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Sean and I have been in New York visiting my family since Thursday. We are having a really good time, despite the rainy weather that never seems to take a break. Colleen and Cate picked us up at the airport on Thursday and we headed out to Great Sacandaga Lake, where we have a camp. We spent Thurs – Monday there, hanging out, boating, fishing, making smores, hanging out with neighbors and family. Sean, who hates to walk in the grass, and heaven forbid, touch it with his hands, was running around in the woods barefoot by Monday. He loves pine needles, pine cones, little sticks and all the trees! He got to swim in the lake and throw rocks, and take lots of long walks up and down the camp road. We headed back home on Monday, getting ice cream on the way.

Dad, Colleen and Cate spent a lot of time redoing the playhouse that Dad built for Brian and me when we were younger. They put nice walls on the inside (it was always just 2x4s and plywood) and fixed it up so cute with a table and chair set, and Cate’s old Little Tykes kitchen set. Sean has a blast playing in there, cooking us meals and microwaving the fake food in the little microwave.

We are planning on heading back to the camp for this weekend, and then Sean and I return home to KY on Tuesday. It’s been a lot of fun so far and we have some great pictures! Click on the picture below to see.

Also, Sean sat in the little chair outside of the playhouse, where he sat when he came last fall. Look how much he’s grown up!

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I really need to update on the cute new stuff Sean is doing more often. Here’s what he’s been doing in the last few days/weeks:
-Sean got a new tooth this past weekend, his 5th, it’s the top left one next to the front teeth.
-Sean is clearly saying Hi (eyeee) and Bye (BuhBuh) while waving to people. He’s always waved, but now has put together saying hi or bye at the appropriate time.
-He’s starting to put an “S” on the end of his yes. He used to say “ayah” for yes, now he says “ayah…..s” so cute.
-He’s really like cars now, he’ll drive them all over the floor going “MmmmMMmmm” His daddy loves this one
-Whenever he passes by a picture of me or paul he points to us and says “Mama” or “Dada” He is so proud that he knows who people are
-Sean is eating really well with a fork/spoon now. He can get food on them and most of the time make it to his mouth.
-Sean’s legs are finally long enough to propel himself on his ride-on toys!
-Sean’s Oma and Opa got him a puzzle for 2 year olds and up. It’s a wooden one with animal pieces. He’s mastered it and can complete it in about 2 minutes.
-Sean’s current obsessions are books and dancing. Loves both. Today we danced for about 10 minutes in the kitchen; he loves to hold my hand while he turns underneath it in a circle. We also read about 10 books about 4 times each when he got home. He likes to read every book he has downstairs, every day.
-My mom got Sean one of those old fashioned “popper” toys that you pull/push along. He will go around and around the rooms of the downstairs running with that thing. He loves it.
-Last but not least, Sean has taken after his “UmBye” with his adoration of ketchup. Sean will eat just about anything if it has ketchup on it. He goes nuts when he sees it in the fridge. So cute.

That’s about all the new stuff I can think of for now. I’ll try to update more often, as I know that everyone who doesn’t see him on a daily basis loves to know how he’s doing.

Also…I cant’ forget to wish Um-Bye (Brian) and SheShe (Ashley) a happy 2nd anniversary, and Philip (fi) a big congratulations on graduating high school last night!

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Wow, it’s been FOREVER since I posted on here. I’ve been really busy lately, especially with the school year coming to a close soon.

1) Speaking of the school year ending, everyone supposedly hears from the school district if their job is renewed for next year, on May 15th. (Please keep me in your thoughts!) As you probably know, I ventured into the unknown last August and left my job at NorthKey to work as a Transition Coordinator in a local school district. It’s a year-to-year job, and the uncertainty of it was one of the negatives. I think, however, that the position has gotten a very positive response this year, and I hope that it (and I) will be renewed for next year. I’ve been working with the other coordinators on improvements for next year, and I’ve started putting together some data collection tools for the program so that we can track our effectiveness over the next few years. We have a HUGE 3-day transition summit in June in Bardstown, KY and our district (i.e. me and the other 2 coordinators) have to present about the “wonderful” things we’re doing in our district. Woopee! Add that to the growing stack of items on my plate *sigh*

2) I have some pictures from a few weeks ago that Paul bragged about that are finally edited and ready to go. Click below to see them.

