Chase helps Daddy shovel the driveway

OK, so he didn't really help much, but it's the thought that counts right?

What will the New Year hold?

I guess Jason really does the recap of our family in our Christmas letter he composes so I don't have to honestly do much reflecting on the last year. However, this last year held some personal moments for me that he didn't really touch on much, they aren't really appropriate for the Christmas letter.

Of course, the major item is losing my dad. I don't know if I can put into words what that has done to me. I don't even know if I even fully understand myself just yet. All I know is that without Chase to 'force' me into Christmas this year, I can honestly say I would have skipped the whole thing. That is the second major piece of this past year. having Chase has reminded me about the importance of love. Saying it, expressing it and truly meaning it. My dad's favorite holiday was Christmas so for me, this one was the toughest. Harder than his birthday (it was still too new for me to really grasp him not being here and since it fell on Easter Sunday, I had a built-in distraction), harder than Chase's birthday (I was pregnant at the time, although I lost the baby a few weeks later), harder than my birthday or Thanksgiving. It seemed like every box I opened had yet another reminder of my dad. Something he had bought me on impulse or something that had a story tied to it. I guess the lesson I learned this holiday, with my mom by my side, forcing me to decorate and 'get into the spirit' was that all those 'things' have special stories that I will be able to share with Chase about my Dad. While I will never have another picture of Chase with my Dad holding him, I can still watch Chase grow and tell my dad the stories I would if he were here and I can still tell Chase all the great stories I have of my Dad. That for me is what this last year has meant. Sometimes, from your greatest loss comes a new sense of purpose and direction. For me, the new direction is to make sure that my family knows just how important they are to me and to make sure that I have lots of stories that everyone can share. Work, money, houses and cars don't mean anything if I don't have my family to share them with. You can take all the rest, I just want love and family memories.

Here are some shots of Chase from the holidays. I still can't believe how big he has gotten. He is verbal like crazy and will try to say almost anything. For the most part, I can understand what he says. Jason is still working on it and being home for 2 weeks has definitely helped in that regard. He is climbing on top of everything, and I mean everything! Tables, chairs, beds and dogs...poor Captain seems to be his new favorite climbing tree. Of course we have had some mishaps. The most recent being a fall into the side of my oversized chair and getting quite a lovely bruise on his right cheek...looks to most like he has dirt that needs to be cleaned but no, it is just a bruise.

It amazes me every day just how much he learns and how quickly he does it. From his Christmas presents to opening cabinets and drawers that I would rather he not, it takes only one 'example' for him to be able to replicate and duplicate your movements. His control when throwing a ball and kicking is becoming much better and Jason and I think we may have a southpaw on our hands. He eats with his right (or left if he is starving) but will color, draw and throw with his left. We try to get him to do things with his right and he looks awkward but as soon as he switches hands, he is much happier and much better at completing his task.

Thanksgiving 2009

Well, Thanksgiving was another big holiday without my Dad and I can't say that I didn't miss him, especially as we all sat around the table. There was definitely a big something missing this year. It was great to be surrounded by family and the distraction of the newest member, Meredith, was great but didn't completely fill the void.

We had a group effort when it came to dinner. Mom was responsible for the turkey, stuffing and sweet potato casserole. Jennifer had the ham and corn casserole. I brought green bean casserole, rolls, pies and the all-important wine! The day was great and we had Jason's mom, Cathy, with us as well which was nice. I have to admit that it was really nice to drive 15 minutes to Matt and Jennifer's house, enjoy our food, spend some time together and then drive 15 minutes home at the end of it all. I could get used to not having to travel for the holidays!

We took some pictures since we were all 'cleaned up'. The kids were adorable and posed they best that an almost 4 year old, 16 month old and 2 month old can! Enjoy!

Halloween and family fun

Well, another month has come and gone. We have had visits from Mom-mom and Pop-pop to witness the birth of our new cousin/niece, Meredith, Nana has been to visit twice, Popi has ventured this way and Uncle Marc and Aunt Sabrina came as well.

I guess I should start early in the month. With the birth of Baby Meredith, we got to spend some time with Mom-mom and Pop-pop. Chase didn't meet her right away because of a cold so we didn't get any group shots until Halloween night.

Nana came to visit and we went to a local pumpkin patch because the weather was beautiful and we couldn't stand to be inside the house on such a wonderful fall afternoon.

We took Chase to his first NHL game of the season to watch the Hurricane's. It was a night game in the middle of the week but he was a rock star. I was honestly a little surprised how well he did.

