7 months!

Today marks 7 mos of Easton's young life. I can't believe we're already over halfway through his first year of life! He is such a joy and we enjoy watching him grow. Along with the stuff written on the board, he also started going to the church nursery and sleeping without being swaddled. Both are huge accomplishments and cause Mommy much joy and anxiety all bundled into one. :) For this month's picture I had to have P help because, as written on his board, Easton thinks everything belongs in his mouth!

Playing Catch Up

I haven't been much in the mood to blog lately. I think, "Oh, we haven't done much today. Nothing to blog about." But then I woke up today and thought, "Wow, I have quite a bit to blog about and am really behind with it." So here ya go....playing catch up. Last weekend Rob and P went to deer camp while E and I had some much needed Mother/Son time. I had forgotten how easy it is with one kiddo (Not that my 2 are hard by any stretch of the imagination but I have to be "on" a lot with my 4 year old). We went shopping and ran errands then relaxed in the afternoon. When he went to bed for the night I was not exhausted like usual so I enjoyed watching "Sweet Home Alabama" because I was inspired, having had shopped at Winn-Dixie for the first time earlier that day. By the time the boys got back from deer camp I was refreshed and ready for the new week ahead.
This week P started swim lessons. I was a little nervous because I was not allowed in the pool with him this year but he's been a rock star! His favorite thing to do is head bobs. He does them even when he's not asked to. The thing that makes him the most nervous seems to be the voluntary jump off the platform at the end of the lessons. He's done it twice now but the first time he jumped he seemed to be fearless. Today when he did it he jumped with trepidation. Overall he's doing more in this week than he did in all 3 other swim lesson sessions back in Reno. I'm very proud of my lil fish!
Since moving here my brother has gone above and beyond to keep in touch with me. Even when he was in the hospital this past weekend he still called and when he was home he'd Face Time me a couple times a day. I know that technology has gotten out of hand. I'm guilty of checking my phone constantly for FB updates, emails and playing a couple games. I try-sometimes unsuccessfully-to only be on my phone while the boys are resting or playing without me. But I'm also realizing the benefits of technology. In fact I can't believe the whole world does not have an iPhone with Face Time. And I'm even more shocked that people with iPhones don't access Face Time on a regular basis. I see my brother more now than I did 5 years ago! Usually the first thing P asks when he wakes up in the morning is to Face Time Uncle Josh. It's becoming a daily routine, one that we look forward to. I saw a quote this week and rearranged it slightly for my benefit. It said, "Sometimes having a brother is even better than having a superhero." He's been my saving grace on more than one occasion recently and I'm so thankful not just for the bond that he and I share but the bond that he shares with the boys as well.
I guess that's the long and the short of it. I'm hoping for a fun filled, productive weekend if it doesn't rain too much. That means another update in the near future......

Tough One

Earlier this week I took the boys for their 4 yr old and 6 mo old wellness appointments. I was shocked to find out that Easton dropped to the 30th percentile for weight and 25th for height. I was even more surprised that P is now in the 65th percentile for weight (I have the paperwork to prove it) but because he's in the 90th percentile for height his BMI is in the 18th percentile. I found it funny that P failed a section of his hearing test because I'm always telling him that I need to have his hearing checked out. When the doctor asked the nurse to retest him he passed the hearing section without a problem. Just goes to show he's a male....selective hearing. HA! Unfortunately this appointment meant shots for both of them. I thought it might be rough but I didn't know I should've called in back up. When P was a little tyke he had gotten so many shots that he didn't even flinch. But it's been 2 years since his last shots. When the nurse called in another nurse to hold Easton so I could hold down P I knew it was going to be bad. Now in all the hospital visits and shots he's received during his short time on Earth I've only cried twice before. But when I was on top of him and he started screaming I couldn't help but shed a few tears. By the time Easton got his shots all 3 of us were crying. When the nurse brought P a sucker and a book he quickly forgot the pain from the shots. The next day the boys were a little under the weather and sore but by the end of the week P's shots were just a memory, albeit not a faint one because he keeps asking how long before he has to get another one (I reassure him that it'll be so long that he'll have forgotten these shots but he doesn't believe me). It's beyond wonderful to take both boys in and have them check out with a clean bill of health. If shots are the worst we have to deal with then I'm ok with that.

