Hold My Hand

Danny is going through a bit of a Mommy phase. And how can I turn away from all of the extra hugs and kisses and snuggle time, even if it means cooking dinner while holding him, changing clothes while holding him, and doing many other things, all while holding him.

One of the sweetest things he has done the last two days is ask (or demand) to hold his hand while I'm driving him to daycare. This means that my left hand is on the wheel, and my right arm is hyper extended to the back seat so that I can hold his hand. Usually, my arm is shaking by the time we get to school. But his warm little hands just hold on for all that they've got, and it melts me.

I continue to be amazed at his warm little personality. His hugs. His kisses. His everything. At night, when we say our prayers, we pray for our families and friends, and then I always say "who else should we pray for Danny?" and he names all of his little daycare friends and daycare teachers.

I love holding his hand. And I love that we are finally in that place where he wants to sit on my lap, or snuggle next to me when we are watching one of his videos. And even more sweet is to watch him just sit and play with his toys. He has trucks that he rolls around the fireplace hearth. A Melissa and Doug pizza set that he serves to David and I all of the time, and little animal figures that he can name and imitate. I always think that each phase is the best, but it seems to continue to get better...I just wish it would slow down.

Super lazy

Man, I have been horrible at updating my blog. HORRIBLE with a capital H. The last post is from August. Over two months ago. Wow. SLACKER.

Life is good. We've been having so much fun, that at the end of the day, when I should be making time to journal all of the great things we've done, I end up checking facebook or reading some of my celebrity gossip websites (people, usmagazine, etc.). Worthless time sucks, but oh so fun...and sometimes addicting!

Danny turned two...ALMOST A MONTH AGO. Holy wowzer. I have a 2-year old. And boy, is he such a happy guy. I'm so in love with him. I know that sounds ridiculous, but truly, he brings so much magic to our lives. He's so happy. SO HAPPY. How did we ever get so lucky.

Here are just a few things I won't want to forget.

1. He's absolutely obsessed with football. Carries his football all around. Sleeps with it. Takes it to the Kirtland football games. Holds it in the car. Obsessed. The only problem is that he calls it his "golf ball". This confused me for a while. One night, last week, Danny was picking up his football to go to bed, and Dave said, "that's friggin' awesome". Dave's in heaven. I worry that someday I'm actually going to have to learn about football if he plays. Oy vey.
2. Everything he wants to do again is "one more time". Except "one more time", isn't really one more time. It's 8,000,000 more times.
3. I think he will be a fighter pilot or a sharp shooter. His vision is amazing. At least as far as I can tell. He can spot an airplane or helicopter before I can even begin to hear it. This is really funny considering how hyper paranoid (ok, beyond paranoid) I was when he was an infant and even at his 1-year appointment that he was cross-eyed, and I was terrified if we didn't correct it, he would have horrible vision. This entailed two visits to a pediatric eye specialist at UH Rainbows. Yes, I was nuts (and that was $$$$). But it was worth every penny to know that in fact, he has great vision. And now that he is verbal, we are reaping the benefits!
4. He is off the bottle. I kind of sucked at this. Like a lot of other things, I let this go on longer then it should have. And to think I thought I would be more by the book. My sister always said "you pick your battles". Well, his bedtime bottle wasn't kicked until (I $hit you not), one week before his second birthday. We had him at the doctors to check his ear for what seemed like the millionth ear infection (of course he did not have one at this appointment). And the doctor we were seeing (not Danny's regular) made a point to say how "since he doesn't drink from a bottle anymore"...blah blah blah something about fluid in his ears. Dave and I just looked at each other and didn't say a peep. The next night we went cold turkey, and we survived.
5. His latest movie obsession is Toy Story, and Toy Story 2. We are getting Toy Story 3 soon, or I'm going to go NUTS. "Woody Buzz, Woody Buzz, Woody Buzz". That's what we hear each night while he drinks his milk (IN A SIPPY CUP THANK YOU) and eats his "O's" before bedtime.
6. I received an awesome collection of books at his baby shower. And all of "the books" say to read to your baby from what seems like the moment you conceive. Well, this didn't really happen. Ever. He wasn't interested. Until a few months ago. And I remember being nervous that he wasn't going to be a reader. Sherman's are readers! Now, he's obsessed. I mean, it's a minimum of three books a night. And he sleeps with them. And some of them talk. So he plays with them in bed, and we laugh. We hear him chattering away, playing with his books, and the Thomas the Tank horn going "Beeep" (or however it sounds). Thank GOD he likes books.

