Adventures at Grandpa Tom's

Dear Conor,

During the time we lived at Grandpa Tom's you developed so much.  Your vocabulary took off and your interests because clearer.  You loved being outside in his yard either running in the grass (chase chase is what you liked to say) or picking up all the rocks in the drive way and putting them into different things (cups, bowls, your bike, your police car).  Sometimes it was a wrestling match to get you inside because you loved being in the yard.  So, when we had nothing to do - we spent as much time outside as we possible could.

August 9, 2013 - rock collecting

August 9, 2013 - rock collecting

August 9, 2013 - rock collecting

Sometimes Daddy even gave you a special treat and let you practice your driving skills - Helmets for Safety!

August 13, 2013

 

 

Pooltime was a favorite activity - Grandpa had a lot of great spaces to put your pool depending on how hot it was outside.

08/29/3013

But nothing beats just running in the grass!

09/08/2013

A few days after these pictures were taken we moved into our new house - this was the last time we played in Grandpa's yard!

Conor and Hunter - 09/08/2013

We are so very thankful that Grandpa let us stay at his house while we waited for our house to be ready to live in!  We had a great summer there and having all that space allowed you to grow and develop and have a lot of fun!

xoxo
Mommy

Week 31 & a New House

Dear Baby,

Notice the name change?  Since we found out you were a boy I've been having a hard time calling you Apple and since big brother calls you "baby" about 1000 times a day I think I'll stick with that.

Do you have a name you ask?  Yes, you have a name but Mommy is not ready to announce it on the blog (or to most people for that matter) and therefore "Baby" you will be.

So, we are at 31 weeks, 9 weeks to go.  You are so incredibly active I don't know what to say.  You move and shake and punch and kick for what seems like 85% of any given 24 hours.  You have just started to give Mommy heartburn about once a day and you are still sitting pretty low.  Our doctors appointments have increased to every 2-3 weeks and I booked all of our final appointments with the last one being on October 31st but of course, you will be arriving on schedule therefore this appointment will not be needed - correct?!?

Mommy has gained 21 pounds this pregnancy which is now right on track.  Your heart rate continues to be strong and while you still are able to do full flips in my uterus you spend a lot of time head down (this is a good thing).  My pregnancy app. says that you are about 3.3 pounds right now and the midwife said you are likely to be just as big as your brother was give or take a pound (he was 8lbs 10.6 oz) so you still have a little growing to do.

So I have some big news baby - as of today you are no longer homeless!  Mommy and Daddy signed all the paperwork for your home.  Since you are going to be living in hand-me-downs the least we could do was get you a new house right?!?  Just kidding (on the hand-me-downs) - Mommy has bought you a few brand new things just for you because you are special and deserve it. 

We love you and can't wait to see you!

And I was doing well

There was a point where I was getting caught up on this blog and now another whole month has gone by. 

Since the last time I wrote so many things have happened that it would be a shame to forget them all - thank goodness for iphones and FB or no one would have any idea what was going on in our lives right now.  Baby #2 is growing beautifully and we are hoping he will wait just a little bit longer before making his debut because we are trying to settle into our new home as quickly as possible.  Conor's room is as done as it needs to be and the nursery, guest room (where my mom will stay), and our bedroom are between 50-85% there.  Bathrooms are functional and the living areas are as done as they need to be (minus the clutter as we use them for staging areas).  Conor has settled into the new house and calls it "me house" and has met many of the neighborhood children and developed a friendship with the 5 year old boy who lives next door.

Josh and I are both scrambling to get caught up on our jobs, finish the house, and spend special moments with Conor these last few days where he is our one and only.

My mom has spend a weekend and really helped to get the move-in ball rolling, friends have been amazing - coming to spend time with Conor each week so that I could get house projects done, and Josh's parents have helped with both playing with Conor and helping us lug things around the garage since my days of heavy lifting are over.  We are truly thankful for the help!

Once we are more settled I promise a house tour :)

Moving Update

Dear Conor,

You are a champion and while we certainly have had our moments (which I will detail below) you have really tolerated this transition better than I could have hoped for.

