We spent the weekend packing. It's the first time we have really packed up a house together, and it went really well. I think we had as much fun as possible, and made a lot of progress. There is still a lot to do, but I think we will be done in time.
I ordered a free potty-training video on-line, and it came in the mail this weekend. I'm not going to bore you with the "I can't believe I have a child old enough to start potty-training" bit. She is really growing, especially height.
We have a house to rent in SD, so we are relieved.
So this is our last full week here. Next weekend I'm going to my sister's wedding, so will be out of town for several days.
Whoa!
7.28.2008
7.24.2008
the countdown should start
My husband accepted a position in South Dakota this week. We are moving in less than three weeks. It has been a whirlwind. I can't think of a time that has been this intense, and can't see anything in the future that may compare. Although I am really excited, there will be challenges. It will be awesome once we are there, and I have this baby, and we just get settled in a little bit.
Like all things (for me), it is the anticipation, the wondering, the "what ifs", that make it hard. Especially with the birth. I wish I were able to be available to help my husband more as he prepares to teach, like type things and brainstorm with him (not that I am a huge help, but just having a secretary would be nice), but if may be a few weeks before that is realistic. I am on such an emotional roller coaster right now. When we moved here, 14 months ago, I was really excited. It felt like we were starting our life together, we had this little baby, and I was going to stay home, and everything just fell into place. I was susie homemaker. Now, being here a year, I think it is great, but I understand that I don't really want to stay in the city forever, and the sense of community in a huge place isn't really there.
This time, moving, it's like we are being thrown into it, and I just have so many things running through my mind all the time. I think it is harder because I have all day to think about what to be doing, but can't really knock out many things. I know it is a good thing to have to complain about, going to an incredible place for an incredible job, close to family, out in the open. I feel really lucky to be stressed out about a great transition. But...always a but. But a lot of things. But, it will be hard, but we will get through it. And it can be fun too. I just need to remind myself that life is really an adventure. And as trite as it is, and we all know how much I love trite things, it's the day to day, how you get there, the fun you have along the way, these are the things about life that make it worth it. We will look back on this, and laugh because of how fast it happened, and how, even years later, we just can't imagine how we did that, how on earth we pulled it off. But we'll also say that it was a great time. We also may have some funny stories about the things we fought about, and how dumb they really were. But, we are doing it as a family. I think one of the best things God created was marriage, having someone to share life with. I wouldn't do this without him, and I wouldn't do it any other way. I am taking his hand, and hanging on for dear life, as I have learned to do, and just running with it. He is amazing, and tells me things I need to hear, and gets excited with me when I want to be excited, and makes sure I am ok with what we are doing. And yes, I am ok, but also a wee bit hormonal, a control addict, and a woman. Women take things differently, I think.
So as we hammer out plans, and figure out options, we are just trying to keep everything in perspective. We do have a lot of help, and offers for help, which is, well, helpful. We are healthy, and have a healthy baby, and have been blessed in so many ways. So, although it freaks me out to be doing so many things at one time, I know that it will be ok, and one to add to the books. And, I repeat to myself what someone, who is a bit of an authority on the subject, told me. What I feel is normal, so not to get to bent out of shape. And, if we end up living in a crack house, it's only for a year, so I can think of it as a pilgrimage, or something.
Like all things (for me), it is the anticipation, the wondering, the "what ifs", that make it hard. Especially with the birth. I wish I were able to be available to help my husband more as he prepares to teach, like type things and brainstorm with him (not that I am a huge help, but just having a secretary would be nice), but if may be a few weeks before that is realistic. I am on such an emotional roller coaster right now. When we moved here, 14 months ago, I was really excited. It felt like we were starting our life together, we had this little baby, and I was going to stay home, and everything just fell into place. I was susie homemaker. Now, being here a year, I think it is great, but I understand that I don't really want to stay in the city forever, and the sense of community in a huge place isn't really there.
