2 Year Old Check Up

Wednesday was Noah's 2 year check up. He's becoming much friendlier to the doctor now that he understands the word "presents" which is what the doctor brings in for him. He even got a sucker which I think was the highlight. So, here are the details: Noah currently weighs 29lbs, 3oz, which is actually smaller than I thought he would weigh. I could have sworn he was nearing 35 lbs! He's in the 67th percentile so just slightly above average. He's 34 1/2 in. long, which is in the 54th percentile, so pretty average here. His head is where we see the biggest difference - 72nd percentile! We know it's due to holding his big brain in. And speaking of, it appears that Noah is in the 90th percentile of 2 year olds who have the learning capacity of a 3 year old! We always new he was smart, but this just proves it! The doctor was also very impressed that he was speaking multiple words at a time and that he could be understood. He said that's rare for a 2 year old boy. :-) He only had to get one shot this time and not another until he's 4 (I think) He was soooo good! He only cried for a second and then was over it. I was so proud of him!

We spent another weekend of packing and hauling stuff to Dana's house. She has generously let us take over her dining room. Mike wanted to get most of the boxes moved over there since we'll be charged by the hour and the moving truck isn't that big. :-) It seems ok since we're doing it in bits over the course of several weeks but I'm not sure how Mike is going to feel hauling it to our new place over the course of one or two days. :-) Since we'll only be 5 minutes away, it shouldn't be too bad.

Dana also did us a favor and watched Noah Saturday night while we had a couples poker evening at a friends. Neither of us won, but it was fun to enjoy good food, some game time, and in good company.

We have also been hearing a lot about a certain someone over the course of this past week and weekend. Noah is very taken with his teacher, Ms. Nancy, at school. One day we were leaving and all he could say was "na-cy, na-cy". He's been saying it ever since anytime I ask him who his friend at school is or anything to do with school. It's very cute. :-)

Sunday began as a beautiful morning. We took Dana home (from staying overnight) and hauled another load of stuff to her house. When we got home, Noah and I took a walk around the block with the wagon. He pulled it most of the way. There was a time when I asked him if he could pull me. He pointed to me to get into the wagon. believe it or not, he was able to pull me a few steps! It was pretty funny. I wished I had gotten it on camera! After the walk, we went out back to go down the slide and blow some bubbles. We even opened the windows for a while to let in some fresh air. It was tough getting Noah to come in but we eventually convinced him. We were also able to get the office mostly packed up and the guest room taken apart (bed frame and all). I'm feeling really good about where we are with all of the packing. I almost wish moving time would get here already!

The weather turned cloudy and got colder as the day progressed. It was just nice to see some sun for a while. It had been several days since we had seen any. Tonight we enjoyed a lovely dinner with the Hensley family and got to catch up before we move to the boonies away from our dear friends. :-( Their daughter, Hailey, is just a doll! Noah seemed to enjoy watching her and Hailey actually liked watching Noah. Does anyone hear wedding bells in 25-30 years?! ;-) Just kidding! (kind of!)

This week should go by rather quickly. I have two day trips this week, one to Chicago and one to Las Vegas. I'm not looking forward to them as I expect to be grilled by various franchisees on our media plans. Say a prayer that all goes well.

We also received a note tonight from our Realtor that the couple buying our house would also like to buy our refrigerator. This is one less thing to haul, but one more thing to buy!

We are just ready for the move. Two weeks to closing! We haven't had our house appraised yet and we are slightly concerned - if the appraisal comes back less than what we sold the house for, we could be in trouble. Everything has gone smoothly so far so let's hope that streak continues.

Thinking of everyone and hope the weekend was a good one!

Love to all,

Corri, Mike and Noah

PS, sorry no pictures right now but I'll try to get some posted soon!

Just Another Weekend

Our weekend fun started early with Thursday night bedtime. We had family fun in Noah's room, playing music, dancing and getting crazy! We got a few pictures and a video of Noah dancing. Not the best example to set, but it was so cute we couldn't resist. (We hoped it might wear him out!)

We did go to work/school on Friday and it was "boys night in" as I had my lady's poker night. Lucky me, I took second place! Mike let me come home since I won some money. Saturday was spent packing up more "stuff" and we took a lot to my sister's. She needed some help with a few house projects so we headed up north for the afternoon. Dana was kind enough to help me run a few errands while Noah played with Daddy at her house.

