Random Update

Tomorrow is Friday, but I am more excited for May 1st to arrive. I have given my notice at work and April 30th is my last day. The day after I told my boss I would be leaving, she approached me and asked if I would consider continuing to design and update our website from home, as a contract employee. This, of course, is my every dream come true. I didn't mention it to them because I seriously thought they would never even consider it as an option. It has been approved by the CEO and Human Resources, and they are in the process of determining how to handle the pay scale and things. I will connect via a remote connection and do the web design and updates. Since then, they have decided to have me do some redesigning of the internal website as well. I also have a friend who has closed her own web design business and will be directing some of her clients to me for updates to their current websites. Evan and I will be working to put some more memory and a dvd burner in our home PC. The hospital may be providing me with the software that I will use to do their web design, which is wonderful. I am so excited about this... everything is working out wonderfully!

Ardyn is so amazing! Her babble "da da da da" has turned into a full blown daddy, and we are sure now that she has connected the word with the person. Of course we have been trying to get a "mamma" out of her, but she forms the 'm' with her mouth and then makes fart noises... so I guess we will have to appreciate that her first and only word is "daddy." She is clapping all the time now, and bopping to music. She also tries to snap her fingers, it's the cutest thing. She has really started to become mobile in the last week or so, rolling all over and trying to "get" to things. Evan and I are convinced that she will be crawling very very soon. She has especially shows a real interest in trying to get to me, wherever I am, and of course that's a great feeling. Lately she and I have been reading books before bedtime and then she sits on the couch and nurses and then falls asleep in my lap. She's at a very fun age right now. I can't believe she will be eight months soon, and a year isn't far behind!

We are about to add breakfast to her schedule, with some fruit and cereal, and probably baby yogurt. She enjoys pieces of fresh zucchini, apples, bananas, and the Gerber Puffs in fruit and sweet potato flavors. Last week she had some fun with a pickle when Evan and I took her to Townsend for supper after "school."

Last night was our second swimming lesson, and I got to be in the pool with her, which was fun. Twice I blew in her face to get her to take a big breath, then put her under the water. The first time she popped up and was surprised and giggling. The second time she wasn't as thrilled, Evan said she opened her eyes under the water and the chlorine burned her, and that might have been what made her angry. She wasn't doing as much kicking and paddling this week, but I think it's because it wasn't as new and exciting as it was last week. She did grab the boogie board, and the floating dumbell. They also did a "race" where all the kids tried to blow a piece of foam noodle across the water. She was more interested in getting it INTO her mouth. She can pretty much tolerate about 30 minutes in the water and then she seems to be ready to get out, I think last night she was just plain tired. As soon as I got her home and fed her supper, she was rubbing her eyes and falling asleep. That swimming is hard work!

I am packing up my office this week. This weekend we are planning a trip to Menard's to get a few things we need, especially some hardware to hang Ardyn's new swing (Thanks Grandma Deb and Grandpa Dave!) in the front yard. My dad also had a friend who gave him a rickshaw (a baby bicycle trailer) so I need to get myself a bike so I can pull it! Ardyn and I will really be living green now!