Monday, April 9, 2012

8 months later...



I saw that it has been 8 months since my last post. I really only started this post as a way to share our adventure in Mexico back in summer of 2010, but then started using this as a sort of journal instead. I don't even know where my other journal is right now... probably in the nightstand somewhere. I was too sad to blog for a while, and I just didn't know what to write. Ian was born August 17, 2011 after a whopping 10 minutes of pushing (though I did have to be induced. Okay, I insisted on being induced. The clock was ticking) He was 4 days past his due date, but I wasn't willing to wait any longer, and glad I went for the induction, because my Dad passed away two days after he was born. He did get to meet Ian, though, and that was a huge blessing. Ian weighed 8 lb, 9 oz, and was 21 inches long, which were my Dad's exact measurements when he was born as well. So Ian was the final even that Dad was waiting for.
Now Ian is 7 1/2 months old, crawling, pulling himself up, drooling, shrieking, and babbling everywhere and getting into everything. (Today Nate found him in the playroom eating paper.) Madelynn adores her baby brother, but isn't too excited about him getting into things. And he likes to pull her hair. And dump her chocolate milk all over the floor.
Having two kids is great, even though it can get frustrating when they decide to take turns being feisty. And, after nearly a year of potty training, Madelynn finally became 100% potty trained a couple months before her third birthday, and has only had a couple accidents since then. And she has been binky free for a whopping 2 weeks. Oh my goodness.... we let the binky thing go on way too long. I didn't have the energy or care to do it right after Ian was born, but as of April 1, we decided enough was enough- it was becoming a psychotic addiction, and now she's fine without it. With the binky gone, naps seem to have gone, too, but I consider that a worthwhile sacrifice. We also bribed her with a new leotard and dance class to help ease the transition, and I guess now I have to take her leotard shopping. Where do you buy leotards? Or as she calls it "lenatard."
Nate was accepted to Northwest Christian University's M.Ed + teaching licensure program, and will begin that at the end of August. He is looking forward to being at a smaller school and having more individualized attention. Plus, the fact that he only has to go to school on Thursday evenings is a plus as well. He's been applying for jobs since getting fed up with his previous job at the credit union and quitting about a month ago, but there's not a whole lot available right now, so I will most likely be working this summer as well. Unless he can find an amazing summer job.... I've been talking to travel therapy companies about doing a summer placement somewhere- either local or Bend, Boise, San Diego, or possibly Portland. He's off on a man-date tonight with my bros. to watch Wrath of the Titans. I do have to say, it is great having him home when I get home from work. And, since I only work 3 days a week, we get to do a lot of things together as a family. We just spent 4 days up in Portland with his family and visiting his mom in the hospital. His mother had severe pancreatitis back in February cause by gallstones, and that also caused her to have a spinal stroke. She's now paralyzed from the chest down and is up in Portland in the hospital doing intense physical and occupational therapy.
We moved into my parents' old house about a month ago, as my mom bought a new house. It's so nice having all the extra space, extra bedrooms and a second bathroom, as well as a big yard. It's been a bit difficult for me, though, as it also has brought up some painful memories as well, but I find that it gets easier as we get things unpacked and make it look more like our own home and less like it was before. Soon we will have to start putting the baby gate up as Ian gets more mobile and attempts to maneuver the stairs.