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

Week 18, a graduation, and words

Dear Apple,

You are so different from your big brother.  You don't love sweets (whereas he craved them); you move on a regular and consistent basis (he never did); and you need to be fed too much (Conor didn't care when I ate).  If your in womb behavior is any indication of your behavior on the outside you are going to be nothing like Conor!

This week Auntie D graduated high school.  We had intended to drive down there Friday night after I got out of work but your brother got sick and we ended up having to stay home.  We missed seeing her walk across the stage but thankfully Auntie C took a video so we got to watch that.  The good news is that I was able to arrange our schedule so that we will head down for her party this coming weekend instead.

Mommy and Daddy are slowly starting to think about your arrival.  We aren't quite 1/2 way there yet but we have started thinking about what life will be like with you in tow and we are both excited!

xoxo
Mommy
-------------------

Dear Conor,

You are growing up.  Your vocabulary is improving by the day and this week you have amazed me with some new words.  "fresh" "yes" "please" "grass" "tree" these are added to your already big list of words: mamma, dadda, hunter, no, beep, read, beans, more, ball, bee, baby, auntie, elmo, hi, weeeee, bird, up, duck, dog, bubble, ernie, nemo and sarah.  You also tend to call grandmas and grandpas all "bampas".

It is so much fun to watch you communicate!  You make a few animal sounds and you also communicate with sign language for "more" and "milk". 

You also love touching my belly, giving it kisses, and blowing raspberries on it.  I am sure your little sibling appreciates the noises you make for them!  I know that is make Daddy and I laugh every time and also think you are super sweet.  You are a caring little man and I can't wait to see how you do when the baby is really here!

xoxo
Mommy

Week 17

Dear Apple,

Week 17 came and went without anything remarkable occuring.  You did your thing and I did mine.  However, your big brother started paying more attention to you this week.  A favorite activity of his is to blow raspberries on my tummy and point to it and say baby.  I think he's trying to give you love!

I'm starting to show more now and your arrival is becoming more real as I try to guess how early or late you might be.  I already received notice of a Court date in December and realized that by the time I attend that hearing you wil have been here for at least a month.....CRAZY!!!!!

Love you,

xoxo
Mom

Emotions Running on Overload

Oh Boy!

They say when you are pregnant you can become emotional at the drop of a hat or that you are more emotional than when you are not.  Well, pregnant or not - this week I have been very emotional.  This is a very busy summer for our family with so many BIG events that its hard not to want to simply freeze time.

Last night I listened to Conor breath as I rocked him to sleep - one chubby arm behnd me and the other ending with his little chubby hand resting on my chest.  As I watched his face relax into rest I saw how much he has truly become my little man and it made me so sad to realize that our nights of rocking until either he or I were ready to be done are slowly coming to and end.  Pretty soon there will be another little being craving my attention and so I am savoring these precious moments.  Josh is an amazing father and we truly share Conor-care but nighttime has always been a Conor/Mommy thing (this might have to do with the fact that I breastfeed and Conor still nurses before bed).  I find myself looking forward to those quiet minutes together as he drifts off to sleep in the dark room.  Last night I held you a little longer Con-man because I just couldn't let you go......

This weekend we will be driving to celebrate Danielle's graduation.  I was fifteen when she was born and 1/2 way through my freshman year of high school.  I can't fathom that the time has come for her to walk across the stage and in a few short months take those first steps into her dorm - her first "first" apartment if you will.  I feel a sense of pride over the amazing young woman she has become but I also feel as though time has flown by and am sad that she will spend the next few years growing apart from us before entering adulthood and coming back full circle to return to her family as she builds her own.  Thank goodness I am not the one bringing her to college as I'm not sure I could keep back the tears!

And then there is Cathlin - my first baby sister.  The one that I was so excited to have, the one that I probably tried to protect too much when she was little but who I also pushed away at times when I just wanted my own space and wanted her to stop copying me!  In forty-four days she will be a wife.

 Phew - just thinking about all these moments that have yet to come but will soon be memories brings tears to my eyes!  I don't know how my parents are holding it together this summer but life is built on memories and I am thankful that this summer there will be so many beautiful ones!

xoxo
Erin

Oh Conor

Dear Conor,

You have spent the last few months growing both psychologically and physically.  You have 5 new teeth (3 of which have come through in just the last 2 weeks) and you are almost out of the last of your 12 months clothes.  You have begun sleeping through the night more often than not and you are slowly weening from nursing as you build up your appetite for solid foods (though you are still picky).

