No excuses!

Hello everyone! I am desperately trying to get back into the habit of updating this blog. It's been so long, and to be honest, that's what has kept me from posting. I felt overwhelmed by the amount of time that had passed since my last entry so I just kept putting it off. Well, here we are, almost 9 months later and I'm attempting it again. I have no excuses this time. As I said, I felt really overwhelmed, so I am obviously not going to try to update you on every little thing. I'm too tired, and you probably don't want to read that much!

Let's just skip ahead to present day- our little baby is not so little any more! He has definately grown into a toddler with a mind and personality of his own. He loves to run around the house and see what fun things he can get into- I think the most entertaining part is that mommy is constantly chasing him around to divert his attention elsewhere. Isaiah is so full of life and his laugh lights up the whole room. We can often get him giggling so hard that he falls to the floor and his laugh turns silent. Of course- Jeremy and I are usually laughing hard right there with him. It's been so much fun to see how Isaiah has developed. His mind amazes me! I know that I'm a proud mommy, and I'm certainly a little biased, but he really is the smartest boy at this age that I have ever met! Don't get me wrong, Isaiah is the stereotypical "boy"- he likes to play with his soccer ball and basketball and anything that makes noise. He torments mommy and daddy by climbing onto the furniture to jump up and down, and he grabs at the doorknob each and everyday just hoping for the chance to go play at the playground, but he LOVES his books! Actually, not just HIS books- he loves everyones' books. We are trying to teach him to share, and I think he's getting a little better with his toys, but books seem to be off limits. Poor Finn can't even look at his own books without Isaiah taking them away.

My wonderful sister has been watching Isaiah ever since our daycare closed. It really has been a blessing to know that Isaiah is in a safe and loving environment. I definately have her to thank for his continued mental development. Stephanie has been using the "your baby can read" program with Isaiah and Finn. We started doing it in August and I am in awe of the progress that Isaiah has made. It consists of watching a short dvd twice daily and going through flashcards and books several times per week. When I am writing it down, I feel kind of silly- I promise, I'm not trying to make my 1 year old study- he BEGS for it! He seriously loves it sooo much. Doing flashcards is a reward for Isaiah, and believe me, he is one unhappy boy when the video or flashcards are done for the day. I have no doubt that this program is a big reason for his advanced development. I learned that the typical vocabulary for a 15 month old is 3-6 words. We started a list of words that Isaiah says and it is now over 75! He recognizes many other words and can point to them or act them out if you say them, he just hasn't figured out how to form the word yet. I am hoping that his love of reading will continue throughout his life.

We are currently dealing with the dreaded "teething" stage again. I swear, it seems like this is never ending! Isaiah just cut his 4th molar and for some reason, it was the worst. The poor little guy wants to chew on everything! I caught him, just today, lying on the floor, chewing on the staircase! I really hope we'll be done with this soon. Now that the weather is getting nicer, we are spending a lot more time outside. We try to take Isaiah down to the playground whenever possible. He's quite the little daredevil. He really likes to swing and insists on climbing up to the slide like a big boy- one step after the other, holding onto the railing. Nobody can tell him that he's a little boy!

