That time Liam said "Doggie" Perfectly

I will confess, this is the most challenging time I've had has a parent.  Liam can make sounds but not words (other than; Dadda, Momma, Nanna, Yum).  I feel more lost now than ever before when trying to uncover what he wants.  Part of that is what he wants changes every .09 seconds.  I love that he can walk and giggle, he points very well which helps but the lack of verbal communication, coupled with his frustration and whining, its a challenge for me.  I want so much to know what he wants, to help him.  After 17 attempts (milk? walk? blocks?) we usually discover his want/need, but there has to be a better way.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, studies show boys develop slower verbally and faster with motor skills, so how can I help Liam to show me what he wants?  What can I do?  I racked my tiny, exhausted brain for days.  We never did the whole baby sign language thing, I had read somewhere that it can delay verbal development further in boys so I decided it wasn't for us, but maybe now a few signs would help?  I was torn. 

Flash forward to this morning; V, Liam and I are all chilling in the living room playing before we all leave for the day.  It was one of those rare non-rushed mornings, we were all smiling, Liam was giggling with ultimately makes V and I laugh like crazy.  Liam looked over at his Dinosaur walker toy, looks up at me and says "Doggie" perfectly.  V and I looked at one another in shock so much so that Liam thought he'd done something wrong until we started to laugh and say Yay, Liam!!!   I could care less that it wasn't really a doggie, it was perfect and a memory I will always cherish!

Another fun thing Liam says is "Dadda, N'mmmmm" when he likes his meal which is almost all meals, even when he's eating with me.  Momma is Liam's emergency word, he only uses it when he gets hurt or is upset.  Haha.  He has a handful of other noises that single when he wants up or is happy, he's such a funny and happy boy.

I have to say I think it's God's perfect timing, he shows us that all things work out perfectly in his time if we just let them.

Much Love,
Jen

Our First Time Looking at Homes

Oh my gosh, had it been an episode of House Hunters it would have been the funniest episode ever!  V picked out the first house (my first choice sold, boo) and I selected three others one of which was a foreclosure because hey why not?

V's cousin's husband is a successful realtor so we asked him to be ours on this journey, boy am I glad we did.  For starters he has educated us every step of the way and handled our multiple emails with such grace and he was fun to look at homes with, I totally understand why he has been so successful even though the recession.

We looked at V's #1 pick first and both fell in love.  The home is essentially move in ready.  The main floor has a open concept living/dining/kitchen, a bedroom and bathroom that will be Liam's as well as a great master suite.  The backyard is almost complete minus a little sod and covers for the egress windows.  The yard is smaller than I'd like but there is room enough to play, patio with room for a bbq is already installed.  The two car garage already has an automatic opener in stalled as well.  The house also has an unfinished basement with room for two more bedrooms and a bath (or a master suite, and large family room), there is also an existing laundry area.  It's a really nice house that is comfortably in our budget.

The next three houses are were the comedy comes in.  I just have to say that realors are sneaky with their pictures!  Or maybe I need to pay closer attention to what isn't pictured!  The second house had a fantastic yard but the kitchen was so small, SO small!  it was galley style with only two inches on either side of my hips!  And the livingroom was more like an entry way.   The third house was occupied by renters (though they were not home as we scheduled the viewing), those renters were clearly 5-6 guys, the house was nasty dirty and while the layout was amazing....it was on the edge of a drainage ditch!  Um, in the middle of town, what?!  Not only that the ditch ran along the side and back of the house with no fence, and no room for a fence! Can you say rejected?!  The last house was the foreclosure......and a mobile home on a basement, I didn't even know you could do that!  Ugh.  The pictures were so sneaky with a big deck and mature maple free, also the layout of the pictures was confusing, sneaky!  I kept singing "queen of my double wide trailor" to V. Haha!

After the final  house V and I went for some frozen yogurt (the grandparent's were enjoying some Liam time).  We talked over our options and basically came to the conclusion that we both really love the first house.  Crazy.  We agreed to take a little time to pray on it before making any more decisions.  I really hope the answer comes to us soon, this house could sell really fast and I think I'm getting attached! Ek!

