Breakin' the Law at 18-months
Millie had her 18-month appointment on Friday. Scott and I were both lucky enough to be able to go. She did a great job considering all the waiting we had to do. She impressed the Dr. with both her language and her level of activity. She's still our little chickpea. She weighed in at 19lb 9oz and measured at 31 inches. (given her stats, it's not surprising she still fits in her clothes from last summer!) So, technically, Millie should still be facing backwards in her car seat. We got a little optimistic about her weight about a month ago though and went ahead and turned her around (children aren't supposed to be turned around until 1 year AND 20 pounds...). Which means we've turned Millie into a little law breaker. I don't have the heart to turn her back around while we wait for this last 1/2 pound to come on. She's just too long now! I can't believe they don't take height into consideration too... . I have to believe she is safer this way at her age and height. And I just feel better being able to turn around and see her pretty face! We ended the appointment with a couple of shots which Millie handled well considering she was VERY ready to get out of that little exam room (which we had been in for about an hour). After the appointment we were all treated to dinner out at a Mexican restaurant :). Not a bad way to end a Friday night!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Millie's First Hair Cut
Well, we finally did it. We took Millie for her first haircut. I decided that I was not skilled enough to cut her hair myself, so we took her to Scott's barber. We went with Scott when he got his haircut 2 weeks ago, just so Millie could see what a haircut was and to get used to the place. When we pulled up yesterday she definitely remembered the place and was eager to play with the toys in the waiting area. The women at the barber shop do a lot of children's haircuts (every time we've been in, there is at least one child getting a haircut). Millie was a little leery of the whole thing once we sat in the chair, but that actually worked in our favor. She sat very patiently and still on my lap taking everything in. Towards the very end she finally got comfortable enough to crack a smile and then to even bounce around a bit. Fortunately by that time we were just about done :)!
at home after her haircut -- she's a rock star now!
I don't know....
The back -- pretty short!
The whole experience was a good one, though a little hard for me to take. I liked Millie's long locks :). But I know they will grow back...
Well, we finally did it. We took Millie for her first haircut. I decided that I was not skilled enough to cut her hair myself, so we took her to Scott's barber. We went with Scott when he got his haircut 2 weeks ago, just so Millie could see what a haircut was and to get used to the place. When we pulled up yesterday she definitely remembered the place and was eager to play with the toys in the waiting area. The women at the barber shop do a lot of children's haircuts (every time we've been in, there is at least one child getting a haircut). Millie was a little leery of the whole thing once we sat in the chair, but that actually worked in our favor. She sat very patiently and still on my lap taking everything in. Towards the very end she finally got comfortable enough to crack a smile and then to even bounce around a bit. Fortunately by that time we were just about done :)!
at home after her haircut -- she's a rock star now!
I don't know....
The back -- pretty short!
The whole experience was a good one, though a little hard for me to take. I liked Millie's long locks :). But I know they will grow back...
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Okay....
...Now she needs a haircut ;). We're going to try to go this weekend...
I've got a lot on my mind to blog about, but can't seem to find the time or energy to get it all out. Over all, things are good here. Scott and I have both been busy at work -- it's IEP season for me (which any one involved with the school systems will understand) and Scott is working on several big projects for work. We are still house-hunting from a distance. Scott will be traveling back to St. Louis next Wednesday and will spend a week there looking for a place to live. We are optimistic that the right thing will come along -- whether it's a house we end up buying or one we just rent. I am SO proud of Scott and the work he has done with his company. It speaks volumes that they agreed to this move in this economy. The pregnancy is going well. All blood work and tests have come back as they should. I have the usual complaints (swelling, heartburn, fatigue, etc.), but nothing terrible. I was able to get all of the baby clothes washed and put away last weekend as well as switch out Millie's winter clothes for spring/summer clothes (which really meant packing away just about everything that was in her closet and going shopping for new clothes). She's all set for the summer now. Amazingly, several of her outfits from last summer still fit. We are taking full advantage of that! I feel much better having things washed and ready for the new baby. There are still things we need to do (test out the car seat to see if we can fit two in our current car, get out the pack-n-play and cosleeper, etc), but those are things we still have time for. Oh and work on names... particularly boy names as it seems as though that's what everyone thinks we are going to have! Boy names are tough for us -- they were when we were pregnant with Millie too. We have a short list of 3 names for girls -- all with the same middle name, but are really struggling with boy names.
