Crazy Days

I just realized that I have been remiss in posting this weekend. It's been rather hectic at work since my boss has been on vacation. We have been preparing for a major meeting happening tomorrow. So, of course I worked some over the weekend and put in a 12 hour day yesterday. I'm so pooped right now, I should go to bed, esp. since I have to be to work at 7am tomorrow. My VP acknowledged my hard work today and told me how impressed he was with all that I've been working on while my boss has been out. Its nice to be recognized (even though I don't like my VP) and will hopefully put me even closer to a good raise and eventual promotion. :-) In the meantime, Mike wants to entertain a move to California - San Fran or San Diego perhaps? I don't think so...If I'm ready for a bigger house here in TX, how would we ever survive in cramped CA living quarters?! Plus, give up all my babysitters? NO WAY!

So, what to say about the weekend. Didn't do a whole lot - Mike was able to get the trim in the bathroom complete and he's slowly but surely repairing some of the siding trim on the house. Noah and I spent most of the weekend at the house. We are continually trying to teach him new words and he repeats them pretty well for his age, but getting him to use them regularly is another story. Any time he wants something the "pease" comes out, but of course, I usually have no idea what he's saying please for! Tantrums are still in full force and he's definitely not a morning child. Every morning we have to wake him he seems to freak out. He doesn't want picked up, but then he does; he doesn't want milk, but then he does...the list goes on and on. Of course, those who don't know him well still think he is the cutest thing ever, and to that I must agree! He seems to do well in Transition (toddler class) and doesn't get upset when I leave anymore. He's still quite the lover; I'm always hearing about him kissing on one girl or another. At least the biting has stopped! The teachers all fight over his affections and that makes me feel good. I know he is loved!
This coming weekend Mike is heading out of town for his Fantasy Football league. Dana is watching Noah on Friday while I try to win some money at Poker and then we plan to spend a fun Saturday together.

Mike started up soccer this last weekend - they won their first game which is exciting! One of these days I'll take Noah as I'm sure he'd love being outside and getting to run around.
That's all for tonight. I gotta hit the sack!
Love to all,
Corri, Mike and Noah

PS.
Happy Birthday to Grandma Reichert - Have a wonderful day tomorrow!

Home Improvement Weekend

What a fun and busy weekend we had! Dad came in to visit Thursday night. We had dinner at Dana's then headed back to our house. He spent the night with us so he and Mike could play golf on Friday. Noah and I got home around 2 and the guys began working on the trim for our bathroom. We headed out to Dana's place to have dinner and do some home improvement work for her. Mike got her ceiling fan hung in her bedroom while the three of us began priming her living room. I happened to be taking down her blinds and like and idiot, opened the casing before I shut the blinds. They came crashing down on my head. Had a heckofa headache over the next two days and a nice bump but nothing overly serious. We headed home last that night to get an early start on Saturday with Dad and Mike finishing the trim in the bathroom.
Noah and I entertained ourselves for most of the morning. Noah did really well playing by himself while I did laundry. Here he is with his "ball" toy. He loves this thing!

He also loved spending time with Grandpa. Here they are taking a break from the bathroom.

Mike got Noah some G.I. Joe toys from work and Noah really got a kick out of them. They all do something fun. This one happens to propel forward. He thought it was pretty great.

After a while, Noah got a little bored so decided he could be of great help to Grandpa and Daddy. He likes the measuring tape.

This is the mostly finished product. Mike still has a few touch-ups, but overall, we are so pleased with the end result! Mike and Dad did a fantastic job on the trim! Way to go guys!

By noon, we decided we'd better get to Dana's to finish off the living room. We had a late lunch and then got to work. Noah was not happy that he wasn't getting much attention so we had our hands full with him. By late afternoon and still no nap, Grandpa decided he'd try to get him to sleep. Sure enough! The two of them finally passed out. (I think grandpa was just tired from all the work that day!)

Dana's room really turned out great! It's probably hard to tell from the pictures, but she chose two grey colors for the room. Her chocolate sofa is going to look great once it arrives in a few weeks!


After such a hard day's work, we treated ourselves to some BBQ. We're getting nicely acquainted with Dana's neighborhood. So many places to choose from! Before we left, we thought it a great opportunity to get a family photo. We take so few these days.

Dana also couldn't resist doing a few touch-ups before dinner!

Sunday was full of activity for Mike. He had his first golf lesson which I think went well. By late morning, he was hard at work on the bathroom again. He took a break after lunch so we could stop off to see Dean and Klaire, and new baby Hailey at the hospital! She arrived early Saturday morning and we couldn't resist sneaking a peak. She is so tiny and so adorable! Seeing Noah there next to her, it was hard to believe he was once that small! It was great to see them and things seemed to be good for the family. Mike came home and worked some more on the bathroom. After dinner, he decided to practice what he learned in his golf lesson. Noah was all about "helping' him. We got out his golf set so he could practice alongside daddy. Not sure he quite has the hang of it yet, but he sure loved being outside!

Noah is getting really good at saying "pease" (please!) He's also trying out new words all the time. None have stuck yet, other than "all done!" This morning on the ride to work, he said "mama, pease" and he kept saying it while making the sign for the word. I couldn't figure out what he was asking for until he finally threw a fit and pointed to the DVD. We've created a monster! Oh well, at least he's a polite monster!

I hope next weekend is more low-key. We're ready for a break!

Love to all,
Corri, Mike and Noah

Lots to share this week! We had a busy one beginning on Tuesday when I took the day off to help Dana unpack from her move. We got a little bit organized and also found some time to fit in some shopping so overall, it was a great day! The house is just great and Dana has lots of wonderful ideas for it. I can't wait to help her bring it to life and it's already coming together very nicely.

