July 2013

             July has been a busy month.  Plenty of time with time with family and friends, along with Deb going back to work and our first trip with 2 kids! 

We celebrated Deb’s birthday quietly this year.  We had dinner after we put Allison to bed and enjoyed some wine on the back deck.  Actually, we both probably enjoyed a little too much wine since it was only a Wednesday!  She got several gifts from family and friends.  I went and picked up breakfast from her favorite place the Friday after her birthday.  We celebrated her birthday on the first night of Beachmo and she was able to celebrate with her parents when the visited the last few days of the month.  She received some gift cards, a purse and a programmable crock-pot.  You know you officially a mom when you are excited about a crock-pot! 

The last weekend of the month was our annual (23 years in a row) trip to St. Joseph, MI for a beach and hotel weekend.  This was our first night as a family in a hotel room and we were nervous, but both girls slept well.  Allison really enjoyed the indoor pool and swimming with her cousins.  We had a nice family dinner at a Mexican restaurant next to the hotel on Friday night.  Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate and when we arrived at the beach the next day, we sat in the car and debated if we should even set-up on the beach.  Then it started to rain and it made the decision easier.  We went back to the hotel and swam with everyone for a while and then headed home.  The weather didn’t get any better, and with the rain came gusts of wind that just didn’t make it any fun to really be sitting on the beach. 

We had to leave the weekend early because I was heading to Italy for a work project.  I left on July 28^th and came back on August 2^nd.  Deb’s parents came to visit for the first part of the week and Deb had Tracy come over on Thursday to help out and Kyle was driving through for work on Friday, so she had some help when she needed it.  We were in a small town about an hour away from Milan that was on the countryside.  It was a really great, quiet town that showed a lot of what Italy had to offer (wine and food).  Hurco acquired a company close to this town, and I was going to explain some of our procedures and monthly schedules. 

Sarah has started to sleep much better.  She has started to sleep to at least 5:30 and her crying during the night has decreased.  As I say that, she has a cold and the congestion has her waking up a little earlier, but at least we know we are making progress and our house is beginning to get some uninterrupted sleep! 

Allison has really started to talk a lot more.  She can also be very direct and stubborn at times…I’m going to blame that on her being 2 and it being a phase.  The easier blame would be on myself, but hopefully she out-grows this phase because I don’t think I have!  She had continued a gymnastics class that was a gift from Beth and Matt for her birthday.  She loves to “jump in the blocks” and do “somersaults.”  When she learned I was going to Italy, she would ask me if I was going in an “airplane” and every time she sees one in the sky, she says it is heading to Italy. 

Sarah’s Thing of the Month

            Sarah started going to daycare this month and she seems to be doing well.  She has already started to roll over from her back to her stomach.  She coo’s constantly and smiles a lot.  She is eating very well and as mentioned above, already got her first cold!  The same teacher that watched Allison is watching Sarah. 

Allison’s Things of the Month

            Allison has started to memorize books and wants to “read” them.  So she sits there and turns pages and just says the books out loud, but is usually on the wrong page.  She also has discovered corn on the cob and loves it! 

A few more items from this month:

·         We went to an Ice Cream Social at daycare to celebrate Independence Day!

·         The Bassetts came over for dinner on July 4^th and we enjoyed sausage and corn on the grill. 

·         We had birthday dinner for my Mom and had family over for dessert.  Deb made a wonderful apple cake!  

·         We had some family pictures taken this month, see below for some highlights!

·         We went to 2 parties at the Watkins new house (Housewarming & Abby’s birthday party). 

·         I went to the Ale Emporium to watch the MLB Homerun Derby and enjoyed some beers. 

·         Deb had her monthly “Girls Night Out” at April’s house.

·         I went to Scotty’s to meet up with Jeremy, Watkins, Foulke, Lawton and Freddy for some beers.

 

T

June 2013

June 2013

We are 3 months into having 2 little girls and I’ll be honest, our adrenaline is starting to run down a little bit.  We know that everyone has days and weeks like this, but we are finding ourselves pretty exhausted at the end of each day.  Sarah is still sleeping about 5-6 hours each night, which isn’t bad and is probably right about where she should be.  However, our only experience with this is Allison, who slept well during the night early on and gave us some decent, consistent sleep at this point.  With Deb heading back to work at the beginning of July, we hope that Sarah will start to sleep a little longer at night.  Combine all of this with an energetic but also opinionated 2 year-old, we find ourselves moving rather quickly from one task to the next. 

Father’s Day has become a bittersweet day in our house.  On one hand, it is amazing to realize that in the past 3 years, I’ve become the father of 2 fantastic girls.  On the other hand, I just miss my Dad and wish I could talk to him for a few minutes to get some advice or hear a joke.  With Allison always being on the go, the day isn’t as difficult as it has been the last 2 years because she won’t let us slow down enough to think about it too much.  We started the day by going to church, then the cemetery and home to open a few presents.  I got an alarm clock, some hand and foot prints from the girls, and a wonderful coffee coaster for work that Allison made at school.  I also went to “Doughnuts with Dad” at her school and enjoyed some time with Allison.  She enjoyed eating the icing off of her doughnut. 