We've spent a lot of time the past week sending prayers and good thoughts to Scott's brother and his family in Michigan. Kevin was just diagnosed with MS this past weekend and had a pretty difficult go of things for a few days. Happily, Kevin is home now and feeling better and ready to tackle life head on. It's been hard to be so far away and we hope everyone in Michigan knows how much we care.
Millie is doing great. Talking up a storm -- using 3-4 word phrases and sentences -- starting to know some of her colors, exuding more energy than we ever had :).
This is a very choppy and watered-down version of what's been running around in my head, but for now it will have to do. I promise to post pictures of the first haircut as soon as it happens :)!
...Now she needs a haircut ;). We're going to try to go this weekend...
I've got a lot on my mind to blog about, but can't seem to find the time or energy to get it all out. Over all, things are good here. Scott and I have both been busy at work -- it's IEP season for me (which any one involved with the school systems will understand) and Scott is working on several big projects for work. We are still house-hunting from a distance. Scott will be traveling back to St. Louis next Wednesday and will spend a week there looking for a place to live. We are optimistic that the right thing will come along -- whether it's a house we end up buying or one we just rent. I am SO proud of Scott and the work he has done with his company. It speaks volumes that they agreed to this move in this economy. The pregnancy is going well. All blood work and tests have come back as they should. I have the usual complaints (swelling, heartburn, fatigue, etc.), but nothing terrible. I was able to get all of the baby clothes washed and put away last weekend as well as switch out Millie's winter clothes for spring/summer clothes (which really meant packing away just about everything that was in her closet and going shopping for new clothes). She's all set for the summer now. Amazingly, several of her outfits from last summer still fit. We are taking full advantage of that! I feel much better having things washed and ready for the new baby. There are still things we need to do (test out the car seat to see if we can fit two in our current car, get out the pack-n-play and cosleeper, etc), but those are things we still have time for. Oh and work on names... particularly boy names as it seems as though that's what everyone thinks we are going to have! Boy names are tough for us -- they were when we were pregnant with Millie too. We have a short list of 3 names for girls -- all with the same middle name, but are really struggling with boy names.
We've spent a lot of time the past week sending prayers and good thoughts to Scott's brother and his family in Michigan. Kevin was just diagnosed with MS this past weekend and had a pretty difficult go of things for a few days. Happily, Kevin is home now and feeling better and ready to tackle life head on. It's been hard to be so far away and we hope everyone in Michigan knows how much we care.
Millie is doing great. Talking up a storm -- using 3-4 word phrases and sentences -- starting to know some of her colors, exuding more energy than we ever had :).
This is a very choppy and watered-down version of what's been running around in my head, but for now it will have to do. I promise to post pictures of the first haircut as soon as it happens :)!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
A few favorite moments from our week in St. Louis....
eating a hearty breakfast before our day of travel
a jet-lagged Millie. Not quite ready to party yet...
...until she saw the ba-looons :)
Nothing's better than a balloon parade! Thanks for playing with Millie, Gracie! She thought you were great!
Lauren looking every bit the beautiful bride-to-be and enjoying her bounty :)
Easter morning
getting silly in the tub!
Coloring with Lainey
Fun with Grandma and Papa
Taking an important call ;)
Flirting with Jase
Taking pictures of daddy
eating a hearty breakfast before our day of travel
a jet-lagged Millie. Not quite ready to party yet...
