Baby Boy Hickok the Second

At 5:30 this morning I was wide awake thinking about my 10:00 a.m. doctor's appointment. Today was the big day. We would get to see our latest addition in the comforts of my body and we would find out the brand. (Most importantly, we discovered that our latest addition is growing very healthy and is working on developing a full head of hair.)

For some strange reason I was really nervous about this appointment. Maybe it was because for the past 19 weeks I created in my mind a little girl and at 5:00 this morning it hit me that maybe it won't be a little girl and how am I going to feel about that? When we got the news that Baby Hickok was a boy and not a girl I was a little surprised. It's not very often that I am wrong; just ask my husband. However, I quickly changed my thoughts to Noah and how excited I am for him. I am the youngest of two and I love having an older brother. Growing up he was always there when I needed him and still is only a phone call away. Johnny is the older brother and so dependable and caring. I have always gotten the impression that older siblings look out for the younger ones. We certainly do need it sometimes. I am excited to see how Noah will interact with his brother and know that he has some pretty good examples to follow. So welcome Baby Boy Hickok the Second! We can't wait to meet you.

The Hostess but not with the Mostest

I should be folding laundry, but for some reason I am not in the folding laundry mood. Actually I am never in the folding laundry mood. I realize that it is a chore that must be done; however it's not my favorite chore. In two days we will be hosting our very first Thanksgiving and I should be getting our house ready for that!

To some, hosting Thanksgiving or any holiday is not a big deal. How hard is it to throw a turkey in the oven and mash potatoes? I am capable of doing this and have served turkey to my husband many times. But this is different. I actually have guests depending on me for food. If the turkey is dry I can't suggest we order a pizza or throw a few boxes of cereal their way. They will be arriving at 2:30 p.m. and will be patiently waiting for the turkey to be served succulent and tasty.

Don't get me wrong, I am excited about this too. There is something about slaving away in the kitchen all day and then hearing your guests comment on how delicious the meal was. The leftovers are great and being able to serve your family in the comforts of your own home is worth the time and effort. But of course there is that nagging side of me that can't seem to shake off those annoying questions like:

What if I don't wake up in time to get the turkey in the oven?

What if the turkey is dry?

What if my gravy is too thin?

What if my stuffing is mushy?

What am I going to wear? ( I get hot when I cook so I can't wear one of those cute pregnant sweaters that I just bought.)

What if I forget something?

I am pretty sure the Pilgrims didn't worry about dry turkey or mushy stuffing. So I guess the best thing for me to do would be to make a list and really try not to sweat the small stuff. Besides there is more to Thanksgiving than the turkey and the trimmings; just ask the Tappletons (Thanksgiving at the Tappletons is a very cute picture book about the true meaning of Thanksgiving.) So on Thursday when you are enjoying your families and the wonderful Thanksgiving meal, please say a little prayer for my guests and me. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

The Latest...

It has been awhile since I have updated our blog. It seems that these days I am finding myself very busy. Between Noah, my job, and the house I feel like I don't have enough time or energy to write an entry.

I am over the morning sickness. Thank God! It really wasn't that bad this time around. Maybe that had more to do with me focusing on Noah than focusing on how my stomach felt. I am feeling pretty good. I have been pampering myself by going to bed really early. The other night I was out like a light at 8:30. It was wonderful!

I am resting not only because of the pregnancy but also because I really don't want to get sick. Piggy flu has been oinking around in my classroom and I really want to avoid it as much as possible. It's kinda hard with the close quarters I'm in, but I am trying. We are washing our hands like crazy and sneezing and coughing into our elbows. I am constantly making announcements such as, "Please keep your hands away from your face, Don't forget to sneeze and cough into your elbow." I am pretty sure that my students are over my reminders. I decided not to get the vaccination. I just didn't have peace about it. So I am at the sink constantly washing my hands in between rubbing hand sanitizer through my fingers. And doing a ton of praying that this flu will pass me by and my family. I really hope Noah doesn't get it.