Jeremy and I are trying to decide which activity we are going to sign Isaiah up for. He has so much energy and I feel like he needs an outlet where he can release it! As of now, it's a toss up between soccer and gymnastics. This weekend, Danielle and I took the boys to Gymnastics Unlimited for an open gym for kids 5 and under. It was our first time there, and the boys had a blast! They ran, jumped, rolled and laughed for a full 2 hours. There was a long trampoline that the boys loved running and jumping on. At the end of it was a huge pit filled with foam blocks that they liked to dive into. Isaiah even tried his luck at the rings. I was pretty impressed that he was able to hold himself up on the rings while I swung him back and forth. We had such a good time- it's something that we'll definately be doing again soon! Because of our experience today, we're leaning toward doing gymnastics classes with Isaiah. It will be a great opportunity for him to learn coordination, balance, patience and sharing as well as meet some new friends. I could go on and on, and really, I already have, so I'll end for now. Here are some pictures and videos from the last few months. I hope you enjoy!
Tschida Birthday Tradition- At Isaiah's 1st birthday- He picked the ball and the shot glass. Sounds like trouble to me! Playing with daddy's lightsaber! Thanks Danielle and Andy! He is NOT a fan of the snow! At least not yet... Getting his 1st haircut. He sat there like such a big boy and never made a fuss. Isaiah's baptism Messy face! This was Isaiah's attempt to feed himself spaghetti. Sitting quietly "reading" books on his own. Look at that belly! Sooo handsome! Playing in the water table at the Children's Museum is fun! Did I mention he likes books!? I was doing some house work upstairs for about 30 minutes. I kept checking on him and this is what I found. Hunting for Easter Eggs at church Hanging out on the rings! I'm sooo strong!
Making music with Daddy
Reading flashcards (13 months)
Spinning in circles is fun!
Gymnastics Open Gym!

Finally... Lots of updates!

Hello blog readers! I know it's been a long time since my last post and so this is going to be a long one! I'm gonna try to fill you in on what has been happening. I'll go ahead and start off with Isaiah's monthly pics with his friend the monkey. He's getting to be such a big boy! 5 months 6 months 7 months 8 months
Isaiah has discovered the monkey now. I don't think it's gonna be so easy to take these pics from now on!

For the last few months we have been able to visit with a lot of friends and family. As you know, my sister Stephanie and brother-in-law Heath, had their first child. Finn Cooper was born on 5/21- just a few hours past his auntie's birthday. We had such a great time visiting with them and can't wait until we get to see them again! Here is a pic of Isaiah with daddy getting ready to go swimming for the first time. Don't I look cute in my swim trunks?

We also got to go visit my grandma. It was Isaiah's first visit with her and I have to say- he was spoiled with a lot of love that weekend. Here is a pic of the 4 generations.Me, Nana, Isaiah and Great Grandma Riding on Daddy's shoulders at Great Grandma's House

While we were up north, we also got to visit our friends, the Kinnucan's. Unfortunately I don't have any pics of our time with them and their new addition, Violet, but if you click here, you can check out their blog too!

Also, during the month of May, I got to visit with my friend Brooke. We haven't gotten to spend much time together since she left for school, so the time we do get is always special. Here is a pic of her meeting Isaiah for the first time. Isaiah and Brooke

Recently, Jeremy's grandparents made the trip from Florida. While they were here, we all got together at Si and Chris' house. Once again, it was the first time that Isaiah got to meet his Great Grandparents on the Christian side. He got a lot of attention that day! Here is a photo of all of us! Great Grandpa, Me, Isaiah, Great Grandma and Daddy

In the last couple of months, Isaiah has started swim lessons, and began eating solid foods. He loves going to the pool and splashing around. He also seems to be the only kid there who isn't afraid to lie on his back with his ears in the water. It's so fun to watch him play! Isaiah's first swim lesson.

His next big milestone was being able to eat solid food. We started with rice cereal and eventhough our pediatrician said he probably wouldn't like it, he ate like a pro! For the last 2 months, Isaiah has been eating baby food, and so far, we haven't found anything that this kid won't eat. He wasn't a big fan of the turkey by itself, but as soon as we mixed it with some sweet potatoes, he ate it up! I decided to let him try to feed himself, just for fun! Here is the evidence of that feeding session! Messy Face!

I took Isaiah to the doctor on Friday for a check up and found out that he is now 19 lbs and 3 oz and stands 27 1/2 inches tall. He's getting to be such a big boy.

I realize there is so much more that I could update on, but this thing is going to be rediculous! Following are a few random pictures and videos. Cheesing for the camera! Swinging at the park. He loves playing with his rainforest waterfall! His little booty is sticking out!

