Speaking of "little by little", the unpacking is also being done in that manner!  My goal is to unpack 3-4 boxes per day...but that really only gets done in the evening or when Nat is napping.  I am way less stressed now though, and am fine with the fact that it will take awhile to get settled.  I am just really a person who thrives on comfort and structure...much like a child I guess...I tend to get really frazzled when there is change.  But I LOVE our new home, and just have to keep reminding myself that everything takes time.  Craig was able to hook up the computer tonight, so here I am attempting to catch up on my journal. 

              Natalie is doing really well now in her new bedroom.  She also loves the new living room...she is able to look out the sliding glass door and see everything outside during the day.  She drinks her milk from a cup like a big girl, is getting very good at walking, and terrorizes the dogs non-stop...haha!

 

Dec 3 ~ Natalie has 2 more top front teeth coming in!  Soon she will have a total of 8 little teeth.  As always with teething, she has been on the cranky side the past couple days. 

 

Dec 4 ~ Craig, Nat, and I had our first real dinner together in our new home tonight!  It will be so nice when we final get settled in and get more of a family routine going.  It was great sitting down at the dining room table, praying together, and having our meal. 

            My brother called the other day from Afghanistan...I was sooo happy to hear his voice!  It was strange because everything you say is delayed when you speak on the phone from that far away.  He is doing well and is just working and trying to keep himself occupied.  He has most of what he needs with him already, but is really wanting books and such to keep his mind busy and entertained.  I plan to browse the Barnes and Noble website soon and send him some things.

 

Dec 6 ~ I am so excited!  Come February I will be working part-time just through part of May.  I will be watching two 5 year old boys on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  The school they attend only has kindergarten 3 days a week, and they are in need of a new sitter for the rest of the school year.  Josh is the son of Tricia Van Roekel...she is our realtor and a wonderful Christian woman. Graham is the son of a friend of the Van Roekel family, Debbie Burke, who is also the administrator for Heritage Christian School here in North Liberty.  Tricia approached me with the idea last week and I let her know today that I'd be happy to watch the boys.  I think it will be a fantastic opportunity to do something outside of the house (I would be watching them at Tricia's home) and the pay is really generous also!  Plus, it is perfect since Natalie will be able to come with me and be around some older kids.  It is so awesome how it all just kind of fell into place :)

 

Dec 6 thru 8 ~ Natalie had her first case of the stomach flu the past 3 days...yuck!  She hasn't been eating well and we've had her drinking Pedialyte.  She made a strange face when she first tasted the fruit flavored drink, but now you can tell she thinks it is just so good. Getting her to go back to drinking her milk has been a little bit of a challenge, but it will be okay. 

 

Dec 9 ~ Craig's parent's came back out to visit for awhile to help us do some things around the house.  We are still a long ways away from getting this house in order...I only wish that the people from that TV show, "Clean Sweep", would come and make me get rid of some of our stuff!!  Natalie was very, very excited to see Grandma and Grandpa...as so were we!

 

Dec 10 ~ Natalie and I went for another visit to Oaknoll Retirement Center this morning!  I dressed her up in her little plaid holiday outfit so we'd be in the Christmas spirit.  There were two ladies that Natalie really enjoyed spending time with...one lady that shared her jingle bell necklace and the other lady (she's 105 yrs old!)  who liked to hold Nat's hand.  There were also two little dogs there to entertain the residents.  Of course Natalie was thrilled about that!  Before we left, we all sang Christmas carols. 

               I was very excited to finally get the Christmas tree decorated today!  The tree lights look so awesome from the front window : ) 

 

Dec 11 ~ Nattie started to not feel well again today...back to some of the stomach flu symptoms and back to the Pedialyte.  Hopefully she'll be back to normal soon. 