This time, moving, it's like we are being thrown into it, and I just have so many things running through my mind all the time. I think it is harder because I have all day to think about what to be doing, but can't really knock out many things. I know it is a good thing to have to complain about, going to an incredible place for an incredible job, close to family, out in the open. I feel really lucky to be stressed out about a great transition. But...always a but. But a lot of things. But, it will be hard, but we will get through it. And it can be fun too. I just need to remind myself that life is really an adventure. And as trite as it is, and we all know how much I love trite things, it's the day to day, how you get there, the fun you have along the way, these are the things about life that make it worth it. We will look back on this, and laugh because of how fast it happened, and how, even years later, we just can't imagine how we did that, how on earth we pulled it off. But we'll also say that it was a great time. We also may have some funny stories about the things we fought about, and how dumb they really were. But, we are doing it as a family. I think one of the best things God created was marriage, having someone to share life with. I wouldn't do this without him, and I wouldn't do it any other way. I am taking his hand, and hanging on for dear life, as I have learned to do, and just running with it. He is amazing, and tells me things I need to hear, and gets excited with me when I want to be excited, and makes sure I am ok with what we are doing. And yes, I am ok, but also a wee bit hormonal, a control addict, and a woman. Women take things differently, I think.
So as we hammer out plans, and figure out options, we are just trying to keep everything in perspective. We do have a lot of help, and offers for help, which is, well, helpful. We are healthy, and have a healthy baby, and have been blessed in so many ways. So, although it freaks me out to be doing so many things at one time, I know that it will be ok, and one to add to the books. And, I repeat to myself what someone, who is a bit of an authority on the subject, told me. What I feel is normal, so not to get to bent out of shape. And, if we end up living in a crack house, it's only for a year, so I can think of it as a pilgrimage, or something.
7.09.2008
And something for the little lady
Ok, almost done with the South Dakota stuff.
We were driving, and it was super time. We usually just share some stuff or bring some extra things for Emma. But we weren't eating at McDonald's, just her. I pulled up and we looked at our options. She didn't have milk, we needed milk. And we might as well get some apples for her. Looks like we're ordering a happy meal, for our toddler. It was a first. I knew a milestone had been touched, I felt the step being taken over the threashold, I knew we were going from point A to point B. Ok, maybe I'm a tad dramatic, but just a tad. My husband, he didn't really do any of those things. His attitude was more along the lines of, "yeah, we need a happy meal. Order it and let's get on with our lives." I, of course, was trying to explain to him why this was important. I believe I had the same emotional response when we bought a package of diapers for the first time. Granted, I was still pregnant so I still had my wits about me, but it was a big deal. That got old fast, as I'm sure this will too. I suppose it is most likely a woman vs. man thing, we're mushy, us moms. We can't help it, and why should we?
She is definitely growing up, it's amazing. 16 months is just not a very long time span, in normal life. But when you take a creature than can't do anything, and watch them emerge from their little caccoon of dependence, one day at a time, it just leaves you in awe. When she was itsy bitsy, just a couple of weeks, we drove up to SD, and stopped at a Burger King. We were still figuring out how to go to the bathroom with her, and order, and carry stuff, all the things that are new. There is not a changing station in the bathroom there, so I had to change her diaper on the floor, and I was so scared, because it was dirty. (no, it really was) I was really worried that she was going to get contaminated or something. I was horrified. I didn't want to put my brand new baby down on that, even with a changing pad sheilding her from the invisible gunk. It's like a new car, you don't want it to get scratched, or dented, or very dirty. It's new, and it's yours, and you want to keep it nice.
Flash forward 16 months. She now crawls around on the floor while I go to the bathroom, and has gone under a dressing room door more than once. She eats things that I can't identify. Yesterday she picked up a goldfish cracker from the dirt, and would have eaten it if I wouldn't have stopped her. A little dirt don't hurt, I realize this people. But a cracker caked in ants may. So I threw the cracker, and drowned all the little ants that were covering her hand, and she giggled the whole time.
