On the Move

She's crawling.

Finally.

We'd been expecting it for some time.  She's been showing the signs for a while and has been hard at work.  But, until last night, all we had was a fussy and frustrated little girl who couldn't quite figure it out.  I tried to post a video of it above but it wouldn't work and I got frustrated trying.  Maybe I'll figure it out another day.  Sorry.  You'll have to take my word for it!

In addition to crawling, she's also opening rolling over.  I know that might come as a surprise, but it is a skill she has yet to truly show off.  We've seen her do it.  Once.  Via video a couple of months ago. But she hasn't done it in front of us.

Now you know me.  I tend to worry.  Anxiety gets the best of me.  I was getting to the point where I was sure there was a problem.  I mean, come on.  Shouldn't she be crawling by now?  Yes, I know she's just nearly 9 months, but still.  Braeden was walking by 9 months.  I don't remember Jackson so well, that stage in life was kind of a blur, but I do know he was crawling around this time.  Walking later, nearly a year.

So yes, logically I know she is still young, but still I was nervous.  Now of course it seems foolish that I was ever concerned at all.  Everything in due time.  Isn't that what the Bible says.  To everything there is a season?  Well, HE, as always, is right.  Stella's season has now arrived.

As happy as we are, I don't know that we're quite ready for a mobile baby.  It's so much easier having the baby who just sits there.  Or the baby you carry around.  But one that moves about on their own?  Doing whatever they please?  Going wherever they choose?  That's a different story dear readers.  One I'm not sure we are prepared to get into.  But it's here!

Now, we've never been ones to over baby-proof the house. Sure, we have chemicals and sharp objects put away but we don't go to extremes with cabinet locks, corner guards, doorknob thingamajgs.  We didn't with either of the boys and all was fine.  Well, expect the time Jack bit into a dishwasher detergent capsule.  You know the kind.  Yep, made the call to Poison Control on that one.  Other than that though (he was fine) we just take it easy.  Less stressful, and cheaper.  So I guess in that manner we are prepared.  Physically.  But mentally?  That's different.  She's our baby.  Our last baby.  And she's growing too fast, and now she's moving.  Bittersweet.

But it is also exciting and that is what we are focusing on.  She's pretty happy about it, ecstatic actually, so we feed off of her excitement.  Her newfound freedom and independence.  She now has something she can control.  Other than the 4 of us that is!  :)  So, here we go.  At the turning point between infant and toddler.  So, vacuum the dog hair (darn Rex) and move the breakables to a higher shelf; Stella's on the move!

All is well, mobile and loving it, in Drosche Land.   

    

A to Z Challenge: Year 2

Hey!

So I'm here.  Still.  No worries, I didn't drop off the face of the planet or anything.  Just busy and having trouble finding the time to sit down and blog all of the things I have going on and all of the mental posts I have written.

Hmmmm.  Mental posts.  That term makes me sound a bit crazy, or unstable.  Hmmmmm.

So, as you may have noticed on the left sidebar I have again signed up to participate in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge this year!  I did it last year and had a blast!  Maybe you remember last year?  Maybe you're here because you found me during last year's challenge?  Maybe you have no clue what I'm talking about?  Either way, I've signed up again. 

Last year was intimidating. It was hard. But I made it and had a ton of fun. My hope for this year is to again get many posts scheduled ahead of time as that is key to completing it and not getting lost in it. The only problem is I don't have a theme yet. Another key to a successful month. 

So that's where I am now. Just over a month until the challenge begins. Theme-less. I thought about food. But I don't really have a food blog going and I don't/can't cook. I did a photo a day last year and it was kind of random. Book?  Hmmm. That sounds kind of hard. Movies?  That might be fun, but what about the hard letters?   Hmmmm. 

You can see how I have remained theme-less thus far.  I guess I have some time to think about it. Come up with something good. We'll see. For now though, I am jazzed about the challenge again. Last year it brought a lot of visitors here to Drosche Land and I found some great blogs that I fell in love with. It's pretty wicked cool. 

So, I'll keep you posted (ha, get it) on the challenge and my theme, should I ever think of one!  

All is well, theme-less, in Drosche Land.
  

Read It!

Before I start, you were totally supposed to read the title of this post as though you were singing Michael Jackson's "Beat It"!  Get it?  Is it stuck in your head now?  If not, give it time!  Read on.

