Thursday, January 17, 2008
Past Blogs
I've just posted some past blogs on here from last year (from my other blog) just in case anyone didn't get a chance to read them. :)
Update on Sites
For anyone wondering, I will still be updating www.iuwolf.com, although it appears to be down at the moment. I know Matt had to reset our server, so I'll check with him on getting it back up. I will also keep my myspace page (www.myspace.com/hoosiernik) and blog on there, although they will probably be duplicate blogs. Plus, you have to have a myspace account to leave comments there whereas anyone can leave comments on this blogsite. :)
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
What a Day!
So I was hoping to be on here tonight talking about something else, but oh well... Here goes:
We were contacted by the Psychology dept last week about a research experiment involving 8-month olds and their ability to recognize imitation. It sounded like fun, so I signed Lauren and myself up. I was actually pretty excited about it, and thought it was pretty cool that Lauren would always get to say that she helped with a research finding! I was taking Carter to Matt's work so Lauren and I could go and was at the light at 10th and College (in between Mad Mushroom and Waffle House). All of a sudden, I hear reverse beeps and see the garbage truck in front of me start to back up. I was frantically trying to get my car into reverse while blaring my horn, but it was too late. He backed up and was partially on top of my hood. Luckily, Waffle House parking lot is where cops like to hang out, and there were two of them there. It was a new driver (in an IU garbage truck) and he suddenly had the urge to pee -- so he was backing up to pull into Waffle House! I'm still trying to figure out why he thought it was okay to back up in the middle of the road when would've been able to turn onto College Ave. soon, even if he didn't see me behind him...
So... my car was towed. Leaking radiator fluid all over the road. Nothing, of course, happened to the garbage truck. We called Enterprise, who we normally rent from and has all our information (including insurance) in their computers from before, and they have nothing available. Before we could check with anyone else, the police officer told us to call Risk Management, who's the insurance for IU, to see if they'd set us up with transportation. Matt called, someone had to call him back, and they said we were approved for a compact car. HAHAHAHA!!!!! He said we have an SUV and need something comparable because we have two car seats. I had to squeeze both carseats and kids in the back of Matt's Mustang -- picture putting Lauren in a rear-facing seat in his car!!!! The adjustor from Risk Management called Matt and had us set up with National and Matt picked up a Grand Prix this afternoon, so at least we have something that the carseats fit in and has a large enough trunk for a stroller.
My car was towed to the AutoPlex and when I called them the adjustor had been there. Matt said he was pretty sure he had been, as he said he had pictures of the car already. They said that they were really busy today, but that they'd get an estimate on it, contact the adjustor, order the parts, and fix the car. Not sure how long it will take, but at least I don't have to do anything. I did call our insurance claims office, and they said not to do anything unless the other insurance company does nothing -- then we could file our own claim and they'd go after them. Fine with me...
I was so distraught earlier as I hate feeling like I have no control. I finally called my mom after we got home and I got Lauren down for a nap. Everything came out and I just cried... but at least I feel better now. Hopefully we'll hear something in the next couple days, but at least we weren't planning on going out of town for a while!!
Whew... what a day...
We were contacted by the Psychology dept last week about a research experiment involving 8-month olds and their ability to recognize imitation. It sounded like fun, so I signed Lauren and myself up. I was actually pretty excited about it, and thought it was pretty cool that Lauren would always get to say that she helped with a research finding! I was taking Carter to Matt's work so Lauren and I could go and was at the light at 10th and College (in between Mad Mushroom and Waffle House). All of a sudden, I hear reverse beeps and see the garbage truck in front of me start to back up. I was frantically trying to get my car into reverse while blaring my horn, but it was too late. He backed up and was partially on top of my hood. Luckily, Waffle House parking lot is where cops like to hang out, and there were two of them there. It was a new driver (in an IU garbage truck) and he suddenly had the urge to pee -- so he was backing up to pull into Waffle House! I'm still trying to figure out why he thought it was okay to back up in the middle of the road when would've been able to turn onto College Ave. soon, even if he didn't see me behind him...
