The Ohiyoh's Blogspot

Some Random Pictures

2012-02-13T21:18:00.001-05:00

So, I have tried to take pictures occasionally; I just don’t always get them posted. Jeremy and Madison enjoyed the snow (what little we have had) this past weekend. She came in all rosy cheeked and happy. The joy of snow!

Madison does a great job being a big sister. I cannot believe how well she does with Ellie. She is always super gentle with little kisses on the top of the head. She wants to see her in the morning and then just touches Ellie’s toes and hands. She laughs when Ellie touches her with her hands. And she works to entertain Ellie. (She also stands really close while Ellie nurses, talks really loud, shakes the changing table while watching Ellie get her diaper changed, and bumped her on the head once while jumping on the couch!) Here she is singing in her microphone one day…

We have had a good start to the week, and have something to look forward to – playing with Grace (and Tara) on Wednesday! Hope everyone has a great week… and a good valentine’s day. (Speaking of which…. I need to give props to my husband for the beautiful roses and card with a sweet note inside. He is amazing – and thoughtful. I love you, Jeremy!)

One Month Old

2012-02-13T20:14:00.001-05:00

I can’t believe how fast a month goes. It happened much quicker with this one than it did with the first one. I think it was all more overwhelming emotionally with Madison – just a clueless feeling that pervaded my whole being. At least this time I know that I can’t know everything and am more apt to roll with the punches. That being said, I do freak out occasionally when Ellie doesn’t do what she is “supposed” to. Madison went to the sitter today, so that Ellie and I could go to two different doctor’s appointments – one for her hip ultrasound (breech babies get to do this) and the one month check up. So, she is much different than Madison. Madison was in the 25th percentile FOREVER for her weight and height; not until she was a year old did she rank in the 50th percentile. Ellie is already in the 90th percentile in all categories. I think that this is not bad – I think the extra pounds has given me a couple extra hours at night that I didn’t have with Madison. It also makes her feel more sturdy and less breakable… helps to build the confidence :)

So here are the stats:

Weight: 8lbs 9oz at birth.…10lbs 10oz at one month (2lbs 1 oz weight gain)
Length: 20-1/2in at birth…. 22in at one month (1-1/2 in growth)
Head: 15in at birth……….. 15-1/2in at one month (1/2 smarter)

She also started with cloth diapers today. I started Madison at one month old, and she was smaller. It is way different putting them on such a little muchkin than putting them on Madison, but I am getting the hang of it again. Babies give you LOTS of diapering practice. I just picked today to make the switch because why not and because I am tired of buying diapers every week at the grocery store! So expensive! A few pictures from today while doing tummy time. Well, one is just a body shot with her big diaper so you can see her whole body. I think the bottom right picture just shows some mischief to come (sorry it is a little blurry).

Smiles and Bath Fun

2012-02-09T10:09:00.001-05:00

It has been awhile since I posted. I think it gets harder the more tired you are and the less free time you have. I will continue to post though, so don’t give up on checking! Jeremy had another three days away from home. My parents were able to come on Monday night and Tuesday to give me a change of pace. I didn’t need them like I did that second week back from the hospital, but they were valuable to us nonetheless. It gave me a chance to run a few errands on Monday night. Then, Tuesday, I cleaned the bathroom, folded some clothes, and relaxed a little. There is something relaxing about not being the sole person responsible.

I tried to take a few pictures to document Ellie’s growth – poor second children get the short end of the stick! While I was photographing, she was a bit tired and weary of her sister who was crawling around her.

Before Jeremy left for work, he bought Madison a bath time baby so she could give her baby a bath while Ellie got a bath. I gave it to her the day Grandma and Grandpa were here. She loved it!

My dad says he can take credit for Ellie’s first smile, and I’ll give it to him. We have seen her give a smile, but I don’t know if it was in response to anything consistently. I think dad got the first smile because he had time to just sit with her :) Here it is:

Finally, a little tummy time…. she usually will just lay with her head on the floor. Unlike Madison though, she seems fairly content to be in that position. I put her on the boppy for a little support. She seemed to enjoy that for awhile.

Overall things are good. One night is very different from the next. Good nights I think I may be able to manage this baby stage. Bad nights, my thoughts wonder if she’ll ever get on a schedule. Her one month check up is Monday; growth statistics to come :) Have a great end to the week.

When Daddy is Gone….

2012-02-02T11:10:00.001-05:00

….the girls will play! Jeremy had to be out of town from Monday through Wednesday evening for work. I decided to stay here instead of heading to one of the grandparents’ houses. I figured at some point, you just learn to do it. It went fairly well. It is tiring to be a single parent (and single parents everywhere, I say, “Keep it up!”). The hardest part is trying to give Madison the time she deserves. Ellie was nursing every 2 hours during the day on at least one if not two of those days. It leaves little down town for playing with Madison. I decided to send Madison to the sitter on Tuesday. I felt incredibly guilty when I dropped her off – like, what kind of mother just puts her kid in daycare when she is off work? However, I needed a break to try to catch up on some sleep, and Madison needed someone to just play with her for a day. I think it is a win-win situation, but not a daily necessity.

On Monday, Tara and Grace came to play for a few hours in the morning. Madison wanted to be a good big sister and hold Ellie too.

Tuesday, Madison went to daycare. After I picked her up we went to the park; it was a nice day, and it felt good to get out of the house. Tuesday evening our neighbors who have a little boy about Madison’s age invited us over for supper. So, we spent some time playing there.

On Wednesday, we painted (whoa… I need paint tips from those with 2 year olds – brushes? hands? type of paint?), blew bubbles, and walked to the park. I wore Ellie in a carrier and pushed Madison in the stroller. This worked, but I am thinking we definitely need a double stroller! Jeremy made it home just in time to give Madison a bath – thank goodness!

It is not just me that misses Jeremy when he is gone. While I was rocking Ellie in the girls’ room, Jeremy was getting Madison’s pjs on in our room. I heard her say, “I miss you, daddy. Hugs?” He said, “You want to give me a hug?” And he picked her up, and I didn’t hear anything for quite awhile, until I hear her say, “Kiss.” She gave him a kiss, and then they were back to putting on pajamas. I am pretty sure that I was not the only one who had tears in their eyes. It was the sweetest thing to hear.

Home

2012-01-31T08:10:00.001-05:00

Leaving for HOME….

We have made it at home for about 1-1/2 weeks now. And it feels good. I always want to stay at the hospital as long as possible – you know, you are well cared for (meals brought to you, no pressure to clean the house, someone caring for your newborn every night) and it just feels safe. But… I come home, and it feels right. In this short time we have had an onslaught of doctor’s visits to keep us busy. I had a check up for my incision, and then a follow-up appointment to make sure it was healing. Eliana had her first visit with the pediatrician, and then an ultrasound for a sacral dimple they saw and wanted to check out; all looks good. Madison went to the doctor for a funny sounding cough that we didn’t want to be passed along if we could help it. I went to a follow-up appointment regarding my appendectomy. Jeremy is the only one who avoided a doctor…. although he did go along to a few of those.

First Doctor’s visit: Weight: 8lbs, 5oz Length: 20.5 in Head circumference: 15 in

The first week home, Jeremy was here. It was amazing to watch him be a dad. I was so busy with Ellie; he became Madison’s go-to person. She got to fall in love with her daddy all over again. He was up more at night helping me, since nursing was a bit iff-y those first days. He was awesome! Unfortunately, he had to go out-of-state for training. (He accepted a position with Rettew for a full-time job! Yea… what a blessing that happened around Christmas time.) So, my parents moved in for about five days. They are superhuman, I think. There was a whirlwind of playing, cleaning, laundry, cooking, and doctoring. I threw up for the first time in decades on Tuesday and was worthless. I couldn’t hardly move. They let me just sleep most of the day. By Wednesday, I was feeling more human and was thankful it was only about a 24-hour thing.

Grandparents are special…

Madison went overnight to Yohs to let me recuperate a little longer. They brought her back on Thursday evening along with supper. On Friday, they helped entertain both girls while I ran out to one of the doctor’s appointments. Jeremy returned on Friday late afternoon. It was so good to see him. I had missed him more than I thought I would, and I missed our “normal” family life. It is kinda like the hospital – it is nice to have people doting on you and helping, but you also want things to just feel normal too. He brought normal back to our house.

Madison’s first snow (and hanging out)…

Big Sister

2012-01-26T17:29:00.001-05:00

So, I know this is late in coming, as will most of my posts be for awhile. I wanted to dedicate a blog to how special being a big sister is. Madison was spoiled when Ellie was born. She got to have BOTH sets of Grandparents come stay with her at our house. I think she was pretty confused at how that all worked, but enjoyed talking about “this papa, that papa, both papas!” She came to the hospital on Thursday to visit for the first time. Ellie had bought her a present to open, and Madison brought a present to give to Ellie. Madison wanted Ellie to hold all her gifts! And she enjoyed her magna doodle for a little while… although there are so many more things to interest her at the hospital! Here are gift giving pictures:

Madison took some time to discover Eliana, but was fairly tentative to touch her too much. It was fun to watch her take it all in.

The highlight one day was getting to hold the baby – what a big girl!

A few family pictures… and one of the favorite parts of the hospital visits – drinking out of the cup with a straw!

Madison did some special things at home, too. Here is a few pics of those memories:

She has been wonderful! Obviously, it has helped to have Daddy here to play with the first week, and Grandparents here to play the second week. When we got home, she followed me everywhere with her little step stool to watch everything – nursing sessions, diaper changes, putting Ellie in the crib, etc. It was really cute. I liked it best when I had my lap free and she could just snuggle with me. That is what I miss most with her, just having time. I am sure as we all adjust, we will find time to play together and continue to create special memories; right now, it just feels like Ellie sucks my time up. Madison is a great big sister though – very gentle and sweet.

She’s Arrived!

2012-01-17T16:56:00.001-05:00

So, it has taken almost a week for this post to happen – guess things go a little slower than with the first… for the record – Jeremy posted pics very quickly on Facebook. Baby Yoh #2 arrived with fanfare! Here is the story (pretty wordy, so you can scroll to the bottom if you just want the info) and the stats:

I started having some contractions (a couple every couple hours) on Tuesday evening. I went into school on Wednesday because they weren’t consistent or too bad, and frankly, I had things I wanted to get done! So, I headed in; on the way, I had a few contractions while driving, but when I got to school, I got to work. Besides moving pretty slowly, I felt okay til about 10:30 when I went on the long walk to the office to work with a student. When I got there, I felt a pretty strong contraction while moving between the student and the desk. My principal saw me and told me to go home – she would call my long term sub to come in and I needed to go home. I went up to my room, packed my things, sent a few last minute emails, and told my sub the last few things on my mind. I drove straight to the doctor (they bumped my appt up) and met Jeremy there. The doctor said that I was still only 1-2cm. He asked if I wanted to have the baby today – and I said yes, I didn’t want to feel this way until my scheduled c-section on Friday. So, he called the hospital, and we were on the books for baby #2 at 4:30pm. We came home and packed up our things in the two hours we had. Throughout the afternoon, my contractions got more frequent and more painful.

We checked into the hospital at 3pm. While laying on the triage table waiting to go to the operating room, the contractions became more uncomfortable… it definitely didn’t help that I was laying on a not-so-comfortable bed. By about 4pm, it was no longer anything to laugh about. Jeremy stepped out to go to the bathroom, and the nurse stepped out to check about the doctor’s status. While they were out of the room, everything went bad. My contractions intensified and came in waves for longer…. and no one was there to hold my hand. At one point, it was no longer intense pain; the pain was accompained by a fire in my belly – hot waves radiating across my entire abdomen… awful! This started about 4:15 and continued until I got my spinal. Before going to the operating room, the nurse said we were going to walk there. I really thought she was kidding. I said I couldn’t do that. There is no way in all of creation that I was able to move my legs let alone stand and walk anywhere with the pain that I felt. So, they wheeled me in, and I rolled over to the operating bed. I sat up for the spinal while the nurse held my hands; Jeremy had to wait for the surgery prep to be finished before joining me.

The c-section began like my last. When they cut the first incision, things were fine. When they went to cut the uterus to bring the baby out, it had ruptured. I heard them calmly say “There is a uterine rupture.” It was calm in the room, but people became serious as well. I didn’t really know what all this meant, except that it didn’t sound good. Thankfully, the rupture was along my previous c-section’s scar line, so there was not additional damage. At 5:08, our second little girl was born – beautiful and crying with a good set of lungs. After closing the uterus up, the doctor said that my appendix looked enlarged, and he was calling down the general surgeon. Normally, he said, the appendix doesn’t show itself, but to my benefit it did. So, the general surgeon came down and removed my appendix, which he said was about 2-3 times the normal size. Jeremy took a picture of the appendix next to our new baby and joked that we had had twins :) Jeremy got to cut the umbilical cord this time, which I think is pretty cool. I was closed up shortly after, and taken up to the recovery room.

