On Broadway!

Okay, so we're not going to be on Broadway... :) But we're keeping our tradition of going to see Broadway alive! Going to shows is one thing that Austin and I have done since we started seeing each other. We've managed to make it to at least one show, almost every year! Our first show was at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater, so not a Broadway production, but still pretty good! I really hope that this is something that we can continue to keep doing. We both love musicals and Broadway, obviously and it's a great date night! 

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Chanhassen Dinner Theater, December 2007 - Our first show, and although not a huge production, it was a lot of fun because of the intimate setting which included audience interaction! 

Wicked, Minneapolis Orpheum, December 2008 - I had already seen this show but this was Austin's first time. While our seats weren't the best, you can't beat the music! 

 

Rent, Des Moines Civic Center, November 2009 - probably my favorite show that we've been to. Not only did we have awesome seats thanks to a co-worker (center and just the perfect amount back to see everything), but this show also had some of the original members from Broadway and the movie version! 

Avenue Q, University of Northern Iowa Gallagher Bluedorn, April 2010 - This was also not a huge production because of location, but we had awesome seats for this very funny and very inappropriate show! 

Mary Poppins, Omaha Orpheum Theatre, February 2011 - This is probably at the bottom of our list in terms of memorability, but I wouldn't say it was because of the show. The show itself was great and we found ourselves clapping along with the songs and all the many kids also in the audience! But I think we forget about this one because just a couple months later we saw... 

Les Miserables, Omaha Orpheum Theatre, April 2011 - This show we were able to see with my sister and some friends of ours. The only downside to this one was our seats were so far back that it was hard to see somethings. But the music and special effects were outstanding! I'd definitely go see this one again! 

Lion King, Omaha Orpheum Theatre, April 2013 - This was our last big date night before baby and it was an awesome show! We had some really unique seats - we couldn't see the whole stage but as you can see from the picture, we had a fun view of some musical instruments that were a part of the show. This production is so great! Not only is the music fantastic but the costumes are so fun! 

Phantom of the Opera, Des Moines Civic Center, September 2014 - After this show, we realized how much we miss going to musicals! Hopefully we can keep the tradition up! This show was so good and the stage and the effects were just incredible! We were really impressed, especially by the chandelier! Our seats were pretty good as well, but I think they were even more valuable because they were right by the doors and the same level as the bathroom! No long lines for us! :)  

Three Months and Everything's Changing

My little baby is three months old! And I'll say it again, time keeps moving way too fast! And I know I'm going to be saying this every time I post here! :) But it's been so much fun watching him grow and learn new things!

Jacob is becoming much more vocal, cooing at us, blowing bubbles, laughing and giggling, buzzing his lips and making random noises. And they are just the cutest things I've ever heard. I could sit and listen to him "talk" to me all day! Especially when he smiles when he talks! He's also getting much better at tummy time, not getting as mad when we put him down but sometimes even enjoying it! He's doing great at pushing himself up on his arms and looking around. And he's even been getting better at rolling over more quickly to his back! He has also rolled from his back to his tummy a few times, although he normally can't get that one arm out from under himself. But he likes to roll to his side a lot and then back to his back again. 
Jacob also loves to put things in his mouth, or try to put things in his mouth! He loves to chew and suck on his own hands. But his coordination is getting much better as well! He can pull some things towards him like blankets and certain toys, which he'll then try to put in his mouth. You can also see that he's trying to reach out and grab at toys around him. Sometimes he'll get them and others he'll just bat at them. We have a little activity chair for him that he's really starting to enjoy sitting in and play with the toys around him. 
He loves to move around all the time - laying down on his play mat, sitting on the couch or even while you're holding him. He will just kick his little legs and swing his arms all around. He's got some great strength in his legs too and is getting better at putting his weight on them when you hold him up. He's definitely going to keep us busy once he becomes mobile!
Overall, he's become much more aware of everything around him and a very active baby! He's a lot of fun to interact with now too because he'll interact back with you! We've decided he's becoming quite the charmer! Everyone who meets automatically falls in love with him! And it's easy to see why! :) 

