Cutie four-eyes

For the last year or so, I've been noticing Camille's eye often go crossed (in medical terms, it's call strabismus). I myself have a bit of a cross-eyed/double-vision problem when my eyes are tired, so I probably tend to be overly aware of such things. But it was getting to the point she was cross-eyed half the time or so, and it got worse in the evenings or at the dinner table. We had to wait for the insurance dust to settle since I recently changed jobs, but at last we got her into a pediatric ophthalmologist.

some cross-eyed Iron Man action.

The diagnosis is Accomodative Esotropia, plus she is farsighted (about +3.5). Basically, her eyes are trying too hard. There is a very small chance she will outgrow the farsightedness, but if we keep her in glasses all the time, she will most likely outgrow the strabismus. If the glasses don't work, surgery is a last resort. Regardless, she'll be in glasses for at least the next 10 years or so. I'll admit, I'm probably more bummed than is reasonable.

I mean, she's definitely still adorable, but it's a different kind of adorable. Glasses are now the first thing people will notice about her. Her bright eyes look all distorted behind the frames. Plus the practical side of it: keeping a kid in glasses can be expensive, we'll need to make sure they don't get lost, we'll have to teach her how to clean them, how to dress (always take your glasses off before pulling on shirts), and how to handle hard things like swimming and sleepovers as she gets older.
It doesn't help that I HATE being a glasses-wearer, so I need to be careful about not projecting that onto Camille. So far she seems to like them fine.
Sorry I'm being a bit of a downer; I do recognize how lucky we are to have vision coverage, and access to doctors and technology to help keep it from getting worse. And that we noticed it early on, and is treatable. It could be so so so much worse. I get that. I'm just... adjusting still. Apparently I wrapped up quite a bit in how Camille looks and is perceived.

I will say, she's been a champ. We've had ZERO problems getting her to keep them on- from the very start she's been awesome. The frames are a tad wide for her face, but from the sounds of it we'll go through a lot of glasses (even if we don't lose or break them, little heads and little eyes grow quickly). She is still such a cutie and likes to show off her glasses- which is just as well since EVERY person we run into comments on them.
In other news, we figured out that the "cradle cap" on her scalp was in fact excema, and was keeping her hair from really growing in on top. Hopefully now the top can catch up to the sides.

On a side note, if any parents of toddlers in glasses have any insight, it's all appreciated at this point. I didn't have glasses til I was 12 (and am nearsighted, not farsighted).

And now for something new

Quick note: If you're reading this because it was linked to on facebook, and you feel inclined to comment, please comment on the blog rather than on facebook, since I'm on a "facebook fast" right now and won't be able to see anything you say there.

So, first, the big news: I start a new job tomorrow. I'll be working for Search Discovery with their new Tag Management System product, Satellite. In the past, I've always been a consultant, helping big companies figure out the technology behind tracking what users are doing on their websites, how they got there, and how we can make the website better based on that. Check out this post I did for work to see how/why we track and how it actually should make internet users happy.

The majority of my job was helping clients implement JavaScript on their pages to do this tracking- which is a "niche" enough skill that the demand is high for consultants and I never needed to worry about finding jobs (I have a long story behind how I lucked into the job/industry I'm in, but let me just say: I'm very lucky and very blessed). So, Satellite, the product I'm going to work for/with, aims to make that implementation process easier. Also, if any college-aged-ish folks are wondering what industry to get into, let me tell you: Digital Measurement is THE place to be. Seriously.

"But, wait!" you may say, "I thought you LOVED your old job! Didn't you just move to Atlanta for that job?" You're right, I did. The 20 months or so I spent at Keystone were amazing and I love every person there like family, and I learned and grew so much and had some amazing opportunities. That company is going through some major changes though and it felt like time to learn/do something new. We're VERY excited about this new change and what it means for our whole family.
Fortunately, my new job is also here in Altanta, in midtown, meaning I'm going to have a doozy of a commute. Which is why we bought our new Prius, making us a two-car family again for the first time in 3 years. We love our new car and LOVE how little gas it uses!

