Updates

So....where does one begin updating when one hasn't updated in too long a time? By month? By person? Eeek!


Let's go by person. Oldest to youngest. Sound fair? Good. Here we go:


AARON

One word to sum up Aaron Chandler these days? Busy. Very, very busy. He's playing a ton, working a ton, taking care of us a ton, and then still makes time to watch football. (Go Saints!) :) Just before Thanksgiving, there was chaos at the music store (I think I'm putting that mildly enough). I won't give you the dirty details, but Aaron is now commission-only and is expanding his own business from home, ACME Trombones. Website is being developed now, and we'll be sure to share just as soon as it's ready to be looked at! And if you have a trombone that you love, please send it to Aaron -- I don't really know what voodoo he does to them, but trombone enthusiasts sure do love it!

ERICA

One word for me? Busy. (Ha!) I'm still working, although have (finally) arranged for my hours to be reduced to 36 per week. Know that doesn't sound like a lot, but it does allow me to stay at home in the mornings until the boys leave; whereas before, I was leaving before they were even up a lot of the times. Still looking for some way to go part time, while still having insurance and, you know, paying the bills, but, for now, am as happy as I can be.

MILO

One word for Milo Guy? Hmmmm. How about big? That boy is growing up -- as he is very quick to remind us -- every day! Getting so darn big and tall and smart. He really is very funny and has a great sense of humor! He can count to 10 on his fingers, knows how to recognize and write his name (even if it is backwards sometimes), loves to sing songs by his Daddy's band (favorites are "Palm Court Strut" and "When I die (nice, right?)...you better second line"), has had a blast at soccer class, asks to go back to the beach at least 5 times a week, loves his "family" (which, btw, does not include Aaron, Hank and I -- it is his aunts and uncles and cousins), and is really, REALLY looking forward to swim class in a few weeks. He also loves preschool, and is really flourishing there.

HANK

One word for Hankers: Busy. That boy does NOT stop moving! He's walking -- and almost running -- everywhere, climbing, screaming, talking, kissing, splashing. Boy! To have just 1/10 of his energy would be great! At his one year check-up last week, he was just shy of 25 lbs (75%) and 30" (50%). He has close to 15 words (at his age he should have 2), and loves to engage whoever's near in peekaboo or mimicking noises. In the fall, the poor little guy had 5 ear infections in 7 weeks. It was miserable for all of us! But he got tubes in early October, and has been perfection since. And he had his second round of MRI and developmental testing for the autism study at Wash U that we're participating in this past week. He was the first baby ever to lock himself in the office. True story. And I didn't even panic! ;)

So, that's us for now. And I'm going to work on uploading photos from all the fun we've missed sharing: playing in the leaves, Milo's 4th birthday, Christmas, Hank's 1st birthday. Where, oh where, does time go?!

Love to all!

Oh my! Where has the time gone?!

Oh my word! I can't believe it's been so long since we've posted! Let's see. Where have we been?
First up: Arkansas over the 4th of July

We spent a fabulous long weekend with the French Family at the Farm. Thanks to Auntie April and Uncle Adam for housing us, and to Aunties Brenda and Debi and Uncle Brad for feeding and entertaining us! (We missed you, Jackie! <3) align="center">

Plus we managed to get a photo that serves as Hank's 5 month portrait:

And, on the way home, Hank *almost* got to enjoy his first trip to Lamberts. However, with over an hour wait, we decided to skip it. But as a consolation, we ate Lamberts rolls in the car. Look closely -- Hank liked it! :)

Next: Pensacola Beach

Milo, Hank, Gramme and I hit the road in the middle of July and drove(!!!) to meet some of the Frenches at Pensacola Beach, FL. But we made it. Had to stop every couple of hours, and split the 12 hour trip into 2 days there and back, but it was ok. And while we were there, it was fabulous!

Here are some highlights:

Sunrise from the Boardwalk
Sunset view from our deck
The 2009 French Family Beachbums

And we're counting this one as Hank's 6 month portrait. :)

For a complete set, you can click here (you don't need a Facebook account to view them).