This time, our little addition was in the room with me as I recovered. Last time, they took Madison upstairs and I had to wait til I was good-to-go before seeing her. I was glad to see and hold this one much sooner. From there, we headed up to our new “house” for the next 4 days. So, that is the story. here are the stats:

Name: Eliana June (we call her Ellie most of the time)

Birthdate: Wednesday, January 11 at 5:08pm

Weight: 8 lbs, 9 oz

Length: 20.8 inches

State of Emotion – elated parents :)

Pictures:

Random Saturday Events

2012-01-07T22:03:00.001-05:00

This Saturday was quite a day! It started this morning when Jeremy and I took Madison over to our neighbor’s house to play with her little friend, Carston.

Event #1: We headed to St. Ann’s Hospital – not to have a baby, but to try to turn our baby. At my last doctor’s appt (Wednesday), we learned that baby #2 decided to follow in Madison’s footsteps and turn breech. Yep, that’s right – there is about a 3% chance that your baby will be breech… and we are now two for two. This time, we decided we would try a version, which is when the doctor tries to turn the baby externally. We went into the hospital (because of a risk of the procedure) for the procedure. I would say the version could be described as uncomfortable, and painful, but not awful. The doctor literally pushed on my stomach from the top (the head) and the bottom (the bum) and tried to coax the baby to do a little sommersault. We got close – the doctor thought about 10 more degrees, and Jeremy could see how close he was. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. So, we move on. We have now determined our c-section date and unless the baby turns this week or I go into labor, the baby will arrive on Friday.

Event #2: We enjoyed beautiful weather in January!!! Madison got her bike helmet and big wheels out. We took off her bulky coat after a few minutes; it was too warm to need it.

Event #3: We were laying on the couches during Madison’s nap – me, napping; Jeremy, watching football – when I hear Jeremy say, “Oh!” This woke me up to the fact that there was a raccoon on our deck – at 2pm in broad daylight. Now, this follows our hunt for our attic visitors a few weeks ago when we called out Critter Control and captured two raccoons (at a fairly high price). So, Jeremy decided he would scare it off with his bb gun and a broom.

That would have been fine, except we received a call from our neighbors about 20 minutes later with the raccoon sighting. Jeremy called Wildlife Control to ask advice. Based on the sluggish and non-aggressive manner of the raccoon, they thought he might have distemper. They recommended that Jeremy catch it and bring it in. Yep, CATCH it and bring it in. So, the hunt was on! It started with Jeremy and a cardboard box. Then, I joined in with the cardboard box and he got a plastic tote. Then, we grabbed the broom. So, there we were – man and boxes, pregnant woman and broom circling around and around a car trying to coax the raccoon into a box. Jeremy managed to capture it under the cardboard box, but as he was explaining to me what I needed to do to help him get it in the more durable tote, the raccoon maneuvered his body out from under the box! After that, we were joined by our older neighbor with another broom. We almost got him when I threw the box on top of him, but I was too scared to actually hold it down. Then, we almost corralled him into the box by chasing him around and around the garage. We finally gave up when we were all tired of this chase. The raccoon was back on our deck a few hours later. Another neighbor has a live trap; so, we have that set with some cat food and marshmallows (apparently a raccoon favorite) to lure him in tonight. We’ll see how it goes.

Event #4: We headed to the park – we haven’t been in ages. While there, Madison managed to fall off the slide and bump her head. Which both events had me laughing pretty hard (probably too hard!).

Overall it was a good day. I haven’t laughed this hard (my stomach was hurting) since my family’s Christmas when the adults were hanging out after the kids went to bed. Now, I am tired, so I am wrapping this up and going to bed. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

2012-01-07T21:41:00.001-05:00

This post is about a week late, but here it is. On New Year’s Eve, Madison turned 2!!! I can’t believe it has been 2 years since she was born. She has changed so much in such little time. It is amazing how kids grow and develop in absorb so much. Little sponges! Madison picked her pretty skirt out (that her great-aunt Julie gave her at Christmas) for the party. We had a small party here – grandparents and one little friend, Grace (and her mom, of course!). We had sloppy joes, mac and cheese, chips and rotel dip, veggies, and chips. Then, we had cake, ice cream, and berries. We actually opened presents before the meal since the party started around 11am, and the little girls don’t normally eat until a little later. After all the cake and ice cream, the girls ran around and around in circles – Madison carrying the balloons and Grace following after. I said that it was nice that they could entertain each other. Madison also got to talk to her uncle Jason on on the computer; it was pretty cute as she blew him kisses and waved at him. By the end, Madison was content to lay on her new blanket with Grandma and read a book. Here are a few pictures from the day…

Wildlights

2012-01-06T06:30:00.001-05:00

We managed to fit a night to the Wildlights at the Zoo in. It was actually a great night when we decided to go – no rain and not too cold. Madison enjoyed the lights I think, but it didn’t illicit as many oohs and ahhs from her as I thought it would. We watched the dancing lights display over the pond, and she danced to the music there. She liked the aquarium and the carousel as always. Here are a few pics… not the best as it is hard to take them in the dark!

Christmas Wrap up

2011-12-28T21:16:00.001-05:00

Somehow I thought it was better to post in little posts about Christmas rather than a looooong one. So, if you are starting to read this one, be sure to keep scrolling to see more pictures about the Christmas festivities. These are just a few more random shots from our days away from home. There was a very entertaining microphone that turned your voice into an elf voice. Madison enjoyed singing into it. (I think was got some of it on video, but I can’t remember.) We had a family picture taken on Monday night that turned out pretty well. Madison is getting better at photos, so it is fun to see her little smile emerge. She also was okay with the hair barrette we put in her hair; it makes her look more girly and cute :) We hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas. We are not sending out a Christmas letter this year, but rather sending something out with the announcements after the birth of baby Yoh #2 (which is rapidly approaching).

Baby update: I am still only 1 cm, which is still fine with me. If I am still only 1 cm in about 2 weeks, I may get a little nervous that I won’t ever have the baby! But I can handle at least one more week. I will admit it is getting more difficult to get around – slower to get off the couch and out of the car, harder to tie my shoes, and a few more trips to the bathroom. All is good though – weight, blood pressure, etc. – and we look forward to what is to come!

Christmas #4

2011-12-28T21:04:00.001-05:00

From Yoh Christmas, we headed to Bricker Christmas. Jeremy and I took Madison a little early to try to get a little nap in at the “party house.” She napped for about 1-1/2 hours – pretty good with all the commotion going on downstairs! Jeremy and I managed to get Christmas dinner in before she woke up – ham, pork loin, potatoes, bread, cookies, etc… delicious! Shortly after the meal, we started the gift festivities. Madison was once again an elf. This time it was much harder because there were a lot more people that she rarely sees, so it was a game of whose names do you remember. She got a lot of applause when she made it successfully. About 10 people in, she asked, “Where’s Madison’s?” Obviously, she was feeling a bit left out of the gifting! She found a gift for her, sat down and opened it (a stuffed puppy and puppy book and a book about being a big sister), and then settled in on my lap… too tired to continue passing out all the gifts! Here are a few snapshots from the time together:

Christmas #3

2011-12-28T20:53:00.001-05:00

We woke up Christmas morning at Grandma and Papa Yoh’s house. Jason was up shortly after us. Jennifer even made it out of bed fairly early after a late night of travel. Arturo was the last up in barely in time for breakfast!

We had a delicious breakfast casserole before heading to the family room for gifts. Madison helped pass out gifts to everyone – she makes an excellent elf! She donned her tutu for the occasion (along with her pjs and a sporty bedhead hair-do!). She got some new clothes, a battery-powered hamster (who she named Sasha), and a cute kitty coat from Grandma and Papa. Jason gave her a doll with a baby in a sling. It was a good time.

Christmas #2

2011-12-28T20:42:00.001-05:00

We had our small family Christmas on Saturday morning. Jeremy and I had stayed up late (well, 10:30) wrapping presents the night before; I don’t think procrastinating is such a good idea for the future. This year, Madison was much more into the idea of presents. When she woke up and came downstairs, she wanted to open gifts “right now”. We had her open her big gift first by pulling a carefully draped blanket off of a …. kitchen! She squealed with delight and was very excited. She especially likes the microwave that “dings” with each push of the button. She washed dishes in the sink and fed her baby in the little high chair seat that is on one side of it. We had breakfast – monkey bread and fruit – before opening the rest of the gifts. She also got a set of silverware (spoon, fork, and most importantly, a knife), some books, and a selection of Little People. Madison got Jeremy a bird feeder so they can watch birds together. I got him a certificate for a new cordless drill – somehow Sears was out of the exact model he wanted. I got money to go shopping for new clothes! I am really excited, even though it won’t happen until I am in a somewhat normal size later this year.

While Madison and I napped, Jeremy went and picked up Jason from the airport. We got all dressed up to go to Christmas Eve service at our church. Madison sat with us while we sang songs, and then marched up the aisles saying “bye, bye” to everyone along the way as we made our way to the nursery. We headed to Jeremy’s parents house after eating supper. Although she went to bed a little late, the day went well.

A Sad Day

2011-12-21T15:57:00.001-05:00

Today was Madison’s last day with Jamie, her sitter for the past two years. Jamie has been a blessing. I have not cried ever leaving Madison – not even on the first day. Madison is excited to arrive in the mornings at Jamie’s and busts through the doors of her house like she owns the place. She has created all kinds of crafts and pictures, worked on her coloring skills, discovered play-doh, and dabbled in dress up. She has also made some friends there – Maci was her best bud and only a few months older than her. Just yesterday, Noah started and apparently, he and Madison played together quite a bit. He went home and told his mom, “I have a new best friend, and her name is Madison.” So cute! The only reason we are giving up such an awesome sitter is to get our kids closer to our house and because Jamie’s place was getting pretty crowded. We feel good about our new sitter, but time will tell. So, here are a few pictures Jamie has taken over the past years:

Christmas #1

2011-12-20T20:53:00.001-05:00

We had a great weekend with my side of the family for Christmas. We met them at my brother’s house on Saturday morning for cinnamon rolls and gifts. The kids lined up for photos before the chaos officially started. They were a bit more manageable this year, although Madison wanted to take off after each picture. The grandkids sat through the unedited Christmas story, a letter from Great-Grandpa Jantzen, and another book before getting to swap their gifts – very impressive! We also had an impromptu Christmas program of kids sharing songs and talents. In the stocking photo, my mom had said, “Ready, Set, Go” to indicate the grandkids should open their stockings. Madison took it to mean that she should get up and race across the room; it was super cute! Madison received a stroller to push around for Christmas; she loved it (as did the other two little munchkins… much learning to share incurred).

Here are some “formal” Christmas photos:

After lunch, my parents put a spin on the normal Christmas and took us all to Comfort Inn’s Splash Harbor for the day/night. Madison took a little time to warm up to the water, but then we couldn’t get her away. Here are a few water pics:

We had a pizza supper, some “quiet” activities, and a good night’s sleep, before we spent more time in the water the next day. It was a good place to hang out and let the kids burn off their energy. A few shots of the rest of the weekend:

We came home on Sunday just in time for Madison’s nap, which meant I squeezed in a nap, too. What a great Christmas!

Baby is still...

2011-12-14T19:51:00.002-05:00

Head down!! Yea! I had an appointment today. Everything looks good - baby head down, still kicking, and 1 cm dilated. I kinda freaked a bit when I heard that because I am seriously counting on the baby staying in there til January 13th. I have the holidays to enjoy and a lot of work to get done before leaving school. The doctor said 1 cm at this point is normal, and he doesn't expect me to go early.... I have no idea how he would know this, but it was comforting nonetheless.

I am looking forward to this weekend - a Christmas celebration with my side of the family. It should be a wild and crazy time, filled with rejoicing over our Savior's birth, and laughing and eating. Who wouldn't enjoy that!

I hope everyone has a great end the week. I WILL take pictures at Christmas to post, I promise.

