Yesterday we received the great news that David got a job! And not just any job...one he had been pursuing for almost 2 months. My hubby is now the in-house tax attorney for Grear and Company, a small accounting firm in Cincinnati. I couldn't be more proud!
Starting January 2nd he will start working full time for them, which means that we still get to spend the Christmas season as a family without worrying about work. My teaching positions are finished next week, and I am very much looking forward to doing some fun things together. Of course, the timing is pretty much perfect, and we are both so, so thankful for God's provision in our life.
Not only did David get a job, but I got a new one too! Next semester I will start teaching at a small, private college close to our house rather than at Gateway. I will trade in long division for Calculus, which is pretty exciting, and I willl continue to teach college algebra at NKU. I am excited to be teaching exclusively at the college level, since that is what I went to school for, and I think my schedule will be better too. I will spend a little more time away from Lydia, but my schedule will be consistent each day and I will be home by 12:30, which will help bring more routine into both of our lives. Also, my prep time will be built into the time that I am away, so hopefully grading homework at night after Lydia goes to bed will be a thing of the past.
We are officially working toward something together again! Not that we ever stopped really, but I am just so happy that David gets to use all of his exciting, interesting, tax law knowledge now ;) Now onto looking for a car! We can't share ours forever...
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Seven Snapshots - Thanksgiving!
I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Despite a stomach bug that has been tearing through around here we were able to have a good one ourselves. We had 4 different Thanksgiving celebrations on 3 different days. The food was delicious and the company was even better! I am still recovering a little bit (mostly I am really tired and have a horrible headache...) but I am so thankful for a fun-filled 5 day weekend.
Here are some photos that we took on Tuesday and then on Thursday. It is crazy to think that I only have 3 more of these posts left before Lydia Grace turns one.
Here are some photos that we took on Tuesday and then on Thursday. It is crazy to think that I only have 3 more of these posts left before Lydia Grace turns one.
Leaves! And a cute belly!!
She is so serious sometimes...
Why do kids love to climb up the slide?
Silly face.
Lydia's First Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
11 months
I have been procrastinating writing this post because I am in denial that Lydia is (less than) a month away from turning one. I can't believe that this first year of her life is coming to a close so quickly, and I am really trying to savor every memory before she turns into a toddler.
Stats: We won't get an update on her height and weight until her one year appointment, but as usual Lydia is growing like crazy. It is funny to see her go through growth spurts. First she will get chubby and her belly will get all round, and then her legs will start to get longer and she will thin out a bit. This month she has lengthened for sure, and now I think she is starting to put on the pounds again. Also, she has 3 teeth! 2 on bottom, 1 on top, and 1 on the way.
Lydia has been sick for almost half of this month. First it was a stomach bug, then a cold, then another virus. It is so unlike her to be sick, but I think it is just her first experience with this season. Even though it hasn't been fun at all to have a sick baby, she is still so happy and so easy. I have enjoyed "babying" her these days since it is starting to hit me how much she is growing up.
Eating: When she doesn't have a stomach virus Lydia eats solid food like crazy. One day this month I made David and I black bean quesadillas for lunch and Lydia ate almost half of one! We have to limit her blueberries and green beans because she will eat both of these things until she is sick, but other than that we just let her go at it. Lydia is a great eater - and I must say that during the times when she has been sick I am so thankful she has a few pounds on her that she can spare.
She still nurses 6-8 times a day, and sometimes once at night. We are still both enjoying nursing a lot, and I have been so thankful that I can comfort her and provide her with nutrients while she has been sick. Breast milk is the perfect thing!! For a cold, a stomach bug, or a sore throat. It is truly amazing.
Sleeping: Well, with a sick baby comes bad sleep. But before all the illnesses struck we had a good thing going. Lydia slept through the night for 11 nights straight this month and it was glorious. Lately she has been getting up once a night - sometimes Daddy can soothe her back to sleep and other times she demands to be fed. She is starting to feel better now, and she slept through the night last night, so here is to hoping we will get back into our great bedtime routine.
Naps are pretty good. She is taking two - one around 10 and the other around 2. The first one lasts for an hour and a half, and the second lasts for about two hours. She is still pretty picky about where she sleeps... if we are any where else her naps are at most 45 minutes.
What she loves: Walking, climbing, saying "da, da", dogs, cats, being naughty, unpacking things.
What she hates: The car seat (still so stressful!!), the nursery at church, being told "no", getting her nose wiped.