This video is of Isaiah playing with the rainforest waterfall again. I heard him blowing raspberries and walked it to find this:

A trip to the zoo with Danielle and Liam- He's ready to go! The zoo was a little tiring! Poor litle dude was wiped out!

There are a few more exciting tidbits to update you on now that I think about it. First... Isaiah said his first word! It was... "mama"! I was soo excited, but he doesn't say it much anymore. Now, everything is dadada, but that's okay- I still know what was first! Secondly... Isaiah started crawling. He is now crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything. We definately can't take our eyes off of him now! Here is a video of his newest accomplishment!


Lastly, Isaiah got his first tooth! It still cracks me up to see him smile with that tooth sticking out.

We also entered Isaiah into the Beautiful Babies Contest on Fox 59. For those of you who haven't seen the contest pic, you can follow this link to vote

Finally, this post comes to an end. But not before we get some pictures of our house on here. Everything is coming along really well. We are set to close on the house on August 14th!
Jeremy and I at our lot.

Concrete Slab

1st floor framing

2nd floor framing

Fireplace in Living room

Loft


Kitchen

Outside with brick and siding finished.

To those of you who made it this far... thanks for reading! I'll update again when I get a chance.

Quick update

I had intended on doing a full post with pictures and everything, but I seem to have misplaced the cord for my camera. I figured that I would post what I could as opposed to doing nothing. I hope you don't mind! Since the last time I posted we have had a lot of fun. Isaiah started swim lessons 3 weeks ago. Jeremy and I both get to join him in the pool to encourage him to become familiar with the water. I don't know about swimming, but Isaiah is pretty good at kicking and dunking his face in the water! We have also had his 6 month check up. At that visit, he was 18 pounds and 26 1/2 inches long. He's staying right near the 50% for height and weight, but still remains in the 85% for head circumference. I'm sure he'll grow into it one of these days. At that visit, we got the ok to start on real baby food and Isaiah LOVES it! I think the bananas and sweet potatoes are his favorite so far, but honestly, he has liked them all! I realize I haven't posted his 6 month picture in the chair yet, and it is already time to post his 7 month pic. I can't believe he's already getting so big! As soon as I find a way to get the pics uploaded, I'll post the new chair pics. Also, as most of you already know, Jeremy and I are in the process of building a house in Fishers. We are so excited to get out of our apartment and can't wait to get moved in. The closing date for the house is sometime in August. I have pictures of the progress that has been made so far as well and will get that on here asap. As of now, we have a concrete foundation and framing has begun. I know it's gonna move pretty quickly for a few weeks so I'll do my best to keep the updates coming. On a side note, there have been a lot of people asking how my new nephew is doing... he's great and growing big and strong. I know my sis plans on making a post soon, but as you can imagine, it's hard to find time when you are taking care of a newborn. That's all for now. Here are a few pics to hold you over. Thanks for being patient!

My friend Sam took a bunch of pictures for me. This was one of my favorites!

Here is an idea of what our house will look like.


Here is the floorplan.

PS. Happy Father's Day Daddy! We love you!

I'm an Auntie!

I don't have a lot of time to post, and I don't want to steal the thunder from Stephanie and Heath but I had to take a second to tell you all that I have a gorgeous new baby nephew! After a really long day and some stressful moments, Finn Cooper Hilton was born today at 2:13 am! He weighs 8 lbs and is 20 inches long. He's got a nice head of dark hair and the cutest little tongue that he likes to stick out all of the time. Both Mom and baby are doing great! I'm so proud of Stephanie and Heath! They did such a great job and really supported one another. I know they are going to be great parents... actually they already are! Even though Finn decided not to make his appearance on my birthday, he's still the best present I could have hoped for. Here is one quick pic to tease you until they can make a blog post. It's just Finn and I. I'll let mom and dad decide what other pics to show you.



Hopefully I'll get another post done soon to update you on everything else that is happening in our lives. Until then... take care!

Long Overdue!!