Busy Saturday, Mellow Sunday

****I am forewarning you that this blog has a picture of 2 snakes in it. If snakes freak you out to the point where you can't even look at pictures of them then I'll let you know they'll be the last 2 pictures on this entry. I'll post 4 before the snake pictures so viewer beware.***

Yesterday Rob's cousin and her family came over for a morning of fishing. Her kids had never fished before and had an absolute blast! Between the 3 kids they must've brought in close to 30 brim. We didn't save any to eat but the kids thoroughly enjoyed bringing them in nonetheless. After everyone left and the boys woke up from their naps we took a family trip to a local state park. I was hoping to see gators up close and personal but I've long since learned that getting close to wildlife with P in tow is nearly impossible. We did get to see 2 cottonmouth snakes "up close". (Don't worry Dad. We were on a boardwalk, well above them.) P and I also got our first experience with Swamp Gas (YUCK!!). After spending a few hours there, I got to see 2 gators from far away, 2 snakes, a few pretty flowers and millions of mosquitoes (none of which, I'm happy to report, bit the boys but I walked away with one bite). We went to bed exhausted and happy. This morning we hustled to get out of the house in time for Sunday School and church. It was our first time going to Sunday School as a couple... ever. We enjoyed the class much more than Easton enjoyed the nursery. I've come to grips with the fact that I have another mama's boy on my hands. He only likes to sleep in his swaddle wrap but if that's not available he'll only fall asleep in my arms. So I sat in the foyer, holding him after Sunday School, until he woke up and I could go enjoy the church service. After the service I'd love to say we came home and I relaxed but that wasn't in the cards for me today. I did, however, get to go on my first bike ride in 5 1/2 years! It was fun to explore the neighborhood via bike. When I got home, P wanted to ride his new bike so we went for a mini bike ride down the block. The night is ending with Rob working (again) and me editing pictures. I was going to get ambitious and try out some new editing software but I just looked at the clock and decided to call it a day since I didn't get a nap in today. G'night all!

Heads up!! P is bringing in his line!

According to the sign on the bottom right, we're 2160 miles from home.

 

 

**************STOP HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE SNAKE PICS!**********

 

Summer Storm

If you've followed our blog for awhile you know how much I love Summer storms. I love a relaxing afternoon, watching the rain fall, the lightning strike and listening to the thunder follow close behind. Yesterday was one of the biggest storms I've witnessed recently. Dark clouds rolled in all around us and soon after the thunder and lightning preceded a tumultuous downpour. I loved every minute of it! (Except for Rob having to work late.) It was nice to watch it, knowing that the close lightning wouldn't cause a huge wild fire like it usually does in NV.

 Hopefully you can click on the video above to see how it looked from our back window. And yes, that's a flash of lightning that strikes a few seconds into the video.

One Month Ago

It was a month ago today that I hugged my parents, wiped my tear stained cheeks and boarded a plane with my boys, bound for a new life in Louisiana. It feels like a lifetime ago. I'm not exactly sure how long it will take me to adjust to life here. There are some preconceived ideas that I had before moving that have proven to be false. There are a few preconceived ideas that have proven to be true (The amount of bugs for one....we have a dragonfly IN the house even as I write this). I have tried to find fun things to do with the boys but some days we are bored. The first three weeks were especially rough because Rob worked a lot of overtime and was sicker than a dog. Some days I went without any adult interaction, which is not something I have an easy time dealing with. Last week was the hardest, as I knew it'd be, because of P's birthday and the 4th. But now that that is behind me I'm hoping that each day will get easier.
The biggest adjustment of all? Trying to meet people. Don't get me wrong. People here are SUPER friendly and helpful. I'm just struggling with making friends. It makes me realize how much I took my friendships for granted in Reno and California. I never really had to work hard at making friends and I always had people to do things with. That was the case even before I called Reno "home". When I'd go visit Rob we did a lot of couple dates or I'd go out with a friend or two so I didn't have to put myself out there to meet people. My circle of friends changed over the course of the 5 years that I lived there but I never went without.
The thing I've gotten most excited about is the church I found. Two members came over last night and stayed for over an hour, answering questions and telling us how we can get involved. When they left I felt energized and hopeful! I hope that, by getting involved, it's a start to new friendships.
In the meantime I'll be thankful that Rob is feeling better, he hasn't worked as much overtime lately and we're enjoying time as a family. I'll also be thankful for one local friend who meets with me at least once a week to hang out so we can have adult conversation and so the kids can play together. I'll be thankful for the children's library programs and local splash parks that have kept us entertained on these hot, humid Summer days. I'll be thankful for our beautiful house and nice neighbors that always take a minute or two to stop and chat. Taking time to find the little things to be thankful for has helped the homesickness subside a little. I truly believe that it was the Lord's Will for us to move here. Some days I question why but I'm excited to see what He has in store for us as we continue to get settled in to this new chapter of life.

