Bunk Beds, Underpants, and Bike Racks

Obviously many things have happened since I last posted but the biggest of them fall into these three categories.

If you will recall, while I was pregnant with Alex, Chris built bunk beds for the boys. When Jacob transitioned to a "big boy bed" it was to the bottom bunk of these bunk beds. When Alex was big enough to move out of our room we had the bunk beds and the crib in the boys' room, but we weren't sure how long it would be before Jacob would be able to sleep on the top bunk. The top bunk looks kind of like a crate so we weren't too worried about him falling out, but the climbing up and down was intimidating - particularly for those middle of the night trips to the bathroom. One of the benefits of Jacob being tall (and a climber) though is that he was able to move to the top bunk a couple months ago. We tried it during nap time one day and then gave him a week to change his mind before transitioning Alex to the bottom bed. We left the crib - with the side removed - in the room for a couple weeks in case either of them decided it wasn't working. But they were thrilled so we took out the crib and rearranged the furniture so it's easier to open and close the window. It's so strange to be getting rid of the crib and changing table! But is so nice to have the extra space in their room.

Another big transition has been that we are *almost* out of diapers. Alex chose Thomas underpants (which is no surprise since he's our train guy) and has been happily wearing them for a few weeks now. He still wears a pull-up at night and still isn't quite as good at telling us as we'd like but it's huge progress and we are very excited to be almost diaper free.

A little less exciting is that back in the beginning of June we accidentally pulled the car into the garage with the bike on top of it. This was very frustrating - it damaged the car, the bike, the garage, and the bike rack - especially since it wasn't the first time it happened. This time, though, the damage was worse and the boys were in the car so they were very freaked out. One of the small windows in the back shattered so that was the first thing that needed replacing. Since we only have one car, it's a pretty big deal when it's in the shop - and when all was said and done it was in the shop for about two and a half weeks. I'm happy to say that we managed by bus, train, and bike for all but two of the days. I'm even happier to say that when we replaced our bike rack, we replaced it with a hitch-mount so we will not be having this issue again. We did learn some things from this adventure though. I had previously thought it wasn't feasible to ride my bike to work but I was excited to find that's not true. It still won't work as an every day commute option but it something I will be able to do from time to time and that's very exciting. Also, we have a community bus that goes basically from our house to daycare so that is also a good thing to know. Daycare is only a mile away but a mile is a pretty long walk for a two year old. Jacob helped patch the stucco on the garage and as soon as we get it painted this whole chapter will be behind us!

Chris has finished his classes, but is still finishing his thesis. Once it's done he'll receive his Masters in Computer Engineering. Earlier this year, a layoff at work left him still employed but busier than ever. But now that he's not in class on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have been able to go to the belly dancing classes I'd been eyeing for over a year now. The last time I'd danced was the day I found out I was pregnant with Jacob. I was put on restriction shortly thereafter and to say things have changed since then is a huge understatement. A little over a year ago I tried some of the moves on my own and ended up in so much pain that I stopped and called the doctor - the end result of which was the hysterectomy. I was a little nervous going back after three abdominal surgeries and five years but apparently it's a bit like riding a bicycle and I'm enjoying the class thoroughly.

Obviously there is a whole lot more but that will have to wait for another time. I'll also try to come back in and add pictures, but in the meantime I'll just have to be content with the fact that I finally posted!