jobot is one!

on may 21, jobot turned one!

his birthday happened to fall two days before we moved, so unfortunately, our house and life were in states of chaos at the time. i was disappointed that the day wasn't more set aside just for celebrating him...instead we were running love to the homes of wonderful friends who offered to watch her for part of the day, packing boxes, and dealing with logistics.

grandma arrived for a visit in the afternoon, so that made the day more special. she brought some presents, which was nice, because all he got from us was a water bottle and two new sippy cups, and we didn't even wrap them. we did buy him a bunch of balloons, which is about the most exciting gift a one-year-old could have anyway.

we did have a little party for him the sunday before his birthday. we had four friends over, ate cheesecake, marveled over our boy, and watched him smash his smash cake. it was a good celebration, and i was glad we could celebrate with friends before we moved.

hard to believe he is one.

one year ago...it seems like just yesterday. the day he was born was a highlight of my life. and he was beautiful and perfect - all 10 pounds, 10 ounces of him! and then we found ourselves in the {challenging} transition of becoming a family of four. this little guy was so cute and sweet, and also cried. a lot. and it was so hot last summer. and he wanted to be held and/or nursing at all times. but boy did we fall in love with him quickly. really, how could we not?

 and now, a year later. the most handsome little birthday boy in the whole world (and maybe the biggest? seriously...he is the size of a two-year-old. he weighs in at 30 pounds and is off the charts for height and weight. to put it in perspective, i think love weighs around 36 pounds! he eats so much i can hardly keep up. i joke that soon i will have to make one meal for the family, and a whole separate meal for him, but it's probably not actually a joke! watch out, grocery budget!)

i made him his own little smash cake. the rest of us had homemade cheesecake and blueberries. yum. my dear friend becky was over the night before the little party and we made the crust layer of the cheesecake together. one of several sweet memories of our last week at our old house.

our little cake smasher.

and two goofy party animals.

balloons! what more could a one-year-old want?

this boy brings so much joy to our lives. he is funny and does things just to make us laugh. he keeps me SO busy during the day and always seems to be getting into something...he tries to play in the toilets, climbs in the dishwasher as soon as i open it, grabs things out of the dishwasher and throws toys in, goes from one room to another rearranging things. he is also a climber...climbing into baskets, onto furniture, it goes on all day. whew - i can hardly keep up!

he loves being outside and happily walks around chattering and picking up leaves and sticks. he eats dirt and always has a ring of dirt around his mouth when we are outside. the other day we were eating lunch outside in the backyard and when a fly landed on his hand, he brought it up to his mouth like he was going to eat it! ew! such a boy. he gets so dirty, i don't even know where all the dirt comes from.

he says a select few words, but is very clear about what he wants. he calls jeremy "daddu", which is just about the cutest thing we've ever heard. he loves his big sister and watches her closely, then tries to do what she does. he spends his time at home happily chattering to himself while walking around the house with various toys (that is, when he's not trying to get into something). he doesn't usually pay attention to where he is walking and falls or runs into things numerous times a day. lots of tears and bumps and bruises.

he is all done with bottles, as of the weekend before his birthday. he had some kind of stomach bug and every time he drank milk it would seem to get worse, so we held off the milk for a couple of days and then just gave it to him in sippy cups instead of bottles from then on. easy transition!

he takes one nap in the afternoon, usually for an hour or two and he sleeps all night from 7 pm to 6:30 am or so (at least one of our kids sleeps through the night!).

he loves the whole family, but i am happy that he loves his mama best. we all love him so much. he is such a little joy-bringer, and a delightful part of our family.

on the move...

We have internet at the new house, so I can finally post all about our move. I kinda disappeared from blog world in the midst of moving, so I have several posts planned to catch up on the past six weeks or so of our life.

Today found me caring for our little ones in the midst of a stomach bug. It came out of nowhere...I didn't even feel sick until I started eating breakfast and then it hit me. Unfortunately, this was also a really busy day for Jeremy and tonight is his first "on call" night at the hospital. Being on call actually means being at the hospital from 4 pm through the next morning, so it's really just being at work...I don't really know why they call it "on call". Anyway, I had a fever this afternoon, the chills on and off, and just felt pretty miserable. The kids did okay and I somehow got them fed and to bed. I am feeling a bit better, so that's good.

Let's see...writing about the move. Two-and-a-half weeks ago the moving truck was packed and waiting in our driveway and we were sleeping on our mattress on the floor in our empty bedroom.

