Two Posts for the Price of One

Hopefully you will consider this post a deal and not a tedious way to get you all caught up.

Post 1: Moved-In
We are now officially moved in to the 1st floor apartment of our two-family flat and I am already enjoying the perks. Tasks such as laundry and grocery shopping at this stage of my pregnancy will no longer be as difficult as they once were. Something as simple as taking a walk with Will will be that much more convenient and letting the dog in and out is a cinch! In fact, as I write Che is contentedly sleeping on the back porch. He seems to be much happier when he can come and go outside whenever he wants.

Before I share photos, I want to thank some people: First of all, I need to thank my gracious brother-in-law Michael for taking an entire day off of work to paint for us. I am certain that I would be depressed having to stare at all of the unfinished walls of this place today, but now with two of the most important rooms finished (ceilings and all) it has made all the difference in the world. Thank you so much, Michael. Also, thanks to Michael, Scott and Kyle for helping us move. What a blessing it is to have such friends and family.

Now the pictures:

Living Room, Angle 1
(sorry about the blurriness)

Living Room, Angle 2

Dining Room

Kitchen and Will's forehead

Our Bedroom, complete with peeling walls

Will and Eva's Room, Angle 1
(we haven't gotten the bedroom window treatments in yet so the blankets are serving as black-out shades)

Will and Eva's Room, Angle 2

I feel pretty good about how things are coming together as far as overall organization. Now it's just the things that make a place feel like a home that I'm anxious about. Of course painting the rest of the house will make a huge difference, and then putting up wall hangings. The kitchen (ceiling) and the bathroom will most likely not get done before Thanksgiving and all I have to say is that I feel for Rodney as I know he's so overwhelmed with the task list.

Post 2: Other Notable News
Will is going through some interesting phases right now. The biggest is with napping. He's recently decided that he hates napping and for a couple of weeks would refuse to nap just about ever other day. We decided to do Ferber for naps so that he could be getting his sleep requirements and although it's definitely helped, we've still encountered rough spots. The other day he cried (after many visits from me) for over an hour in his crib and never napped. Thankfully, he's sleeping fine at night (probably from sheer exhaustion) although he is waking up earlier and earlier in the mornings. This morning he was up at 5:50. Ugh.

The other phase he's going through right now is stranger awareness. He's never actually gone through this this phase until now, so it's been interesting to observe. It's really not that bad, he just seems much slower to warm up than he ever has.

Oh, and food. Let's just say that there are days when Will constantly asks for food. I've determined that he does it when he's bored, which apparently is quite a bit. Rodney and I have discovered that he needs A LOT of stimulation and doesn't play alone for very long. Yesterday he whined nearly continuously during the day for food and I decided to add it to my "nah/no thanks" list ("no" is reserved for dangerous behaviors- either for himself or others). The "nah" worked yesterday and we'll see if it continues to work.

Will loves his books. This is one of the only things I can count on him doing on his own for a good 15 to 20 minutes. Making you proud, Grandma Nancy!

Right now his favorite word to say is "bus" and his favorite sound to make is a whinnying sound like a horse. Call them new fetishes. Sometimes William will neigh like a horse when he wakes up from a nap or do it repeatedly while riding in the back seat of the car. He also calls any large vehicle a "bus." Rodney and I spend a lot of time laughing these days.

The pregnancy seems to be going well and Eva is moving like crazy. A week or so ago she seemed to be moving constantly to the point of annoyance (imagine something pummeling your belly non-stop). I do get tired and sore when I overdo it, but as long as I rest during the day I feel much better. The nice thing about this pregnancy is that I actually have time during the day to do that (as long as Will naps, of course=)).

I am now singing with the Saint Louis Symphony Chorus which is pretty exciting, but have yet to attend a rehearsal. They are rehearsing for two different upcoming concerts, one of which I am not singing in because it's scheduled for the week of Eva's due date and I am not required to be at those rehearsals. I am really looking forward to singing with such a high quality ensemble. I'm sure there will be no end to what I learn.

I'll close with some photos of Will and I. Sorry you can't see the belly that well, I will try to get a good belly shot soon.

At Forest Park

Zen-Yoga Master

Quint-Bongo Boy - Making Uncle Marc proud!