November 2013

             November was one of those months where we may have overdone it.  We had several things on the calendar and were able to make it to several fun events.  However, sometimes if you have too much on your plate, it can be difficult to enjoy getting a night away.  Not to say that we weren’t excited for all of the things mentioned below, but sometimes things can accumulate and a quiet weekend of nothing is required.  

Randy and Anna came for a visit this month so Randy could have a partial shoulder replacement surgery.  They arrived a few days early so he could do some work in our kitchen to prepare for the new appliances we had purchased.  He did well at surgery and they stayed for about a week so Deb could help with his therapy and they had a 1-week follow-up appointment.  Everyone did pretty well with the extended visit and the girls really enjoyed the time with their grandparents. 

We had Thanksgiving at my mom’s condo and the Wahmans, Beth and Matt, Dick and Marie, Mark and Mom were in attendance.  We slacked on our usual free throw game we play on the holidays, and the tradition would have ended if Laura wouldn’t have given us a pep talk over the phone.  Chelsea, Frank, Matt and I went out and shot in the dark to continue the tradition.  Beth and I ran the Drumstick Dash on Thanksgiving morning, which is a fundraiser for local food banks.  I hadn’t run 4.5 miles in a while, but I enjoyed it.  We were fortunate enough to be invited to head downtown for the “tree” lighting on the circle.  We went Josh Mile’s office and were able to see the tree lighting from the windows.  All the kids loved it and of course the parents loved it because it kept us warm and we could enjoy some adult beverages while the kids ran around. 

Allison and I went to a Disney show with some friends from work.   She was very well behaved, but I think she was overwhelmed by the size of the arena.  She usually watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and since the show was based on some different Disney cartoons, she wasn’t as familiar with the characters.  Deb and I were both able to attend the Thanksgiving lunch at her daycare.  It went well, but Allison wasn’t happy that we were leaving to go back to work!

Sarah is continuing to be more social and more interactive with all of us.  She got to take a bath with Allison and they were laughing and carrying on the entire time.  It is truly fun to watch the 2 girls interact.  We did have our first incident.  Sarah had rolled onto her stomach and her foot touched Allison, which caused her to say, “Sarah kicked me!”  I thought we had a few more months before that started. 

Sarah’s Thing of the Month

            Sarah is starting to sit up a little more.  She is behind where Allison was at this point when it comes to leg strength and sitting up, but ahead of her when it comes to rolling over.  I get the impression she can sit up, but chooses to lay down because it is easier!  She also cut her first teeth!

Allison’s Thing of the Month

            Allison is at a very impressionable age.  I’ve chosen this stage of her life to teach her different lyrics from songs.  It started with me singing to the song and making up some words, but sometimes the real words came out and she picked up on them.  So if you say to Allison, “Hotel, Motel” she will say back “Holiday Inn, say what?” 

A few more items from this month:

·         I went to Bonges with some friends.  I’ve mentioned this place in the past, but it is a restaurant where you tailgate before you eat.  It has become an annual tradition organized by the Steffey’s. 

·         I went to a Pacers game with Jeremy and Colts game with Ferrand. 

 

• Deb enjoyed an afternoon with work friends having lunch and wine tasting

·         We have new stainless steel appliances in our kitchen. 

·         I went to a guy’s night at Crackers Comedy Club.  We saw a comedian from the TV show The League.

·         We went to Friends Thanksgiving dinners at the Steffey’s and Watkins.

·         We had the Ferrand’s over for Colts game.  All of the kids got along real well which allowed for us to sit and enjoy some beers. 

·         My mom is having another knee surgery in early December to hopefully solve her swelling issues.

·         The yard is cleaned up for the fall.  It took 60 bags.  I look forward to some help from the kids down the road. 

October 2013

Things have continued to go well for us in October.  We are able to get both girls to head to bed at a decent time to allow for us to clean up from dinner, do our daily chores and prepare for the next day.  We have been getting more sleep which has allowed for us to have some more time together or simply go to bed early! 

Deb and I aren’t typically the biggest fans of Halloween, but we busted out one of our old costumes this year and attended a party.  Yep, we went as Buddy the Elf and his lovely wife, Jovie.  At this party, all we kept doing was taking pictures because people were saying, “my kids love that movie.”  Umm, I love that movie…so what does that say about me? 

Each October we usually participate in a fundraising event called “Light the Night.”  This fundraiser was special to us because it helps raise money for blood cancers, which is what my dad was diagnosed with.  The Caslers, Mark, Wahmans, Beth and Matt were in attendance with us and it was a great night for the walk.  It is always a little sentimental of a night, especially when you get a great picture of Allison holding a star with my dad’s name on it (see below). 

Randy and Anna came to visit toward the end of October in preparation for his shoulder surgery in November.  They will be heading back this way for surgery on Nov. 11^th.  Everything looks like it should go well, so hopefully he won’t have any more pain in that shoulder.  While they were here, they helped us make a dent in the fall yard-work we have to do along with babysitting so we could head to the Halloween party mentioned above and go buy some new appliances.  

