Chris & Heather: January 2009

Happy Holidays!

This past year was a busy one for our growing family. We started the year as a family of three and are ending the year as a family of four. March 4, 2008 we welcomed Katherine Madeline (aka – Katie) to our family. Katie was born via c section, weighing in at 8 lbs and 12 ounces. Measuring 21 3/4 inches long. Big girl! She weighed more and was longer than her mother at birth. This picture was taken when Katie was just over a month old.

In January of 2008 Chris accepted a position at B/E Aerospace as Lead Principal Engineer. B/E has been in the aerospace industry since 1987 and one of the product lines they have NOT previously carried were the vacuum systems and waste management. B/E approached the former president of his old company and asked him to lead the charge. Chris was recruited along with a couple of employees from his previous company and they started designing a new system (airplane vacuum waste system....toilets). Their charter was to design a new system and secure customers. They have been successful on both counts! In fact they are so busy that they have outgrown their space and will be moving to a new facility, and hiring MANY new employees. Chris spent two weeks in December in France - he tells me he was working, but I keep hearing about fun places he went to eat and drink. Hmmmm, work - huh. Seriously though we know he was working hard and staying very busy - we were able to set up webcams and talk to him in France from our dining room. Pretty cool! Especially when William tried to hug the computer because he was so excited to see daddy.

I have been busy this year, getting adjusted to our active growing family, and balancing home and work. I am still at teaching Psychology at a local high school. This fall semester I have been teaching Psychology 1 and Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology. Next semester I will be picking up sections of Psychology 2 and World History. Several of the students were asking so, at the beginning of the school year I started a Psychology Club that has been setting up a mentoring program with one of the elementary schools in the district. Other activities include movie night, guest speakers etc. I am definitely learning a lot as we progress with this one! Besides work and family I continue to love cooking and trying various recipes out on the family. Chris is such a good sport with my adventures and is usually readily willing to try out whatever I have concocted for the evening.This next year I am hoping to spend more time with my camera and digital editing program to capture various family moments, experiences, etc.

William is a BUSY BOY. I often comment that William has two speeds – on and asleep. He definitely keeps us on our toes. He is inquisitive, talkative, and active. He is eager to know WHY things are happening and HOW they work. Rarely is there an occasion where William is at a loss for words, in fact people who meet him for the first time usually comment on how chatty he is and how well they can understand him. Some of his favorite things are: tractors, tools, trucks, playing outside, trains, Little Einsteins (a show on Disney), and helping mommy cook supper. This picture was taken when William had just turned two. Can't you tell by the devilish grin that this little one keeps his mommy and daddy busy?

Katie, our little “princess,” is such a sweetie. While her brother has two speeds, Katie has two moods, very happy and VERY upset. Approximately 99% of the time Katie can be found smiling, laughing and clapping her hands. But when she gets upset… YIKES! This is how she has earned the nickname “princess.” She has recently started crawling and pulling up. As Chris often remarks - "Parenting begins when the child starts moving." So our parenting/discipline adventure with the princess begins. We are really starting to enjoy watching Katie and William interact with each other - they truly seem to enjoy each other and spending time together. They both get very excited to see each other and have given each other nicknames. William calls her "my baby Katie" and she seems to be calling him "Wa-wa." She also could be asking for water - but we don't know the difference!

In August of this year at Katie’s 4 month check up her doctor mentioned that she was concerned about Katie’s head. On her back right side she was developing a flat spot due to her sleeping position. We were encouraged to do special exercises for her and reposition her as often as possible. But when we started with the exercises and repositioning we started to notice that her neck was stiff on the right side. At her 6 month appointment we were referred to Cranial Technologies, a company that specializes in Orthodic Devices. Katie was evaluated and recommended for a DOC Band, a cranial band that helps her head to “round out” as she grows over several months. Katie was fitted for the band on November 10 and has been wearing it 23 hours a day since. See this post to hear more about her band and PT.

Around the house we have done a few little projects. We moved William into his "big boy bed" in early April and moved Katie into her room in late April. This summer was a little quiet at the beginning but as the summer came to a close Chris planted 2 trees, 8 burning bush, and 6 juniper in the yard. If any of you all have heard the stories about planting in our yard you probably have empathy for Chris - our house is basically built on all limestone. So when we plant - it is digging into limestone. Chris hired a landscape company to do some regrading in the side yard and backyard as well as coring out an area for a patio. However, he played mule removing the sod from the regrade areas and placing back down himself....14 tons in all! Then just after that we had a FANTASTIC company put in a fence in the backyard. William calls it "Wee-yum's fence."

Below is a link to a web album I put together with a few highlights from this past year. By no means it it completely inclusive of all the things we have done - it just includes those we were able to capture with the camera! So yes there are several events left out but I keep reminding myself - It doesn't have to be PERFECT - right?