Loading the truck on a rainy afternoon.

Yes, we will definitely be bringing these two with us!

Our dining room in a state of disaster.

Our last dinner in our house. Dear friends brought over dinner and we had a picnic on the dining room floor in our (mostly) empty house.

Love checking out the "Diesel Truck" (her name for it).

My mom came for those last couple of days to help us with the kids, the packing, and the cleaning, and she was so helpful with it all...even making us delicious meals out of the random odds and ends left in our fridge with only one pan, some olive oil, and salt and pepper (everything else was packed!). We also had an impressive crew of seminary men help load the moving truck, as well as numerous other friends who helped with the kids, cleaning the house, food, etc...

After a week of packing, cleaning, and saying goodbyes, we finally loaded the last few things into the moving truck and the van and then locked the door for the last time and drove away. I expected more sentimental feelings with leaving our house, but the reality was that by the time we left, I was so ready to be done packing and cleaning that I couldn't wait to get out of the house. (By the way, our house never did sell, so we are renting it, in case you are wondering.)

We drove for about three hours and spent the night with my Great Aunt in Indiana. A good time, good food, and good conversation were had by all. Friday morning we hit the road for a long day of driving. Jeremy drove the truck all day (there was no way I was going to drive that thing!). I spent about 8 hours total by myself in the car with the kids. It was quite possibly my most challenging day of parenting yet, and it will be a hard one to beat. We all survived and finally arrived at our hotel in Knoxville, TN for the night, where we found that the one bedroom suite we were expecting was actually just a normal hotel room. (Our entire family sleeping in one room = terrible night of sleep for everyone). Jeremy had not yet arrived at the hotel at that point, and I had just taken our kids out for dinner and then hauled all our stuff and our whiny kids up to our room by myself and I was in no mood for arriving to our room to find that it wasn't the suite we were expecting. In my state of exhaustion, I may or may not have kind of lost it on the phone with Jeremy at that point. Thankfully, he arrived at the hotel shortly after and we were moved to a different room that was a suite and was handicap accessible, which meant it had a huge bathroom. Love slept in the living room, Jeremy and I slept in the bedroom, and Jobot slept in the gigantic bathroom. {At this point, I should add that Jobot had developed hives at some point during the day...possibly from the stress of moving, or from the fact that I fed him strawberry baby crackers pretty much all day because that was the only way to get him to stop crying while we were traveling. Seriously...if he wasn't sleeping or eating in the car, that kid was crying. He is not a good traveler. I had new-to-us toys for him to play with and new books to look at, but he would not have any of it.}

We all collapsed into bed shortly after 10 and everyone slept all night long.

Saturday morning we had breakfast at the hotel, cleaned out the van (which was a disaster from the day before), filled up on gas, and headed out for a shorter day of driving. The kids handled the drive about the same as the day before...lots of crying, whining, and misery. Lots of me trying to ignore them because safety on the road was more important than their latest demand, and lots of me passing back snacks, books, and toys to the backseat when I could. And, again, lots of a crying Jobot with hives. Taking a long road trip alone with two kids ages 3 and 1? Not such a great idea. And with kids who are all stressed out because you have just loaded up their entire home onto a moving truck? It makes is even worse. We didn't have any other options though, so we did it and survived.

We drove through the Smoky Mountains on Saturday and arrived at our new (rental) house around 5. A hired crew of three really nice guys helped us move in, we met some of our neighbors, and one of our neighbors even ordered dinner for us and ate with us after the moving truck was unpacked. It was a nice welcome.

Jeremy had the first week off, so we spent that week unpacking, setting up the house, and cleaning (the house was filthy). It was exhausting, challenging, disorienting, and honestly, just pretty terrible.

Things are a bit happier these days. The boxes are unpacked, the house is mostly clean, and we sort-of know our way around. This moving thing, though...not easy.

Jeremy is really enjoying his program and is excited about what he is doing, so that is great. He is working at the Children's Hospital, which is what he was really hoping for.

We are looking for a church, and for friends. The days are long and boring for me because I don't have anyone to hang out with. Not boring in the sense that I don't have anything to do, because these two little people take quite the energy these days...they are both at such busy stages. Just, bored because I don't have any other Moms or friends to interact with. I think I am going to go to a Mom's group on Friday, and a relative of someone Jeremy works with called today to "meet" me over the phone, so hopefully soon we will have some friends.

A few photos from our days here...

Fun with the hose in the backyard.

