Isaac's First Birthday Party!

The first birthday milestone! We all made it!

1 Year Check up

Isaac had a great check up today.  He weighed in at 20 lbs and 10 ounces putting him in the 25th percentile for weight but the pediatrician stated he's right where he needs to be given the increase in his activity level.  He's also now 31" in in length/height putting him in the 85th percentile.  His head circumference was 18.75" (75th percentile).With the one year mark comes more changes.

12 Months Old

My baby is a year old!  Already?  How did that happen? I can't believe my precious little boy is already an entire year old.  In preparation for his first birthday party Frazer and I went through all of his pictures over the past year and pulled one from each month.  It was really hard to pull just one picture but looking back at each milestone takes me back to each of those moments.

Victory!

It took 8 long days....but I finally found the kitchen!

Shrubs Be Gone

Under normal circumstances landscaping issues after moving into a new home are usually bumped to the bottom of the priority list.  However, this particular landscaping issue called for immediate action.  After 5 days I was beyond frustrated....

Organizer's Anonymous

One of the difficulties of moving, although exciting, is organizing and trying to find a place for everything.  I know there are many people that do not like this part and don't get me wrong, it can be a complete pain both physically and figuratively but I do have to admit that I enjoy organizing.  Life is much simpler when everything has a place and things can be found when they're needed.

Moving Day!

The much anticipated moving day has finally arrived! We were all super excited for the move and more than ready to get settled into our new home.  From the time we woke up it was a fury of activity.  There were lots of small tasks to accomplish both before and after the movers arrived.

Papa Time

Frazer had some errands to run today so it was a perfect outing for the boys and it allowed me to continuing packing up the last of the items in the apartment before the big move.

Calculations

From the time Isaac got up this morning and was playing after breakfast he latched on to the calculator again.  He loves this calculator.  He loves to push the buttons and of course flipping it over to investigate the back.  He also loves to crawl with it and push it along with the hardwood floors.  He's pushed the calculator along the floor so much the print on the buttons is started to wear off.

A Rosy Red Rash...

For the past few days Isaac has had a diaper rash that has appeared to be getting worse and not better.  Evan after applying globs of Desitin diaper cream to keep him thoroughly coated I could tell he was becoming more and more uncomfortable.

Lunchtime Greeter

Isaac and I took a break from all of our moving preparations today.  We both needed a break and needed to get outside so we went out to lunch and met Jennifer Whitt, aka "Auntie".  Since the weather was great, slight breeze, not too hot and full of sunshine, we decided to sit outside.

Isaac's First Birthday Invitations

It's hard to believe Isaac's first birthday is quickly approaching.  While I've been busy preparing for our upcoming move it occurred to me that I need to get on the ball and get the invitations sent out!

I've looked at all sorts of first birthday invitations but as times continue to change I thought it would be best to take advantage of technology and send eVites especially since I have more email addresses than physical address.

The most difficult part was finding just one picture for the invitation.  There have been so many wonderful pictures of Isaac taken over the past year.  Should I choose one from his early months or choose something that's more recent?  Decisions, decisions....

This one was too cute and the perfect reflection of Isaac's blossoming personality.  Completing the invitations certainly makes the occasion official.  My little man is turning one and the party planning is officially in full swing!

Dizzying Determination

Hey....mama....did you know this chair...it turns....in circles.....hmmmm.......I need to investigate this....

A Future in Engineering?

Watching Isaac play is fascinating.  Watching other kids play is always entertaining but when I watch Isaac play when he's around others his approach is truly different.  He's more interested in flipping the toy over and investigating the parts than he is just playing.  The level of exerted concentration and seriousness on his face makes it really hard for me to contain my giggles.

Playtime!

The engines were revved and Isaac was ready to go again!  It was time to get back out and have some fun.

An Empty Tank

After four nights with no sleep in Ohio Isaac and I were both super excited to be home.  In my days before Isaac I'm not sure I would have been able to function with back to back sleepless nights.  Perhaps I've developed new skills over the past year of motherhood!

