Blessings in the Midwest

Sorry for the long wait for a new blog post. We have had a lot of big changes recently. First and foremost, we moved our little family across the plains and back to the Midwest. I never thought we would move to Wisconsin, but here we are! I was praying for a long time that I would really like to move home if it was the right thing for our family. I also knew that Christian had to make the decision on his own without my poking and prodding. Back in March Christian said it looked like this was the best option for us and within 2.5 weeks Quinn and I were out here, and Christian followed with our stuff another week after that. It has been an adjustment but I feel like we have been so blessed.

We have a wonderful new place to live. It is a huge upgrade from what we are used to. Our friends, the Wothe's, have generously let us rent out their town home, and we couldn't be more grateful. We have so much more space, natural lighting, two bedrooms, and a garage. Quinn has adjusted beautifully, and we love having our own room (but only for a couple more weeks!).

We sold both of our cars before the move out here and had quite the learning experience with one Christian hastily bought while we were still in Utah. The idea was to buy one in Utah so we wouldn't have to worry about rust, but we got swindled. Luckily Chris was able to get rid of it and waited to find one out here. He was impressed with the large car market out here, and he found a car he is very happy with. So happy I don't think he will let me ever drive it.

The original plan when we got out here was for Christian to work with my parents until he figured out something he wanted to do. Our same friends who are renting to us, Mike and Sally, really encouraged Christian to get a job with the company Mike works for, Cardinal. Christian talked to the plant manager here in Hudson, got an interview, and was hired. He was really hesitant at first about working in a warehouse, but I think it's going well for him so far. The best part about it is that it's only a mile away so we use almost no gas. If he would've stayed working for my parents we probably would've gone through a tank a week.

Finally, our new home is close to everything we need. The grocery store, Target, Home Depot, the hospital, our church, and my parents are all so close!  We are also right by the freeway so the cities are about 20 minutes away. We are blessed to be in such a great location.

I know we have received so many blessings, but those are some of the bigger ones. We are still adjusting to everything out here, mainly the weather. That is one thing I will miss about Utah; it has such a great climate. However, we are really optimistic about this move and hope it will be a good thing for our family.

Quinn's First Birthday!

Quinn turns 1 tomorrow! I know it sounds cliche, but I can't believe it has been a year since little Quinner has blessed our lives. It has been a wonderful year full of learning, growth, and happiness. We had a little celebration at the Steadman's house with Christian's family, and Melissa and the girls joined us too. He got a lot of great presents and his first encounter with a cupcake. I especially love our gift for him (I am going to brag a little).

We went to a Real meet and greet (Salt Lake's professional soccer team, pronounced Ree-al) with Derek and Madison this last week at Scheels. I wanted to go to get out of the apartment and had not planned on meeting the team since I had nothing for them to sign and nothing to really say to them. When we got there I thought, hey, we were planning on getting Quinn a soccer ball for his birthday, why not get one here and have the whole Real team sign it? Sadly, while Chris and I were trying to pick one out the signing ended and most of the team left. I could've ran up to them in a desperate attempt to get some signatures since they were using a back door right next to the soccer balls, but I decided to keep my dignity. Luckily, for us and Derek, three players chose to stay a little longer and finish up the line of people (it wasn't very long) so we got three signatures: Wingert, Velasquez, and Watson-Siriboe. I know the names will wear off the ball once we start playing with it, but what other one year old gets a soccer ball with professionals' signatures on it?

Anyways, thank you to everyone for the gifts and helping to make Quinn's #1 a memorable day!

(If I look tired it's because I am. This was taken at the end of the night after I had been up all day preparing for the event, then having the event, then cleaning up after the event. I should have a rule that any pictures of me need to be taken at the beginning of the day)

The Antics of Quinn

There is never a dull moment when raising a baby boy. I thought he had discovered everything there is to discover in our little apartment, but every day he is getting into something new. Most of the time it's okay, and I love to watch him explore and discover new things.

Quinn took his blocks and one by one put them in a pot in the cupboard. Every now and then I'll find one of his toys in a bowl or stumble upon this. He's even tried throwing some of his toys in the garbage.

I was doing dishes and Christian was using the iPad. Chris asked me if I could see Quinn. I turned around and saw that he had shifted the laundry basket and was sitting in it like it was a little fort.