Personality/Milestones: I don't know if I can even put into words how much Lydia has changed! She is so close to walking - she had her first steps toward the beginning of the month, then got nervous and stopped trying, and now she is randomly walking across the room. Her preferred mode of transportation is still crawling, but I really think she will be walking by the time she is 1.
She has also started to climb everything! She can go down the slide all by herself and can get on and off of her toy motorcycle. Lydia is all over the place and into everything, but she will play by herself pretty well which is nice.
She says all kinds of things and makes tons of noises with her mouth. Kissing noises, spit bubbles and tongue clicking are a few of her favorites, and she just babbles all the time. She says "da, da" when she sees or is looking for David, and has her own version of "hi", which is a high pitch exhale (if that makes sense...). She has also started to say "nuh, nuh" when she wants to nurse, and she made her first sign, for "more".
Lydia is adorable, and is generally a really good baby. But she is also opinionated and stubborn. There have been a couple instances this month where David and I told Lydia "no" and she clearly tested us. We will have to discuss soon how we will deal with discipline together! Any good resources that you like? I know it is completely normal and healthy for Lydia to be asserting her will, and in a way it is awesome to see her desiring things and really having intention behind her actions.
Heaven-sent Baby items: Since this has been a month of sickness I will tell you about some of our favorite "medicines", if you can call them that.
First, there are Hylands Teething Tablets for when her teeth seem to be bothering her. We have pulled out the Tylenol a few times when she was clearly in a lot of pain, but before resorting to that we like to give her a few tablets and see if they do the trick. Lydia seems to like them, and we have been using them for a while now and I feel they are effective.
Second, for her cold, we use Vicks Vapo Steam with this humidifier. The combo helps her congestion and again is it nice to not have to give her actual medicine. Plus the room gets all nice and cozy for her and she can get some really good rest!
Words from Daddy: I can't believe Lydia is almost a year old. She has been so much fun lately and everyday I feel like she enjoys playing with me more. I love that she says my name and looks for me in the mornings.
Well, this is the last update I will do for Lydia Grace before she is one YEAR old! I will probably change up the update starting at 12 months, and will start spreading them out to every 3 months. Do you have any suggestions for what you would like to see or what you are interested in? I will be on the lookout for any creative ideas :)
I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow. We have a full day planned, but I am very excited. It is so nice not to travel for the holidays - one of the major perks of living in NKY. I can already smell the turkey cooking upstairs... yum! I hope that you reflect on all that you are thankful for - it is easy to overlook the small things and I just love that this holiday really forces you to gain perspective again.
Stats: We won't get an update on her height and weight until her one year appointment, but as usual Lydia is growing like crazy. It is funny to see her go through growth spurts. First she will get chubby and her belly will get all round, and then her legs will start to get longer and she will thin out a bit. This month she has lengthened for sure, and now I think she is starting to put on the pounds again. Also, she has 3 teeth! 2 on bottom, 1 on top, and 1 on the way.
Lydia has been sick for almost half of this month. First it was a stomach bug, then a cold, then another virus. It is so unlike her to be sick, but I think it is just her first experience with this season. Even though it hasn't been fun at all to have a sick baby, she is still so happy and so easy. I have enjoyed "babying" her these days since it is starting to hit me how much she is growing up.
Eating: When she doesn't have a stomach virus Lydia eats solid food like crazy. One day this month I made David and I black bean quesadillas for lunch and Lydia ate almost half of one! We have to limit her blueberries and green beans because she will eat both of these things until she is sick, but other than that we just let her go at it. Lydia is a great eater - and I must say that during the times when she has been sick I am so thankful she has a few pounds on her that she can spare.
She still nurses 6-8 times a day, and sometimes once at night. We are still both enjoying nursing a lot, and I have been so thankful that I can comfort her and provide her with nutrients while she has been sick. Breast milk is the perfect thing!! For a cold, a stomach bug, or a sore throat. It is truly amazing.
Sleeping: Well, with a sick baby comes bad sleep. But before all the illnesses struck we had a good thing going. Lydia slept through the night for 11 nights straight this month and it was glorious. Lately she has been getting up once a night - sometimes Daddy can soothe her back to sleep and other times she demands to be fed. She is starting to feel better now, and she slept through the night last night, so here is to hoping we will get back into our great bedtime routine.
Naps are pretty good. She is taking two - one around 10 and the other around 2. The first one lasts for an hour and a half, and the second lasts for about two hours. She is still pretty picky about where she sleeps... if we are any where else her naps are at most 45 minutes.