While you aren't growing inches you are learning so many new skills.  You can almost run and your vocabulary is amazing.  You are able to climb almost anything (much to my dismay) and you have gotten very strong and can hold onto something with a death grip at times!

The other night we played in the yard and took some pictures.....you are growing too fast little boy!

Looking like a teenager

and complaining like one too

But never too old to snuggle with Mommy - my favorite thing to do with you!

Smiles for Daddy!!!  We love you!

You have become such your own little person and you seem to understand concepts far beyond your years.  When you wanted to sit on my stomach I said that you had to be careful of the baby.  Since that day you love to hug my belly and kiss the baby and blow raspberries on my stomach.  You talk about babies all the time and you love being able to hug our friends' new babies.  You are such a special little boy and you are going to make an amazing big brother!  But just remember - you will ALWAYS be my baby boy!

xoxo
Mommy

Apple Update - Week 16

Little Apple,

You are now the size of an avocado and things are really starting to turn around for us!  Mommy is 100% certain she is gaining the necessary weight (yahoo) because I am able to eat every few hours and our visits to the bathroom have all but stopped.  I'm still not able to eat the best foods for us but if you are anything like your big brother I know in about a week or two it will be all fruit and veggies for us for a while.

We did some testing to check on your health and everything came back GREAT.  Your Daddy and I were so thankful.  We were also very thankful to our friend Sarah who kept your big brother for us while we did the testing because it took a few hours and he would have gotten so bored at the doctors office for that long.

The good thing about the testing was that we got to see you!

Just one more round of blood work next week and I will feel good in knowing that you are as healthy as we can determine at this stage and we can focus on getting some healthy food choices in.

Two of your future playmates were both this past week.  Lachlan and Evelyn.  They are the younger siblings to Conor's friends (Neve and Adelle).  I am so happy that you and he will both have friends to play with at playdates now!

This past week the last of your immediate family found out about you and Mommy started telling people at her work because her schedule for October is starting to be made.  I can't believe that it has come time to start sharing the news already but time moves fast around here.

In two weeks we find out your sex and then the real bonding and fun can begin!

Love you little Apple!
xoxox
Mommy

There's an Apple in the Oven?

Dear Readers,

So I have 100% given up on catching up because let's face it - life just happens and I've simply become much too busy to live on my computer!  However, I do feel its important to document our lives (because that's just who I am) and so I'm doing my best to start fresh this month and get back into the swing of things.

I also have more reasons to write now with my baby sister (one of them) getting married this summer and .... our new addition set to arrive this fall!

You heard it here first folks - our family will be expanding by one (yes, we have already checked and rechecked - there's only one in there) and we couldn't be more shocked or more thrilled. 

When Conor was not here yet but "cooking" shall we say we referred to him as an avocado.  I'm not sure why (and it had nothing to do with MY love of Mexican food since I dislike avocado and Josh came up with it).  This time around we have been joking calling this one "John Jacob Jingleheimer" but if you ever want to get a post from me I can't be typing that name over and over and over again so I am making an executive decision.  Because I am fifteen weeks as I write this post and my pregnancy phone app says JJJ is the size of an apple - he/she will officially be known as "Apple" on this blog until the sex is determined and a name selected.

PHEW!

So, Apple.  Let's talk.  You have not been very kind.  First trimester was a terrible horrible thing that I am trying very hard to forget.  I was nauseous almost every day and the bathroom and I were good friends several times a week.  I ended up having to call in a prescription for an anti-nausea medication just to function on work days and sometimes that wasn't enough.  I ended up not gaining any weight in the first trimester but I am certain we can make that up.

I can't say its 100% all your fault though because I am also still nursing your Big Brother and in the beginning he was a big nurser.  In fact, one night I had to break his latch and toss him into his crib and run down the stairs to the bathroom.  I barely made it in time and your poor Dad had to run upstairs and console your very upset brother.  I felt like such a terrible mom but sometimes you simply have to take care of yourself first!  Now, your brother is nursing a lot less and I'm trying to eat more often throughout the day so between those two things and the fact that we are in the second trimester means I've been feeling a LOT better!

We've seen you already (we went last week) and you are a cute little thing.  You were very active on the screen and because of that it took a little extra time to get the necessary measurements but you did settle down and they were obtained.  Results are in and by all accounts you are very healthy.  Our next appointment is in two weeks and the hope is that Mom will have gained at least 3 pounds.

Well, that's all for now!

xoxox
Mom