I will take photos of our house and do a little tour post at some point, and also tell the story of how this came to be our house (pretty amazing). Anyway, that's all for now.

From our new home

Well, we have (mostly) successfully moved. I have a blog post started all about the actual move itself, but getting Internet service at the new house is proving to be one of the biggest hassles of this whole move and we still don't have it...so I'm writing from the ipad (it has temporary service) which doesn't work too well for blogging.

But, we are here. All the boxes are unpacked, the house looks like home (definitely doesn't feel like it yet though!), and Jeremy has started his chaplain program at the hospital. I hope to write more soon...there is lots to say about this place, the kids' transition, my own transition, our house, Jeremy's work, and the bugs (OH the BUGS), but I wanted to at least say that we made it to our new place. Hopefully soon we will have Internet and I can write more.

currently enjoying...

...a cup of coffee every morning. i've never been someone who has to have a cup of coffee every morning, but since the little guy was born, i have come to rely on that cup of coffee to get going in the morning.

...all the things i crossed off my to-do list this afternoon.

...a house that smells like spring thanks to three hyacinths from the backyard that are now on our dining room table. jeremy picked them for me after he got home from work last night. (when he is home, they have to go out on the porch because they irritate his allergies...but i have been enjoying them today while he is at work).

...opening the windows and wearing short sleeves, shorts, and sandals! spring has arrived!

...spending time outside with our two amazing little humans. finding bugs, digging in the sand, walking in the woods, swinging at the park, and watching them learn.

...stories on cd. i recently purchased two of these ("frog and toad" and "francis") for love to listen to during her "rest time" in the afternoons. she rarely sleeps but usually spends some quiet time in her room. they are perfect for her to listen to while she lays in her bed for a rest, and she really looks forward to listening to them.

...knowing that my new glasses will be arriving in the mail soon. i found out last week that my suspicion that i need glasses is correct, so soon i will be sporting a new spectacled look. the time has come for me to be a full time glasses wearer. it's only fitting as i will be turning 30(!) in june. i look forward to less eye strain and clearer vision (though it is going to be take some time for me to be at peace with the idea of having to wear glasses all the time).

...counting down the number of days jeremy has left to work. we will have three weeks together {they will be crazy, but together} to move and get a little bit settled before he starts his chaplain training.

...looking forward to our trip to south carolina (two weeks from today we will be there). just the two of us! (not looking forward to leaving the kiddos...but they will be well taken care of by grandma and aunt kate).

...the bin of sand on our front porch. love plays with it for hours at a time.

...watching the trees bud and the flowers grow.

...love's little words for things. examples: fridge-u-lator (refrigerator), and oapmeal (oatmeal).

...how clean our house usually is since it is on the market (i'm trying to look on the bright side here, because really i just find that all stressful).

...these energy bars. i made them the other day and oh, they are so good. they remind me of seven layer bars, only they are healthy.

...just feeling better overall. no sugar, no wheat, and fewer carbs = a healthier, more energetic, and more content me. it's a good trade.

...the fact that a guy came and looked at our roof, said that our roof looks great, that the leak was from an area that needed to be resealed, and did it for free in about ten minutes! i, of course, was preparing for the worst, so when the guy gave us the good news, i could have hugged him!

...dreaming of the possibilities that come with moving to a new city...meeting new people, making a new house into our home, exploring a new city, and getting a fresh outlook on life. (i do know that there will be difficult times as well, and there are certainly plenty of people who we love and will miss after we move).

...my new sandals (and the very low price we paid thanks to jeremy's job). they are very comfortable.

...the fact that it is the last day of april. i am welcoming may with open, adventurous arms.

what are you enjoying these days?

steps!

jobot hit the eleven month mark yesterday. eleven!

he also officially took his first steps! over the last week he started taking a little step here and there, but yesterday was taking 5 - 6 steps at a time. it won't be long and he will be toddling all over, just in time for summer. it is so fun to watch him learn to walk, he is so proud of himself. i am proud of him too, but i will admit that seeing him walk makes my heart hurt just a bit...a reminder that he will only be a baby for a bit longer. i'm going to treasure the days, even in the midst of the craziness of our life right now.

p.s. tomorrow evening we have our third showing on the house. will you pray with us that the third time is the charm? we are praying for a house selling miracle!

reality

the reality of life right now is that i am stressed. very, very stressed.

