Hi, My name is Stephanie....and it has been over 1 year since my last post

I can't believe it has been well over a year since my last update. Time has flown, and then some. Apparently having an infant turn into a bit of a toddler in the last year has kept us busy! So busy, that I never even have time to check emails these days - all I want to do is pass out when rocking my little Co-Bear at night. For those of you with a 17 month old, and a mind that can't focus on something longer than 2 minutes (if that..), I knew you'd understand. For the rest of you, well - just tell me how you do it. I'm willing to try to learn ...maybe. :)

I guess I should start with our year in review - so I can somewhat catch up as long as I can remember what happened. No promises that the following happened in the exact order as they are listed, but I tried.

• In October of last year Brook was offered the opportunity for a promotion at work. He accepted and we immediately started 'de-cluttering the house' and preparing for our home to officially be 'For Sale'
• Brook started his job in November 2011 in Ankeny, IA where he was sleeping on a friend's couch during the week days until we could find a home and wrap our lives around a big move with an infant in tow.
• We eventually found a home at the end of November and closed on December 23rd, 2011. Merry Christmas to us! We took the keys, dropped off some things in our new home and began our usual holiday travels for family Xmas parties.
• somewhere in the crazy house shopping and offer negotiation, I was offered a job for a career changing opportunity.... on the other side of the state. Completely excited that I found a job, and one I really wanted, but it was a total game changer as to how we would work as a family for awhile.We decided that I should go for it (yay!!) and we'd figure everything out as we go.
• ISU played in the Pinstripe bowl over New Years, so of course - we spent a week out in New York with friends to celebrate the new year.
• As soon as we were back from New York, the moving company was moving our belongings into our new home, giving us 2 days to try to unpack and get ready before I had to begin traveling across the state for work that next Monday.
• My first few months into the job were pretty tough on all of us. I was gone about 4 days a week and would come home to a 6 month old who no longer slept through the night! Cohen had taken it the hardest with a new environment, a daycare and no longer having a mom during the weekdays. We didn't expect him to realize all of the changes, but it is pretty amazing how smart these little kids are today. It eventually took us 4-5 months until Cohen would sleep through the night consistently again.
• Once we had gotten through January and February 2012, we were pretty much slowing down and focusing back on our little Cohen again. Maybe I should no longer call him 'little' - he was enjoying solid foods that we were making and pureeing from scratch. Brook and I had a system of steaming veggies on Sunday nights and packaging everything up with breast milk, formula and foods so it was an easy transition for Brook in the mornings - grabbing a packed cooler full of everything Cohen needed for daycare and heading out the door.
• Since the last post - Cohen had rolled over, crawled, stood and then cruised with furniture - even had most of his teeth in. He was experiencing his first colds due to daycare germs and the awesome, never ending (so it seems) coughs that he just couldn't get rid of.
• We took a family trip to California in April 2012 to visit the famous Sonoma Valley wineries and spent a week with our parents, with Cohen in tow. His first airplane ride was successful. He slept through most of the flights and when he was awake, was all smiles to see grandparents all around us. I was just thankful we weren't 'Those People' who bring their screaming children on the airplane and don't try everything to calm their kids. Cohen only had a short whining session when another child across the aisle from us was screaming and in tears. once I calmed him down, I shared new books with the other mother - in case all her daughter needed was something new to look at. It only helped for a little bit... but I was happy to have her quiet for 10 minutes :)
• Cohen's first words were 'ball' and 'pup-pup'. Although he was picking up on a ton more, he has about 10 or 11 words down before his 1st birthday.
• Speaking of his 1st birthday...we celebrated with friends and family at our new house - all decked out with owl cupcakes, burgers on the grill and a few of Cohen's friends that would help open gifts and play ball. Cohen had a blast, and took a REALLY LONG nap - which was much appreciated for mommy and daddy that day (even Cody too)!
• Cohen started walking around 11 months... and finally had it down around his 1st birthday or a little after. Since then, he's running all over, chasing the poor dog and climbing everything he can so he can jump off or 'fly' into your arms. It's a constant issue at our house, knowing that when it's quiet... there must be something wrong because he's planning something wild and I get to drop everything to run and catch him as he leaps off of the back of the couch. Brings me back to my good 'ol softball days. Think fast and don't you dare hesitate!

We've almost been in our 'new' house for a year - and it seems like yesterday we were signing papers and handed the keys. Cohen will be 18 months on December 21! 1.5 years... it is mind blowing to know I can blink.. and he keeps growing another inch. Oh well - I'm enjoying every minute of it and every hug and kiss I get - so if it keeps me from posting on a weekly/monthly/yearly basis... so be it :)

Some photos from the past year...