A Good Day

Today Tanner is officially 9 months old.

Has it really been that long? It seems like just yesterday Jon and I were giving him his first bath, listening to him scream and cry the whole time. Tonight, as he sat like a big boy in the bath tub and played, I couldn't get over how fast he is growing and learning. He was actually taking all of his bath toys and placing them inside the little nets that are suctioned to the side of the tub and used to store them. How smart of him! He also started crawling on Tuesday. He's not very fast yet, but definitely gets where he needs to go. I think he's enjoying the freedom that comes with moving around -- and tonight he thought it was hilarious when I tried to chase him. We just had the best time together. Is there anything better than making your baby laugh?

This morning I tried to get lots of work done (cleaning, laundry, painting), because I was hoping to get out of the house for a little while this afternoon. The boys spent the day bonding while I had some time to myself. Boy, did it feel good! I was in desperate need of a break! While my guys did "manly" things like go to Home Depot and check out the TV's at Sam's Club, I spent my day getting a mani/pedicure and trying to pick out fabric so that I can make new curtains. I didn't find the perfect fabric yet, but Jon and Tanner (he's such a bad influence!) found a new flat-screen they liked better than the one we already had. Believe it or not, Jon returned the TV we've had for the past 9 months and exchanged it for a brand-new one this evening. It wouldn't be that funny, but this is the second time he's done it!

Well, I'm off to bed. Nine'o'clock and I'm wiped! Kind of sad to say on a Saturday night, but I think I'll end this perfect day all snuggled up in bed with a book! Sweet dreams!

Happy Easter!

HAPPY EASTER!!

I know we're a little late, but our Internet just got hooked up yesterday, and so I'm just getting around to posting. We had a busy busy weekend, but I'm happy to report that we are all moved into our new home, despite a few minor setbacks:

• Uncle Pat almost didn't make it into town as many flights were cancelled that day, but he finagled his way onto a plane that was actually making the trip from the south up to the blustery Midwest. YAY!! We COULDN'T have done it without him!


• We thought something was terribly wrong with my car on the way home from the airport. We stopped to have a mechanic take a look at it and luckily found that it was only a plastic bag flapping around my engine. THANK GOD!!


• I had a minor breakdown (okay, maybe it was major ...) when I saw that Tanner's crib was pretty scratched up after the journey. "It's just an item" was my mantra for the day.


• I had a definite MAJOR breakdown as I unloaded the food that the boys brought over from our old refrigerator and saw that most of it had been loaded up into our old, DIRTY trashcan in lieu of a box.


• Tanner is going through a little phase right now (please confirm that this is, indeed, a phase!). He really is not happy unless I am within arm's distance of him and he can reach out and touch me. The only other time he is happy is when he is eating Cheerios. Let's just say he was not a very helpful mover.

Despite it all, we made it. Everything is unpacked and we are so so happy in our new place. Jon and I keep running into each other and saying, "I just love this house, don't you love it?" We are incredibly blessed.

The boys worked very hard on Saturday so that we could all relax and enjoy Easter on Sunday. After church, we came home and they boys hunted for their Easter baskets and all of the eggs that I had hidden for them. It was a great day and we were sad to say goodbye to Uncle Pat at the end of it. Come back and visit us, soon ... and bring Aunt Kat with you, too!

Already digging into his treats -- Goldfish!!

Helping Daddy find Easter Eggs

Uncle Pat really enjoyed Tanner's no-throw sippy cup strap.

Happy Easter from our house to yours!

Of Mice and Moving

I started off the day feeling very inspired. I was going to get lots of things done. I woke up about an hour before Tanner and showered (even shaving my legs), blow-dryed my hair, put on makeup and got dressed. Just as I was finishing, I heard Tanner start to stir and hurried down the stairs. I had volunteered to bring a recipe to MOPS this morning -- dump cake was the plan -- and I wanted to quickly put it together and pop it in the oven before I went in to get Tanner. As I skipped down the steps, I was unprepared for what I saw waiting for me in the kitchen -- a furry mouse scurrying along my countertop and out of sight. EEEK!! I let out a scream and rushed back upstairs. Forget the cake. I got Tanner out of his crib and hid out with him in his room until Jon got home from the gym.

Here's the thing about mice. We live right next to a very large field. I know it's so so cold outside and they just want to come in and get warm and find something to eat. I feel a little bit sorry for them, actually. Earlier this winter, I had left one of Tanner's mittens on the counter and the next morning I found it lying near the toaster -- I'm sure a little mouse just wanted something warm to snuggle up in. But then they leave their little droppings everywhere -- gross. And when I actually SEE them, it's just too much for me to handle. Jon is our resident mouse-catcher. He has probably caught 6 or 7 of them since the beginning of winter. If a mouse is smart enough to dodge the trap set out for him one night, he is affectionately dubbed "ninja mouse" for a day, and usually caught the next night. By now you are probably thinking our house is gross and dirty. I promise it's not. It is a brand new home and I do my best to keep it very tidy -- rarely even leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight. Still, after seeing that mouse this morning, I think our house is gross and dirty and I can't wait to move. Oh my gosh -- I can hear the mouse in our trash can right now -- I literally want to crawl out of my skin -- YUCK!! There isn't even anything in there except for coffee grounds!

