My Mission

On Thursday I took the kids to Delaware Children's Museum and it sparked an idea that I will write about at the end of this post.  Just as I had anticipated, Jocelyn slept the entire time.  So this is the only picture I have of her from the day

 

 

I took Charlie to DCM about 6 months ago and I felt like he was too young for it.  I decided I would take him again because there was a $4.00 off coupon on facebook.  Plus we just made the switch to one nap a day so I have been trying to find ways to keep Charlie entertained so he doesn't conk out in the morning.

 

He would have played at this water station all day if I let him.

He enjoyed filling up the sailboats with water and then pouring it out.

We arrived shortly after it opened so luckily he did not have to share this space with any other kiddos.

Worst Mommy Moment:  Later on in our visit we went back to play at the water station again and this time there were many kids around.  This little boy (about 3 years old) was playing next to Charlie.  Charlie reached over and touched his cheek.  The little boy stared at Charlie for a minute.   Then he walked over to his mom and starting crying, "He touched me".   To which I told her that Charlie touched his cheek with his wet hand.  She was fine with it and the little boy was fine. 

So why the worst mommy moment... The little boy's mom was there with several other moms and their kids.  I felt like they collectively gave me this look like keep your kid away from ours. 

 

Maybe I was just being paranoid because who wouldn't want to hang out with this adorable face!



There was a race track set up and old fashion cars like the one Charlie is on to scoot around on.

If there is a slide around, Charlie is sure to find it.

Inside the one of the cars of the play train was this puzzle.  Charlie also found it thrilling to ring the bell in the engine and make the whistle blow.

Playing with trucks.



 



After an adventurous two and a half hours, I was worn out.  Chasing around Charlie, while keeping an eye on Jocelyn in the stroller was challenging but totally worth it.  Charlie had an awesome time and he even made his first painting.
Best Mommy Moment of the Week: So this trip sparked an idea.  For the first year in Las Vegas it is going to be My Mission to take the kids to a new place each week.  52 adventures that will help us to learn about and learn to love Las Vegas.  Let the research begin because currently the only place I know to take them would be the Las Vegas Strip and that certainly isn't happening.

After each trip I will do an overview that will look something like this.

Place: Delaware Children's Museum
Cost:  Normally $12 per person 1 year and older.  Only had to pay $8 per person this time because of the coupon
Hours: 10am-4:30pm
Best for kids age: 18 months to 6 years
On the plus side: Educational.  Water station.  A place to create artwork, more specifically paintings, where a mom doesn't have to worry about paint getting all over her house
On the down side: $12 per person on a normal day is too expensive.  Didn't matter for us but they won't let you bring in your own food so if you were too stay there for the day you would have to either over pay at their cafe or plan a picnic (I like this idea much better)
Suggestions: Would love to see a tactile station with different materials (fur, rubber, sandpaper etc) for kids to feel different textures.  I think the younger kids would like that!
Rating (on a scale of 1-5 stars) 3.5 stars
Go again? Only if I found a good coupon deal

Of course the above info. is my opinion.  And the outline may need some tweaking.  But I think it will be a great motivator for me to get out there and explore!

The Latest and Greatest

Just some odds and ends on what has been happening here at the Miller house


About a week ago, Jocelyn took her first bottle with no problem.  It was nice for me get a straight five and a half hours of sleep and for Kirby to have a little bonding time with Jocelyn.   Despite a few rough nights this week, Jocelyn has still been a great sleeper.  And last night (at just 5 week and 2 days) she slept through the night, 11pm to 6am. AMAZING!!!

Last Saturday we picked apples at Barnard's Orchard in Unionville.  It is a fantastic place to pick apples if all you want to do is pick apples.  Although I love visit to orchards, like Linvilla, it is also nice to peacefully pick apples and not be distracted by so many other things. 

I know that when we move this is the kind of day I will really miss.

 



The smile only a Dad could bring out!

 

 

 



Our week at home was relatively quiet.  Our neighbor was getting rid of some toys and Charlie is thrilled to have them.  Our double stroller arrived.  I was super excited but there will be more to come on that in another post.  And this is what happens at our house by the evening of a long rainy day...

...Poor Rascal can't catch a break with Charlie chasing him around all day and Kirby treating her like a stuffed animal when he gets home!

