7 a.m.

Daniel has started sleeping from about 7:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. It is quite amazing. On the weekends, we get to sleep in a bit, and on the weekdays I get to get ready without a little person hanging on my leg. I never thought 6 a.m. was all that early, but now I know how early it is.

Alright, I must go get him out of bed.

Apologies

I'm sorry I've been so lax about posting recently. Our life has been consumed by house stuff. We have someone offering on our house. I think we are on our 6th counteroffer. Also, there is a house that I really like. The house would require all sorts of updating, so I've been talking to painters and floor people and kitchen folks all week. We are trying to figure out how much we would have to put in it and how much we could offer for it and not price ourselves out of the market. Scary to think about lots more work, but fun to think about making a house a home. Also the thought of getting my very own new kitchen is pretty enticing. Now we just have to figure out how to sell, move, update, and live all at the same time. At one point I had visions of a fridge in the basement and a hotplate in the laundry room and using the utility sink for cooking. I would certainly be motivated to get the remodel done if that were the case.

In addition to deciding we are going to move, Matt and I are both extremely busy at work. Being busy at work is great, but the stress that comes with it is not always great.

Daniel is doing wonderful. He is starting to become a little person. We can go on errands together, and he walks with me! It is crazy. I can't wait for nicer weather. The outdoors provides so much more opportunity for creative play. Thinking of activities for the little one is a challenge for me at times. I think it has to do with the 3-minute attention span. Here is a little video from this weekend.

Playclothes

Spring is starting to show its face here in Wisconsin. We have had a few days in the 50s, and today we are supposed to break the 60 degree mark. Yipee! In honor of the great weather, I've taken Daniel around the yard a few times to explore and enjoy the weather. I really had no idea how messy 'outside' is. I know, call me naieve, but being an adult, I have not had to be that close to the earth on a regular occasion. Daniel is right down there, next to the dirt, and he loves it. He has already figured out where the rocks are and likes to chew on them. You know, I've always thought that rocks were a delicacy. I might have to bestow my boo-boo rock on him when he gets old enough. That was my magical rock I had as a kid that healed all bumps and bruises.

First Word

It's official. Daniel has a word. Now he has been saying lots of things for a while, but everything has seemed fairly indiscriminate, even mama and dada. Over Christmas he would chase my parents dogs around and say what we thought was, "Dog, dog, dog, ..." but I was not sure that was actually a word either. Well, I was wrong. Everytime he is with a dog, he walks or crawls over to the dog and says, "Dog, dog, dog, dog, ..." We don't even have a dog, but both set of grandparents do. He gets to see Cara (the Lee's Bernease Mountain dog) every Monday, so he's probably been babbling dog tons, and I've just missed it because I wasn't there.

We were at their house on Sunday during our open house, and Daniel was just loving playing with Cara. He would chase her around and pet her and Cara would just lick him in the face (gross if you ask me, but Daniel doesn't seem to mind). All the while saying dog. He is really entertaining these days because he can really show excitement and really enjoys little games. He is also really proud of his accomplishments - so cute! I'll try to get a video of them playing together.

On Friday the weather was very nice for this time of year. It was over 50 deg F and sunny. For March that's perfect. I decided that Daniel and I needed to go to the park. We did the swing a little and I took him on a few slides and just let him explore. He was particularly interested in the leaves. He would pick one up, take a bite, decide it wasn't food, pull it out of his mouth, and give it back to me. Now I kept debating whether or not to let him eat the things he was picking up, but since it was all 'natural' I decided that it couldn't really hurt him. There was also some snow left on the ground that he got to play with. He never quite figured it out but enjoyed touching it. This summer is going to be so much fun for him. I can't wait to see him really play at the playground.

Playtime

We took this video last night. Daniel has been walking everywhere and is really interested in exploring. I guess he was a bit worn out by all the playtime yesterday. We put him to bed shortly after taking this video.

Yesterday morning while I was getting ready for work, I had an epiphany. I was standing there holding one drawer closed with my hip and the other with my left hand all while applying makeup with my right hand and having Daniel tunneling through my legs when I realized that I was feeling more and more like Elastigirl from The Incredibles with each new move. Casting her in that role was even more appropriate than I knew at the time. It would be great to be able to type this blog from the other room while I played with Daniel. Not sure my brain is that flexible, but I could probably learn. Or be able to shepherd him around while participating in an adult conversation where we all get to stand or sit together. I'm sure many of you Moms out there share my Elastigirl envy from time to time.

Our house is officially on the market. I'm a little anxious about the whole process. Showings and keeping the house clean are going to be complicated with Daniel around. Also, seeing the pictures makes me a bit sad to leave. The photographer did an amazing job. I've been trying to get pics like his for years. I have some of the information linked to my Facebook page if you want to check it out. The official listing on ww.firstweber.com should be out later today, and it will have a virtual tour. Wish us luck!