A little update

2011-12-11T19:36:00.003-05:00

It has been forever since I've blogged. I have no new pictures to add, so this may lack in interest. A few updates:

I had a OB appointment last week. Everything still looks good; the baby is head down - yea! Hopefully, it is big enough that it will be "stuck" there til its time. I am now on weekly appointments, which a bit exhausting, but exciting to know it is almost time too!
Madison had a bit of a virus since Thursday night. We were up a number of times on Thursday night. Friday she was upbeat and fun. Friday night her fever heated up again - all the way to 104.5 at night! A little high for comfort. We took her in to the doctor on Saturday morning. Saturday night she went to bed at 6pm! - and slept til 8:30 Sunday morning! She was not quite herself yet today, but no fever since Friday; we are in recovery mode.
We have decided to switch sitters with the new year. We thought it would be good to get our two closer to home to make it easier for pick-ups and later drop-offs in the morning. Additionally, her current sitter was filled up and there was no room for our #2. I think the new woman will be good. It makes me sad to know she will be leaving Miss Jamie who has loved her for two years, and all her little friends. Hopefully, it will not be as sad for her as it seems to be for me.
On Friday night, we went to Night in Bethlehem at our church. It is really neat. They set up all kinds of shops for kids to go to and "buy" things with denarius. The shops are things like wool spinning, pottery, synagogue, carpenter, etc. Madison will have fun when she is older. Friday she really enjoy the live animals they had - miniature pony, a little donkey, pigmy goats, chickens, and a giant breed of bunny. We also were guided by the shepherds to go see baby Jesus in the stable. (Portrayed by a family in our church with a newborn.)
We are making some pretty big life decisions right now that I am not ready to share details of. However, we would appreciate prayers for guidance and clarity. We are trusting God will lead us clearly.

Have a great week everyone. I will try to take some pictures to post this week.

Deck the Halls

2011-11-30T20:09:00.001-05:00

On Sunday night, we dragged out our GIANT tree, lights, and decorations to get in the festive mood for the next holiday. Madison had fun looking at ornaments, finding the light up nose, and helping put on the bells on the tree. It was fun to see her participate this year.

I must not be in a mood to write because nothing is coming to mind. So, I hope you enjoy the pictures, and have a great time preparing your households for the Christmas season.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T20:03:00.001-05:00

We went home on Thursday morning for the Thanksgiving Day sale at my home church. As always, it was good to connect with people again and buy – as Jeremy called them – some overpriced food. We headed to my parents house for my family’s lunch feast. It was enjoyable. We were thankful for sunny day for some of the kids to get outside. In the late afternoon, we headed to the other side’s leftover feast. We hadn’t seen most of this side since a family wedding at the beginning of September. So, the time was filled with catching up and laughter. We did not manage to take any pictures.

Friday morning, the cousins enjoyed a little dress up before heading out to bash a giant pumpkin. (I went to spend some hang out time with my friend, Sandy for a couple hours while Jeremy held down the fort.) The day was beautiful! We ended the day with a little more fun playing together.

Saturday we stayed for the first half of the Buckeyes game before heading home.

Weekend Wedding and More

2011-11-19T21:37:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, Jeremy, Madison, and I went to a wedding of a friend. We had friends from Tennessee stay with us Thursday through Sunday. It was fun to have company in the house, and people to catch up with. Saturday was the wedding, and it was a beautiful ceremony. Madison did a great job, and she was even complimented by those around us for her good behavior! :) We came home for a little while in between the wedding in the reception. For weeks, we had told Madison we were going to a wedding, and without fail, she would ask, “Dance?” Yes, we are going to dance. So, when we got to the reception, she headed directly to the dance floor to start the party early. She ate a little at the meal and then starting breaking down about 7:45 – before the real dancing started, but at cake and ice cream time. She and I shared a bowl of ice cream together, which managed to give her a second wind. She ran to the dance floor and did not stop until we pulled her off the floor at 9:30!!! She was a dancing machine. Jeremy said seeing this made him worry about all the years that are to come, especially the teenage ones! Here are some of the pictures from the night (family pictures, bubbles, ice cream, dancing, bride and groom:

The week went by in a busy manner. One highlight was Grandma and Grandpa Yoh came on Wednesday and Thursday. They provided supper on Wednesday which is always a great thing. Madison showed off her dance moves after bath time in her beautiful tutu she had received as a birthday gift last year. It was a lot of fun. Thursday, Madison was able to stay home from the sitter’s and hang out with them. They had a lot of fun playing. This is Madison and Grandma showing some dance moves:

We took advantage of the sunshine this morning to head to the zoo. It was not nearly as cold as we anticipated, and the zoo was nearly deserted – it was fantastic! She wanted to see the bears first, so we watched the polar bears swimming in their pool and moving around right by window. We saw the brown bears sleeping in their caves. The wolves were running, the cougar was pacing, and the bobcat was out, too. The manatee building was where we stayed the longest – not because she loved the manatees, but because she was having fun with these two boys in the pretend speedboat. It was cute. She walked the ledges to get to her next animal – the penguin. The penguins were nesting, so we only peeked at them through the window. Her favorite part was yelling as she walked through the connecting tunnel. It was a good day to get out of the house. She took a loooong nap before we headed to grocery store. Bed time came later than normal, but she was a happy sleeper when it came.

I have a check up this week before Thanksgiving to see how things are progressing. I always take these for granted because the news is always good. We have friends that are expecting their second girl about two weeks after us. They just found out their ultrasound revealed a heart abnormality that will require open heart surgery in the first week after the little girl is born. Please keep them in your prayers as they turn their fears over to God. I imagine it is not easy. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving enjoying food, family, fellowship, and the gifts God has given each of us.

Daddy’s Girl

2011-11-11T06:25:00.001-05:00

Here is a snapshot of what we’ve been doing. Last weekend when I posted, it was beautiful outside. I alluded that Madison had helped Jeremy with a few things. There were some pictures to go with that. She helped with leaf blowing (it was “heaby”) and wanted to help change the air filter in my car:

At the fall party at my brother’s house, she loved the hot wheels. I saw a small one at Once Upon a Child and decided to get it. Her legs aren’t quite long enough to get power behind the pedals, so it ends up being more of a scoot toy still. I think next summer, she’ll love it. She was riding it around the house and decided she needed her helmet on – just like daddy does when he rides his bike. Last night she found Jeremy’s goggles laying out. (He started swim lessons in case he ever has time to train for a triathlon.) We had talked about him swimming at the pool, and she wanted them on – just like daddy.

Last update… I had a 30 week check up on Wednesday. All my blood work looked good from last appointment (no diabetes and no anemia). My blood pressure was good; the baby was growing. The only “bad” news for me was that the baby is breech – again. I am hoping s/he finds room to turn again in there before too long. If not, I know the routine, since Madison decided that she didn’t like to stand on her head either. We’ll see. Here is my belly bump shot; the one on the right is now, the left is 4 weeks ago. I think my pictures from Madison were better because it was always the same outfit and pose … you could tell how I was growing more clearly. Either way, I’ll let you know, I’m getting bigger :)

Making Room

2011-11-05T14:49:00.002-04:00

We decided to start preparing for the next little Yoh finally. Jeremy found a nice convertible crib on Craig's list for $50 that will work for Madison for at least awhile. We spent this morning moving the changing table into our room and putting up the crib and moving around furniture in Madison's room. It looks nice in her room - not as crowded as I thought it would be. Our room will look better once I put everything in its place, but not as crowded as I thought it would be either. I guess there is always room for one more!

Madison did a great job as we spent time upstairs all morning. She wanted to stay in her pajamas all morning. She also wore her new swimsuit too, but only hanging around her neck, not actually on her whole body. It was pretty funny. She helped Jeremy screw the crib together, got into my spools of thread (that I never use), sat in the laundry baskets, colored, and amused herself. It was pretty impressive how well she entertained herself.

Jeremy is out getting my oil changed and my car a much needed wash - during the OSU game! I am not sure why because I told him he could wait, but I'm not arguing either! I need to get to the grocery store yet today and probably take Madison to the park - the sun is shining and I haven't even made it out my front door... some days are like that. This is our second laid back weekend, and I am enjoying it. Last weekend was nice, but I felt antsy - like I should be doing something instead of just relaxing. This weekend, I am okay just hanging out. I need to do a little school work (grades are due on Tuesday), but otherwise.... nothing. Have a great weekend everyone!

Weekend Fun

2011-10-30T21:02:00.001-04:00

The past few days have been good. After the pumpkin farm, we managed a few more events. I had a doctor’s appointment; everything looks good, and the baby is head down – yea!! Friday morning Madison woke up crying for some reason. Although that wasn’t good, it was nice to have an extra 10 minutes of snuggle time with her in the morning. On Friday night, she worked really hard at setting up Jeremy’s collection of plastic cups while we did supper clean up. It was cute.

Then, on Saturday, we went walking with Tara and Grace. It had been a few weeks, so it was good to see them. The morning started out a bit chilly, but it wasn’t too cold to play at the park after the walk. After her nap, we walked around outside – just enjoying the fall weather. Today, we went to church. She had the whole nursery (well, the toddler room) to herself during first service while Jeremy and I helped with other things. She had a fantastic tea party and entertained the adults in charge. She is such a little lady! She dressed in her Buckeye dress in honor of their win over Wisconsin last night. She and the other big Buckeye fan in the house took their picture together!

Late afternoon was trunk or treat at our church. We got there later than we wanted because I was out shopping at Once Upon a Child. While she and Jeremy waited for me to returned, they played dress up. I am sure there is not a more flattering pair of glasses she could wear :)

We got to the church around 4:45 and did a few things – went down the slide, bounced in the bounce house, and rode the train. The train was very fast, and she held on very tight, but she was the youngest one on there and she stayed the whole ride! She saw a few kids from small group she knew (see the monkey and the tooth fairy). She tried trick-or-treating for the first time – she didn’t say much except “thank you” and “bye-bye”, but did enjoy a sucker in the end.

Fall Fun

2011-10-26T07:56:00.001-04:00

This weekend we headed to my brother’s place for the annual fall party. Last year, Madison was moving (kinda) and we dressed her in a cow suit. This year, she was all over and dressed as a normal kid. She had a lot of fun hiking in the woods, riding the hot wheels, pushing the little lawn mower, and playing chase with her cousin, Landen. It was a little easier for us, too, because we could observe her rather than have to be right there beside her. So, I enjoyed catching up with some people who were there. Here are a few pictures from the night….

Yesterday we decided it was our last nice night for awhile. So, we headed to Pigeon Roost Farm for some fun. We had heard a lot of good things about it, and wanted to experience it ourselves. Our only regret is that we got there so late. There were goats, turkeys, rabbits, and camels to look at. There were all kinds of slides, tunnels, swings, toys, games, and things for kids to do. Here are a few pictures of the night. Madison had a lot of fun and could have stayed a lot later; maybe next year we can make an afternoon of it!

Back to Work

2011-10-16T20:36:00.001-04:00

Jeremy went back to work on Monday, and we jumped into it with both feet! There was a project that they brought him on for that needed done fairly quickly and required going to Cincinnati . So, he was gone on Tuesday thru late Wednesday night. Madison and I went to the park and did some things together those nights. It went well. On Thursday, he came home because I had parent-teacher conferences, so he was in charge of Madison that night. On Friday, he had to drive back down there, but was back by supper time. It made the week go fast having all those things to juggle.

On Saturday, we headed to see family. We spent the morning playing with Cale, Landen, and Ben. Steph made it home from work in time to join us for lunch. Madison had a blast running up and down the hallway with the two boys. We then went to my parents’ house for nap time and a delicious supper; mom tried a new recipe on us, and it was very successful! Finally, we went to surprise Maynard at his 60th birthday celebration! We were able to enjoy some ice cream cake, conversation, and seeing family. Ken and Lois had driven in for the party as well. Here are a few pictures…

Survived

2011-10-09T20:20:00.001-04:00

I made it through last week. Thank you to all who were praying for the energy I needed. Good news came last week for our family as well. Jeremy was offered a job with a company here in Columbus only a few minutes from our house! He starts on Monday. This is great for us. I will say that I will miss all the ways he helped here at home while he didn’t have a job – cleaning, cooking, shopping, and sharing special daddy time with Madison. It has been neat to watch their relationship grow. On Friday he said it was a perfect day – sunshine, a glorious time walking the trails with Madison at a local metropark, finished with a long nap. I am glad he ended with such a good memory, instead of one of those rainy-stuck-in-the-house days. It will be another transition for us, but I hope it will be a good one. Here is an evening hang out picture:

My parents came on Friday night to watch Madison so Jeremy and I could go out. We had planned on going to a marriage class for the next 6 weeks at church, but it was canceled. So, we asked them to come this week anyway, and we went out to eat and then to a movie (Courageous). After the movie (around 9:30pm) we were trying to decide what to do, and only came up with going to a coffee shop. The local uptown one closed at 10pm and Starbucks closed at 10:30. We went to Starbucks. I don’t think I could have made it much past 10:30 anyway! It was good to reconnect.

Saturday, Jeremy worked on fixing the community mailboxes while mom, dad, Madison, and I went to the park. Here are a few fun pictures, including looking at a caterpillar on the ground.