So... my car was towed. Leaking radiator fluid all over the road. Nothing, of course, happened to the garbage truck. We called Enterprise, who we normally rent from and has all our information (including insurance) in their computers from before, and they have nothing available. Before we could check with anyone else, the police officer told us to call Risk Management, who's the insurance for IU, to see if they'd set us up with transportation. Matt called, someone had to call him back, and they said we were approved for a compact car. HAHAHAHA!!!!! He said we have an SUV and need something comparable because we have two car seats. I had to squeeze both carseats and kids in the back of Matt's Mustang -- picture putting Lauren in a rear-facing seat in his car!!!! The adjustor from Risk Management called Matt and had us set up with National and Matt picked up a Grand Prix this afternoon, so at least we have something that the carseats fit in and has a large enough trunk for a stroller.
My car was towed to the AutoPlex and when I called them the adjustor had been there. Matt said he was pretty sure he had been, as he said he had pictures of the car already. They said that they were really busy today, but that they'd get an estimate on it, contact the adjustor, order the parts, and fix the car. Not sure how long it will take, but at least I don't have to do anything. I did call our insurance claims office, and they said not to do anything unless the other insurance company does nothing -- then we could file our own claim and they'd go after them. Fine with me...
I was so distraught earlier as I hate feeling like I have no control. I finally called my mom after we got home and I got Lauren down for a nap. Everything came out and I just cried... but at least I feel better now. Hopefully we'll hear something in the next couple days, but at least we weren't planning on going out of town for a while!!
Whew... what a day...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Uh, yeah...
So I told you that most the ramblings don't even make it out of my head!! Let's just say it's been a pretty busy month since the last posting. The holidays were a little hectic, and I'm still trying to get my feet on the ground since then. Things are slowly getting done around here, and I'm excited that we'll actually get to stay in Bloomington on the weekends! Lauren was baptized this past Sunday, and that's our last out-of-town trip planned for a while. :) I hope to get some more posted on here soon, even if it's just a small paragraph like this! We'll see how successful I am! :)
Saturday, December 15, 2007
A new blog...
So, I've decided to start a new blog. We've got www.iuwolf.com, but it seems I don't post there very often. I need somewhere that I can post some of my ramblings, most of which don't make it out of my head! Keep checking our current website as it will still get postings... Welcome to the Wolf Den!!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
It's Been a While...
It has been a while since I posted a blog or update, so I thought I'd write a bit to catch up. We've been super busy the past few weeks with Carter's birthday and travelling. We had a total of three birthday parties – one in Ft Wayne for family, one here for friends and family that could make it, and one at my parents' in Ohio to celebrate all the recent birthdays (five in all). We also took Carter to a minor league baseball game in Indianapolis on his birthday and he loved it. Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful gifts (that Carter likes to scatter around the house while playing with all of them!) – I promise thank-you cards are on the way! Thanks also to everyone who helped coordinate the festivities with me!! Matt had a birthday two days after Carter, so some of the celebrations were for him.
Carter went to the doctor today for his three-year physical and checkup. He's super healthy, and hadn't been to the doctor since his two-year appointment. He is 3'5" tall (>95%) and weighs 38.5 lbs (95%). Everything checked out great and the doctor was very pleased. Carter had his blood pressure taken for the first time, but saw me get it done every pregnancy visit and has a toy sphygmometer so he knew what was going on. He made the nurse do it three times because he liked it so much, and he listened through the stethoscope the last time. He did get a Hepatitis A vaccine, as they are just now adding it to the schedule, but did very well. I wasn't sure how he'd react, as he's always cried a bit in the past, but all he did was say "Ow" and liked getting a bandaid on his thigh! We did a developmental questionnaire too, and actually ran out of questions before we were done (I forgot to ask when the nurse came back if there was more I should answer). So we got as far as 3 yrs, 10 months developmentally, so Carter's at least there.