Ok. I'll try to get better at this!

Twice Off the Low Diving Board!

Today, at Danny's last swim lesson...he went off the low diving board TWICE at the Mayfield Village Pool! I couldn't believe it :) Last week, our instructors/12-year old life guards...(ok, they just look 12), finally caught the hint that the little ones in the class were not quite ready for Michael Phelps training, and decided to let them play. They turned on all the water toys and the slide. Danny LOVED the water slide. We probably went down 5 or 6 times! Today, they took the same approach...but then invited the kids to go off the diving boards. Dave and I hesitated even taking Danny over, because he doesn't like to get his face wet (really, it's his eyes). But, after seeing another little girl do it, he wanted to. So, Dave walked the plank with him, and I was in the deep water waiting. On the count of three, Dave helped him "jump". He went under but bounced right back up (they tie a noodle under their arms). He was confused, but once he saw us smiling, he smiled...and wanted to do it again. The second time, he jumped on his own (with Dave behind him!). I am so hoping that next year, he will do it again.

Swimming "lessons" at this age might seem silly to some....but I really want him to be comfortable in a pool. I won't even write what one of my worst fears is, but I'm sure you can guess...which is why learning how to swim and being comfortable in a pool means a lot to me.

Happiness

Yesterday marked the third anniversary that we said good-bye to Angela. We took Friday off, and took Danny to the Zoo. Which was also our fifth wedding anniversary :) Time flies when you are having fun.

Danny is the perfect age for the Zoo. He loves animals. Monkeys. Giraffes. Lions (just ask him, how does a Lion go?..and you'll get a resilient...ROAR!!!!). And while he enjoyed seeing all of these animals, he was far more interested in what you ask? Well let me explain. Each monkey exhibit contains a toy ball and a big thing of water. Welcome Danny's two favorite things. Balls and Water. I'm not sure he even saw the monkey's. Every glass we looked through, was the most enthusiastic scream of "BALL and WATER".

Staring at the Polar Bear

Seriously, I have no tan. I think I'm alergic to the sun or something.

One of the only times Danny was on his feet. Hand in his pocket like he is such a "what a guy".

<

Staring at the monkeys..

Really into the monkeys in this picture...

He was able to maintain that energy level throughout the day because he maybe only walked 100-feet while we were there. Spoiled little monkey had his Dad carry him around (Daddy.....Daddy....) the entire Zoo. Including the walk UP the giant hill to the Primates. God love David that he did it. We took turns, but all Danny wanted was "Daddddyyyyyy". Now, if I could only teach him to do that in the middle of the night :)

Ok. So he crashed at the end of the day...

Look at that yawn!"

Out cold

So tired, his head flopped and he lost his coveted Elmo hat

For Angela's actual birthday, we took Danny to his morning swimming lessons...and then a friends daughters Birthday Party. We thought Danny would get a nap in at some time, but that never happened, unless you count the time from the birthday party to BJ's, maybe 35-minutes? (By the way, we haven't had a nap ALL flippin weekend!)

David carried him all around BJ's. Seriously, I'm loving this whole "Dadddyyyy" business. Ok. I'm not loving it all of the time. Only when it works in my favor. All of the other times, it hurts my feelings. Immature, I know. But it's the truth.

After BJ's, we took the little guy over to Red Robin...ahh...where it all began. That's where David and I had our "blind date" lunch 9-years ago :) Danny was mostly good. Busy, as always, but really good. Such a great place for kids.

We had a low key evening at home. Dave's parents and Grandma stopped by for a drink, and then we watched the movie, "It's Complicated". I laughed. Dave didn't. He swears he liked it, but I'm not totally convinced.

Have I mentioned how lucky we are? Countless friends sent cards, texts, emails and called. Look at the beautiful roses Dawn gave us.