Family Time

Between Rob being sick, his work schedule and getting settled in it feels like we haven't had much quality family time in recent weeks. So it was nice to spend a lot of family time together this weekend. Friday evening Rob took P fishing across the street while Easton and I watched. P loved "catching" a couple little brim. Saturday morning they went back for more fishing fun. I am not into fishing...at all! But I saw how often the boys were getting bites so I asked to borrow P's fishing pole. I didn't bait the hook but I cast the line, watched the bobber and reeled in my first fish ever. The only time I've ever caught a fish without someone's help! (OK, I didn't bait the hook AND I didn't take the fish off the line but I did everything else.) After fishing we took the boys to a local park that has a splash area. P had a blast while Rob, Easton and I sat under a tree and watched. While the boys napped later in the afternoon Rob went fishing and caught 3 huge bass. He cleaned them and grilled them for dinner. We finished the day watching the Daytona race. Sunday morning we woke up and went to church as a family. I don't know what I enjoy more....watching P get excited about Children's Church, having Rob sitting next to me during the service or being able to focus on a church service kid free. After we grabbed lunch I was bummed that Rob got called out to work. But it ended up being a pretty fast job and he was home within a couple hours. During that time I took the boys for a wagon ride and then the boys and I rested. Once Rob got home we relaxed and enjoyed yet another Summer storm. It was a nice weekend, a relaxing and fun one, enjoying some much needed family time together.

4th of July update

I decided to have fun today after all....but it took me until 5pm to decide this. After dinner I loaded up the boys and took them to a small town festival. It took place next to a water tower where everyone seemed to know each other. I felt like I was in a scene from "Sweet Home Alabama", minus Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas. P had a blast playing on the playground and bounce house. He loved playing the games and eating cotton candy. I enjoyed people watching, listening to the band and not paying a single dime for a fun filled time! When we got home we let off our fireworks. Since I didn't know if P would like them, we didn't buy very many. Wouldn't you know? He loved them!! In fact, so did Ruby. She tried to eat every one of them that was lit. After we finished our small supply we walked across the street to the lake and watched the fireworks go off all around it. We decided to go sit on the tailgate to watch the rest but ended up next door at our neighbor's yard. We got to meet her and her daughter, both very nice. I chatted with her for quite awhile while P played with her daughter, who is the same age as him. I decided that it's a lot of fun living in a neighborhood that shoots off fireworks. It brought back a lot of childhood memories. What started out as a rough day ended up being fun after all.

Struggling

I knew this week would be the hardest for me, hard for so many reasons. Call it a self-fulfilling prophecy or, as Rob likes to point out, I'm good at throwing pity parties but it's been just as hard as I imagined. If it wasn't for the boys I wouldn't have got out of bed yesterday or today. The 4th of July is my favorite holiday but this year I wasn't looking forward to it. I wanted to be at Bridgeport with good friends, having fun, instead of doing laundry and running to Walmart. I'm doing my best not letting the boys see me cry, mainly because I feel bad every time P asks why I'm sad. For awhile I told him it was allergies but he's too smart and saw through that white lie. So I'm trying to make the best of it. He and I bought some fireworks to let off tonight once the sun goes down. Natalie, one of our friends, Facetimed me from the Bridgeport parade. We only got to talk for about 30 seconds due to bad cell service but it was the highlight of my morning! I'm hoping that when I wake up tomorrow, knowing P's birthday and the 4th are behind us, that I'll wake up happy again. One can hope, right?

4 Years Ago.....

I know I say this every year but where has the time gone?? 4 years ago today I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first born, a boy that we had already decided to name after his daddy. I should've known that when I had an easy labor and delivery that we'd just welcomed the greatest first born into the world. If you know P then you've experienced joy personified! He is everything I could hope, pray and imagine in a son. He's the life of the party, full of energy. He's compassionate, sensitive and thoughtful, always quick to put others first. He's a snuggle bug and loves to climb in bed with us or sit on someone's lap. He's quick to say "I love you" and give big bear hugs. His sense of humor, imagination, and language development is beyond his age! To say we are blessed to have him on loan from God for this lifetime is an understatement. I don't take for granted how truly blessed we are! I've enjoyed watching him grow and develop into a lil man the past 4 years and can't wait to see what God has in store for his future, his life. Happy Birthday our lil man. We love you!!