6 Months

Okay seriously, I know I have said this before, but how the heck has 6 months passed already?  So some 6 month updates:

Parker:
Parker's bottom teeth popped through this weekend, I can't believe he has teeth now.  He is still really close to crawling but hasn't quite figured out what to do with his arms so he ends up face-planting a lot.  He hasn't even started really crawling yet, and already I am wondering why we are encouraging him to be independently mobile.  He just wants to touch everything and is going to be a handful once he can get around himself, I'm sure.  I have really enjoyed walking him around the house to let him touch everything.  The other day I wasted a ton of electricity when I let him touch everything in the fridge for like 20 minutes.  He was really liking it though.  He is enjoying eating solid foods.  I am still making my own, but we have also been giving him some of the pre-made stuff so he could try some other flavors that I wasn't sure how to make.  We have started giving him these little yogurt melts and puff things, they are like cheerios but they dissolve quickly so he won't choke on them, and he really likes them.  In just a week I have already seen how his dexterity is improving by picking them up, it is really amazing how quickly they learn and adapt to new skills.  He absolutely loves the teething biscuits.  He loves to give big sloppy kisses, loves watching and grabbing the dogs, really loves his jumperoo, his gorilla and his sleepy turtle. 

Me:
6 months later and I am finally below my pre-pregnancy weight.  Mike and I have been really consistent with P90X and are seeing great results so far.  Plus we love making fun of Tony Horton, so the workouts are that much more fun.  For those of you that don't know, I have accepted a new position (still at the University) as the Executive Assistant for the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs.  I currently work in the Chancellor's office, so to give an idea of the hierarchy at the university, there is the Chancellor, he is like the CEO, then there is the Provost, he is like the CAO, and then there are the 5 Vice Chancellors that manage the operational aspects of different sectors of the campus from Finance and Business operations to Research to Advancement, Student Affairs and the School of Medicine.  This position is a huge step up for me in terms of title and responsibility.  I will be sad to leave the my current office for the friendships I have made, but realistically I still work in the same building so its not that big of a deal.  I am really excited for the opportunity ahead of me.  When I met with my new boss the other day, he gave me his impression of where he wants this position to go and I was very excited to learn that he is looking for a lot more than just a calendar girl because frankly I am far more ambitious than that.

Mike:
Mike is still enjoying staying home with Parker.  He is cleaning pools on the weekends, and plans to start classes in the fall.  He tried to get classes for this semester but he was wait-listed for everything and nothing opened up.  We have also started talking about looking into an online degree program through University of Phoenix or something similar.  He has come to terms with the fact that the Park Ranger job might not be a realistic goal, as he is already 30 and needs to complete his schooling and have volunteer experience well before 37 (which is the cut off age for hiring within the national park service) in addition to the fact that with my type of career, needing to get up and move at a moments notice won't really work, so if he gets called to move somewhere random, I might not be able to get a good job as easily.  So he is refocusing his goals to start with the basics and pick a major from there.

Hailey:
Hailey is doing well.  She has her first crush and is very excited about it.  She will start soccer (I will be the coach) this upcoming week and is also very excited about that.  Coping with the addition of Parker has been a somewhat rocky transition for her, but she does very well.  As any kid would, she gets a little jealous of the attention that he gets from everyone.  When you think about the fact that for all but the last 6 months of her life, she has been THE center of attention for all things, I can very well understand that having to share the spotlight is a tough one, but I continue to be impressed with her attitude about it.  She is extremely loving with Parker, and he lights up when he sees her.  I just hope that as she gets older and moves into the pre-teen ages, she does not lose interest in her baby brother.