Sarah was baptized on June 8^th and she did fantastic (and Allison behaved also!).  Julie and Kyle were the godparents and it was a great weekend.  Julie, Kyle, Anna and Randy arrived on Friday night and we all stayed up later than we should.  The next day, we had the baptism in the morning along with a lunch reception at our house (which Deb did a great job organizing).  That evening, we ate outside and enjoyed several bottles of wine, which was something we always envisioned in our backyard but haven’t had too many opportunities.  Sarah is doing well, and at her 2 month appointment she weighed 10 pounds 10 ounces and was already 22.75 inches long.  Interestingly, that is almost the exact weight and size Allison was at this age.

Deb, Anna, Randy, Allison and Sarah all went to the Children’s Museum.  Allison LOVED it and really enjoyed learning.  Anna and Randy loved being able to spend some extra time here with the girls.

Deb and Beth took the girls to Conner Prairie and late June.  It is somewhat similar to the children’s museum in that they have various rooms dedicated to different topics but they also had a petting zoo.  Allison was able to pet a 5 day old calf.  She also got to touch a chick and really had a good time hanging out with Aunt Beth. 

Sarah’s Thing of the Month

            She is almost laughing.  When she smiles a lot, you can get her to make a noise, and then when you laugh with her, she gets scared and will either continue laughing or start crying.  She is cooing and babbling.           

 

Allison’s Things of the Month

            Allison likes to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  There is a saying they have to help them solve their problems and they all say “O-Toodle.”  She loves to say that.  She has also learned the words to “Country Roads” and will sing it along with Deb or I while slapping her knee like she is in the middle of a blue-grass festival. 

             Allison has started a gymnastics class that was a gift from Beth and Matt.  She loves it and does a pretty good job following the instruction of the teacher.  I’ve not gone yet, but I hope to later in July.  We also had another swim lesson in June and I think that may be the last one.  Our instructor is moving to Tennessee, so I’ve been able to take her a few more times and mimic the lesson to get her in the water more often.  We are looking to start some swim lessons soon and may join a swim club so she can have weekly lessons.  She had turned into quite the little person, with many questions and opinions, which has required us to break out our negotiation skills and do a little more discipline. 

A few more items from this month:

·         We went to a “Smokefest” at the Steffey’s house.  Several of our friends with smokers got together and smoked different meats and everyone brought sides to share.  It was a good time and Allison played well. 

·         Deb’s had an outing with some of her friends and had lunch and got pedicures.  Beth and Matt helped me out watching both of the girls as it was right in the middle of the day and I had to try to get lunch for Allison and her down for a nap while taking care of Sarah.  Their help made it much easier.

·         I went to an Indians game with Mark, Frank and Matt.  It was fun to be at Victory field for a game.  I can’t tell you how long it has been since I went to a game.

·         My mom hosted a “Cousins’ Weekend” at her condo the last weekend in June.  It is essentially a family reunion and it was fun to see everyone.  It coincided with Deb’s last weekend of her maternity leave, so we were back and forth between the reunion and our house, getting prepared for the next week. 

 

May 2013

            I’m glad we have received the advice that we should enjoy the time with the kids and not be in a hurry for the next phase of life because it goes fast enough. We have plenty of friends that have passed along this advice, so even in the busiest times, I try to remember that comment because it is truly a blessing to have Sarah and Allison, and it does go by quickly.  But, how should it go?  It can’t realistically go slowly since you are going 100 mph from one thing to the next, so you just do your best to not lose your patience and spend time together. 

Let’s see, how are things going?  Deb has been doing a great job with Sarah.  Along with that, I have only touched laundry on the weekends since she has stayed on top of that and she has had dinner ready each night when Allison and I get home.  She has painted the mailbox and the address on the front of our house, put our mulch down, updated all of our photos and photo books and kept us social by getting us ready for some cookouts.  She has had several visitors and friends she has met for lunch.  Also, she has worked out most days in our basement.  

Sarah is doing fantastic.  Her only issue has been an blocked tear duct, which we were referred to a specialist for, and the only thing we can do is wait to see if as she grows it clears itself up, which it normally does.  Other than that, she keeps Deb busy with diaper changes and needing her outfit changed at least once a day.  Sarah is up to sleeping maybe about 5 hours in a row at night and we hope that continues to increase.  Deb brought her to work to visit me and introduce her to my co-workers. 

Sarah’s Thing of the Month

She has started to be more alert and smile. This is always fun and Deb is usually the one that is able to get her to smile!

