Dusting off the 'ole keyboard!

I've been in a bit of a blogging slump lately I suppose. First, we were in the midst of the second miscarriage and there is honestly only so much one can post about that, and then immediately afterwards we both did a little bit of traveling. I made a quick trip to STL to host a bridal shower and bachelorette party, and Mat went to Boston for a few days for a work-related conference. Then, once we returned home, Jeff joined us for a few days here in Dubuque. Life has been quite busy, but also quite joyful luckily. The temps are nice and warm, the sun is shining, Mat's summer break began, and all seems to be going pretty well.

June will be a busy month as well, as Mat will be teaching a summer school evening course for the next 3-4 weeks, and I will be working full time preparing and carrying out a Summer Literacy Camp. Then, we'll be heading to St. Louis for my dear friend's wedding and some time with family and friends over the July 4th holiday. We are really looking forward to both having nearly 8 weeks off of work together. We have a lengthy list of projects to complete around the house, but are also looking forward to spending lots of time together as a family!

I was quite spoiled last week! Mat was completely off work, and I was working but coming home to laundry done, meals prepared, the house cleaned, etc. It was NICE! I never thought I would want to work while he stayed at home, but just one week of it certainly made me think otherwise. He made a pretty good stay at home Dad, I must say!

Probably the biggest factor in our recent happiness is of course MJ! He is doing and saying so many incredible things right now, that I don't want to forget any of it! A big part of my blog is knowing that it serves as documentation for me, that one day we will look back on and remember these moments. So, please induldge me while I rant and rave about the latest with sweet Mathew...

* He is cutting new teeth and continues to be an effortless teether. You'd never know he was teething if it wasn't for the little buds that pop through his gums. He's on his 7th, and almost 8th tooth.

*This kid has been a sleeping angel, especially this past week. He seems to have officially transitioned from two naps to one, and what a difference it makes. We had a bit of a time over the last month transitioning. One day it would seem he needed two naps, then the next only one, and so on. But, once we got back from our little trip to STL, it just all seemed to click. He is sleeping about 12 hours at night uninterrupted, and then is taking about a 2-3 hour nap mid/late afternoon. He falls asleep on his own and doesn't fight it all. It's lead to a happier baby, easier planning for our day, and a more routine schedule for all!

*We had church nursery success! When we left him yesterday he was all smiles just playing with the toys. We weren't paged throughout the whole service. :) He was even still smiling when we returned to pick him up after church. Fingers crossed that we're on a roll here.

*MJ is now kissing us like crazy! It just started this week, and I think it is my favorite new skill yet! He makes the "mmm" sound and puckers up and comes towards you. Then, sometimes he sneaks in his forehead and teases you, and instead lets you kiss him. Sometimes we get the real deal though. How cute?!

*This isn't really anything too new, but he LOVES books. Toys are going more and more ignored lately and it's all about the books. In fact most of his little temper tantrums revolve around books, when Mat and I finally need a break from reading book after book. He used to enjoy looking at them by himself, but now he wants to be read to more and more. He brings us book after book and then motions to be picked up in our laps.

*His style of play seems to have changed over the last month. He isn't as independent as he once was. He seems to want us to play with him more often and enjoys the interaction. He adores being outside as much as possible! He likes to just run around in the grass and play in the hose. We bought a sprinkler yesterday that we can set up for him to play outside in the backyard in. Now that the pools are open, we'll be looking forward to taking him there soon as well.

*He isn't talking much yet. Still the basics like "dada" and very rarely he'll say "mama," but his newest noise is making animal sounds. He can "moo" like a cow, "woof" like a dog, and sometimes "hoot hoot" like an owl. So cute, and he knows it! He cheers for himself after the does this. Actually, he cheers for himself for almost everything these days.

*He really seems to be warming up to people. Where he used to shy away from strangers or even cry when approached, he is now much more interested. He likes to wave to everyone that talks to him, smile at people, and clap when people talk to him. He has even held up his hands for random people to pick him up and hold him, although he usually quickly decides he wants down.

*He's climbing full flights of stairs on his own now, although he doesn't really know how to come back down. His walking has developed into running, and of course that means a few scrapes and bumps along the way.

*Eating is our biggest challenge right now. Foods he once loved now seem much harder to feed him. He is constantly throwing food on the floor, spitting it out of his mouth, or smacking it away. He is a great drinker though and loves milk, milk, milk! If you give him some chocolate milk, he'll gulp down the entire cup in about 3 minutes flat. I'm hoping this food phase passes soon, but we shall see.

*The more and more his personality develops, so do the temper tantrums. They are pretty scarce, but when they do happen he arches his back or flails on the ground, or just cries like the world has come to an end. As of now, he has saved them all for home and has yet to do this in public.

Plenty of pictures and updates to come, as I think the blogging slump has officially ended. Now that summer is in full swing, there should be plenty of fun to share!