It's Not the Heat, it's the Humidity

We've been back in the Lone Star State (or as my sister and friend refer to it - the Promiseland) for about a week, and I can say with a high level of certainty that it has nothing to do with humidity and it's all about the heat. And, I mean heat. Wow. It's really hot when Texans say, "man, it's hot today." Oh my. The average high temperature the last six days has been 101 and the low has been in the 80's. Matt keeps saying "I better be playing golf in November."

We leased a house here until what we now refer to as our "summer cottage" in Bloomington sells. the house we are leasing is great but ridiculously big. The neighborhood has a community pool which we have yet to visit, but we've visited Aunt Jill's pool once already. Aunt Jill and Uncle Jimmy are spoiling Maggie and Angus pretty good.

I need to take photos and post but haven't yet. I will but until then, here is a photo of the front of the house.

Being back is great and it will be even better once Matt secures his job. He has been sending out resumes and interviewing so hopefully soon.

We have also indulged in a fair amount of bbq since our return and I already have a new favorite. And, low and behold, it's Randy White's. It's really, really good. I have also forced Matt to have Tex-Mex too. I could eat Tex Mex every day. I love it. Matt is only a so/so fan of it. So, he's been a great sport to go not once, not twice, but three times for Tex Mex. The first two places I had never tried before and were mediocre at best. The third was Uncle Julio's. One of my top five all time favorites. It didn't disappoint.

There is also a shopping mall nearby (within 10 minutes) that has everything from Nordstrom to Dillards to Cheesecake Factory. And, we've only been to Sears and Dillard's thus far. Some great shopping so close. I have to stay away. The rumor is that there is a carousel inside. I am sure Maggie will love that. We also hit IKEA too.

We also have the Double AA affiliate to the Texas Rangers five minutes from the house as well as Arena Football and pro soccer - all within five minutes. That will be great.

Angus is adjusting well too his new surroundings. He won't get to go to daycare but for special occassions because it's so expensive here. He has tried sunning himself on the back patio a few times, but can only stand it for about five minutes before he comes in - it's too hot.

Maggie finally has her two top teeth coming in. She still just has the one on the bottom so it looks pretty funny.

I am rambling now and should get some rest. Thanks for all your emails, phone calls, and texts to check on our progress and to make sure we made it safely. We really appreciate it!

One for the Road

We're knee deep in boxes, not quite ready for the movers to show up at 9 am, and pretty tired. This may be my last blog update for a few days, unless we get internet on the road. We hope to make it to Rolla, Missouri tomorrow, but that mostly depends on the movers and what time we depart Bloomington. It is so weird to think that we're headed out tomorrow and won't be back for a long while. It is really weird, especially since we haven't sold our house yet. It is now also up for lease so if you know anyone, send them our way. We'll miss Estate Drive terribly. We now refer to it as our "summer cottage" given that we will now be paying for two residences. Yikes.

In keeping with my goal of the thank you's . . . .

Wes, Erin, and Elise: We will miss you and we will miss the wee ones playing together and sharing in all of Elise's firsts. We're counting on ya'll to visit.

I am so tired I am changing topics again without a transition - tonight I packed my office at IU. I waited until the very last minute. I just didn't have the heart to do it yet, but I had to pack it tonight. How in the world did I acquire so much stuff in four years? I have no idea. I think I moved like two boxes into that office and moved out 8. Matt thinks I packed them so poorly that the movers will just rebel and not load them on the truck. My office didn't have a window, but it did have a back door which opened to the study hallway. I missed seeing outside, but that back door was fantastic. Tomorrow, I turn in my keys and my laptop, update a few student files, and then say a tearful but fond farewell to my colleagues. It won't be easy. Luckily, I'll have so many things to finish tomorrow, that I won't have time to be too sad until later.

I'll post more pictures when we get settled. Have a great week!

It's not the Place - It's the People

In keeping with my goal of updating more often (and because my brain needs a break from the Tetris game of packing), I was thinking today about the people we'll miss when we leave Indiana. What will we miss most about the Hoosier state? It's definitely the people. But, we're hoping we'll still see these people as often as we can. This leads me into my continued list of those we want to acknowledge.

Charles and Marieke: Awesome friends, colleagues, and neighbors. The basement has always been open for me to hide out in during storms, and our house is always safe when we're away because ya'll always checked up on it. We will miss walking down to your house to say "hi" and we'll just altogether miss seeing ya'll in the neighborhood and at the office. And, the party was great - THANKS. I am going to find some Hill Country bike trails and lure ya'll down for a visit.