I secured tickets via a media rep, to see a comedian playing in the area. We had a lovely night out - the comedian was very funny! Matt was kind enough to watch Noah that night and even review our taxes. Once again, we owe! Just love the government...

Sunday we went to church as a family. Noah looked so cute, I couldn't resist getting a few pictures. He so rarely is dressed up!

Sunday was more of the same - packing, cleaning, packing, laundry, packing. Oh! Best part of the day is when we all took naps! Can't remember how long it's been since I had a nap. It was wonderful! I think weekend naps should become mandatory.

Noah is doing an amazing job of talking. There are times we still have trouble understanding him, but overall it's good. He's putting words and sentences together. He enjoys talking so much, he's been very active with his play cell phones. I don't know who he's talking to but he's very animated as he does so. He's also picked up an interesting habit at school. I'm guessing it comes from a book they read. Now, instead of just telling us "no," he tells us "no way!" The joys of a toddler...It's funny until it's followed by a screaming tantrum. (Which is the norm these days.)

We are still struggling with sleep time. It's been 4-5 days now and he's still screaming uncontrollably until he just passes out from exhaustion. It's tough on us all but I know in the long run it's the right thing to do. He's gotten so used to us helping him to sleep, we've become a crutch. It's obvious to his teachers he's not sleeping well, as he's ready to pass out before lunch every day. The good news is that he's mostly stopped waking in the middle of the night. Baby steps - I understand it could take a couple weeks before he's in the routine. Say a prayer for us all!!

That's it for this week. I don't expect the weekends to be overly exciting since our focus is packing, but we'll keep you in the loop anyway!

Love to all,

Corri, Mike and Noah

Our Very Own Winter Wonderland

This week came and went. I was traveling for 2 days of the week. The meeting went really well so I came back to town happy to see my family and feeling pretty good. When Thursday rolled around, the snow began around 3am. And it snowed. And it snowed. And it snowed. By 1pm, my office shut the doors. I picked up Noah and we headed up to Frisco to wait until our inspection. We debated postponing but everyone was still on board so we continued. We really just wanted to get it done so we could move forward. Good news is that there were only a few minor fixes that needed to happen so we are well on our way to moving to our new home!

Oh, we also go things worked out from a moving standpoint. We are turning over possession of our house at 8am Friday the 19th. We take ownership of our new place at noon on Friday. We're going to hire a mover that can load our stuff on Thursday and then deliver it on Friday. We already have a referral of someone who'll do it. That will give us Thursday night to clean the house and then we'll stay with Dana Thurs. night. Looks like it's all working out!

The evening of inspection, Dana met us at the new place for a tour. Once complete, we grabbed some dinner in Frisco. We headed home around 7:30 and it took about an hour to get home. The roads were not great and the wind kept blowing the snow everywhere. By late that evening, Mike's office closed as did ours. GOOD! I didn't think we'd be able to venture in on Friday anyway. When we woke, this is what we saw:

From what I heard, this was the most snow Dallas had seen in many, many years (and from what I've seen in the 11 that I've been here!)! I think they tracked around 12" in some parts! Needless to say, while I worked, Mike entertained Noah. He had to go outside and with all the snow, what kid could resist? I never thought I would ever see the day when my son was outside in DALLAS playing in the snow!

that is one big snowman!

Even after the snowman was built, Noah was not ready to come inside. Mike took him out the back where they made snow angels. :-) I think when he finally did come in, he was ice cold all over! Didn't seem to phase him much.

We began taking things off the walls that evening and patching up holes. I started getting a bit overwhelmed with all the work we have ahead of us. We're going to be living in the midst of boxes for a while! There is plenty to keep us busy between work and packing. I know the time to move will come before we know it.

Noah is getting really good at communicating. He loves to count to 10 and sing his ABC's. I was able to capture some of that Saturday.

Noah is still having a lot of difficulty sleeping at night and it's a nightmare trying to get him to take a nap. On Sunday he was so upset he made himself sick. I really don't know how to make things any easier for him. I'm already prepared for the difficulties once we move. Can't wait.

Valentine's day was spent doing more of the same. Lots of packing and we'll do a little celebrating with Champagne and fondue tonight! I've got a jam-packed week ahead and Mike always seems to stay busy too.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and a Happy Valentine's Day!