               Craig finally got our mailbox up and we also went and ordered some window blinds for the house.  Later in the evening, Mom and Dad Essington took us all out for dinner at The Brown Bottle.  Natalie must be feeling a little better since she scarfed down a bunch of twice baked potatoes!  Back at home, everyone surprised me with a birthday cake from Yummy's Cakes!  They have the most delicious cakes...this one was flavored like tiramisu, which I loooove!  I can't believe I will be 29 years old tomorrow...30 is just around the corner...oh no! 

 

Dec 12 ~ Craig and his dad worked on the plumbing for the new water softener, while Mom Essington spoiled me and Natalie with a trip to Walmart.  Then in the evening, Craig took me out for my birthday!  We saw the new "Bridget Jones" movie which was really cute, and then out for a bite to eat at Gus's Food & Spirits.  It was a such a nice date night! 

 

Dec 13 ~ We went with Craig's parents over to the mall today to see the Herky on Parade/Herky on Ice event.  All the Herky statues were displayed all together for the last time over at the ice rink.  Here is info about Herky on Parade: http://www.herkyonparade.com/  After seeing the statues, we all had lunch at Panera.  Then it was time for Nattie to say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa.

               Natalie and I went back over to the mall in the evening to meet with our playgroup.  It has been quite awhile since we've all gotten together!  We chatted over dinner and then walked down to the play area.  All the girls look so different now...they are all so mobile and have so much hair! 

 

Dec 14 ~ Craig had woodworking class tonight.  He has finished his very first woodworking project, though I have yet to see it!  He started on another small project and is hoping to get it done soon. 

               While Daddy was at class, Nat and I went out for a bite to eat and to run some errands.  Nattie feel asleep early which allowed me to wrap all the Christmas gifts and start writing out our Christmas cards. (I am so behind!!)

 

Dec 15 ~ Hearts in Touch group had a playdate over at the church auditorium this morning.  Natalie and I arrived a little late, but were still able to get some playtime in!  Afterwards some of us decided to go grab a bite to eat at Bruegger's Bagels...it was me and Nat, Ashley Williamson w/son Jake, Tina Scandrett w/daughter Keaton, and Amy Smellie.  We all had a wonderful time getting to know each other more, talking about our marriages, and discussing the topic of motherhood and friendships.  I left feeling very satisfied and inspired :)

              What's new with Natalie?  She is growing more and more every minute!  She knows that dogs say "woof", every man on television or in a magazine is called "dad", and she waves "bye-bye" and shakes her head "no" and "yes".  She understands that the fireplace is "hot" and is not to be touched, she loves to climb stairs, and she enjoys opening and closing cabinets.  She is such a loving little girl...she gives all her stuffed animals and babydolls hugs and pats.  She likes jumping up and down in her crib, clapping and dancing to music, and sharing crackers with the dogs.  Her favorite shows right now are Dora the Explorer and JoJo's Circus. She loves feeling wind in her hair and will show you where her tongue is if you ask. She also pats her stomach when you say "belly-belly-belly".  Her 4th distinguishable word after mama, dada, and dog is go-go...though not sure if she really knows what "go" means.  Oh, and she knows what a snowman is...Grandma bought her a stuffed snowman doll the other day!

 

Dec 16 ~ Natalie and I drove over to the Van Roekel home in the evening to meet with the boys I will soon be watching after.  I met Tricia's kids, Hannah & Josh, and they appear to be very polite. I found out that not only are the two boys best friends, but they also live right next door to each other.  So it will be real convenient if the other little boy, Graham, forgets something at home and can run next door.  I got to meet Debbie (Graham's mom) near the end of our visit...she had a last minute parent/teacher conference.  Unfortunately, I did not get to meet Graham himself yet, but hear he is very much like Josh.  I'll start watching the boys the last week of January.

 

Dec 17 ~ I spent the afternoon cleaning up the house and packing as much as I could for the week-long trip back to Illinois for the holidays.  I also was able to swing by the post office and mail our Christmas cards...sent out a little later than I usually like, but at least I feel good that it got done (all 66 of them!).  We arrived in Bloomington pretty late, but were so happy to be back in our hometown to spend time with our loved ones!

