Dinner or Pet?

Before I begin this story, you need to know that we live in a basement of a house, so our windows are level with the ground. Peter thinks this is neat. The other day he told me, "Mom, the windows inside are up. But outside the windows are down!" It's true. That boy is observant.

The other day, I was trying to get Ezra to nap. Peter was taking a bath (and thus contained and happy), so if I could get Ez to sleep, then I'd have about about 20 minutes to get things done. He wasn't sleeping and nothing I was doing seemed to help. I realized that it was pretty bright in the room, and went to close the blinds. I stood on the couch (because I'm short) to pull the cord, and as I turned my gaze forward out the window I came face to face with this guy...

Wild Turkey

I nearly had a heart attack. Then I laughed, ran to the bathroom, pulled Peter out of the tub and wrapped him in a towel so he could stand on the couch and watch the turkey for a bit. He was thrilled, and pointed out that there were actually two turkeys in the yard. We watched them for a bit and then returned Peter to the bath tub.

We've seen them once before when my parents were out here. My mom spotted them that day, walking around  the swing set. My Dad took Peter outside after the turkeys left and they found the turkey tracks in the snow, which was pretty exciting to Peter as well.

Peter and the turkey tracks

Turkey Tracks

I haven't seen them since, but every time I open or close the blinds I am on guard just in case one is there peeking in our window.

Jonathan's Job Update (Warning: Long Post)

We made it through 2015. It was a little bit of a crazy year. Jonathan started a new job, we moved 3 times, and I made a baby. But we made it through, and I figured 2016 would have to be calmer. We didn't have any reasons to move, I'm not pregnant, we live in a great place, and everyone is happy. As it turns out, 2016 is not going to be any calmer than 2015 was....well maybe it will, but right now it's a little crazy. So this post is to update everyone and to think through things.

A couple of weeks ago, Jonathan lost his job. The company likes him, but Jonathan isn't as good at analyzing numbers as they needed him to be. So, job search 2016 has begun. Jonathan and I have had lots of conversations about where to look for jobs and the type of jobs to look for.

The more we talked about it, the more we realized that this can be an opportunity to move wherever we want to and find a job there. We can find our dream location and move there! But turns out, that is terrifying...because it does not feel like a good idea to move somewhere without a job. What if it takes a long time to find a job? What if we run out of savings? But then we think, Jonathan could get a job just to get by (cashier at the grocery store, pizza delivery, etc) and that would make our savings last for longer until he finds a great job. It would be an adventure to go somewhere new! But, then I think, "We have two kids! We can't just take a chance like that!! We need to get a job first then move. I need stability!" And back and forth, back and forth- adventurous to cautious, feeling confidant in our abilities to feeling super stressed about what to do. It's fun.

We currently have 3 main ideas
1- stay where we are, and find another job in the Salt Lake City area
2- move to North Carolina, live in a rental my parents own, for cheap rent, and find a job in the Charlotte area
3- move to (fill in dream location here) and find a job

And here are the main pros/cons for these ideas
 1 (Staying in UT)- Pros: Jonathan has lots of connections here for networking with jobs, we know the area, have friends here, and know it is a good safe place to raise a family, and we wouldn't be moving again (which after last year, would be nice to be stable for a bit).
Cons: Our rent here is on the higher end, but fine when Jonathan was working full time...so a lack of incoming money would be more stressful until we found another job.

2 (Moving to NC)- Pros: Super cheap rent so it wouldn't be as stressful looking for work (and could save quicker to buy our own house), and really close to more family (both Gleaves and Nelson sides), less snow, new places to explore, and closer to a beach.
Cons: Neither of us have ever worked in NC (outside of my in-between college semesters jobs) so we have no networks in place (aside from family looking for things for us). We'd be taking a chance that we would be able to find a good job in the area without a long commute, and so we might have to move again once we find a job.

3 (Dream Location)- We have no idea where our dream location is... We know of places we don't want to live (middle of the country because Jonathan likes beaches, and really expensive ares because we want to be able to buy a house with some yard). But we haven't lived in enough places to know where the dream location is.

We have also found that as we look at these ideas, it brings more choices to make. If we move, do we rent and drive a moving truck, pack a pod and just drive one car, or drive first to California to borrow Jonathan's parents' trailer and drive that and the van and get our car back later? All of those options are being weighed for ease of move and cost.