Love to all,

Corri, Mike and Noah

Noah's Second Birthday

What a beautiful and long weekend for Noah's 2nd birthday! It began Thursday, when Noah took cupcakes to school to celebrate turning 2 and that evening, Grandma and Grandpa Reichert, along with Aunt Megan, arrived. We were able to spend a little time together before going to bed. Noah was so excited to see them and it can be seen the way he snuggled with them and shared lots of smiles.

He spent all day with them Friday as Mike and I went in search of a house. We were under a tight deadline since the house closing is scheduled for March 12. We didn't really want to move twice. We new Noah would have a fun day - just look at how happy he was to see Grandma.

Mike and I began the day at 9:30 and headed up to Frisco to see the last of the houses on our list. We had seen one earlier this week so we planned to go back to look again. We initially thought we'd put an offer on it, but I did have some reservations. Sure enough, two houses before going back, we found our house! It was everything I wanted and I knew it was enough room to grow into. I think Mike was feeling pretty good about it too, but we wanted to look at the other one before making a final decision. My parents got to town as we were out looking and they joined us for lunch and then went to see the 2 homes in the running. After re-visiting the initial house, we knew, it was not the one. We went back to see (and show my parents) the house on Rasor and decided to put an offer on it. I think we finally made it back home around 4. Mom and dad were happy to see Noah and the weather turned out pretty nice for the day.

Both Grandmas took Noah for a walk - he was all to happy to enjoy a wagon ride!

Saturday morning as we prepared for Noah's birthday lunch with the family, we anxiously awaited word on our offer. We both countered and after we went back - we got a call at 11:30 - they accepted our offer! YAY! We had our house!

Before heading to the restaurant, we got a few pictures with our difficult, 2 year old. That's right, he was not in the best frame of mind (despite what you see below). No is his new favorite word, even when he means yes.

Even at the restaurant, Noah was difficult. He wanted nothing to do with anyone there and only wanted to sit on my lap. It wasn't until the food came out that he finally began to loosen up. Maybe he was just hungry!

Daddy was frustrated with hearing NO!

Aunt Megan was a life saver - entertaining Noah until everyone was finished with their food.

A family photo

After lunch, we headed back to our house and prepared for cake, ice cream and presents.

For Dessert, I made Monkey cupcakes, and homemade vanilla and banana ice cream. It was yummy!

To entertain Noah while we waited for the rest of the family, Grandma Blick took Noah on another wagon ride. It was much colder so he had to bundle up. He's now enjoying his shades.

When Grandma and Grandpa Reichert arrived, they came with a big Elmo Balloon. Noah was thrilled. Here he's catching a glimpse of him while grandma holds him down.

He enjoyed some giggles with his grandpas while Elmo flew overhead.

Soon daddy arrived with a bunch of balloons. Noah was beside himself with excitement! Him and his "boons"! Of course, as soon as they came in, he wanted each of them separated individually. That's all we really needed though - we could have skipped the gifts all together. It was his day though so he could do whatever he wanted.

Finally, cake time! We all sang happy birthday and enjoyed some dessert!



Noah seemed to enjoy dessert. As a matter of fact, he's developed his mom's sweet tooth. He's discovered what candy is too which isn't good. We have tantrums about not getting candy all the time. It's loads of fun.

Again, Aunt Megan entertaining Noah after a sugar rush. He got lots of fun gifts from the family and he's here with cookie monster, a gift from Uncle Matt and Aunt Emily (or Emmy as Noah calls her).

Noah also received:

• College money from Mommy and Daddy, Grandpa Blick, Uncle Ryan, Grandma Blick, Grandma and Grandpa Reichert, and Aunt Dana
• A tub toy in addition to Cookie Monster, from Uncle Matt and Aunt Emily
• A Bubble machine from Aunt Megan
• A Monkey and kaleidoscope from Grandma Blick
• A back pack embroidered with Noah on it, along with colors, coloring books, domino's, fish cards and some crackers from Grandma and Grandpa Reichert
• A Looney Tunes movie from Great-Grandma Reichert
• Books from Auntie Mary and Uncle John Rhodes
• A puzzle and cup from Peggy Jones
• A Toys R Us gift card from the Quealys

What a spoiled little boy!