We're still working on potty training, as Carter is always so preoccupied with playing that he doesn't want to stop to use the potty. We've started using a timer, to give him the power when it's time to go (rather than us telling him to go), and that's working pretty well. He does stay dry fairly long now, except overnight. He also doesn't want to go #2 in the potty… No idea why! So if anyone has any suggestions to help us along, please give them to me!!
We thought about sending Carter to preschool two or three days a week starting in the fall, but we decided to wait. One reason is the expense, another is we feel he's already ahead of the game. He's known his alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors, and now knows his presidents and states. Since Lauren's been born, however, it's been harder to teach him new things, but we hope to get back to it soon. Perhaps he'll do one year of preschool before kindergarten to get him accustomed to school. He likes routines so it shouldn't be too hard, and he is very social with kids at the playground or bookstore so we're not worried about that.
Lauren is also doing well. It's hard to believe that she'll be three months old tomorrow!! She had been regularly sleeping six hours at night, and the past couple of weeks she has been sleeping nine-ten hours! She's also started taking more regular naps, usually one-hour in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. I'm hoping to get things more routine still, but was just waiting for her cue. She's now sleeping in her crib all the time, but I'm still keeping the bassinet up in my bedroom just in case we need it in the next couple weeks. I'm doing much better since I usually don't get woken up in the middle of the night anymore, and get my evenings back most days to read, watch a movie, or get stuff done around the house. She'll go back to the doctor on Sept. 6th for her four-month checkup and vaccines.
Lauren is doing more and more each day. She's such a happy baby, unless she's hungry or has a tummy-ache, and loves to socialize. She'll just sit (or stand) on my lap or sit in her Boppy and talk away! She's recognizing more and more things, reaching for them, and following them with her eyes really well. If she hears Carter, she strains herself to try and find him! We've also introduced her to the Jumperoo, which was Carter's absolute favorite thing, and she loves it just as much. She loves to stand and be up, and will hop from leg to leg in it watching the lights and talking to the kangaroo. She's also started to play with rattles – it's funny to watch her get her "serious face" when she's checking something out! It's just amazing to watch her grow and develop, and to watch the two kids interact.
August is another busy month… Matt and I are going to a Dave Matthews Band concert with Mandy and Jack next weekend. It will be fun to have a little break and time to ourselves! Carter is going to spend a weekend in Ft. Wayne with his grandparents the last weekend in August, so that will be a new experience. I'm sure he'll love it, and I'll enjoy a little quiet around the house and some non-guilty time with Lauren! I know Carter understands that Lauren needs more attention, but I always feel guilty that I can't spend a lot of one-on-one time with him like that. When Carter was a baby, it was different – he'd take a nap and I'd have time to myself or could get things done around the house. When Lauren takes a nap, I don't get a chance to get much done because I want to do things with him (and her naps aren't too long yet!). So if I do something around the house, I feel bad for not doing something with him. But if I do something with Carter, I hate that my house is a mess! That's the one bad thing about trying to sell the house before Lauren was born – I got so used to it being spotless that it drives me nuts having any bit of mess now! But… sometimes it has to be like that because I can't do it all right now. And that's hard enough for me to admit!
Although things are very busy, I'm getting very accustomed to being a mother of two. It is quite an adjustment, especially when you're used to doing things when you want or running a quick errand whenever. I totally had to change my day-to-day, but things are slowly returning to a new normal. And with Lauren getting on somewhat of a schedule, it helps things out a bit too.
I've posted lots of pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/hoosier.nik so check them out! I'll be continually adding more as well. Until the next update…
Carter went to the doctor today for his three-year physical and checkup. He's super healthy, and hadn't been to the doctor since his two-year appointment. He is 3'5" tall (>95%) and weighs 38.5 lbs (95%). Everything checked out great and the doctor was very pleased. Carter had his blood pressure taken for the first time, but saw me get it done every pregnancy visit and has a toy sphygmometer so he knew what was going on. He made the nurse do it three times because he liked it so much, and he listened through the stethoscope the last time. He did get a Hepatitis A vaccine, as they are just now adding it to the schedule, but did very well. I wasn't sure how he'd react, as he's always cried a bit in the past, but all he did was say "Ow" and liked getting a bandaid on his thigh! We did a developmental questionnaire too, and actually ran out of questions before we were done (I forgot to ask when the nurse came back if there was more I should answer). So we got as far as 3 yrs, 10 months developmentally, so Carter's at least there.
