Happy Easter

Happy Easter Everyone!

We had a very nice Easter even though it snowed! Not much Easter Egg hunting in the snow, but it made for a beautiful morning. We started off the day with an Easter Breakfast at church. The puppets did a little skit and boy did William enjoy it! Then we came back home for about an hour and went back to church for worship services. It was a very moving service with 5 baptisms! It reminded me of my own baptism on Easter when I was 19 years old and of William's. After church, we went back home for a quick lunch and then over the Grandma and Grandpa's for Easter dinner. It was a very nice day, and William was sure a good boy. When we went home for lunch, William was feeling a little warm, and he ended up having a 100.4 temperature. I suspect another ear infection. Good thing we have a dr's appointment tomorrow with the ENT and with Parkview to do admit paperwork for his ear tube surgery Tuesday. Even with his fever he was a very good boy (like he always is) and did a lot of showing off for the family. Here are a few pics from today (and from a year ago to see how much he has grown)!

Then (2007)

Now (2008)

Then (2007)

Now (2008)

Sitting in Great-Grandpa's Chair!!

Coloring Easter Eggs yesterday!

William and the Easter Bunny

We are selling our house - Well, maybe not!

Hi everyone! I hope you had a nice St. Patrick's Day. So, what's happening in our household? Well, we were selling our house, but we have now taken it off the market. I want to be a stay at home mom, and the only way that we could afford to do it was to sell our beautiful home and get a cheaper one. Well, after some number crunching, we will be able to refinance and get some equity out of the house to use as my income for the year. The only kicker is that since we had our house on the market (for a full 2 weeks is all) we have to wait 90 days to refinance. I'm not sure exactly why, but those are the rules. So, we will just be as is until June. If the refinance doesn't go through or we hit a snag, then we will put the house back on the market. I hope we won't have to sell as we just built this house and we both love it - but on the other hand, I want to stay home with the baby and if I have to sell the house to do it, then oh well. Speaking of the baby.

Our poor little man has had a rough couple weeks. As you know, he had another ear infection and then last week had croup. He is now off all his medication, but today when I looked in his mouth I saw 4 teeth just about to poke through. FOUR!! All at once! He will go from having 2 teeth to a whole mouthful! Also, he is scheduled to have surgery on March 25th. He will be getting the ear tubes, and hopefully that will take care of the ear infections. Our poor little guy has just had once sickness after another. Hopefully the tubes with help, and maybe some warmer weather will help too. Even with all this going on, he still is a pretty happy boy full of smiles.

How are Benjamin and I? Benjamin is doing well. He was in Atlanta last week for a training. He survived the big tornado there! He now has a great war story, but I was sure glad to get him home. I'm doing pretty well too. Next week is spring break and it can't come soon enough. I plan on taking care of the baby after his surgery and just relaxing. I am really excited about the prospects of being a "Stay at Home Mom". I have even submitted my request for parental leave to the school district. I can take up to 2 years off and still keep a position when I come back. I won't be able to get my current job, but I would at least be guaranteed a job when I return. I will probably sub a couple days a week, but I will really like the flexibility of subbing. I can work when I want to, and if the baby is sick I can stay home with him. So, that means William will only have 9 more times at daycare, and let me tell you, I am counting the days. (I'm not the happiest person with our daycare if you haven't figured out. But that is another post). So, overall we are doing well. Once all those teeth come in I'll post a picture!

Happy Birthday Sweet William!!

I am a few days late, but I have finally found a few minutes to update my blog (while the baby is napping). First and foremost, my darling little boy is now 1 year old. I can't believe how much the baby has grown, but even more so how my I, myself, have grown - as a mother, a wife, and a woman. Before William was first born, I had no experience with babies at all. Other than holding a few, I had very limited exposure, and in fact had never even changed a diaper EVER! So, when William was born, the first few weeks were very tough for me. (I think a bout of post pardum depression didn't help either.) I felt like I didn't know what I was doing, was afraid to be alone with the baby (as nuts as that sounds) and basically felt like I had no business being a mother. Thank goodness for my Mom. Those 9pm crying phone calls to have her come over and tell me what to do, helped me through the first few weeks - more than she may know! As the months have rolled on, my confidence as a mother has greatly increased. I have a new appreciation for my mother that I never would have known if I was not a mother myself now. Even just saying that I am a mother is a little weird since Benjamin and I has such problems getting pregnant in the first place. I also have a new love for Benjamin - deeper. When I see him playing with the baby or just being with him, my heart overflows with love. Life is surely sweeter now with the baby. I admit, that not all days are sunshine and roses, but I am more happy being a mother than I have been in my whole life.

William is fantastic! It has been truly amazing seeing him progress this past year. From rolling, to crawling, and now almost walking, I love every stage he has gone through and look forward to the next. It will be a whole new ball game when he can actually communicate with words! I have to say, the the past month or so has really brought out his personality. He gets very angry now when you take away something he shouldn't have to don't give him something he wants. I'd have to say we are seeing the beginnings of temper tantrums! Overall, he still is such a happy boy that sometimes I wonder how we got so lucky. He had lots of fun at his birthday party, even though the poor baby has another ear infection. We enjoyed opening his presents, and I've have to say his favorite presents were a pinwheel and balloons! Thanks for all of you who were able to come and got him a present. He's had a fun morning playing with all his new toys. Here are a few pictures of his party from yesterday.

Decorating the church!

Cute cake! (The little one I made myself!)

How old is William? ONE!

William having fun opening presents!

Yummy cake!

Too much party fun!

Here is a montage of his first year that I played at the party!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Do you want to see a patient cat?

William enjoying bathtime!

William is 11 months old!

I know I have said it before, but boy does time fly. My little boy is 11 months old. I can't believe in less than a month he will turn 1. A whole year! It feels me with a full range of emotion; from excitement to sadness. He is doing pretty well. Unfortunately, he has his 6th ear infection, but the medicine seems to be working really well other than giving him a case of diarrhea. He only has 4 more days of the antibiotic so hopefully he will start feeling better soon. I am now almost positive that the ENT Dr will say he needs tubes. Our appointment is Feb 18, so I will keep you posted. William now has 2 teeth!!! The other tooth pooped out right about the same time as the ear infection, so William was super cranky! But, now that his ear is a little better and the tooth has come through, he is acting more like his little self and even his appetite is back. He is pulling up on everything and getting into everything too! We have had to move our coffee table out of the living room now because he likes to crawl under it and bump his head. We have also placed safety locks on all the cabinets. This child wants what he wants when he wants it! Is it possible to have the terrible twos at 11 months old? He really is learning and growing so much that it is amazing.
Benjamin and I are doing well. Benjamin just got back from a week in Florida for work. He worked his tail off and boy are we glad he is home. We missed him big time! Mom came over to help we with the baby while Benjamin was gone, which was greatly appreciated since the baby was sick. It is hard to deal with a sick baby, especially if you are alone. THANKS MOM!! As for me, I'm just keeping on with teaching. My class is pretty good this year, but the dreaded state test CSAP is coming next month. It is a stressful time, so I am counting the days until spring break when I get a week off and have the CSAP behind me. I'm still not sure what the future has in store for me as a teacher. I am thinking about moving schools and some other options (maybe teaching online) but I have a few months before a decision needs to be made. Even if I decided on what I want to do, I'm sure I would change my mind 100 times!

Here are a couple pictures...

Here are a couple of videos I took last week.