Welcome to this Century!

We've had a little lighting project going on in our house. This marks the first updates we are making to our new house!

Before:

After:

The Latest, Greatest, and Not So Greatest

The Greatest: Does this kid love wearing hats or what? And really, could it be any cuter?

The Latest:

1.) Using a spoon - Tonight at supper I didn't even have to touch Ben's food except to cut it up and clean it up. It was SO lovely!

2.) The Wiggles - In case you aren't in the "toddler know", The Wiggles are a group of four Australian men who sign and dance in the midst of vibrantly colored sets. To be honest, it is pretty weird, but Ben loves his Wiggles DVD. It has been a lifesaver to make our transition back home at the end of the day much smoother while I try to start supper. These are one of the things I thought I'd never do, but...

3.) Bathtime - One month ago, bathtime was a total scream-fest. I couldn't figure out why Ben was detesting his bath so much and we dreaded it. However, the problem has been solved and bathtime has become simply wonderful. Ben now gets to pick out his toys, throw them in the tub, take off his own clothes (mostly!), and at the end of bath, he gets to stay in until all the water is drained and the toys are put away. Seriously, it is the little things that make a big difference!

4.) "Rachel" and "Brant" - Somehow, Ben has put together that Mommy and Daddy have another name. Every now and then, he will look at me and say, "Rachel?" Brant thinks it is really funny, so to be fair, I've also taught Ben how to say Brant.

The Not-So-Greatest: We have finally beat our first time dealing with the flu, and yes, it was most likely H1N1. Although Ben has had his fair share of ear infections, we had been lucky that was pretty much the extent of his illnesses. However, this flu made us feel like brand new parents all over again. We were somewhat unsure what to do and probably completely over-worried and over-protective. We did have to make a trip to the ER when Ben's fever spiked to 104.4, which was a little scary. On the upside for Ben, he got to eat his favorite chicken nuggets and as much orange juice as he wanted every day for the entire week he was sick (because those were the only things he showed any interest in). All in all, we made it through and things in our household are now back to normal.

I Love This Age... And Here Are Some Reasons Why!

Home Sweet Home... almost

It's been a week and half since we moved into our new house and it is definitely feeling like home... except for all the things that still need to be put away. However, all of our living areas are relatively organized and liveable, so we have been functioning well. Now that we have finally gotten the internet up and finally started receiving mail on Friday, we are functioning even better.

Ben is going to be 19 months old this week and is such a true little boy these days! He is really into trying to climb on everything, loves to play outside, and always seems to be a bundle of energy. His talking continues to get better and better. He has lots of two word phrases and repeats pretty much everything we say, so yes, it has become important to censor! One of my favorite things he says lately is, "What!?" in a really high pitched voice, much like Brant does when something surprises him. He also loves to watch the ducks and geese on our pond. It has become a daily routine every time we get in or out of the car to look for the geese. If he sees them, he starts to count, "One, two..." We also have lots of squirrels in our yard and whenever he spots one, he says, "Quirrel! Quirrel!"

It is nice to have the move behind us. We love the new house and the property it is on. I'll love it even more when the "stuff" part is all over and I can move on to other more exciting parts to making the house our own, such as painting and perhaps picking out a few new light fixtures. We have had our first really chilly week of fall and I was reminded that all of these things will be great winter projects. I'm sure that will come faster than any of us would like!

New Happenings

Sorry, no pictures this time! This is mainly because I'm not exactly sure where the camera is, let alone the cord to download photos. It seems that is the story of our lives lately and will likely continue to be for the next few weeks.

This is the start of our big two weeks! Our first load of "stuff" was hauled off in the livestock trailer today to be stored in a shed until we close on our new house. I know... livestock trailer? Hey, 32 feet of free storage space is very, very much appreciated! Thanks, Nick! Everything else will be out of the house by Thursday. Wow!

Our last night in our current home before relocating for a week to grandma and papa's is Tuesday night. I took my final early morning run on my regular route today. Ben and I have been making frequent trips to the neighborhood park, knowing that one of them will be the last one, at least traveling there by stroller. Yes, I'm feeling a little nostalgic. A lot has happened in this home and there are things about this neighborhood that I will miss.

However, my excitement definitely overshadows my nostalgia. I'm so excited to have a bigger yard and more space in our home to spread out. As I filled box after box of kitchen items, I found myself excited knowing that I'd have plenty of places in our new kitchen to put everything. I can't wait to have a playroom for Ben! I've got big plans for making his play space more usable and to have a place that is just for him. I'm so looking forward to moving in just in time to watch the leaves change on the beautiful trees in our yard. I can't believe I'm even going to say this, but I'm looking forward to painting the walls in the new house. They are all white - it is like a blank canvas. There is nothing like a fresh coat of paint to make a place your own! Yes, there is a lot of work ahead of us and my organization-loving self will have to deal with the chaos, but there is so much to look forward to.

How could I end without a quick Ben update? My favorite thing he is saying lately is, "Don't cry, be happy." He loves climbing. He has been climbing all over the furniture and knows that in chairs, he should sit like a "big boy." And, he says "big boy" over and over again as he sits down. He has developed an affinity for Elmo. I have to say, as much as I try to limit the time with TV, popping in a favorite Elmo video and handing him some goldfish grahams (another favorite) can be very convenient right around supper time. He also loves to run. Lately, it seems like he never walks anywhere - he is always running. He oftens says, "Run, run, run," while taking off. I am constantly amazed by Ben's vocabulary. He can identify nearly everything in his environment and has been putting words together more and more. Ben is beginning to learn how to "dress up." He has figured out how to put on Brant's and my shoes and also loves to wear hats around the house. Finally, I love that Ben still loves to read with me. He even "reads" by himself and flip the pages and say words he knows from the pictures and pages. We'll often catch him doing this in his crib in the morning. It is wonderful! It just gets better and better!