We're still working on potty training, as Carter is always so preoccupied with playing that he doesn't want to stop to use the potty. We've started using a timer, to give him the power when it's time to go (rather than us telling him to go), and that's working pretty well. He does stay dry fairly long now, except overnight. He also doesn't want to go #2 in the potty… No idea why! So if anyone has any suggestions to help us along, please give them to me!!
We thought about sending Carter to preschool two or three days a week starting in the fall, but we decided to wait. One reason is the expense, another is we feel he's already ahead of the game. He's known his alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors, and now knows his presidents and states. Since Lauren's been born, however, it's been harder to teach him new things, but we hope to get back to it soon. Perhaps he'll do one year of preschool before kindergarten to get him accustomed to school. He likes routines so it shouldn't be too hard, and he is very social with kids at the playground or bookstore so we're not worried about that.
Lauren is also doing well. It's hard to believe that she'll be three months old tomorrow!! She had been regularly sleeping six hours at night, and the past couple of weeks she has been sleeping nine-ten hours! She's also started taking more regular naps, usually one-hour in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. I'm hoping to get things more routine still, but was just waiting for her cue. She's now sleeping in her crib all the time, but I'm still keeping the bassinet up in my bedroom just in case we need it in the next couple weeks. I'm doing much better since I usually don't get woken up in the middle of the night anymore, and get my evenings back most days to read, watch a movie, or get stuff done around the house. She'll go back to the doctor on Sept. 6th for her four-month checkup and vaccines.
Lauren is doing more and more each day. She's such a happy baby, unless she's hungry or has a tummy-ache, and loves to socialize. She'll just sit (or stand) on my lap or sit in her Boppy and talk away! She's recognizing more and more things, reaching for them, and following them with her eyes really well. If she hears Carter, she strains herself to try and find him! We've also introduced her to the Jumperoo, which was Carter's absolute favorite thing, and she loves it just as much. She loves to stand and be up, and will hop from leg to leg in it watching the lights and talking to the kangaroo. She's also started to play with rattles – it's funny to watch her get her "serious face" when she's checking something out! It's just amazing to watch her grow and develop, and to watch the two kids interact.
August is another busy month… Matt and I are going to a Dave Matthews Band concert with Mandy and Jack next weekend. It will be fun to have a little break and time to ourselves! Carter is going to spend a weekend in Ft. Wayne with his grandparents the last weekend in August, so that will be a new experience. I'm sure he'll love it, and I'll enjoy a little quiet around the house and some non-guilty time with Lauren! I know Carter understands that Lauren needs more attention, but I always feel guilty that I can't spend a lot of one-on-one time with him like that. When Carter was a baby, it was different – he'd take a nap and I'd have time to myself or could get things done around the house. When Lauren takes a nap, I don't get a chance to get much done because I want to do things with him (and her naps aren't too long yet!). So if I do something around the house, I feel bad for not doing something with him. But if I do something with Carter, I hate that my house is a mess! That's the one bad thing about trying to sell the house before Lauren was born – I got so used to it being spotless that it drives me nuts having any bit of mess now! But… sometimes it has to be like that because I can't do it all right now. And that's hard enough for me to admit!
Although things are very busy, I'm getting very accustomed to being a mother of two. It is quite an adjustment, especially when you're used to doing things when you want or running a quick errand whenever. I totally had to change my day-to-day, but things are slowly returning to a new normal. And with Lauren getting on somewhat of a schedule, it helps things out a bit too.
I've posted lots of pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/hoosier.nik so check them out! I'll be continually adding more as well. Until the next update…
Friday, July 6, 2007
Time is Flying...