I love to read.  Maybe I've mentioned it before.  Since there was already a label for "Books" when I was writing this, I'm sure I have.  I may not always have/make the time to read, but I love it.  Amy does too.  We used to read for fun a lot.  That was way back before we had kids and our free time wasn't spent with laundry, dishes, packing lunches, diapers, and other kid-centric activities.  

However, now that the boys are older and Stella is so easy to manage, we have decided to make/find the time to read more.  Braeden is quickly becoming an avid reader himself and Jackson is showing interest in it also.  So, Amy (because I can't take all of the credit for this myself) found a public library nearby.  Because, let's face it dear readers, books are expensive so free is just the right price!

As it turns out there is a public library located within the Lone Star College just minutes from us.  Score!  So, a few weeks ago we headed out to get ourselves some library cards.  As you can see from the picture above the boys got theirs as well.  It is a great library with a fantastic children's section.  Amy and I quickly remembered how much fun it was to go to the library and check out books.  The boys were both in awe of the sheer number of books they could choose from.  Stella just enjoyed riding around the library in her stroller with the occasional stranger smiling at her and commenting on how cute she is (not that she expects that from everyone she comes into contact with or anything!).

In addition to checking out books for our own recreational reading, Amy has also found some great gardening books to help us out with our new hobby which, by the way, is coming along quite nicely.  Thanks for asking.  Once the weather warms up a bit more steadily we can transplant everything outside.  But I digress, back to the books.

We've also come to remember what an excellent resource the public library is for our classrooms.  Books about Lincoln and Washington for Presidents' Day?  Check.  Books about rocks, soil, and recycling for my Science unit?  Check.  Books about Chinese New Year and Mardi Gras?  Check and check!  It reminded us of when we were first married with limited funds and resources.  We would make weekly trips to the public library in New Orleans to check out books for our classrooms.  Memories.  

Ok, so I've totally nerded out about reading and the public library.  But that's cool.  I'll proudly wave my nerd flag.  I mean, I teach 1st Grade, so of course reading is going to be a hobby and a huge part of my life!  Hmmmm.  Maybe I'll start blogging about what I'm reading?  I'm seeing a regularly themed post?  Maybe?  Maybe.  We shall see.  For now though, I'm going to sign off and read a bit before bed.  Do you have a hobby/pastime that you are totally proud to nerd out over?  Reading?  You know there's something!  :)

All is well, literate, in Drosche Land.  

Repeat

Well, here I sit again.  At home.  With a sick kid.  Yes dear readers, illness has once more entered into Drosche Land.

Yesterday Stella was sent home with fever.  Ugh!  Seriously?  Those were the thoughts I had as I hastily prepped my classroom for the remainder of the day and today, gathered my things, and got the boys ready.  Our immediate thought was that she had gotten the flu as well.  It was, after all, nearly a week after Braeden came down with it.  But, of course, the doctor's office was closed for lunch so we headed home.  Other than the fever she seemed fine.  Not overly fussy.  No spitting up or otherwise.

After a call to the doctor we headed in since they wanted to see her to test for sure.  Turns out she was negative for the flu.  Just a virus.  Ugh.  A virus.  On one hand it was good that she didn't have the flu.  However, on the other hand it is always frustrating to be diagnosed with a virus since there is nothing, other than Tylenol/Motrin, that can be done.  So we headed back home to continue the medicine and hydration process.

And here I am today.  She's napping right now and seems to be doing well.  Fingers are crossed that it was a fluke and has passed.  In the meantime I, as usual, have been busy with the never-ending process of laundry.  Some friends, Stella's godparents actually, have us 4 bags of clothing in exactly the sizes she is working through right now!  Woo hoo!  So I have been keeping busy this morning sorting and laundering everything.  

Last week I was able to catch up, at least as far as Netflix will allow, on The Walking Dead.  I am a total addict now and cannot get enough.  But Netflix only has through Season 2 so I'm on hold until the current season is released.  I've shifted gears then to another new addicting show, Downtown Abbey.  If you haven't seen either of these I suggest you do, quickly.  But make sure you have the time to devote to it as you're likely to get addicted as well.

Well, there's the dryer buzzer.  Time to switch loads and begin to sorting process all over again.  Maybe you'll hear from me again today.  Plans for tomorrow are still in the air until we see how she does this morning.  Fingers crossed though.  I'm ready to be without sickness here and we've run out of Lysol!