Speaking of my precious little angel, Noah. He is really going through a not so fun stage right now. I remember not so long ago holding him in my arms and thinking, this little guy could never be bold. He is just too precious. Boy, I was wrong. Noah is turning into quite the bully. He is hitting us all of the time. Now I realize that this is "his form of communication". But to tell you the truth I am so over that excuse. It is really embarrassing when he hits people and he is totally doing it on purpose. He gets that "John face" look and you know you better take cover. I say the "John face" because that's the look I get from John when I am doing something "inappropriate."

John has been really busy lately. He is constantly working. We are looking forward to his schedule settling down in the next week or so.

This week I will be going to see the doctor for a little visit. At this appointment I will find out when the "find out the sex of your baby ultrasound" will be. However, we haven't decided if we are going to be sharing the sex of the baby. Some of my friends don't think I have it in me to keep such a secret, but I think otherwise. I guess time will tell.

The Cat is Out of the Bag!

Well if you haven't heard the latest Hickok news then you must be living under a rock or you just haven't signed up on facebook yet. John and I are having a baby! We are so excited to be sharing this news with everyone. I am 13 weeks and due April 24th. The other day we got our first peek at our new addition. This baby reminds me so much of Noah; bouncing around in its new home and covering its face the entire time. We don't know the sex of our little one yet but will definitely be finding out as soon as we can. Some people have been asking me how I am feeling these days so I decided to give you a run down. I am feeling:

- tired!! If you have ever been pregnant you know how exhausting it is to be growing a little one inside of you. I am usually sound asleep by 9:00 p.m. But I love to sleep.

- sometimes nauseous. This baby is behaving a little bit better. I am able to eat more and I don't toss my food as much (except for last night, went to the movies and came home only to give the toilet all of the popcorn I ate. It wasn't pretty.).

- bloated. I feel like I am totally showing already.

- nervous. I am not quite sure how this whole "taking care of two kids so close in age" is going to work out. But I figure that women have been doing it for centuries so I can probably handle it too. Besides I have 24 students and I take care of them all day. And I think my doctor mentioned something about a return policy with the baby.

-excited. Is this baby going to be a boy or a little girl? Will this baby be huge? Will he/she have tons of hair?

-shocked. I felt like it took me forever to get pregnant with Noah. Not the case for baby number 2!!

-hungry. I feel a lot more hungry with this baby. I am craving mostly the same foods too. So does that mean we are having a boy?

John and I are enjoying this process and are really excited to meet our new family member. We will keep you posted on all of the latest news. Some have asked how Noah is doing. Of course he is too young to understand what all of this means for him, but I did get this reaction when I told him that there was going to be a new little Hickok in the house.

Is He Walking Yet?

The day is finally here!! The day John and I have been waiting for. People can stop asking me what has become the most popular question about Noah. "Is he walking yet?" The answer is YES!! When Noah got home from daycare today he showed me his walking skills by taking about seven steps across the living room. He is very excited about this new accomplishment. We both clapped and squealed in delight after he crashed to the floor.

Each new milestone is exciting for us. It's amazing how quickly our baby boy changes and grows. We are just trying to savor every moment; even the challenging ones. Way to go Noah!!

First Day Jitters!

It's 3:30 a.m. and I should be sleeping. In two hours my alarm will go off and I will be getting ready for my first day back to work. But it's 3:30 a.m. and I am up, wide awake with a million and one thoughts about my first day back to school.

I have that same nervous feeling that I had last year in November when I went back to work after the end of my maternity leave. If your a mom you know the feeling. The feeling of dread about dropping your child off at daycare and heading into a full day worth of work. Don't get me wrong, I feel I have the best job in the world. I love being a teacher. I can't wait to get to know my students. I can't wait to see familiar faces, but leaving Noah is hard too.

Over the course of the summer Noah has realized how cool his mother is and because of this he has a really hard time when I leave him. So I am feeling guilty and sad about dropping him off at daycare today. As a former daycare provider I know he will be fine. I have witnessed the kids cry when their parents leave and then stop 10 minutes after they have gone. But I feel apprehensive about leaving him. I am going to miss our routines. I am going to miss hearing him chat before he drifts off to sleep during nap time only to wake 3 hours later chatting again.