Las Vegas Update: Our house went back up on the market on September 19th and we had a showing that night.  We also have one scheduled for this Tuesday.  Once October rolls around, we will keep the house on the market but also start looking for renters.  Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Worst Mommy Moment of the Week:  Simple- being cranky after two nights of rough sleep!

Best Mommy Moment of the Week:  My dear friend, Mindy, is 20 weeks pregnant.  As we were texting back and forth, my heart filled up with love for her.  As any mommy knows, the way your heart grows as you enter into motherhood is simply incredible.  I can't wait for her to hear the sweet sound of her baby's first cry.

One Month

Happy One Month Birthday!

 

 

Weight: 10 lbs. 7 oz.  (76th percentile- little love has put on 3 pounds!)

 

Length: 21.5 inches (60th percentile)

 

Head: 14.5 inches (73rd percentile

Jocelyn eats 8 times a day.  She sleeps like a dream!  Usually goes to sleep at 10:30 wakes up around 3 or 3:30 to eat and then wakes up between 6:30 and 7 to start her day.  

Jocelyn has met so many people this month:

Her grandparents

Both Great Grandmas

Tia Jill and Uncle Mike

 Godmother Becky

Tia Kendra and Uncle John

Gary and Donna

The Le family

Maryanne

Mindy

Wendy and Trey

Erin

Jocelyn has also traveled many places:

Grammie and Grandpa's

Kid Shellen's

Acme

Catherine Rooney's

Banard Orchards

Dr. Karcsh's office

 

Dear Jocelyn,

    I can't believe it has been a month already.  Have you noticed all those kisses when you are sleeping or awake.  They are from Daddy, Charlie, and I.  It's because we all love you so much!  I try to tell Charlie not to kiss you when you are sleeping but sometimes he can't resist kissing your little toes.  Isn't it great to have a big brother who will watch over you.  I've noticed that you love to hear me singing.  Lucky for me you don't know what a good voice sounds like.  And I've noticed that if you could pick any place to sleep it would be laying on Daddy's chest as he watches sports.  This is Daddy's favorite time with you too!  We are all so excited to watch you grow.

Love,

Mommy



Tears

Tears of sadness today. Tears of happiness tomorrow.

It happened this week.  I hit that point where I wondered what the hell have I gotten myself into.  A little gray cloud has been peaking over my shoulder since before Jocelyn was even born.  It was this gray cloud that warned even with all the sunshine that I needed to be prepared for cloudy days as well.

Tuesday was a cloudy day.  The night before Jocelyn, my three and a half week little love was up several times throughout the night.   I am thankful she has been a great sleeper so far, but the lack of sleep was unexpected.  Starting the day sleep deprived, I knew this could be a tough one for me.
The morning routine before Kirby headed off to work was business as usual.  Soon after, things went spiraling downhill.  When one little love stopped crying the other started.  Charlie, my 18 month old, try to boycott his morning nap.  After fifteen minutes he finally fell asleep but 45 minutes later he was up.  Typically his morning nap is about an hour and a half and I could have used every minute on Tuesday.  During his short nap, Jocelyn continued to be fussy to the point where I took her temperature thinking something might be wrong.  No temperature- thank goodness!  And thus the morning continued with tears and whining and an even crankier Charlie.
I needed to get out of the house!!  Determined to get out for a walk I fought through tears and screaming to get one in the stroller and the other in the front carrier .  Jocelyn slept the whole time in the front carrier and Charlie was content to be outside. I should have walked all afternoon, because upon our return, the afternoon reeled its ugly head and it was like the morning all over again.  Except Jocelyn spit up all over herself requiring a full change of clothes which she was not happy about.  And Rascal, our goldendoodle, threw up, just adding to the madness.
When Kirby finally came home (really it was his normal time but it seemed like days later) he took Rascal for a walk and brought Charlie along.   I wanted to still be a good wife and get dinner out on the table for my family, but Jocelyn was crying away.  That is when the tears began flowing!
I had been outnumbered and overwhelmed by my two little loves all day and now I still felt outnumbered and overwhelmed by just one!
Tears of sadness today.