Also, if we move to NC, we have to decide between 2 houses- both of which we've seen while video chatting with my dad. House 1: we'd only pay utilities, on 17 acres, has a pond, and a barn the boys could play in, and has a smaller fenced in area by the house. But the house is also older and needs work- the laundry room is outside the rest of the house, small bathroom, and a small-ish living and kitchen area. House 2: yard has no fence and its on a corner lot, so I'd have 2 streets to worry about Peter running into, more expensive rent (but still much lower than what we pay here in Utah). But the house is a 3 bedroom with a great kitchen and it's in much better condition.

Other questions that run through my head...constantly: Are we considering moving because it's easier? Did Jonathan lose his job to push us to move (bigger plan thing)? Is there a bigger plan, or was this just more bad luck? Is staying here the easier "safe" option- we know people, it's familiar? Should we push ourselves- which place would push us to grow more? Where is a better place to raise our family? Is there a better place? What type of job would Jonathan be good at? How do you find that job? Are we ever going to hear back from the government on that dang background check? If we stay here looking for a job, how long do we try before trying somewhere else? Do we look at the military as a use for Jonathan's Chinese? Is moving again worth it for the boys to be closer to more cousins (both Gleaves and Nelsons)? Should we decide to move to be close to family or should we decide where to live based on a good job for Jonathan? How long will it take to find a good job? How can I save money on groceries? If we move do we sell most of our stuff here and then re-buy furniture in NC or do we try to move all of our stuff with us? And so on and so forth.

Anyway, so maybe that's a lame update, basically we don't know what we are doing still, but there are some of our (Robin's mostly) thoughts. On the plus side, I've learned that I am a stress cleaner...so our house is looking pretty awesome on a regular basis. Also, we are going through things (again) and downsizing, so even if we don't move, we will declutter.

Right now, Jonathan has one guy here in Utah (a relative of a friend who working with China and travels there frequently) who might have a job for him- he's out of town and will call Jonathan on Monday. But that's the only real lead we have. Jonathan interviewed for a job on Tuesday, but didn't get it (lack of experience). We just need to decide which place would be best for us to live and which place would be best for Jonathan to find a job and then we can figure out the other things. But that is a hard thing to decide. Big decisions to be made. Hopefully we'll have a real update soon!

Ezra (Month and a Half)

Ezra is almost a month and a half old! He is growing up. He is similar to his older brother in some ways, and very different in some ways. 

Similar

- the same coloring

- both have lots of light hair

- Ezra gets the hiccups multiple times a day just like Peter

- both are pretty easy going babies

- strength- both held their heads up quickly and can push up easily

Different

- sleep patterns: Ezra will sleep when laid down and sleeps for longer periods of time (usually at least one 4 hour stretch every night), Peter would only sleep when being held and only slept about 2 hour stretches at this age

- Ezra gets bad gas bubbles and cries so sad from them all the time

- Size: Ezra is much bigger at this age than Peter was

Ezra is a smiley baby!

About Ezra: 

He is a happy boy. He has already started smiling on purpose when he hears familiar voices or when you play with him. He gives big smiles that light up his face. Jonathan learned yesterday that Ezra is ticklish. He doesn't laugh when tickled, but he squirms all over. He does laugh pretty frequently in his sleep, just a little chuckle. It's adorable. 

Ezra is a pretty good sleeper. He will stay asleep when laid down better than his older brother did, but he is still hit and miss with that. He has to be laid down at just the right time after he falls asleep. If you set him down too soon or if you hold him too long after he falls asleep, then he'll wake up. He will sleep in his crib at night, which is beautiful. He sleeps for 2-4 hour chunks at night, but it's hard getting him to go to sleep at the beginning of night. He doesn't go to sleep easily; he'll squirm and fuss for a couple of hours with a small 10 minute nap in between. We're trying to figure out how to help him go to sleep better by keeping lights dimmer and sounds quieter. 

Ezra Baby Stats (2 week appointment):

Weight: 9.1 lbs (62%)

Height: 21.5 inches (80%)

For reference, Peter hit 11 lbs at 2 months old...we'll see how Ezra weighs in in a couple weeks, but if he keeps growing like he has, then he'll be over 11 lbs by then.  