4 Generations Together

I'm so glad I was able to travel to Ohio to visit with Grandma Jane.  What I loved more than anything was being able to have Michelle take a picture to capture four generations of Strickling's (Grandma Jane, Dad, Me, and Isaac).  After the pictures were taken Grandma commented she wished she had put her teeth in. :)

Last Day with Great-Grandma Jane

Even through my own exhaustion I still felt bad for Isaac.  He had an awful night.  He was up at 11:30 pm, 1:30 am, 4:00 am, we received a random wake-up call that wasn't ours at 5:00 am, he woke up again at 6:00 am and then we finally got up at 7:20 am.  And when Isaac doesn't sleep when sharing a hotel room, no one else sleeps either.  Auntie Michelle managed to get some sleep since she slept with ear plugs and who can blame her. :)  This was the final day of our visit so once we were up and packed it was the last time to load up and drive to Woodsfield.

Great-Grandma Jane Visit Day 2

The day started as soon as alarm clock Isaac woke at 7:00 am sharp.  Of course it was another sleepless night but nothing like a little coffee and breakfast to get the day started courtesy of Auntie Michelle.  Once we were up, dressed, packed and reloaded we hit the road with a short stop to Wal-Mart for some storage containers to preserve all the documents we discovered yesterday.

The End of Day 1 at Great Grandma Jane's

Normally when visiting Woodsfield we've all experienced boredom shortly after arriving.  This trip is different in so many ways.  First, it's the first time I've travel to Ohio with Dad, Sue, Jason and Michelle.....ever.  If there was a prior time, I certainly don't remember it.  Second, we all know our days and opportunities to spend time with Grandma Jane are numbered.  Even though a few of her sister's lived to be 100+, Grandma will still be 96 this year.

A Civil War Poem from the 1800s

I was intrigued by a newspaper clipping found within a family bible.  The top of the news clipping indicated "Founded in 1836" so my assumption would be the newspaper was founded in 1836.   I don't know when the actual article was written or the date of the publication but given the dates of the additional documents we discovered it's from the 1800s.

At a quick glance it's an article someone clipped from the local newspaper.  To me, it was much more.  I was intrigued that someone in my family, perhaps  Great, Great, Great Grandma herself was moved by the words so much she decided to take the time and cut this particular piece for safe keeping and preserved it by placing it in her bible. Maybe someone close was lost in the war.   I'll never know the true story but what ever it was, that clipping was  preserved.  The bible was preserved and was passed down from one generation to the next. My younger sister Michelle and I found the bible and Michelle found the incredible documents. Their descendants found what they preserved so many years ago.  It's one thing to read about history but it's an entirely different experience to connect with ancestors, even if only through a news clipping, who lived it.  For such a small document to lay silent for so many years I had to transcribe it and give it life again.

1868 Republican Memorabilia

Additional treasures were found inside the box containing the bible as well as inside the bible itself.  We found a Republican ticket from 1868 for an Ohio Election along with documents regarding the election.  Talk about a history lesson coming to life.  I'm sure I read about our 18th president in history class.  I may have even reported on him once or twice but to find a republican ticket containing the name of a future president within family documents is a fantastic find.

Family Lineage & Heirlooms from 1800's

In the course of the past few of years I've become more and more interested in genealogy and learning more about family lineage.  I remember stories that have been told but I also want to start capturing them to pass down to Isaac and future generations.  I have a good bit of information on my mother's side, and for my dad, the Strickling side has been thoroughly researched but there is nothing documented or researched for Grandma Jane's side.

To Great-Grandma's House We Go.....

Like clock work, Isaac was up at 7:00 am sharp.  How this little guy was up so early baffled me since he got up several times.  Of course keeping him situated and calm in the hotel room with strange noises required me sleeping at the foot of the bed so he could see me.  Not the most restful night for me but hey, what can ya do, right?  Regardless, he was up, I was up and it was time to start moving.  Fortunately, Michelle was my saving grace and took my car to get coffee and breakfast.  By the time the three of us were ready to go it was 9:30 am which wasn't that bad considering the pack-and-play had to be broken down and loaded to take to Grandma Jane's along with the bag of Isaac's toys, food, and necessities for the day.  So, we loaded up and drive 45 minutes to Grandma's.