Tuesday night Jocelyn slept like a dream giving me a four stretch and then a 3 and a half hour stretch.  I woke up Wednesday feeling refreshed and ready to have a great day!  And a great day it was!   We had so much fun playing that by the afternoon the two of them were so worn out that they napped at the same time.  In the peace and quiet of this otherwise crazy house, I was left to my thoughts.  How lucky am I to have a husband who not only supports my desires to be a stay at home mom, but also believes this is the best decision for our kids.  How lucky am I to have two beautiful and more importantly, healthy children. 
I wanted and still want to be a stay at home mom so I can catch as many of the moments, big and little, as possible.  This isn't to say that working moms don't want and do the same things.  I am well aware of a working mom's desire to catch all the moments, as I taught all last year through Charlie's first steps, learning to climb stairs, trying new foods, learning new words etc. etc. etc. 
Today I was so thankful to be a stay at home mom because today I crept upstairs, scooped Charlie out of his crib well before his nap was over and let him snuggle into me.  He didn't fall back asleep but he just lay there content in his thoughts and cuddling with his mommy.  That is when the tears began flowing!  My little boys is growing up so fast and I want to soak all this in while I can. These are the little moments,  the ones I am so blessed to be living and enjoying. 
Tears of happiness tomorrow.

Survived!

I survived my first week alone with both kiddos!  It was tiring but not exhausting.  Success!!  All in all we had a fun but busy week.

 



d

Big Brother and Little Sister gear.
The outfit that Jocelyn is wearing was purchased for her by Kirby's Aunt Marcy and then by her Grammie and then by her Nanny.  And they all purchased it for her in a size 3 months.  What a coincidence! 







On Monday we played at home before venutring off to the park. i.e. Jocelyn slept and Charlie flew his airplane.  The airplane was my gift to Charlie for becoming a big brother.

                                                        Charlie loves the playground!!

Tuesday was a rough day.  You can read more about it in my post "Tears". But the best part of the day was when I took the kids for an hour and a half walk around the Brandywine River.  We fed the ducks and for the first time, the geese. 

 

 

Charlie hasn't stopped saying Honk Honk ever since!

 

 

Wednesday our adventure out of the house was making a trip to Goodwill

 

I am still learning how to most effectively get an 18 month old and a one month old in the car.

 

On Thursday we didn't get out of the house because we had two appointments with realtors to list our house. 

Las Vegas Update:  Four realtor appointments later, we decided on a realtor to list our house.  On a positive note, not a single one of the realtors we interviewed said we should list our house at the price the realtor told us last Saturday.  We are hoping to sell the house in the next month or so, but if it comes down to a price we are not happy with Kirby and I have decided we will rent it.  Another positive note, Kirby's company is being understanding and flexible.  They have told him to focus on the house which means no traveling anytime too soon.

A side note to anyone selling their house in the near future.  Interview agents from several different companies.  You will be amazed at how much you learn. We have a very clear picture of our competition as well as a fair expectation of what our house should sell at because of all these meetings.  Additionally, we have received a little bit of advice from each of the realtors on things we can do to make our house show better.  Together, the cost of these suggestions might be $200.



Since we didn't get out of the house on Thursday, Jocelyn received twice as many hugs and kisses as usual.

 

 

On Friday our big outting was to the grocery store.  No pictures of this. 



 



 

But Friday night Jocelyn finally got to meet her Great Grandma.

 

And Jocelyn's Great Grandma came to visit with her Nanny and Pap.

 

Best and Worst Mommy moment of the week: Yep, it's all wrapped up into one.  Tuesday was a rough day filled with crying and kids boycotting sleep. In the late afternoon, Charlie let out a huge sigh "uhhhh".  It took me a minute to realize he was copying me.  So I asked him "What does Charlie say?" and he said "WOW".  This is something his grandpa taught him.  Then I asked him "What does Mommy say?' and he said "Uhhhhh".  He burst into laughter and so did I.

It was a great reminder that I can't let the bad days get to me for two reasons.  One, I have a little sponge at home who is soaking up my every word and action  Two, I am a lucky lady to be home with my little loves to catch even silly moments like this.

 

 

Double Stroller Dilemma

Going to Babies R's Us and registering when we were expecting Charlie was a daunting task, but I must say that I have spent twice as long contemplating over a double stroller as I did over the entire registry.

As I mentioned in a previous post, going for walks with one in the front carrier and one in the stroller is not easy.

Twice I posted on facebook asking for stroller recommendations and here is a list of recommendations I received

1. Bob Duallie
2. Bumbleride Indie Twin
3. Baby Jogger City Select
4. Chicco Cortina
5. Joovy Caboose

From there I read review after review after review of double strollers.  I knew at some point I would want a jogging stroller, but I thought I would want a tandem for use in places such as the mall and I know I can't jog until Jocelyn is 8 months. 