And then there is the whole "me getting back into work mode". You know, how am I going to do this after lounging by the pool all summer? I have enjoyed basking in the sun with a Nicholas Sparks novel in hand chatting with Amy about kids, dogs and husbands. And you know how I feel about lunch dates. In two hours I have to pack all those memories away like my bathing suit and flip flops and join the work force again.

In two more hours my alarm will go off and I will be expected to be some where. I will need to blow dry my hair, apply my makeup, and grab a bite to eat all before 7:30 a.m. I know this sounds like a simple task, but I am a turtle in the morning. It doesn't come easy getting this beauty to look presentable. And to top it off I don't know what to wear. How casual should I go today? It is my first day back but it's not a "teaching day". Today is the day I see all my coworkers, mostly for the first time since the end of June, at superintendent's conference day. Am I tan enough? Does my hair look good? Does this outfit fit right? These are just few questions that are swirling around in my mind. I am not even going to the weight compartment of my mind. I didn't lose the ten or fifteen pounds that I wanted to but I did manage to drop four. Hey, that's better than gaining four.

So in two hours the school year begins for me. Back to packing book bags and lunches and picking out outfits the night before. Back to saying goodbye to the dogs and back to scrambling around the house in the morning and fighting Johnny for mirror time (we have plenty of mirrors but we always seem to pick the same ones). Back to kissing Noah and counting down the hours until I see him again. First day jitters have arrived!

Time flies!

It's hard to believe that this time last year I was settling into my new role as a mommy. John and I were taking turns feeding, bathing and changing our newest addition. It is amazing how quickly time flies. It's equally amazing to see how much Noah has grown over the course of a year. No longer is he confined to a swing or an infant seat. These days he is scurrying around the house on his hands and knees, attempting to walk around the furniture, and drinking out of a sippy cut. He went from this...
























to this... Noah turned 1 on August 19th. Time flies!

Gated Community

Recently I decided to invest in something for Noah that I like to call his "gated community". Because Noah is gettting around the house really quickly these days I am finding myself chasing him around corners and down hallways. So we visited one of our favorite stores and bought one of these...



As you can see sometimes Noah gets a visit from his dad and sometimes his cousin, Tyler.





Sometimes when I am not looking Noah tries to take a little field trip away from his "gated community". And this is what I find...



He is using the fire truck to make his way over the gate.





Although he attempted to get over the gate, he wasn't successful. Noah does enjoy his "gated community" which comes equipped with music, toys and stuffed animals and his favorite - company.

Just one of those days....

Today was one of those days where things really seemed like they couldn't get any worse. It's amazing what two phone calls can do! Realistically I know that things can get worse and that my problems are few in comparison to others and that I have a good life, a great life. But today was one of those days where I wondered why? Why are people mean? Why are people selfish? Why do people intentionally set out to hurt other people? Am I guilty of any of the above? Absolutely, but why? Without divulging too much information and getting really personal, today was ones of those days in which I had it with friends and others close to me. So rather than let all of this anger fester up inside I have decided to put my problems aside and the people that are creating them and think about my blessings; you know focus on what God has blessed me with.

Like this little guy. Who would have thought that ten little toes, a three teeth smile, and 27 pounds of energy could bring you so much joy?



And this big guy! There have been plenty of days when I have stopped myself from hanging a free sign on him and leaving him out by the mailbox. But really, what would the Hickok household be without Finnegan?



And then there's Toby. She is our peace and quiet, our "thank God we don't have two wild dogs."



Last but definitely not least, there is John. Thank God for John! Enough said...

To Do List

Now that I am out of school for the summer, everyday life has comepletely changed in the Hickok home. No longer am I slapping the alarm clock begging for 5 more minutes. And I am not rushing out the door, praying that I make it to school before the buses beat me and before the principal stakes his claim at the front door. Life seems to be more relaxed. And I have decided to give myself a good break before I jump into this list...