Allison seems to be changing each month.  She is talking so much now that there is rarely a conversation I have with her that I have to pick my words so she can understand what I’m saying.  She had her 2 and a half year appointment and she is 37 inches tall and 29 pounds.  She is continuing her potty training and doing OK with 1-2 accidents a day and no real success with going #2 on the potty.  She is transitioning to the 2.5-3 year old room at school.  It is going well as she has plenty of friends in each room.  She was Minnie Mouse for Halloween and Deb’s mom made the costume, which looks great! 

Sarah had her 6 month appointment this month and she is 15 pounds and 9 ounces.  She was 27 inches long.  Deb is starting to slow down her feeding schedule so we can switch her to formula here soon.  This will allow for me to spend some more time with Sarah and Deb to get some one-on-one time with Allison.  Sarah was a ladybug for Halloween, also a costume made by Deb’s mom! 

 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah eats so much better than Allison in regards to solids it isn’t even comparable.  We used to have to play and coax Allison to eat food, but Sarah is ready to roll most times.  I can’t tell you if Allison ever ate 3 “jars” of food, but Sarah will do that a few days a week.  

Allison’s Things of the Month

            Most the time, I put things on here that are funny or cute.  Not this month.  We are in the middle of dealing with some pretty tough times from about 2:30 until 5 each afternoon on the weekend.  When Allison wakes up from her nap, and if it isn’t long enough, she is pretty grumpy and short tempered.  We do our best to be patient, as we know she is just tired.  We try to leave her in her room, but she has gotten so worked up at times she has gotten sick.  We hope this phase goes by quickly, because she is so much fun in the mornings. 

A few more items from this month:

·         My mom’s knee replacement has been causing her some issues this month. She has some swelling and bleeding and we are trying to head over there when we can to help out. 

·         Deb enjoyed some drinks with Amy Gellert at Macaroni Grill this month. 

·         Deb and Beth took the girls to the Zoo and Allison enjoyed the carousel while riding the ostrich!

·         I went to the Colts vs. Denver (Peyton Manning’s return), with the Colts winning an exciting game! 

·         We went to a fundraiser called “Superbowl for Saturday’s Kids.” 

·         We have been trying to go swimming a little more often, so Allison and I went once on our own and we went another time with the Vandervaarts while they were in town visiting. 

September 2013

            September has been a pretty good month.  As I write this, I can say that both girls have been in bed since 7:45 and that is a glorious event.  This has been going on for about a week and we love the time we get to just talk or do the daily chores.  I always mention how fast things go, and this month is no exception, including our longest road trip we have taken as a family. 

The weekend after Labor Day, we left on a Thursday and traveled to Randy and Anna’s house.  Upon our arrival, we went over to Julie and Kyle’s for dinner and enjoyed some steak and salmon to celebrate Anna’s birthday/retirement.  The next day, we hopped in the car for a trip a little further away to celebrate Uncle Chuck’s 60^th birthday party on Claytor Lake in Virginia.  It was quite the family reunion!  The family had reserved several cabins close together and it worked out really well.  Several family members helped out, but Aunt Wiz did a great job organizing food and lodging.  The girls did real well playing with the other kids and enjoying being around family.  Our cabin was big enough for Deb and Sarah to have their own room and Allison and I had our own room, which worked out well if Sarah cried because I didn’t have to get up!  On Sunday morning, we agreed to leave as soon as we got up, so we were on the road by 8AM and were home by 4 with 2 stops to feed Sarah.  In all honestly, it went way better than we could have imagined, but each of us did spend a significant amount of time in the back of the Traverse trying to keep Sarah happy.  She did well the first 3-4 hours, but after that, I’m sure it is quite boring to look at the ceiling of the car all day long! 

Allison has started to play soccer at her daycare.  They offer a class for one hour a week that allows her to learn the basics.  It sure is frustrating to try to teach your kid something you really don’t understand.  But, every kids plays it and she likes it, so I’ll kick a ball around and ask Pete for tips on what I can do to help her or check on the internet!  Her potty training has been going well.  She does well with 1-2 accidents a day and does much better at school than at our house.  No clue why, but probably has to do with the other kids going to the bathroom and the schedule is pretty consistent. 

Sarah is down to 5 feeds a day and has started eating some solids.  I had forgotten many things, but feeding these mushy foods to a kid that doesn’t like them has to be one of the most frustrating things.  If Allison doesn’t want her hotdog or chicken nuggets, but all means, I’ll just eat them.  But, feeding Sarah mushed peas is just gross…and she knows it and I know it.  As mentioned above, Sarah is sleeping more consistently and heading to bed around 7:45 with Allison. 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah is extremely tired after a day at school.  You can just see it in her eyes how she just wants some peace and quiet.  Well, sorry about that one…cause as long as Allison is around, things won’t be too quiet.  Anyway, she is struggling to stay awake until 7:30 sometimes, so we will probably start feeding her solids when we get home, feed her once in the evening and start putting her down earlier.  She has had bites of mushy banana and some level 1 baby foods and rice cereal.  She seemed to like the mushy banana best so far...