            Allison has transitioned to her new room at daycare and seems to really like it.  She seems to be dirtier when she gets home and is generally more worn out.  The first week was a little difficult in the evenings, but she enjoys the room enough to have no problems with being dropped off.  Deb and I attended a race day party, which was in the morning at her daycare, but quite the disaster when we left as she wanted us to take her home.  We have tried to get back into the mix with swim lessons at my mom’s pool, where she does alright.  We would like to see her enjoy the water more, but that just means we need to get her to the pool a little more often.  Overall, she has done well with the transition of a new sister in the house! 

Allison’s Things of the Month

She likes to sing the “Wheels on the Bus.”  But there are only so many things we can sing about, so we eventually move onto just about anything we can see when we are driving to and from daycare…and family and friends are included in that sometimes!  She also likes to help pick up sticks in the backyard and put them in our fire-pit. 

 

A few more items from this month:

·         We went and had dinner over at the Foulke’s house.  This was fun and enjoyable as it was one of our first opportunities to get out of the house and put Allison to bed later than her normal bedtime. 

·         We went to Gabrielle Nondorf’s graduation open house. She is one of our best babysitters and it was good to see some of my family. 

·         My mom had a knee replacement surgery and has been doing well at home.  We hope her rehab continues to go well and she is up and on her feet soon. 

·         We also went to a cookout at the McGrath’s on Memorial Day.  This was great because it was one of the first times Allison was off playing with the kids in the yard and we didn’t have to be next to her.

·         We enjoyed our Anniversary quietly this year, but we did make it out on a Saturday for a nice dinner at Fleming’s.  This was nice and we were able to enjoy a few quiet moments which have become hard to come by! 

April 2013

             As expected, this blog update is a little late as our hands are a little full right now!  As the previous blog post mentioned, Sarah Elizabeth was born on April 6^th.  After Deb went into labor, it only took a few hours and Sarah was here!  After our 2 days in the hospital, we went home on Monday around noon.  This was great, as Allison was at daycare and we were able to get settled in before bringing Allison home for our first night.  Hard to remember everything since it was a month ago and we have been pretty busy, but Sarah is a good eater and a decent sleeper.  At night, she has transitioned to the crib which is in the room next door to ours.  This is much better than earlier in the month when we would sleep and hold her in the basement.  We had her in the basement because we didn’t want to wake up Allison, figuring it was easier to deal with one child instead of two in the middle of the night.  She is eating very well and surpassed her birth weight after the first week.  Deb is doing well with her “2-hour naps” each night along with hopefully an afternoon nap.  We have had many visitors, meals and gifts brought our way.  Things appear to be calmer this time around with Sarah, and we don’t know if Sarah is just an easier baby or if we are just calmer about the situation.  It is probably a combination of both.  We are tired, the laundry is piling up and the grass is probably overgrown, but we couldn’t be happier with Sarah or with how the first month has gone!

The weekend after Sarah was born, we went to Charleston for Julie and Kyle’s wedding!  We went into the weekend with little expectations and didn’t know exactly what we would be able to attend, but our hopes were for Debbie to go to as much as she could and anything I could make it to would be bonus!  We arrived around 4pm on Friday afternoon and we got settled into the rooms.  We had 2 hotel rooms adjoining a suite that Randy and Anna had reserved, so I was with Allison and Deb was with Sarah.  A family friend came and watched Sarah as Allison slept on Friday night so I could attend the rehearsal dinner with Deb.  Saturday morning flew by and Deb was busy with Sarah so I found myself showering in my hotel room while Allison was eating lunch in my bathroom.  Deb made it to the wedding and I showed up with the girls at the end of the ceremony for pictures.  After the wedding, we were back at the hotel and Deb took a nap while I went out to find some food.  Anna had organized a babysitting service for the kids at the reception and we pulled one of the babysitters to watch Sarah off and on all evening, which allowed for me to make it to a lot more of the reception than I thought I would.  Once Allison was down for the night and Deb had fed Sarah around 8:30, we went down to the reception and were able to dance and enjoy ourselves.  We appreciate all the help we were offered and given this weekend to make it memorable for us! 

 

Not to be forgotten was Allison turning 2 at the end of the month!  We had a party at our house on her birthday and it was a great time.  We enjoyed some deli sandwiches and cupcakes.  She got several fun gifts, with many clothes, books, a potty chair, an outdoor table, a basketball goal and a gymnastic class.  She is getting very good at opening presents and enjoyed the attention!  She had a doctor appointment and is about 34 inches tall and 27 pounds.  It appears she has flipped a switch and is getting more stubborn and difficult at times.  On the other hand, she is talking a lot more, which has her singing and saying new phrases all the time, which is hilarious.  She has been great toward Sarah, wanting to kiss her all the time and very concerned when she cries, telling us to get her “out” of her crib or bouncy seat. 

Allison still doesn’t play by herself very well, but it is probably because she is rarely alone at daycare and Deb and I have always been there to play with her.  Randy and Anna came for Allison’s birthday party and stayed a few days into the next week to help out with Sarah.  They kept Allison home from school one day and went to the zoo!