-cleaning the basement... It is so dreadful. I am embarassed by the amount of "stuff" that is down there.

-lesson plans for next year... You may wonder why I don't use the same plans every year. Well, I do sort of but I need to spice things up or life would get too boring.

-tan... There is not much I can do about this one. The sun has decided to take a vacation too.

-being fit... I am so tired of being tired and out of shape. So I have decided to work out at least four, maybe five if I am really motivated, times a week. I have already started this and I am doing pretty good so far.

-cleaning the house... I am going to wash walls and trim, clean closets and cabinets.

-read... I have started about 4 books and haven't finished any of them.

My list isn't too long but it's hanging over me and I just want it to be done. I will update you periodically to let you know how it's going.

Slimmin' With Simmons

Have you ever met someone and thought, wow,I have never met anyone so friendly and down to earth? Two weeks ago my class had the opportunity to travel to New York City to meet Richard Simmons. It was quite the opportunity for us and one that I will remember forever.

It all began a few months ago. My principal passed on the word that we would need to start exercising in the classroom as part of a district initiative. I will be honest, at first I thought how in the world will I ever be able to make time for exercising along with all of the curriculum demands that we have? But I decided to try it. I quickly realized that jumping jacks and "Mrs. Hickok says" were not exactly producing the results that I wanted. I really wanted the kids to be in to it. So I decided to introduce them to this guy.



My class was instantly drawn to his energy. So we started to work out to a few of his DVDs three times a week. On days that we worked out with Richard my students were more alert and ready to work. I also noticed that difference in me too. I felt like I had more energy which makes for a better environment for my students.

I decided to contact Richard. He has a website http://www.richardsimmons.com/j15/ and so I sent him a quick email sharing with him what my students do. I was shocked when he responded to my email. You know what I am talking about. How many times have you written to someone "famous" (don't lie, you know you have) in hopes to hear back from them and you receive a big fat nothing? I really wasn't expecting him to respond but when he did I was thrilled. So thrilled that I ran into the bedroom and jumped on the bed, talking a mile a minute about the email I got from Richard. Poor John! He hasn't seen that much excitement since our newlywed days. Just kidding!

In the email Richard offered additional DVDs and said that he would send a signed picture of himself and he did. About a month and half ago I received another email inviting my class and myself to New York City for a PE Pep Rally. The pep rally was held on the steps of City Hall and Richard introduced the City Council Resolution 1925/2009, which called upon the 111th Congress to pass the FIT Kids Act,federal legislation that would improve the standards for physical education. You can imagine how excited we were. So after a bottle/can drive and some very generous donations given by some pretty amazing people (mom-in-law, PTA, STA, and the principal) we hopped on bus and traveled to the Big Apple.

Let me just say that when my students got their first glimpse of Richard, you would have thought Miley Cyrus showed up. Richard greeted us with hugs and spent so much time with us. He was so interested in my students and just perfect! The day was awesome and one that I am sure my students will remember forever. Richard surrounds himself with pretty amazing people as well. Anne is one of "persons" and she is so super fabulous! Everyone was so friendly and kind. I was also able to speak at the press conference. It was the perfect trip for a pretty amazing school year.

So like I said at the beginning, have you ever met someone so friendly and down to earth? I have and after spending the day with Richard, I was sad to leave and so were my students. He makes you feel like you're an old friend. And as for Miley Cyrus, sure she's cute but she doesn't compare to our Richard.

Happy Birthday!

Today we celebrated John's 35th birthday! I don't want to pick on Johnny about his age because my birthday is right around the corner which means I am catching up. We enjoyed salad, pizza and a really yummy chocolate cake (cake compliments of some great friends). I tried to build my own cake but I had to reach out for some much needed help. The company was great and Noah seemed like he really enjoyed his first party. He danced when we sang "Happy Birthday" to John and enjoyed a bite or two of the chocolate cake. We feel really blessed to be able to share our birthdays with family. Happy Birthday Johnny!