Our official moving day is this Friday. I'm super excited, but feeling a little bit overwhelmed. We have a bit of painting that we want to finish up before we move in -- the rest we'll finish after the move. And I really need to get over there and CLEAN before we move all of our things in. I'm really not looking forward to going through everything (for the third time this year) and organizing it all, putting it away, etc. That's the hardest part. And this time, I'll have a baby to watch through it all! I keep telling myself not to stress out about it. I'll do a little bit at a time during Tanner's naps -- if it takes me three weeks to get everything put where I want it then so be it. I guess I'm not in a hurry for anything.

We didn't end up making it to MOPS this morning -- not because of the mouse, though. Tanner had a fever yesterday and after he was up for a while today it seemed like he still wasn't feeling very well. I don't think it's the flu -- he's not vomiting or anything. He just has a runny nose and he's drooling like CRAZY, which makes me wonder if he's getting his first tooth. Poor little guy. At first I was frustrated -- remember all of my plans to get things done? But maybe this is God telling me that we need to just take a moment and STOP today, enjoying lots of books and cuddles instead of flying by the seat of our pants to make it to all of our planned activities. As I made phone calls to let people know we wouldn't make it to MOPS or playgroup, I was so thankful that I actually had people to CALL -- people that would miss me if I wasn't there. It made me feel good, especially remembering how lonely I felt when I first moved here almost a year ago.

Trying to find joy in the little things today. Hope you can find something to be joyful about in the midst of your busy day!

Just in case ...

Just in case carrying Tanner in my womb for 9 months didn't truly make me a mother.

In case giving birth didn't either.

Or getting up every 2-3 hours at night during his first 6 months of life.

Just in case making measuring cups and tupperware look like fun things to play with doesn't count as a qualification for motherhood.

Or spending an entire day speaking baby talk. (actually, we think Tanner might be advanced -- speaking to us in Arabic or Chinese, which we just can't understand)

Just in case singing lullabies until my wee one falls asleep doesn't make me a mom.

Or worrying every second about whether or not I'm doing the right thing for my child.

In case none of that counts ...

I think I sealed the deal tonight. I actually fished poop out of the bathtub. It's official ... I'm a mom.

What Not To Wear

I know that one of these days, I'll probably find myself on the Oprah Show or something like it -- having been turned in by a friend, one of my sisters, or even my husband for the way I dress. I used to get dressed up everyday when I worked -- not a suit or anything, but business casual. These days, I have a new uniform -- black leggings, a long-sleeve tee, and a hoody (I have several of each). My new motto has become "Why waste an outfit?" My husband even told me that he looks forward to Sundays all week because I get dressed up for church. :) I know -- it's so sad!

I do dress a little bit better -- jeans and a sweater -- if I'm going to Bible Study or something important, but most days I look like I'm on my way to the gym. The stylists on Oprah today would be mortified!

Time Flies ...

I can't believe it's been over a week already since my last post. Time is just flying by and we are busy bees in the Hall household, as usual. We closed on our new home last Friday -- YAY!! I can't wait until we are completely moved in a few weeks from now. Right now we are just painting and slowly taking things over. We are very lucky that the previous owners took such great care of this home. However -- they painted EVERY wall in a semi-gloss paint, which is quite shiny, and so we must prime before we paint, and it's becoming quite a process. Tanner's room alone took us all day on Saturday! I'm ashamed to report that I have become so obsessed with decorating, picking out paint colors, a new bedspread, etc, that I can't even sleep at night. I've decided that I have a love/hate relationship with decorating. I get really excited to do it, but I can't commit to anything, and therefore stress about every decision I make. And the worst thing is that these details are truly so unimportant in making our house a HOME!! There are so many more important things in life.

My mom called us on Friday around 4:00 in the afternoon. She announced that she was sitting in her driveway, ready to pull out and make the drive to spend the weekend with us. How do moms know just when you need them most?! She watched Tanner all weekend so that we could get things done on the house. I was so so thankful that she came!

Tanner has been a finicky sleeper lately. He's a champ at napping and used to be great at sleeping through the night. Lately, though, he's been waking up and can't get back to sleep. Jon and I have become a little more relaxed about going in to soothe him, and I'm afraid we've retrained our boy to cry for us when he wakes up. Needless to say, we were all a little cranky and quite tired this morning after another sleepless night and a 6am wake-up. I think we're just going to have to tough it out and let him cry himself to sleep for a few nights -- I'm not looking forward to that! Usually that means I have TWO boys complaining -- Tanner and Jon, who hates to think that his little boy is upset. Pray for me!!

Two families who are very dear to us just welcomed new little ones (the first for both families!) into their folds in the last few days. Congratulations to the Fayes and the Jankowskis! I couldn't be more excited for them -- oh what a blessing! I've been thinking about them constantly and how lucky they are to have brand new, healthy, beautiful babies in their arms! It seems like just yesterday that I held Tanner for the first time in the hospital. He's grown so fast. Hope you enjoy the most recent pics...

Don't worry, Mom. I'll fix your hair for you!

Mommy shares her cinnamon toast with me in the morning! YUMMY!

Peek-a-Boo!

I already love Thomas and Percy!