The before, during and after:
Monday, November 29
First Haircut
Ally's hair was getting a little out of control so we decided to take her to get her hair cut on Friday. Karl already had an appointment with our favorite stylist in Lafayette so we were able to get Ally in right after him. She started out doing great but as usual, she quickly decided she didn't like being held on to. The pictures Karl took are classic! While it looks like it was absolute torture, she really only was unhappy for a minute. Now we can see more of her adorable face!
Climbing Stairs is So Easy
Ally absolutely loves to go up and down the stairs. She first learned this and Grandma Sharon's house and now that she has a nice carpeted stair case of her own, she is in heaven. She knows exactly how to go up and down safely. She has now also figured out that its faster to just slide down instead of using her feet. Doesn't take much to amuse this girl.
Monday, November 22
Almost Unpacked
Week one in the new house has been amazing! We closed on Friday the 12th and moved in the next day. We didn't really have a ton of stuff in the apartment but enough to require a moving company to take care of things for us. We packed everything up and they took care of the loading, driving and unloading into the correct rooms in the new house. I can't even describe how wonderful it is to move into a brand new, just finished home!
Our builder did a fantastic job on the details and everything we picked looks great. Karl's favorite room is the kitchen and I really love the whole downstairs. We unpacked Ally's room first so she would have a place to sleep and feel comfortable in the new house. My dad came to visit and helped us unpack the kitchen and get some major things done like installing shower curtain rods. We got through almost all of the boxes from the truck and this weekend we will bring everything that has been in storage in Lafayette. This includes our winter clothes, guest bedroom furniture, office stuff, freezer, lawn care items, etc... Things are in their place for the most part now and we will really get everything organized once we remember what its like to have everything in one place. The two stories is taking some getting used to for us all but the extra space is wonderful. Ally loves the stairs and is a little too good at going up and down by herself. She is not a fan of the gates but she gets over it quickly and finds something else to play with.
After one week, here is my list of best things about the new house:
- carpeting in the living room
- no loud neighbors upstairs
- two words: master bath
- basement for storage
- beautiful kitchen with gas range and granite counter tops we picked out
- space for all of Ally's toys
- a nice big garage
- the most comfortable couch in the whole world
- only 10 minutes to Ally's day care
Pictures to come soon!
Monday, November 15
The First Two Weeks
We have been so busy that there has been no time to update all of the things that have been going on! I started my new job at Bradley University and Ally started at day care on November 1. The day care is located in East Peoria which will be very close to our house and on my way into work. We were up and out the door by 6:30 each morning to be able to drop Ally off and get myself to work at 8. Ally went to sleep early with no fussing and was really great in the car the entire first week. It was dark most of our way in so she got an extra 30-45 of sleep. She was so excited to get into day care and see all the toys and kids. She absolutely could not have cared less that I was leaving her there. The only time she cried is when we had to leave to go home.
Ally's first week at day care went very well. She has sort of self adjusted her schedule over the past few weeks leading up to day care so it was easy for her to get in a routine there. She gets breakfast there when she arrives (before 8am), snack around 9:30, lunch around 11:30 then an hour or so nap, afternoon snack around 2 and lots of play time in between. Her first day I planned for her daily mid-morning bottle but by day 3 she only wanted milk in her cup. We haven't looked back! I was able to get her between 5 and 5:30 and she was so worn out that she slept most of the way home each day. We got home around 7 and Karl would have dinner ready for us to eat, then some play time and bed around 8.
My first week at work was a total blur! Starting a job like this at this time of year is not something I recommend. I only had 4 days to learn and prepare for the first basketball game. Everyone is so busy that I really am on my own to figure things out which is ok, but frustrating at times. My goals were pretty simple- get my desk organized and know enough to make it through one game. Because of the commute I really couldn't put in any extra hours in the office or work any games during the week so that was also tough.
