OK...I'm going to try to do a better job with this...lol

I intended to update my blog weekly...but...it just didn't happen.

What's new...well, Mike's parents cam in early to help out with the little ones so I could start orienting for my new job(s), I'm working prn at 2 hospitals, one as an LC and other in NICU. I like both facilites, but I LOVE lactation since that is my passion.

The kids are doing well, and getting very excited about Christmas.

Maggie finally gets it and realizes Santa is coming! Maggie has been having good and bad days...we're going to see our new DAN doctor in Colorado Springs in January. We've heard good things about him so...we'll see. She is much more verbal but become very defiant with dressing and keeping her coat on, which is a must here. We're working on some different strategies, and hoping the Christmas break does not set her back.

Will is crawling, babbling away (mama and dada), pulling up, and into everything! He is such a happy baby and has been doing great with me working the past couple of weeks. His appetite is great and loves all his baby foods. It's hard to believe he is 8 months old.

Gabby and Lauren (Miss Tween and Teen) are doing good, playing basketball, going to school and driving us crazy as usual...lol They're excited about Christmas break and have begun a new hobby of snow tubing. They are a mess!

Mike is enjoying his job and learning lots of new things everyday. Its so nice to have him home more, the kids and I really missed him having to travel so much.

The weather has been an adjustment anywhere from -17 to 40's lately, and snow here and there. We LOVE Colorado, its absolutely beautiful and so much to do. It will be different not being in LA for Christmas, but we are thankful to have Mike's parents here to share the holidays with us!

Merry Christmas!

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

I know this comes a little late but, its been quite busy/hectic these last few weeks. So, backing up a little bit....Halloween. The kids had a blast. The girls were off from school that day, and we had fun decorating, carving pumpkins and of course...trick or treating. Maggie decided to dress up as Snow White, so we dressed Will as "a dwarf"...he changed roles from Sleepy, Grumpy and Happy throughout the course of the night. Lauren was a "girl just getting out of bed", very appropiate for a tween. Gabby decided to dress to support her New Orleans Saints and pass out candy. The girls enjoyed dressing up their pumpkins too. Take a look at some photos from Halloween.

Maw Maw Pat came to visit for Maggie's 5th bday. We went to visit the Rocky Mountains, and saw plenty of elk, even some crossing the road too. We went to Bear Lake and it was beautiful. The lake was frozen and there was 3-4 inches of snow on the ground. The girls loved it, especially Maggie, she enjoyed the sounds of her shoes walking in the show. The older girls showed her how to make a snow angel, she had so much fun. Will just enjoyed staying bundeled up since it was cold. Here are some shots from our trip.

Then we celebrated Maggie's bday party on Sunday at Build A Bear, her choice. We invited her classmates from her preschool and all the kids had a blast! Maggie wanted her Hannah Montana bear, so she was very excited. The kids enjoyed themselves, then we went to have cake/ice cream and presents in the food court. Maggie kept proudly telling everyone " I five years old". I think this was the first time she really understood what birthdays were all about, it was sweet. Here are some pics from her big day.


Today was our first snowfall here. It was under a half inch, but for us it was SNOW! Maggie had a blast and loved it! Here's a few pics of our 1st snow day.

So far everyone is adjusting well, and I'm anxiously awaiting to start working, waiting for my CO RN license. I'll try to do better posting more often.

We made it!

After a LONG 20 hour drive w/ 3 kiddos and a dog, we made it to Colorado. (Gabby stayed behind an extra week for her retreat at her old school). It's beautiful here! We're adjusting to the low humidity and dry air, but so far the family is transitioning well.

Mike loves his new job, and only has a 1 mile commute to work. He is now working with Vaisala in the Aviation Sales Dept. He is leaving for his 1st travel visit to Canada this afternoon, poor guy huh? It looks like his travel will be minimal compared to his previous job which will be nice for our family.

Gabby had the hardest time adjusting I believe. After a very emotional goodbye with her friends, she flew to Denver last Sunday. Our friend Tracy was gracious enough to let her stay behind the last week for their retreat. Her friends had a goodbye party for her at her favorite restaurant, almost 30 of her classmates came, she was very touched. She was very upset about leaving Huntsville and telling her friends goodbye, but has transitioned very well to her new school, and has fit right in with the group, which is no surprise to me. She attended their 8th grade retreat last weekend and had a blast. She still misses her buddies, but learning to make new friends. They are planning ski trips on weekends, and she is anxiously awaiting for snow. We are now on the search for high school, believe it or not, and will be attending open houses over the next month. We have an open enrollment policy in our school district, so we'll be looking at both public and catholic school options.

Lauren is adjusting very well and seems to be enjoying her new school as well. Just like Gabby, she misses her friends, but is making new ones and transitioning well. She has decided to take a year off of dance and enjoy playing sports. Gabby and Lauren are gearing up for basketball at their school and excited about getting started. She just finished volleyball in Alabama and will be playing for her new school in the spring for their volleyball team...yeah! We had a great time this past weekend seeing High School Musical 3 with her new friends from school and some moms.

Maggie is doing well considering all the changes. Her new school is AWESOME! She has a special ed teacher, speech pathologist, and 2 para professionals in her class of 3 kids(2 days/wk) and 6 kids(3/wk). They are extensively focused on working with children in Autism. She attends Mon-Fri for 3.5 hours/day, so essentially gets one on one therapy daily. They have an OT that comes in for once week for the entire time...3.5 hours! We are very pleased with her services. We are learning she will qualify for other disability benefits including Medicaid, so we can offer her additional therapy after school hours. She is still having sleep issues, but we are learning to manage them better.

Will is just going with the flow...lol. What else is #4 to do? He is doing great, and cooing away. He just said dada earlier, which melted Mike's heart. He is such a daddy's boy, jumps up and down the minute he sees Mike, it so cute. But, loves his mama too, esp when he wants to his milk...lol. He just turned 6 months and started solids, and loves to eat!!! He looks so much like all the girls, I would have to say more like Lauren than all of them, which she loves. He is a very laidback baby, although he still hates his carseat. Unfortunately with a 30 min drive to bring girls to school, he has become a little more accustomed to it. He's almost sitting up, which means we will have a mobile baby soon...yikes!

As far as me, busy trying to undo boxes daily, keep kids and myself organized and getting settled. I'm going to start a job in a few weeks as a lactation consultant on Saturdays, and work some shifts in the Nursery/NICU when able. With Mike's travel, I'm very limited to when I can work 12 hour shifts, so I'll be working primarily on weekends, plus that helps avoiding daycare too. I miss Huntsville and my friends, but I'm learning to adjust to the changes well, and meeting new people everyday through kids and around town. I'm looking into starting a new Mommy Milk Meetup in town, with another LC who owns a business almost identical to A Nurturing Moment, and looking forward to possibly doing home visits with her in the future. I miss ANM but I know it will go on strong : )

So that is all for now, we will try to update frequently. Keep in touch!