We're Alive!

After getting a phone call from my father-in-law this morning to confirm that we were still alive, I thought it might be time to write a little blog update!

Tyler has been busy as ever with school. He is again teaching the AP US History class and is trying to plan the trip to D.C. for this spring. Although it's tough for him to get away at night, especially during that fussy 5-7 time, he has also been remaining active with the NEK CW Roundtable as the group's president which means lots of planning to make sure there are speakers and that everything is in order for the meetings. Tyler would LOVE to be running right now too but there is just not time. He is hoping to get out to hunt at least one night/day but even that may not happen this year! He was super bummed that our politicians couldn't get it together in time for he, Matt and Ed to do their CW battlefield tour. They hope to make the trip this summer...

I'm enjoying my new job and can see how I would easily fill a full time schedule doing enrichment at my school. I have created pull-out classes for grades 2-6 which means I have groups of students report to my room for enrichment for 45 minutes once a week. I also teach a math enrichment which is pretty funny since 1. I am not a math teacher and 2. I never liked math. I am doing STEM activities with them, however, so it's working great. I go into all 3 first grade classrooms every other week to teach full-class lessons. So far that has meant "brain game" type activities but soon I'll start a science curriculum with them. Second semester I'll add the 3 kindergarten classes to my schedule. Right now I see a number of individual students for one-on-one enrichment. I just started taking my first of 2 classes for my elementary certification. It's tough to squeeze in that work while holding Grant but it has to get done.

I am still working for Vermont Sports as well. My publisher recently sold the magazine to someone else but I am staying on as the calendar and social media manager. I also do ad sales but it's pretty slow right now. I think some of you know that I am on the Parent Council for the NICU at Dartmouth. I just wrapped up co-captaining the NICU team for the CHaD race. Our team, the NeoPuffers, met both of our goals this year! I was not able to attend because the babes are just not old enough to handle long days yet, but thanks to many of you I also met my personal fundraising goal. THANK YOU!  I posted this video to Facebook the other day and I think it does a wonderful job of showing just who this money supports:




My #1 child amazes Tyler and I every day. Caroline has come a long way with her speech and gross motor skills. It seems like she learns at least 5 new words everyday! I was taking her (and Grant) to speech and PT back-to-back on Mondays but that was way too much, so we've broken the appointments into two separate days: Mondays and Fridays when I am home. Caroline loves both her therapists and thinks of these sessions as play dates. Early Intervention is also still on the scene. They come every other week for cognitive work; these sessions are at our house so they are the easiest of them all.

We recently skimmed (who has time to read?!) a book about baby sleep habits and it included a quiz to determine what type of baby you have. The results showed that Grant is a "sensitive" baby but I agree with Tyler that he is actually an "impossible" baby! Thank goodness he is so cute!

Grant will be 5 months in 2 days and is still waking every 1-2 hours all night long. We moved him (and me - the guest bed got moved from the basement to his room) to his room and crib last week for two reasons: 1. he woke up every time he heard a noise in our room - which was a lot because we have to get up with Caroline at least once a night still and 2. he was getting a flat spot on the back of his head from the rock-n-play so he needed to be on a softer surface. My girlfriend Lianne sent us a "Magic Suit" and it has helped tremendously in the move to his room/crib. We've come to the conclusion that there is nothing we can do about his personality so we just have to suck it up and survive through this first  "impossible" year! (I've heard that once he is crawling/sitting up his reflux will calm down and this should help.)

Our magnificent nanny fell while letting her chickens in about two weeks or so ago and shattered her arm. Her daughter and daughter-in-law are covering for her until she can get back here. The past two weeks Caroline has had fun playing with the nanny's grandchildren, but the change in routine really did a number on both babies' sleeping and eating. Our nanny had surgery this week and she said it went well. We hope for her sake and ours that she recovers soon! It's her right arm so that makes life very difficult for her.

Fred is adjusting to life with two siblings. Caroline makes sure to give him lots of hugs and she likes to cuddle up on the couch and watch Baby TV with him. Fred's decided that he loves to sleep in Grant's room but I am not sure that's going to work quite yet. He makes a lot of noise snoring during the night and it wakes Grant up.

Caroline's 1st hot (lukewarm) chocolate

He's a cute little non-sleeper!

Trying rice cereal

Caroline's 1st snow as a real walker

Her 1st snowsuit from Land's End arrived later this day!

Grant in his magic suit

One of Caroline's dates with her dad

We plan to trick-or-treat for the first time this year with our friends. I'll take pics and hope to post them sooner! Caroline is going to be a little tiger and Grant may be a bumblebee... or just plain Grant depending in his mood.