What she loves: Walking, climbing, saying "da, da", dogs, cats, being naughty, unpacking things.
What she hates: The car seat (still so stressful!!), the nursery at church, being told "no", getting her nose wiped.
Personality/Milestones: I don't know if I can even put into words how much Lydia has changed! She is so close to walking - she had her first steps toward the beginning of the month, then got nervous and stopped trying, and now she is randomly walking across the room. Her preferred mode of transportation is still crawling, but I really think she will be walking by the time she is 1.
She has also started to climb everything! She can go down the slide all by herself and can get on and off of her toy motorcycle. Lydia is all over the place and into everything, but she will play by herself pretty well which is nice.
She says all kinds of things and makes tons of noises with her mouth. Kissing noises, spit bubbles and tongue clicking are a few of her favorites, and she just babbles all the time. She says "da, da" when she sees or is looking for David, and has her own version of "hi", which is a high pitch exhale (if that makes sense...). She has also started to say "nuh, nuh" when she wants to nurse, and she made her first sign, for "more".
Lydia is adorable, and is generally a really good baby. But she is also opinionated and stubborn. There have been a couple instances this month where David and I told Lydia "no" and she clearly tested us. We will have to discuss soon how we will deal with discipline together! Any good resources that you like? I know it is completely normal and healthy for Lydia to be asserting her will, and in a way it is awesome to see her desiring things and really having intention behind her actions.
Heaven-sent Baby items: Since this has been a month of sickness I will tell you about some of our favorite "medicines", if you can call them that.
First, there are Hylands Teething Tablets for when her teeth seem to be bothering her. We have pulled out the Tylenol a few times when she was clearly in a lot of pain, but before resorting to that we like to give her a few tablets and see if they do the trick. Lydia seems to like them, and we have been using them for a while now and I feel they are effective.
Second, for her cold, we use Vicks Vapo Steam with this humidifier. The combo helps her congestion and again is it nice to not have to give her actual medicine. Plus the room gets all nice and cozy for her and she can get some really good rest!
Words from Daddy: I can't believe Lydia is almost a year old. She has been so much fun lately and everyday I feel like she enjoys playing with me more. I love that she says my name and looks for me in the mornings.
Well, this is the last update I will do for Lydia Grace before she is one YEAR old! I will probably change up the update starting at 12 months, and will start spreading them out to every 3 months. Do you have any suggestions for what you would like to see or what you are interested in? I will be on the lookout for any creative ideas :)
I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow. We have a full day planned, but I am very excited. It is so nice not to travel for the holidays - one of the major perks of living in NKY. I can already smell the turkey cooking upstairs... yum! I hope that you reflect on all that you are thankful for - it is easy to overlook the small things and I just love that this holiday really forces you to gain perspective again.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Lydia's First Sign
Lydia has always been very... expressive. She usually doesn't leave you wondering what she wants. If she is unhappy she will scream, if she wants to nurse she climbs onto my lap and starts to suck on my collar bones, and if she wants another bite she rolls her ankles and wrists. So for a long time we didn't try very hard to teach her sign language. As her preferences have become more defined David and I have been able to keep up with the way she expresses herself. But last week my sister-in-law made a good point when she said that she wants her son to be able to communicate with other people, not just her.
I decided I wanted that for Lydia too, and so for the past few days we have tried more consistently to get her to say more, and today she did! Of course it was for blueberries - and it isn't the perfect sign. However, if you know Lydia you know it is a really big deal that she touched her hands together at all (she is very particular about her hands... we still haven't gotten her to clap!). Anyway, as you can see in the video David and I are so ridiculously proud that we are giddy.
Just thought I would share! I think we will work on "thank you" next.
I decided I wanted that for Lydia too, and so for the past few days we have tried more consistently to get her to say more, and today she did! Of course it was for blueberries - and it isn't the perfect sign. However, if you know Lydia you know it is a really big deal that she touched her hands together at all (she is very particular about her hands... we still haven't gotten her to clap!). Anyway, as you can see in the video David and I are so ridiculously proud that we are giddy.
Just thought I would share! I think we will work on "thank you" next.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
7 Snapshots Sunday
Happy Sunday! We have had a rough day over here... sleep has been eluding us all and Lydia puked when we were on the way to a family get together tonight. But the girl is snoozing now and I am just praying she gets all the way better soon.
Although the weekend has been exhausting, we had a really good week! Lydia is so much fun lately, and is getting big way too quickly. I hope you enjoy watching her grow as much as I do.
