Happy New Year and 8 months

Sunday was Chloe's 8 month day and I continue to marvel at how fast she grows and each day looks more like a little girl and less like a baby. Still no teeth and still not crawling, but just this morning she went from sitting to her tummy twice (without bonking her head or anything!) and Craig has been working with her on crawling and hopefully she will get that tummy off the floor. on Sunday we went on another househunting trip and little Miss was rather sleepy during the trip and later that day, she felt really warm. Well, as it got to be bedtime, she started crying. For 3 hours! Motrin didn't help. We finally got her to sleep, but last night wasn't much better. She woke several times and since I nursed her each time, she ended up leaking from her diaper and so I had to change her clothes at 4 am. Not fun. I feel so bad for my little one but hopefully this will not be forever!

As for the house hunting, we found another house that we like, so we put in an offer yesterday. I am not sure if I should tell you about it, in case this one falls through too, but heck, 4th time's the charm? This house is in Bethany, CT which is the town we really like, it is on 1.5 acres with a stream that runs through the back yard. It has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a basement with a second kitchen that we could turn into an inlaw apartment to rent out if we wanted. A nice big 2-car garage and a huge screened back porch are some other great features and the master bedroom has its own bathroom. Hardwood floors throughout and a big kitchen (a must for me!). I will let you know how this one goes!

Tonight we are planning to go to our friends Dave and Jen for New Years. We are going to bring Chloe and have her sleep in a spare room so that way, if she wakes I will be there. We will stay overnight at their place and head out in the AM. Now, if Chloe has another rough night, I might just take her home and get Craig in the morning. I am trying to stay relaxed and just play it loose, so we will see how it goes!

Of course, I need to leave you with some pictures of my 8 month old big girl!

Big Kisses for her daddy

A rare picture of the two of us (since I am usually behind the camera)

Showing off her Christmas present outfit from great grandma

The butt is up in the air but still no rocking on the knees.

She is getting so big--that sleeper she has on is 18 month size!

Christmas aftershocks

I sometimes liken Christmas to an earthquake. Lots of forces happening all at once and the whole thing can leaven you feeling tired and shaken at the end. Luckily, our first Xmas back in CT went pretty well. Christmas eve we went to my inlaws for dinner. Craig got home from work around 12:30 and we were at their place by 2 pm. I made a chocolate rum cake which came out really good, but my frosting didn't have enough time to set up in the fridge before we left, so my cake looked rather melty by the time we got there. Otherwise, it went well. Dinner was very good--pork loin and since Chloe refused to nap, she enjoyed some turnips and sweet potatoes with us. Craig's parents got Chloe a big rocking horse, which is way too big for her right now, but I think she will really enjoy when she grows into it. They also got her an outfit, jammies and some Christmas ornaments. They also had lots of lotto scratch tickets on the tree for us and we won $27.

After his parents, we went to visit Craig's sister Nicole. Her little boy Davin was very excited to see us and especially since we brought presents. He just turned 2 and is at that age where he loves to open presents! Chloe got a baby leap frog music play table and she is already having fun with her new toy. By the time we got home, it was well past Chloe's bedtime, and she was ready to pass out for the night. Later that night, Craig's brother came home and gave us our gift. He got Chloe a gift card to Babies R Us and for Craig and I--tickets to a Bruins/Devils hockey game. We are pretty excited about going to a hockey game since we haven't been since last season in Colorado. My mom agreed to watch Chloe so I am looking forward to the night out.

Christmas morning was a low-key affair--just what I wanted. I made some breakfast of eggs, bacon and English muffins and coffee and we helped Chloe open her presents. We got her an outfit, socks, a book, and a couple toys. Of course, she was much more interested in eating the wrapping paper, but she did like playing with the toys once they were out of the boxes. Chloe went down for her morning nap and they we got to open our presents. Craig got me 3 great sweaters from Ann Taylor which I just love! Since all my winter clothes are in storage, I really needed them plus they are from my fav store! I also got a new book and some bath and body works goodies.

I got Craig the Simpsons movie for one of his gifts, so I made some crab dip and we watched the movie. It was a pretty cute movie and we enjoyed it. When Chloe woke up, we made our fancy dinner, which was baked potatoes with sour cream, NY Strip (cooked Medium rare on the grill!) and broccoli and zucchini. I bought Craig a nice big steak and he insisted he wouldn't be able to finish it, but somehow he did!