Another Week Approaches

2011-10-03T06:24:00.002-04:00

We had a beautiful - sunny at least and not too cold - yesterday. It was a good break from the rain and cold. I am fine with colder temps; I am not as okay with them when they are paired with rain. Madison and I went to the park Sunday after her nap for about an hour. It was a much needed break from the house for both of us. Jeremy stayed home for football and apple pie baking in honor of our Sunday evening guests - Brent (Jeremy's former roommate) and his fiance, Amy. It was nice to meet her and catch up with Brent again, although it did make for a little later night than usual... I am sure our young, without children guests would not agree that 10pm is late :)

This week looms before me and I am not excited - IEP on Monday, dentist and book club on Tuesday, IEP on Wednesday, nothing Thursday!!!, marriage class on Friday. Yikes. I will make it, and I will be extremely grateful for the 2 hours of laying on the couch after Madison goes to bed. I hope everyone has a great week.

24 Weeks

2011-09-28T19:56:00.001-04:00

This weekend my parents came late Saturday afternoon til Sunday around 9am. It was good to see them again, but I think Madison was the one who enjoyed it the most! It was a beautiful night, so we headed to the park to play after supper. After Madison went to bed, it was good to catch up. It was my first weekend home since school started and it was much needed! I feel more refreshed this week for school, and I think that makes a big difference.

Today, I had my 24 week check up with a bonus ultrasound. At 20 weeks, she couldn’t see the heart very well, so she wanted to see me again. I didn’t have a problem with that. I love the ultrasounds. Here are some of the pictures (in 3-D) from the morning visit:

Oh, yes, here is my updated baby bump picture too. On the left is at 20 weeks; the right is now.

As to not be neglected, here is big sister playing with mommy’s shoes. It was cute, but even cuter to watch her walk in them!

Have a great rest of the week.

Almost a month’s worth

2011-09-21T06:36:00.001-04:00

Despite the title, I don’t know how much I’ll actually post here. It is 6:10 in the morning and I might get this done before heading off to school. I feel like life has been pretty hectic – school, gone on the weekend, etc. I have not gotten out of the building before 4pm on most days – I can leave at 3, and I should leave by then. I just feel very overwhelmed trying to get everything done – paperwork, lesson plans, phone calls, meetings. I am sure it will all balance out; I’m just looking forward to that day! At any rate, here is a quick synopsis and picture update of the last few weeks:

School started on September 6th. Here is a second day picture – me going to school and Madison off to the sitter. She is going to Jamie’s house two days a week right now. We thought it was important for her to learn to play with others, make crafts, and experience different things – plus she likes going, and it gives Jeremy a break :)

On Saturday the 10th, Jeremy went to Holmes County to do a 100 mile bike ride there with Aaron Hershberger (a friend from my high school). From the sounds of it, it started off well, then went downhill – leg cramps, chain falling off bike, and rain. They got about 70-75 miles in before calling it quits. It was still worth the experience of biking all those hills! On Sunday the 11th, Jeremy celebrated his birthday….. and I completely forgot it. Yep, I did it, and am admitting it. We went to church, came home, were discussing some not so great lunch choices, when he subtly reminded me that the day held some significance…. I felt horrible. I usually remember birthdays, and even send cards albiet sometimes a little late. So, I had nothing to give him, but we went out for lunch and then I made apple coffee cake at his request. Chalk up a few points for him!

On Monday the 12th, Jeremy and Madison headed to the Wayne County Fair. From the sounds of it, it was a great day. When I got home from work, I asked Madison about her day and she shouted “Animals!”. Then she went on to list them or give them sounds. Here are a few pictures from that day.

Last weekend, I went to Camp Friedenswald with a group of ladies from Salem (picture on left). It was a good time. My college roommate goes to Camp as well; so we had a little reunion with four Bluffton alum while there (picture on right). Although it was relaxing while there, the fact I was gone the whole weekend and rode in a car 11 hours made it feel like a less relaxing time. I headed to bed around 9pm that night, and feel almost recovered.

So, that’s about it with the big things. I have a 24 week check up next week. I’ll let you know how baby Yoh #2 is progressing. Here are two more pics (playing dress up and the apple pie Jeremy baked last night).

Troy and Amanda’s Wedding

2011-09-09T06:26:00.001-04:00

We got to pick Jason up at the airport on Friday night. It was nice to spend a little extra family time with him. Madison, although initially scared of the “strange” man who hopped in the car, recovered and loved to impress him with all her many talents – playing the harmonica, running, laughing, playing at the park, and talking. Here they are hanging out on the couch: Last weekend, we went to Jeremy’s cousin’s wedding. It was at his aunt’s house, and it was beautiful. With the exception of the heat (97F), it was perfect. Madison did not make it through the ceremony – too chatty and antsy – but found space to walk in the reception area where I could still see/hear parts of the ceremony. We walked around the yard to see all the flowers Diane had planted for use in the wedding. These are my best Madison in the garden shots :)

There was a nice spread of cheese, crackers, and fruit for picture time. They served Old Carolina bbq for the meal. The cake looked simplistic and beautiful. Some moving around during this time kept Madison occupied. She mostly liked to go over to the cooler filled with ice that had held bottled water. She tried to climb in once, but most of the time and usually wanted eat and play in the ice. As hot as it was, I had no problem with this. We ended up going home after the meal – I was running out of energy and Madison was starting to break down. The cool bath/shower was a welcome relief. Jeremy stayed, ate cake, danced, and partied til the cows came home.

School has arrived

2011-09-06T06:16:00.002-04:00

My bonus two weeks of summer has ended. I am back with students today. Yesterday, I was at school from 9-5pm - disgusting! I did get most of my IEPs gathered, emails with names sent to teachers, and dates noted. I feel more nervous about this year - a lot of unknowns, more responsibility across all grade levels, more juggling of classes, teaching science again.... I have been praying for confidence, which I don't know if I've felt a need to do before - maybe my first year? At any rate, I'm off to brush my teeth and to see what the day holds.

(We did go to Jeremy's cousin's wedding this weekend. I have a few pictures to post about that, but it will wait to a later hour.)

It’s Official…

2011-08-31T21:55:00.001-04:00

I know many (or perhaps all of my many readers) already know, but I thought I would make it an official post today. We are expecting Baby Yoh #2. Yes, yes, it is true. Madison will no longer get to reign as the main event at the house. Since she likes to play with her baby doll more recently, I take that as a good sign. Really, she has no idea, even though we talk about it. We learned we were expecting shortly before Mother’s Day, but held off telling people until Memorial Day. Our first ultrasound was June 9th. Super fun – we got to see little limbs budding from our peanut.

Our given due date: January 13, 2012; Madison will be just past 2 years old. I have been growing my baby belly a little week by week, but had been able to hide it fairly well when I wanted to. Now, not so much. (I would have bared my belly like I did when I was pregnant with Madison, but it was so glaringly white, I just couldn’t do that to you.)

I am officially 20 weeks (halfway!), and we had our second ultrasound. My new OB has a 3D ultrasound option, which is the pictures they give you. I am not all about the 3-D, but we had already said we didn’t want to know the sex of the baby. We figured if we didn’t want the 3-D, they would think we were a step away from the stone age. (Jeremy jokingly said, after we had left the office, that we should have just asked for a sketch of what they saw!) At any rate, here is the best pic we got. I actually think the 3-D made it harder to see the baby sometimes.

All things looked good at the ultrasound – no problems were noted. The baby was breech, which made getting pictures of the heart a little difficult; so, I get to have bonus ultrasound at my next check up. We are looking forward to meeting Baby Yoh, and I will keep you posted with pictures along the way. Just one last pic of big sis:

Weekend

2011-08-31T15:01:00.001-04:00

I have no memory of what all happened since my last post. I feel like time has passed by so quickly, and I can’t remember it. I do remember that the week got a little busy – I went into school a couple times, we went to the park a number of times, and then we traveled home. Friday we went to Jeremy’s parents’ house. His aunt and uncle from Florida were in town, and we wanted to connect with them. We took Madison to a neighbor’s pool for a swim before everyone arrived. She has turned into a little fish – she loved it! We even put her head underwater twice, which she didn’t love, but didn’t hate either.

We went to eat at Das Dutch – as a tribute to Amish country. My parents joined us for that meal since the restaurant is so close to their house. Madison strutted around with her little purse over her shoulder much of the night.

Saturday, she played in the sand-water table. She got very wet and sandy, but had a ball. Plus it was a beautiful morning to sit outside and watch her play. After lunch, we headed back to Columbus; she slept the whole way home – exhausted!

My parents came up for the first time since my dad’s neck surgery. It was good to have there here. We took them to the park near us – in the shade with a stream to play in. Madison quite enjoyed the time.

Sunday, it was off to church in the morning, then to Scrambler Marie’s for a tasty brunch, and home for a bit of playing before Madison went to bed, and they went home. It was a good weekend with family.

Last Week

2011-08-21T20:29:00.001-04:00

Sunday must have become my blogging day. This week was fast and slow all at the same time. It was busier than normal, and a good change of pace for us. Tuesday and Wednesday I went into school to meet and plan with others. It is good to have some scheduled time because it forces me to get there. It has been hard to motivate myself this year because I can’t access much of the building or any of my things due to construction. I think I work better once I am unpacked and settled somewhere. This year, I don’t have time to wait that out. I’ll have to figure out how to just start planning! While I did that, Jeremy’s parents came down Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon. They played in the pool on the deck with Madison, took us out for supper, read books, and went to the park. It had been awhile since we had seen them, so it was nice they came down.

On Thursday, Luke, Steph, Lilli, and Sam came to visit. We went to the Olentangy Indian Caverns, Steak n Shake, Easton Fountains, and Casa de Yoh for tacos and bread pudding. We hadn’t been to the caverns, so it was something new for us as well. We all enjoyed it – even Madison! After the cave tour, Sam and Lilli mined for gem stones in the running water with their screens. Madison just threw rocks in the water. Madison fell asleep on the way home; Jeremy stayed here with her while the rest of us went to Easton fountains. It was fun to watch Sam and Lilli – and Luke! – play in the water.

On Friday, we decided to go to Alum Creek State Park beach. Last time only Madison and I went; this time, Jeremy got to go with us! It was a nice day. We had borrowed a canopy tent from friends at church. It was nice to have some shade while eating lunch. Madison had fun playing in the sand. She even was really brave in the water – walking out holding our hands until it was up to her chest! That was a lot of progress from the last time. She fell asleep on the way home, but woke up when I carried her upstairs. She talked and sang and played in her bed for a good 30 minutes. We were thinking she would fall asleep (isn’t that what the beach and sun is supposed to do – make kids tired?); however, she did not fall asleep. So, we kept right on playing!

The rest of the weekend has been pretty quiet. Jeremy went for a bike ride, and Madison and I went for a walk on Saturday morning. A quick trip to the store on Saturday night. Church on Sunday. Then, Madison and I went to a park near us to play tonight. She did better on the steps, tunnels, and slides. We also went down to the little creek to throw stones – super fun! And that is that. Tomorrow, Madison has her big doctor’s appointment to check how her urinary reflux is doing. She has been on meds since about six months old. She has to have a catheter tomorrow, which worries me. She didn’t even like the doctor saying hi to her at her 18 month check up. Please keep us in prayer around 8:30am.

Summer fun

2011-08-14T20:50:00.001-04:00

I must be on a picture kick because this post will be some of the random summer fun pictures we have taken this past week. This was from a little while ago, but she is helping me water plants outside after swimming.

We went to the zoo on Thursday with most of Columbus; it was a beautiful day! Madison liked the goats, but really only wanted to touch them with the comb.

That night we had corn on the cob, and she wanted to try eating like us. So, here are some shots. She loves saying “cheese” when she sees the camera. My sister-in-law always said this looked like a “Chucky” face – a horror film character for those who know it. It is terrifyingly cute!

On Friday, we had a great time with Andy and Mandy and their daughter, Addie. Jeremy had been friends with them before I met him; they were serving as missionaries abroad the last few years. I had only met them one other time, but was so relaxed with them. It was a great feeling. Madison helped me put pepperonis on the pizza for supper that night. She loves to help out. She helped me put cans in the cupboard today and yogurts in the fridge after grocery shopping today. It is fun to watch her learn these things; it requires a reminder to myself to take life a little slower!

She went to church this morning in her fancy outfit – all the way to her shoes. Her Grandma Yoh gave it to her awhile ago, but we just got her in it this Sunday. She wanted to carry a little purse to church with it, too. Grandma Ediger had given her a little money purse for her Sunday school tithe, and she has asked for it all the time. I felt like I had such a little lady on my hands!