...until she saw the ba-looons :)
Nothing's better than a balloon parade! Thanks for playing with Millie, Gracie! She thought you were great!
Lauren looking every bit the beautiful bride-to-be and enjoying her bounty :)
Easter morning
getting silly in the tub!
Coloring with Lainey
Fun with Grandma and Papa
Taking an important call ;)
Flirting with Jase
Taking pictures of daddy
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Big News!
Well, many of you already know our big news but just in case, here it is for those that don't. About a year ago, I posted that we were staying in Connecticut, mostly due to my and Shannon's jobs. Quite a few things have changed in that year and now we can say we are NOT staying in Connecticut, but moving to St. Louis, MO!
The new baby due in July is one big reason why we are not staying. Connecticut is very expensive and we pretty much priced ourselves out of the area we live in. We would have had to move a ways away to stay in the state, which would result in a long commute and general unhappiness. And really, we weren't sure we saw ourselves here long term anyway since we have no family near us. So, we figured we would just move to where we want to be a few years from now instead of down the road.
The challenge in doing so was the job situation. The worst case scenario was that Shannon would have to work and I would have to stay home with the babies (which I would happily do if needed!). The best case scenario was that I kept my job at APT and worked remotely from home and Shannon stayed home with the babies. We were somewhat worried about how Millie might react to a move since she is very attached to her day care and friends there (Audrey....Leo....Ella.... Millie's list of friends she recites every night), so we figured having Shannon stay home would be a great way to ease the transition (not to mention it would make it easier for Shannon to have sufficient time to bond with the new baby). Lucky for us, we found out last week that our best case scenario is a GO! My work graciously agreed to keep me around and let me work remotely. We are every grateful for their flexibility as it is best for the babies and we don't have to look for jobs in this somewhat chaotic economy!! It will also allow me to be really close to the family at all times. (But sadly, they will have to let me work!).
We are very excited for the move to St. Louis. I have spent enough time there over the past 8 or so years that I am very comfortable. We should be within half an hour of Shannon's parents and siblings. Shannon also has many friends still in the area that we are excited to reconnect with. We have always been a close knit family of 2, and now 3, so we never had too hard of a time, but we are excited to be an active part of an extended family (something that is really only possible to do that if you live nearby). So, St. Louis was the obvious choice since we can live in a diverse metro area (close to downtown, close to airports, etc.) and close to family. We also think that this will make it much easier to get to Michigan to see my family more often. We regret that we have been so busy over the past year or so that it has been tough to get there.
As luck would have it, we were in St. Louis last week for Lauren's wedding shower. We got the news from APT in time to set up a bunch of house showings! We are going to try and buy a house this summer and then STAY PUT for awhile!
We are planning on moving in late July or early August, after the baby is born. We are dreading the logistics, but realize the short term pain will be worth it in the long run.
This post got somewhat delayed due to the aforementioned house showings. It was quite a busy week. We got a ton of help from Ric & Elaine and Millie was a big time trooper. Sadly, we did not find our dream home. Out of maybe 20 houses, we found one we really liked and it got sold before we even had a chance to go see it again. We found some others that might be options, but nothing we really wanted to go for yet. It was very well time spent as we got more familiar with the areas we are looking in and our realtor got a better idea of what we are looking for. So the search will continue and I will likely be taking a trip back to St. Louis without Shannon (she is getting to the point where she can't fly).
Anyway, time to finally post this. We will keep you posted on the details!
Well, many of you already know our big news but just in case, here it is for those that don't. About a year ago, I posted that we were staying in Connecticut, mostly due to my and Shannon's jobs. Quite a few things have changed in that year and now we can say we are NOT staying in Connecticut, but moving to St. Louis, MO!
The new baby due in July is one big reason why we are not staying. Connecticut is very expensive and we pretty much priced ourselves out of the area we live in. We would have had to move a ways away to stay in the state, which would result in a long commute and general unhappiness. And really, we weren't sure we saw ourselves here long term anyway since we have no family near us. So, we figured we would just move to where we want to be a few years from now instead of down the road.