In hindsight, having you sleep in 3 different places in 4 days was certainly not ideal - though it was unpreventable given Auntie's wedding and then our need to get you out of the house for the movers.  The first few nights at Grandpa's were terrible!  You required a lot of nursing to get to sleep, you woke up several times a night crying and the first night (Tuesday night) you vomited, the second night (Wednesday night) you pooped through your jammies, and the third night (Thursday) you decided that sleep wasn't necessary and were awake for several hours in the wee hours of the morning.  I know it was just you trying to understand why we were sleeping at Grandpa's house but spending the days at our house and our house was getting so empty!  I was very thankful to have your Auntie here visiting - she really helped to keep you busy and calm while Mommy was trying to get everything ready for the big day.

As the nights went on you started sleeping better and getting more comfortable at Grandpa's house.  You learned what you could touch and what you couldn't.  Mommy learned what needed to be locked up and what could be left alone and what of Grandpa's just had to be moved until we are gone.  We settled back into our regular routine and while you still were struggling to sleep more than 10 hours and you abandoned all naps - things were getting better.

The first weekend we lived in "the country" we went to a little village field day type activity where you got to pet a lot of baby animals - you had a lot of fun with the baby chicks and goats - but you did not love the miniature horses!

Chicks!

Chicks Momma!

Goats

"Baaa" to the goats

After visiting the animals we went down to the lake for some digging in the dirt and water play.  You had fun splashing in the water once you felt comfortable with the sand under your toes.  You were not so sure of it squishing between your toes!

When we got back to Grandpa's (which we have started calling home now) you played with your toys that Mom had put together for you with Daddy and Auntie while mom rested a little bit with baby Apple. 

Auntie stayed for 2 weeks and we had so much fun with her.  We went to Aquaboggin (a local smaller waterpark) and you and Daddy took her to the pottery place.  Every morning when you woke up the first thing you did was look for "ya ya" or call her name throughout the house. 

Wave Pool with Daddy 7.21.13

Waiting for Daddy and "Ya ya" to be done riding rides

After swim snack

Some of the best times we had with "ya ya" were just hanging out in the yard or the house playing.

Playing with Auntie 7.25.13

These were a special two weeks.  Special because they triggered the start of a new beginning for our little family but also because the time you got to share with Auntie helped to mold the relationship you will have in the future.

As of today (August 5, 2013) you are sleeping better (6:30pm - 7:00am) though you still wake at 5:00am with a little cry; you now roll over and go back to sleep.  You still are nursing to sleep and often need a little extra hug or rocking if you can't fall asleep after 10 minutes in your room, and because you are nursing you often have soggy diapers in the morning.  But, despite all this I still think you have done an EXCELLENT job with this transition and I only hope that the next one is a little easier on you.

Hugs to my sweet baby boy!
xoxo
Mumma

House for Sale

For those that aren't aware - we are selling our house!  When we moved in way back in 2005 the plan was never for us to be here this long.  We were perhaps a little naive but our current home was a perfect commuting home for me to Portland while I was attending law school and wasn't too far from Josh's office and so despite knowing this is not the area we wanted our "forever" home to end up in we jumped in both feet and bought it.

Well, we all know what happened next......the housing market CRASHED and since we had bought at the prime market peak we were stuck and in a hole when I graduated in 2008 so we wiped away the tears and worked on making our "temporary house" a home.  WE paved the driveway, upgraded all lighting fixtures, put on an AWESOME deck, and painted just about every wall in the house.  Then we got pregnant with Conor and more work went into the house to shuffle things around in order to give him a place to call his own (bead board in his room, painting trim, repainting the walls, shelves in the bathroom installed and the loss of our guest room).

Well, the housing market is rebounding and as Apple is on it's way its time to try to say goodbye to our lovely home.  If it weren't for my strong desire to be closer to my family and the highway (which makes impromptu visits easier) and the water I think Josh and I could be happy here (though the kids and our guests might be a little cramped).  We are 40 minutes to the "city" the mountains, almost all the beaches in 2 counties.  There are recreation trails and ponds and this is a up and coming community in which housing values are likely to double in the next 10 years as it becomes a mecca for families like ours (parents work in the Portland area but want to raise kids in a more rural setting).  But alas, I  want to move and so on the market she is. 

Here's the link if you want to check it out or want to forward it to any friends looking for a GREAT home at a GREAT price in a GREAT location!

http://mreis.fusionmls.com/DotNet/Pub/EmailView.aspx?r=1890866361&s=MRE&t=MRE

HELP us sell our home!

xoxo
Erin