Hello faithful blog readers! I'm am very sorry that it has been so long since my last post. We haven't had any internet at home and it's difficult to get away to find some free WIFI. I am currently at Panera, with Isaiah, my diaper bag and our laptop in hand. I got some pretty funny looks! A lot has happened since I last posted. I'll do my best to fill you in on everything. First of all, I'd like to say that the new job is going very well. Thank you for all the words of encouragement and support. Leaving Isaiah is still hard, but I know that he loves it at his daycare. The women that watch him are awesome! Since the last time I posted, Isaiah has been very sick. It has gone on for about a month but I think we are finally on the homestretch. It started the first week I took him to daycare, he got a really stuffy nose. This ended up being RSV even though we didn't know it at the time. Then it turned into bronchiolitis and an ear infection. The little guy was not amused and mommy and daddy were not getting any sleep! After 2 weeks of breathing treatments and 10 days of antibiotics we are all starting to get a bit more rest. It's terrible when you have a sick baby and you can't do anything to comfort him! Even though he wasn't feeling good, he was a trooper-still smiling and giggling as always (with the exception of a few days) We had a great playdate with Danielle and Liam, Sam and Bridget, and Micki and Lyla. We went to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. I hadn't been there since I was a little girl! It was a lot of fun, but daddy was bummed he didn't get to go, so I'm sure another trip is in the near future. Here is a pic of Isaiah and Liam at the museum. Earlier this month, Jeremy and I celebrated our one year anniversary (crazy huh?). Danielle and Andy were nice enough to offer to watch Isaiah for us so we could go out for dinner. We went to Ruth's Chris (the spot where Jeremy proposed) and had a wonderful dinner. The weather was so nice that we decided to take a walk over to the Omni for a little reminiscing. We had a great time- thanks again Danielle and Andy! The next day started with another playdate with Liam. These two are quickly becomming buddies and have FINALLY stared to recognize each other. It was so much fun watching them interact and laugh at one another. Isaiah had his 4 month check up this week and aside from being sick, the doctor was pleased! It seems as though his length has finally caught up with his weight and head circumference. At this month's visit, Isaiah weighed 16 pounds and was 25 1/4 inches long. His head circumference was 43 centimeters. He is now right at 75th percentile for all three measurements. Isaiah had to get his shots, and a finger stick, but was brave for the whole visit. We were surprised to learn that he is also working on getting his first tooth. Dr. McManus also gave us the okay to start Isaiah on some rice cereal. We were excited to see how he would do. Isaiah was a little tentative at first (he really liked it, but couldn't figure out the spoon) but now he loves dinner time! Here is a photo from his first few bites of cereal. He is getting to be such a big boy! Anyone who has been around Isaiah lately can tell you that his personality is really shining through! He has the greatest laugh (more like an adult than a baby) and it is quite contagious! He loves to stand and jump and therefore we were prompted to buy a jumperoo for him. I really think that it was the single best purchase we have made to date! He LOVES this thing. I took a video from when we first got it, but he is so much more into it now that he's had it for a couple of weeks. He still isn't quite tall enough to touch the floor, so we have to put something under his feet.
Another huge accomplishment for Isaiah... he learned how to roll over from his belly to his back. He did it all weekend, and then... he stopped! We have only gotten him to do it once more since then. The doctor said that since he had such a big growth spurt (2 inches in one month), he may have to relearn. Here is a video from the 2nd time he rolled. We were obviously very excited! He is actually very close to rolling from his back to his belly now!
Anyway...I'll try to be better at posting. My visits to Panera may become more frequent. Here are afew more pics for you to enjoy! Isaiah at 3 months!
> Isaiah's "cornholio" picture. I woke up one morning to Isaiah laughing at his mobile and this is how I found him. He had somehow wiggled out of his swaddleme, gotten one of his mittens off and had the back of it up over his head! It was so funny!

My side by side with Daddy- it just proves how much I look like him!

Cuddling with Mommy!

Showing off my muscles!


This is my "gangsta" look!


Isaiah at 4 months!

That's it for now. Hope to see you all soon!