In other news:

Kenny shaved his beard (he has since also gotten a haircut):

Camille also got her hair cut (for the first time). It's still going to be an uphill battle. When it's cute, it's REALLY cute. When it's not done just right it's.... ummm.... well, she is my child, for sure.

We took the kids to the circus on Friday (my one day between jobs) and had a blast. School goes well for Daniel, Camille is talking up a storm, and Kenny and I continue to have a lot of fun with Legos in our free time:)

As always, more pics on smugmug. 

2012 in review

2012 is gone! Poof! No more!

It was a fantastic year for us, even if my blog doesn't show it (sorry for the lack of attention lately). But my resolution is to write something every day- on one of my many currently-ignored blogs, or a journal, or attempting short stories/fiction.... I just need to get used to writing more. So hopefully that means the blog(s) will get more love.

Camille has undies here, you just can't see them. This was her first day in big girl undies.

So, 2012:
We sold our Houston home and moved to Woodstock, GA (just NW of Atlanta) in June (we're renting a home here). We still love it here.

We love our gym nearby, the church we go to, our neighborhood, the seasons, the rolling hills... if I had to say there is a downside it's that we still haven't found a social niche and we're very far away from family and friends.

Camille turned 2 in October. She has these big bright blue eyes (which get cross-eyed pretty often) and her hair has come in curly/wavy- if I style it, I can get ringlets all around. She was potty-trained in September and does a great job- now diaper and pull-up free for 3 months+! She talks ever-so-much more than Daniel ever did at this age and picks up a few new words a day. She's adorable, and she knows it:).

She definitely has strong opinions but she is easy to snap out of a bad mood as well. She will hug/kiss/cuddle anyone willing. She eats a lot of honeycomb (the cereal) and is a bit of a neat freak- she will not tolerate food mess on her hands or face, she loves to organize our shoe pile, and she WILL NOT SLEEP without Bambi under her right arm, Manatee under her left, and brobee above her head just-so.

Both kids play on our iphones pretty nonstop... I'm pretty sure Camille's first word was "phone?".

Daniel turned 4 (!) in April. He now goes to pre-k (it's free in Georgia thanks to the state lottery) and loves it. We had our first-ever parent/teacher conference and he got glowing reviews (aside from his need to learn some classmate's names... 4 months into the year).

This kid talks non-stop, and wiggles non-stop. To be honest, the physical clinginess is killing me. Aside from that though, he's a good kid. He's a wonderful big brother, he loves to compliment others (usually within a few minutes of meeting someone he'll tell them they have pretty hair or a nice shirt), he loves to share... really he has a heart of gold. But oh, the wiggles... I can barely handle it anymore;).

We play a lot of video games together and for someone who can't count above 13 without skipping numbers, he's quite the pro at Fable II.

Kenny turned 28 in May, and ran his first marathon in October. He loves being a stay-at-home dad and is pretty much the best dad ever. No really. I can't express enough how much I admire him- his patience and involvement with the kids makes me wish more dads had the chance to stay home with their kids (though I think Kenny is pretty uniquely wonderful;)).

I (Jenn) have had a crazy year- in a good way. So many changes. I feel a bit like this year was my
"coming of age" year- I guess I'm a late bloomer. I'm not at all who I thought I would be as an adult- religiously, geographically, occupationally, physically, politically... pretty much everything turned out differently than I would have predicted. But I also would never have predicted I would be this happy.
I was promoted to direct a team of 8 at work (well, the number varies) and it has been a really amazing and challenging experience. I do really enjoy it though and can see myself seeking out more management positions in the future. I'm still doing some pretty neat work with some really big companies (we mostly work with Fortune 500) and work with some of the most awesome folks in my industry.
I got a Kindle a few months back and now read a book every other day or so. I've also rekindled my interest in the harp (turns out it's much more interesting if I find pieces I can sing along with). I travel every other month or so for work and while I miss my family, I'll admit it's nice to not be clung to for a few days every now and then. Because when I'm at home, this is my life:

We had a few trips and a few visitors over the year- we went to my family reunion in Birch Bay, Washington in July and truly had a blast. We also traveled to Utah in September and got to introduce the kids to their great-grandpa Kenny (my husband's namesake, obviously). He passed away only a few weeks later, so we were thrilled to have been able to see him.