Ezra at 1 month.

Ezra and Peter:

So far, Peter loves Ezra. Peter likes to rub his cheek on the top of Ezra's head because it's "so soft and cozy." Peter also likes to try to put his finger in Ezra's mouth and poke his cheeks and eyes...we're working on these things. Peter is also awesome at running to get a diaper, binky or my water bottle throughout the day. Peter sometimes sings to Ezra, usually he sings 'Rock a Bye Baby' and he gets most of the words right. Peter does not like it when Ezra cries. He'll either ask why he is crying, or he holds his ears and starts crying too...that's fun. 

Just over 3 weeks old

We love Ezra. It's felt like he's always been a part of this family and this is his spot with us. It's been a hard to adjust to having two kids at home and learning a new balance, but I know once I get through newborn stage then we'll all fit a little better. Right now I don't sleep as much, and I've gotten peed on at least three times in the last month. I have way more laundry to do because of lots of poop and pee on everything and my arms are always tired because of this ten pound weight I hold. But, I love Ezra's smiles and his cute baby sounds. I love watching Jonathan cuddle him and make silly sounds with him. I love watching Peter be proud to be a big brother and let people know this is his xiao didi. I love that our family is a little bigger, even if it makes it a little bit crazier.

Art Boxes

Like I mentioned in the new couch post, we've had some fun using the cardboard from the boxes to do some artwork. One day, I let Peter paint his "boat" aka the bottom box part with some help from Nainai Nelson. Peter got some finger paints for Christmas, and the cardboard was sturdy enough to keep from ripping even with copious amounts of paint being slathered on it. 

Peter and Nainai, making footprints!

No pictures, no pictures! 

Peter was a huge fan of making hand and foot prints all over the box. He soon learned that walking in the paint was a little slippery. He loved mixing all the colors together and putting paint everywhere. It kept him busy for quite a while, and was only slightly dangerous for the surrounding things in the room. If I did this again, I'd have him paint in the kitchen or on a warm day, it would be a blast to do outside.

Green hands!

The artist at work!

After painting, Peter took a bath to get all the paint off his hands, arms, feet and face. Bonus activity! The bath kept him busy for another chunk of time, which is always great!

Jonathan at the beach

Another day, we drew on the cardboard. Peter drew Jonathan's body, arms and legs, and then he told me other things to add to the picture. It's hard to tell, but this is Dad at the beach. He is holding a bucket and a shovel, there is a sand castle to the left, and in the waves there is a shark fin and a boat. Peter scribbled out the squid and crab, so you can't see those, but they were part of the picture for a bit. This cardboard will save us until the snow goes down a bit more so Peter can play in the backyard better!

Our First New Furniture

We've been in the market for a couch since moving to our most recent dwelling back in December. We wanted to get a sleeper sofa because we knew we'd have family coming for Ezra and general family gatherings and we wanted to be able to give people a place to sleep. We don't have an extra room or space for a bed, so this was a good compromise. We were looking at second hand furniture because it's cheaper and we are trying to pay off the car and we have the doctor's bill to pay, so it just made sense to look first at used couches and save a couple hundred. The only problem with used couches is sometimes they are old and no longer comfortable, and sometimes you find a couch you love but someone else buys it before you can get to it and you can't just order another one...once it's gone, it's gone. I found 2 different couches that were exactly what I wanted, but someone else picked them up before we could, so we lost the sale...bummer.

We ended up getting a couch for $50...it worked for a time, but I found it to be really uncomfortable when sitting on it for extended periods of time and was not a huge fan of it. So, we were on the search again for a couch. After a while of looking, we gave in and decided to buy our first new piece of furniture (not counting 1 storage shelf we bought, and new meaning not from a thrift store). A couch that hadn't resided in someone's house before coming to ours...excellent idea. We went to Ikea- my favorite store in the world! We found a sleeper sofa that I like the look of- simple and grey, which means I can add bright colored pillows and make it colorful. It's firm, so it's not a squishy couch, but it's comfortable to me and it looks nice. 

Jonathan met Beccah at Ikea on his lunch break from work and they loaded it in the van and Beccah drove it here. Then when Jonathan got home, we enlisted the neighbor to help get the couch from the van to the house...and no one died in the slippery snow! Peter, Jonathan, and Beccah had it assembled in less than 20 minutes. Ezra and I watched.