A few pictures!

It has been awhile since I have posted a slide show of pictures. Noah is a lot of fun these days. He is beginning to crawl and he has one tooth. Time flies so fast. It seems like yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital. In a few short months we will be celebrating his first birthday. Enjoy!

True/False

Let me start off by introducing myself, I am Michelle Hickok. Yes, I know I have been away for awhile and have not been a faithful blogger. But I can explain. I have tons of excuses. Now usually, I get frustrated with excuses because as a fourth grade teacher, I hear them often. But really, life in the Hickok house has been really busy. Rather than give you the list of Hickok Happenings I decided to spice things up, sorta like extra credit for being such a lazy blogger. Being the teacher I am I decided to create a true/false test for you. Let's see how many you get correct.

1. Noah had a four day fever. It wasn't pretty. The doctor had to catheterize the young lad and he wasn't in favor of it. I can't say that I blame him.

2. John has been busy working. But in his spare time, he writes me love poems and cooks fabulous meals.

3. We purchased another dog. It is the most adorable black lab we have ever laid eyes on. So cute!

4. Noah has been practicing crawling. He gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth.

5. Noah calls us by name now. He loves saying Ma-Ma and Da-Da.

6. My class is counting down the days until our baby chicks hatch. And when they do we are having a party, complete with peeps and Cadbury eggs.

7. Noah is going to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records. When I pick him up from the daycare, it takes him 1 minute and 30 seconds to fall asleep during the car ride home.

8. John is working on completing plans for a pool deck. Hallelujah!

9. Noah tasted his first french fry. We visited McDonald's to support my school. Noah liked the french fry but not as much as he enjoyed putting his fingers all over my principal's glasses. Thank goodness he likes kids.

10. Richard Simmons came to my school to exercise with my class for our BEST assembly. Love that man!

That concludes the Hickok Happenings True/False Test. So how did you do?

Test Answers

1. True. Noah really did have a fever. We are not quite sure what it was but they did have to catheterize him and it was horrible. I never want him to experience that again.

2. Sorta True. John has been really busy with work but I have yet to see a love poem. I am not giving up hope yet though.

3. So False. Never!! We have two dogs, one guinea pig, and one fish. We have enough pets for now.

4. True. Noah is getting ready to take off.

5. True. Noah says Ma-Ma and Da-Da but I am not so sure he knows this blonde is the real deal yet.

6. True, well half true. My class did get baby chick eggs and we are anxiously waiting for our little babes to hatch, but I am not so sure we are having a party. But I haven't exactly ruled out the idea either.

7. Sorta True. Noah does fall asleep very quickly upon me picking him up from daycare, but Guinness hasn't contacted us - yet!

8. So True. Noah, the dogs, and I can't wait!

9. So True. Now relax all you health nuts. It's not like we're buying stock in McDonald's, not yet anyways. He was fussy and the french fry was there and he loved it. Besides when he was hibernating in the womb he ate lots of things. He wasn't 10.2 because I sat around eating rice cakes and carrots. And yes, he did put a lot of finger prints on my principal's glasses. Those glasses were greasy for days from all that french fry oil.

10. False. We have been doing Richard Simmons in my classroom. The kids love it, well, most of them. We invited Richard to come join us to exercise in front of the entire school. He couldn't make it, but we still love him.

As the school year winds down I promise to be more faithful blogging. You know how busy life gets. I will try to post pictures soon.

Happy Easter from the Hickoks!

I can't believe we will be celebrating our first Easter with Noah tomorrow. Time sure does fly by quickly. Picking out a special Easter outfit gave me great pleasure and I can't wait to put it on him tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be a busy day for us. We will be going to church quite early and then getting ready for our dinner guests. I hope that as a family we will be able to set all of that aside and really reflect on the meaning of Easter. I have a habit of getting into that, "everything has to be perfect for the guests" mode when we have company.

Easter brings back a lot great memories for me. As a child some of my favorite memories of Easter were getting dressed up in a pretty pink dress that my grandmother bought complete with a purse and hat. My brother and I would stand outside and get our picture taken. I love Easter for many reasons. Easter brings the hope of warm weather.

