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Another random catch-up of several things:
In mid-October we hired a contractor to create a flagstone patio in the backyard. He's been slower than expected but it looks great so far. We have the seating wall around a firepit that has a gas fireplate in it. I didn’t want to smell like a campfire. Also later on (when Allison is older and want to spend the money on it, we can switch the river rocks for the colorful glass stones). He still has to install a bubbling water rock, create a rock facade under the deck and replace the deck railing. And we're in talks on what kind of plants will surround this thing. I'm so worried about creating extra bed space that our bermuda grass will creep in and I'll never be able to control.
We had a football party on Nov 6 that was attended by several of our friends from many circles. We've tried to have parties over the last few years but it just seemed like not even half of the people invited came and it was not worth it. Well, it turns out that once you make a party kid friendly, everyone comes! There were 5 kids under 2 and then a few more of various ages. While it was fun it was a little hard to just hang out with friends. I think Allison enjoyed it but several times she was not so sure about these other kids playing in her room with all her toys :) The firepit was not done so we may have to have another party.
Around Nov 3 we took away Allison's pacifier (she was not quite 20 months old). She got one night with the nub cut off and after that, she never saw it. For the first few nights she woke up several times throughout the night and required our help getting back to sleep. That next weekend was the time change and she seemed to be fully awake by 4:30 am for several mornings. There were some rough spots in that 2 weeks but nowhere near as rough as we thought it'd be. Fingers crossed, she seems to be going back to normal on her sleep pattern - she gets to read books in our lap, then a few minutes of cuddle in the dark, usually wakes up when we put her in the crib, she cries, and within a minute of shutting the door she is laying down and quiet.
we got rid of our Iphone and switched to a droid on Verizon's network. So far the only thing I love about it is an indicator on the screen when I miss a call or text msg and the camera flash. I've had a few hiccups with buttons not working as they should. In particular I can’t hang up on calls. And that never happens when I call Jeff, it’ll be with a business call or total stranger. Their 3 minute voice message probably comes out as a muffled serious of clicks with ‘damnit hang up stupid phone’. Then I give up and shut off the phone and hand it to Jeff the first chance I get who just replies ‘must be user error, I’ve never had it happen’. Usually he is more helpful with all things electronic.
Allison experienced Chuck-e-cheese for the first time. She was terrified of the mouse. Guess we'll hold off on Disney for another year :)
Allison has pee-pee’d in the potty a few times. Mostly after seeing Kaylee (a 3 year old) do it. Daycare is not willing to work with her till she’s had a full weekend of doing this and #2 in the toilet at home, and also talking/communicating better. Our first problem is that even with a step stool in front of the toilet she can’t get on it with her booty far enough back. She doesn’t seem interested in the toilet on the floor besides shoving her dolls in it. I’ve heard there is a book about potty training in 3 days that I need to get. Maybe we’ll work on that over a Christmas holiday. In the meantime when she does go on the potty I turn myself in the most enthusiastic lunatic mommy I’ve ever seen and she gets stickers too. For the normal times that she’s fighting us for diaper changes she gets a bribe of 2 M&Ms. We’ll see how long that works for.
We had a fun photoshoot last weekend at a park downtown. I wish I had been better prepared and tried on her outfits first. My top 2 choices did not fit her and after getting those on and off everyone in the house was just about crying and screaming. Did I say Allison hates to get dressed – yes that’s an understatement. Hopefully we’ll have some more cute ones at Thanksgiving with her baby cousin James.
And I know Jeff doesn’t contribute to this blog but if he did he’d probably write something about Auburn football being #2 in the country. They are having a great season being undefeated. One more game to go against the big rival and then hopefully we should be SEC champs and play for the National Championship (which the University of Alabama won last year)
In mid-October we hired a contractor to create a flagstone patio in the backyard. He's been slower than expected but it looks great so far. We have the seating wall around a firepit that has a gas fireplate in it. I didn’t want to smell like a campfire. Also later on (when Allison is older and want to spend the money on it, we can switch the river rocks for the colorful glass stones). He still has to install a bubbling water rock, create a rock facade under the deck and replace the deck railing. And we're in talks on what kind of plants will surround this thing. I'm so worried about creating extra bed space that our bermuda grass will creep in and I'll never be able to control.
We had a football party on Nov 6 that was attended by several of our friends from many circles. We've tried to have parties over the last few years but it just seemed like not even half of the people invited came and it was not worth it. Well, it turns out that once you make a party kid friendly, everyone comes! There were 5 kids under 2 and then a few more of various ages. While it was fun it was a little hard to just hang out with friends. I think Allison enjoyed it but several times she was not so sure about these other kids playing in her room with all her toys :) The firepit was not done so we may have to have another party.
Around Nov 3 we took away Allison's pacifier (she was not quite 20 months old). She got one night with the nub cut off and after that, she never saw it. For the first few nights she woke up several times throughout the night and required our help getting back to sleep. That next weekend was the time change and she seemed to be fully awake by 4:30 am for several mornings. There were some rough spots in that 2 weeks but nowhere near as rough as we thought it'd be. Fingers crossed, she seems to be going back to normal on her sleep pattern - she gets to read books in our lap, then a few minutes of cuddle in the dark, usually wakes up when we put her in the crib, she cries, and within a minute of shutting the door she is laying down and quiet.
we got rid of our Iphone and switched to a droid on Verizon's network. So far the only thing I love about it is an indicator on the screen when I miss a call or text msg and the camera flash. I've had a few hiccups with buttons not working as they should. In particular I can’t hang up on calls. And that never happens when I call Jeff, it’ll be with a business call or total stranger. Their 3 minute voice message probably comes out as a muffled serious of clicks with ‘damnit hang up stupid phone’. Then I give up and shut off the phone and hand it to Jeff the first chance I get who just replies ‘must be user error, I’ve never had it happen’. Usually he is more helpful with all things electronic.
Allison experienced Chuck-e-cheese for the first time. She was terrified of the mouse. Guess we'll hold off on Disney for another year :)
Allison has pee-pee’d in the potty a few times. Mostly after seeing Kaylee (a 3 year old) do it. Daycare is not willing to work with her till she’s had a full weekend of doing this and #2 in the toilet at home, and also talking/communicating better. Our first problem is that even with a step stool in front of the toilet she can’t get on it with her booty far enough back. She doesn’t seem interested in the toilet on the floor besides shoving her dolls in it. I’ve heard there is a book about potty training in 3 days that I need to get. Maybe we’ll work on that over a Christmas holiday. In the meantime when she does go on the potty I turn myself in the most enthusiastic lunatic mommy I’ve ever seen and she gets stickers too. For the normal times that she’s fighting us for diaper changes she gets a bribe of 2 M&Ms. We’ll see how long that works for.
We had a fun photoshoot last weekend at a park downtown. I wish I had been better prepared and tried on her outfits first. My top 2 choices did not fit her and after getting those on and off everyone in the house was just about crying and screaming. Did I say Allison hates to get dressed – yes that’s an understatement. Hopefully we’ll have some more cute ones at Thanksgiving with her baby cousin James.
And I know Jeff doesn’t contribute to this blog but if he did he’d probably write something about Auburn football being #2 in the country. They are having a great season being undefeated. One more game to go against the big rival and then hopefully we should be SEC champs and play for the National Championship (which the University of Alabama won last year)