So, that’s that. In other news, I have a few work days coming up at school this week. The following week, I am giving myself mandatory work days. Our school year doesn’t start until Sept. 7th with kids, so I have been procrastinating a little more than normal. I am a bit stressed about what it will bring. We are in a whole different structure – four small academies (aka schools) within our high school. So, I will be in charge of my academies students with special needs across grades 9-11. This is a major shift from just supporting the 9th graders. I will also teach one period of science again this year. I am not super excited about this, but it will be good to keep up my lead teaching skills :) Hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather we have been blessed with. Have a great week.

Boston Trip: Madison’s Perspective

2011-08-12T13:56:00.001-04:00

Okay, so she didn’t really take a trip to Boston, but it was a vacation for her nonetheless. Since we took her to Jeremy’s parents last time I left town, we took her to my parents this time. We dropped her off on Wednesday evening and picked her up on Sunday around lunch. It was longer than we’d ever left her before. I reminded my mom to take pictures of their time together. On Thursday, they went to the Kidron auction and looks at all the animals. Madison LOVES animals, but it very hesitant to touch them. Mom said she had a great time. They did a lot of swinging, playing in the sandbox, going for short stroller walks, playing in the sprinkler, and sliding down the fast slide; many of these happened everyday.

On Saturday, her cousin Landen came over to play. This was good because she doesn’t get to spend as much time as I would like her to with her cousins – especially in one-on-one! Here is some of the excitement from that day.

She also spent some time getting a pedicure – just like Grandma!

Overall, she had a great time, and although her welcome home reaction to us proves differently, I think she hardly missed us! Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa, for giving her a great vacation.

Boston Trip: Our Perspective

2011-08-11T07:54:00.001-04:00

(Disclaimer: This is a long post, but includes a lot of pictures.)

This last week for an extended weekend Jeremy and I went to New England. The original destination was Boston, but we expanded it with a rental car to pick up some more states on our list of those to visit. (We are each down to about 5 or so states to get all 50!) We dropped Madison off at my mom and dad’s house for some special grandparent time while we were gone – see upcoming post for her perspective :) The cheapest flight was out of Pittsburgh at 7 on Thursday morning. So, we got a hotel there and started the adventure. The airline threatened a 2 hour delay that morning due to a missing part, but it ended up borrowing a part form another airline and the delay was only about 30 minutes. We picked up our rental from Boston around 10am and hit the road.

We headed up the coast and made our first spontaneous stop at a town called Newburyport. It was a great coastal town – delicious seafood, the first coast guard station (which we were able to tour since it was the coast guard’s 221st birthday), tiny shops, and a beautiful walk along the water. They were having a little festival in town as well, which added some flair to the town, but more importantly some kettle corn to our bellies! Here are some pictures from our time.

We continued north along the coast. We saw some sandy beaches loaded with people – low-80s, breezy, and gorgeous out! We continued driving and stopped along a rocky beach area.

We hopped back in the car and made it to Maine to visit Kennebunkport. It is, in case you don’t know, the home of the senior George Bush’s getaway home/compound. The place was beautiful, located out on a point. I decided that I could definitely live there; Jeremy concurred.

From there we headed to our final destination – Middlebury, Vermont in a little bed and breakfast famous for the outside shots for The Newhart Show. It was a nice little place. We ate a delicious restaurant on the river for supper before turning in for the night.

The next morning, we ate a full breakfast – eggs, toast, hash browns, fruit – before asking directions for the best short hikes in the area. We did three “hikes”; I use this term loosely considering our hiking is usually longer and include a lunch break. The first stop was the Robert Frost Interpretive Hike - a flat walk with poetry placed in selected areas along the way.

We headed to Texas Falls next. This was a stop where you just got to walk right up to a beautiful falls. You could continue hiking from there, but we didn’t.

Our “big” hike of the day was to Silent Cliff (I think that was the name). You can take this trail up and continue on the Long Trail, which is a part of, or hooks up to, the Appalachian Trail. This hike started off pretty steep – I was definitely huffing and puffing! We continue on and it tamed down, but it still continued to climb. I think it was about a mile hike up. When we reached the view area, we were treated with a view of the Green Mountains that was worth all the work. We ate a small snack and rested before heading down.

From there, we headed to Beverly, Massachusetts, a town near Boston where we were staying for the next two nights. We went to the town of Essex to have dinner looking at the water. Our hotel room was bigger with a kichenette. It was nice to have some space to spread out our things. The next day we went for a whirlwind tour of Boston. We started with a train ride to the subway and the subway to Fenway Stadium. We took a tour of the stadium to learn a history of the renown “Green Monster.”

We took the subway to Harvard University for our next stop. We should have taken the student tour to hear anecdotes of student life, but didn’t know how much time we wanted to actually spend there. We feel smarter just for visiting. :)

Next, we started the Freedom Trail – a historic walk through the city. It is only 2-1/2 miles long, but it felt MUCH longer. It took you by all the sites. The memorable ones in my mind:

location of the first public school, Paul Revere’s house (left in background),

the Old North Church where the whole lantern hanging happened (you know, two if by sea, one if by land),

and the USS Constitution.

These are more memorable than others because we actually took pictures. It was a neat experience to walk through town between buildings and streets with such history though. We took the ferry back to access the nearest subway station to get us back to the train to get us back to the hotel. Jeremy posed with the Stanley Cup in the subway…. he likes to say this is the closest a Blue Jackets’ fan will get to one. :)

I had a little emotional breakdown before supper from exhaustion, but recovered for a succulent supper of lobster and corn on the cob. We turned in at a decent hour since our flight left at 7am the next morning.

The flight back was uneventful; the drive to my parents’ tiring; the reunion with Madison – awesome! Her reaction to seeing us was priceless and I wish we had video taped it, but I am sure it will stick with us. She was not sure if she should cry or talk or run or stay or what. It was great to see her again. After all who wouldn’t want to come back to this (taken a few days before leaving, we looked at this sometimes when we were gone):

This Week

2011-07-27T07:51:00.002-04:00

It has been pretty mellow since our last post. I got out of the house this weekend to go watch a movie (Something Borrowed) at the dollar theater. I used to go in the summer in the middle of the afternoon quite a bit to see movies for a buck, but it is not as easy to do with a toddler. It was a good break from the daily routine. Jeremy and Madison went on a short bike ride on Sunday - both came back sweaty. We enjoyed a cooler (maybe just less humid??) walk yesterday which was wonderful! We are planning on going to storytime and the zoo yet this week.

Madison is becoming such a ball of fun. She seems to be picking up more words and using them all the time. She now points to herself and says "Madison". It is cute. She can sit down and take her shoes off, and she goes to find them when it is time to go - so helpful. She is also playing babies more with her two dolls. She carries them around, kisses them, and has figured out she can undress them (with a little help). Yesterday on our walk, she wanted to take her stuffed doggie. That was the first time she wanted to do that, and I thought, "You are becoming a little girl." She still has her moments, like when I asked her to hold my hand in the parking lot when shopping (usually not a big deal), and she said "NO". I picked her up and carried her, which she didn't particularly enjoy. Or when we are wanting to get moving a little faster and she moves so ... much... slower.... I can't hardly stand it. I think she knows what she is doing though :) Overall, she is pretty sweet, and I am very proud of who she is becoming.

Family Events Weekend

2011-07-19T21:11:00.001-04:00

This past weekend was crazy – and we even skipped out on one of the events! We met the Bricker clan at Mohican State Park for a family gathering. We stayed at the lodge which was so nice! We had a picnic supper on Friday night. Before the food was ready some of the cousins played a friendly game of keep away with Madison…. she thought it was fun – looked like a form of torture to me!

On Saturday, we managed to get some of the troops moving for a morning hike. (The rest were enjoying a little extra sleep; it was the weekend, and they have no small munchkin to wake them up!) Madison rode in the backpack carrier for the first time and did a great job. She enjoyed touching the cold water falling from the treacherous Lion’s Falls! Jeremy played horse-y to keep her entertained while she was riding; she thought that was fun.

We had a lunch break before a group went kayaking on apparently the busiest day of the entire season. They said it was so packed on the river it wasn’t that much fun. I stayed back while Madison (and I) napped for a couple hours. We had lunch with some relatives from the Yoh side [Don, Beth (Jeremy’s cousin), Tori, and Reid and Ken and Lois – Jeremy’s aunt and uncle] at Pizza Hut before turning in for the night. Well, I turned in for the night; the others watched a fireworks show over the lake. On Sunday, we played in the pool outside. It was a good sized kiddie pool. Madison would (kinda) brave walking in it, but wouldn’t sit. She is still learning to enjoy water in large amounts.

We headed to Dalton for nap time, while everyone else headed to another family reunion. After nap time, we went to Arturo and Jen’s open house for those who couldn’t make it to the wedding earlier this summer. It was another chance to hang out with family. We left around 6:30 to make it home for bed time. Whew! I am sure you could feel the whirlwind – and hopefully, the fun – we experienced. Hope you are all surviving this disgustingly hot and humid week. We look forward to a break in the heat wave; it is hard to motivate yourself to go outside and play when the weather is like this. Stay cool!

The Lazy Blogger

2011-07-12T15:05:00.001-04:00

So, I’ll just admit it – I have had time in the last 5 days or so to blog, I just haven’t. We have actually done quite a bit. For July 4th, Madison and I headed to the Rohr’s for their party. Because we were staying longer than Sunday, Jeremy didn’t join us; work just ruins summer fun! Madison enjoyed the pool in a floating inner tube someone had. Chuck had a very fun train he powered the kids around the yard in. Madison sat with her cousin, Sophie, for the ride.

Then, on Monday, my mom took everyone to Rolling Ridge Ranch. It was 8 adults and 9 kids on a wagon pulled by Rex and Rick, horses. We were given food pellets to pass out to the animals as they approached for a snack. And, boy, were there animals! We fed llamas, deer, ostrich, beefalo, zebra, long-horn cattle, and more. Sophie even got to drive the team of horses for awhile! The kids loved it, and we adults had a great time as well. Afterwards, there were goats to pet, ducklings to hold, peacocks and monkeys to look at, and roosters to chase. It was actually a great morning weather-wise and a lot of fun.

Monday night I took Madison to her Grandma and Grandpa Yoh’s for a couple day stay while I went with Sandy to Mennonite Convention in Pittsburgh for a few days. I stayed with Sandy Monday night, and we left Tuesday morning. Tuesday, we enjoyed some seminars, a cooking show, adult worship, and youth worship. In the evening we went to a Bluffton Alumni event. We were able to get our picture taken with J. Denny Beaver – a newly updated beaver suit for those who are from my era. We spent the night with a college acquaintance, Erlina and her husband. Wednesday, we headed back for some more seminars and lunch with some friends. After our last session - “Teaching children using the Martyr’s Mirror” … if you know if the book The Martyr’s Mirror, you will understand the intrigue of this session – we headed out. We ate dinner at Rockne’s in Massilon ; I love their Firestone Chicken Salad and pita!. I reunited with Madison that evening, and debriefed at my parents house. We left the next morning.

Since then, we joined friends for some Chinese food and fun at the park, went to the park (pretty much every day), played in the fountains at Easton, and took some naps (some shorter than others). We are back to the daily grind. There is a lot of “mommys” which just means she needs something – not that she knows my name. There is also suddenly a lot of whining when you are not sitting right beside her playing. If anyone has any tips on how to fix that, let me know. Truth is, sometimes you have to cook supper, wash dishes, pick up the house… you know, adult responsibilities. We are working on it. No other big plans – story time tomorrow, maybe the zoo this week since it is supposed to cool off, another park or two. We’ll see. Hope everyone has a great week.

COSI and The Beach

2011-07-01T14:23:00.001-04:00

We had two very exciting days. Yesterday we met Tara and Grace at COSI. We had not been, but I had a friend recommend it. COSI is a science center (for those not from here) that you usually associate with kids a little older; there are lots of hands on activities for them. They also have a whole section of a floor dedicated for little people – preschool and under. It is great! There is a mock clinic, kitchen, ambulance, playground, houses, and other things to experiment with. Madison and Grace loved it! Here are a few pics:

They also have a water area. There is a water table where infants can sit in seats and feel water. Then there is a water table where toddlers can splash and play with different containers and watch things move in the current. Needless to say, the girls were soaked and content. (Tara had suggested a change of clothes, so we were prepared!)

Madison slept on the way home, woke up for lunch (bummer), and then I put her back down after an hour; she took an 1-1/2 hour nap after that. We got in our tiny pool on the deck in the afternoon. Yes, I put on my suit this time, too. Let me just say, I pretty much take up the entire pool. She liked having me sit in there though, so that’s where I was for most of the hour we were outside. It is really nice on the deck in late afternoon because it is all shaded – perfect!