Although the weekend has been exhausting, we had a really good week! Lydia is so much fun lately, and is getting big way too quickly. I hope you enjoy watching her grow as much as I do.
This angle isn't the most flattering... but you can see all her teeth!
Lydia as kisses for everyone (and everything) lately.
I have so few pictures with both of us... something I need to change.
Baby girl always has her tongue out - and she loves to blow spit bubbles, which is kinda gross.
Play date! Our best friends' kids came over Friday and we had so much fun.
There were so many adorable moments, including this sweet kiss.
And this is from today! Looking at it now I can tell Lydia was sick. We are cheering hard for our Steelers today because we have a big game against the Ravens.
I hope that your weekend was great and that you are gearing up for Thanksgiving. I only have 2 days of work this week... yay!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
The Start of The Season
Tomorrow I will post pictures, and on Monday... or maybe Tuesday I will get Lydia's 11 (yes ELEVEN) month stats up. But for now I will relish in the fact that I just finished a delicious thanksgiving dinner with my wonderful family. By the way I made this corn dish and got some pretty hefty compliments on it. It made me feel good :)
I love the holiday season but it is so crazy that it is here already! Time is just flying by and it is strange to reflect on our lives a year ago. We were finishing school, installing a car seat, and anticipating the arrival of our baby girl. Now she is so big and full of joy, and it is awesome to experience life everyday with her.
I hope you have some exciting plans for Thanksgiving and that this time of year will help you to remember all the thngs you have to be thankful for.
I love the holiday season but it is so crazy that it is here already! Time is just flying by and it is strange to reflect on our lives a year ago. We were finishing school, installing a car seat, and anticipating the arrival of our baby girl. Now she is so big and full of joy, and it is awesome to experience life everyday with her.
I hope you have some exciting plans for Thanksgiving and that this time of year will help you to remember all the thngs you have to be thankful for.
Monday, November 12, 2012
DIY Birthday TuTu
Yesterday during Lydia's afternoon nap I did some rare crafting. I am not a crafty person, but in order to save money on her first birthday party, and to add some personal touches, I have decided to make a few things for her big day. Using Pinterest, of course, I gathered a few ideas, and I decided to start with the one that seemed like the most fun - an adorable tutu! Here is how it turned out:
I have to say I am pretty proud of it, and I decided a matching hairbow was a must :)
To get to the tutorials I used, follow me on Pinterest by clicking on the icon on the right of the blog, or follow these links, for the tutu and for the hairbow.
Have you done any easy crafts lately? Like I said, this normally isn't my thing (as much as I wish it was) but I really enjoyed making something cute for Lydia, and the sense of accomplishment was nice too.
I have to say I am pretty proud of it, and I decided a matching hairbow was a must :)
To get to the tutorials I used, follow me on Pinterest by clicking on the icon on the right of the blog, or follow these links, for the tutu and for the hairbow.
Have you done any easy crafts lately? Like I said, this normally isn't my thing (as much as I wish it was) but I really enjoyed making something cute for Lydia, and the sense of accomplishment was nice too.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
7 snapshots: Random
It is happening! I am getting bad about taking new pictures of my girl. I didn't pull my camera out once this week, but lucky for you I did take some photos with Instagram (follow me at aharrison0525!) and other people took some pretty cute pics as well.
Enjoy :)
Enjoy :)
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
7 Snapshots... Tuesday
Happy Election Day! Hopefully you got a chance to vote today, and hopefully we will know by tomorrow morning who our next president is. Lydia sat with me while I voted today, and she even got her own little sticker that she promptly put in her mouth...
So, our weekend was pretty nuts. While most people got an extra hour of sleep on Saturday night we got almost none. Our poor baby had a stomach virus and she was up for 3 1/2 hours getting sick in the middle of the night. Having a puking baby is so pitiful, and so not fun. Sunday was a day full of nursing and napping, and even though it wasn't a great situation I must say that I loved having the excuse to really "baby" my baby girl. It is crazy how already all she wanted was me when she was sick, and how that feeling never really goes away (I still want my mom when I'm sick!).
Here are some shots of her when she is feeling very well, and eating bananas!
Lydia is most expressive when she is eating. She screams, flaps her arms and legs, and makes faces.
After the craziness of the weekend our little family took a road trip. On Monday I was off work for Fall break, so we all went up to Columbus for David's swearing in ceremony. He is officially a lawyer now! It was a great occasion to celebrate.