What else?

Let's start with Baby Boy.

Hank is getting up on his hands and knees and rocking, even moving backwards. Every once in a while, he makes a bit of forward progress, but I'm betting just any day now, we'll have a crawler. He had his 6 month check-up last week, and is now 23lbs, 13.5oz (still over 95%), 28.5" (90%, and he was 50% up until now), and I can't remember his head circumference, but it remained at 90%. So, yeah. He's still big. ;)

Oh, and he's big enough to not use the baby tub anymore. A pic of Hank & Milo sharing their first bath:

Speaking of big, let's talk about the Big Boy.

Milo is fully and completely potty trained (well, except night, but I'm not concerned about that), and even standing up to pee. Good times. Actually, I'm not complaining at.all. It's been a loooooong time coming! He's still loving preschool, and has two friends, Cody and Andrew. Well, I actually think he has more friends than that, but those are the only two kids that he knows their names. ;)

Aaron's band, Funky Butt Brass Band, is going great guns. They released their first CD, Cut the Body Loose, and opened for a reknowned New Orleans musician, Dr. John & Lower 911, here in St. Louis last night. If you'd like a CD, they are $15, and you can just let us know -- we'll get it to you. Or you can download here: http://www.digstation.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?albumID=ALB000033134

As for me, well, here I am. Really having a hard time getting my head back into *life*. And really, really yearning for more time with the boys. If you're of a praying mind, I would appreciate prayers for a door (or window!) to open that would allow me to work part time. Of course, this would mean we'd have to find insurance on our own, so it is kind of a big prayer. ;) But, really, we're all pretty good right now.

And what's coming up? Let's see. We're going (and taking the boys) to TWO Cardinals games next week. And we're really looking forward to Aunties Jackie and Iris, and Uncle Ken, and Ryan and Kendra coming in town for a visit next weekend! Also, Milo starts the Fall session of preschool -- thankfully he's in the same class and has the same teacher, so there won't be too much transition. And Hank begins at the new sitter soon, too.

What's new with all of you?

We're Rolling!

Erica's Note -- this was *supposed* to be posted on Wed, June 24, but I didn't get time to do it. So I'm leaving what I had written and updating since we've come so far in such a short time!

Well, Hank is anyway. Last Friday, he officially rolled from his back to his tummy. Although he'd been SO close for a long, long time, he finally made it all the way over. And I (somehow) caught it on film:

And Hank is now rolling both ways, and even *almost* making it up on his knees when on his belly. That kid is on the move!

Hank's also well established on jar foods -- we've made it through all the veggies and fruits. But I think he's going to be on table food well before Milo was. This boy covets "real" food and will stare you down as you eat in front of him. I mean enough that I actually feel guilty sometimes. And now he won't let you feed him -- he has to have the spoon. He'll give it up for just long enough that you can get more food on it, but he wants it right back. Since this post, Baby Boy has gotten to eat two biscuits (gummed them to pieces!) and two Biter Biscuits. Think I'll be skipping Stage 3 food for him and going right to diced meats and veggies. But not for a few weeks anyway.

As for Milo, I am beyond thrilled to report that he is now peeing on the potty!! It has been SUCH a long time coming, I can't stand it. He'll even stay dry during the night and then ask to get up and sit on the potty first thing in the morning. Whew. Now, poop on the other hand, that's a different story. But let's focus on the positive for now. Even more exciting -- there's been poop on the potty, people!! Milo's been in big boy underwear full-time for 3 days now. Woohoo!!!

Milo's also discovered Scooby Doo, and really loving those hour-long movies from the early '70s where they have a different guest star each time. His favorite right now is Jerry Reed and the haunted music hall. (Can you guess who's influence that is?)

And Milo is still loving preschool! We are so glad! In fact, I hear almost every day, "No, Mama! Go! Don't come in here!" But I'd rather have it that way than him not wanting to go at all, right?