Today, we were invited to the Alum Creek State Park to go swimming with the Haltermans. They couldn’t get there til around noon, so we headed up a little earlier. I knew we would have to leave to come home for a nap and wanted her to have some time to play. So, we packed the beach bag and cooler, put on our suits, slathered on the sunscreen, and headed out. She marched toward the water like a pro and stopped when the water touched her toes. I think she was unsure of the sand/water texture. She eventually got more comfortable, but never went in farther than her knees. I carried her out farther, but she just clung really tightly to me. She dug in the sand with her shovel and bucket for a good 45 minutes before it was lunch time. Here are a few pictures:

She fell asleep on the way home – again – but this time, she had eaten, and I could just carry her up to bed. We’ll see how long she sleeps; I hear sun, sand, and the waves wear little ones out! :)

18 month check up

2011-06-29T20:04:00.002-04:00

Today was a big day - 18 month check-up!!! Beforehand, we went to the library for storytime (lap infants to 18 month olds). It was much quieter than the last one (18-36 month olds). Madison still had fun hopping, turning around, and shaking the maracas. She was fine at the doctor until I laid her down to take her clothes off - the crying and clinging began. This had never happened before. She improved when the doctor and I were talking, but disintegrated the moment the doctor moved closer to listen to her heart and look at her ears. Of course, the two shots were not the highlight of the appointment. She did settle down within the time it took to read one book. Here are her stats:

Head circumference: Now - 19 in... 95th percentile (at 15 mo - 18.5 in)
Height: Now - 32.5 in...75th percentile (at 15 mo - 30 in)
Weight: Now - 23lbs, 9 oz... almost 50th percentile (at 15 mo - 21lbs, 3 oz)

She doesn't have to go back til she turns 2. However, she does have to go for a check on her urinary reflux, which involves a catheter! I am not - after this appointment - looking forward to that. It's not til August, so we have some time to prepare.

In other news.... my dad's surgery on his neck vertebrae went well according to the doctor, but the recovery is more painful than he was expecting. He is used to all things back surgery, so this is just different. And somehow he thought it would be easier - the neck is, after all, smaller than the back. The problem is that you use your neck for everything. Think about it: it holds your head up/on... what do you not do with your head??? Please pray for him as he continues to recover.

A Few Things

2011-06-25T13:48:00.001-04:00

This week went fast for me. I think it was because we were so busy – in a good way.

Monday – walking with Tara and Grace and played at the park while my car got an oil change

Tuesday – pool party with co-workers at RHS. One of our intervention people is leaving us, and this was a last hoorah. Madison got to connect with Maci, her friend from daycare. Unfortunately, Maci was a little fish, and Madison was hesitant of the water. She hung out by the snack table (just like her momma!) and marched around the deck. Here are a few pics:

Maynard and Gloria took us out to dinner that night, and then stayed overnight.

Wednesday – I went to summer bridge – a 3 day (only a few hours a day) event to get to know the kids in our academy. (RHS is becoming academies/small schools… if you want to know, I can explain it sometime.) There weren’t very many kids there, but I had a lot of fun getting to know them. Maynard and Gloria got special grandparent time with Madison while I was gone.

Thursday – We met Danielle and Mia from our small group at the library and park to hang out. She is a teacher also, and Mia is only about a year older than Madison. It was good to be able to spend some time getting to know her a little better. Hopefully, we will get together more this summer. Madison and I tried out the little pool for the first time on a whim. It was a bit cool outside, but I put some warm water in; it kept her busy for a good 45 minutes. The first time I filled it she sat in the water, so I just stripped her down. Then, she pooped in it. So, we dumped it out, and started again. Jeremy had added posts to the deck, and we can put up the baby gate for the stairs. So, it felt good to watch her play while I got some things together for supper in the kitchen. Next time, we’ll use a swim diaper!

Friday – I took Madison to the last day of summer bridge which was a the zoo! We walked around and met the students for lunch. It was good to mix personal and professional life. I don’t often let the kids in on a whole lot, so this was a good opportunity to do it. This was also our 5th anniversary. Jeremy brought flowers home for me. And I cooked a good Pan-Roasted Corn with Shrimp and Pasta meal. It is a really light meal/flavor, but it is so good (and easy)!

Father’s Day and more

2011-06-21T14:24:00.001-04:00

Friday, my brother (Nate) and his family came to Columbus. They called to let us know they would be coming to the zoo, which was great because we have had little to do this week. I was excited to see them. We met them about 10:30 at the zoo, applied sunscreen, loaded up strollers, and headed in – 5 kids and 3 adults. Here we are waiting for tickets – Sophie, Madison, and Chloe:

Pax wanted to see the bears first, so off to the polar bears we went. I had never seen the polar bears doing anything, so it was a nice surprise to see them swimming in the water. We went down the ramp to see them underwater. It was fantastic! Up above, we watched them wrestle; this is most of the kids entranced by the animals:

From there we headed to my favorite thing – the Animals on Safari show! We ate lunch while we watched, which is an excellent use of time. After the reptile building, Megan, Madison, and I headed home to take naps. The two sat in the backseat and talked and touched hands a little before falling asleep. Nate, Jen, and the other three returned about 4:15 and we ordered pizza and stromboli from Carfagna’s Kitchen. (If you live in Columbus, I recommend this place. The pizza was good and the restaurant is casual – serves great food!) They left after an ice cream treat from McDonald’s (yeah, I know there are better ice cream joints here, but this is cheap and fast!)

On Saturday, Jeremy and Madison spent some quality time on a bike ride. We got this trailer off Craig’s List, and she seems to enjoy it. (For those safety people out there, I just bought her a helmet.) It is so cute to watch them.

Sunday, we celebrated Father’s Day (without a picture to commemorate it). We headed home after church for a gathering at the Bricker’s. Amanda made some delicious chip dip that held us over til the burgers were ready. Madison took her time warming up to people, but eventually joined Mark at the piano. We stayed til about 4pm, then went for a quick stop at my parents’ house. We ate a little there, swung, tried the new slide, and played with others. We took off by about 6:30pm. Such a whirlwind, but it was good to see everyone.

Today my dad had surgery. From the initial sound of things, it went well. My brother sat with my mom at the hospital, which I was glad someone was there for all that waiting with her. Hopefully, his healing process will go quickly.

Thunderstorm

2011-06-16T19:52:00.001-04:00

Today I heard there might be rain coming, so I tried to find some indoor things to do in the morning with Madison. We went to the church to pick up
Sunday school material, then to the library (found out there is story time once a week for her age group…. super exciting!), to the swings, and to the mall’s playground. I wanted to see if Madison would like that play area as a rainy day option. She loved it. It is for kids 5 and under and you run around barefoot. She loves being with other kids, so this was better than some of the quiet parks we end up with since there were a lot of kids. We ate at Cheesecake Factory afterwards; I was just tired of whatever was in the fridge. She was tired and fell asleep on the way home, which she has done every day that we go out. It is a hard shift to get rid of her little morning nap. After her nap, there was a thunderstorm. She stood at the back sliding door with it open and enjoyed watching the rain; we did not go out and play. I love her in this little outfit:

Madison and Grace

2011-06-15T13:41:00.001-04:00

Madison and I went walking with Tara and Grace yesterday morning again. It is a good time for some adult conversation, which frankly, I need. After walking, we played in the park a little while before heading home. Madison fell asleep on the way home. I carried her in like a sack of potatoes and let her snooze on my chest for a few minutes…. it felt so good! I got her up so I could make lunch before putting her back down for her nap. Tara needed to go to a class last night, so I offered to have Grace over to play. It went really well. They shared toys, smiled, “talked,” and played. Madison did get a time out for poking at Grace’s face after being told not to twice. They were super cute. Here we are at supper; I love the close up of Madison’s cheese face!:

Then, I stripped Grace down for her bath, and Madison came to lay beside her. I will say she misjudged where she was at and almost sat on Grace, but we righted her before it happened.

The bathtub was a lot of fun, too!

Madison went to bed about 45 minutes before Grace went home. So, Grace practiced walking while watching Wipe-Out. It was a fun night.

Wedding Weekend

2011-06-15T13:23:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we celebrated with Jeremy’s sister, Jen, as she married Arturo. We traveled to eastern Pennsylvania near Scranton to go to the wedding. Madison did a fantastic job in the car; it was about 8 hours of driving. We could drive for about 3 hours before she hit her limit; then, we would get out, eat, walk around, and play at a park when we could. We got there just in time to see rehearsal– and be a part of… Jeremy was a scripture reader. Here are some pics from that night….

It was beautiful and shaded at about 6pm, but the next day at 1:15 would be in full sun. For good or for bad, it was raining all the next day and the wedding was moved indoors to this simple room. Here are pictures from the wedding ….

The dinner was outside under a tent. The tables looked beautiful. For most of the meal, I was back at the cabin while Madison took a nap. When we returned, we dressed in warmer clothes since it was pretty cold outside. The cakes were arranged on tree stumps, which I thought was a pretty neat idea. Madison was a dancing machine and pretty much went up to anyone. Our only mishap during the dancing was when she tried three times to dance with a little girl about her age. The little girl shoved her down three times! Poor Madison, she didn’t know what was happening. :( Otherwise, it was a good night!

We traveled home on Sunday to my parents’ house. We were able to connect with Luke’s family while we were there as well. On Monday we finally made it home in the morning. It felt like a longer than a 3-1/2 day getaway… I think there was just a lot of traveling, rather than just relaxing. We were glad we could share in the special day. Congratulations, Arturo and Jen!

Summer Vacation!

2011-06-08T20:24:00.003-04:00

It has begun, and I am so excited! On Monday, Madison and I went on a walk to the park to swing a bit. On Tuesday, we met Tara and Grace at Park of Roses for a walk. We walked for almost an hour. (Tara is a relentless partner!!) Then, they had to take off for an appointment. Madison and I enjoyed the surprisingly cool (relative term here) morning by playing in the sand and with the other playground equipment. It was a great place. Today, I sent her off to the sitter's again and headed to the school for a day of planning for our new academy next year. (If you really want to know what this is all about, I can explain it sometime.) It was a good day of collaboration with teachers, but I don't know how much we finalized. After dinner, Madison and I headed out to the driveway to play with the rice (read a few blogs back) and sidewalk chalk. We both were sweating by the time we were out there for a half hour or so. I look forward to more memories - even just sitting on the couch after her nap watching Barney with her on my lap... so sweet :) I do not look forward to more heat... looks like mornings will be busy, naps in the afternoon, and maybe a venture out in the evening again. For all you other stay-at-home moms, I am free to hang out now; give me a call.... while playing with Madison is a blast, I also enjoy some adult interaction!

Jeremy and I signed up to teach the 4th graders at church for this month. As much as I have rebelled against this in the past because I already teach all week, I really enjoyed doing this with Jeremy. We only had 4 kids this Sunday, but they were fun - super chatty! They did a great job with the Bible passage from Acts 14. Paul and Barnabus are preaching the Gospel in various cities. When they get to one town, the people want to worship them like gods; they flee. This was to illustrate how people need to stand up for what is right. It was good. I also brought them pumpkin muffins, which they raved about and all wanted the recipe when I told them how easy they are. So, I gave it to them :) For all you teachers out there that just want Sunday as a break, maybe you just need to try an age you don't normally teach and do it with someone you enjoy!

Time Out

2011-06-02T06:19:00.002-04:00

I think I have just entered the next phase of parenting -disciplining. Madison had her first time out last night. She was drinking her milk - or was supposed to be - while sitting on the couch beside me. She tipped her sippy cup upside down and tapped it on the couch cushion. (She used to do this on her high chair tray and make the milk spray out all over.) I told her "no" when I saw what she was doing. So, she looked at me and gave me a cute little smile before jamming the cup hard on the cushion to make a puddle. I picked her up and said, "No, no, Madison. You are going to time out." And I set her down on the floor. Her little lip came out, but she didn't cry, and she did stay seated. After I washed off the milk, I picked her up and followed Super Nanny's instructions - tell them what they did wrong, tell them you love them, and give them a hug .... I did neglect to have her tell me sorry. It went quite well for never having done it before. I think she knew what it was because the sitter has given others at daycare a time out before; although I don't think Madison has ever had one. That's it; I have 1-1/2 days of school left before summer break. I can't wait!!!

Summer Fun

2011-05-31T06:26:00.001-04:00

Yes, summer because it is way too HOT!!!!! I know some of you may enjoy over 90 degree weather, but I do not. I prefer 70s, maybe 80s, with little humidity. Somehow we missed all of those days this year – went straight from rain, rain, rain to heat, heat, heat. Yeah, I know – I should just move back to Colorado where the weather is near perfect :) For those in Colorado, know that I am jealous!

