What will the new year bring?

2013 was a big year for the Breiding family.  What will 2014 bring?

Just 9 days into 2013, our lovely son Maxwell was born.  It was a a much easier birth and recovery than I had with Jade.  I had to recover fast though.  I had Jade to take care of, and I was the president of the MOMS Club.  Everyone needed me.

Maxwell’s first few weeks were rough, just like with Jade.  He had trouble latching on, and wasn’t gaining weight (in fact he was losing weight).  But, he bounced back fast than she did.  He learned how to eat quickly and bulked up pretty fast. But, he wouldn’t take a bottle, so we had to deal with that.

A couple of months later, after a lot of rough nights and some scary symptoms, we found out Maxwell had an allergy to dairy and soy.  So, I had to cut that out of my diet.  Luckily, it didn’t last too long.  At 7 months, we tried introducing it back into my diet, and the symptoms did not return.

While I was in the hospital having Maxwell, Jeremy got a phone call offering him a job where he would work from home most of the time, which he accepted.  It was nice having him home for the first year of Maxwell’s life. He got to spend more time with Jade and Maxwell.  I got a little bit of help, which I needed.

Just before Easter, Jeremy decided he needed to enhance our family once more with a puppy.  We got lucky and found a puppy in a rescue.  Her mother had been rescued pregnant.  She’s a Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix, with a lot of energy and a lot of spunk.  She’s very fast.  But, with all that energy, Jade still wears her out.

Our summer went by pretty much as normal.  Nothing exciting, just fun as a family in Orlando.

Then, Jeremy started interviewing for new jobs.  In September, we took a family trip out to Washington, so he could interview with Microsoft.  He loved it.  We had fun.

A few weeks later, Jeremy took a trip out to San Antonio to interview with Rackspace.

A week later, we made the decision to pack up our family and move to San Antonio.  We had a month to get everything ready and by the end of November, we were in Texas, our house in Orlando cleared out.

So, a new baby, a new puppy, and a new home in 2013.  What will 2014 bring us?  I’m excited to find out. I’m excited to watch what Jade and Maxwell will learn. I’m excited to watch my husband grow at his new job.  I’m excited to see what I have in front of me.  What will I do?  Stay tuned to see!

First month in Texas

We’ve been here a month now, and we’re doing okay.

We got here the week before Thanksgiving, which made Thanksgiving very interesting.  Me, the one who loves to cook, had to buy a pre-cooked turkey and sides, because all of my dishes and everything were still in boxes.  We had a nice day, though.  I had my husband and beautiful children with me, and that was all that mattered.

My husband is freaking out a bit about his job. He is super smart, but he’s afraid that they are going to expect more from him than he can give. I’m confident that he will shine, but he’s a worrier.

I’ve contacted the local MOMS club here.  They are very different from Orlando.  Most of them have older kids. I haven’t met another Mom with a baby yet.  They aren’t very active.  I’m in desperate need of some connections here besides my stressed husband and my small children.  I’ve looked for other groups, but so far, none of them are accepting me.

Finding a preschool for Jade has been rough. I’m just not as thrilled with what they offer here.  I’ve settled for a school and have her signed up to start in January.  I hope it ends up being ok.  The trickiest part is that I have to decide if I like it in a month, because that is when enrollment for next year is, and schools fill up quickly here.  She’s been begging to go to school too, so I know she misses fun time with people her own age.

Maxwell is doing great.  He’s trying to drop his morning nap.  The good news is that he has been sleeping for 3 hours when he naps just once.  Now if I can only get him to sleep through  the night.

Christmas is just two days away.  There are tons of presents under our tree. I have the turkey in the fridge. I’ve made peanut butter balls, cookies, and pies.  It’s cold here.  It could snow, but it probably won’t.

So, all-in-all, we’re doing okay.  One month down.  I think we’ll be doing “well” by Easter.