On Saturday we went to Babies R' Us and test drove a few of the strollers.  Let's just put it out there- double strollers are obnoxiously big.  Unfortunately they had a limited selection.  First I asked for some advice from one of the Babies R' Us employees.  He pointed us in the direction of the Graco Ready2Grow LX since it is compatible with our Snugride 35.  Pushing it around in the store was easy enough when in the bigger aisles.  However, I knew within minutes that pushing it on bumpy sidewalks was going to frustrate me.  Then we tried the Chicco Cortina.  Bigger than the Graco and harder to maneuver. Not for me!  We also pushed around a Joovy ScooterX2. It's a side by side stroller and it is Massive.  Again not for me

They didn't have the City Select there or the Bumbleride.  I have heard these are both great strollers but here is my two cents.   I researched the Bumbleride Indie and the City Select and both websites will tell you it is not a jogging stroller. So if I was ever going to jog, I would have to get a jogging stroller.  And the Bumbleride and City Select both come at a price tag of almost $700.  I could never justify to Kirby spending $500 on a jogging stroller if we spent $700 on another stroller first.

Sooo....
Bob Duallie it is. I love my single and so I am going with a Bob Revolution SE Duallie.  I realize it isn't going to work well in mall settings but realistically I want a stroller that I can take my kiddos on walks in, that can cover the terrain of parks or orchards and some day be used to jog.  It's ordered and will arrive next Thursday.   Can't wait!!!  After a week or so I will post whether or not it was a good choice for our family

Selling Slump!

It's my words for the last few days. SELLING SLUMP!  I wish this was a fun post where I was just posting pictures of my little loves or writing about one of our adventures, but it's not.  I've decided to blog about this journey in moving to Las Vegas so in fairness I am going to write about the good, the bad and the ugly.

On Thursday we got a call from our realtor telling us that he had left Prudential so he would no longer be our realtor.  I have no ill feelings toward him.  He took a promotion at another company.  I know he did what was best for him and his family, just as Kirby and I are trying to do for ours.

And then it went downhill...

By contract we are still obligated to Prudential so they sent someone else over.  Prudential was of course willing to end our contract if we weren't happy with the realtor they sent over.  I have no ill feelings toward Prudential because I think that is extremely fair of them.

And then the ill feelings began...

We met with the realtor sent over by Prudential. He did his thing sharing houses that are listed, pending, and sold.  But let's be real we wanted to know how he would market the house and what it should be listed at.  To get to the point he told us it should be listed at 20,000 less than what it is listed at now.  WHAT?!!?  We took the day to digest what he said.  We reviewed his comps.  We drove to his comps- some of which were a joke.  But we decided to sleep on it because he is the expert and maybe he is seeing something we were not.

Kirby called Saturday morning and asked him point blank what do you think the house should be listed at and what will it sell at.  In the end he told us that it should be listed for even less than what he said the previous and his guess on the sold price comes in at whopping $35,000 less than what our first agent told us to list it at.  We don't live in some mansion so for us that is a TON of money!

What a hard pill to swallow!  Although it would still be a hard pill to swallow, it might be a little easier if two houses around the corner from us both sold for more (one 10,000 and one 25,000 more than what he thought our house would sell at).  Despite trying to gain an understanding, Kirby could not get the realtor to explain why our house would be less than these two.

OVERWHELMING!  And thus leaves us with two options.  Option A - sell the house at a bigger loss than expected  Option B- rent our house in Wilmington and hope it appreciates in value.

Where we stand.  We ended our contract with Prudential.  We now have three appointments to interview agents with other companies to combine the list price suggestions of these realtors in order to determine if we will be selling or renting.

Sharing all this financial stuff is so out of character for me.  Though this whole mess is disappointing and frustrating, I know I am blessed with more imporant things in life.  Kirby is relaxing on the couch and watching some football.  Charlie is dreaming away in his crib and Jocelyn is peacefully napping in Kirby's arms.  The love of my life and my two little loves are healthy and happy.  Having the three of them in my life means I am abundantly blessed!

An old picture, but Rascal sits proudly outside of 1508 West 10th Street!

For My First Little Love!

MY FIRST LITTLE LOVE IS ONE AND A HALF!!

 

WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE???