The challenge in doing so was the job situation. The worst case scenario was that Shannon would have to work and I would have to stay home with the babies (which I would happily do if needed!). The best case scenario was that I kept my job at APT and worked remotely from home and Shannon stayed home with the babies. We were somewhat worried about how Millie might react to a move since she is very attached to her day care and friends there (Audrey....Leo....Ella.... Millie's list of friends she recites every night), so we figured having Shannon stay home would be a great way to ease the transition (not to mention it would make it easier for Shannon to have sufficient time to bond with the new baby). Lucky for us, we found out last week that our best case scenario is a GO! My work graciously agreed to keep me around and let me work remotely. We are every grateful for their flexibility as it is best for the babies and we don't have to look for jobs in this somewhat chaotic economy!! It will also allow me to be really close to the family at all times. (But sadly, they will have to let me work!).
We are very excited for the move to St. Louis. I have spent enough time there over the past 8 or so years that I am very comfortable. We should be within half an hour of Shannon's parents and siblings. Shannon also has many friends still in the area that we are excited to reconnect with. We have always been a close knit family of 2, and now 3, so we never had too hard of a time, but we are excited to be an active part of an extended family (something that is really only possible to do that if you live nearby). So, St. Louis was the obvious choice since we can live in a diverse metro area (close to downtown, close to airports, etc.) and close to family. We also think that this will make it much easier to get to Michigan to see my family more often. We regret that we have been so busy over the past year or so that it has been tough to get there.
As luck would have it, we were in St. Louis last week for Lauren's wedding shower. We got the news from APT in time to set up a bunch of house showings! We are going to try and buy a house this summer and then STAY PUT for awhile!
We are planning on moving in late July or early August, after the baby is born. We are dreading the logistics, but realize the short term pain will be worth it in the long run.
This post got somewhat delayed due to the aforementioned house showings. It was quite a busy week. We got a ton of help from Ric & Elaine and Millie was a big time trooper. Sadly, we did not find our dream home. Out of maybe 20 houses, we found one we really liked and it got sold before we even had a chance to go see it again. We found some others that might be options, but nothing we really wanted to go for yet. It was very well time spent as we got more familiar with the areas we are looking in and our realtor got a better idea of what we are looking for. So the search will continue and I will likely be taking a trip back to St. Louis without Shannon (she is getting to the point where she can't fly).
Anyway, time to finally post this. We will keep you posted on the details!
Sunday, April 05, 2009
97 Days!
I'm not sure why, but breaking the 100 day mark is always significant for me in my pregnancies. 100 + days just seems like such a long time, but less than 100, well that's just right around the corner ;). This pregnancy seems to be going much faster than the first -- probably because we are so busy with our first :). We are anticipating that July will be a crazy, but wonderful month and we can't wait to meet the new little one! In the spirit of that anticipation, I put up a Reithel Baby 2 poll -- just click on the expectnet.com icon to the right and you can make your guesses about our upcoming arrival. If you're not willing to commit to the full poll, you can just vote on boy or girl (also to the right...). I have my own predictions, but I think I might save them so as to not influence any one else :).
I'm not sure why, but breaking the 100 day mark is always significant for me in my pregnancies. 100 + days just seems like such a long time, but less than 100, well that's just right around the corner ;). This pregnancy seems to be going much faster than the first -- probably because we are so busy with our first :). We are anticipating that July will be a crazy, but wonderful month and we can't wait to meet the new little one! In the spirit of that anticipation, I put up a Reithel Baby 2 poll -- just click on the expectnet.com icon to the right and you can make your guesses about our upcoming arrival. If you're not willing to commit to the full poll, you can just vote on boy or girl (also to the right...). I have my own predictions, but I think I might save them so as to not influence any one else :).
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