A new beginning

Well, I hope this time of year finds everyone in a happy place, both literally and figuratively. As for me, it's a mixed bag, as always. But overall things are good.

I've been absent for a while due to being busy with a recent move. We just purchased our first home, and while it's small and humble, it has lots of character, and it's ours. The yard is enormous, and Jack even has his own room (finally!).



I'm glad I can give Jack the opportunity to grow up in a home of his own, and we can finally put down roots. I love being able to paint walls, plant flowers and veggies (once the snow is long gone), and establish a presence here in our new local neighborhood. Granted, we moved all of three blocks, and you'd think that would make it so much easier, right? Oh no! I think I'll be unpacking for months to come. It's frustrating not being able to decorate yet, or just relax and have everything done, but as everyone keeps saying, we have the rest of our lives to worry about that.

As for Jack, he's doing marvelously.



He is finally off of all his medications, and only takes a daily multivitamin. He's still quite delicate, and we must continue to worry about CLD, RSV shots, and a variety of other issues, but he's a very spunky and energetic little baby. Jack's been eating table food for a long time now, and is rapidly putting on weight after a long dry spell where he was stuck in the 15-lb range. Although he still has developmental (physical) delays and is still trying to crawl and master sitting up, he's sharp as a tack, and has a quirky sense of humor (with a goofy laugh to match). Jack continues to get various therapies, with more being added soon, but he is a strong and determined little soul.

Words cannot describe how much I love my little boy.



And yes, I'd love to have another soon, but we will have to meet with high risk doctors months before we even start trying. To say that I'm scared is an understatement. But we'll go in to it knowing what can happen, how to prevent it, and do our best.

Pete and I are doing well too. The economy has continued to affect us both in our careers, but we're making due. And as I keep pointing out to Pete, we were able to buy a house this year, despite everything, so that's saying something, right? We even got out for some mommy and daddy alone time recently at a coffee tour downtown (that's a rarity!). Here we are with my sibs and niece at the Intelligentsia coffee tour (Pete rarely smiles in photos). I still have some baby weight to lose, but once I unearth my treadmill and get back to exercising, I hope it'll start to melt away.



Anyhow, just wanted to pop in here and say hello, post some pix, etc. Hope you are all well, and I miss being a regular in blogland. But I know everyone is busy too, and you just have to take life as it comes.

Happy holidays!

Very, very bummed

Yesterday I went to the early voter polling center in Bloomingdale Township and was turned away, told I am unable to vote in this election. Yes, unable to make my voice heard along with millions of others.

Why, you ask? Well, apparently if you move you need to update your voter registration info, including your address. This probably seems obvious to most people, but I never even thought about it, even though I updated all my other stuff when we moved last summer (driver's license, mailing address for various things, etc.). With the wedding planning consuming my life over the last year, I had too much on my mind, and this sort of thing didn't even register, so to speak. I guess you CAN change your registration info 28 days before an election, but obviously I'm too late.

And I ALWAYS vote, always have, in every presidential election (and others) since I registered right before I turned 18. And with this being such a monumental election, I was especially excited to cast my vote. When the lady at the polling center told me the bad news, I seriously almost cried right in front of her. I feel so bad right now that I can't even put it into words. I'm going to call the DuPage County elections committee tomorrow during business hours, just to make sure I'm not missing some opportunity to fix my registration and vote (you never know). But I'm not holding my breath.

Let my story of stupidity be a reminder to any of you who plan to move or have just moved. I sure hope you've thought of this and are cleared for voting if you moved over 30 days ago. It sounds like you can squeak by if it's been less than 30 days, but I certainly don't make that cut off, since I moved last summer. And if you neglected to change your voter registration like I did, I definitely can sympathize with you. For everyone else, get out there and make yourself heard.

(Photo courtesy CNN)