 

Dec 18 ~ Today we attended the first of many family gatherings for the week!  The Bair Family had their Christmas lunch at Becky and Jeff's house this year.  They just finished building a new home in Hudson and it is gorgeous.  But it made me thankful that I don't have to clean a house like that...it is huge and has so many rooms...my favorite being the upstairs playroom for the grandkids.  Natalie had a blast running around and playing with Aunt Becky's little musical reindeer.

               Craig's brother, Mike, flew into Bloomington from Dallas while we were at our gathering.  We were so excited that he came out and could see Nattie again!

               In the evening Craig's parents, Mike, Nat, Craig and I all drove out to Congerville to Mr. & Mrs. Steckel's house.  Craig wanted to finish up his woodworking projects and needed to use some of Mr. Steckel's equipment to do so.  While the guys hung out in the shop, us women went inside and tried some of Mrs. Steckel's caramel rolls.  Natalie quickly made her way into the kitchen cabinets...she loves to open and shut things :)  Mrs. Steckel showed her how to make-believe that a plastic mixing bowl could be a hat!

 

Dec 19 ~ We all went to the main service at Calvary this morning.  Children's church had their little Christmas program. Natalie clapped along to the kids singing.

 

Dec 20 ~ I braved the streets with my friend, Sara Emberton, this morning!  I followed her around town as she finished up her holiday shopping...it was sure crowded and windy.  We did manage to stop twice to do something fun for ourselves...lunch at TGIFridays and coffee at Gloria Jeans!

 

Dec 22 ~ Natalie spent the evening with Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Mike while Craig and I drove out to Morton to have dinner with the Ackermans.  Rachele and Frank gave us the tour of their new home and showed us some of the renovations they are doing.  Rachele cooked a wonderful dinner and had laid out all of her good dishes and linens.  I had commented, "I feel like such an adult tonight"....haha!  After dinner, we had some great conversation in the kitchen.  We'll all have to get together more often!

 

Dec 23 ~ Tonight was the BHS gals get-together!  All of us girls from high school try to get together once or twice a year.  Tonight we left the men and children at home to have dessert at Biaggi's.  Each girl ended up ordering a different dessert, so we were able to pass them around and sample each one.  They were all delicious!  The gals that showed up were Lindsay Davison, Erin Duffy Jensen, Melissa Weinzierl, Sara Emberton, Christi Rock, Kara Dennis, and myself.  Due to holiday time constraints, we weren't able to meet up for long...but still it was such a good time!

 

Dec 24 ~ Craig, Nat, and I went over to my dad's house to exchange gifts this afternoon.  Natalie still isn't old enough to really enjoy ripping open a present, but that didn't keep her from loving all the new toys, clothes, etc!  Natalie's favorite gift from Grandpa Bair was the looooong stuffed caterpillar toy.  All too soon, it was time to leave my dad's house.

              In the evening was our annual Christmas Eve dinner with Craig's parents and brother at Monical's Pizza.  Then off to Calvary Baptist Church for the Christmas Eve service.  Natalie only made it through one or two songs before becoming wiggly and vocal, so Daddy took her out into the lobby until the last song.  I can't wait for the day when she can truly enjoy the service :) 

             After church Craig, Nat, and I headed out to Jerry and Marie's house to spend time with my mom's side of the family.  They got a kick out of watching Natalie teeter around in her holiday dress!  Nattie was in a super loving mood by the end of the night...giving many kisses and hugs to her Great-Grandma Fleming!

 

Dec 25 ~ All the Essingtons piled into the van and drove out to Monticello to Grandma Essington's apartment for Christmas day!  Sharon and Gene also made it out. We filled our tummies with yummy food and watched countless hours of the movie "A Christmas Story" on tv. 

