Monday, January 21, 2013
We're Moving...Again
Yes, we're moving, again. This will be my 4th move in four years! That's a lot! But I’m so excited. It's in an awesome location, and I can't wait to have a fenced in backyard for my daughter to play in! We have been renting a house since moving back to Illinois last summer, and it's okay, but it does not feel like home to me. I made an offer on a house right before Christmas, and after an agonizing 27 days of negotiations, we finally came to an agreement on price, and completed the inspection, so it looks like I'll be closing in mid-February! Unfortunately, we won't be moving in right away because it will take a few months to do much needed remodeling and repairs.
Monday, January 14, 2013
18 Months
I'm having so much fun right now, even amid frustrating moments that come with having a 18-month-old. I'm really trying to live in the moment because I know it won’t last long. She can do a lot of things independently, she can follow directions (she knows what I'm saying, although she doesn't always comply!), and she is generally a pretty happy little girl. Every day is an adventure. She loves to dance; I've been trying to upload a video of her dancing but I keep getting an error. Anyway, what else? Oh, she has an opinion on everything, and lets you know it. If I try to direct her away from something I don’t want her getting into, she can throw quite the fit.
Height: 32.5 inches, 26th percentile
Weight: 23 lb 4oz, 34th percentile
Shoe size: 5 (she's got tiny feet!!)
Las Vegas and Palm Springs
We got back last week from vacation. We left for Las Vegas and Palms Springs on December 26th and were gone a staggering 14 days!
Getting there and back was…okay.
This was her first flight since she started walking. I had her carseat and a giant diaper bag filled with diapers, wipes, bottles, change of clothes for both of us, toys and snacks. Basically the plan was if she wasn’t sleeping, I was going to keep her busy and well-fed. As our flight took off, I could see that she was not the happy girl I know and love. She was thrashing in her carseat as if it was a torture device. Thank goodness our au pair was with us otherwise I don't know if I would've made it alone. When we landed, I silently decided that we were moving to the desert as we were never going to step foot on a plane ever again. In all fairness, since Thanksgiving she went from having four teeth to seven teeth so I think the plane and cabin pressure exacerbated any pain she was already having. Our journey home was slightly better. Completely exhausting, though. I looked at the gossip-magazine-reading, movie-watching fellow passengers with envy.
This was also our first big trip traveling with an au pair. And I’m happy to report it was a success! I was honestly not sure just how much I would use our au pair, but she ended up being a huge help. One day, I went out to dinner with my brother & SIL, another afternoon she took her out for a walk outside so I could make some work calls. The other days she was an extra pair of hands giving me a chance to do some reading. Now that I have traveled with our au pair, I can’t imagine going on a vacation without help. Having her along gave me the perfect mix of family time and relaxation.
We spent five days in Las Vegas where we met up with my brother and SIL. While I do not miss the dark, cold winters in Alaska, I do miss living close to my brother. Anyway, from Vegas, my brother & SIL flew home, and the three of us drove to California to visit with my parent's best friends for a week. I'm so grateful that I was able to get out of town and see my family and friends, and although it is a lot of work to travel with a toddler, the memories we made were worth the effort.
You can see the floats after the parade - genius!
Getting there and back was…okay.
This was her first flight since she started walking. I had her carseat and a giant diaper bag filled with diapers, wipes, bottles, change of clothes for both of us, toys and snacks. Basically the plan was if she wasn’t sleeping, I was going to keep her busy and well-fed. As our flight took off, I could see that she was not the happy girl I know and love. She was thrashing in her carseat as if it was a torture device. Thank goodness our au pair was with us otherwise I don't know if I would've made it alone. When we landed, I silently decided that we were moving to the desert as we were never going to step foot on a plane ever again. In all fairness, since Thanksgiving she went from having four teeth to seven teeth so I think the plane and cabin pressure exacerbated any pain she was already having. Our journey home was slightly better. Completely exhausting, though. I looked at the gossip-magazine-reading, movie-watching fellow passengers with envy.
This was also our first big trip traveling with an au pair. And I’m happy to report it was a success! I was honestly not sure just how much I would use our au pair, but she ended up being a huge help. One day, I went out to dinner with my brother & SIL, another afternoon she took her out for a walk outside so I could make some work calls. The other days she was an extra pair of hands giving me a chance to do some reading. Now that I have traveled with our au pair, I can’t imagine going on a vacation without help. Having her along gave me the perfect mix of family time and relaxation.
We spent five days in Las Vegas where we met up with my brother and SIL. While I do not miss the dark, cold winters in Alaska, I do miss living close to my brother. Anyway, from Vegas, my brother & SIL flew home, and the three of us drove to California to visit with my parent's best friends for a week. I'm so grateful that I was able to get out of town and see my family and friends, and although it is a lot of work to travel with a toddler, the memories we made were worth the effort.
Girl's Night Out
Holiday decorations at the Bellagio
Good bye Vegas, hello Palm Springs!
Driving to Pasadena
You can see the floats after the parade - genius!
Helping with the dishes
Sitting pretty in the afternoon sun
Day at the zoo
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