Well, This is Embarassing

I haven't posted on this blog for almost a year now - how embarassing!  I stopped posting about the time that Jude's naps became erratic and shorter.  Then, I got pregnant and began putting all of my energy into getting caught up on scrapbooking - I was about 2 years behind!

Long story short, the baby has arrived and I want to get her birth story down in writing while it's fresh on my mind (it's a doozy!).  I'm not planning on starting to post here regularly as I find that I enjoy scrapbooking more and I definitely don't have time for both!

I'm hoping that in a couple of years, as the kids get a bit older, I'll take the time to blog about our life and adventures.  We'll see.  Anyway, expect my next post to be Esther's birth story!!!

We Have a Walker!

Jude is officially walking!

Sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal

I finally got around to trimming some overgrown bushes today during Jude's nap. My very first swipe across the side of the bush uncovered this:



Inside were three of these:


I knew right away that it belonged to the cardinals I see frequently from our sunroom. I immediately chided myself for not remembering them and checking for the nest before I removed all of it's cover.

The cardinals are there right now scoping out the damage. I really hope they don't abandon the nest, but I really did a number on the branches that were protecting it from view. In fact, another two inches and I would have taken off some of the nest itself.

On another note, can you believe all the plastic they used in building that nest?!? They even found some bubble wrap! It's very interesting, but also kind of sad how easy it was for them to find so much plastic garbage lying around.

Anyway, does anyone know if there's anything I can do to help ensure that the cardinals don't abandon the nest?

I'll update in the comments in another day or two on whether the cardinals are going to brave the openness to raise those little eggs.

He Thinks He's People

Mr. Darcy's new favorite spot:



In case you can't tell, it's Jude's high chair. Jude sits in an easier-to-clean plastic booster seat at lunch and supper, so Mr. Darcy even gets to sit in the chair during meals, which he does with great relish. He's sure that one of these days, we'll let him eat human food with us.

Meanwhile, Jude's favorite spot is the cats' food and water dishes.

Go figure :)

Staying Cool

We went from a cool spring this year, to 93 degrees in early June. Does this mean it's going to be another steamy summer?

This morning Jude and I bought a little inflatable pool for him (and me!) this summer, but we have to wait for Daddy to inflate it for us. So, for today, we settled for a little tub of water:


Jude is 10 months old now, and I can't believe we are so close to 1 year! Jude can crawl at mach3 now, and he can walk from one end of the couch to the other faster than you can blink. He hasn't stood by himself yet, but I'm sure that's coming very soon. And the walking, of course. I would be really surprised if he's not walking by 1 year.

There's so much fun stuff to do in the summer, but I feel like Jude is still too young to enjoy much. Next year will be much better for him to enjoy things like zoos, parks, and pools.

He's already just about ready to drop his morning nap. In fact, he did skip it once last week and then again today. He's taking a pretty solid 2.5 - 3 hour afternoon nap, which is great for me to get things done (like blogging!). :)

This weekend is Neenah Streetball. Jude will get to watch his daddy play some basketball. It should be fun!

Larry White

Ray and I own half of a calf! My parents got the opportunity to "save" an injured calf from death (ironically since he's going to be butchered in another year or so anyway). They asked us if we wanted to pay for half of his costs in exchange for getting half of the meat. Since the last cow they raised ended up costing them about $1/pound for steaks and hamburgers, we felt it was a really good deal.

Ray got naming rights for his first name, and he chose the name Larry. My mom decided that his last name is White because, well, see for yourself:


Cute, huh?

Sitting Up In Bed

I walked into Jude's room after his nap the other day and was met with this sight:


He was very proud of himself.

It seems likes he's learning something new every day!

ps- We lowered the crib mattress down a notch that night :)