SOLD!

We closed on the house today!  Thank you Lord!

After dropping off Tommy at preschool we did the final walk-through, signed papers at the office and went back to the house to celebrate!

The pod was delivered this morning so we started unpacking as much as we could.  The weather is strangely warm - almost 70 degrees - so we enjoyed walking around the yard.  It will be cold again soon, but hopefully no rain on Saturday when the movers deliver the furniture. 

I'm back at the old house now so the kids can nap.  I'm sure we will be going back and forth a bit these next few days.  Hard to believe this is really happening! 

Unexpected Thanksgiving

*warning this post is full of me complaining about being sick!*

Sadly, all four of us have been sick this entire week of Thanksgiving.  We were supposed to fly to Nebraska on Tuesday morning and spend 8 days with my husband's family.  But we decided the night before to cancel our flights and it was the right decision.  There was a winter weather advisory that day so we were able to cancel without penalty and can use the tickets on a future trip. 

Not to be overly dramatic, but it's really been a terrible week here.  Tommy was the first to get sick.  He had a fever on Sunday night and slept in Monday morning.  (Every time he sleeps in it turns out that he is sick!)  By Monday afternoon/evening both Tommy and Molly were sick.  They had fevers, cough, and congestion.  Although at that point it didn't seem worse than other viruses they've had in the past. 

But with the potential winter weather and also our upcoming move, it made sense to cancel our trip.  We were scheduled to return this Wednesday evening and then close on the house this Thursday morning!  It's been crazy around here, to say the least, with all the packing and moving preparations.

So our suitcases were already packed and everything when we canceled our flights.  My husband went to work on Tuesday and when he came home I was overwhelmed.  Both kids were getting sicker and they both needed/wanted my full attention.  We didn't sleep well that night and thankfully he stayed home from work on Wednesday.  At one point that day, Tommy napped on top of my husband (on the couch) for two hours and Molly napped on top of me (in the rocking chair) for over three hours.  They were both miserable and we were both exhausted. 

The entire week is a complete blur to me.  I can't tell you how many times I've been puked on.  The kids cough or cry so hard it makes them gag and throw-up.  It's awful because often times it would happen right after I had just given them medicine, so I knew that was gone.  And they are barely eating or drinking anything, so I hated for them to lose those fluids/nutrients. 

I didn't sleep in my bed at least 2-3 nights this week.  Poor Molly was so congested and couldn't sleep.  So I would hold her while she slept in the rocking chair or the recliner.  She was able to sleep but I could not.  I would pass her off to my husband sometime around 4 or 5 in the morning and I would sleep for a bit.  Of course Tommy would be waking up and needing attention right at that time.  I would get him some milk and let him watch cartoons on my kindle in bed with me while I slept.  Not surprisingly, he wants to do this every morning now as soon as he wakes up.  :)

We got carry out for Thanksgiving and quickly gobbled it up while the kids napped.  Not surprisingly both my hubby and me got sick as well.  It was inevitable.  So we are both exhausted, sick and trying to take care of two sick, needy kids. 

Finally on Friday Molly started sleeping better.  She went down for a nap at 3:00pm and never woke up.  I knew she would wake up at some crazy hour but I was not going to wake her no matter what!  So I went to bed as early as I could.  She woke up at 10:30pm.  I stayed up with her for a couple of hours and then went through her bedtime routine - including a bath around midnight.  Thankfully it worked and she went back to sleep until 4:00am. 

We're having such cabin fever.  The weather here has been so nasty - freezing cold rain, sleet, snow and super cold temperatures.  We couldn't take the kids on a walk or leave the house to get some fresh air.  Since we are moving this Saturday, our house is completely boxed up!  We were supposed to be gone for 8 days and then move just a couple days later.  The kids hardly have any toys in the house and most of my kitchen is packed up as well.  And of course my refrigerator was empty as well.  So in my exhausted, sleep-deprived, sick state I was running to the store in the freezing rain to get some basic groceries and trying to pull together something for our Thanksgiving. 

Additionally, we had a couple of showings of our house this week (we are looking for a renter.)  Of course the house has been a disaster and this was the last thing I wanted to do!  I apologize for this depressing/annoying post.  But I just had to get it out there and complain to someone. :)

In the midst of all this I was trying to keep perspective because there are so many people going through worse situations.  I have two friends right now who are dealing with very serious illnesses with their young children.  Our bad week here is nothing compared to what they are going through.  I can honestly say that my heart was full of gratitude on Thanksgiving - despite feeling so crummy.  I am so thankful for my little family and we are very excited about moving into our new house this Saturday.

