Life and summer...

So another bit of a lapse on the blog!  I think with summer finally here and I am coach's wife and am in a funk once again (softball has started)...blogging might happen here and there!  Scott is an assistant at DNH (where he teaches)...he was the head coach for 5 years at his old school...so it is a bit of an adjustment.  The good thing is that he has EVERY morning with Noah...which will be great!  I was gone two weekends ago at a conference for work...and Scott made the comment that he needs to be home more.  It isn't that he isn't a great dad (he is amazing) and a great husband (I am so lucky), but being here with Noah is so important right now.  When you are married to a coach...I think your time is even more precious...some people don't get that!  Our weekends are our only together time (and with softball...just Sundays are our time b/c of tournaments) so I am sometimes a bear about scheduling anything or having anyone here b/c it is our time.  Anywho...Noah and Daddy will get some great time together and I am excited to hear about their adventures!

We have become quite the readers in our household!  We have read lots with Noah...but have started trying library books (and ripping them up...ahhhh!).  I love to read and so does Scott...we hope to instill that in our own children...so this is the summer of reading!  I have two books...the 1-2-3 Magic book (about discipline) and The Happiness Project.  The Magic book has lots of good tips dealing with discipline and we are getting to the "terrible twos" stage...which we have discovered is more about Noah figuring things out...not necessarily being naughty on purpose.  It is all developmental...but hitting (or pushing in Noah's case) is not okay:)  The Happiness book might seem strange for those who know me to read.  It is about this woman who wants to be happier and takes a year to figure out what that means.  I am a VERY happy (some might say annoyingly happy) person...but this book caught my eye via a friend...and I want to enjoy every moment...not just say I am.  So...I am going to read it!  If I am good at it...I will post how I am doing!

On to Noah...he has been learning new words every day!  It seems he learns better from Scott than me with new words.  So "house" (with his play house), "bus" (every time we see one he starts yelling BUS!!) are a few.  We also started and finished swimming lessons.  He was not a fan at first (probably shouldn't have done new ear plugs and a new experience together...whoops!  Always learning), but by the end...he loved it!  Our teachers were great...and now we are a blowing bubble machine and a kicking fool!  We went to our first circus with Harrison and Kristin!!  We also wrapped up Kindermusik.  We are going to do it again in the Fall...he loves to dance and play...so it was a blast!  Our new favorites are Bob and Larry from Veggietales...which is a childhood favorite of mine!  We watch one every night at bedtime.  He is quite the thoughtful little boy and we are excited to see how he handles being a big brother someday (not preggo...but working on it!!!!).   Lots of outside fun...hopefully we can get some good weather to stay!  Here are some new pics:

3 weeks and a word explosion!!

So the past 3 weeks have flown by!  Noah is huge lover of the outdoors and it finally got nice out!  We have played in the dirt, sand and grass every day that is was nice out.  Our new swing set has been a blast as well as the sandbox...Noah digs more and more in it everyday.  He has learned to say a ton of new words lately...waffles, i love you (comes out i wuvv...), bus, plane, and more.  The big milestone...of the past couple of weeks has been potty training!  He pooped in the toilet...twice now!  I have been peed on twice now while he sat on the big boy toilet...so that is still to come.  Scott is going to be spending every morning with him this summer when school is out, I am hoping some major headway can happen in the area for him! 

Mother's Day was a great day b/c I got to go out for breakfast (a little bit of sleeping in...) at Panera with Noah and Daddy.  We played at home and then I got to take a nap with Noah!  Judge me if you want...but I LOVE napping with Noah.  I know it is the snuggles and every day he gets older, I know he will do snuggles less and less, so I am taking them every time I can.  Scott snuck in a sweet card and the new Tina Fey book (catch her mother's day song on SNL...HILARIOUS!!).  It was a great day.  I love every moment I can have at home with my family.  With all of the coaching and meetings and work...it is hard to get those moments at home.  I stayed home with Noah on Monday (when he gets teeth...we get vomit and bathroom issues and fevers)...and I loved every minute of it.  I know I don't want to be a stay at home mom...but I sure wish I could work a bit less...maybe off at hour earlier than what I am now?  Something to think about...I love my job and what I do...but balancing that with family is always hard...every week, month, requires balance and I am just exhausted some weeks with doing it all. 

This week was our last Kindermusik...we are taking a summer break and will do it again in the Fall.  He LOVES to dance and sing and be with other kids...so it has been a fun experience.  Today was fun...we went to the circus!  My friend, Kristin, was able to get free tickets for all of us...so Harrison (Kristin's little one) and Noah and I all went.  It was a hoot!  The boys loved it!  I will post pictures later.  Swimming lessons start this next week...should have some fun pics!!!  Gotta run...Noah is beyond tired from the circus:)

Pics for Egg and bunnies!

Some fun pics that wouldn't post on the other post!!  Noah and his first helmet; @ Jenna and Matt's house; dying eggs for the first time!; Elmo Easter present; a sign made by my Grandpa...he loves making funny jokes on signs; hunting for eggs at great-grandparents Conklins; on his first SWING; down the slide with Nana and Papa Connolly!!  Great day!

Eggs..hop...bunnies...