Then it was Popi's turn for a visit. He drove down one Friday afternoon and spent the night before heading back to Winston.

Then Nana and Uncle Marc and Aunt Sabrina joined us for Halloween. All in all it has been a busy month for us and we haven't even gotten into the 'real' holiday season yet!

New tricks? Let's see, Chase has learned to climb stairs by himself, but can't get down alone...or I won't let him! He is getting more and more verbal every day, although his favorite word is still "Uh-Oh", although in a close second right now is "Melmo?" (Elmo - his new favorite character!) He is into everything he can get his hands on and cracks me up daily. He still only has 4 teeth (2 top, 2 bottom) is weighing in at a little under 25 pounds and is just shy of 30 inches tall. We are gearing up for the holiday season and I am looking forward to some hard earned time off from work and some fun time with my boys....all of them!

Playing Catch up

I can't believe how fast time passes. I tell myself that I am going to be better about posting on the blog and them I look at it and realize that months have gone by. Starting my New Year's resolution a little early..try to post at least once a month - pictures and everything!

Where to start? The return of school 6 weeks ago is taking its' toll on every one in the family. Chase and I have both been sick - he is currently battling a stomach bug (fun times for all!) Jason and I are finally home on the weekends instead of traveling and visiting people. While we love to see everyone, it is nice to be home on the weekend so that we can try to get some of our own things done. We are trying to get our little home projects started and finished - waiting for others to be done by the pros!

Chase LOVES football season! He cheers as hard for Notre Dame and we do and it is hilarious to watch him yell "GOAL" and throw his arms in the air when we score. (Yeah, so he is a little confused with soccer and football but we don't really care.) It doesn't help that ND has decided that their games should go down to the wire lately but as we keep saying, a win is a win!

Jason is busy with his new (although not that new anymore) position with SciQuest. He is enjoying the new challenges, but they are keeping him busy day and night (literally). He has lots of travel for work coming up in the next few weeks so we are all trying to figure out how to make it work for everyone. Normally, Jason takes Chase to daycare in the morning because I can't get him there and make it to school on time. Lucky for me, I have amazing co-workers who help get my kids started for the first few minutes until I can be there myself.

On a happy note, Matt and Jennifer welcomed their second child last week, a little girl, Meredith Lee-Ann. (Her middle name is a combination of my dad's middle name - Lee, and Jennifer's mom's middle name, Ann -- which we all thought was a great fit!).

Chase is growing by the day and full of new tricks that keep us on our toes and make us laugh so hard we cry. The dogs aren't too amused with his mobility but he loves them dearly. Every day driving home he asks about his "dog-dog" and we race inside to let them in the house and he just cackles.

Enjoy some of the new pictures from the last few weeks.... We took Chase to a Hurricane's Hockey game this week and he loved it - as you can tell by the cheering and dancing shots! We also went to a local pumpkin patch and all he kept saying was 'ball'! A family shot from the pumpkin patch and Chase relaxing on his pillow in front of the TV after a long weekend of fun and play!

Dumptruck Impersonation

Chase's newest trick...an impersonation of a dump truck!!!
Make sure to turn your sound on for the true effect.

Step by Step

After a 2 week hiatus, Chase has decided that maybe this walking thing isn't so bad after all. He definitely needs an audience we have learned. He took his next 'real' steps while we were in Savannah visiting some family friends. With his audience in full attention, he decided that he would be happy to walk all around their living room...as long as his steps were followed immediately with applause. Since then, he has 'performed' for the Nana and Popi, Mimi, Aunt Lindsey, cousins Olivia and Addison on Skype....his audience doesn't have to be in person apparently! He is now gaining confidence with every step and is more willing to walk instead of crawl in some instances.

I have 2 weeks left of my summer vacation and I have to admit that it went by way too fast. I am not that excited about going back and leaving Chase. While he has been going to daycare 3 days a week during the summer so that I can take care of errands and household chores, it has been fun to hang out with him on his 'off' days. We have been going to the library for Rhyme Time, visiting with Grandma (my mom - who recently moved here) and catching up with friends. We know that the adjustment back to full-time work and full-time daycare won't be easy on any of us but the time has come!

Hopefully, once I go back to work, I can try to keep up with the blog but I don't know how often. I will definitely post when new and exciting things happen. Other than that, no promises being made! Hope everyone is enjoying the posts. I know it has been a fun way for me to keep up with Chase's progress over the last year. I am not the decorative, scrapbooking type so this is the best baby book option for me!