Beautiful flowers from Dawn. She is so thoughtful :)

Attempt at a family picture...

David and his mini-me!

Me...and David's mini-me :)

Elmo? I love books!

Today, we went to mass to remember Angela. Danny was really good. Dave's parents, his sister, and Noelle and Noah joined us. All were a pleasant surprise. This was the first mass that the guy from Zimbabwee or Botswana (I can't remember) wasn't there raising money for his mission. An act I totally support...but not when the whole mass (2-years in a row...2-different churches!!!)is all about donating money in an accent so strong I can barely understand! Danny smiled, and sat so well during the whole mass. The only time he really got a little rowdy was right during the intentions when they said Angela's name as Dave was walking him out. Go figure. She'll pay him back somehow :) Maybe trip him in front of his dream girl. Karma :)

Oh my gosh, I want to push him down he's so cute!

Just look at that dimple! Must restrain from pinching!

Emotions are powerful. I think it is amazing that your heart can physically hurt from being so overwhelmed with sadness and joy. That is what Angela's birthday is for us now. We are so sad for the little girl we lost, but so overwhelmed with happiness at the little boy we have. So even though we are sad, and we remember Angela, it's almost more important to celebrate her birthday because she has given us so much to be thankful for, and we have hopefully become better. Better people. Better parents. More loving. More thoughtful. More caring. Grateful.

Happy Birthday Angela :)

June Pictures!

In June, we enjoyed our first Kirtland Strawberry Festival as members of the community! Danny just took it all in. This is all just a short walk from our house! I love our location :)


Last weekend, we had such a great time just hanging around at home. I couldn't help but pull out the camera and take a zillion pictures of my handsome men.


And finally, just a few miscellaneous pictures of my little guy! I love some of the faces :)

Updated Pictures of my Little Man

May 2010



April 2010

Let the Potty Training Begin

We have now made two unsuccessful attempts at going #2 on the potty. But we are getting closer. Danny makes his face that he has to go, and Momma starts running. Today was the closest attempt of the two. He was all for it. I don't know if he got stage fright and just couldn't finish, but he was so proud of himself. "Potty. Potty. Potty." And of course, David is in there high fiving him.

Men.

Honestly.

If it wasn't bath time, he would have sat on the throne all night!

We just received his little potty today from Jodi. And it was still in the car during our attempt. I am hoping that by having his own cammode, he will be even more enthusiastic.

Note to self: Pull-ups would be helpful to assist with speed. Oh, and to be even more efficient, lose the snap at the bottom shirts and undershirts. The double layer snaps coupled with a diaper that had to be undone...I know the potty training "gods" were laughing at me :)

Hopefully I'll get some cute pictures...that are appropriate...and post them soon! His wedding day slide-show is going to be a breeze!

Let the Landscaping Begin!

I can't wait to have a yard again! I am just chomping at the bit to get moving. But everything takes time, patience, and of course...money. So, we are excited to put the lawn in this summer, and may do a few other things.

I'm excited to finally put together a Memory Garden for Angela. I've got a few mini-rose bushes just waiting to be planted, a beautiful angel statue from my parents and I think I've decided that the center piece will be a Weeping Willow. I love Willow trees. I love the name Willow. I loved the book about OI where the main characters name was Willow and I collect Willow Tree figurines. Serendipitous! I haven't quite figured out what cozy corner or spot this will go, but I think I'll have a few options. I am currently doing some research on deer friendly flowers and shrubs. As much as I enjoy watching the deer, I don't want to invite them for dinner.

Danny loves the dirt. Go figure. And the machinery just fascinates him. Too stinking cute. He will have so much fun running around (dodging Freddy bombs of course).

I just want time to fast forward and to have a green lawn!

When did this happen?

I could just eat him up. He went from a mini-sumo wrestler to mischievous little boy! He was trying to squish into his Bumbo because his cousin Nicholas was in one too.

How I Get Daily My Workout

I can thank Danny for helping me get back into better shape. Of course I'd love to be in even better shape, but I'll take what I can get for now. Every day is a race.