Saturday, Jeremy went on Fairfield’s Revenge Bicycle Classic arranged by his friend Mike (but Jeremy is the co-organizer apparently, too). There were about 30-40 people biking on the given routes. There were short loops and longer loops. Jeremy went the full 58 miles; thankfully, it was a nice day! Madison and I headed to the zoo. I only have one picture, but it is super cute. We saw these baby ducks soon after we got in the gates. Here is the shot:

She walked a lot in the zoo – through the reptile building, in the aquarium, the trail back to the gorillas. She took her first ride on the carousel, and she liked it. We also went and watched the Animals on Safari show which is so fun with all the trained dogs, cats, and other animals. By the time we got in the car, she was tired; she fell asleep in 5 minutes!

Sunday and Monday we were with family. It was good to see Jeremy’s brother who is in from Minnesota for a couple weeks. We went to Bob Evan’s to eat lunch with his Grandpa, parents, and brother. Then, we hung out in the air conditioning for the afternoon while Madison napped. For supper we dined on cold cuts, watermelon, and a strawberry pie (courtesy of Jeremy!).

We went to my parents for the night. On Saturday, I went to spend a few hours catching up with Sandy and eating baked oatmeal! Then, we went to my brother’s (Nate) house for a family bbq. It was a short, but good time to connect. Here are a few pictures of the crew:

Enjoying the Outdoors

2011-05-21T21:49:00.001-04:00

Finally, there was a break from the rain and cold. Since Madison is apparently a lover of the outdoors, she was super excited. Jeremy went on a long bike ride this morning, so Madison and I headed out to Innis Woods to enjoy the cool breeze and sunshine. I walked with her in the stroller for awhile. Then, I would park the stroller and let her explore. It was fun to watch her follow the path and see where she would go. Here are a few pictures of the day:

Mother’s Day

2011-05-15T09:46:00.001-04:00

Yes, I realize it is not even close to Mother’s Day at this point, but I still wanted to post a few pics and tell about the weekend. We went home on Saturday to my family’s gathering. It was a Mother’s Day/May Birthday celebration. It was nice to get there early and ease into the day. Madison loves pushing this little pooh bear they have there and swinging. Mostly, she loves to be outside. Luke’s family and Nate’s family came around 2ish. Many of them had brought their bikes. So, while Madison napped, we took them to the cul-de-sac to ride. Jen and I went to the bulk food store as well for some cheap cheese, snacks, and meat. When Ben arrived the guys started a marathon basketball game. And the rest of us watched the kids run, run, run. Thank goodness that it was a nice day! For supper, we had bbq beef sandwiches, shredded chicken sandwiches, a delicious salad, baked corn, chips, fruit pizza, and peanut butter cup cheesecake. It was delicious!!!! We started a fire after supper and just hung out before many started heading home. It was a wonderful time.

On Sunday, we went to Salem for church, and then headed to Jeremy’s parents to celebrate with his mom. His dad barbequed hamburgers and chicken breasts for lunch; we also had relishes, another good salad, chips, and desserts. Jeremy’s grandpa, David and Marianne, and my parents also ate with us. We enjoyed some adult conversation during Madison’s nap. When she woke up, she played a little bit more with toys and blocks before we loaded her up in the car for the journey home. Here are some more pictures from the weekend:

Wednesday

2011-05-04T12:37:00.004-04:00

So, it has been a long time. Last time I blogged was April, and it is now May. Honestly, I am not sure for my lack of posting - maybe because we haven't taken many pictures. We did go on Saturday to the zoo. Madison was more interested in the animals than last time, but I think she still enjoys people watching better than animal watching. I will post the picture of her facing a gorilla later. Other things:

I just saw two more molars that have sprung up in Madison's mouth.
She loves to try to eat her yogurt herself - it is a complete mess, but fun to watch.
There is a 3 month old baby boy who has started coming to her daycare. She loves him and made him smile the other day and then made him cry when she startled him! I felt bad leaving the sitter with a crying baby.
Jeremy is halfway through his botany class. I think he is enjoying it, even though it is a lot of memorization. He gets "out of work" on Mondays to go to class, which I am pretty jealous of.
I have officially started the countdown to the end of school - 20 more days with students (3 of those are exam days). I have learned that this is not really a good idea, however, because it actually slows down time.

That's all the updates. I heard a quote the other day on my teen flick (One Tree Hill) that I thought was so amazing. (Hard to believe much substance comes from that show, but it did.) It was : "Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of us." I don't know where it is from, or who to give credit for it. I just think that is an awesome way to think of children. If God was completely discouraged with us as a human race, He has the ability to close the wombs of all women. And yet, He continues to bless us with children to raise up to worship and glorify Him. Amazing!

I'll work to add that picture (and any others I may have) tonight, and I will hopefully blog more frequently in the week to come. Have a great Wednesday!

Easter

2011-04-26T20:26:00.001-04:00

We headed to home on Saturday. We were with my parents on Saturday until after her nap. My mom has “rented” a bunny from some local people for a good number of years at Easter time. Although she was a little unsure, she would occasionally venture over to peer through the cage by herself once and awhile. She is getting really good at taking apart the velcro vegetables as well. She also loved pushing this little Pooh Bear all around the driveway. She couldn’t bear taking her eyes of that bear spinning circles in front of her.

We headed to Jeremy’s parents at that point. They graciously offered some grandparent time, so that we could go out for my birthday (late). We went to Rockne’s in Massillon and then to see The King’s Speech. That was at a theatre where we paid a total of $4.50 for BOTH tickets – awesome! :)

Sunday, we woke up for breakfast with Maynard and Gloria – omelets, sausage, and donuts. Madison went back down for her little morning nap. Then, we headed to Salem Mennonite for church. She was dressed in an outfit that coordinated with her cousins that she got for Christmas. The kids were super cute:

The Easter egg hunt for the little ones went well. She had been in training with the sitter last week, so she knew exactly what to do. Also, Landen is only 11-1/2 months old; so she had a few months on her competition:

After a super long nap (exhausted from the day’s activities) we headed to the Bricker gathering. She was loved on – being the only baby has its advantages! Grandma and Grandpa Yoh had an Easter basket all ready for her. And a singing bunny – it sings “who put the hop in the hoppity-hoppity-hop” and claps its ears together. Madison loved it – and we left the camera in the car :( On the long drive home (stupid traffic), she learned how to turn the bunny on and off. So funny … and a little annoying :) It was a great gift. It was good to reconnect with everyone there. Madison touched Great-Grandpa Bricker’s hand and said “nice” It was precious.

Well, that’s it. I am back at school; Jeremy is back at work; and Madison is back at the sitter’s. She learned how to climb up the little plastic slide today, and how to go down stairs this weekend. Yea! Have a great week.

Long awaited…

2011-04-18T20:29:00.001-04:00

It has a been a drought on my blog, but I am finally posting. Two weekends ago, my family got together at Skyview Ranch in Holmes County. It had been since Christmas since I had seen everyone. Madison went with a little fever that didn’t go away until Monday just before we headed home. Poor girl! I think it is because she is getting more teeth, but who knows. Madison always takes a little time to adjust to the volume of these gatherings, and when she is alone in the house, she can’t stop talking. There were some goats that roamed the area; the little ones had a ball watching them and petting them. There was lots of land – with lots of hills – to trek around, a little mini-golf course, tether ball (my mom kicked my butt.. twice!), basketball courts, and swings. Here are some pictures.

Then, the week went on. On Tuesday, Jeremy and I split a day at home with Madison who had a little fever again when she woke up. She was fever-free in mid-morning, but slept like a hibernating bear that day! So, there was just a lot of down time to relax for us! This past Saturday, we headed back to Holmes County to surprise Jeremy’s dad who was getting an award from Ruritans. During the late afternoon, my friend (Sandy) came to meet us for some Amish tourist activities – mainly, eating samples of cheese and bread – and dinner at Der Dutchman. We made it to the the award banquet just in time for the award. Here are some pictures of that time.

Madison thought the little chef was a real man, I think!

Our associate pastor spoke at the banquet. Maynard is seated after receiving the award.

All dolled up!

swimming!

new bathing suit

Picture Post

2011-04-08T20:03:00.001-04:00

I promised some pictures this time, and thankfully, Jeremy took some. Jeremy had some long work days, so he had accrued 40 hours by Thursday. Since they won’t let people work overtime, he had today off – and daddy time with Madison! The other night, he made a mohawk with her shampoo.

Today, he caught her playing dress up with some of his things :)

Some close photos:

Bible Time… this small Bible happened to be her favorite thing this afternoon; she even took it on our little walk with us. She also is learning to fold her hands and pray at meals, too.

Hope everyone has a great weekend

Nothing new

2011-04-06T20:35:00.002-04:00

So, not much has happened in the past week ... at least none that I photographed. My parents came on Saturday for a short time. Jeremy and I went on a little lunch date to get out of the house. I went to work at school on spring break for a few hours to get ahead of the game. I went back to school Monday and the week is flying by. This is good and bad - good: because it is not torturous! bad: because I have an IEP due that I have been procrastinating with. I talked with the school psychologist today about it, and I'll finish writing it tomorrow. I have become a procrastinator... so not good. The problem is this: we don't have enough school hours to get things done, and I HATE with a passion doing school work at home. I feel like home should be this sacred place where I can get away from school so that I can enjoy the hours I am at school. So, that's that. We are taking supper to the Brokaw's tomorrow night - tacos. Anja just went back to work, and I think you sometimes need meals then as much as just after the baby is born. It will be fun to see their little girl again. Today Madison and I went out to enjoy the sunshine at the park. She got very excited when she saw the park from the car window. Jeremy is still at work (8:41pm). Crazy! Blah, blah, blah. I could continue to type about meaningless details of our life, but I'll let you all off the hook. I'll try to take some pictures and post them next time. Have a great rest of the week.

Vacation

2011-03-30T15:19:00.001-04:00

Madison and I took the much anticipated trip to Kansas City via an airplane. Jeremy helped us on Saturday morning get ourselves through the ticket counter and to the security checkpoint and then we were on our own at 6:45am. It is a lot of getting dressed and undressed with all the shoes and bags you have to take on and off through security. Madison did a great job. It is nice you can take milk and food with you for an infant. (Food is for everyone – milk for the infants.) We sat next to a nice band teacher from Kansas. He was headed back with his soon-to-be fiancé – also a band teacher, but here in Ohio. He was not irritated by Madison in the least and kept up decent conversation. Madison didn’t cry once the whole flight. She drank her milk on take-off and was sucking her thumb while sleeping on landing. Saturday was a big day – flight, meeting Kristin’s family, getting to see the resident cat (Ruby) and dog (Max), Mark’s and John’s coming for dinner. Abby (John’s youngest daughter) followed Madison around all night – even feeding her dinner! Here they are in the kitchen and Madison hanging out with Matthew on Sunday morning. He left on Monday early morning for business, so it was a shorter visit with him.

Although she was in good spirits, she was exhausted by bedtime. All seemed well, until about 11:30 when I heard her crying. When I went in, I discovered she had thrown up. She has never done this, so it was a new experience for both of us. I got Kris to help change the sheets, and put her back down. She threw up again about 30 minutes later, and we went through the whole routine again. The rest of the night was fine. She woke up a little more clingy and not quite herself. On Monday, she woke up with a low-grade temp, so we took her to urgent care to make sure there wasn’t an ear infection or strep throat or anything else that would need antibiotics started before our flight on Tuesday. It was just some kind of virus. By Monday night she was doing a little better. On Tuesday, she was walking again, although she wasn’t too interested in others cuddling her – just mommy. Although I long for her cuddles, sometimes a break is nice too :) Here are some cute (and a little pathetic) pictures of the little sick-y.

Since she was sick and the weather was gloomy and cold the whole time, Kristin and I just hung out, talked, watched movies, and ate most of the time. It was relaxing – maybe a little boring for my always-on-the-go cousin. Madison battled sickness, but more exciting to watch, battled her fear of the unknown with her curiosity of the dog. She clung tight on Saturday whenever Max was around. Ruby (the cat) was a bit scary, but not as much as Max. Max was actually very calm and didn’t get very close to her much. By the end, she was walking by him – if she was holding my hand – and she would reach her hand out to touch him from her highchair. She was even calling his name! Max and Madison…

On Tuesday before her afternoon nap, we decided to go to a park to see geese, ducks, and take a short walk. It was good to get out of the house for all of us. This is Kristin and Madison checking things out:

And finally, the flight home. Our flight took off at 6:30pm. The man next to us moved up to an empty group of seats at an exit row. That was very nice. Madison and I could spread out her things – sippy cup, snacks, blanky, etc. There was a lady a row behind on the other side of the aisle that “played” with Madison for almost the entire trip – funny faces, waving, peek-a-boo, etc. It was fantastic. Madison said hi to her and everyone else in our vicinity. She received many compliments for her behavior as people were exiting the plane. Here she is sitting in our seat.