All is well, battling illness again, in Drosche Land.   

Sunday Snapshot - 8 Months

She's 8 months old.  Well, actually, 8 months and one week if we're going to be specific. Can you believe it?  8 months.  She's full on eating regular food now and, in fact, refuses to be fed from a spoon.  Instead, she likes to feed herself.

She's not crawling, not yet.  She's close though, so close.  As sad as it is that she's growing so quickly, I have to admit I'm ready for her to crawl.  Mainly because she is not a happy camper when she's attempting it!  Not at all!

She can't crawl, and she has yet to truly roll over consistently, but she's also working on pulling up and standing.  That's a bit further off though, hopefully.  I could be wrong though and she'll skip this all and go straight to walking.  Wouldn't that be just like our little strong-willed girl to buck the system and forgo developmental milestones in order to do things her way?  Yes, yes it would.

This photo shoot was a bit different.  She was a lot more serious and reserved.  The pictures turned out great though, I think, and show just another of her many sides.  One of my favorite shots (the next one down) looks as though she is thinking, "Seriously Dad?  Another picture?".  I love it, a glimpse into future teen years!

See what I mean?  HA!  I do want to share something though, about the yellow dress she's wearing.  It has a special story behind it. See, when Amy was pregnant with Braeden, Granny bought it.  She obviously never got the chance to give it to us since he, and then Jackson, turned out to be a boy.  Sadly, you might remember, she passed away right when we were in the early stages of the adoption process with Margaux.  You might remember the special story about her involvement with that.  Well, as it turns out she also had a special gift for Stella, we just didn't know it all at the time.  When my Mom found out we were having Stella, she gave us the yellow dress.  So, once again, Granny has been able to provide something special for us.  She obviously still looking down on us and taking care of us.  So, the yellow dress in these pictures holds a special meaning, making the pictures a little sweeter, and a little more sentimental.

So, there you have it. 8 months.  Time is flying but we're still managing to catch it in pictures.  One month closer to her big day.  What will 9 months bring us?  What will she wear?  She's already in 18 month clothes and growing faster than the boys ever did!  This makes for future photo shoot planning a little difficult.  But I'm sure we'll find something.  Until then, 8 months old and counting!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

That Darn Cat, uh, Dog!

This post has nothing to do with the Disney movie.  In fact, I'm not sure I've seen it, or at least I haven't in years.  But its name lends for a clever post title!  On with the post!

So you know we've been keeping the dogs outside during the day lately.  All was going fine.  They stayed out most days unless it was rainy or cold.  We had very little problems with it.  The amount of dog hair we were encountering inside was diminishing.  The dogs were getting exercise (we told ourselves), and all was going well.  Until yesterday that is. 

See, Rex likes to dig.  We've had minor problems with this in the past but have managed to fill in the holes.  It was one of the concerns we had when we decided to keep them outside.  But it seemed to be going well, he seemed to be stopping.  There were no new holes.  Life was good.  Argh.  Yesterday that dog dug next to and under one of the new, smaller raised beds we made.  Said bed (ha that rhymes) is collapsing and is now filled with the displaced dirt.  Argh.  The liner we put down to prevent weeds is also torn and wonky.  Argh.  Needless to say the dog (I'm too mad to speak his name) will no longer be left outside during the day.  Nope.  Nada.  Never again.  My biggest fear is that, once we get everything planted, he will dig and eat it all up.  Then I'll really be angry with the dog.  

So, now what?  He's back to being an inside dog during the day.  We have to decide if he will get to stay out or if he has to be kenneled.  We'll make a decision on Monday.  For now though repairing the damage is on my to-do list for this weekend.  It won't be too hard.  Plus, we intend to get the carrots planted this weekend anyway.  But still, it's the principle of the thing.

That dog.  Argh.

I've never had a dog that digs before.  I don't even know how to combat the issue.  Any good tips or tricks?  He can be out if we are home or outside.  Just not for extended times.  My guess is he gets distressed or bored and is looking for something to occupy his nervous energy.  So apparently he decided to be an amateur archaeologist.  Argh.

Anywho, I'm over it now.  Just had to vent.  The next step in what I am now referring to as "Project Bountiful Harvest".  Meanwhile everything is coming along nicely and growing like crazy inside.  Exciting prospects here on the Drosche Farm!

All is well, holey, in Drosche Land.  