These pictures are from Good Friday. Danny's daycare was closed, and I took the day off. He and I spent the afternoon attempting to straighten the house for Easter company. I was attempting to wash windows in the kitchen. But everytime I would finish, he would follow me and put his little face and fingers all over them. It became a game. I won't lie though...I love seeing those little fingerprints, and I'm so happy the windows are low enough for him to peek out at the world...or the porch.

I stopped what I was doing and followed Danny around with my camera. These shots were taken in about five minutes.

If you click on the pictures, you will see the larger Google size with my commentary :) He is a ball of fun, and a completely mischievious child. And that dimple. Oy vey. That dimple says everything!

I remember

when my grandma died. It feels like yesterday, when in fact, this December 1st, it will be 20-years ago. It amazes me that in the last 20-years, I cannot think of a day that has gone by that I have not thought about her. When I used to live in Rocky River, I would drive past her house everyday on my way home from work. I remember her funeral. I remember crying so hard and being so sad. I remember my Mom being so sad. I remember all of us gathering at my Aunt Susie's house that night. And we all just cried.

I have thought of this a lot lately. In the fall, my Aunt Rosemary passed away after a long battle with cancer. Aunt Rosie had a striking resemblance to my grandma, and as her hair turned gray, it was more like a mirror image. Her voice too. Sometimes it sounded so much like grandmas, that even as an adult, it would stop me in my tracks. Aunt Rosie's funeral broke my heart. Seeing my uncle, cousins and their children so sad, it just tears you a part. And my mom of course. I can't even bring myself to a place were I can fathom losing a sister.

This past week, we lost another special person. Mrs. Jolliffe passed away last Sunday, and I think I have cried everyday since. Mrs. Jolliffe was the happiest, healthiest person ever, I mean, she could run circles around me, until she had a massive heart attack in February. Followed by a massive stroke. And even though she was home again in March, trying to manage the stroke symptoms while she got stronger, her heart did not see her through, and she had another massive heart attack on Easter Saturday. Mrs. Jolliffe went Home on Easter Sunday.

The suddenness of this loss, it just takes your breath away. Seeing the sadness in my brother-in-law John's family, is just devastating. Knowing my sister lost her beloved Mother-In-Law, makes me so sad. And my nieces and nephew, they were crazy about Grandma Jolliffe.

I am so proud of them this week. Lori did an amazing job keeping it all together, getting the kids ready, helping coordinate the wake and funeral, making the program. John gave the most beautiful eulogy I've ever heard. My nephew Jack was a pallbearer. Seeing him so grown up, in a suit, so honored for the responsibility but so devastated at the loss. All three read petitions. They did an amazing job. You couldn't see Janie at the pedestal, but you could hear her voice. So confident. So clear.

It breaks my heart to see people I love so much, so sad.

I am thinking of them all so much with Mother's Day coming up. My cousins, my uncle, the Jolliffe's. A day to celebrate Mom, and this will be the first year without theirs.

I will thinking of them all with love.

Happy Birthday....Me!

I had such a great birthday this year! It was just me and the boys, all day long. We went shopping for patio furniture (finally bought some), and started to lolly gag through Levin and La-Z-Boy thinking about family room furniture and a kitchen table.

We took a ton of pictures of Danny and I, and him acting like a maniac on the couch and climbing through the pantry shelves!


This whole new house thing requires a lot of start up costs! The family room furniture is not a requirement. Patio furniture is new for us. We've never had any before! We didn't have a patio in Lyndhurst, and now we have a great one :) A kitchen table will be needed. I'm thinking more towards Christmas (ie. whatever Gainshare we earn!). So much stuff. And it's just that. Stuff. But it's fun to shop for. At least the window shopping part is fun. I'm not good at the decision making piece. I flip-flop a lot...which is why we went to Litehouse furniture THREE times in less than two weeks. All three times, we we're thinking different sets. Today, we found THE set, and ordered it, and we're hoping it will be here before Easter, and crossing our fingers the weather is warm enough to utilize it! I've attached some pictures below. The chairs have cushions...but I can't find a picture of them :)

We Have Blinds!!!!