Searching for Home Decor

Ummm.... I am having THE BEST time looking at houses, day dreaming about paint and decor.  I realize that once we find "the house" it will be a ton of work but I'm so excited.  When I moved in with V he had a lot of bachelor decor, a fair amount of it has stuck around and then we bought a sofa while I was very pregnant....note to self do not buy furniture while pregnant.....We now have a very comfy but not so cute sofa that isn't going anywhere any time soon.  It's ok though, we've already agreed to a few pieces of new furniture we'll get once we have the new house, I'm certain I can make it all work.

I have my eye on a few really cute items that I may just have to pick up before we actually get "the" house. :)   You can also follow me on Pinterest HERE and my fitness Pinterest HERE.

Any decorating pointers?  I'm all ears! 

We're Buying Our First Home!

Well, soon we will be! V and I were just pre-qualified for our first ever home loan!  I couldn't be happier!  We are in a really good, stable place where home ownership is within our reach, I never thought we'd get here.  We live in a area where incomes are lower and the cost of living is high, but the recession and current low interest rates have given us an amazing opportunity!

via google images

I've been looking at homes online for well over a year, it was my hobby and just a daydream.  This weekend we went to a few open houses, looked at the newspaper and had some really great talks.  It's so exciting!  V's cousin is a realtor so he'll be helping us on this journey.  Ideally we'd like a three bedroom, two bath single-family home.....by the end of this year.  We'll see!

Homeowners, past and present, advice PLEASE!

Much Love, Jen

One of Those Tough Moments

I've said it a thousand and one times...Liam is such a easy baby, now a easy toddler.  He started sleeping through the night around 6 months, on his own with no sleep training.  One day we stopped giving him bottles (around 12 months) and he didn't bat an eye.  We didn't even know when he teethed for the first time.  He's an easy going, happy-go-lucky boy.

But over the last few months he's had a rough time when I drop him off at Nanna's in the morning.  Usually he'll just fuss, once in a while he cries big 'ol alligator tears (cue my breaking heart).  Nanna has always tells me he stops by the time I'm to my car (so maybe 30 seconds).  It's rough on me, I won't lie I've teared up too.  Thankfully it's not everyday, some days he hardly seems to notice becuase he's playing with his buddies.

Today though.  Oh man.  Nanna reached for Liam and for the first time ever Liam wrapped his little hands around me and pressed into my chest and shook his little head "no". Can you hear that? It's my heart shattering.  I rubbed his back and talked with Nanna for a moment before she tried again, Liam gave the same reaction.  Ouch.  Soon enough I had to go, I reassured him that I loved him and he'd have a good day and I'd be back very soon.  He seemed more ok with me leaving but still wasn't happy about it.  Nanna's daughter was there and made sure to tell me that even when Liam is really upset it really lasts less than a minute.  I thanked her, told Liam I loved him and waved "bye-bye" and headed to work. (I don't believe in "sneaking out", I think for my child it would make the whole situation worse so I always wave).

Needless to say today was one of those tough moments.

Much Love,
Jen

Sometimes I'm All Puppies and Rainbows

And today is one of those days!  I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I've gotten a lot of physical activity in this week.  Two days this week the smoke [from nearby forest fires] had cleared out enough for walks and last night V convinced me to go to the gym You always feel so great afterward and always regret it when you don't go.... He was so right.  Oh the endorphins, glorious endorphins!

When I'm feeling this good I always try and take inventory Why do I feel sooo good?  I guess part of it is to be thankful and perhaps remember these good things when things don't seem so great. 

Today's Happy Things Inventory (in no specific order)
-Work is good, I recently had my mid-year review and it was fantastic (dare I say I'm sure I'll get a fantastic raise this year?)
-Liam is amazing, as usual.  He's walking, right on the cusp of completely shedding crawling, holy moly! 
-I have gotten in four days of physical activity! (Since Monday was a holiday I took a Spin class while Liam napped, walks on Tues & Weds with Liam and a 30 min run last night.  GLORIOUS!)
-Our car is officially paid off, very much ahead of schedule!
-I had a pretty interesting situation arise recently, while it didn't work out it has sparked a interest in me that I'm going to go after. Yay for adventures!  (More details on this as soon as I get them worked out!)
-V and I are doing pretty good, which is a far cry from a few months ago so I'll take it.  Progress is progress.
-I'm wearing a new and adorable dress that makes me feel pretty.  This is the dress.
-It's FRIDAY!

I'm sure there is much more but these things alone make my heart over flower today.

Much Love,
Jen