After Chloe's afternoon nap, we headed over to my sister's house to exchange gifts with my side of the family. It was mass chaos there because not only was my sister and her husband and 2 kids were there, but my parents, my gram, my brother-in-law's parents, his brother and his wife and their kid. Yikes! Despite the madness, we enjoyed the visit and Chloe got spoiled some more. My sister got her a cute toy with farm animals and lights and noises (great...), my mom got her a pair of overalls and a top, another outfit, jammies and a toy remote control that talks in 3 languages. And my gram got her a really cute outfit as well.

When we got home, Chloe went to bed for the night and Craig and I got to enjoy the quiet. I am really looking forward to next year when Chloe will be older to really enjoy the presents and we will have our own house to celebrate in.

Of course, I have pictures from Chloe's first Christmas, so here they are!

Ok horsey--it's either you or me!

Check out my stocking--it even has my name on it!

Hmm, a book... This one looks delicious!

Ok, here is the volume button Daddy. I will turn it up to high for you. Thanks.

Just think daddy, in a couple years, I will need a real one of these!

Even Sneakers had a great Xmas day dinner. Our NY strip bone.

Chloe in the middle of present-land with my mom, my niece and nephew.

Chloe is modeling her new overalls that my mom got her. Aren't they cute!

Wee Daddy! Higher!!

I love my favorite toy. My daddy!

No house for Christmas-but lots of happy wishes!

The house hunt is still on. The other offer was higher so the sellers took theirs and we are now back to searching. This time, Craig took it very hard. He really liked this house and he is so stressed, saying things like he can't believe he moved his family to CT and he can't provide for us, etc. I told him that we are a partnership and that together we will make anywhere we buy our home. He is feeling a little better today, but he was majorly grumpy and bummed yesterday. There are still more houses out there, so we just need to find the right one for us (and buy it). Finding houses hasn't been the problem, closing the deal has been. Fingers crossed, it will be soon. We are so ready to have our own home.

Chloe is doing really well. Still no teeth. Still not crawling. Today I did stand her up between the couch and the coffee table and with the couch holding her butt and her hands on the coffee table, so was supporting her own weight on her feet for like a minute or so. Maybe she will be one of those kids that goes straight to walking. However, as eager as I am for her to get mobile, I am dreading having to baby proof Dale's place. The TV room where we spend most of the time has tons of loose cables everywhere! He doesn't have an entertainment center, just a TV stand (with a 52" HDTV on it!!) and all the peripherals are stacked on the floor. Needless to say, I am sure that if Chloe had 2 minutes alone, she could unplug every last one.

She is back to sleeping pretty well. She is getting up at 6:30 consistently instead of 7 am, but most of the time, she just plays in her crib, so I am OK with it. She is officially on 2 naps now, having dropped her evening catnap for good. She is doing better with longer wake times and it is both a good and bad thing. I like the chance to go out and about with her and have her awake the whole time, but sometimes I run out of fun things to do with a 7 month old. Any suggestions on fun things to do? She doesn't really have many toys, but I guess she will get more at Christmas, so that will help. Sometimes I think she gets bored with the same 6 things. I try to read to her, but I can only get through a couple pages before she is interested in something else.

As for me, I seem to be recovering pretty well. I still have some pain, but it is more like recovery pain than the agony I had been in. I can't wait to be completely healed and feel normal!! I know Craig is 'anxious' for me to be feeling 100% too!

As for the holidays, I am looking forward to a calm and relaxed holiday. Tomorrow we are going to Craig's parents for dinner and then afterwards to his sister's house to visit and exchange gifts. Since his sister and mom aren't speaking, it makes it a bit more work since we can't see them both together. Then on Christmas day, we are spending the day here. I am making a decedent dinner for the two of us--NY strip with mushrooms, baked potatoes and squash. I also have a crab cheese dip appetizer and I haven't yet decided on what dessert to make but probably something chocolaty. Every year for the last 6 years since Craig and I have been together, Xmas day dinner has been the two of us with something really fancy for dinner. We have done rack of lamb, prime rib and lobsters. Of course, once Chloe is eating table foods, we will make something special for her too! Later that evening we will go over to my sister's house, where my parents will be too, and we can exchange gifts and have some coffee. Now the key is making sure that all goes as planned!

Of course I leave you with Chloe...

Chloe says Have a Merry Christmas...

And a ZANY New Year!!!

Quick Update

Just wanted to drop a quick post with an update on the last couple days. My surgery went fine yesterday and I feel pretty good. Of course, a little percocet doesn't hurt either, but I am optimistic that it will take care of my problem for good. Everyone at the hospital was so very nice and friendly and took good care of me. When the nurse tried to put the IV in my hand, she had some trouble getting needle in a vein. Normally that doesn't bother me, but this time, I got very lightheaded and faint so they had to lay me down and but a cool cloth on my head. The funny part was that they had a blood pressure cuff on my left arm and the pulse thingy on my finger tip on my left hand, so when the cuff went off to check my pressure, they started to get nervous because my heart rate dipped really low! (not really--just because the cuff was cutting off that arm). That was really the only drama, otherwise, I did just fine.

