Update

Andrew took his bar exam last week!  It is seriously such a relief to be past all the studying and stress (I know I wasn't the one taking the exam, but it still feels good to be past it!).  After the exam, he flew down to Miami to look for a place to live.  The first day he hit dead end after dead end while looking at condos.  No one wants a renter with a 50 pound dog.  So he had to settle on our back up plan, a slightly older apartment building in Brickell.  Although it would have been nice to have more choices to pick from, I know the apartment he found will work for us and we will be happy there.  It's a 2 bed/2 bath, 1238 sq feet, on the 20th floor with a view of the bay and Brickell Key.  After living in a studio, it's hard not to get excited about 1238 sq feet!

Here is the floor plan:

We move out of our current apartment August 31 and move in to our new apartment September 18.  We still need to figure out where we will be in between!

Yesterday, we went car shopping...all day long.  Whew, it was exhausting.  Addison actually did really well, but it wore her out.  We looked at several different options and decided on the BMW X3.  Andrew is beyond excited about his new, beautiful family vehicle and so is Addison!

Next on our to do list is to research and find a moving company.  Then we can get excited about a visit from Tiffany and Rob!  10 more days!

An interesting week...

Friday morning Chandra and her son, Cooper, left Chi-Town and returned home.  I am so grateful that they came to stay while Andrew was out of town.  It made what would have been a very lonely and slow paced week, very interesting!  Chandra and I knew that we would have some challenges with the kids because of the small apartment I live in, but we didn't expect it to be quite as hard as it was!  It turns out that this was a good learning experience for Chandra and I as we prepare to one day be mother's of two. 

They arrived Monday afternoon and we spent some time playing with toys and letting Addi and Cooper get acquainted.  Cooper had fun exploring her toys, while Addi enjoyed observing him in action.  After dinner we took a walk down to the riverfront.  Cooper liked the fountains and getting to run, Addison liked to watch the boats pass by and climb the stairs.  We decided the best way to handle bath time would be to let them bathe together.  They both seemed to enjoy it, which surprised me, but I was thankful.  Addi was more than happy to share all her bath toys and loved watching Cooper play with them.  Bedtime was a little rough.  We set up Coopers bed in Addison's room and we put them to bed at the same time.  Mistake number one: when two young toddlers are sharing a room, you should not put both of them to bed at the same time.  If you do, you will hear the oldest one screaming for a back rub, then the youngest one crying at the scream, then the oldest one shushing the cry, then more crying from the shushing, then the oldest one demanding the youngest to "stop crying", then the youngest one crying even louder at the demand.  Not a good cycle!  Reflecting back on it, we realized that we should have put Addison down first, since she 1) sleeps a little longer than Cooper and 2) takes longer to fall asleep.  Once they fell asleep, Chandra and I enjoyed some ice cream and conversation.

On Tuesday, we went to the Children's Museum at Navy Pier.  Both Cooper and Addison really had a good time.  They enjoyed playing in sand, water, going "fishing", and looking at their shadows.  After their nap we went to the playground.  Addison loved going down the slide with Cooper and was amazed that he could climb back UP the slide! Bedtime went a little smoother that night.  It was a really good day, probably the best day of the visit.  

The next morning, something was off.  I spilled my entire cup of coffee, Cooper refused to eat breakfast, and Addison was extremely sensitive to any loud noise, namely Cooper.  Despite the chaotic morning, we continued on with our plans.  Mistake number two: when walking more than a few blocks with toddlers, bring the stroller!  We decided to bring only one stroller this trip because we wanted less to lug around, but Chandra ended up doing her fair share of lugging!  We took the train to Millennium Park, which was a good idea because Cooper really loved it!  Once we got to the park we ate a snack, but Cooper was not interested in eating again.  So we saw the "bean" and headed for the Crown Fountain.  We all enjoyed the cool water as it was a VERY hot day.  About an hour into nap time, Cooper woke up and got sick.  We will never know if it was a bug that he caught from Addi (she was sick a few weeks ago) or the museum, or if was something he ate, or just the heat and exhaustion, but it was so sad.  He got sick one more time a few hours later, and rested the remainder of the day.  That night everyone slept pretty well. 

