Well since it's been awhile without any updates on the kids and life in general, here goes! Thanks to picnik.com I can now just make collages instead of uploading each picture individually :-)
North Dakota was, well, boring! It actually turned out to be a good hitch to go with Brogan though because he only worked half the time. Thank goodness for guaranteed hours! We ate out ALOT and had alot of time to just relax in bed and watch football games or hang out with his buddies up there. North Dakota is normally in the negatives this time of year but the coldest it ever got while we were there was like the low twenties. Now that Brogan is back up there, it's been -40 with snow and ice! Brrrr! Poor thing. He has to work outside for like 12 hours at least a day in that crap. Part of the job though and it rakes in ALOT of dough so he never complains. The above pictures are ones I took of Saije while we were up there that I haven't already posted.
Saije is growing growing growing! She can now roll from back to belly and belly to back without alot of effort. She still smiles from ear to ear about 90% of the day and makes being a Mom even more amazing than it already is. We got her a Bumbo and she LOVES it! She will sit in it for quite awhile and watch cartoons or, her new favorite thing to watch, football! Her Daddy is so proud! :-) The game last week that the Green Bay Packers lost, I'm pretty sure she sat in her Bumbo for an entire quarter and just stared at the TV. Through commercials and timeouts and everything. That girl...ha ha! If she's not in her Bumbo, she likes to lay on a blanket on the floor. She'll prop herself up on her elbows or hands like you see in one of the pictures and look around and talk to herself. She is so easy. Seriously...she is the easiest baby to care for and entertain. She still sleeps super good. 12 hours a night at least...sometimes 13. When she hit 4 1/2 months we tried to transition her to rice cereal, but it upset her stomach really bad and she would just throw it up everywhere. We were only doing a Tablespoon mixed in with her regular bottle, but it was still too much for her little tummy to handle. I'm just going to hold off and try again in a month when she hits 6 months old. I'm not going to force it. She hasn't even seen a binkie in weeks, although she never really took one anyway, but it's now official. No binkies! That was easy! I hear horror stories of kids who can't function without a binkie and weening them off it is a nightmare. Not for me. Thank goodness!
Compared to what we were dealing with 6 months ago, Channing has outgrown the "Terrible Twos" by age two! YAY! He turns two next month on February 27th and he is way more well behaved now than he used to be. He's not quite old enough to be tested, but when he is, we will take him in to be tested for ADHD. His Mom is and Brogan is pretty sure he was as a kid also so chances are pretty high that he is. He can't focus on anything to save his life and he just stares into space sometimes for long periods of time and nothing will snap him out of it. Those are two of the biggest signs of ADHD. Hopefully he grows out of it, but if not we will just treat him with medication and lots of patience. We still love him regardless! Last week when Brogan was home we bought Channing a toddler bed and Lightning McQueen bedding! If you remember from one of my previous posts, he was climbing out of his play pen (and crib at home with his Mom) so it was time for the transition. Let's just say the first night was rough. It took him getting out of bed approximately 25-30 times before he finally wore himself out and just crashed. Ugggghhhh! The second night was a little better, about 10-15 times, but it still sucked. Naptime during the day is even worse because it's not completely dark in his bedroom. We'll figure it out! He'll catch on and learn, but until then we just need to be patient. Potty training is obnoxious because he's being taught by so many different people: Brogan, me, his Mom, and his Mom's parents because she lives with them. We've all talked and we're trying to get on the same page so he doesnt get confused about what he's supposed to do and say when he needs to go potty. He's not quite two yet though so I'm not super worried yet. We'll see what the next few months holds though! Wish us luck!
As far as Brogan and I go, we are excellent also! Brogan is working hard like always and i'm just staying at home keeping things together and taking care of business. I love being a Mom and step-Mom. There really is no greater calling in life! This year is going to be a great one. With our tax return money and savings, we will be paying off all our debt, besides our vehicles, and getting a clean slate on finances. I have perfect credit and have never had a late payment in my life, but paying different hospitals and doctors and labs, etc on a monthly basis is just dumb. I want it all gone! We're going to pay it all off completely and keep it that way! We are so blessed that Brogan has the job he does because that is the only way paying off all our debt between the two of us this year is possible. I havent worked in 6 months so Brogan has picked up all my bills: car payment, student loans, insurance, phone, and medical bills associated with Saije because her "sperm donor" is a piece of crap and hasn't helped at all! That's alright though...my child support case is open and we're about ready to take him to court. If you can make a child, you better be willing to pay up! That's the thing though, cowards don't think that way. Anyway...life is excellent and 2012 is going to be bomb!
