off, Noah spit up on me the most he has ever! Perhaps that explained his grumpiness! Needless to say, my experience was less than satisfactory, but it might have been due to all the "extra" going on. Maybe Daddy and I should try it alone sometime and then I can judge it from there! Hopefully my opinion will improve. Either way, I took some pictures while we were there.








Friday, May 6, 2011

Well, It's About Time!

Last week Noah FINALLY got the concept of holding his own bottle. Life is way easier on Momma!