Wednesday night Mike and I went to see the premiere of the movie, G.I.Joe, with Mike's 7-11 clients. I had very low expectations so was pleasantly surprised but I think Mike had a different feeling about the movie. :-) Noah stayed with his cousin Jess and apparently didn't stop whining the entire time he was there. I sure hope I can convince her to watch him again one day but I wouldn't be surprised if she was just "busy" every time!

Friday afternoon Noah had his 18 mo. check up. Once again, Noah HATED the doctor. If he could bury his head further into my neck, I think he would have. What's interesting is the doctor only pokes around on him, it's the nurse who gives the shots but he doesn't seem phased by her! He weighs a little over 27 lbs and in the 71st percentile. His head is in the 78th percentile and his height...21st percentile. :-) At least his head is keeping up with his weight! Hopefully his height will improve...His mental growth is at 19 mos. 3 weeks so at least he's smart.

Friday night, Mike, Noah and I had dinner at a friend's house. They have a son who's 6 and a daughter who's around 3. Their son was at his grandparent's but their daughter, Kate, was around and Noah seemed to have a great time with her. They have a fantastic play room and Noah got to eat dinner at a little table which I think he really liked. He was in good spirits most of the evening so we were able to stay until around 10.

Saturday we spent most of the morning and early afternoon fixing up some things around the house, doing touch-ups, etc. Mike has been a super-hero around the house! He's been very handy and got lots of things fixed.

Saturday afternoon we went out to Dana's. We all had dinner together, did some house stuff and called it a night around 9. Noah was "helping" Dana put some things away. The hat wasn't the only thing he got into but I didn't think Mike would appreciate a picture of Noah wearing Dana's jewelry. :-)

Sunday was another crazy day for Mike. After getting the lawn mowed, he spent the rest of the day ripping up our bathroom. He really did an amazing job if you ask me. I honestly didn't know he had it in him, but he got the toilet out, all the carpet, tile, etc. He did all of this to save us some money on the installation. Seems like most of the "tile charges" come from the tear out so we figured that could be managed. I'm thinking in the next house we have, if tiling is needed, I have every confidence we could do it ourselves. But, for the time being, we'll rely on a "professional" this time around!

By next weekend, I should have the finished look to share. We are so excited! For now, we've moved into the guest bathroom and I forgot how cozy one bathroom for 3 people can be. Mike reminded me that's what apartment living would be like, which I vow to never do again if I can help it. I suppose we'll survive a few days.

Sunday night Mike tried to get Noah used to the shower (vs. a bath) so we could start using a shower hose to rinse him off. They got in the shower together and Noah HATED it. He cried the entire time. For all of you first time moms, I strongly encourage you to get your kids used to the shower at a much younger age. There is no telling when Noah will be comfortable. I also chalk it up to not taking him to the pool enough to get used to the water. He seems to have such and issue with water on his face. Weird, since he lived in the womb surrounded by fluid! :-)

We've been trying to practice words with Noah since he gets so upset when he doesn't get his way. Not that the words we've been practicing have anything to do with it, but at least we're getting there. He can say "eye" now and after he does the sign for "please" he'll say "plee". It's so cute! I think having him in the new class with all the little people his own age is really helping. He's even coming around to brushing his teeth without screaming. They all have to do it at school and since the other kids are doing it, I think he wants to join in. That definitely helps. He seems to be doing really well in the class and I bet he'll continue to pick up more and more words since so many of the kids speak in the class.

Looking forward to my dad's visit this coming weekend. We'll be spending a lot of time at my sister's. I really can't wait until we can sell the house and move closer into Dallas. We've already got 10K miles on the car in only 5 months! Yikes!!

That's it for this week!

Love to all,

Corri, Mike and Noah

Wedding in Wichita

Another fun weekend behind us! Friday we traveled to Wichita to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa Blick, but also to attend my cousin Jodi's wedding on Saturday.
Friday night was a nice dinner with the family and off to bed for an early start (as always on Saturday!)
Noah very much enjoyed hamming it up at breakfast. We just love making this face!

To give mom and dad some quiet and enjoy sleeping in for a change, Grandma took Noah outside (where it was a beautiful morning in the 60s!). He loved playing in Grandma's fountain and had the wet clothes to prove it!

what happens if I stick my finger in this hole?

Grandma also treated Noah to her latest purchase for him. What a fun car! It was hard to actually get him out of it once they started on a walk. I wonder if Grandma regrets the decision? (then again, what great exercise, which is what I'm sure she's thinking!) :-)

I love sidewalk chalk! If only it tasted better...

The wedding was Saturday afternoon so unfortunately Noah did not get his usual nap. He and I spent most of the wedding in the vestibule so he couldn't holler while the ceremony was going on. He loved climbing up and down the stairs. Even though he started getting crabby, we were still able to get a nice family shot together.

Once we got to the reception, the world was his oyster! There was a huge dance floor and lots of kids (including pretty Ms. Kennedy - my cousin's daughter). Noah couldn't get enough of her! I think he loved having all his little "cousins" around to play with. That kept him occupied for a while.

Before dinner could arrive, Noah insisted on a snack. He also had to use a spoon to eat his crackers (yet another famous face!).

When he wasn't eating them, he loved feeding daddy.

After dinner there was cake and dancing. With the dimming of the lights, it only took a few dance songs before Noah was too tuckered to do anymore. He snuggled up with aunt Dana and passed out.

What a busy and eventful day we all had! It was great seeing all my cousins and catching up with many of them! Sunday was a brief one - breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa, then we headed back to Dallas. I couldn't resist this matching picture of Grandma and Noah!

This will be a fun week full of social activities. Dana moves on Tuesday so I'm taking the day off to help. Dinner with friends Wed., Friday and Sunday nights! We'll be fat and broke by next week!

Hope all had a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Corri, Mike and Noah