              Later in the day we got back in the van and went over to the nursing home to visit Grandpa Essington.  Natalie walked up and down the halls and greeted all the residents with a cheesy grin!  She even got to pet a real friendly service dog named Prince.  She seems to be slowly warming up to larger dogs...she is so used to her tiny rat terrier buddies at home!

               We all made it back to Bloomington and opened our Christmas gifts.  We all received so many nice presents...and Natalie was so spoiled...not sure where we will put everything!  Nat couldn't wait to play with the toy phone from Grandma and Grandpa...one of her recent things has been pretending to put a phone to her ear and saying "hello" when she hears a telephone ring!   One item she unwrapped was a ball pit from Uncle Mike...ummm...there will be an update on how that goes next week when we get it home and out of the box...haha!  Being the one year old child that she is, Natalie was most interested in playing with the hangers her new clothes came on and the pretty bows used to decorate the gifts. I got the best gift from Craig's parents!  Tickets to see Josh Groban in concert!!  Craig and I will be going in March.  And my mother-in-law did the coolest job surprising me with the tickets...she made a little scrapbook folder of Josh pictures leading up to the end page with the tickets!  I am so excited!!   Craig was able to present his parents with his second wood working project...he made them a beautiful side table for the sunroom!  He spent all week finishing (and re-finishing) it up just so they'd have it for Christmas. The coolest part is that he used a leftover tile from their sunroom floor as part of the table.  Craig's very first wood working project was a gift to his daughter...a free-standing nightlight.  It is also very pretty, and I am positive that Natalie will always treasure it.  Both pieces are just so awesome, and I am very proud of Craig! 

 

Dec 26 ~ Craig's Aunt Bev and Uncle Vern came out to Bloomington from Mt. Carmel today.  They brought Brian, Travis, and Sabrina with them also.  It was great seeing them again! 

             Our holiday week was over far too quickly!  Craig and I were shocked that we were able to load every single thing into the van for the trip home.  Natalie was very unhappy on the way home...I think she may be teething again.  But she was so excited when I set her down on the carpet in our living room!  She played and chattered away for the longest time before bed.  Even though Nat loves being home, she will miss being at Grandma and Grandpa's house and hearing their "Hallmark Jingle Pals" snowman and dog...Nat would howl at the end with the stuffed dog!  It was so cute!

 

Dec 27 ~ Nattie and I spent most of our day taking all her new toys out of their packaging and trying them out.  Today was me and Craig's 7th Wedding Anniversary!  We've been so busy with moving and the holidays, that we haven't had much time to think much about it.  We decided to take Natalie with us and go to Bennigan's for dinner. 

 

Dec 29 ~ Today I babysat for the Pierce's son, Luke, for a few hours.  He is a couple months older than Natalie.  It was a lot of fun watching them eat and interact during breakfast and lunch times!  They would turn to each other and laugh...Luke entertained us by dancing in his chair and saying "Boobah" over and over again, while Natalie was happy smearing ketchup in her hair.  I was quite stunned that I got them both to take a nap at the same time.

 

Dec 30 ~ Nattie and I met with Ashley and son Jake for a lunch playdate.  We ate at Panera and let the kids blow off steam in the play area at the mall.  Ashley and I got a free workout chasing the kids as they ran around! 

 

Dec 31 ~ Our little family celebrated New Year's simply by enjoying some hamburgers and renting a couple movies. Natalie also got to open her gifts from Santa/Mommy & Daddy...we had decided to save them for later since she opened so many at Christmas.  Nat loved the new Sesame Street pop-up toy...she immediately started dancing when Elmo would sing his song!  Another cute thing she just started doing is spinning around and around in the middle of the room.  It is just so hilarious...sometimes she'll just do it out of nowhere or if you just say "spin" in an excited voice she'll do it also.  The amazing (and often crazy) things that kids do!  I am still thrilled every time I ask her to bring me a toy and she chooses the right one.