Super

So, this past Sunday was Superbowl Sunday.  It should have also been a Sunday Snapshot. An easy one in fact since Stella turned 8 months old on that day.  However, obviously, a photo shoot did not happen.  Why you ask?  Good question dear readers.

See, Sunday was our very first Superbowl Party.  You might remember that when Amy was the Director we hosted the yearly Christmas party for her staff?  Well, with the job change we knew that would not be happening.  We were looking for something else to host.  Now, we don't want to host everything.  Just something every now and then.  It's fun.  Plus it gives you a reason to clean your house.  Win-win right?  Right.

So we decided to host a Superbowl Party for Amy's faculty.  Woo hoo!  Only we'd never hosted a Superbowl Party before.  Nor had we ever attended one.  Usually we just hang out at home and Amy and the boys watch the game while I do something, anything, else. Well, this year we were breaking out of our comfort zone.  Time to have some people over.  It had been too long.  So we planned.  And we cleaned.  And we shopped. And we cleaned some more.  We didn't go all out, kept it simple.  Just hamburgers and hot dogs.  Chips and dips.  BYO snack/drink/whatever.  You know the drill.

Well, the day came and we were ready.  Cleaned house?  Check!  Food?  Check?  Tidied backyard with raised beds (yes, that's plural but it's also a post for another time)?  Check.  Adult beverages?  Check (Abita in honor of the host city and our time spent there).  People arrived.  They brought yummies.  Things were going well.  I headed out to start the grill.  I prepped the burgers and the hot dogs.  I headed back out to start the food.  No flames.  What?!  Yep, you guessed it.  One of those things that apparently happens to everyone at some point in their life.  We were out of Propane.  Crap!  So, rather than head out to the store at the last minute with everyone else trying in vain to quickly scrape together a Superbowl shindig, we opted to cook them inside.  Thank goodness for an electric skillet!  Funny.  We laughed.  What more can you do?  

So I fired up the skillet and began to cook.  Then the house got a bit smoky.  You know how it does when you're cooking hamburgers inside (or maybe you don't, trust me on this one though).  Well, multiply that times 20 (the number of hamburgers we were cooking) and you get what looks like a hazy nightclub and smells like a (delicious) diner.  Nice.  So, the windows and doors were opened to get a cross-breeze going and air out the house.  Luckily the weather wasn't too chilly as we are having unseasonably warm weather for this time of year.  Again, we laughed and moved on.  

Long post short, the hamburgers were great, the company was fun, and all of the other food was delicious.  The game?  Well, you know me.  It had entertaining parts (judging by the guests' reactions).  The commercials and halftime show were good, that I can vouch for!  :)  Stella charmed everyone and the boys enjoyed themselves with some other kids who came over.  Our guests left and cleanup was quick (as in we rinsed and stacked everything in/near the sink to deal with later).  Then the fun really started.  Braeden complained that his "brain was hurting".  Crap!  So we looked deep into his glassy eyes and took his temperature.  Crap!  Fever.  Oh well.  

So Amy stayed home with him yesterday and her Mommy instinct proved correct as she took him to the doctor to find out that he had the flu.  Yep dear readers, we've been infected here in Drosche Land.  Luckily the doctor thinks we caught it early and the Tamiflu is hard at work with his friends Gatorade and Ibuprofen.  I stayed home with Patient Zero today and will be home again tomorrow as the fever doesn't seem to want to leave any time soon.  So, win-win, you'll probably hear from me again tomorrow since I've washed every dish we own and laundered every stitch of clothing that's dirty.  

We can't complain though since it has been quite a while since any of us have been this sick and he only seems to be experiencing a fever and fatigue from this flu, nothing messy if you catch my drift.  We're hoping that Jackson and Stella remain healthy so this doesn't run rampant through the family for the next week or so.  As a precaution I took them into school this morning to limit their exposure to Patient Zero.  Sorry, I've been watching a lot of The Walking Dead (addictive!).  Tomorrow we will probably do the same.  Luckily Amy and I seem to have avoided it as well.  Prayers continue for such a case as we lovingly keep our distance from the infected!

So, to recap.  A great party.  Check your propane before hosting a party.  Open your windows if cooking inside.  The Ravens won (you thought I didn't know!).  And the flu has reached us!  That about catches us up for now!  See you tomorrow!

All is well, super in fact, in Drosche Land.