So, our weekend was pretty nuts. While most people got an extra hour of sleep on Saturday night we got almost none. Our poor baby had a stomach virus and she was up for 3 1/2 hours getting sick in the middle of the night. Having a puking baby is so pitiful, and so not fun. Sunday was a day full of nursing and napping, and even though it wasn't a great situation I must say that I loved having the excuse to really "baby" my baby girl. It is crazy how already all she wanted was me when she was sick, and how that feeling never really goes away (I still want my mom when I'm sick!).
Here are some shots of her when she is feeling very well, and eating bananas!
Silly girl.
Lately she is fascinated by Jasmine... luckily Jasmine just runs away when Lydia approaches.
After the craziness of the weekend our little family took a road trip. On Monday I was off work for Fall break, so we all went up to Columbus for David's swearing in ceremony. He is officially a lawyer now! It was a great occasion to celebrate.
The ceremony was in a beautiful theatre, and Lydia enjoyed the fancy chairs.
Daddy holding his girl at the reception. She was such a trooper for the whole trip.
Now normal life is resuming. Lydia is feeling better, I go back to work tomorrow, and hopefully we will be hearing back about David's interview this week. I will be sure to keep you posted!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Patience is a Virtue
I haven't written a real post this week because I have been waiting. I wanted to be able to tell you that David had found a job - that within one week we had gone from knowing so little about our future to knowing much more. But, even after a very good interview this past Monday we still have no word. David had gotten a couple leads but none of them have come through yet. Don't get me wrong - I am beyond words proud of my husband. I am so impressed that he graduated law school and passed the Bar (scoring in the 82nd percentile!) with a newborn. I know that he is going to be a very successful lawyer and find a job that he loves all in God's timing. I know that in the meantime we have an incredible situation due to generous family and an abundance of opportunities for me.
But... we still have to wait. It has been almost 6 months since we graduated and in some ways it feels like we are no closer to where we want to be. Our dream as a family is to have a home that I can focus on, and a job where David can use all of his talents - and we hope that together these two components can create a wonderful childhood for Lydia (and hopefully subsequent kiddos). It's November now, and somedays it is just difficult to still be sharing a car, to be the only people in our social circle without a smart phone, and to be an indefinite amount of time away from buying a house. It isn't only the material things that we struggle with though - it is just the feeling of building something and getting some where that I often miss.
However, I think that it is in these difficult days that I am learning true patience. In the past I have been good at waiting - waiting to get married, waiting to graduate, waiting to have a baby. But all of these things had a real and concrete "due date". The most difficult thing right now is having no idea when we will take our next steps forward. Again, I have faith that we won't wait forever (and judging by the wisdom of all the encouraging people around me, one day we will look back at this time in our life and think it flew by), but we really have no control over when a great opportunity will open up for David. It has been in walking through this tunnel with no light at the end that has taught me how to truly be patient. How to live every day in the present instead of worrying about the future. How to relinquish the lie that I can control anything, and in contrast just start enjoying the blessings. How to force my heart to feel what my mind already believes.
So I think that it is better that I write this post. The one that says we are still waiting... we haven't heard anything... we don't know our next steps. But we are still so, so blessed. And abundantly joyful.
But... we still have to wait. It has been almost 6 months since we graduated and in some ways it feels like we are no closer to where we want to be. Our dream as a family is to have a home that I can focus on, and a job where David can use all of his talents - and we hope that together these two components can create a wonderful childhood for Lydia (and hopefully subsequent kiddos). It's November now, and somedays it is just difficult to still be sharing a car, to be the only people in our social circle without a smart phone, and to be an indefinite amount of time away from buying a house. It isn't only the material things that we struggle with though - it is just the feeling of building something and getting some where that I often miss.
However, I think that it is in these difficult days that I am learning true patience. In the past I have been good at waiting - waiting to get married, waiting to graduate, waiting to have a baby. But all of these things had a real and concrete "due date". The most difficult thing right now is having no idea when we will take our next steps forward. Again, I have faith that we won't wait forever (and judging by the wisdom of all the encouraging people around me, one day we will look back at this time in our life and think it flew by), but we really have no control over when a great opportunity will open up for David. It has been in walking through this tunnel with no light at the end that has taught me how to truly be patient. How to live every day in the present instead of worrying about the future. How to relinquish the lie that I can control anything, and in contrast just start enjoying the blessings. How to force my heart to feel what my mind already believes.
So I think that it is better that I write this post. The one that says we are still waiting... we haven't heard anything... we don't know our next steps. But we are still so, so blessed. And abundantly joyful.
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