As you are gathering with your families tomorrow, John, Noah and I pray that you will receive many blessings. Happy Easter from the Hickoks!

Johnny, Shell and Noah

It has been 7 months since John and I welcomed Noah into this world yet for some reason it seems like ages ago. Seven months really isn't a long time when you think about it. But strangely enough I really feel like he has been part of our lives since the beginning of Johnny and Shell time (that is when John first laid eyes on me and knew he couldn't live one day without me). People often ask us how parenthood is going. Here is what I or we could say on any given day.

- Love it!
- Tiring
- Amazing
- Busy
- Fun
- Life-changing
- Simple (sometimes we feel really brave)

Sometimes I wonder how me manage to get it all done. You know, work, family time, dinner and all of the other things that pertain to life. However, when I look at Noah I can't imagine our hectic life any different. I can't imagine just a Johnny and Shell. It's Johnny, Shell and Noah.

Break is Over!

It has been some break that I have been on. I haven't blogged in over a month. There has been a few blogging stories waiting to be birthed, however they just haven't quite made it out. Here's another update from the Hickoks.

Noah is rolling over! When Noah gets on a roll he will roll himself right into the kitchen. My only request is that he doesn't practice his rolling in the middle of the night. When he does that, he calls for his mommy to come and lay him flat on his back. I guess it's too dark in his room for him to do it himself. Men!!

Noah has been sick for about two weeks. He is much better but still has a runny nose and a cough.

I played in a basketball game for school. All I have to say is, wow, I am getting old.

John has been snowmobiling. I think those days are over for another year due to spring finally coming. Noah and I are glad to have Johnny back with us on Sundays.

We had visitors from the western part of our state. My Aunt Linda, Uncle Bill and grandparents came to town. We had so much fun visiting Lake George.

Finn is still working on finding a new home for himself. If he's not licking Noah from toes to ears he is stealing tissues from the garbage can.

Toby is her usual self, always obedient.

I have snapped a few photos that I will be posting soon.

Love it!

All week I have been thinking about what to write for today. It is Valentine's Day so I thought it would be appropriate that the topic revolve around love. I decided to post some of the things that the Hickoks love, dogs included. I will start with Noah.

Noah is totally getting into the food thing. His favorite thing to eat is bananas. As you can see he "loves" it.



I have posted numerous stories about Finnigan. And although I get completely annoyed with him, I do "love" him to pieces even when he takes tissues out of Noah's wastebasket.



Toby just turned eight years old this past week. That would make her fifty-six in dog years. John just "loves" this older woman...



When Finn is not annoying me he spends most of his time with Noah. Whenever I put Noah on his little floor gym Finn is right there beside him. He "loves" to lick Noah and keep watch.



Toby "loves" the big guy in this picture and she is getting used to the little guy too. She has good taste. I "love" them to pieces too.



Happy Valentine's Day!



Love,

The Hickoks

The Day After...

Back in December I mentioned that there was a contest at my school. My principal had a "decorate your window" contest with all of the teachers. Whoever had the best window display would win a wreath. The theme was, "capturing the holiday season." And I might have mentioned how competitive I am, just a little though. Anyways, I spent hours, days, weeks; thinking, designing, spending and just about every other "ing" word trying to decide what the classroom's window display would be. Well the thought finally came to me during the wee hours of the morning as I was reading Martha Stewart's magazine. The idea was simple yet I think it said it all.

I like to call it, The Day After...



Notice my Christmas list... the last line.


The last line on my Christmas list says, Christmas wreath from Principal Pace...

My class was pumped! We were sure that we would win. It doesn't get any better than a silver trash can with Christmas leftovers. However, shockingly we didn't even place. Nope, not first or second! Our principal did recognize our efforts by declaring us, "The Most Unique Use of Theme". Don't get all excited for us; everyone got recognized. So you ask, who won? Hmm... we were beat by Frosty the Snowman and the Grinch. The Grinch always steals Christmas.