Peter helping Dad

Real Men Read Directions

Cozy Couch

Boxes Galore!!

Peter's favorite part of the new couch is the cardboard that it came in. We've used it for art projects and forts. It kept him occupied that night and the whole next day. I'm glad we have a good couch. We're heard that it's great to sleep on and that it's not so great to sleep on...it just depends on how soft you like your mattress to be. But, we have a bed, and visitors are welcome (and you don't have to sleep on the floor...unless you want to.)

Peter Turns Three!!

We officially have a three year old in our house! Peter turned three 11 days after his baby brother was born, which meant his birthday was a little crazy to get together...but I figure one of my brothers was born on my birthday, and my mom could handle those birthdays, so I can do birthdays almost two weeks apart. Luckily for our first round of close birthdays, my parents were in town to pick up all the last minute things and make Peter's birthday more fun. 

Peter, Grandma Gleaves (my mom), Allison (my sister) and her daughter 

Dance Moves

We had lots of family show up for Peter's birthday. I think he was more excited to have everyone over than he was for any of the gifts. He loves people so much and gets sad anytime anyone leaves from visiting us, so he was all over people coming just to visit him. The Gleaves grandparents, my sister and her family, my brother and his fiance, Aunt Glinnea, Aunt Karen, and Jonathan's sister all came. It was great to see everyone.
 

Cousin love. Babies meeting babies!

Peter with his new dinosaur shirt. Roar!

 Things Peter Loves:
- the color orange, red, and sometimes green and yellow
- dinosaurs, specifically triceratops  (usually his favorite)
- cereal: favorite breakfast every morning, although he is also a fan of waffles
- watching movies
- playing with Dad- wrestling, building forts, running
- reading books and going to the library
- building snow forts
- visitors
- being fast and strong "I'm the strongest boy!!I like a superhero!!"
- being sung to
- animals

Happy Burrito Baby!

His very own cereals!  

Peter is a really smart boy and has a big vocabulary for his age. He pays a lot more attention to words than I often think he has the capabilities to do. He puts words together to explain things in smart ways and always wants to know what words mean. Whenever we are reading he will ask what words mean, and if anyone is talking and say something he doesn't know, he'll ask about it. I write down lots of the great things this kid says. Here are some examples as of late.

Peter: Why xiao didi cry?

Robin: He has some gas bubbles in his stomach and they are making his stomach hurt.

Peter: Oh. We need pop those bubbles.

Peter: Hey Dad, you want a piece cake?
Jonathan: No thanks. I'm pretty full.
Peter: No Dad. You not pretty full. You handsome full. You handsome full, I handsome full, Mom pretty full.

Opening presents!

Cake story: I was at the store with Peter and I let him choose his own cake and frosting. I decided to use a box mix to simplify everything this year. He initially picked a red velvet cake- it was the most expensive one there and the most boring box. I have no idea why he wanted it. But then he saw the funfetti mix and went for that instead. Then he chose the frosting. I pointed out the frosting that matched the cake, but he spied the brightest orange frosting on the shelf. He has loved orange for a while and it is usually his favorite color. As soon as I saw the orange frosting, I knew that's what he would choose, and sure enough, he did. He loved the cupcakes and helped me frost them once they were baked. His idea of helping to frost has a lot more eating of the cupcake and frosting than mine does...haha, but he had fun, and they turned out cute. 

Orange Cupcakes!!

Playing with all his new toys

 Peter got some great clothes, a cool truck, dino puzzle, car mat, stuffed lion, cereal, books, stickers and a baseball blanket. He got a small red Toyota Tundra truck from Aunt Karen that made some of us laugh. The day before, Peter and Grandpa Gleaves were playing on the i-pad and a Toyota Tundra ad kept coming up. My Dad kept teasing, "Peter, why doesn't your Dad buy you a truck like that. See all those adventures you could have! Your Dad just doesn't want you having fun." and on and on. So, when Peter got a Toyota Tundra from someone who wasn't part of the conversation, it was hilarious.

Tickle fights with Uncle David

We love having Peter in our family. He is a smart boy, a great big brother, (usually) an excellent helper, and he brings tons of energy to our lives. Never a dull moment with him around. Here's to year three!! Keep growing happy!