It's so hard to believe that Lauren is almost two months old already! It just seems like last week we were bringing her home from the hospital. Time sure is flying by… I have noticed that with the first child you're always pushing to hit the milestones, giving them toy after toy to play with, and basically trying to do whatever you can to pass the time with someone who can't really talk back yet! With the second you try to hang onto every moment so they don't grow up too fast. Not to say I'm not pushing Lauren to strive, but I'm more content just holding and talking with her instead of trying to give her tummy time or seeing if she'll play with this toy or that toy. Having Carter does make the time pass quicker during the day it seems. I remember how lonely I would get when Carter was a baby, watching the clock hoping it would suddenly say 5:00pm and Matt would be on his way home from work. That's not really the case now and I'm so glad! I do still get a little lonely and in dire need of some adult company, but motherhood gets easier with the second child. Of course, I knew a little more what to expect and have a lot more experience.
Today Lauren went to the doctor for her two-month checkup. I can tell she's growing like a weed, but was excited to see the actual numbers. Here is her progression so far:
Birth: 8 lbs 3 oz; 20 in (left hospital at 7 lbs 13 oz)
5 Days: 7 lbs 15 oz
2 Weeks: 9 lbs 2 oz (95%); 20 in (25%, which I think was mismeasured)
TODAY – 2 months: 13 lbs 4 oz (95-97%); 24 ½ in (?97%)
So in six weeks time, she's gained a little over four pounds!! She is completely breastfed, so it makes me feel great that I can give her the nutrition necessary to grow like she is. I'm just amazed…
Lauren got her first round of shots today (with the exception of the Hep B vaccine she got at birth). She got four shots and a liquid and was not happy about it! I have never heard her cry like this before!! As soon as she was done, I picked her up and she calmed down quickly and went to sleep. An hour later and she's still zonked!! She's normally a very good sleeper. She's gone as long as 6 ½ hours at night, but it's usually more like 3-4 hours. She's got to wake up to eat, you know… What a chunky monkey!
She's excelling developmentally as well. She's been smiling since three weeks, rolled over at four weeks, loves to sit or stand up, and has been cooing more and more every day. The questionnaire we do at the doctor's office put her at 5 months, 2 weeks developmentally so I'm really pleased. Maybe it's all the talking I do with her all day long – she also likes talking with her mobile or stuffed lambs. Watching her interact with Carter or seeing things for the first time is just amazing. Lauren is thriving, and it's a joy to experience each day with her!
Today Lauren went to the doctor for her two-month checkup. I can tell she's growing like a weed, but was excited to see the actual numbers. Here is her progression so far:
Birth: 8 lbs 3 oz; 20 in (left hospital at 7 lbs 13 oz)
5 Days: 7 lbs 15 oz
2 Weeks: 9 lbs 2 oz (95%); 20 in (25%, which I think was mismeasured)
TODAY – 2 months: 13 lbs 4 oz (95-97%); 24 ½ in (?97%)
So in six weeks time, she's gained a little over four pounds!! She is completely breastfed, so it makes me feel great that I can give her the nutrition necessary to grow like she is. I'm just amazed…
Lauren got her first round of shots today (with the exception of the Hep B vaccine she got at birth). She got four shots and a liquid and was not happy about it! I have never heard her cry like this before!! As soon as she was done, I picked her up and she calmed down quickly and went to sleep. An hour later and she's still zonked!! She's normally a very good sleeper. She's gone as long as 6 ½ hours at night, but it's usually more like 3-4 hours. She's got to wake up to eat, you know… What a chunky monkey!
She's excelling developmentally as well. She's been smiling since three weeks, rolled over at four weeks, loves to sit or stand up, and has been cooing more and more every day. The questionnaire we do at the doctor's office put her at 5 months, 2 weeks developmentally so I'm really pleased. Maybe it's all the talking I do with her all day long – she also likes talking with her mobile or stuffed lambs. Watching her interact with Carter or seeing things for the first time is just amazing. Lauren is thriving, and it's a joy to experience each day with her!
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