Ok, so I didn't do so well on the family blog in 2008 but I that's the great thing about January . . . I have set my hopes high for 2009. I thought my first entry for 2009 should be a recap of last year.
Connor turned one in January of 2008. He had a party complete with family, friends, and a 3D dinosaur cake. A couple of months later he finally learned to walk. We were getting a bit worried but finally decided he was just practicing self preservation. Every time he stood up on his own Colin knocked him down (not usually on purpose). Once he took those first steps he was off and running though. That seems to be his style. It was the same for talking. He took a bit longer than Colin did to start talking but boy once he did! He still likes to skip over the unimportant words but he is very verbal. Connor has turned out to be our little engineer. He spends quite a bit of his time building with blocks and putting little matchbox cars into larger vehicles. He will get them stuck and then run to us for assistance saying "stuck, stuck" until we complete the rescue.
Colin turned three in June. His big accomplishment this year (at least in a mom's eyes) was potty training. Though we had been working on it for a while he finally got it down in late summer. (One down one to go). Of course his vocabulary has grown by leaps and bounds and he learned to write his first name. Colin's new pastime in 2008 was learning to use the computer. I don't really know how it happened but he is quite proficient at navigating the PBS KIDS and Playhouse Disney sites once we get him online. That still amazes me. I don't think I used a computer at all until I was in 7th grade!
In January Steve got a promotion to Process Leader (basically supervisor over the buyers). It's a nice switch of pace for him I think as he can get board doing the same thing everyday. Late 2008 brought declines all around and copper wasn't an exception. Unfortunately, many in Steve's department were laid off in December . . . now there's the same work load just less people. Hopefully, things will stabilize in 2009.
Probably the biggest event in 2008 for the entire family was my treatment for hepatitis c. I began mid January and finished on July 11th. All in all the treatment actually wasn't that bad. Not Fun. But not as bad as it could have been. As of my six month checks at the end of December I am CLEAR of the virus. The MD's consider me "cured". In case you aren't familiar hepatitis c is a virus that is spread blood to blood. I contracted it from a blood transfusion when I was an infant. Since there wasn't a test for hepatitis c until 1992, anyone who received blood or blood products prior to '92 is at risk. The disease moves VERY slowly so you can have it for decades and not even know you have it until the damage has been done.
Another change for me was that in June I began taking prerequisites and working toward nursing school. So far I've taken two classes and I will begin two more next week (Chemistry and Anatomy). I have quite a few more classes to take before but I don't plan to start nursing school until around the time Connor starts kindergarten anyway.
We had countless doctor's appointments and four ER visits. Our first ER visit was for me (vertigo) caused by an inner ear issue . . . possibly from treatment. Then in May Colin told us he swallowed a straight pin (he didn't) but we now have the x-rays to prove it. In late October, Connor went to the ER because he was breathing "weird". SIX hours and a breathing treatment later we were sent home and told he was fine. Well, after two more trips to the pediatricians office we were told he may be developing asthma and sent home with a nebulizer. So far this winter we've only had to use it a few times so hopefully he outgrows it.
Our fourth ER visit coincided with our summer vacation. We decided to brave camping with two toddlers so in July we set out for Yosemite National Park in California. About noon the first day I started developing a headache. By the time we stopped for the night at a hotel in Fresno my headache fairly bad. Thinking I just needed to eat we ordered dinner and went for a swim. Before our food arrived, I found myself huddled on the hotel bathroom floor crying in pain and vomiting. Convinced it was a reaction from my treatment (which I had just finished a week earlier) we went to the ER. Well, the diagnosis was migraines. They gave me a pain shot and sent me on my way. I did end up having a few more migraines or the next couple of weeks but none since so I am convinced it was treatment related.
Anyway, I was fine the next morning so we continued on to Yosemite (despite Steve's inclination to turn around and go home). Let me just say that Yosemite is unbelievably beautiful. It is truly God's creation at it's best. We had been concerned about finding a place to camp since all the reserved sites were taken long before we decided we were going there. But despite getting a late start the second morning we arrived at the first serve first come area around noon and were immediately given a camp site. We set up camp and spent the afternoon exploring Yosemite Valley. The second day we rented bikes and a trailer for the boys and roamed the park. That is a great way to get to see everything (especially if you aren't pulling two toddlers). But it was fun and the boys loved it. The weather was great. Warm but not too hot during the day and the nights were cool but not cold. The boys had a blast Colin's favorite thing was throwing sticks in the fire and Connor spent the week filthy from head to toe from playing in the dirt. We plan to make Yosemite our yearly family vacation we enjoyed it so much.
In November, we moved (AGAIN). It seems we're making it a yearly routine. We moved just a few miles away to a rental that has a fenced back yard and grass. We loved our previous home but not having a fenced back yard or grass was a pain. Our new community also has a pool and fitness center which we'll hopefully get a lot of use out of.
Well, that was 2008 in a thousand words or less. I'm sure I left out a lot . . . like our new church and a billion funny things the boys did last year but I suppose that will all have to wait for another entry.