On the house front, I swear, there are forces out there that are preventing us from buying. Yesterday we made a counter offer and then yesterday afternoon our realtor called us back and said that they now have a second offer from another buyer! Ugh. Not sure what will happen, but we made a final offer so we will see if they accept it.

Well, that is all for now, I think I need a nap--those percocets are kicking in!

Spongebob Crankypants

Chloe has been a bear today. I think she may be getting close to breaking that first tooth because the drool is pouring down her chin and she hasn't napped for longer than 45 minutes at a time today and nothing is making her happy! This morning I was feeding her applesauce and rice cereal and she just started bawling, even spit out her food and those are her favorites! So I put her down for a nap and she passed out but only for 45 minutes. I know she needs more sleep but something is waking and bothering her.

Also, virtually every morning for the past week, Chloe has woken up wet from a leaking diaper. Now, since she was a couple weeks old, I have been using cloth diapers during the day and 1 disposable at night. Well, I bought some Target brand sposies for her and they worked fine at night but now they just don't seem to work. I may go back to a more expensive brand, or I might just look at a cloth diaper option for nighttime use. I know several folks who use wool at night and love it, so I might just check that out. If any one uses wool for night diapering, let me know what you think.

We did make it to the DMV today and finally I have my car registered! It only took 4 trips but I now have a CT license and plates. Of course, Craig still has to do his, but his registration doesn't expire until February, so we have a little more time.

We also put in an offer on a house in Bethany last night and here is hoping 3rd time's the charm and we will get the house. Fingers crossed, we would be moving at the end of January.

My cold is starting to go away and I am finally not stuffed up all day. Just in time for me to have surgery on Thursday. Yup, after seeing a doctor a couple times about my 'pain in the butt' issue, she recommended that we go the surgery route. I am rather pleased to hopefully be done with this issue which has been causing me constant daily pain for almost 7 months now. It is minor outpatient surgery at the hospital and Craig is taking the day off so he can watch Chloe and take me to and from the hospital since I won't be able to drive. The doctor said it solves the problem in 95% of patients and I should start to feel better in 48 hrs, so I will let you know is that is the case!

Well, here are a few, rare photos of miss Chloe in her unhappy moments today.

When we got back from the DMV Notice the big fat tear under her eye. Yeah, I think I cry when we go to the DMV too...

Hmm, no reason for these tears other than general unhappiness with being a teething baby.

Ok, right after I took this picture, she started smiling. Yup, my little ham seeing the camera flash and cheers right up!

Snow day!

Annie reminded me that I forgot to post pictures yesterday and as I have been told by my family, a post without pictures doesn't really count!





Today we are getting a pretty good winter storm and the snow is coming down about 1-2 inches per hour. Since this is Chloe's first big snowstorm, of course, we had to go frolick in the snow and take some pictures. So, here are the shots of Chloe's first snow day!




Wow, this stuff is really cool! Literally..like my butt is freezing!

See all those flakes flying around?

I told Mommy she should have worn a hat, but she never listens!

Has it been over a week?

Sorry all, I can't believe I haven't posted in over a week. It has been one of those weeks. First of all, I have been in DMV hell. It took me over 2.5 hrs just to get a CT drivers license and I have already made 2 trips to get my car registered and I still have to go back. Needless to say, I am amazed that more people haven't gone postal at the motor vehicles dept. I try so hard to be nice and prepared and patient and they still are able to act like a-holes and make you want to throttle them over the counter. ugh. I feel a little better for getting that off my chest.

I am fighting a nasty cold right now, so I am hoping that I infect all the people at the DMV and in a couple days they are all coughing up phlegm like me. Luckily Chloe still seems healthy, so I am hoping she doesn't get it. Knock on wood, she has been one healthy tyke and hasn't been sick so far. I would like to keep it that way. She continues to grow and develop. She now likes to sit up on her own and I can plop her down on the floor and she will sit there and play. It makes life easier when I need to do things, I just put her near me and she will watch me but my hands are still free. She is getting closer to crawling. The last couple days I have seen her do her push up and start to rock back a little on her knees, but only a few times. We are getting there! We also introduced meats for the first time. Chloe had some baby beef and she seems to really like it. I roasted a chicken last night and used the food processor to blend some of the leftovers up and we will see what she thinks of chicken this weekend. Chloe generally likes just about everything which makes it easy to feed her. Just like her mom and dad--a true foodie!