The Perry's: Another great set of friends and neighbors. Affectionally deemed "Perry Park" by their good friends, Jen, Roger, and Jacob have been nothing short of great to us. From the signature brownies to the many conversations, and letter of recommendation for Angus, we know we'll never find another "Perry Park" that is as great as yours.

Carrie, Ryan, Conor, and Laszlo: Carrie, along with Donetta and Georgia, invited me to my first accountability breakfast about a week after my first semester began here at IU. It was a great breakfast, and we've had fun with our respective pups and now our toddlers. We'll miss the dinner, playdates, and conversations big time. Can't wait to see ya'll soon.

Okay - this is getting long again and I need to start posting pictures as often as I post now. I will do that soon, but just give me a bit to get in the hang of updating more regularly.

Off to pack more boxes. Maggie is outstanding at "unpacking" so this should be easier on the tail end in Tejas.

Appreciation, Sadness, and Many Thanks

My cousin Molly studied abroad for most of the last several months and is now studying in California. Molly also keeps a great blog of her travels at http://www.mollyherod.blogspot.com, and before she returned from Paris this spring she wrote a great post entitled "Measure Your Life in Love" in which she thanked all the people who made things great for her. I am going to steal Molly's idea and do the same as we begin to look back on our time in the Hoosier state and look forward to our new beginning in the Lone Star State - yeehaw! There are a ton of people we want to acknowledge so it will take me several posts over the next several weeks - but that's okay. And, it's in no particular order - but I need to get started because it will take me a long time to finish - which is not a testament to my inconsistent blogging but rather a testament to the all the great people here in the Hoosier state.

So, let us begin with (in no particular order), my tennis friends. Gaye, Ute, Barb, Sandy, Randy, Betty, Carmie, Bieneke, Sunny, Donna, Pat, Brenda, Joan, Debbie, Sarah, and I am sure I am leaving someone out so I apologize profusely. Ya'll have been so great. After about 10 years of not picking up my racquets, I joined the IU Tennis Center and began playing singles flex leagues. Through the IUTC, I met these fantastic ladies who welcomed me to their team and reminded me how much fun it was to play tennis again. Weekly get togethers on the court proved to be a major stress reliever for me and I will miss all the tennis. But, mostly, I will miss all of you. You've been so great to us and you've been so great to Maggie too. THANKS and know you'll be missed and always on my mind.

My students, in particular my doc students. (again in no particular order) Ryan R., Antonio, Ty, Sydney, SangHak, Young Ik, Katie, Pat, Greg, Andrea, Coyte, Erin, Galen, and Won. Ya'll have been a great group to work with. Working with ya'll has been one of the many highlights of being here. It has really been something I looked forward to each day.

I think this is getting long so I will update again tomorrow!

Texas: It's Like a Whole Other Country

In just over a week, we'll be heading down to the Lone Star State. We'll be living in Frisco, Texas. It's in the northern suburbs of Dallas Fort Worth. (See the map below). I'll be sending our new address and contact information in the next week. We're very excited for our move and are hoping that we sell or lease our house in Bloomington soon.

It has been 8.5 years since I've lived in my home state, and I will have a little bit of culture shock. I think Matt will have a little too. Maggie will adjust well - we think - and she will start her new "early toddler preschool" in late August when my semester starts. To check out Frisco, go to this website http://www.visitfrisco.com/


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Toddling Along

Running around town with a toddler is a bit different than a baby. We don't have as much stuff to bring with us, but keeping up with Maggie is a bit more challenging. Maggie is not much on confinement, whether it be a stroller, car seat, or shopping cart. She has a good 15 minutes in her, and then, she lets loose. So, we are finding new ways to try to occupy her. As long as the cart or stroller is moving, then she's okay. But, when it stops, we must find things to distract her. We're hoping this is a phase and she'll learn to sit still soon enough.

Mags had her 12 month well child check (4 weeks late due to the doctor's schedule), and here are her digits: 21 lbs. 6 ounces; 29 3/4 inches tall; 46 cm head circumference. This puts Maggie in about the 75th percentile. Dr. Laughlin said Maggie is slender. He said after 12 months, their growth slows and they start to get taller and more slender. He said this is the case with Maggie already. She's still above average on height and weight, but slender too. He also said that she is currently working on about 5 teeth. Oh my. He says they should appear soon. This should make the confinement issue even more pleasant to deal with.