Allison’s Things of the Month

            As we have mentioned, we have worked on potty training.  It can be pretty funny, especially when she is successful.  If you had a hidden camera in our house to see Deb or I do the “Potty Dance” after she goes, you would probably think we were idiots.  A trick we learned was to ask her if we can “hear the tinkles” which get her excited to get on the potty and go.  Hey, whatever works. 

A few more items from this month:

·         Brad was in town and it was great to see him.  I left work early one Friday to play golf with him and Jeremy and went to dinner.  He was doing well and it was fun to have the 3 of us together for a few hours. 

·         We attend Lobster Fest at the Bassett’s.  It was well-attended and we enjoyed some fresh lobster! 

·         I’ve been to the only Colts loss so far this year (vs. the Dolphins) with Ferrand. 

·         We went to Hoosier Park for dinner for Jeremy’s birthday with several other couples. 

·         We had the Wahmans over for a Colts game and Uncle Mark brought over some dinner one night. 

·         We had some screen doors installed this month.  They look great and should allow for some more light.

·         Deb had a continuing education course the last weekend of the month.  Beth, Matt and Mom helped me with the girls.  We fed the ducks with Matt and Beth.  Beth and Mom helped out and played with the girls at the house. 

August 2013

August 2013

August has been a pretty normal month.  The funny thing about that is, it felt really busy and like we were always on the go, but when I sit down to write the blog, there aren’t too many “big” things to write about.  It is mostly just our normal routine each week/month!  It is hard to believe that Deb has been back to work for 2 months and that Sarah is almost 5 months old.

Deb’s Uncle Ralph and Aunt Barbs came for a visit early in August we had a great weekend.  Ralph and I went to an Indians game on the Thursday evening they arrived.  Barbs, Allison and I went to gymnastics on Saturday afternoon.  We enjoyed watching several baseball games and have an extra set of hands around to play with the girls.  Allison loved to watch baseball with Ralph and enjoyed just about anything to do with Barbs. 

Allison finished her gymnastics class.  She did really well and enjoyed it each and every time.  We wanted to limit how many things we sign up for, so we decided to switch to a swim class this fall.  We are hoping to find a class on Tuesday afternoons (one of Deb’s half-days) so it can keep our weekends free.  We are looking for a swimming class because Allison really likes to swim and be in the water.  We swam over at my mom’s lake a few times and she really enjoyed swimming at Max’s birthday party. 

Sarah has been adapting well to daycare and had her 4 month appointment.  She weighed in at 13lbs 4ozs and was 24.75 inches long.  She has been very comparable to Allison’s sizes through her first 4 months.  She had dropped her middle of the night feed, but that doesn’t mean we are sleeping well.  She wakes up a few times a night and talks to herself for about 15-20 minutes before falling back asleep.  This is much better than Deb having to get up and feed, but she is a mover in her sleep and gets her arms and legs stuck in the crib frequently.  We are also working on dropping one of her daily feeds to free up Deb’s schedule and allow for some more freedom. 

Sarah’s Things of the Month

            Sarah can roll-over pretty easily.  We can look away for a few minutes and she is already rolled around or moved from where we left her.  As with everything, this is different than Allison, who took a long time to accomplish this feat.  Because she rolls over frequently, we find her sleeping on her stomach.

Allison’s Things of the Month

            Allison has many fun things from this month.  At church, she will sing and respond to the priest and likes to share in “peace” with everyone.  She will also sometimes ask if “church is done.”  Another thing we saw if Deb dresses up, Allison will say how “pretty” she looks.  My favorite thing, which involves my Grandpa and Dad, is that she will play with my scruff on my face at the end of the day and we like to call it “wormies.”  Each night, if I put her to bed, I will rub my face against hers and say, “goodnight little wormie.” 

A few more items from this month:

·         Laura and the kids came to visit the last weekend of August at Mom’s condo.  It was great to see them and watch Allison interact with her cousins.  Swimming was the best with Allison counting down for Claire to jump in the water. Beth, Matt, Frank, Jan and Chelsea were all in attendance throughout the weekend.

·         I went to an impromptu poker at Watkins’ house.  It was good to see everyone, but it was great to see Bleill, who I hadn’t seen in a while. 

·         Deb had some dinners out this month with Angie and Amy (Some Guys) and Julie Gebhart (Napolese). 

·         Deb took the kids to the zoo with Kimmey and her 3 kids.

·         We went over to the Watkins’ house on a Friday night for pizza.

·         Deb and Beth had a pool day scheduled and they decided to take a long walk (due to the weather) and enjoyed some beers at Flatwater. 

·         I dropped out of one of my fantasy football leagues but stuck with the other one.  I went up to Jeremy’s place to take part in the draft.  Most of the guys are in the Chicago area, so he and I have gotten together the last 3 years on draft night. 

·         We won the flag football championship last spring and we had a party to celebrate at the Post’s house.  Donnie helped organize and it was good to see everyone.  I decided to call it quits after last season, as it was becoming more difficult with 2 kids and the social aspect had decreased because everyone was busier.  On top of that, I’m just not very good anymore!