It was a crazy weekend!  We headed to LeClaire to visit Matthew and Jenna on Friday night and Noah had a BLAST with Peyton (their puppy) on Friday night.  We spent the night and headed out to do a bit of shopping...and even saw the American Pickers show location!!!!  We headed home on Saturday night and we were pooped.  We dyed Easter eggs...which was an adventure.  To those who know me...you know that the kitchen and I are trial and error.  Since owning a home, I have gotten a lot more into cooking and being organized...but I still am learning a lot!  Needless to say...I did not know that when you made hard-boiled eggs that you should place the eggs in the water and then boil them!  I busted about three eggs before I realized I needed to put them in gently.  Noah had a riot dying the 5 eggs we had left with Daddy and our friend Ben.  Sunday...we had to get up early to do our hunt and present for Noah because we had to go to early church!  He was a bit grumpy and I was a bit under the weather since I am allergic to pet dander...so it was an adventure.  We headed off to early church and then Scott and I were in charge of the egg hunt at church.  One of my best friends (childhood friend since we were like 9!!) was back and we along with a 6th grader hid all 560 eggs!  The throngs of kids hunting was a stitch.  Then we headed off to Independence to my grandparents and ate delicious food as well as another hunt!  My Aunt Chris and Uncle Steve have a hard time not spoiling Noah along with my grandparents so he got two more baskets there.  This hunt was outside after nap...so a bit grouchy but cool for Noah to be outside!  We headed home shortly afterword (after watching my grandpa drive a three-wheel golf cart backwards because he wired it that way!  My grandparents are a riot and I look up to them more and more every-time we are around them...their love for each other is so amazing) and we started on the swing set that Daddy found online via Swapsheet/Craigslist.  My parents dropped off their Easter basket for Noah and he FREAKED out because it was an Elmo basket with sandbox toys!!  My in-laws stopped by with their Easter basket and helped put the set together!!  He got a really cool card...a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse card that SANG to him along with bubbles and candy:)  Noah was beyond pumped for his swing and slide:)  All in all a great weekend...but we are pooped.  It is another crazy week for us with us...so we will be ready for another weekend.  I am awaiting a phone call/text on my best friend Andrea and her second baby boy!  I can't wait and am sooo jealous that I'm not pregnant...and am worrying already how I will handle this whole pregnancy with all of my anxiety...so cross your fingers and say a little prayer:)  Happy Easter week!

an addition!!

A big deal...forgot to write about how we got a swing set!  We have been looking and looking...and they are expensive!!!!  So...we placed an ad in the Veridian Spreadsheet and Craigslist...and someone responded.  We are pumped!  We will have to make a few additions and such...but pretty pumped.  We also realized that we had no 2T for the summer and luckily it was a huge garage sale weekend.  I stocked up on shorts and t-shirts for summer and a froggy sand box ($5)!!

A blur...

The past two weeks have been a blur and now we finally get a weekend at home:)  Catching up on basic things like laundry, dishes and cleaning the house!  Scott has been swamped with coaching and negotiations.  So it has been Mommy and Noah for awhile.  The weather has been great the past two weeks (until this weekend) so Noah has only wanted to be outside.  We bought Noah a bubble machine and every day when we get in or out of the car...it's "bubbles?" so of course we do bubbles!  He is a talking machine and it has been fun to listen to him as he explores more and more words.  We were able to visit some friends last weekend before a family wedding and Noah had a ball!  While I miss my friends and wished everyone lived right next door...at least we are able to see them here and there!  Kaleb and Noah had a good time and Noah had fun watching Olivia unwrap presents!  The wedding was fun and we were able to see Alaina and the rest of the family.  Got a lot done (cars rotated and some free fence!!).  Noah got his haircut for the first time...it went great!  We also got ear plugs so we can take swimming lessons!!

Not sure if I have mentioned how I have a lot of anxiety or not...but...I do!  I worry about everything under the sun and while I try and have worked hard at this...some times things just get the best of me.  This week was one of those weeks...and I have had to keep reminding myself how blessed we are.  Scott is a great husband and Noah is a fantastic kiddo!  We are healthy and I need to focus on the now and the what if.  Luckily...I have great friends and family who listen and help me to keep the focus on the now.  Thank you to those who listened to me this week! 

I am posting a few pics of Noah and his outside adventures!  He loves his "house" and "car"!!

2 week break...:)

These past two weeks have bee a bit crazy for us...trying to adjust to coaching (Scott) and that schedule again has been an adjustment.  Luckily...track doesn't last super late (because of bus schedules) so Scott is home at more decent times that other sports!  Noah is  HUGE fan of being outside...he LOVES to stop on down as see Jani (or Neee as he says...) and we play quite a bit with them.  I will post pics next time...but we were able to buy a cozy coupe (those yellow and red cars...) and he NEVER wants to get out!  We have to usually bribe him to come inside...can't wait till it is Spring full time and not this teasing business of 65 degrees one day and then 35 the next!  Noah has a few new words...ice cream (definitely a Daddy saying!!!), cookie, PLEASE...but still not consistently on that, an elephant noise and motion (hilarious!!!).  He is absorbing so much and we are loving it:)  Scott has also been busy with negotiations at school...scary right now with budgets.  Some day teachers will get paid what they are worth and the government will figure out a different way to fund education...because what is currently going on is not sustainable (sorry...off of my rant)!  Work is keeping me busy...visit days have begun and I love seeing everyone's enthusiasm for UNI!  Some pics will be posted next time of Noah and his outside fun (car, bubbles, playground)!