Changes...

So a couple weeks ago I mentioned we were heading into some changes around here. Well, we're seeing some of those changes already, and some starting this week.

Lets start with what isn't changing for all of those who decided to guess... We are not:

*expecting baby #2 - there is no guarantee of a #2!
*moving, we absolutely love it here and don't know that we'll ever move again, which leads me to...
*buying a new house, when the time is right, we'll get something bigger.
*buying a new car - YET... plans are already being made for a new/bigger car/suv this fall

There are probably tons of other "nots" but those cover the guessed answers. As for what we are doing, well each of us is dealing with changes, some of us better than others. Let's start with Ava.

Miss Ava Reese:
Ava is growing every day. We're in the process of clearing out her closet again, as many of her 18 month clothes don't fit in arm and leg length. She already has some 24mos/ 2T things and they seem to fit quite well. She is a growing girl. We go next week for Ava's 18 month check up, and I expect her weight to be back up in the 80th or 90th percentile. She has been snacking like crazy which makes us think she may shoot up again soon.

Ava is also cutting her 20 month molars. These are her back two bottom molars. After the top ones comes in, she won't get any more teeth until around 6 years... or when her other teeth fall out! She has been pretty fussy, but we've been able to combat it with numby meds and a few doses of tylenol when it's called for.

Her language has taken off again, and she has at least 30 words. It's a change and challenge for us, as we now have to try to figure out what she is saying instead of just listening to her babble. Ava will try to say almost anything and does very well at it. This morning when I went to take down the gates (we put up two to keep the cats from crying at our doors), Ava was right behind me and looked at Ace, who was not waiting patiently, and said "Hi Ace!" It was too cute. Hearing Ava talk brings us such joy and reminds us of how fast she is growing up. New Moms, savor this time, it will be gone in the blink of an eye.

Nathan:
I guess Nathan falls into the "to be" changes. This Wednesday Nathan will once again be an employee of Medrad. (Did you notice the subtle change in the link to the left?) His last day at MSA is tomorrow, and he is very excited. I know this doesn't make much since to most people. Why would he go back to a company he left? Well the answer is simple, they asked him to. In January, Nathan received a call from "a guy" (no names sorry) at Medrad, who had a job position he thought Nathan would be perfect for. Actually, a few of the guys from Medrad had thought so, and that's why they were calling. Na went in, interviewed, and within in two weeks was hired. It was all very quick, and unexpected. Nathan didn't go looking for this job, it fell into his lap. And actually Nathan was up for a promotion at MSA, so this new job had to be good. And it is. Nathan is Medrad's new Lead Electrical Design Engineer on a top secret project. Yes, it is top secret. I don't even know what it is... we can't take any chances!

The main change that Ava and I will see is when Nathan leaves and returns home every day. Right now he has a 2.5 mile commute to work. Starting Wednesday, it will be a half hour commute. Nathan will have to take the turn pike, which means paying tolls, but if this job makes him happy, then I'm all for it. We both really enjoyed the time he worked for Medrad before, and the reason he left was that he wasn't getting the type of work he wanted... and probably wasn't going to any time soon. But now, this design position, let alone a lead design position, is Nathan's current dream job, and he will be back working with friends in a low key, relaxed environment.

We'll keep you updated as to how things go. Oh, and again, this doesn't mean we'll be moving closer to his work.

As for me, Sarah:
Well, my changes probably fall under the unwanted section. A few months ago Ava got sick, possibly the h1n1, and recovered well, thankfully. I didn't. Since then, I've been very fatigued, exhausted really, on the edge of depression, and not motivated to do anything. There were many mornings when I was laying on the couch and couldn't not get up, even after getting 8+ hours of sleep. I finally decided I needed to see a doctor. Unfortunately, the doctors acted like they thought I had depression more than anything, but I knew it wasn't just that. They did some blood work (I'm not used to it not being done in the office), and my results showed something. I'm deficient in B12. I had no clue what that meant, so I did a little research and found out that vitamin B12 is responsible for making healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells are what give you energy and carry oxygen. No wonder I was tired.

About two weeks ago I started taking 1mg (1000mcg) of B12. That's 16,667% of my daily value. I was pretty low! The normal intake is 6mcg, and most people get that from foods like dairy, red meat, and eggs. If the level of B12 stays low for a long time it can cause nerve damage which may show up in symptoms like tingling fingers and toes, dizziness or difficulty in sensing balance, and eventually depression. I've had the tingling for several years, it comes and goes, and was always told it was a result of low blood sugar.... good thing we double checked. Oh, and a B12 deficieny usually takes a long time to show symptoms, thus it can do some real damage if it goes undiagnosed.

I've been feeling much more energetic the past week, but I'm still pretty tired at times. And, I am having one side effect that isn't too fun. Weight gain. I've gained about 10lbs recently, and although it doesn't show too much, I can see it, and my clothes make me feel it. This should eventually go away, or reverse itself as B12 gives you energy and lots of people experience weight loss. For the time being, its only increasing my metabolism, and making me hungry. With Spring coming, I hope I get things figured out.

The only other change we are waiting on is the birth of Baby E. Joshua's baby brother is due on Wednesday and we're all very excited to meet him. This doesn't have a great impact on our family, other than the joy he will bring to us watching him grow. This Fall though, I may end up watching Joshua and Baby E. some when Kristi returns to work. No plans are final, but I know Ava will be excited to have Joshua around more.

So that's whats new with us. Our life is an adventure, full of ups, downs, and plenty of changes.