So, it's been a long time. This fall has been a crazy time in the Norman household. We've had lots of changing and lots of growing up in the past 3 months.
The biggest thing that's caused tons of little changes is me going back to work. Almost 3 months now, I went from being a nurse volunteer 3hours a week at The Keim Center to a nurse manager 3 days a week. It has been a wonderful, crazy, sometimes heartbreaking and busy journey for me and our family, but these past few months have been wonderful. I love my job, and am so incredibly thankful for it. It's been my hardest 3 months there, with patients who have sad stories, hard lives and my heart just breaks for them. I take them home with me every night, praying for them and their unborn babies as I drive home, as I do my charting (often at night after the boys go to bed), as I look at their baby's pictures one more time, and as I go to bed. Most of these women are incredible, showing me what strength is, caring for children, going to school, working, most of them doing it single. Many of their stories are heartbreaking and I feel honored to get the hear them, that they would trust me enough. The hardest part has been the amount of women seeking an abortion in the last 3 months. Almost every day I'm there, I explain the procedure to someone, and pray that God uses the ultrasound and the information to change their minds. Sometimes they do, and that's why I keep going back, because seeing God work in these women's live to save their babies and spare their hearts is worth all the stress, all the sadness and all the craziness.
With me going back to work, the boys are in daycare. It's been so fun for me to see them grow and flourish in an environment other than our home, where they are loved and cared for. They have friends that they look forward to seeing, they get to play, their learning letters and numbers, and The Pledge of Allegiance. Judah is learning he can be without me for a while and Curtis, my little extroverted introvert, loves seeing all his friends and asks to go to Mrs. Rhonda's every single day. I am so thankful we found such a wonderful place for them to be.
With me at work, and the boys at daycare, Isaac has been awesome and really stepped in when I need help. On the days I work, he picks the boys up, cooks dinner and begins feeding them. He gets up early some days so he can spend time with the boys and me before I go to work. He helps out around the house with dishes and cleaning. I've been in awe these past few months with how easy he's making the transition for us.
The boys are growing so much! Judah is almost 18 months, and we call him Mr. Piggy, among other things because he seems to eat all the time. He runs everywhere he goes. He loves "wrestling" with Curtis. He loves throwing balls. And just learned how to go down the big slide by himself. He's speaking several words, but when he doesn't speak, he definitely gets his point across with screeching and yelling. He's my climber and so I'm constantly chasing him around making sure that he doesn't climb on things where he can die, but also standing behind him so he thinks he's being independent, but again, also not gonna die. He still nurses, although we're trying to ween. He still doesn't sleep through the night most of the time. I'm pretty sure the 2 correlate. Maybe once he weens, he'll sleep through the night.
Curtis just seems like such a little boy now, not a toddler. This week, we made strides in potty training and he's had several dry days, which I'm so thankful for. I'm ready to stop buying pull ups. We can understand most of what he says now, and he repeats everything, which has been pretty cute. He says things that we assume he hears at daycare like "Silly rabbit" that just come out of no where cause he's never heard us say it. He loves watching Ninjago and talks about those characters all the time. He is a fun boy to be around, most days, very sweet, loving and affectionate, so we're having to teach him not everyone wants affection all the time. Teaching boundaries is hard, but we're working on the fist bump and high five to be before hugging. He loves his brother, loves "wrestling" with him, loves cuddling with him, and talks to him all the time, usually bossing him around, but sometimes not :).
All in all, while it's been a challenging 3 months, it's been a wonderful growing season. Here's pictures from Colorado, and our pumpkin patch visit:
Curtis had so much fun with all the outdoor stuff. He loved learning how to hit the ball
Every time Curtis tried something, Judah had to try it too
Curtis' day was made when Nonno let him play with the tractor
Judah loved our hike
This was one of the only times Curtis wasn't fussing or having to rode Isaac's shoulders. He wasn't a fan. Hopefully that'll change.
This happened a lot
Playing football after my birthday dinner
The closest I could get of them both at the pumpkin patch
Curtis loves goats
This is what happens when we paint