We met Jeremy (after a few attempts at finding the correct exit by me) outside. Madison started smiling and said hi dada when she saw him. It was a late night. She went to bed right away. I followed shortly after. Today, we are both catching up. Jeremy held down the fort here – installed a new closet system, put in a new stereo in his car, hooked up this little digital box to our TV, and other things. I haven’t had a chance to hear the full scoop on how he enjoyed his time. All in all it was a great experience. All my worrying (as usual) was for naught. She was a fantastic traveler – we may need to go somewhere else! Until later….

Slacker

2011-03-25T06:19:00.002-04:00

I will admit it: I have been a blogging slacker. It is not because Madison is not getting so much cuter every day or because she is not getting smarter because she is. I have just been zapped by the time evening comes. We are still doing the OGT testing (for all the absent/skipping students last week), and although we take it in shorter shifts, it disrupts my day. I also wanted to get our taxes done before it was April 15 or later, and before the price for TurboTax went up on the 25th - TODAY. I finished them last night; we get a small federal refund, had to pay a little to the state. Never had to pay before, so I'm hoping that won't happen again. I have also been a little obsessed with this trip Madison and I are taking. I am usually such a control freak and feel like I have less control than I would like because we have never flown before. Jeremy will be holding down the fort. So, that's why I have been a slacker. I really have nothing new to tell you. It is 6:24am and my brain isn't really wanting to formulate cute stories - I am just trying to live through this final day of the week :) (It is really not that bad, but sometimes it is fun to exaggerate!) So, I am sure I won't blog for awhile, but when I do... be ready! Have a great weekend!

Catch up

2011-03-14T20:53:00.001-04:00

This weekend was girls’ weekend. My mom and dad came up on Thursday night to hang out and take care of Madison on Friday. Thursday night, Madison drank some milk with Grandpa and spaced out with Grandma.

Friday afternoon, Jeremy left with Madison and my dad to clear the house of boys. After school, mom and I hung out for a few hours before meeting up with my sisters-in-law at Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant – delicious! It was fun to hang out – just the ladies… no boys and no kids! We stayed up late with a movie and talking. On Saturday we slept in, then headed to get massages!!!! Ahhh….. After spoiling ourselves, we went shopping, to California Pizza Kitchen, and Graeter’s. After gorging ourselves, we took a short walk in the beautiful day. Then, we worked on planning an upcoming family event. Around 7:30pm, everyone headed home and I had a QUIET, no responsibility house to myself – awesome! Sunday, I listened to my brother’s sermon from about a month ago while I waited for Jeremy, Madison, and the Grandparent Yohs. It was good to see my family again. We ate out at O’Charley’s and entertained many Sunday diners as Madison paraded up and down the aisles. Sunday afternoon we were back to our little Yoh clan and life as normal. So begins the week….

Madison is easily entertained. Here are a few of her antics the past few days – mesh laundry bag: so fun to walk around with!

Putting letters in Daddy’s mouth had her giggling!

Today Tara and I finally met up to go walking again. It was a nice to catch up again. Little Grace was very excited to see Madison – so much so that she bit Madison’s thumb! I thought she was just going to lick it – that’s what she did when she gave her a kiss, licked her face. BUT, she chomped down on it and surprised us all. Little ladies don’t always know what they are doing. Although Madison was crying, Tara and I were laughing about what a “bully” Grace was. :) I am sure Madison will have her day. Well, that’s it. Have a great week everyone. Enjoy the view from our back door as you go about the evening….

Overwhelmed

2011-03-06T15:12:00.001-05:00

Since last Friday I have just felt overwhelmed – with stuff going on at work, with family duties, with social obligations, with online school, with sick child, and I didn’t even fit exercise in, save for Thursday volleyball which has left me sore for three days! The good news: the school stuff is over (I think), sick child is on the mend, online course work is done, and socially, next week is more relaxed (til the weekend when my sisters-in-law and my mom come to party). So, here it is…

I can’t talk about the school stuff… some things are best left confidential.

Family duties include cooking, cleaning, and playing. It is not really so bad – Jeremy helps with clean up, cleaning, and playing, which is fantastic!

Social stuff: friends came over to talk cloth diapers on Sunday… their little girls played well with Madison; potluck night at small group … always good food and fun times; Mike, Anja, and Sasha came over for dinner on Friday… Madison was very excited about the baby!

Sick child: Madison had her first cold and first ear infection this week…. she is on antibiotics right now. We took a little rain walk on Saturday…this is inside with her rainhat. She even said “cheese” for the second picture!

Online classes: done, done, done as of Saturday afternoon!!!

Thursday night volleyball… fun, competitive, and a great workout. I am on a break til spring league starts up on Monday nights.

And learning to find her belly button…..

Ghosts and Aviators

2011-02-26T15:40:00.001-05:00

Just thought I would post a few fun pictures of Madison from the last few days. She loves carrying things in containers right now, too. If one thing falls out, she is very diligent in retrieving it and putting it back in. She also enjoys toting shoes around. I am sure many things will be lost to her reorganization in the next year or so. So, she walked in her cape/ghost costume for part of the night last night. Around and around the house she went:

This morning I was sorting “too little” clothes and trying to see what was still “hiding” in her closet. I found a hat that needed to be worn before it was too small and we tried on her monkey backpack/harness for the upcoming airplane flight. Here is the result – Aviator (or Monkey Mama)

I hope everyone has a great weekend. :)

Long Weekend, Busy Time

2011-02-22T06:24:00.002-05:00

The weekend started with a visit from one of my after-college roommates and her family. Kendra, Eric, and Stanley came up from Kentucky to visit. I haven’t seen her since last May when I drove down to visit. Stanley was just a little peanut then, and Madison was just a start in my belly. Now, look at the munchkins! We hung out a bit on Friday night after they got in before heading to bed. On Saturday, we enjoyed some baked oatmeal for breakfast. We headed out to the park after Madison’s morning nap – all of us were needing a bit of fresh air! The kids took a decent afternoon nap (Madison was a little smoother than Stanley’s, but she was at home), while we enjoyed talking and laughing. After dinner, they packed up and headed to their next destination.

Jeremy and I busted it into high gear to get packed up for the next activity. On Sunday morning we headed to good ole Wayne County. Madison played some at my parents’ house before her nap. After a fantastic nap, we headed to my old youth group’s yearly gathering. It was, as always, good to reconnect with this group. We sent Madison home early to play with my parents and enjoy the chaos of others' kids!

Monday morning we hung out a little with my dad before heading back. These are some pictures from then (hence, no grandma...)

Madison was happy to be home on Monday. She was in a superb mood - and she never stopped walking! She is officially a toddler. Here is our young TV addict.... we don't watch a lot of TV, but it does catch her attention! Grandma and Grandpa Yoh bought this blue tunnel at IKEA the past weekend. She loves crawling through it... it is fun.

Have a great week!

Having Fun in the Kitchen

2011-02-15T22:21:00.001-05:00

I was cooking supper the other night when Madison started breaking down. So, I gave her a muffin tin to use WITH her blocks and she was entertained for another 15 minutes. I then hid one animal cracker in each compartment under each block, so when my very hungry girl lifted one up, she found a surprise. It was a sanity saver and I recommend it to any who have not tried it.

Happy Valentine’s Day

2011-02-15T22:17:00.001-05:00

I know this holiday has come and gone, but here is the post anyway. On Sunday, Jeremy’s parents came to town and we went out to eat at Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Jeremy also surprised me with a dozen beautiful red roses:

I was a slacker and didn’t get him a card until Monday supper. He had a nice card from me and a cute little card Madison “made” for him at the sitters. It was a nice few days – even for a “generic” holiday.

Just Because

2011-02-09T06:15:00.001-05:00

So, it has been a week with no blog. This is a blog just because it has been a week. What does that mean? It means I don't have pictures and have little to say, but at least your trip to this site provided a new post, right? Cute kid things....

Madison is still reading books in the car seat.
Yesterday morning when I gave Jeremy (Jeremy gave me?) a kiss before heading out,
Madison was watching. When we looked at her, she made a kiss noise. Hilarious - always imitating!
She now (as of last week) says "May-mi" for Jamie when we go to the sitters.
Every morning when I drop her off, she goes straight to Jamie, signs "Eat" repeatedly, and then looks at me and says "Bye" while waving.
She knows to put her blankie back in her crib before we come downstairs in the morning.
She is becoming a walker! She has walked all the way across the living room. AND instead of crawling from the bathtub to the door, she decided to try walking ... and almost made it. I don't think it'll be long.

This weekend was the big move. We decided to cover up our fireplace (temporarily) because it just blows cold air in, and put our TV in front of it. We decided to splurge on a new flat screen TV just because we'd thought about it for a few years. We took a trip to IKEA on Saturday with Jeremy's parents (we hadn't seen them for awhile, so we invited them to join us) to buy an entertainment center. It was a good trip; of course, it was a longer day than we had planned. That night we put together the entertainment center and rearranged the living room. Sunday, we moved some things to the basement, rearranged our room, and switched up Madison's room. It feels good - like a new house almost. If I think about it, I'll take pictures to post of all the changes. Now, the work week is underway, and we are just trying to keep afloat. Have a great rest of the week.

Snow Day #3

2011-02-02T14:40:00.002-05:00

Well, it happened - snow day #3. It is not so much that I don't enjoy my time off because I do; it is that I dread making the days (that might be coming) up. This is the make-up day schedule... if we have another snow day very soon, we'll make the day up on the 21st of Feb (President's Day), the next option is Saturday of that week, the next option is a Saturday in March, then finally, we make them up at the end of school. Who wants to go to work on Saturday? No one. What are the chance kids will come to school on Saturday? Slim. Oh, well. I think today was canceled due to power outages (not us, thankfully), slick sidewalks, and/or gusty winds. The roads are not bad. Madison and I even ventured out to the bank and Babies R Us. Okay, stay safe and have a good rest of the week everyone!

Snow Day #2

2011-02-01T14:06:00.001-05:00

So, it’s been awhile since my last blog. Madison woke up from her nap on Wednesday at the sitter’s with a 101.3 temperature. So, we played the who stays at home with Madison game for the rest of the week (me on Thursday, Jeremy on Friday). She was finally fever free on Saturday, which was good because Luke, Steph, Sam, and Lilli came to visit! It was good to have them all here. Our deer from last week had come to bed down for the day, so they experienced our personal zoo here. We basically just hung out, ate, and talked. It was nice. We ended with a trip to Chik-fil-a and its playland. I am so glad they make time to come visit. I know it is not easy to get away on the weekend.

Today (Tuesday) the ice came rolling in and school went out the door – yea for the snow!day. I am a little nervous (and so is Madison… see pic to right) because they say more freezing rain tonight, and I don’t want to burn my last snow day tomorrow, but we’ll see. My car is still covered in a sheet of ice; maybe I’ll go take care of that much today. Here is Madison in her very special shirt. (I hope it is readable; I had to go outside to be able to get her to face me!)

Pasta Night… Watch out!

2011-01-25T21:56:00.001-05:00

We had pasta tonight. I will let the pictures speak for themselves (…mostly)

This:

led to this:

and a little of this:

Of course, she needed a little “more” (note sign!)

before looking like this:

and thinking, “Oh, no. What have I done?

Teeth and Steps

2011-01-24T20:02:00.001-05:00

So, Madison is on tooth #6. It just poked through on top this past weekend. Very exciting. She now has four on top and two on the bottom; all the better for eating! She has been working really hard to walk in the past week, but has really kicked it up the last two days. We took some video footage, but I don’t know how to upload it yet, and don’t want to take the time to figure it out right now. Sunday, she did a pretty good job with about 3-4 steps between us. Today – just one day later – she has let go of objects to move from one to the other. She walked about 5 feet to get to a tower she wanted to knock down. Amazing how they just pick this up. She still has a long way to go to pure walking, but she is doing a GREAT job getting there! Madison also enjoys reading books in the back of the car while we drive. It makes me smile when I hear her back there talking up a storm when she has a book. Maybe she’ll be a bookworm like me :) Here are a few cute pics from Sunday:

On a side note, I have just started (as of today) two online classes. I need to be Highly Qualified to do my job and somehow these online classes will qualify me highly. So, one class is about pedagogy (and don’t ask me what that really means because, frankly, I am not exactly sure….) and the other class is math. Right now I am just overwhelmed by the thought of any deadlines; yuck. I should be doing it right now. In fact, that was my intent until the page wouldn’t load, so…. here I am blogging instead.