Have I mentioned how long it took us to figure out what we wanted to do for blinds in the house. I mean really, we are two very indecisive people. Nuts.

My requirements: cordless or a retractable cord (no child is going to hurt themselves with a cord on my watch!), and the top down/bottom up feature for the second floor and our bedroom. All of the second floor windows are super tall and almost go from the floort to the ceiling. Not quite, but it seems that way. So, the windows will NEVER be open from the bottom. I have an awful visual of a little person pushing right through a screen and tumbling down. I might be a *little* paranoid.

We weighed our options between wood, faux wood, and honeycomb. After much thought, a few showroom visits, and two professionals coming to our house THREE times, we picked the Hunter Douglas 3-cell, topdown/bottom up, retractable cord option in bisque. David installed Danny's tonight, and I almost melted. We have been using a blanket and table cloth on tension rods for two months!!!!

We also did the topdown/bottom up retractable cord in the library. I forget the "official" color, but it is grey.

My husband is the best! We ordered one set of blinds online for the master bathroom, and Dave installed them. The goal was to see how difficult it was for him to do himself versus having them professionally installed. He did them in a pinch, and perfectly! With more confidence under our belt, we ordered almost all of the rest online! Have I mentioned the $aving$ associated to this? Really, it's just silly not to consider this if given the choice.

We did order some from the professionals. These are for the master bedroom and the first floor powder room. Our bedroom is a Roman Vingette and the powder room is woods with tape. We were leary of trying to order and install these on our own :)

I've attached a few pictures for ideas. Only the woods are the actual wood color and tape :)

Roman Vingettes. Ours are brown.

These are the Woods with the tape.

Last are the honeycombs. We ordered all of them with the topdown/bottom up feature. I'm super excited about this!

What's New

Danny is learning colors. When he says blue, he enjoys saying it with raspberries "bluuuuuuueeee". Very fun.

He is also learning animal sounds. Before he really gets going, you could ask him just about anything, and he'll roar like a lion. So far, we've got "Moo", "Woof", "Roar", and every once in a while "Tweet tweet". Oh, and Dave practices a baby lamb "Baaaaa"

Danny learned how to drink with a straw....and not choke. This is a task his mother still has trouble with.

I have given up trying to keep his bookshelf neat. Why bother? The joy is taking it a part...EVERY.DAY. Tonight, I actually left all of the books on the floor. It stresses me out just thinking about it.

We took him to the local Zoo on Sunday (ie. Pet Supplies Plus in Mentor). He was fascinated by the feeder fish tank of gold fish. This tank held approximately 1,000 gold fish...there was barely water, because it was all fish. This generated a giant "Whoa". Lots of fun.

What is some other fun stuff...

Danny LOVES loves loves Veggie straws. These are veggie potato chips that are like a straw. He is so funny when he chews them up. Super cute.

Coloring is a great 5-minute distraction that ends with crumpled paper and crayons on the floor. I'm telling you though, in those 5-minutes, we can get a lot done! Dinner, cleaning, etc :)

Hectic Week

It's been so long since I've posted. This week was a chaotic week. Absolutely nutty.

Last Friday (over a week ago) we were getting ready to have some company over. And six minutes shy of their arrival (she texted me), Danny spontaneously threw up. Spontaneous because it was our first experience with the pukes. He was not feeling good. Wouldn't eat. And just seemed out of it. It was early. Not even 6:30, and I finally said, forget it. He's not going to get to say hi to the McLendon's. I went to pick him up and take him upstairs when "BAM", he got me. Poor little guy. It scared the b-Jesus out of him. And me.

After a few more rounds of that, he went to bed. There is definitely a benefit of having a bathroom right off of his bedroom. The sink came in handy for both David and I at one time or another during that evening.

The following day, he was Mr. Sad and a little warm. Of course late Saturday evening, his temperature ramped up, and after spending half of the night walking him or holding him upright to sleep, I knew we needed to see the doctor. It was his ears. We got into the doctor at 10:15, and he confirmed that he had one ear infection, and that the other ear was on its way. We stopped and filled the prescription at CVS (and purchased a $4 balloon...yeah, I'm a sucker) and went on our merry way.

