T.I.R.E.D.

That about sums it up since I last posted.  All around, tired.

We spent the week of October 22 - 27, what felt like around the clock, working on the house trying to get it ready enough to move in, especially the night of the 27th.  John, LeeAnn, and I were there until about 1:30 am on Friday night, trying to get the last "last minute" things done before John and his friends moved everything over on Saturday morning.  Rudy stayed the night with Grandpa Cicci, but decided to wake up about 1:30 and not want to go back to sleep.  So he and I stayed up until about 3:30 -- only to wake up again for the day about 5:30.  Add that to John working there every day/night before from about 7 am - 10 pm and I think it's pretty safe to say we were testing ourselves and running pretty thin.

I never would have guessed it would take us this long to get all moved in.  It was not this difficult the last 2 times I've moved!!  We are still powering through, trying to get things unpacked, settled, and the rest of the boxes/furniture moved over.  But the end is within sight.

Probably due to a lack of sleep combined with a mixed up routine/schedule, Rudy and I came down with colds at the beginning of the week.  'Tis the season!  

Our new game plan - get moved in, get settled, finish what little we HAVE to, and forget the rest for now.  Sure, we could look around and name off X, Y, and Z that needs done, but we have decided to focus our last few weeks as a family of 3 on our family of 3.  We need some down time, some family time, some lazy Sundays, some daddy day-care back in action, some time to enjoy each other, some time to unwind, some time to feel "normal," before we welcome Baby Girl into our family (and some time to name the little lady bug!)

This is a new leaf for me.  The old me would want everything detail done, would fixate on the little things, wouldn't rest with anything unfinished; but the new me is going to focus on all that IS done and how far we have come and spend some much needed time with my family -- what's WAY more important!

I feel like I sound as if we are moving into a construction zone -- and we are definitely not!  Mainly just the master bath needs done and little things here and there to finish up (well and the outside, but we knew that wouldn't be until next year).  Plus, we have 10 years to get it all done.  Have I mentioned I put a 10-year minimum on staying in this house??  I am putting that in writing for a reason :)

As tiring as it has been, it has also been such an exciting week seeing everything come together and I can't even put into words how happy I am with it and how proud I am of John's over-the-top hard work.  The help we have had along the way, whether at the house or watching Rudy, does not go unappreciated either, to say the least!  Hands down, we have the best families we could ever ask for and we don't know how we will ever repay them.

I'm saving house pictures for when we get in, but of course I have some of Rudy to share...

Getting laundry basket rides around Gran and Grandpa's living room

John and I are the proud Godparents to Layla Jane Afia Allotey.  We celebrated her baptism awhile back, October 14th to be exact.  The Allotey's are a pair of our greatest friends and we are so honored to be Godparents to their sweet Layla Jane!

Rudy looking quite dapper for the event.

Gran came with us to the mass to help distract Rudy.  They ran up and down the church pew aisles and climbed all over the alter (thankfully the baptism was at the end of mass so he could get away with it!)

And later we sweated out a close Patriots victory!

Rudy is a climber.  He likes to climb into a few chairs at Gran's that he can get into by himself thanks to foot stools and bring with him books or his drawing board.  He also wants to sit on the couch (or run around and jump on it) a lot more often.  He has been sitting still for periods of maybe 5 minutes to watch movies, usually in his spot on the couch.

The kid sure loves dogs.  He is always pointing them out, giving them kisses in his books, stopping me at the store to hug a giant stuffed dog even...

Poor Rufus.  Rudy is relentless at pestering him.  Rufus thought he found a safe spot to keep snoozing one morning, a small space between a wall and table in Gran's bedroom, but Rudy just climbed right in on top of him...

I had a little "arts and crafts" time with Rudy a couple weeks ago.  I stripped him down and gave him a piece of paper and some finger paints, Crayola washable of course!  It took him a minute to figure it out -- and not eat it -- to really get to work and create his masterpiece.

Rudy has a bad habit of throwing his food off his high chair when he is done.  And the little stinker is quick, too!  I'm attempting to teach him some sign language now that he is able to comprehend us and hopefully it will help with any frustration he has when we can't figure out what he wants right away.  We'll see how it goes!  

Rufus with raviolis stuck in his fur...

...and Rudy admiring his work.

We we at the new house doing some unpacking/cleaning and Rudy got away from me (imagine that) and I found him in the room next to me doing this... 

This kid loves to clean -- or living with Gran is really rubbing off on him!  If there is a broom or swiffer mop in sight, he's all over it and completely content dragging it around.  I went ahead and put a fresh pad on the swifter the other day -- he mise well be productive! :)

Check out that bed head!  Someone needs a haircut!

Lunch picnic on the floor at the new house -- chicken nuggets are a great traveling meal!

And of course, Halloween!  Rudy and Rufus were monsters this year because, well, they are monsters! Rudy refused to wear the hat with it, go figure, he never will let me put a hat on him.  But the rest of the ensemble was still as cute as can be!

The Monday before Halloween, Rudy's music class had a "Halloween Party" and all the kids got to dress up in their costumes.  John came to class with us and Rudy loved having him there.  I wish I would have thought to take pictures because talk about some cute kids in costumes! a lion, a monkey, a butterfly princess, a pumpkin...none cuter than Rudy, of course :)

John had to work on Halloween so Gran and I dressed Rudy and Rufus in their costumes, snapped a few pictures, attempted a little "trick-or-treating" (really just said hi to a couple neighbors), and by then it was time to get my sick baby in bed!

 Did they just see a ghost?!

Watching "trick-or-treaters" go by

John and I didn't dress up this year, a little too much else going on, but he said next year we could go "all out" -- I also wanted to put that in writing :)

Hope everyone had a fun and festive Halloween!!