Gotta Love This Face!

Beach Boy

We've just arrived at our vacation destination, so we've only spent about 20 minutes down at the beach. But it is confirmed... this child is a beach boy! John and I figured he would be a little timid around the water but most likely enjoy the sand. Well, you gotta watch out for this one... he just plows forward into the ocean like he's a fish or something! He had a look of pure joy running up and down the beach. This was even after a day of traveling with only a 30-minute nap. We've got a fun week ahead of us. I'm sure we'll post pictures eventually.

17 Months Old!

I'm not sure at which point I'm supposed to stop giving monthly updates on the kiddo, but I haven't really talked about him much lately, so here goes. Ian is a lively 17 months and one busy little guy. He's gaining speed, almost running. He's gaining words, but not really talking unless you count his jibber jabber which is super cute yet impossible to understand. He's gaining height- able to climb up on things, reach drawers and tables, and almost open doors (he can close them now by using the handle... and lock them). I have no clue if he's gaining weight. He can operate the scales by himself but won't stand still long enough to get a reading.

Ian's 17th month has been marked by a nasty bout of teething. He had four molars come in over the past six weeks plus a canine that showed up last week. So, he's been a little cranky lately. Plus, his little independent streak is starting to show, perhaps a hinting of our "terrible twos." The kid knows what he wants and will throw a fit when he doesn't get it. He can say "no" and "mine" which sound like "nah" and "mah" respectively. And he sometimes back talks his mama, the little stinker.

He still sleeps great at night, a solid 11-12 hours. He's down to one nap in the afternoon which usually lasts 3-4 hours at home, 2 hours at Mother's Day Out. He has charmed his Mother's Day Out teachers and the childcare workers at the Y, of course. He's brought home a cold once this summer (and gave it to me, of course). And we've had some tummy trouble recently that we're not sure if it's a virus, teething-related, or something he ate.

Eating-wise, he is a picky one. He has his staples that he will eat most of the time which include grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, spaghetti, yogurt, fruit, and a range of Gerber Graduate snacks. Of course, one day he likes something, the next day he doesn't. It's a constant guessing game on what/how well he's going to eat, but he seems to be healthy and happy, so I'm not too worried.

Word-wise he's doing OK, I guess. A lot of times he can repeat what we say, so we are starting that parrot phase. His list of words includes but is not limited to: mama, dada, dog, ball, bye-bye, eye, bath, juice, shoes, nana, no, mine, balloon, mail, baby, hot, and noises like beep, moo, woof, roar, vroom, etc.

This summer, Ian has enjoyed swimming at the Y, spending time with friends, playing with mama during our lazy summer days, splashing at the spray park, visiting the zoo, seeing family, and well, running an occasional errand with mama. This week, he'll get his third haircut, and next week will be his first trip to the beach. Oh, and soon he'll be moving for the second time in his short little life. Ugh. Moving. But first, the beach! Phew!

Weird Dream

Last night I dreamed I was a giant oreo cookie... but not just the ordinary oreo, I was the mint kind with the green cream center. Is this some suppressed craving for oreos? I swear I haven't been thinking about them lately or anything. So weird.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Two things from yesterday that made me very happy...

First, I hit the 10 pound mark on my weight loss. Only 3 more pounds to go to reach pre-baby weight. And those pre-baby clothes are starting to fit again, hooray! So long, fat jeans!

And we bought a new washer and dryer. Sayonara to those crappy ones I bought off Craigslist. I've never been this excited to do laundry. And man, do I do laundry... all the time! How can one little body add so much to our laundry load? This is what they look like, and I was happy that when I did a search for the image, I found a good review from Consumer Reports. Yes, they are red... how fun is that?

For those who might be wondering what our housing plans are for when we move, we are planning to rent. There are actually a lot of good rent houses at decent prices down there. Plus, John's start date is August 10, so there's no way we'd be able to buy a house by then. We'll take some time to get to know the area, school districts, and that sort of thing while also saving up for a down payment.

Hmm, what to say...

Well, we canceled our Y membership. Come August, we will no longer be members there. I know... you're like what!?!? Well, it may have something to do with this announcement.

I finally told work today which I why I am just now blogging about it. (Well, we've really only known for sure since Monday.) It turns out that I can keep my job at the church and work "remotely." I wasn't sure what they would decide on that, but I think the prospect of not having a bulletin in a few weeks got to them. I am very glad for this opportunity.

A few weeks you say? That's right... John's start date is August 10, so we are hopping right to it getting ready to move. The absolutely wonderful great super duper thing is that they will pay to have us packed and moved. Phew!

How do I feel? Excited. And sad. I wasn't sad until today when we really started telling more people. We will miss our church and our good friends we've met here. And we will try our darndest to keep in touch... of course, blogs help with that. (And who knows, I may just end up on Facebook!) And I will miss the close proximity to family. But, hey... we're headed to a pretty fun city with lots to do, so come and visit us!

And no worries, I have already scouted out the many zumba/workout possibilities down there. As a side note, my college roomie lives there and so does Ian's babysitter (college student who graduated and moved). John is starting to feel anxious about the move and all, and I bet I would, too, if I really let myself think about it. But ready or not, here we come!

I will write more soon, I'm sure.

Why Don't I Blog as Much Anymore?

Well, I don't know. What's your excuse? Seriously, no one is blogging much these days.

Blah!

I would say thank goodness tomorrow is Friday, but I have spent the first part of this week avoiding work, so I'll be working through the weekend.

My toddler is a perfect angel around other people, yet a terror when he's at home with me.

I have a sunburn on the back of my neck. Yeow.

My big toe hurts... like I pulled a muscle in it or something. And it also has an enormous blister. Lovely.

I chipped a tooth. It's driving me crazy... my tongue can't leave it alone, and my bottom lip keeps catching on it. I can't get into the dentist until Tuesday.

For some reason, Thursdays are just hard on me. I don't really know why. But if I'm having a "blah" day such as this, I've found that it most likely occurs on a Thursday.

Taking the plunge...

So, I better be committed to this Zumba thing because today I bought Zumba shoes!

Our Fourth

Everyone is doing July 4th posts, so I guess I will, too. The weekend can be summarized in one word: teething. Two bottom molars coming in at the same time do not a happy baby make. But there were some sweet moments, since cranky baby is also very clingy.


So, we went swimming in Paw Paw and Nana's pool. And well, the crankiness continued, so the pool time was short. However, I got to try out my new bikini in the privacy of my parents' backyard. That's right, I bought a bikini! I haven't worn one of those since junior high! I'm not sure when I'll be brave enough to wear it in public.


Did I mention we were visiting family for the weekend? Well, after a nap on Saturday, Ian seemed to be feeling better. He enjoyed playing the piano at GiGi's (my grandmother) house.


This is the best shot I could get of his July Fourth t-shirt. This one's for you, Grandma Carolyn. Thanks for the cute shirt. Sorry he's not looking at the camera! (It says, "All Fired Up.")


Later, we watched some TV with Paw Paw and Nana. Paw Paw just had surgery, so we were taking it easy this weekend. Here's our little couch potato.


On Sunday, we visited with Ken and Maw Maw (John's grandmother). Regretfully, the camera was left in the car, but Ian enjoyed riding and playing with Maw Maw's motorized chair. He also thought sweeping the back porch was great fun.

Guess that's all folks!