updates and random thoughts again

Sorry for the lack of posts lately!  We are finally getting over the sickies in this house!  After nearly 2 weeks of everyone but me catching a cold or the flu. *knock on wood* We're hopefully on the upswing now.  Noah still has a cold & is likely teething again, so hopefully we're on the way to get healthy...since it IS spring now afterall! ;o)

But in the meantime, Noah has started actual crawling & he loves the freedom.  He also hates me being out of eye sight, so he crawls, bawling his eyes out to find me.  It's pitiful and adorable all rolled into one.  He's got such an amazing little personality shining through, it's just fun to watch him play and move.  He loves crawling around my chair & got so ticked that there was a diaper bag in the way yesterday.  Cuteness!!

Maddy has been down to 1 diaper a day now for nearly 2 weeks.  I started practicing w/her on the potty before she got the flu, and then went back into diapers when she was sick, though she fussed every time she peed, even w/stay dry liners.  So she finally felt good a weekish ago, we put her back into panties all day.  She had a handful of accidents, but mostly dry!  We even went out and about all weekend in only panties & the kid loves using public toilets.  Gross, but whatever works, right?  She's about 50%  poo trained, as in she tells me she's going poo and then doesn't always wait for the potty.  But I think with a little m&m encouragement, she'll have that down in no time too.  It's nice being down to just 1 kid in diapers, I won't lie, but I also miss seeing her fluffy butt peeking through the top of her jeans.  I am amazed by the "new" pants that fit again too.  lol!  She's also had another language explosion.  She's probably got close to 50 words now?  I don't know how many, but she knows a few colors, how old she is and some random things too.  Even though it's all still in "Maddy-ease", I can at least understand what she's trying to tell me.  It's so adorable!

Sophie's started doing chores with an allowance-typed of incentive.  She's saving her money for a Polly Pocket toy from Walmart & is doing a great job finding chores to do.  I sometimes forget she's only 4, because she's so mature & acts much older.  Heck, she's so tall, she even looks much older too!  I am looking forward to summer, so I don't have to buy more pants that will be outgrown in a matter of weeks.  Shorts last through growth spurts better. lol!

We visited with my mom a bit over a week ago & that felt amazing to see her after almost 2 months! Just entirely too long!  She's doing well & actually had to get a hair cut since it's all coming in at different times & it needed evened out.  She seems to be in a really good place emotionally & really focusing in on what's important to her and what's not.  She's determined to get an apartment down in the Lancaster area within a year (if not move down here for good! oh I can hope!) and said that she needs to spend more time with her grandbabies.  She feels like she's missed so much in the last year--actually more than that--since we moved really, but she's ready to find ways to see them as much as possible.  Yay!!

My cousin Laura had her baby last Monday!!  I'm so proud & excited for her to begin this journey. She was my best friend when I was little & we spent hours and hours and hours playing with our babies & practicing to become mommies.  Her baby was Jessica & mine was Abigail.  So when I found out she was expecting, I was tickled for us to be mommies for real now together.  We lost contact for a few years while I was in college & she was teaching, but this fall I started emailing her & reconnecting.  It's been amazing for both of us to have that friendship back & I hope we'll be able to move closer to her again. That would rock!  Anyway, she was due on Tuesday & her mom was so worried about her labor/delivery that she kept calling me in mid-panic attack for the weeks beforehand to calm my aunt down (Laura had a pretty serious heart condition & required open heart surgery about 10ish years ago).  So Laura didn't call her mom to tell her things were moving until after the baby arrived.  If you know my family, this was a SMART MOVE! :o) hehe.  Abigail Grace was 7lbs, 9oz & 19 inches long.  (my "baby" name and Sophie's middle name! Aww!)  My Aunt was the first grandma to hold her & said she's absolutely in love!  Laura is doing well & she's working hard to breastfeed.  I gave her a slew of books, lots of emails, talks, information, answered questions---you name it while she was preggo, so she's got a good support system started (no one else on that side of the family ever nursed their babies--so I'm the only one & I want to help her as much as I can!).  When I talked to her yesterday, her milk hadn't come in yet, but she went to a lactation consultant to get a game plan of things to do and she said she felt really good about it & was glad I told her what to do if she needed help.  I'm so proud of her!!  I worry that she has IGT, since she showed many of the same classic signs I do, but she's determined! :o)  I hope to get to visit Laura & her baby next week to see how things are going and help if need be.

We visited with my dad & Judy Friday night/Saturday & the girls got to play outside.  They LOVE going to Opa & Omas & I don't blame them.  I do too! ;o)

I feel like I have so much to say and do, but just no time to say or do any of it lately.  Hopefully I feel more control of things again very soon.