In other news, Austin is keeping very busy at school. He's doing a fall musical and he's decided to do "Annie" this year. Rehearsals have started and performances are the first weekend in November, so they've got a lot of work to do. He's working with someone from the community to help with some of the drama so he can focus on the music side a little bit more, which is nice. He's also still learning about his students and they're trying to find a groove that fits together. The choir is very different from his choir at Riverside and so there's a learning curve. But I know, with time, they're going to find something that works and he'll be just as successful at D-NH, if not more! I think he's also enjoying teaching the third and fourth graders but would much rather be teaching middle school so he could build up the program more. We'll see if that's something he'll be able to do next year.  

And in case you haven't heard, I'm officially back in the workforce! I've started my new job as the Marketing Coordinator at Maple Manor Village in Aplington, Iowa, which is a nursing home and an assisted living home. A quick overview of what I'll be doing is of course all of their marketing (posters, ads, newsletters, etc.), event planning within the community and working on inquiries and referrals. This will actually be a good mix of my past two jobs - marketing, like I did at Kruger, and then going out into the public and being a face for the company, like I was for UNO. But this is in a totally different industry which means I have a lot to learn. But I think it's going to be a great new and exciting challenge and I'm really looking forward to working here. 

So this also means that Jacob has started daycare. We found a great in-home daycare in Dike, just two blocks from the school. It's run by a husband and wife who are both super nice. We love that it's so close to school, not too many kids, at someone's house but also still structured. I was having some pretty bad anxiety about having to leave Jacob at daycare for his first day, for a number of reasons. I had been able to spend three amazing months at home with him and those are days that I'll treasure forever. So it was going to be a big adjust me for me not to have all that time with him! I was also worried because he had been fighting sleep and would only fall asleep in my arms most of the time and I knew that was something he wouldn't be able to do at daycare. However, the first drop off wasn't nearly as bad as I originally thought. And of course Jacob did great! He's a champ! And all the other kids just loved him! They swarmed his carseat as soon as we got there! :) He's pretty much the center of attention! And daycare has been great for his sleeping habits!

Like I mentioned, Jacob was having a hard time going to sleep. He would be obviously tired but would fight it really hard. He would not fall asleep on his own, he would just cry and cry and I couldn't stand listening to him cry so hard, so I'd always go pick him up. So we tried swaddling, shushing, rocking, singing, walking, bouncing, going outside, putting him in a swing, opening the freezer door for a cool breeze... I tried it all. And it would take a combination of some of these. And then as a last result, I'd give him a little bit of gripe water and that would almost always calm him down enough for me to get him to sleep. But then I would hold him while he slept, if I tried putting him down, he'd wake up and cry. Even after just a couple of days at daycare, Jacob has been doing better. At daycare, they told me he'll cry for a little bit and then put himself to sleep! So I thought, okay, time to try it at home! Up until this point, Jacob had still been sleeping in our room too. So, the other night, I put him down in his crib while he was still awake, shut the door and waiting for him to start fussing. I expected him to fussy some, but he did nothing! He just fell asleep! I was amazed! The next night, I put him down again while he was still awake. This time he did cry for a bit, but eventually fell asleep again! We've even been putting him down in there for his naps over the weekend and it's been working out pretty good. 

I have noticed that since putting Jacob in his crib, he's been waking up more often to eat but I don't know if the two are related. I've read about the four month sleep regression and he's also had a bit of a cold so who knows what exactly is waking him up more often. But we're making progress in the right direction! And that's all that matters! It's been great having him in his own room finally too. We don't have to be quite as quiet when we're getting ready for bed and can stay up a little bit later, although we're almost always in bed when Jacob goes down! 

So, life is definitely changing and we're adjusting to a new life as two working parents. But I think it's all going well and we're going to like our new life. And it's so much fun watching Jacob change every day! I'm looking forward to seeing where life leads us! But it feels like things are starting to fall into place and we're finally getting some answers to our prayers, which is a great feeling. God is good.