So, this weekend was the usual running around for Abby and Thaniel's meets and games. Thaniel had a game in Kenosha on Saturday, and a game on Sunday in Cedarburg. Won both. Abby had a meet on Sunday. Left the house at 11:40am, meet was in Brown Deer. Had to be there by 12:30pm for warm up and walk in, then meet was supposed to start at 1pm. Yeah right! Didn't start until after 1:30pm. Competition was supposed to be from 1-3:30pm, then awards afterwards. Well, let's just say we didn't get out of there until after 5pm. These gymnastics meets are whole day ordeals!!!! Thank god they had an upstairs viewing area that we could sit to watch her from above, so that I had room to let Isabel crawl around and play and eat up there. We would have never survived in the bleachers for that many hours!!! Sad to say, you only actually see your daughter perform all 4 of her events (beam, floor, bars, vault) for a total of less than 10 minutes- the rest is all waiting for rotations and the inbetween practice time on each event before they actually perform. UGH!!! But she loves it, so what can you do?!! It is worth it for her, it just isn't exactly easy with Isabel. I feel bad for her not being able to crawl around and do what she wants. That's a lot of being held and having to stay in one place for such a long time. She was happy when we got home, that's for sure! Abby's team placed 2nd place- last meet they placed 3rd. So they have placed in the top 3 so far at every meet. Abby hasn't won any individual medals yet, but she is improving every meet. So hopefully she will soon. She has some tough competition. There are girls competing that have been in gymnastics a lot longer than her. I think Kendel now realizes what I go through at the meets- he realizes I wasn't kidding when I said there is nowhere to sit, that it is crazy at these meets and is an all day ordeal between hours at the competition plus driving time. We could have easily eaten both lunch and dinner there at the time it was taking from start to finish!
Isabel has been drooling alot again- I think she'll soon start teething on the top now. She only has her two bottom teethers so far. She is kind of a late teether. Didn't start getting teeth through until after 9 months. So, slowly but surely! She'll be walking soon! Mommy and Isabel have been practicing. She has been walking along things and has been doing a lot of standing and balancing on her own, not holding onto anything. She has taken one step towards me before leaning the rest of the way towards me for me to grab her. So, she is doing really good! Can't wait for her to start walking- yet dread it at the same time! She is a bundle of energy- she crawls at lightening speed everywhere, so you can't take your eyes off of her for a second, or she's gone. And trying to wash her face, change her clothes or diapers have turned into wrestling matches around here! She doesn't sit still for a second! A little squirmy worm. I get a workout trying to wash her up or change her. She loves baths, but hates her hair washed. She damn near drowns herself trying to get away from me when I'm trying to wash her hair. Even though I have one of those containers that has a soft rubber part you put against their forehead so that it forms a seal around their head so the water is supposed to stay out of their eyes. Well, yeah right, if they actually sat still and put their heads back nicely for you! I think I'm going to have to get her an actual bath visor she can wear instead, because the other option isn't working.
Well, Kendel still is doing well at work. Not sure if this is something he wants to do for the rest of his life, but it pays well, and even though it isn't exactly what he wants to be doing in his line of work (it has to do with what he does, just not the aspect of it he'd like to be working on), he's lucky to have just been transferred to a different department instead of being let go again. We're lucky he still has a job at all, so we're thankful for that.
Thaniel's grades have been improving at school. I'm very proud of him. He has been enjoying hockey, and has had two electric guitar lessons so far since Christmas. He got the electric guitar for Christmas from Mom and Kendel, that he had been begging for for quite some time, and lessons too.
Abby has been doing very good at her gymnastics, and school is going good too. She will soon start piano lessons once I find someone who will come to the house (to save me less running around than I already do) to do it. The piano was given to us by Kendel's mom Kay. Abby is VERY grateful that we have it here now. She has been impatiently waiting for us to get from there house to here, and now that it is here, she is playing it quite a bit. Thank you OMA!
Nothing new with me, other than I have rejoined the YMCA by changing our membership from Abby only back to family. Have been back once so far walking with Isabel in the stroller on the indoor track while Abby was at gymnastics practice and Kendel and Thaniel were playing racquetball. It truly is a great way to spend time as a family- getting exercise, and getting to swim is always fun too for the kids. I'm going to be humiliated to be caught in a swim suit right now, but I will wear a t-shirt over it and try not to think too much about it. Once I get in the pool with Isabel, I'll be fine. I have never been so heavy in all my life, and look forward to losing the weight slowly but surely since I'm still breastfeeding and losing it too quickly like I've done in the past wouldn't be good for Isabel. I will be really proud of myself once I start to lose. It sure is more difficult to get those first few pounds of that you want to lose when you get older. Nothing gets easier, that's for sure. My whole body hurts from all this extra weight. I don't want to be one of those moms that have to watch from the sidelines while their little ones are playing because they don't have the energy or the flexibility to get down and play with their little one. I want to be the active mom that is always running around with the kids and playing with them, not just watching them! So, I have to keep my eye on that vision. Spring is coming up soon, so I'm hoping to lose at least 20 pounds over the next 4 months. Even just that would probably make me feel better- my feet and back won't hurt as bad, and I won't feel so lethargic all the time. So, please wish me luck! I wish I had a workout partner, but don't know anyone... yet. All family and friends live too far away. Maybe I'll meet some other moms when going to the Y. Here's to hoping!
Well, that's about it for the time-being. Everyone take care, and hope Oma and Opa are enjoying the weather in Texas until March.
Love to all!