When I gave Noah the news about the window this was his reaction...



Oh well, I guess there is always next year.

Hickok Happenings

I have been meaning to get on this blog and update away on the happenings in the Hickok household but we have been busy and sick.

Noah has had it with the sickness. He has had a sinus infection and an ear infection. Poor guy couldn't catch a break for awhile. I am pleased to report that currently he is feeling good.

John and I had the "bug". It flew in on a Sunday afternoon leaving us on our knees making friends with the toilet bowl and scurrying for toilet paper. It was pretty awful. Thank goodness John's mom was available to help us out.

It is once again report card season. I am so happy that I finished them. Ahh, they take a long time.

John has been enjoying this really cold wintry weather. He has been snowmobiling a few times. Noah takes after me, he would much rather grocery shop and clean rather than spend the day outside in this weather. He keeps asking me when spring is coming.

Noah got a haircut. I was shocked when John showed up at work with the haircut results. I think it looks good but I will definitely have to get used to it. I feel like I went from having a 5 month old to a 3 year old.




The dogs are doing well. The only one that doesn't get annoyed with Finn in our house is Noah. Give it time!!

Perspective

It's funny how your perspective changes about certain things. I was thinking about this the other day as I scanned our living room. A year ago I wouldn't have thought that I would be "okay" with baby items scattered all over my house. Now before you roll your eyes let me explain. I like things (things being my house) to look a certain way. You know, I want everything in its place. Every item in my house has a place. A place that I designated for that item. No one is allowed to move it except for me and I rarely take the items out of their place (accept to dust but that doesn't count).

Now my house is consumed with new things, baby things and while they have their place too they get moved much more frequently. I guess you could say that I like things to be neat and orderly. Well, I used to like it that way and for the most part I still do but I must admit that I have had to let some things go.

If you were to walk into my home unexpectedly (don't get any ideas) you might find a baby sock on the coffee table or a burp cloth jammed in the corner of the couch. You may find a teeny tiny washcloth drying on the sink or bottles drying on the counter top. A pacifier may be hanging from Finn's mouth or there may be an annoying loud toy singing while flashing bright colors. We have extra furniture in the living room but you need to weigh under 30 lbs in order to occupy it. But I am okay with it or I am learning to be okay with it. I think it's a day to day process.

After having Noah I thought I would be able to keep up the daily maintenance of the house. It would be a piece of cake. After keeping my head barely above water for the past couple of months I am beginning to realize that a sock here or a flashing toy there will simply have to be for the time being. There are way more important things to occupy my time. Hmmm perspective...

Busy, Busy, Busy!

It has been a few busy weeks in the Hickok household. Christmas and New Years came and went and now we are left with the aftermath. You know the catching up from shopping all day on Saturdays and Sundays. We are busy packing away the Christmas decorations and getting caught up on laundry. Here is another update from the Hickoks

I am back at work after having a glorious vacation with Noah. We slept, ate lots of chocolate (not him, me) and stayed in our pj's all morning.

The entire family got sick. We like to do things together so when we get sick it's a family thing, everyone included. The docs treated Noah for a sinus infection, I have an ear infection and John has a cold. We are managing though and getting better day by day. Thank goodness for pink medicine. Noah has it for his sinus infection and I opted for the pink stuff too for my ear infection. It's not fair that adults get the bitter antibiotic pills. The pink stuff is way more yummy.

The dogs enjoyed Christmas. Christmas for them means new toys and new bones. Finn has remarkably been very kind to his toys. He hasn't pulled any of their squeakers out. Maybe that is his new year's resolution.

Noah is working really hard trying to roll over. I have been coaxing him by putting chocolate kisses on either side of him hoping that the smell will get him rocking and rolling. Maybe I should try another type of candy.

John is his usual busy self these days. If he is not plowing snow he is busy fixing something. He is a great husband.

I need to post some pictures of the little guy. Everyday he gets bigger and bigger and his smiles are brighter and brighter. Look for new pictures coming soon.