She is a very adept crawler now. She is off her bottle and soley uses her sippy cup. She is trying all sorts of new foods, but isn't a fan of new textures. She is trying to walk. Shes is an unbelievable stair climber but just doesn't quite have the confidence to walk yet. Last night, she finally decided to just stand from the sitting position on her own. She did it three times. This was likely the influence of her little friend Conor, who is a great walker and stander.

Happy 1st Birthday Maggie

Maggie turned 1 on June 6th. It was a great evening. We celebrated with dinner with family and Godparents at Domo where Maggie was provided with a hibachi cake.

We then had a small party the next day at the house. It was hot and flooded all around, but we had a fun time. Maggie had her first refined sugar and loved it. She didn't really smash her cake. She was pretty delicate with it, but ate it very fast. Enjoy the photos and I WILL update more often.

What a Personality

First, I apologize for not having new photos - we've been incredibly busy trying to get our house ready to place on the market, but there are two posts with lots of photos after this one. We'll get some more photos and update more regularly later in the week.

Maggie is such a ham these days. She had a great lazy late Friday afternoon with her new friend Haley and her buddy Jacob. She played and played with them. The sand box and the water table were a big hit. And, Jacob parents and Haley's parents treated us to a yummy dinner. We had the best time - but we think Maggie had the most fun. She slept late the next morning and then took a 3 hour nap - which enabled me to stain and seal the deck!

More updates are below and we'll post again later in the week.

9 Month Digits

Maggie's 9 month check up went well and the best news of the trip - no shots. That's always a wonderful bonus. She did get a finger prick though because it is customary to test for lead poisoning and iron levels at this visit. Maggie wasn't much a fan of the finger prick but took it in stride. She spent the remainder of the visit and a good portion of the rest of the day trying to get the bright blue band-aid off of her finger. Speaking of blue, the big news of the visit was that Dr. Laughlin informed us that he thinks Maggie's eyes are indeed "blue." He said to us "those blue eyes are going to stick." I am still not so sure, but Dr. Laughlin is convinced that "the recessive gene made it all the way to little Miss Maggie.". These blue eyes had to have come from Grandpa Tom because she didn't get them from me or her father.

Dr. Laughlin was really pleased with Maggie's growth and her eating habits. Apparently, Maggie is way ahead on the eating solid phase and a little low on her formula intake. He said this was normal with a baby that would eat so much solid food. So, we've upped her formula intake slightly and she still goes for her solids really well. She LOVES these things called Wagon Wheels by Gerber. We LOVE these things because they were the trick to getting her to finally eat with her hands. She bagan holding her bottle after we returned from Texas and then about a week later, she started picking up those wagon wheels. Pretty much, she will hand feed herself most anything now. She often grabs the spoon and puts it in her mouth. She does this a ton actually and at first, it's great - but then, it gets everywhere. But, she is definitely catching on.

Here are the 9 month digits:

Weight: 20 lbs 4 ounces

Height: 28 1/2 inches

Head: Really round (can't remember exactly)

This puts Maggie in the 75th percentile on weight and height and 95th percentile for the roundness of her head.

We'll see Dr. Laughlin again around July for Maggie's 12 month checkup. For some reason, Maggie's checkups fall about 3-4 weeks after her actual age. The pediatrician's office assures me this is just scheduling because they are always so booked. But, we really like Dr. Laughlin so we don't mind too much.

Long Time No Blogging

Hello everyone! We've been out of blogging for awhile and we apologize. We have added several updates to catch you up on all things Miloch.

We travelled to Texas for Easter and had a great trip. My mom was recovering from her hospital stay, and it was nice to see and relax with everyone. Aunt Kelle, Nana, and the Easter bunny put together a great basket for Maggie. She enjoyed playing with it, especially the eggs.

We also visited Aunt Kelle in Austin and Grandpa Tom taught Maggie how to climb stairs. Thankfully, Maggie has not realized that she has stairs here in Bloomington to climb. She's mostly content crawling around and shutting doors and walking behind her Little Tykes Gym. She's not walking on her own yet, but it might be soon. She pulls herself up all over the place and pushes a few of her toys around by using them to balance and walking behind them.

She and Angus continue to have a ball together - he gets more attention from Maggie than anyone else. He also manages to scam more food from Maggie than anyone else too.

Enjoy the photos from Easter. Maggie met Uncle Adrian, cousin Matt, and had playtime with Blane.

