Home Sweet Home

The last 6 to 8 weeks have been very busy and the next 2 weeks are going to be worse but for good reason. Tim and I found a home at the end of October and we finally settled on it this past Tuesday. We settled almost 2 weeks later than we had hoped but it finally happened.

The home we purchased is located on the Rogue River in the town of Gold Hill. The home was built in the mid-70's and the decor inside has not changed. The bathrooms (2 of the 2 &1/2) and kitchen are still in the "Harvest Gold" color. Basically very dated and in need of a total makeover. Tim has already started with the remodel and Michael's bedroom and bathroom are well under way and will hopefully be done by the time we officially move in (December 24th, with fingers crossed).

The home is about 1600 sq. ft on 1.6 acres. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 and 1/2 baths and will have an open floor plan once we are done. We are planning on truly making this home our own and one we can both be proud of. I am so excited to finally have Tim's very talented craftsmanship in our home.

We have direct access to the Rogue River which boasts great fishing (especially salmon), kayaking, and tubing. We will hopefully be able to put our own dock and small boat house along the bank. This will allow us to utilize all the river has to offer. Photo taken from the back deck.

Michael is growing like a weed and continues to be an exceptionally happy baby. He is still sleeping 10 to 12 hours a night and also naps twice during the day. We are sooooo lucky. He is not crawling yet but he does scoot (in the back stroke sort of way) and rolls wherever he needs to go but still not too far. He does stand on his own with support from the chair back. He is so proud of himself when he does it that I can help but make him feel like he is the most talented kid of all.

He continues to love his food and never ceases to amaze us with his acceptance of different foods. Tim and I did not know we were getting a little girl and boy when we had Michael. I think his "lipstick" is just a bit too red for his complexion.

I will try to update the blog as we continue with our remodel and finally get to our new home for Christmas. We love you all.

Daddy's Little Man

Michael has become a "daddy's boy" without question. He is constantly watching him and needing to know where he is at all times. If he had to choose between the two of us, Daddy wins, hands down. They are too cute together so I don't mind (most of the time - I have to be honest).

Michael is becoming a great eater. He has tried and enjoyed many new foods. The list consists of cereal (of course), sweet potatoes, peas, yellow squash, pears, peaches, bananas, butternut squash, beets (yes, beets), green beans (just started and he's tolerating), apples and avocado. He did not like the avocado at all but we are going to give it another shot one of these days. We will let you know, and hopefully get pictures of his first "hated" food.

Our First Halloween

I can't thank my sisters enough for the adorable costume that they gave to us before we left PA. Michael seemed to enjoy the attention he received.

Our Boy is Growing - Sloooowly?

Today, Michael had his 6-month check-up/vaccinations (1 month late). As previously mentioned, Michael's first tooth broke thru about 10 days ago and his second one is not far behind. At the same time he has developed sinus congestion with a cough and sporadic diaper rashes. He has a great deal going on and then on top of it all the pediatrician said he is healthy enough to get his vaccinations. So, Michael had 5 vaccinations this morning. He handled it really well and only cried for a minutes. Not bad after 4 injections and 1 oral vaccine.

Michael weighed in at 16 lbs and is 27 inches long. I am told that most babies double in weight by 6 months and triple by 1 year. By that calculation, he is just about on the mark. By the growth chart, he is in the 10th percentile for weight and the 50th percentile for height.

Michael continues to do well with all the new foods we are introducing and his appetite can be, at times, almost insatiable. I am waiting for the one food that he can't stand and I wind up wearing it.

We hope everyone is doing well and we would love to hear from you. Love and miss you.

Michael's First Tooth!!!

Michael has gotten his first tooth!! Almost 7 months to the day, he has his first tooth emerge. The bottom, front right is the one. He has been so good that we did not expect it. He has been drooling for months but has not been irritable so we stopped looking. We can not get a good picture of it because it has just broken the surface but as soon as we can get a good picture we will post it. In the meantime, you will have to settle for another picture.

Officially a "MOM"?

This past weekend Tim and I were lucky enough to attend the wedding of a couple we have become friends with here. We were so excited because we had a sitter and actually had a real night out. The wedding was beautiful and we were having a great time and then it hit me. Just about half way through the reception, I realized I had my dress on backwards. Yes, backwards. I could do nothing but laugh. The good thing was that the dress was pretty much the same, front and back, so I guess it wasn't noticeable....Thank the good Lord. The picture above is of us with the "backwards dress". Backwards dress or not, we had a great time.

Here comes the rain - maybe.

Today was the first time Tim and I have had rain since we have arrived here in July. We had a few sprinkles the first 2 days we were here but not a drop since. To be quite honest it was strange. Tim and I used to joke about getting a change in the weather because everyday we woke up it was sunny and cool, followed by sunny and hot, followed by dark and cool. The perfect weather if you ask me.

Michael has starting eating food in the last few weeks and so far, his appetite is almost insatiable. He had his first taste of banana tonight while we Skyped with Mom Mom (my mom for those of you who aren't aware). He is growing like a weed and as all the parents out there know, he changes daily.

These pictures were taken on Michael's first day spent on the Rogue River at Griffin Park near Grants Pass, OR. The water was quite chilly (about 65 degrees) but once he got used to it, he seemed to really enjoy it.

Take care to all. Linda, Tim and Michael

My first blog

Hello, everyone.

I have just started my first blog and I am clueless about how this works but I am going to give it a shot.

I have started several e-mails to be sent to all or part of you with updates and I just never seem to get them sent so I am going to attempt to keep all of you posted as best I can with this blog.

In brief, we are all doing well and miss you all. Linda, Tim and Michael