That's about it from here. Aaron and I are having a bit of sticker shock, as the Fox is no longer paying for family insurance coverage after July 1. Thankfully they are subsidizing those of us that already had family coverage for this next year, but as of July 1, 2010, we're on our own. Not that we can't still buy through the Fox; it's just $434.22 per paycheck(!!), which is twice a month, for all of us. $868.44 a month. $10,421.28 a year. Which doesn't take into account any increase next year, at a minimum of 16%. But let's not borrow problems until we get there, right?

French Family -- we are SO looking forward to seeing you guys next (this) weekend!! And Tubb Family -- hope you're getting to enjoy some time with Frank & Jeanie this (last) week!

Love to all!

Now...where were we?

Oy! It's been awhile. Longer than I anticipated anyway. So, here we go. Here's the high (and low) lights of the lives of the Chandlers:

Preschool

Milo's started preschool at Lindbergh Early Childhood -- and he's loved it from the very first day! The teachers laugh because it's rare for him to stop and say goodbye to Aaron when he drops Milo off in the mornings. And there have been several days when Milo spotted me coming to pick him up, just for him to point and say, "No, Mama! Go!" But we'll take it. Would much prefer this way than him not wanting to be there.

His teachers are Miss Andrea and Miss Katie, and they are as sweet as can be. And extremely open and communicative, which we really appreciate. So far, they've had a visit to the (in-school) library, the Zoo brought some animals and stories by today, and there's a helicopter visit scheduled for Thursday. On top of that, each Wednesday is Water Play, so they were swimsuits and water shoes and play in sprinklers outside. And Thursday is Show & Share day, so they bring something from home to show and share (heh.) with the class. Last week Milo said he wanted to bring a present. And after some quick thinking, I dug out some new stickers, wrapped them up, and then had him share with his friends after he opened it. Whew.

Zoo
We are now proud members of the St. Louis Zoo with several free parking and train/carousel passes. So, we made a trip a couple weeks ago on a Friday evening, and had a great time!

Cardinals Game(s)

We also took both boys to a Cardinals game on Memorial Day -- Milo's (well, and Hank's) first time to sit in actual seats (as opposed to someone's suite -- rough life, I know). Anyway, Milo has become infatuated with Fredbird...until Fredbird gets too close. Then Milo runs for his life. ;)

So I should have known better than to bring him with me when I had to go down on the field for work, right? Yeah...check out the pure terror on this kid's face -- and Fredbird was no where to be found at that point. But I am happy to say that we both survived and had a great evening after that.

Funky Butt Brass Band

Milo & Hank enjoyed seeing their daddy play at Blues City Deli, and then the other night outdoors in Kirkwood (sorry, no pictures of that). Really, though, if you're in the area and Funky Butt is playing, go! They are so much fun!

Dora the Explorer

This past weekend we took Milo to meet Dora & Diego (from Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go respectively). And, unlike Fredbird, Milo did great with them! Just ran right up to them and gave them hugs and high fives. Might've helped that Mama was escorting them to the meet and greet at Nordstrom, and that she was helping them get ready beforehand and making sure their backpacks were packed. ;) The next morning he and I, along with our friend Sommar and her son Luke, saw Dora live at the Fox.

Hank

So, as I'm typing, I'm realizing why no update lately -- we've been too busy!! And a lot going on with Milo Boy. But, Hankers is holding his own. He's now 22 lbs, 4 oz (or was last week -- who knows how big he is now!). And he's found his toes, and is thisclose to rolling over. Pretty much everything but his head is over, and then he'll turn the other way and go back on his back. Most importantly (to me, anyway) is that he FINALLY slept through the night last night!! Hurrah!! All the way from 8pm-ish until I had to get him up at 6:45am so I could feed him before I went to work (although I did feed him around 10:30pm before I went to bed -- he just didn't really wake up).