3) I have a new hobby!!! I’m A-D-D-I-C-T-E-D to couponing! I just started about a month ago, and have already learned so much. Who knew that there could be so many complexities in grocery shopping?! LOL
Some of my more recent STEALS: Last week I got the following for FREE (yes, completely free): 2 bags of cat food (which I am donating to a cat shelter), a box of bandaids and 2 toothbrushes. Wow! FREE! My major deal from today was with Schick razors. I have had a few $4 off coupons for Schick Quattro razors (which are very nice disposables if you didn’t know…hehe…I Know, my life is boring) but the razors which usually retail for around $8.99 have never been on sale enough for me to feel like I”m getting enough of a deal. But tonight, thy were on sale at Kroger for $5.49 (unheard of) and I had 2, $4.00 off coupons PLUS 2 Buy One Get One Free coupons. So, I ended up getting 4 packages of the razors which usually retail for $8.99 for a mere $.75 each!!! Holy Crap! I know, I’m weird. So, if anyone has some extra time and feels like sending their coupon inserts (SmartSource & Redplum) from the Sunday paper to me, I’d be ecstatic! Paul thinks I’m nuts, but likes that I’ve found a hobby that actually saves us money. My trip to the store tonight cost me $45.66, but after my coupons, cost me just $14.28. I kick ass.

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Steph Carson’s pictures arrived today! I know everyone’s dying to see them, so I’ll just stop typing and attach them

Click the picture below to see the rest.

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While i did not let Emily edit them yet, i knew people were waiting for them. Emily has a couple of videos to edit and upload as well. Click the pic below to go to the 13 Month gallery with the pics!

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Ok ok ok Uncle Sean!!!

I finally got some time to edit pictures and videos of Sean from December and a little bit of this month so far. Here are three videos:

First, Christmas with Sean. Kind of a boring video, but may be nice for those who couldn’t be with the little one on Christmas day. Notice the cute red PJ’s from Stephen and Allison!

Next, his new fascination with blowing bubbles with his spit…didn’t learn this one from me…

And of course, his attempts at walking. Here are 4 attempts. I’m sure he’ll be running around the house within a few weeks. Our boy is getting way too big. Better turn down the volume or you’ll hear my “ecstatic mommy screams of encouragement” hehe.

Then, our Christmas pictures that we had taken at a local photographer. If you got a Christmas card (sorry if we missed you…I had a 3 year old address list…) you’ll recognize two of the pictures. When I was trying to order some of the pictures for family, Paul surprised me with pictures that he secretly had taken in November by Steph Carson (did Sean’s 1 month pictures and tons for Brian and Ashley). They are amazing and of course, I bawled my eyes out.

First Light:

Steph Carson:

And here are some pictures of Sean and Opa doing manly things in the yard:

And a couple from January (in the 11th month folder):

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We can’t believe that 10 months ago today we met our little boy for the first time! He’s growing up so fast and is looking more and more like a little boy every day, instead of a baby. He’s really close to walking; he actually took 2 steps the other day toward the cat. He’ll do 1 step and then fall forward going from person to person as well. He’s also really into doing “so big,” waving, saying “bye bye” clapping his hands, and playing with his toys. Santa was really wonderful to him this year, he got some awesome toys and very cute clothes

Sean is having a great time with his Oma, Opa and Aunt Cate here in New York. It’s funny, he slept really horribly the first few nights that we were here, and my Dad and Colleen offered to take him in his room for the night to let us get some sleep. He ended up sleeping perfectly. He slept in their room again last night and slept perfectly again. I guess he’s just tired of his mommy and daddy and wants to be with Oma and Opa! They just love it

Here are some pictures of Sean from our vacation so far, along with Christmas pictures. Notice his Christmas outfit with his name embroidered on it from Stephen and Ally (Thank you!). What a cute gift. We got it for a baby shower gift and it fit him absolutly perfectly on Christmas morning. He wore it all day

Here are some more pictures of our time here, mostly of the birds and snow. We havae about 3 feet right now, although it’s packed down on itself some over the past few days. Still…a lot more than we get in KY and it made for a wonderful white Christmas.

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Grams passed away in her sleep last night. It was very peaceful. Services are going to be on Sunday. Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts and prayers over the past few weeks.

Em & Paul

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Sparing all the details and events from the past week, my mom and her 4 siblings decided, with Gram’s agreement, to take her off all medication for the c-diff infection, as well as the dialysis. They have set her up with good pain medication that keeps her comfortable, and only have IV fluids to keep her hydrated. She was moved out of the ICU and into the oncology unit 2 days ago. She doesn’t have cancer, but they are better suited for end of life patients; nicely set up, quiet rooms, less interruptions from staff, and just an all around better place to spend her final days. Family continues to stay by her side around the clock. They say that she’s content and comfortable. She’s even allowed to have coffee and coke by way of one of those sponge thingies.

Please pray for peace and comfort for all of us (family and friends) as we let her go, and for Grams, for safe passage when it’s time.

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Sean and I were playing a new game today. I got laughing so hard with him, that I had to get the video camera and record some of it. Unfortunately he’s been sick lately, and he got laughing so hard playing our game that he got himself into several coughing fits. Still….if this video doesn’t make you fall over laughing like it did him (literally), then you’ve got something wrong with you!

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