 

18 Month Stats

 

Weight: 26 pounds  (56%)

 

Length: 32 inches (47%)

 

 

Just For My Memory and when Charlie asks someday

 

Favorite food: bananas

Favorite book:  Goodnight Moon

Favorite toy: Any kind of ball.  You love throwing them but haven't mastered catching them yet.

Favorite thing to do: Feed the ducks when we go for a walk

Favorite place to go: Yorklyn Pool.  You are a fearless little swimmer who will happily blow bubbles and go underwater.
 

Obsession: Elmo

 

Teeth: you have about ten that are solidly (is that even a word) in and are working on a few eye teeth and molars

Sleeping:  At night from 8:30pm to 7am and napping for an hour and half in the morning and an hour and a half in the afternoon

Some other things you love:  thunderstorms, making animal noises, Gymboree class, playing outside, blowing bubbles

WARNING to others reading- below is lots of shameless bragging.

Your Dad and I are so proud of you already.  Besides being the cutest little boy in our eyes, we love that you are starting to use your manners.  You say please which comes out more like "Peeeaasss" and thank you which comes out more like "Mankyou" (said as one word).  At dinner you have started to fold your hands together when we tell you it is time to pray and when we finish you chime in with "Amen".   We are constantly amazed at how many words you know and the new ones you pick up on. We were shocked when you first recognized the foam letter O in the bathtub and are in awe that you can now pick out the letters o, q, k, i and sometimes t and p.  And now we are seeing a whole new side of you as want to be giving Jocelyn hugs and kisses or playing with the same toy as her.  We are so lucky to have you in our lives!
 

 

 



 



Happy 1 and a Half! And Happy 63rd!

We have had lots of visitors and adventures in the last two weeks so I am just hoping to catch up on some of them with this blog.  And of course I have missed pictures with some of our visitors but I am getting better!

My dear friends Maryanne and Mindy came to visit on August 23rd.  Mindy is in the first picture with Jocelyn.  She and her husband are expecting their first baby in February.  Can't wait to meet their nugget and find out if it is a boy or girl.  And Maryanne is in the second picture.

Finally got a picture of Jocelyn with her Pap.

 

 

Along with Kirby's parents, his aunt Wendy and his cousin Trey came to visit on the 24th.  Charlie absolutely loved having someone closer to his age to play with.  They ran around outside and inside, but what they enjoyed most was playing under the dining room table.

 

Our neighbor, Ed, has a pool in his backyard.  On Sunday of Labor Day weekend (Charlie's one and a half birthday), he invited Charlie to come for a swim.  He LOVES the pool.  He will happily go under water with you, blow bubbles and splash up a storm.  Bonus for Charlie- in Las Vegas he can swim 8 months out of the year instead of 3 months.

And finally on Labor Day we went to my parents house to celebrate my Dad's 63rd birthday!

 

 

My Dad is the hardest person to get a picture of smiling.  The picture above is quite an accomplishment!  Especially because when he is not smiling he is making strange faces like in the picture below.

 

This is Jill standing on a chair doing her victory dance after winning a game of Settlers.  My family is anything but normal.

 

Charlie loved the birthday cake Grammie made!  Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Vegas Update:  We had a showing Wednesday, August 29th.  It was the first time that I wished for some action on the house because preparing for a showing with a 2 week old and 18 month old is a full day of work for Kirby and I (taking down pack n plays, hiding toys, reorganize cabinets from which Charlie has pulled out every pot and pan, not to mention the typical cleaning anyone would have to do). 



Worst Mommy moment:  I take full blame for this one.  At two in the morning Jocelyn woke up to eat.  I definitely didn't burp her long enough and within two minutes of getting her all snug she spit up all over herself which required lights on and a full change of attire.  She was not happy about that.  Then when she woke up at five to eat again she spit up all over my side of the bed before I could even begin to burp her.  Needless to say she got her paybacks and I got her message loud and clear.

 



Best Mommy moment:  It may seem like a small feat, but it was definitely a challenge to take both kids out for a walk.  I had to lay out a mental map of how I would do this.  I got Jocelyn in the front carrier and Charlie in the stroller.  Sounds easy enough but it took about half an hour.  Time to get a double stroller though because Jocelyn was a sweaty little girl by the time we got back.  Front carriers are great during colder weather- body warmth, but right now it's not working to well for Jocelyn and I

And on that note of doing things with both the kiddos, here are some pictures of brotherly and sisterly love....

Charlie loves to sit wherever Jocelyn does



Not sure if she is really enjoying his hug

They are going to have so much fun together!