As for the house hunt, we saw a few houses that are definitely possibilities. The coolest house was 3000 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 2 half baths. It is an awesome big house, but the taxes on it are insane and I bet it would cost a ton in utilities so I just don't think it will be affordable. We also saw two other houses in Bethany that have better taxes and I think we might put in an offer on one of them. One is a raised ranch, 2 fireplaces, 3 bed, 2 bath. I like this house better but it is on 1.5 acres and it is a bit of a crazy hill with a long driveway. The other is a ranch, also 3 bed, 2 bath, with a fireplace in the living room and a wood stove in the family room. This one is on 2.1 acres, but it is flat and usable and there is a pretty little brook on one side and a horse meadow on the other side. Yup, we could have horses. This is the one I think that Craig wants. So right now, I am trying to do all the budget numbers to see what we can afford.

One good thing is that I have all my Christmas shopping done and wrapped. We put up the tree this weekend and have all the presents under it and it feels very festive. I miss not having my own decorations and stockings and such, but it does feel nice to have the holiday spirit in the house. I will just have to make up for it next year and have a crazy time decorating!

Welcome December!

It usually isn't until the first snow that I start to get excited about the holiday season and this weekend did not disappoint. Saturday was cold and gray, indicating that some weather was about to arrive (that and the weather forecast which said it was coming). Sunday was dry with light flurries. Not much sticking to the ground but flying around the air and getting the holiday spirit stirring. Yesterday, was an icy day with a freezing rain that coated all the trees in a glass like icy shell and this morning, there was a nice little dusting of snow on the ground. I know that in February, I am going to be sick of weather like this, but for now (especially since I don't have to go driving in it if I don't want to), I am going to enjoy it.

On Sunday, Craig and I went driving around some neighborhoods in towns where we are thinking of moving and even stopped in at an open house. The house was a little outside our budget, but it was a lovely home and just confirmed our feelings that we are looking in the right towns.

Yesterday, I waited until the roads dried up and then I took Craig's truck to get the oil changed. I figured, since I am home, I better get some of these things taken care of that are easiest when you are home. Today I am going to get my CT drivers license and say goodbye to my CO ID. I am also going to register my Jeep in CT and say goodbye to the CO plates. I am going to miss being a Colorado resident. Their plates are so much cooler than the Connecticut ones! We were going to wait to do all the license/registration stuff once we bought a house, but since that is taking a while, I might as well do it now.

I talked to our realtor yesterday and gave her some new criteria for the house search. Since we are upping our price range in hopes of finding the perfect house, we set restrictions on size of lot, garages, square footage and bathrooms, so we are not wasting our time looking at houses I know just won't fit the bill. There were a couple AWESOME looking places on the list she sent me, so I want to get in there and check them out asap. I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Now, because we are looking to increase our purchase price, I am thinking of ways to cut some costs to make it a little more affordable and one thing I was looking into was having someone care for Chloe in our home, rather than bringing her to work with me. I figure, by the time everything gets figured out with the house and my working, I probably won't be going back until end of January and Chloe will be 9 months old then. I would still pump during the day and she would get mommy milk until 1 year, but I would feel more comfortable not seeing her during the day since she would be older. I have been looking into finding stay-at-home moms that are looking for child care jobs that they can bring their own little one with them. I like the idea of having Chloe having a playmate since social interaction is so key, but I also like the idea of having her in my own home. I am still tossing this nanny/in-home care-giver idea around, but it is a definite possibility since it would be much less expensive than the daycare at work. Luckily I have some time to work all that stuff out...

I know that my brother in law doesn't read my blog, but I just want to say thank you to him. He really is a wonderful man. No only has he opened his home to us, but he makes us feel so welcome and it has made this whole move/transition so much easier for us. Several times, he has said how much he loves having us around and that he doesn't want us to leave! He owns his own business and basically works 12 hr days 7 days a week. So I think he likes waking up and coming downstairs to see his smiling niece (she always giggles and laughs at his funny voice that he does for her). Craig and Dale go to the gym a couple times a week and he has enjoyed the workout partner and I keep the house nice and clean and frequently make a little extra dinner so there is some for him if he wants it. Personally I wish Dale could find a nice girl to get married to but with the hours he keeps currently, the poor girl would probably feel neglected. But anyway, I just feel truly blessed for a BIL that is so sweet!

Well, my little sleeping angel will wake shortly, so I will leave you with some recent pics!

Chillin' with daddy on the couch

Sitting up and playing with her drum

watch me beat the drum!