our house is on the market. we had one showing on wednesday. trying to keep the house neat while you have two little kids is just close to impossible, but i did it. the people who looked at it decided not to buy it. there isn't much interest in the house. we will likely rent it. it is stressful to think of the logistics of renting, though it does seem to be a good option considering the circumstances.

just this morning we noticed that there seems to be a leak in our roof...the wood that covers the scuttle hole (i just learned that term...thanks google) to the attic was wet. it appears there is a small amount of water getting in just above that. so...now we have calls out to roofing companies to get estimates for repair. we both kind of felt like we wanted to throw up...i still kinda feel that way. it just feels like one thing after another and our resources to fix things are limited at this point.

we don't know where we are going to be living after we move. it looks like jeremy and i are going to go to south carolina in mid-may to scope out our options and hopefully find somewhere to live when we move there a few weeks later. even though our time there will be very task-oriented, we are looking forward to getting away for a few days together. as much as we can, we are going to try to make it feel like a little vacation. i don't think it will take much...just the thought of driving in a car together and having uninterrupted conversation for approximately fourteen hours sounds like a vacation to me.

jeremy's work schedule is just crazy these days. working all kinds of weird hours. he will only be working there for three more weeks after this one. we can definitely handle three more weeks of this craziness. once he starts working in south carolina, he will work a normal monday through friday schedule, with occasional turns being on call. i can hardly wait to be on a normal schedule. i think it is going to really help all of us.

parenting in the midst of all of this is quite a challenge...it's hard to keep patience and maintain a calm atmosphere when inside we both feel totally stressed out.

my mom is coming for the weekend and will be arriving soon. it will be really nice, especially since jeremy is working all weekend.

one kid is napping, the other is in her crib counting to thirteen at the top of her lungs (thirteen is as high as she can get). i should probably go get her up. she will be excited to see grandma when she arrives!

april showers...may flowers

if april showers really do bring may flowers, we will be overtaken with flowers by the time may gets here. for who knows how many days, it rained every. single. day. when i began writing this post (about three days ago), there was a rain/snow mix coming down outside and jeremy and i couldn't remember the last time we saw the sun. it was really exciting when the sun peeked out for a bit yesterday morning, and the sun has been shining all day today. the grass is really green, flowers are starting to pop up, and trees are starting to bud! it has been a cold, wet spring so far, and we were so ready to get outside yesterday.

the kids and i spent over four hours at our local botanical gardens. it was mostly cloudy and there was a cool breeze, but we were outside and we loved every second! we walked around the paths outside and stopped for snack time. we marveled at the flowers peeking through the dirt, chased a canadian goose (love: "goose. what you doing? i want to know what you are doing!"), and befriended a few bugs along the way. i giggled when love saw a large patch of grass and ran around on it joyfully yelling, "grass! grass! grass!" (you know your kids have been stuck inside for too long when that happens!).

i took great joy in watching love play on the playground. it has a shaky bridge that kids can walk across and i saw her approach it and then stop right on the edge. she took one step onto the bridge and then clung to the railing with all her might. she looked terrified. there were a lot of older, rowdy kids running around and she tends to be a bit timid in those situations anyway. kids ran by her and several times they pulled one of her hands free from the railing so they could run by, or they unintentionally shoved her out of the way. the bridge bounced up and down as they ran across and she just stood there, petrified. it was all i could do not to run up there and help her across, but i knew she could figure it out on her own, so i just quietly observed. she eventually looked over at me and i gave her a big smile and some words of encouragement, but otherwise i just watched. that was hard for me. and then...she slowly started across, and made it all the way to the other side! a huge grin spread across her face and i could almost see her self-confidence grow. i was so proud of her!

all of that was fun, but we spent most of our time in the huge sandbox. go figure...a large, beautiful botanical garden complex that i'm sure cost millions upon millions of dollars to create, and the kids could care less about all that...give them a big pile of sand and they are happy. love was happy to play with her little construction vehicles...she made up stories and narrated right along with her play. at one point, i heard her call, "excavator, come over here. i have a very special job for you to do!"

jobot puttered around, running the sand through his fingers and every once in awhile looked up at me with adoring eyes like he was saying, "i can't believe you are letting me play in this. it is amazing! thank you! thank you!"

it was such a good time. i love watching them learn and explore. i'm so glad they enjoy simple things like dirt and bugs. and i'm so happy that they were both covered in dirt by the time we left. i think that the more dirt on their bodies at the end of the day, the better the day was. i am really excited for this summer - they are both going to be at such fun ages. i think we have a lot of bathtub rings in our future.