Thursday morning, Cooper was better and luckily no one else seemed to get his sickness.  We decided to continue on with our plans to go to the zoo.  Mistake number three: don't take long, busy vacations, with toddlers.  We should have just stayed at home this morning because both kids were exhausted.  It rained a little at the zoo and Addison wanted to be held the whole time.  She did not want to be in her stroller at all.  Cooper did enjoy seeing the animals though.  There was one loud monkey in particular that was fun to watch.  The bus ride home was a bit miserable because it was packed and we each had our bags, strollers, and child.  About this time of the day, I saw that the 5 mosquito bites that Addison got while in Florida were huge, red, swollen, and hot, which was probably one reason why she was cranky.  The doctor said to just bring her in the following morning for a check-up.  We spent the rest of the afternoon playing at home.  You know, coloring, play dough, tea parties, piano.  That evening we made breakfast for dinner and homemade dark chocolate raspberry ice cream that was so rich and tasty!  I don't know if Chandra and I could have survived this trip without ice cream and coffee!  After dinner we went to the lake front to check out the cityscape...it was windy and beautiful as always.  We had to separate Cooper and Addison for bedtime as they were doing that scream/cry cycle again!  But alas, they fell asleep and Chandra and I watched a movie and prepared for her departure in the morning. 

All in all, it was such a blessing to spend the week with one of my best friends and it was so good to get to know her son.  Cooper is "all boy" as they say, but he is also a sweet heart and he loves his mommy very much!  Chandra is so patient with him, consistent and fair with her discipline, and also loving and fun.  I will never forget our time together!  The craziness was worth it : )  To read Chandra's take on "our brilliant idea" check out her blog.

PS, Addi's bug bites are getting better!

Exciting week ahead!

Right now, Andrew is on a plane to Tampa where he will take his FL bar exam Tuesday and Wednesday.  Then he will fly down to Miami to look at some condo rentals in Brickell.  He said this morning that he is starting to feel more confident about the material and memorization.  It will be such a relief when this exam is done!

Right now, Chandra and Cooper are driving here to visit for the week!  So excited!

Here are some pictures from last week:

Goodnight Gorilla with Grammy

looking for the cat under the table

sitting with Grammy

climbing and sliding at Nana and Papa's

exploring with Nana

knife throwing

LOVING her new stroller from Grandma and Grandpa

she likes the big windows too

self portrait in the airplane

Happy Birthday, Benjamin!

So glad that we could be here to celebrate Benjamin's 17th Birthday!  Addison had a blast at Nana and Papa's house!  She got to climb the stairs, check out the books (they have a ton of books!), eat dinner with family, taste some birthday cake, go down the slide with Nana, and run around in the grass. 

Instead of a gift card, out usual boring birthday gift, we gave Benjamin 17 money-filled balloons.  Guess how the he and the Ritter boys popped them...by throwing knives at them hanging in a tree!  I only wish Andrew and Austin could have been there!  I do love the Ritter boys.

Sickness and the "sunshine" state

Andrew has one more week until he takes his bar exam.  He will have plenty of time to cram in silent as Addison and I are spending the week in Florida!  It was a very last minute decision, but a good one for Andrew's sake.  We arrived Sunday late afternoon and will return Saturday late afternoon.  We almost had to cancel the trip because Addison got sick Saturday night.  She vomited at midnight in her crib and then 12 more times within the next few hours.  It was the toughest, saddest, worst night as a mother.  I pray that it never happens to her again!  She must of had food poisoning.  She ate chicken, brown rice with cheese, squash, zucchini, and tomato.  I ate it too without getting sick, but maybe she is more sensitive.  She didn't have a fever.  She was so exhausted so we put her in between us in our bed so she could rest in between vomiting.  At one point she fell asleep with her foot on my head.  I was too afraid of waking her, so I just left it!  I don't know how some people can sleep with their kids nightly!  The next morning she was fine.  Tired, but fine. 