Sunday was a rough day. By the end of the day, his stomach was not cooperating in the #2 sort of way. We were getting hit from every direction. Sunday night was rough. Monday night we took him to the Pediatric ER because he'd had such a rough day and his temp was still high. Only to get there, get checked in, and then "BAM" he came back to life. Running around the ER. Playing. Eating snacks (a first). So we left.

Tuesday night was super hard because now David was sick too. Mommy was flying solo with a kid that had a bad stomach and just cried. When I held him, walked him, rocked him, everything. Just cried a whimpering, sad, painful cry. We were up all night.

Wednesday, my brother-in-laws mother (did you follow that? My sisters husband) found out she had had a massive heart attack. Mrs. Jolliffe had thought she pulled a muscle while working out, and had flu like symptoms. In order to go back to work, she needed a note from the doctor. She went to Urgent Care Wednesday morning, and that is when she found out about the massive heart attack. She was sent to Parma General Hospital where the prognosis was grim. Thursday morning, Mrs. Jolliffe suffered a massive stroke. Unbelievable. This woman is the healthiest woman I know. The news just kept getting worse, and the decision was made to life flight her to the Cleveland Clinic. So far, she has been stable, but the roller coaster is not over. They have to wait several days before they can really treat the heart or the stroke, because treating one could impact the other. She is in the ICU, and would like to go home. I have known Mrs. Jolliffe for 18-years. That is more then half of my life. She lifts weights, Rollerblades, and does all sorts of stuff. She could run circles around me. And then this happened? It doesn't even make sense. Please prayer for her recovery. I don't think it will be speedy, but as long as the recovery is on the table, I think everyone will work through the healing process. It sure beats the alternative.

Like I said, it was a hectic week.

Danny was sick. David was sick. I was exhausted. And worst of all, Mrs. Jolliffe had a massive heart attack and a massive stroke. Unbelievable. Please pray for her, and the Jolliffe families during these difficult times. I can only imagine the emotional drain and exhaustion they are feeling right now.

About my little guy though, it's amazing how hard we'll work to see his little dimples come out. It is so worth the late hours and long walks.

My little Valentine. How we love him so.

Getting Settled

I cannot believe we have almost been her for THREE weeks. It still feels like we're house sitting. I know it's going to take a while until our house feels like home, and walking in everyday doesn't feel like a novelty.

It is just so fun to watch Danny. I mean truly. He is just in heaven, and since he is the greatest joy of our lives, seeing him smile and play, is the best. We run in circles. We play "peek a boo". And we are enjoying family dinners at the table with just the three of us. Dannny is doing marvelous. He is sleeping through the night. He seems to be on a great routine and a schedule. A lot probably has to do with the fact that he is getting older, and is so busy at school, that when he comes home..we play hard, and he crashes.

I have to get some video of him dancing. It's just the sweetest thing you've ever seen. Of course, I'm bias, but he wiggles and bobs his head, and those dimples! Oh my goodness, I just want to squeeze them right off his face! Dave always looks at me like I'm nuts when I say, "Don't you just want to eat him? I could just fry him up and eat him like a sandwich".

We have lots of ideas on what we would like to do to the house...furniture, drapes, blinds, decorations, blah blah $$$$$$ blah. Notice the $$$$$$. Fortunately, we have a lot of time to make decisions and prioritize our to-do list. It's all so exciting! And overwhelming. But mostly exciting! The only hindrance to some of the time it will take to make these purchases, is that it will be hard for me to commit to where on the walls I will want to put holes so I can start hanging some pictures. Of course, these are family photos! Something I just love completely, and now I will have the wall space to make pretty collages of them.

My daily commute to work is a little longer. This isn't the end of the world. The Mom in me has transitioned more of my daycare dropoff duties to David so that I can get to work quicker and home earlier. This is hurting the most, so we'll need to find a better balance. I love to take him to school or pick him up and stay in touch with the "girls" that love on him all day long. The practical person in me thinks of the extra miles on the car and the cost of gas. And how much I DREAD the hill on Mayfield Road between Chesterland and Gates Mills. This is a white knuckle hill. But the social part of me loves the extra phone time in the car! I can actually have a conversation. When I get home, I'm home, and Danny is #1, so this is my time to gab with the girls.

