The Stair Climber

Our recent living arrangements have vastly improved Noah's stair climbing abilities. He alternates between counting the steps as he goes up and down, and saying "climb, climb, climb."

Don't you worry Momma. I got this.

Holding onto the railing. So careful!

See. At the bottom. Safe and sound. And, you were so worried.

Limbo

We are officially back in Texas but currently without home. Our good friends Tim and Catherine have graciously opened the doors of their lovely, three-story, Ethan Allen decorated in beige and white home to us, and we hope to leave it fairly unscathed as we depart at the end of the month. Our house is coming along quickly, and the closing is set for the end of the month. We've been out there a couple times, and it looks great.

As for Noah, he has adapted pretty well to the various changes of scenery. He has officially been out of therapy for a month, and I am getting pretty anxious to get things started again. Next week, I am meeting with a private clinic that offers both speech and OT, and Noah will also have his initial evaluation for the state early intervention program. We have also set up an appointment with a developmental pediatrician, but that isn't until October.

The biggest news on the Noah front is that I signed him up for preschool. Sniff. The program is from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM two days a week. It seems like a long day to me, especially for a little guy who still takes 2.5-3 hour naps a day. The preschool coordinator is probably used to dealing with first time mothers, and she said that they were pretty accommodating if I wanted to pick him up before naptime. I am considering it, but I think I will wait and see how it goes. Overall, I think the whole experience will be very good for Noah and for me as well.

Crazy for the Cozy Coupe

In preparation for our new backyard, I decided to pick up an outdoor ride-on toy for Noah. The Cozy Coupe seemed just the thing.

At the sight of the box, Noah was thrilled.

He could not wait for me to get it open.

Not such a great idea for Momma to ignore the type on the box. "Assembly Required."

Noah tried his hardest to put it together.

But, he just ended up very frustrated.

Thanks Grammy and Greg for putting together Noah's Crazy Coupe. I am sure that he will love it as soon as he decides to actually get in it again.

High Flying

My niece Katie is becoming quite the gymnast. And, can I just say...

This girl can jump!

Morgan, although she doesn't get quite as much air, looks like she might follow in her big sister's footsteps.

My nephew Seth, not to be outdone by the girls, has his own method to flying high.

And this guy has no professional training.

Time for a Trim

Noah needs a haircut in the worst way. It is hanging over his ears, and I am pretty sure in the next few days it will be covering his eyes. It is straight and fine and oh so soft, nothing like my own hair except in volume. And, although I know that his hair always grows back, I always get a little pang when he needs to get it trimmed. His longer hair makes him seem a little more baby and a little less toddler. Just the other day, I was sitting next to him running my fingers through it. I stopped and put my hand next to his shoulder. He reached for my hand and put it right back on his head. It was so sweet, and it earned his tresses another week before they meet the fate of a barber shop floor.

All Packed Up With No Place to Go

I am a bit of a freak about packing. I always pack in advance. I like everything very organized. I am always afraid of forgetting something. I go as far as packing my toothbrush the night before and unpacking it the next morning to brush, just so I make sure not to forget it. This week, I was forced to put my neurosis aside. We had the moving company scheduled to pack for us. Several times, I felt the urge to panic because not a single thing was boxed up. But, I found out today that having the entire apartment packed in one day without having to fold a single box or single piece of packing tape was very, very nice.

Noah handled the packing really well. He got a little... interested when they started in his room. He kept pulling down all the packing paper and stealing the poor man's tape. He was easily distracted by a DVD of Blue's Clues, a sip of juice and some goldfish crackers. In fact, I believe today, Noah pretty much survived the day on Blue's Clues and goldfish crackers.

I was planning on rewarding him for his good behavior with chocolate milk and Chick-Fil-A, but he fell asleep on the stroll to the mall. He took an abbreviated nap in his stroller while I rewarded myself with Chick-Fil-A and walked the mall. I resisted the urge to actually shop, since I am not sure we will be able to fit the things I already am planning to put in the car.

So, the movers are loading up tomorrow. Dean and I have a closing discussion with both Noah's OT and speech therapist, and then our little family is heading west. Aside from the fact that Dean starts his new job on Monday, we are really not in a rush to get anywhere. Our house will not be ready until the end of August, and we will be staying with friends once we get to Texas. I plan on making an extended stop to visit family in LA.

I would love to say our year plus one month in Miami has flown by, but it hasn't. I am sure one day when I'm older and this year is a distant memory, I'll look back and say, "Miami... Oh yeah I lived there. It was fabulous." Maybe I'll even believe it, but right now, I'm just going to enjoy the fact that this year is done, and we are moving on.

Worth the 2.5 Hour Wait

In preparation for our much anticipated drive out of town, Noah and I spent the morning at the car dealership getting my truck checked out. At about 9:00 AM, Noah and I dropped the truck at the service department and headed over to the waiting room. Luckily, it was empty. I switched the TV from Regis and Kelly to Clifford the Big Red Dog, and we settled in for our wait. Sigh. It is times like this that I really miss my dad.

The room didn't stay empty for long, but I figured we were here first. So, cartoons stayed on, and the people didn't seem to mind, not that they were overly excited about Noah running in circles around the room. Noah ruled that waiting room. The long wait was pretty uneventful except for the part where he pulled all the red straws out the coffee cart and tried to steal a granola bar from a lady and a highlighter from an old man. Clifford rolled into Sesame Street and Sesame rolled into Word World, and I figured I'd put the now 5 other adults out of their misery. Noah and I headed outside to a small bench to indulge in some goldfish and Fanta. I pulled out my phone to send Daddy a quick picture. I told Noah to smile, just like always, and when I pulled the phone around, this is what I got.

I love this picture. Noah smiling and looking right at the camera. One take. Totally worth the wait.