Sunday, Grandma and Grandpa Blick had to leave town so we said early morning goodbyes to them. That gave us some time to clean up before going to Uncle Matt's to watch the Super Bowl and to celebrate his birthday (a day early).

Noah loves spending time with the ladies and is taken with Auntie Mary, Emily's mom. They all sang songs together and Noah seemed to really love the time with them.

Once again, it was birthday boy time- but for Uncle Matt today. Noah really got into the singing and candles. At least one of them did.

MMMM!! More yummy cake!

Grandma entertained Noah during much of the Super Bowl and he was very content to let her. So much so,

he passed out.

We are so blessed to have such amazing, caring, families. Noah is such a lucky little boy to be surrounded by all the love. We are thankful and grateful for everyone who could be here to celebrate the life of our son. We missed Uncle Ryan, but know he was here in spirit.

Love to all,

Corri, Mike and Noah

PS. here are some links to video I took over the weekend. Just copy and paste into your browser to view:

Noah and balloons: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMUDJHRhI2M

Noah's birthday song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei8gZSwGeE4

Noah and gift from Aunt Megan: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITxJ7g89CuY

Noah singing with the women: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpCIkNcuo4A

Noah and Uncle Matt's birthday: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyoS3nBukvk

On The Hunt

As promised, here is a picture of Noah in his new bed. It hasn't been the smoothest transition. He is still getting up in the middle of the night and coming to our door, but I think we're making progress. It could be in part to him not feeling well. That's what I tell myself anyway.


This weekend went as quickly as it came. Friday night was my monthly game of poker with the girls. I was the first one out - just couldn't catch a break. I was kind of ok with that though as the inspector came early Saturday morning and we were to begin our house hunting adventure. Matt and Emily were kind enough to watch Noah while we went in search of our "dream home." It's hopefully still out there because we didn't see it on Saturday. We wrapped up around 12:30 because we had a 2 year old's birthday party to attend at the Museum of Nature and Science at Fair Park (that is DOWNTOWN). We picked up Noah, who seemed to have a great time with Matt and Emily. I could have kicked myself for not bringing the camera. There were all these little kiddos running around exploring the place. There was a section just for little ones which was nice. Noah didn't want to participate in anything and avoided other kids when possible. He's not turning into the social butterfly that I'd hoped. Maybe in due time. After all the explorations, they enjoyed juice and cake and got to take home a goodie bag too.
We had errands to run that night and I had lasagna to make for my friend Julie. We were to deliver it on Sunday. She had surgery a few weeks ago so friends had been volunteering to take her food since she shouldn't be driving.
Dana came over on Sunday and literally spent all day with Noah, which we were very grateful! She wasn't feeling well and Noah was a little under the weather himself. What a pair!
We were out for 4 1/2 hours, and again, no houses...At least none that Mike and I could agree on. We were in North Dallas, Plano and even Frisco. It was a little defeating but Peggy, our realtor, assures us we'll find the right place.

We enjoyed our own lasagna for dinner last night and before we knew it, it was time to prepare for the week. Noah had been running a fever all weekend and last night was no exception. His temperament seems to be ok. He's only been eating about one meal a day, but he lets us know when he's hungry. I took him to the doctor last week and he figures he has bronchiolitis. He gave us some cough medicine samples but failed to mention that could cause constipation. We didn't realize it until his teacher mentioned it to me and we'd been feeding him the stuff for 3 days. Poor kid was crying in pain for 3 days! It helped his cough but we seemed to trade one issue for another. I'd prefer to endure the coughing than the crying so we stopped the medicine. Since he's had a fever, we had to keep him home from daycare. I'm with him now but he seems like he'll be fine to head back to school tomorrow.
It will be a very nice, short week since Mike and I took off on Friday. We had planned to spend the day with family and get Noah's 2 year pictures taken. Since we didn't have any luck with the house hunt this weekend, we'll probably use Friday and possibly Sunday to go out again. We really need to find something this weekend and I hope we don't have to force too many compromises. Worst case, my sister ends up with 3 new roommates for a while!

We are very much looking forward to the weekend and spending it with family as we celebrate Noah's 2nd birthday. Where has the time gone?!

Have a great week and safe travels to our family.
Love to all,
Corri, Mike and Noah