Everyday is a new adventure right now!

Madison Rose

A very close friend of mine suffered a pregnancy loss last week, and had to say good-bye to her baby girl. Madison Rose. It has just devastated me. My heart aches for her and her husband, and their families. I know too well the pain she is enduring. Hearing her sadness, through words and silence. Knowing if there was anything I could do to take it away, I would. Knowing if there was anything anyone could do to take it away, they would.

After losing Angela, I remember just praying and hoping that none of my friends would ever have to experience that kind of heartache. Hoping that I was the one in our circle of friends. I didn't want to have this in common with anyone else I love so dearly. I wanted to keep that shared experience to the limited connection I had with other girls on pregnancy loss message boards. Not my friends.

The memories have been flooding me for over a week. I have had the good fortune of staying busy and unpacking. I have had the quiet time at home to reflect on that time in my life. To cry. To ache for a lost child. To ache for my grieving friend and to grieve with her. To hold my son and count my blessings and know that without Angela, I would not have him. What a deeply painful yet enriching gift that experience brought to my life.

Please say a prayer for my friend and her family. To bring them strength, peace, hope, faith, comfort and patience. They will need all of that as they work through the pain and shock of whispering their "I love you's" to their little girl in heaven.

Warp Speed

The last few weeks have flown by at warp speed! It seems like it was just Thanksgiving, and yet we've already passed Christmas and have rolled right into the new year. In fact, January is already half-over! We have been consumed with packing, moving and unpacking. Wow.

But....We are officially in our new house!

The big move was last weekend, January 9th. We recruited a lot of help, and then had to call for back-ups when we hit a snag with weather related issues...such as the movers and the POD company were not allowed to use our driveway because it is new construction, and the cement had not cured. PODS was kind enough to give us 2-hours to unpack a giant container full of stuff. The city of Kirtland would not let them park it on the street because of a snow related parking ban. Awesome. The moving company called in for a 3rd person to assist, since our driveway has a giant slope to it, and they had a bunch of heavy stuff.

All in all, this wasn't as bad as I initially thought it would be. And the bonus is the fact that the POD was unpacked at warp speed. We had planned to do this on our own during the following week that Dave and I had both taken off of work to get settled. This made unpacking that much easier, because the boxes were strategically placed in all of the correctly labeled rooms (less the few Dave didn't label!).

We are excited to be in our own home. Of course that is not to say that we didn't enjoy the time with Dave's parents. We were incredibly spoiled while living there. Extra eyes for Danny. The guilt-free ability to run errands when he was napping, knowing, home cooked meals ALL OF THE TIME, and a laundry fairy that loves to iron (seriously). Plus a lot of fun companionship sitting around the table or TV laughing and enjoying a drink. Truly the slice of life.

Danny is getting the lay of the land. Up and down. Up and down (the stairs of course). Running in circles around the kitchen islands. We have a very open floor plan, so he is doing a lot of running in circles. We have managed to get cabinet locks for most of the lower kitchen cabinets, a gate for the stairs to the basement (man was Danny pissed about that!), and outlet plugs galore. I even tried a toilet seat lock...but gave up when I couldn't figure out how to install it. What good is that when someone has to use the bathroom and a PhD is required to get the toilet seat up?! Danny is fascinated by putting his hands in the toilet water. DISGUSTING! And when the bathrooms are locked up, he heads straight for Freddy's water bowl. Which is almost big enough for an infant to bathe in. This is frequently placed on the counter to keep Danny from swimming laps. Poor Freddy.

We are also loving that he has his own playroom, that can be closed off, and no longer includes computer cables, routers, etc. on the floor. He has SO MUCH fun in there...Just playing. I love just watching him. And I don't have quite as many heart attacks, or the need to say "No" 8,000 times a day...

Yesterday, I played with him in the basement, which is just a giant slab of cement. I threw a ball, and he chased it. He was like a little golden retriever. But he had a great time, and it helped wear his endless energy out!

I will be posting some pictures soon!