Grandpa and Grandma Barber welcomed us to the "sunshine" state (its rained several times in the short time we've been here!).  We stayed the night at their house, Addi slept 12.5 hours and really enjoyed her stay : )  She loved the cats, the big front window, and grandpa and grandma of course. 

Now we are at Grammy and PoppyTart's house.  We went to visit Great Grandma today and Addison was extremely fussy, clingy, and just plain bad.  It reminded me that she really is a toddler now. 

Tomorrow we are excited to celebrate Benjamin's 17th birthday and to see the Ritter crew. 

Potty Time

One day Addison may hate me for this post. 

We got a WeePod for her!  It's a smaller cushioned/contoured seat that suctions onto the toilet seat. We are not necessarily potty training yet, but just introducing it to her.  She is so interested in the function of the toilet and getting pretty good at telling me when she needs a diaper change so we figured it couldn't hurt to let her try it out.  So far she just likes sitting in it.  Also, notice her new pool sandals (yes, they are Crocs).  She has outgrown her size 4 shoes!  Size 5 is still a little big, but not for long I'm sure.  

Fourth of July and BALLOONS

 Happy Fourth!  Addison is happy today ... we got her some balloons!

 Enjoy the pictures!

Update

First, some things we are looking forward to in the near future:

Fifty-six more days until our move and visits with some friends along our path home.

Thirty-eight more days until Tiffany and Rob come to visit!

Twenty-one more days until Andrew's bar exam and until Chandra and Cooper's visit!  Yep, she is driving about 8 hours with her 2 1/2 year old son to see us before we move...she is a great friend!

Seventeen more days until Uncle Austin turns 21...YIKES!

Fifteen more days until Uncle Benji turns 17!

Nine more days until Grammy and PoppyTart celebrate their anniversary.

One more day until Erin Sansotta turns 27 (and any moment until her baby Gavin is welcomed into the world!).

I love ...

• when I say to Addison, "I'll be right back I need to potty," she "runs" to the bathroom and gets excited to throw a clean square of toilet paper in the toilet. More and more she is getting excited and curious about the potty.  Now she also points to her diaper when she needs a diaper change. Maybe it's time to let her try it out. PS, sorry mom for never giving you privacy in the bathroom...now I know what it's like to NEVER get privacy, but I think it's a good thing because she is definitely learning the purpose of the potty.
• how proud Andrew is for building Addison her first fort. I also love when Addison tries to put everything in it, especially things that are huge (like her car) that obviously (to me) won't fit. He put a sheet over half of our desk and she loves it!
• watching her suck down a smoothie. I usually make my classic smoothie: milk, frozen banana, peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon. Today she saw me getting everything ready to make one and she went in her room to get a straw (she has some in there with some other tubes that she likes to play with).
• how much her hair curls in this heat.
• her love of the flash light.
• that she can spot a b-a-l-l-o-o-n from miles away, and yes, it is important to spell that one out!
• that when she finds a piece of trash (a small piece of paper, a fur ball) she goes directly to the kitchen, opens the cabinet under the sink (the lock broke), and puts it in the trash can. What a good helper : ) Although I'll have to watch her closely so a shoe or something doesn't end up in there.
• that her bottom two cuspids are finally starting to cut!

Andrew is doing well.  He is taking this upcoming holiday pretty seriously.  You know, relaxing by the pool instead of studying, buying new video games, afternoon naps, etc.  Don't worry, he works well under pressure!

I went to the hand doctor today and had to get the cortisone injections.  I wore the braces for six weeks and took the meds for 4 weeks, which made it feel a lot better...just not completely healed.  So far, they just feel achy.  In 4 weeks if they feel better, then I'm done and they are healed.  If not, we try another injection.  Besides that, I am feeling a little sad today.  I want to be there for my friend Erin and I'm not.  She dropped everything to be there for Addison's birth.

Some pictures from our walk to Olive Park: