Chasing My Joy

My journey to becoming an Ultra Runner and Ironman

Skipping Class + Late Adopter

Today was a boring/lazy day. This horrible chest infection that has been hitting me so hard for the last month is now just getting Cannon (Emmy got it first, then I did a week later, Cory got it about a week and a half ago). Cannon was up all night coughing and barely got any sleep.

Emmy has gymnastics on Friday mornings but Cannon was home so we all just skipped class and had a lazy day. We watched movies, rested and played.

I put Emmy’s hair up in a full ponytail for the first time.

She was pretty pleased with herself.

Lately I have been spending time researching new phones. I cringe to admit that my current phone is an iPhone 6 and it’s five years old. It still works fine, although multiple parts (a couple screens, microphones, etc) have been replaced over the years. I didn’t see any reason to upgrade until Cory got a new Google phone last year and his pictures were SO much better than mine!

Taken from Cory’s phone in Germany

  • My Phone
  • Cory’s Phone

So now that I am fully convinced that I need an upgrade I just need to find the best fit. I am the main photographer in the family and take 99% of my pictures with my phone.

I am thinking about going for the iPhone 11, I have heard great things about the camera.

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How often do you upgrade your phone?

Anyone have the 11 and love it? Do I need to iPhone 11 Pro to get the really great camera?

Emerald Catherine | 21 Months

Emmy is now 21 Months old, time is flying and I am trying to hold onto everything that makes this time so magical. Emmy is so silly and fun and full of personality. She still loves her mommy most in the world and often needs cuddles (I LOVE it).

There was so much to celebrate in the last three months. Emmy loved dressing up as Tinker Bell for Halloween. She really seemed to have fun trick-or-treating.

We missed Thanksgiving due to the flu this year and that was a bummer, but at least we were together and made the most of it.

We had a very merry Christmas and it was so fun, Emmy loved opening presents this year. It was a big improvement last year when she didn’t get to enjoy it because she was very sick.

We then celebrated New Years with friends with found thoughts of how great 2019 was.

EAT

Emmy is pretty open to eating most things now and is very good at feeling herself but she is so very messy. I am constantly trying to get stains out of her clothes.

Unfortunately she has taken to throwing her food and utensils on the floor and saying “uh-oh”.

I remember Cannon doing the same thing around this age so we just have to wait it out.

SLEEP

Sleep was a bit of a rollercoaster for Emmy the last few months. When we were in Europe Emmy just slept in bed with one of us or in her car seat.

When we got home Emmy had a hard time adjusting to sleeping alone in her crib again. There were a few weeks where she was not sleeping through the night and needed to be cuddled a lot. Luckily she adjusted back and is now sleeping through the night in her crib and can self soothe again.

Emmy goes to bed between 6:30-7:00 PM at night and wakes up between 6:00-6:30 AM. She also takes one nap a day in the afternoon. Many days her nap is only about an hour but once and awhile we get lucky with one that is over two hours.

GROW

Emmy is communicating more and more in the last few months, she knows so many words and loves to be understood. She can’t exactly say Cannon yet so she calls him “Ann-on” it’s so cute.

Cannon and Emmy are still best friends, and I really hope it stays that way.

Emmy has also come a long way in terms of learning to enjoy snow lately.

PLAY

In November we signed Emmy up gymnastics at first she didn’t participate much and just wanted to run around wild. Now she loves doing what her coach tells her to do. She isn’t a fan of the foam pit yet but I think in a few more sessions she might start to like it.

Emmy loves to be outside as much as possible and we try to get out for hikes whenever possible.

She loves playing at the playground when we pickup/drop off Cannon at school.

Going on adventures.

And playing at the museum, gym and friends’ houses.

She is silly and sweet and we couldn’t love her more.

Past Monthly Updates

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

10 Months

11 Months

12 Months

15 Months

18 Months

CANNON – 3 1/2 YEAR CHECK IN

Our precious little Cannon is now three and a half years old . Time is flying so fast and he has changed so much in the last year. We were watching videos from last year and it made my heart ache missing the tiny little baby in the video and loving the big boy he is growing into.