We are all feeling better but not back to 100% yet.  Please Lord, help us recover soon and get ready to move!

Halloween and a New House

Since we have so many pirate accessories around the house it was an easy decision to have two little pirates for Halloween this year. 

Argh, matey!  Hand over yer candy!

 

 

I put together Tommy's costume from things we had around the house.  My mom found Molly's costume and mailed it from California.  Thankfully both were easy and comfortable for the kids.  We trick-or-treated with some friends in their neighborhood.  We probably visited about 10 houses, but that was just enough for our little ones.  Especially since it started to rain towards the end.  It was so fun to share Halloween with our friends!

 





The big news around here is that we have a contract on a house!  We are so excited!  As I mentioned in a previous post, we've been talking and looking for awhile.  We visited this house on Friday morning and over the weekend our offer was accepted! 

 

The house has so many wonderful things about it.  It's on a cul-de-sac and the backyard backs to the woods.  There is even a little creek that runs through our property! It has much more space than our current house and the bedroom in the basement is perfect for houseguests (which we have regularly!) 

 

I absolutely love the neighborhood and the town.  It's not that far from our current house, but it's amazing how a few miles can make such a difference.  The house is super close to Tommy's preschool and I've heard great things about the Catholic parish/school that's close by.  I think it's going to be a wonderful place to raise our family! 

 

The home inspection is on Friday and I'm excited to get inside the house again to look around.  Hopefully everything will go smoothly and we will close the first week of December.  My husband ordered this PODS right away so we can start packing up some things.  Guess I can't park in the driveway for the next month or so...

 

 

St. Joseph, pray for our house and our move!

 

 

Around Here

Here is what's going on around here...

Taking up most of our time these days is house-hunting.  We've been talking about moving for awhile but recently we moved up our plans.  Previously we had been talking about next spring/summer, but last month we decided to start searching now. 

It's exciting to think about moving soon, but also SO stressful.  Can I ask for your prayers that we find the right fit for us?  It's been difficult to figure out our priorities regarding location, size, cost, schools, commutes, parish, community, etc.  We almost put in a contract last week but we were too late.  It feels like a full-time job - every evening we are looking online and we've gone to see a bunch of houses with our realtor.  (Which is not easy to do with the kids!)  St. Joseph, pray for us!

Last week was my birthday.  I'm now the ripe old age of 34!  It happened to be Tommy's preschool pumpkin patch field trip and I was so happy to spend my birthday that way.  Our friends came with us and then took me out to lunch afterwards.  It was nice.  Time sure flies - I can't believe another birthday has come and gone.

Instead of a sandbox the farm had this huge pit of corn.  Tommy LOVED jumping into it!

My kiddos with Dot Dot.  Peek a boo!

Molly is now officially walking!  She had been so close for a long time.  Then last week she started letting go and taking steps on her own when I wasn't watching.  It's so fun to watch her "drunken sailor" walk around the house.  We are still going to physical therapy, but I'm guessing that we will talk about ending that soon.

My best friend's mother-in-law passed away last week and it's been so sad to watch their family go through this difficult time.  She had some health issues in the past but it really spiraled down quickly.  Everyone is shocked that she is gone.  Please pray for her and the family. 

My sweet niece is doing great!  Thank you for your prayers.  She was in the NICU for about a week and has been home now for a couple of weeks.  She is so cute and I can't wait to meet her when we are home for Christmas. 

Lately it's been fun to watch Tommy and Molly play together.  It doesn't always go well, but more and more they are finding ways to play together.  Molly wants to do everything that Tommy is doing and usually he's happy to help her along.  I am so blessed to be the mama of these kiddos. 

Meet My Niece

I became an aunt again!  Meet my new niece: AnnaSophia Marie was born on October 5th - weighing 5 lbs 6 oz. 

 

She was about six weeks early.  All things considered she is very healthy and doing great.  She will be in the NICU for awhile.  Please keep her and my brother and sister-in-law in your prayers. 

Thank you Lord for the gift of this precious little girl!

Blogging? What's that?

I can't seem to find the time - or make the time - to blog these days.  But at the moment both kiddos are still napping.  And since the kitchen is clean and I even made a batch of pumpkin muffins (I just love the mix from Trader Joes) I will quickly attempt to post!  

I couldn't resist making the muffins since they are so yummy and we've had a couple of nice fall days around here.  Although it was 46 degrees when I woke up this morning - brrr! 