The Steadmans have a big wide open basement with almost nothing that Quinn can get that he shouldn't. They have this giant water heater box that Quinn was crawling into while we were watching the Oscars. I would like to point out that it was really dark in there. That's why he looks like a deer in the headlights. This kid is fearless

Quinn found one of his old hats and put it on sideways. He ran around the apartment like he knew how silly he looked. We were both laughing hysterically.

We have a hexagonal end table that opens up into a compartment. Quinn pulled out all of my random things that I've thrown in there and crawled into it himself.

It's a....

BOY!!!! Quinn is going to have a little brother. We are so excited, and I hope Quinn and Baby Boy will be great friends. Don't worry, I'm not under the pretense that they will always get along; they are brothers. I do hope they will stand up for each other when it counts and maybe be best friends sometime along the way. Anyways, everything in the ultrasound looked great. He is measuring a little bit ahead and is a healthy baby. That is all we could ask for. We are halfway there, and I can't wait to meet our new little man. If we could only come up with a name...

Almost 19 weeks

I hate to say that I'm 18 weeks pregnant when I will be 19 weeks on Sunday. Close enough right? It's hard to say if there is anything different with this pregnancy compared to Quinn's because they both have been pretty easy. The biggest difference with this one is that I want vegetables. I made creamed cucumbers the other day and ate them all by myself (not just because I'm pregnant. I would've shared but Chris doesn't like them). Their vinegary chilled goodness hit the spot.

My plan to avoid gaining unnecessary weight is to walk most days of the week, weather and Quinn permitting. That is what I did with Quinn and it seemed to work. When I say I go for walks I don't mean a twenty minute jaunt around the block. We are out for almost an hour and I always include a steep hill or two to get my heart pumping. Otherwise I don't see the point in going.

As far as eating goes, I don't restrict what I eat, but I don't go crazy just because I'm pregnant. I pretty much eat normal. My rule of thumb for my diet is very little to no pop or juice and rarely, rarely eat fast food, like burgers and fries type of fast food. I mostly eat homemade meals and treats. To me, that is the only way to go.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you everyone had a great day filled with love and chocolate. I personally don't make a big deal out of this holiday. It may be because my birthday is the week before and our anniversary is a week after. I also feel like a day where everyone is forced to show their special someone they love them isn't so special because it's more about the pressures of society and less sincere.

However, we did have a good day. Christian worked his last day at Goldsmith on Wednesday so he didn't have to go to work today which was really nice. We ended up going to the mall and completed my birthday present by buying two blouses and enjoyed an early dinner at Zupas.

The highlight of the day was this evening when Quinn was sitting on the futon next to Christian and started playing with some diapers. It progressed to the point where he thought it would be funny to  feed one to his dad. The video tells all...

                                    

Happy Birthday to Me!

I celebrated my 25th birthday this week. I have been married for five years, am pregnant with my second child, graduated from college, and now I can finally rent a car! What a big milestone. It was a good birthday. Chris and I went to see the Lego Movie, and we had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. It was really great since we hardly get out anymore (in a good way). We also made our annual trip to DSW where I got some shoes and a LBP (little black purse) to use when I don't have to take Quinn's diaper bag. Everyone says 25 is a great year so I'm looking forward to it.

I am also 17 weeks pregnant. I feel like the time is going by a lot faster with this pregnancy. We will learn the gender on March 4....we are so excited! I just hope that the baby is healthy and growing. I don't care what the gender is. If it's a boy we can use all of Quinn's clothes. If it's a girl, we will have our girl and a balanced little family.

I hate to say that this pregnancy has been easier than Quinn's so far if that is even possible. I wasn't as sick during the first trimester and things are progressing smoothly. My stomach is starting to pop out. I don't think I look pregnant yet, it just looks like I've put on a few pounds which wouldn't be far off taking into consideration all of the treats I have been eating lately. There hasn't been one specific food I've been craving. For a while I just wanted fresh, cool, crisp vegetables. Thai lettuce wraps sum up that craving perfectly. I don't particularly favor anything right now. It's difficult to pinpoint what sounds good; consequently, I haven't been so good about making dinner. Christian has made a lot of trips to Kneaders lately. I'm not complaining, but it probably isn't the best fiscal option.

Derek stopped by to have some of Christian's "going away cake" (oh yeah, he is quitting Goldsmith) and he and Quinn were matching...and so it begins...

We celebrated mine and Noah's birthdays on Sunday at Shanda's house.