Two months!

Yikes!  Two months since my last update.  Awful.  (Also, Nory thinks the word "yikes" is hilariously funny, and loves to say it over...and over...and over...)

Catching up: Nory is two!  And wow, is she good at it.  Tantrums are definitely happening, although they are still (thankfully) short lived and we can usually figure out why she's so cranky.  Most of them come down to the same three things: 1. She's hungry.  2. She's tired.  3. She can't figure out how to tell us what she wants. 

The third one is (I feel) the most common, since Nory is becoming SO vocal.  She is really starting to understand that she can tell us what she wants and it either happens, or she understands why it isn't.  Well, she understands the words, sometimes we get the "not getting what I want" tantrum.  But still, it's amazing that we're starting to be able to have conversations with her.  I should start writing down the conversations we have, they're generally pretty entertaining. 

Independence is growing, too.  She is happy to play by herself for stretches of time...she is starting to remember how her books "go", so she can read to herself...she has started choosing what she wants to wear - and can put some clothes on by herself!  It's fun watching her become her own little person. 

Looking ahead a bit, Ben and I have enrolled her in preschool.  She'll start in August, and go three mornings a week.  I really wanted to put her in a two day program, since she's only two (!) but that would interfere with her Kindermusik class.  Since she *loves* Kindermusik and talks about it all week and sings the songs to herself, I wasn't willing to give that up.  So then our only option was three days a week.  I don't know if she'll always *go* three days a week, but we'll see how it goes.

In other news, Ben has left his job for a new one which has him working from home.  It's really nice knowing that if there's an emergency, he's right on the other side of a door instead of the other side of town.  It's also a lot of fun when he "comes home from work".  He just walks into the living room and says "Honey, I'm home!"  I guess the downside is that Nory doesn't run to greet him anymore, since she knows he's been home all day.  But she's still happy to see him.

I guess I should also acknowledge one of the big reasons why the blog was on a two month hiatus.  My depression was almost out of control there for a while, and it was getting to the point where I was struggling to even take care of Nory and myself.  So the blog wasn't even on my radar.  But I have started on medication, and it seems to be working, because things are getting SO much better.  I don't feel like I have more energy, but I don't feel dead tired anymore.  I definitely have more focus and more motivation to get things done, so that's a plus.  Hopefully, that will translate into more regular updates on the blog.  And as much as I love you (three people who read this), it's more for me.  I want to remember Nory's little years, especially since she seems to be growing up a lot quicker than we thought she would.  I hate that I spent months not being able to take care of her, and I don't really remember much of what happened in those months.  I really hope that things continue to improve so I can be more present with Nory.  She's a fun kid to be around.

That's a nice long post and all, but I know you come for the pictures.  Soon, kids.