Some New Videos

8 Months

Maggie was 8 months old yesterday, and she is growing like a weed. She now weighs 19.2 lbs and is 28 inches long. She is too much fun and is desperately seeking mobility and a vocabulary. She now says "ma - ma" and as of today "da-da". She will also say "ba-ba", "la-la" and "na-na". She also now says "ingee" for Angus. He is certainly her best friend as she loves to laugh at Angus. We have to work to get her to laugh but Angus can just walk in the room and plop down beside her and she'll just crack up. This is especially true if Angus barks, scratches himself, or plays with a toy in front of her. She loves it.
Maggie also has a play room now. It has a jungle theme. Aunt Kelle gave Maggie a bench with lions, monkeys, and elephants. The bench was the inspiration for the play room. We also recovered a toy chest for her that we found at an antique store.
Maggie also loves her swim class as you can see from the videos. We have posted many videos to try and make up for the lack of posts lately. Enjoy!

Maggie's Weekly Video

Maggie Meets Santa

It was a very snowy morning and really cold, but we made the trek to the mall to meet Santa. We chose that snowy Saturday morning becuase the young "elf" that worked there told us that the "good" Santa would be there then. So, we naturally wanted Maggie's first meeting with Santa to be with a "good" Santa. As Matt said after the photos were snapped "if that was the good Santa, I'd hate to see the bad Santa!" Maggie wasn't sure what to make of the big man, but she eventually cracked a small smile.

Christmas in Chicago

Maggie had an eventful first Christmas in Chicago. Highlights of her visit included playtime with cousin Brady, a trip to Dad and Godfather Jimmy's (and their cronies) favorite hangout in high school - Tommy's, seeing much of her extended Chicago family for the first time, meeting Mandy and Vicky, playtime with Grandma and Grandpa Miloch and much much more.

She seemed to catch on to the "opening presents" part of Christmas pretty well. Christmas Eve mass was packed so we listened to mass in the foyer. Maggie slept through half of mass, but then woke up and caught the Christmas spirit.

Maggie at 6 months

Maggie's 6 months stats:

17 pounds and 6 ounces
27 inches long
44 cm for her head

As you may recall, Maggie started life with what we have called the Lance Armstrong cycling helmet head but what medical professionals call "Breach head". Her head is now rounder than 85% of kids her age. She is taller than 90% of kids her age and she weighs 75% more than kids her age. Dr. Laughlin gave specific instructions for Maggie to now be encouraged to use a sippy cup for a little water and her formula but no juices yet. She can now start trying bread, mashed bananas, mashed veggies, and some little bits of cereal.

It was a good visit. Stay tuned for more updates.

Par Avion

Maggie has received tons of mail, but yesterday, she received her first air mail. Aunt Kelle and Uncle Matt sent her a postcard from London. We showed it to Maggie and read it to her. Then, we let her hold it, and she had a ball examining it.

Maggie and Angus

Maggie has become way more animated than ever in the last week. She babbles and grunts to get attention. She mainly focuses her attention getting efforts at Angus, and when he does not comply and grant her the attention she so desperately craves, she cries. She literally has cried with tears and all. She has become quite fond of Angus. She watches him when he walks around the room; she grunts at him when he leaves the room; she smiles at him; she laughs at him; she will sometimes stick her tongue out at him; and most of all, she enjoys reaching out to pet him or to hold his tail. It's too funny.

A Thanksgiving to Remember

Hello all. We had one rule this Thanksgiving, and that was to not get out of our loungewear all day. We managed to succeed. I have never made such a scaled down Thanksgiving meal and I had never spent the entire Thanksgiving Day in my pajamas but it was fantastic. We did miss our families, but we enjoyed a little down time with Maggie. Maggie began the day wearing her "My Little Turkey" onesie and bib from Aunt Kelle and Uncle Matt. Early in the evening, we changed her into her lounge wear.

Matt and I dined on Greenberg smoked turkey from Tyler, Texas, green bean casserole (at Matt's request), cornbread dressing, and mashed potatoes and gravy. I also made Matt a pumpkin pie. Maggie enjoyed her first real table food in mashed potatoes. I made some special for her that I just boiled in unsalted water and then mashed up in very small pieces. She didn't really like them. She gave us a face like "aren't these supposed to have butter, sour cream, cheese or at the very least gravy on them?" Once she recovered from the mashed potato experience, she scarfed down squash, green beans, and pears.

After Matt gave her the first taste of potatoes.


After her second taste of mashed potatoes.

It was a fantastic Thanksgiving, and one we won't ever forget.