Even since the summer he has grown and changed so much!

With so much change coming we spent the summer enjoying Cannon’s favorite things:

playing in the backyard, playgrounds, popsicles and adventures in the mountains.

Eating, doughnuts, splash pads, biking, hiking and pools!

In August it was time for Cannon to start school.

Cannon has grown so much since starting school. He sings songs, recites his ABCs and can count past 20. He follows directions better now and loves his teachers and friends. It was hard for me to see him go but I am so glad we sent him.

In the fall we took the entire family to Europe for almost three weeks. We had a blast and Cannon seemed to really enjoy exploring the castles and seeing the sites in the cities. (travel logs HERE)

We transitioned Cannon from his crib to a toddler bed to a twin and sleep has not been the same. Cannon has been the best sleeper basically since birth but now he is not sleeping through the night. He gets up every night scared of something. Anyone know of tips to help a three year old sleep through the night and stay in their bed?

When we got home from Europe, we got to start celebrating Halloween.

Cannon fell deeply in love with Halloween and enjoyed it all so much. He is still taking about it. I thought the excitement of Christmas would help him move on but clearly his favorite holiday is Halloween.

Cannon also loved all the Christmas traditions.

And clearly loved opening gifts!

Cannon really started to get into the elf on the shelf and Santa this year. It’s been so fun seeing him understanding more and more things.

So much has happened and Cannon has grown so much in the last six months. I can’t imagine what things will be like in six more months when he turns four!

Past Updates

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months 

5 Months

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

10 Months

11 Months

12 Months

2.5 years

3 Years

Emerald Catherine | 18 Months

Our sweet little Emmy is now 18 months old and has officially moved from baby into full toddler. Emmy remains joyful and so much fun but much more sass has moved in as well.

EAT

Not too much has changed for Emmy in terms of eating in the last three months. Possibly the biggest change is that we moved her from her high chair to a booster seat at the table, she also continues to be very messy eating most things.

On Emmy’s half birthday we had birthday cake pancakes to celebrate.

SLEEP

Emmy has officially moved to just one nap a day (finally) so I feel like we can do so much more. Her one nap a day is rarely more than two hours so I am always wishing for more. Overnight sleep remains the same about 6:30 PM to 6:00 AM. There have been a few nights where she wakes up when she is sick but other than that she is sleeping like a champ.

GROW

The area I have seen the most growth in during the last three months is communication. She is saying more and more words as well as yelling no at us often.

Emmy had to alter her routine when big brother started school. She loves riding in the stroller to walk Cannon to school and playing with her friends at his playground.

Snow season has started here and luckily Emmy seems to enjoy it this year. Last year she was not about being out in the cold. Sledding and playing in the snow gets her approval now.

Emmy also gained a few stamps in her passport with our trip to Germany, Switzerland and Austria

PLAY

We spent a lot of time trying to squeeze all the fun we could out of summer.

Emmy loves going to the pool, splash pads and playgrounds. We are already dreaming of next summer.

Past Monthly Updates

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

10 Months

11 Months

12 Months

15 Months

Fall Family Bucket List

Fall is by far my favorite season. I love the mild temperatures and the changing leaves (I could live without the dark mornings, but we can’t have it all). Yesterday it snowed here but I am still in the mood for everything fall.

In the summer we had a bucked list of all the things we wanted to do and it was fun checking them off . I thought we should do it again for fall now that we are home from Europe (recaps coming soon!)

  • Run a family 5k
  • Go to a pumpkin Patch
Pumpkin patch from last year, look at those babies!
  • Drink Fall themed beverages from Starbucks
  • Share hot chocolate with the kids
  • Get lost in a corn maze
  • Attend a fall festival
  • Carve Jack-o-lanterns
  • Get dressed up and go trick or treating
  • Bake pies
  • Make fun halloween themed snacks
  • Go for a hike in the mountains
  • Play in a pile of leaves
  • watch a football game

What are your favorite things to do in the fall?