Things are going well in our home.  We are settling into our new normal now that the school year has begun.  I am still teaching on Monday and Wednesday mornings (from 8:30 - 10:15.)  And this year Tommy goes to preschool on Tuesday and Thursday (from 9:00 - 1:00.)  Yesterday was his first day and I'm happy to report it went really well! 

My husband took the day off from work so that he could be there for drop off and pick up.  I tried asking a million different ways, but I still couldn't get him to tell me what they did.  I found a lot of sand in his shoes, so he must have played in the sandbox and he had paint on both arms, so they must have painted!  :)  So far I really like the school and I hope tomorrow goes as well as Tuesday did. 

Molly continues to have physical therapy once a week.  Right now she's going on Tuesdays - so I can take her when Tommy is in school.  She is doing really well, and honestly might not need it any more.  But we really like the PT we are working with and she decided we should continue at least until Molly is walking.  She is cruising and walking a ton when we hold her hands, but not independently yet.  The PT suggested getting supportive shoes and possibly orthotic inserts, so we'll see if that helps her! 

Both kiddos are also going to music class once a week (the same one we did last year.)  Our friend who watches the kids is taking them on Wednesdays while I'm teaching.  The only "un-scheduled" day of the week is Friday - so hopefully we can keep that day free for errands, relaxing and getting together with friends. 

Let's see...  what other updates can I give you? 

My mom spent last week with us since my hubby was gone.  I'm so grateful for her help!  I was able to get a lot of things done (like go to the dentist for the first time since Molly was born.)  I know that she enjoyed all the quality time with her grandkids as well. 

Just a few days before she arrived, Molly and I snuck off to California for a quick weekend trip.  We threw a baby shower for my sister-in-law.  It was a lot of work, but we had fun doing it and I think everyone had a great time at the shower!  Thankfully the guest of honor was able to attend because the very next day she was put on bedrest.  Please keep my SIL and the baby in your prayers. 

I will leave you with a few pictures from the shower...

My sister in law at the sweets table.



I ordered these darling cookies online and I'm so happy with how they turned out!

My Little Cupcake

We had a small birthday party to celebrate Molly's first birthday.  It's hard to believe our sweet little cupcake is becoming such a big girl! Here are a few pictures.

 

 

 

 

One!

My sweet baby girl is ONE year old today! Happy Birthday Mary Margaret!  (yes, I'm pulling out her "big name" today.)

I'm too exhausted to write much, but I wanted to make sure that I posted today.  I took her to get portraits done this morning and this evening we went out to dinner as a family.  I had made cupcakes, but by the time we got home she was too tired (although Tommy made sure he had one.) 

We are having a little party on Saturday, so she will have a chance at her first cupcake then!  And hopefully we will get some cute pics of the birthday girl. 

We've been strolling down memory lane this past week remembering all the excitement we felt when we got the news, the big road trip to Indiana, meeting her birthmother, etc.  Here are a few pictures from one year ago...

First family photo

Sweet kiss from big brother

Just a few minutes old

Mommy and Molly

In the NICU

Sweet pea

Seven Quick Takes

1. My two kids are sleeping right now after a super fun morning at the park with friends.  Let's see if I can actually get through an entire post! 

2. I can't believe that summer is winding down.  As always, the time seems to just fly by.  It's been a good summer - great trips to visit our families in California and Nebraska.  But way too few days spent at the pool.  It's been soooo rainy this summer, but the fast few days have been absolutely glorious.  We've spent as much time outside as possible.

3.  I know I'm not alone when I say I LOVE FALL!  So even though I enjoy the lazy days of summer, I get all giddy thinking about football and cooler weather and the taste/smell of anything baked with pumpkin! 

4.  My sweet baby girl turns ONE next week.  I'm still in denial about that.  She is so much fun these days, despite the fact she is getting into absolutely everything!  She is starting to talk more and more.  And she laughs a lot!  Her personality is starting to come through and I love discovering who she is and who she is going to be. 

5.  Teacher meetings start next week at my school and I will attend a few of them.  I will continue with the same schedule this year - working Monday and Wednesday mornings.  I am so blessed with this part-time job.  I enjoy staying connected to my school and the wonderful people there. 

6.  (Molly is waking up...  I'd better hurry!!)  My mom and I continue to make plans for the baby shower we are throwing for my sister in law.  It's going to be so much fun and I'm looking forward to a quick trip home to California.

7.  I went to Mass alone last night for the Assumption and it was so peaceful.  It reminded me that I need to get better about carving out some quiet time.  It seems impossible these days, but I know that even a little bit will go a long way.