Week two was a little different just because of day light savings time. Now that the sun was up on our way in, Ally did not want to sleep so the drive wasn't as easy or pleasant. She cheered up right when we got to day care though and once I get her coat off she waves and says bye-bye to me even if I'm not ready to go. She is a big hit with the teachers and has made lots of friends already. She gets to spend some time in the toddler room too since she is a little older and can walk and play on her own. On Tuesday of week two Ally woke up with a runny/stuffy nose but seemed ok. About an hour into work I got a call that she had a fever and had to be picked up. Karl and I scrambled and I was able to get her home quickly and to the doctor in the afternoon. Of course she has an ear infection and a cold! We got her on an antibiotic right away and with an extra day home with Karl and some extra sleep she seems to be back to normal.
I am still adjusting to the job duties but its getting easier. The job duties are similar to my previous job but a lot more freedom, I am just trying to figure out how to take advantage of that. The athletics department runs a lot differently and some things are better and some are not- that's to be expected anywhere. I am still learning and sometimes its hard to remember that Ive only been here for a few days. I have to work at a very fast pace which isn't unusual, its just hard to learn all new things and work at the pace I'm used to. The people at Bradley are very friendly and open to new ideas so the potential to do good things is definitely here.
Overall the 2 week commute and chaos went much better than I anticipated. Ally is so easy going and I am very thankful for that! Karl was great helping me get Ally up and ready and he did all the packing while we were gone. We are beyond ready to leave the apartment behind and get some extra sleep! Ally has finished her antibiotic and still has a little bit of a runny nose but has been fever free since Tuesday. Again, expected when you are introduced to new kids and new places with lots of germs. We will be switching insurance providers and doctors to someone local next week so finding a new pediatrician is critical.
Ally's first week at day care went very well. She has sort of self adjusted her schedule over the past few weeks leading up to day care so it was easy for her to get in a routine there. She gets breakfast there when she arrives (before 8am), snack around 9:30, lunch around 11:30 then an hour or so nap, afternoon snack around 2 and lots of play time in between. Her first day I planned for her daily mid-morning bottle but by day 3 she only wanted milk in her cup. We haven't looked back! I was able to get her between 5 and 5:30 and she was so worn out that she slept most of the way home each day. We got home around 7 and Karl would have dinner ready for us to eat, then some play time and bed around 8.
My first week at work was a total blur! Starting a job like this at this time of year is not something I recommend. I only had 4 days to learn and prepare for the first basketball game. Everyone is so busy that I really am on my own to figure things out which is ok, but frustrating at times. My goals were pretty simple- get my desk organized and know enough to make it through one game. Because of the commute I really couldn't put in any extra hours in the office or work any games during the week so that was also tough.
Week two was a little different just because of day light savings time. Now that the sun was up on our way in, Ally did not want to sleep so the drive wasn't as easy or pleasant. She cheered up right when we got to day care though and once I get her coat off she waves and says bye-bye to me even if I'm not ready to go. She is a big hit with the teachers and has made lots of friends already. She gets to spend some time in the toddler room too since she is a little older and can walk and play on her own. On Tuesday of week two Ally woke up with a runny/stuffy nose but seemed ok. About an hour into work I got a call that she had a fever and had to be picked up. Karl and I scrambled and I was able to get her home quickly and to the doctor in the afternoon. Of course she has an ear infection and a cold! We got her on an antibiotic right away and with an extra day home with Karl and some extra sleep she seems to be back to normal.
I am still adjusting to the job duties but its getting easier. The job duties are similar to my previous job but a lot more freedom, I am just trying to figure out how to take advantage of that. The athletics department runs a lot differently and some things are better and some are not- that's to be expected anywhere. I am still learning and sometimes its hard to remember that Ive only been here for a few days. I have to work at a very fast pace which isn't unusual, its just hard to learn all new things and work at the pace I'm used to. The people at Bradley are very friendly and open to new ideas so the potential to do good things is definitely here.
Overall the 2 week commute and chaos went much better than I anticipated. Ally is so easy going and I am very thankful for that! Karl was great helping me get Ally up and ready and he did all the packing while we were gone. We are beyond ready to leave the apartment behind and get some extra sleep! Ally has finished her antibiotic and still has a little bit of a runny nose but has been fever free since Tuesday. Again, expected when you are introduced to new kids and new places with lots of germs. We will be switching insurance providers and doctors to someone local next week so finding a new pediatrician is critical.
Sunday, October 31
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