I feel like I'm growing too.
Anyway, we got a happy meal for her. It feels weird to be here, I say that often, I know. But as you are young, you have these mental pictures of what life if going to be like, and how you are going to be, and you have these visions of the stages. And I just don't feel like I am the mother of a toddler who eats happy meals!
And the toy. It's kind of lame, don't you think? I thought they were cool when I got them, but maybe they were lame when I was little too. She's not impressed, which is probably good. We don't want her begging for a happy meal every time we see one of those blasted arches.
We were driving, and it was super time. We usually just share some stuff or bring some extra things for Emma. But we weren't eating at McDonald's, just her. I pulled up and we looked at our options. She didn't have milk, we needed milk. And we might as well get some apples for her. Looks like we're ordering a happy meal, for our toddler. It was a first. I knew a milestone had been touched, I felt the step being taken over the threashold, I knew we were going from point A to point B. Ok, maybe I'm a tad dramatic, but just a tad. My husband, he didn't really do any of those things. His attitude was more along the lines of, "yeah, we need a happy meal. Order it and let's get on with our lives." I, of course, was trying to explain to him why this was important. I believe I had the same emotional response when we bought a package of diapers for the first time. Granted, I was still pregnant so I still had my wits about me, but it was a big deal. That got old fast, as I'm sure this will too. I suppose it is most likely a woman vs. man thing, we're mushy, us moms. We can't help it, and why should we?
She is definitely growing up, it's amazing. 16 months is just not a very long time span, in normal life. But when you take a creature than can't do anything, and watch them emerge from their little caccoon of dependence, one day at a time, it just leaves you in awe. When she was itsy bitsy, just a couple of weeks, we drove up to SD, and stopped at a Burger King. We were still figuring out how to go to the bathroom with her, and order, and carry stuff, all the things that are new. There is not a changing station in the bathroom there, so I had to change her diaper on the floor, and I was so scared, because it was dirty. (no, it really was) I was really worried that she was going to get contaminated or something. I was horrified. I didn't want to put my brand new baby down on that, even with a changing pad sheilding her from the invisible gunk. It's like a new car, you don't want it to get scratched, or dented, or very dirty. It's new, and it's yours, and you want to keep it nice.
Flash forward 16 months. She now crawls around on the floor while I go to the bathroom, and has gone under a dressing room door more than once. She eats things that I can't identify. Yesterday she picked up a goldfish cracker from the dirt, and would have eaten it if I wouldn't have stopped her. A little dirt don't hurt, I realize this people. But a cracker caked in ants may. So I threw the cracker, and drowned all the little ants that were covering her hand, and she giggled the whole time.
I feel like I'm growing too.
Anyway, we got a happy meal for her. It feels weird to be here, I say that often, I know. But as you are young, you have these mental pictures of what life if going to be like, and how you are going to be, and you have these visions of the stages. And I just don't feel like I am the mother of a toddler who eats happy meals!
And the toy. It's kind of lame, don't you think? I thought they were cool when I got them, but maybe they were lame when I was little too. She's not impressed, which is probably good. We don't want her begging for a happy meal every time we see one of those blasted arches.
deck the...deck something
This was in South Dakota also. Emma had a great time on her grandpa and grandma's deck. The wind was high a couple of days, and she really enjoyed running around and getting whipped around.
I was trying to be deep and capture the moment. I'm not sure if it worked like I had hoped, but you get the idea.
Emma had a lot of fun playing with her Aunt Sarah. Shall I say, her I new Aunt Sarah :)
Definitely an outdoor gal.take me to the river...but don't put me in the water
on our trip to south dakota two weeks ago, we drove down to the river, which is very close. just as we got there, the clouds started rolling in, and it started to sprinkle. this is kind of a cool picture because you can see the rain coming in the background.
it was really raining here, which is why we have really strange expressions. it was fun, and wet, and cold, but mostly fun.
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