It's exhausting to think about all of the changes we've been through over the past 5 months. It has been SO MUCH WORK. We're still taking care of things related to the move, but it's starting to taper off. We've made a lot of progress, and I'm excited to be focusing more on decorating our house now. I am so thankful every day I wake up in this house. It is a wonderful first home and even though we still have some finishing touches to do, I'm proud to have people over.
Brenden starts daycare in a little over a week. We took him to his new "school" today to see how he would do in the classroom, and he was a champ. He was nervous and curled up in my lap at first, but in less than 10 minutes he was running around playing with toys. Adam and I sat at the edge of the room and he didn't seem to care if we were there or not! It will take some adjustment, but I think this is happening at the perfect time. He's getting good at feeding himself, he's walking really well, and we honestly need some help getting him to learn how to sleep on his own. I am so excited about the daycare we chose. I feel really comfortable that he will be well cared for.
We still have one big wild card - Adam's job situation (or lack of). He has had some interviews but nothing has panned out so far. The economy seems to be improving a little, but his background is in retail and many stores are only looking for part-time employees. It's hard for him because he's starting to get discouraged and he's facing a big change with going back to work after being home with Brenden so long. It's stressful but for some weird reason I don't have any doubts that it will work out somehow.
And it's hard to be stressed about anything with Brenden. He's so full of joy and enthusiasm that it's contagious. He does the funniest and most adorable things. I find myself cracking up and tearing up all the time when he does something so cute. The other night I sang him a song after his bath, and he started singing very quietly - the first time he's ever done that. He looked so shy about it, but also amazed that he could make those sounds too. I wish our computer wasn't on its last leg - I want to load some videos/pictures on this blog, but our computer would probably start smoking if I tried to load anything on it right now. Hopefully we can afford a new one soon!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Big Boy Brenden
Brenden has grown and developed so much in the past month! Every day is more fun than the last. He's walking (up to 10 steps in a row now!) and communicating a lot more. He has different noises he makes to get our attention, let us know he's annoyed, or tell us he wants us to do something. He has started taking my hand and putting it on a toy he wants me to play with him, and pointing in the direction he wants to go when we're holding him. We're basically his trained monkeys at this point.
He has also started clapping for himself when he does something. He is very proud of himself when he throws his diaper in the trash can or punches the code to close the garage door (Well, we punch in the code and he just pretends to do it with us).
He is also eating finger foods, which has been a source on anxiety for me for months. Some babies start feeding themselves at 6 months, and even at his 12 month visit his doctor warned us that he'd have to see a specialist if he didn't start feeding himself soon. Brenden must have gotten the message (he hates going to the doctor) and he's started feeding himself all sorts of things. He loves strawberries. He also loves soy milk, and we've started the weaning process.
We are getting settled in to life here in the midwest. It's "interesting" to come back after being gone so long. My main complaints about life here are mosquitos, rednecks, and HORRIBLE drivers. People think driving in a big city is bad, but from our experience that's nothing compared to these people who think red lights are optional. Apparently it's an unwritten rule that once the light turns red, three more cars can still turn left. If you try to stop when the light turns red, be prepared to be rear-ended by a pickup truck driven by a guy with a beer gut and two teeth.
Despite the inbreeding, I'm really enjoying life here. The pace is slower and I only feel like I'm running a 5K every day rather than a marathon. I like my job - low stress, nice people, short commute - and it's wonderful to come home to our nice, quiet home. I love eating dinner at the kitchen table with the afternoon sun coming in the windows. I miss a lot of things about Seattle, but I'd be a mess if we had to go back to the way we were living, in that apartment with no family around. Brenden is blossoming with his family and we've been able to get breaks to go to the movies and get things done.
We received excellent news on Friday that our apartment in Seattle was rented to new tenants, so we were finally let out of our lease. It's a long story, but we decided it was best to move when we did even though our lease didn't end until August 31. We were starting to get discouraged and thought we might have to pay the rest of the lease, so that was big news for us!
I am getting ready to take my insurance licensing exam. I've been studying every night, and I can't wait to be done with it. I haven't read a book in two months and I absolutely can't wait to have time to read in the evenings. I'm also looking forward to getting more settled in at home and working out again. I have more time than I did in Seattle, so no more excuses!
He has also started clapping for himself when he does something. He is very proud of himself when he throws his diaper in the trash can or punches the code to close the garage door (Well, we punch in the code and he just pretends to do it with us).
He is also eating finger foods, which has been a source on anxiety for me for months. Some babies start feeding themselves at 6 months, and even at his 12 month visit his doctor warned us that he'd have to see a specialist if he didn't start feeding himself soon. Brenden must have gotten the message (he hates going to the doctor) and he's started feeding himself all sorts of things. He loves strawberries. He also loves soy milk, and we've started the weaning process.
We are getting settled in to life here in the midwest. It's "interesting" to come back after being gone so long. My main complaints about life here are mosquitos, rednecks, and HORRIBLE drivers. People think driving in a big city is bad, but from our experience that's nothing compared to these people who think red lights are optional. Apparently it's an unwritten rule that once the light turns red, three more cars can still turn left. If you try to stop when the light turns red, be prepared to be rear-ended by a pickup truck driven by a guy with a beer gut and two teeth.
Despite the inbreeding, I'm really enjoying life here. The pace is slower and I only feel like I'm running a 5K every day rather than a marathon. I like my job - low stress, nice people, short commute - and it's wonderful to come home to our nice, quiet home. I love eating dinner at the kitchen table with the afternoon sun coming in the windows. I miss a lot of things about Seattle, but I'd be a mess if we had to go back to the way we were living, in that apartment with no family around. Brenden is blossoming with his family and we've been able to get breaks to go to the movies and get things done.
We received excellent news on Friday that our apartment in Seattle was rented to new tenants, so we were finally let out of our lease. It's a long story, but we decided it was best to move when we did even though our lease didn't end until August 31. We were starting to get discouraged and thought we might have to pay the rest of the lease, so that was big news for us!
I am getting ready to take my insurance licensing exam. I've been studying every night, and I can't wait to be done with it. I haven't read a book in two months and I absolutely can't wait to have time to read in the evenings. I'm also looking forward to getting more settled in at home and working out again. I have more time than I did in Seattle, so no more excuses!
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