Thanks to Jen for hosting Quick Takes!  Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.  :)

First Movie

Today was a big day - we took Tommy to his first movie in the theater! We had been talking about it for awhile - and planned to see "Planes" when it comes out later this summer. But my nieces were excited to see "Despicable Me 2" and we thought he would enjoy that also.

It was so much fun! Grandma andGrandpa  babysat Molly so that my hubby and I could take the big kids. We splurged on a big popcorn, drinks, and candy. The audience was full of kids and it was so much fun. 

Sick

Of course Tommy is sick. It never fails when we are traveling that he comes down with something. 

He had the sniffles and some congestion on Thursday when we traveled. Friday it was worse, but he was in good spirits and never had a fever. He had so much fun playing with his cousins and the other friends that were visiting us. It was a long day and a late night, but he seemed ok.

Then around 1:00am he woke up coughing and crying. He was shaking and really wheezing like I've never heard before. (He's never had any respiratory issues like that before.) After he calmed down a bit he was still wheezing, so I told my hubby I wanted to take him to urgent care/ER to be seen. 

We got dressed, threw a few things in my bag and loaded up in the car. During that time he seemed to be getting better but I still wanted to go. After he was buckled into his carseat he was very chatty asking for cereal, milk and asking what the doctor would be like. The wheezing was gone.

My hubby and I looked at each other, laughed and decided that it would be silly to take him to the ER at that point. I think being up and moving plus breathing in the cool air helped.

We came back inside, let him watch a show and then put him back to bed at around 2:30am. He slept the rest of the night just fine!

I'm nervous it's going to happen again tonight. Hopefully he's on the mend and we can all get some good sleep.

Cousins

Tommy and Molly had so much fun playing with their cousins all day today! The girls are 12 and 6 and did such a good job of taking care of Tommy and Molly while playing together. 

If they were in a different room, Tommy would walk around saying, "Where are the cousins??" They swam, played on the golf course and ran around together all day. So much fun!

Nebraska

I had a feeling I would forget to post yesterday. We were traveling and flew to Nebraska. Thankfully both kids were good on the flight. Molly fell asleep right as we got to security, so I actually carried her through that part. She happily played on the flight and then both kids slept on the drive to my in-laws house.

We will be here for about 12 days and we're looking forward to relaxing and catching up with my hubby's family.

I will try to post more today with some pictures. 

Fired

I was fired today.  Technically, my position was eliminated and the parish had to let me go.  I wasn't surprised.  In fact, I had been wondering for some time if this might happen. 

I have been the (part-time) Youth Minister at my parish for six years.  Over that time the parish has gone through a lot of changes - including a new pastor last summer.  I knew the parish was having financial trouble and apparently they had to eliminate a few positions.  

I have mixed feelings about the whole situation.  In a way I'm relieved and glad to have this time for my family.  I was always stressed and crazy on the Sundays when we had our meetings. 

But of course I'm disappointed about the loss of income.  We've been hoping to move soon and this definitely changes those plans.  I trust that everything will work out. 

Apparently the new priest just assigned to our parish will take over the program.  I know how busy all priests are so I'm not sure what exactly that means.  I will do my best to help him during the transition.

Well, it was a crazy day around here since we leave town tomorrow morning for Nebraska.  I'd better go and do some last-minute packing!  You can see that Tommy was a big help today...

My Niece

I'm proud of myself for remembering to post again today!  Hopefully I will be able to keep up with the "Seven Posts in Seven Days" that Jen is hosting at Conversion Diary. 

I've been meaning to share some good news here...  I'm going to have a new niece in November!  My brother and sister-in-law are expecting a baby girl (their first child) and I'm so thrilled for them.  It's been a bumpy road for them and I'm so happy to celebrate their good news. 

This is the picture they shared with everyone to reveal they are having a girl:

My mom and I are throwing a baby shower for my sister-in-law and I've had lots of fun brainstorming ideas.  I got the invitations printed this morning and need to assemble them tonight!

Seven Posts in Seven Days

I've been in a blogging "funk" and just saw that Jen is doing Seven Posts in Seven Days - so I'm going to give it a shot and join in the fun. Looks like I'm just in time to start today! Since I'm on my phone I don't know how to link up, but I will try tomorrow. :)

This big girl is 11 months old - how did that happen? Just a month away from ONE!

We visited my hubby at work today. Tommy was excited to "type, type, type and work, work, work" as he kept saying.

Tommy feeding Molly her breakfast.

Tomorrow will be laundry and packing. We leave on Thursday for Nebraska!