Also, a(nother) big decision has been made regarding childcare. As of mid-August, we'll be leaving our long-time sitter, Miss Chris. It wasn't an easy decision. However, she's a minimum of 20 minutes in the opposite direction of where Aaron or I need to go for Milo's school. On top of that, we'd been praying for a solution, and we found one in another friend from church. She lives maybe 2 minutes from our house, and 8 minutes from school -- all in the same direction we need to be heading. She is a wonderful lady with a very nice husband and two extremely sweet boys (7 and 5). We're excited, although it's bittersweet leaving the comfort of Chris's home.

And now, I've gotta get off of here and get to bed. Love to all, and really hope to hear from you soon!

Life's a Picnic

I must say, this week has been an improvement over the past couple for the Chandlers. Updates all around:

Hank has another ear infection -- this time on the right side. However, between a new script for Omnicef and a visit to Auntie Dr. Chickie (aka, our good friend Christine Dunsworth Nix of Dunsworth Specific Chiropractic) who gave him a little adjustment, he's vastly improved since Wednesday. Hank has also been enjoying the good old exersaucer, or as we call it in our house, The Sphere of Neglect. And I believe the replacement motor for his swing should be here today. See? A good week all around. ;)

I also just enrolled Hank as a control subject in an autism study through Washington University. They're looking for two groups: people with an older child diagnosed as autistic with an infant under 12 months (not us), and people with a normally developing older child and an infant under 6 months (us).

At 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months, Hank will go in for developmental testing (2 hours at 6 months; 3 hours at 12 months; 2 days at 24 months), and also receive an MRI while sleeping. There is no medication, sedation, radiation, etc. And should they find any abnormal results, they will immediately refer us to the correct specialist. Aaron and I both feel like it's a very good cause, and if we might make even the tiniest advancement in the understanding of the cause and development of autism, it'll be worth it. Hank's first MRI and developmental testing is scheduled for July 9-11.

Finally, we've started Baby Hank on food! First, rice cereal, of course, which he likes. Then oatmeal, which he hates and spits out every time. And now sweet potatos -- they're a hit!

Milo had his preschool picnic on Thursday, and rode a horse! Well, a pony. But still, this is a HUGE step for a little boy scared of most things furry. And he rode on a donkey-drawn carriage.

See? It's totally a donkey, although the kids were calling it the "little horsey". (The other two kids in the picture are the sitter's boy, Alec, and the other girl she watches, Samantha.)

He and I also had a date night last night -- we went to a preview of the Disney/Pixar movie Up. I thought it was just OK, but Milo seemed to enjoy it. He says he likes the "little guy" (aka, Russell, the little boy) and I like the "big guy" (aka, Carl, the old man). Really, I thought Doug the Dog was the funniest. But whatever.

Not sure we ever announced our final decision on preschool. We have enrolled Milo in Lindbergh's Early Childhood Education program. He'll be attending 4 full days each week beginning June 2. It came down to realizing that we want more for him than he's currently getting. And since he has to be somewhere during the day, he might as well be educated by degreed professionals while being allowed the leeway to have fun, too. We're really excited!

What else? Oh! We just broke down and bought the boys a wooden playset for the backyard. I'm sure Aaron has many hours of enjoyment to look forward to as he puts it together. Ha.

And I'll leave you with a funny Milo story. Tuesday night we enjoyed a meal at the Old Spaghetti Factory with my parents. Just outside the doors, they have horse-drawn carriages lined up for rides around The Landing. Milo was DYING to go on a carriage ride. That's all he talked about the entire meal. And we were trying to discourage him, as we knew it was expensive ($25 for 2 people). I finally told Milo we just didn't have enough money to ride. And here's how it went from there:
Mama, you don't has monies? No?
Daddy, do you has monies? No?
Gramme, do you has monies? No?
--pause--
Papa, I know you has monies. Where your monies is, Papa?

Smart kid. However, Papa was saved when Milo got too scared as we got closer to the horses. They were just too, too big. Although now that he finally rode that pony, we may be in real trouble...