Thursday, April 23, 2009

Update long overdue

So, we haven't updated in awhile. Sorry. Things are good here. Of course, I say this in light of the fact that SOMEONE has been sick in our house every single day since we moved here. But, for the most part, it's just been colds/sinus stuff, so I can deal with that. It is WAY better than the stomach flu. :)

So...where to start...let's start at the top. Mark is still working, which is a blessing in this economy. His company does insurance work like fire restoration and such, so it is not dependent on the economy. He has built shelves in our garage and basement storage room and is trying to get things organized, though time is sparse these days between the kids and our time together.

Let's see...what have I been up to? The kids. I am also teaching piano lessons on Wednesday mornings. I teach 4 siblings out of a family of 7. The mom and oldest kids take care of my 2 kids while I teach. I am enjoying it and they are good students. I have been getting stuff put on the walls and things decorated around our house and it is feeling much more like our home than just a house.

Cassie is a budding 3-year-old. Well, she WILL be a 3-year-old in less than a month. UGH! If you have young children, you need to know what people don't tell you. The 3's are definitely much more challenging than the 2's. They are finding their own voice...their own ideas...their independence. It is certainly a challenge to reign Cassie in and to produce the behavior that we expect consistently. With the help of Love and Logic, we are doing it, but it is definitely about consistency. She is learning new things by leaps and bounds. She really is a smart little thing and I never really know what she's going to say next. She says "Actually..." about 5 times a day as she puts her 2 cents worth into life. She is an awesome big sister and loves to make her brother smile, laugh, and talk. She also loves it when he crawls* after her. She is really excited for the summer and more time to play outside with "the friends" also known as the neighborhood kids. She'll look at the window and say "KIDS! It is NOT SAFE to be in the STREET!" She's too funny and really cares about people's safety and well-being. Whenever she sees Mark on a ladder, she reminds him to be "tareful" every 2-3 minutes...literally.

Our big man is on his way to being a 1-year-old. He's 10-1/2 months now. He has lots to say and says it in a BIG, definitely boy, voice. He follows me around all day long in a walker. He gets into EVERYTHING that is within reach. I believe he has the longest reach of any baby ever. :) He eats and eats and eats. I've decided that once he really starts eating, we're going to have to take out a second mortgage on our house to feed him! :) The other night, he ate 2 entire pieces of a large pizza for dinner. If he's eating, he's happy. As previously noted, he's been weaned from nursing to bottles. I have further weaned him to whole milk. Yes, I know...most pediatricians don't recommend it until 1 year, but he eats yogurt, cheese, ice cream, etc. without problems so I decided to try it. We went slow and he never had an issue. I researched a TON before doing it and found that we are one of the only countries in the world that keeps their babies on formula to 1 year and the evidence that it was necessary was thin, at best. The main concern is always iron. Well, Conrey eats tons of meat and other iron-fortified snacks, so I am confident that he is getting adequate, well-rounded nutrition.

In other family news, we have been in the trenches with wedding plans for my sister's wedding. It is going to be a fabulous wedding. If you don't know my sister, she is very fashion forward, very stylish, and knows exactly what she likes and dislikes. Her wedding is going to showcase who she is to a T. I have had adequate time to come to terms with my baby sister getting married so young and now am just excited for it to come!

You know what's HARD about this wedding, though? Planning a bachelorette party for 18 and 19-year-old girls. There is one bridesmaid that is in her early 20s and one that is 16. Not exactly bachelorette-aged girls! :) Plus, I'm the only married one. If anyone has any brilliant ideas that are age-approriate, you be sure and let me know! :)

Well, I think that's about it. Thanks for stopping by.

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