My parents came for thanksgiving and we had a blast, the kids still talk about them a lot. Then this last week our best friend from BYU, Ben, came and visited for a whole week. The kids love their "Uncle Ben", and Kenny and I were happy to get some good gaming time in:).

Christmas brought a lot of books and legos for the adults, a bike for Daniel, and princess barbies for Camille (who loves to organize THEIR shoe pile, too).

All in all, a wonderful year. Can't wait to see what 2013 has in store.

Note: The well-done professional-ish photos were taken by my sister Lori- the full album can be seen at her website.
The rest of our family photos from the year can be seen at my smugmug album.

Daniel's Priorites

Daniel's bedtime prayer last night:

"Heavenly Father, please bless that I will write my name all by myself; please bless that I will beat daddy at the breaking ice game and not make the ice fall down; thankful for my toys, thankful mommy plays DeBlob with me... *burp*... scuse me... Amen."

Thought that was worth sharing.

Again, I don't have time for an original blog post, but my sister-in-law does a fantastic job of putting together a Family Newsletter based on snippets we send her, so I will copy the snippets we send, so my in-laws aren't the only ones who hear what's up for us currently. Sorry, in-laws, for being repetitive:

• Kenny continues to train for his marathon on October 28th. He is running a minimum of 6 miles a day, but usually more.
• Daniel has started preschool and likes it a lot.

• Daniel continues to take swimming lessons on the weekend at the gym and loves it.
• Daniel has taken a special liking to one of the care takers at the child care center in the gym, Ashley. Kenny asked Ashley if she would be interested in baby-sitting Daniel and Camille, and she had been hoping we would ask. Kenny and Jenni got to go out for their first date while in Georgia. They said it was to celebrate their 6th anniversary (even though it was a week late). They went to a fancy French restaurant and then to go see The Bourne Legacy.

• Jenni surprised Kenny with some home-made Mario fridge magnets for their anniversary. She had a lot of fun making them. Kenny surprised Jenni with a not-home-made sapphire necklace.
• Jenni has been promoted to a management position as the Director of Implementation Services. She enjoys helping out her colleagues in their tasks.
• Jenni got a Vitamix blender for her birthday. She enjoys making lots of smoothies and blending in spinach/kale to help make the treats a little healthier.
• Camille is starting to say lots of words such as: light, nose, mom, dad, leg, ball, dog, car, truck, Daniel.
• Kenny has been missing his regular game group that he had in Houston and has not been able to find enough interested and committed people to start another one. He did however find a gaming store very near his new home that hosts Magic tournaments. Kenny is now using that to feed his gaming needs. Every Thursday night, Kenny gets to go play in a Magic tournament. He was worried that after about 10 years of being out of the game he wouldn't do so well, but quite to the contrary, in his first tournament he placed 2nd out of 24 people. In his third tournament he placed first out of 30 people. He is now king of the nerds. (I added that part)
• Jenni is enjoying practicing and singing in church choir every week.
• Daniel earned his first Lego set ever.

Quick catch-up

I've been daunted about restarting the blog, it has been so long and SO much has happened (oh, by the way, we sold our Houston house and live in Atlanta now).

But I just wrote an email to a friend updating her on the last few months, and figured the least I could do was copy and paste that:

Things are going great. We LOVE Atlanta. And I just got a promotion to a mentoring/management roll that I think will be a good fit. We've gotten a gym membership and I've been doing boot-camp style team workouts that have completely been kicking my butt, plus we got a vitamix and I've been sneaking spinache into my smoothies (and kenny is training for his first marathon) so we're feeling healthier (and tireder).
Camille is starting to talk, saying things like "dog" and "duck" and "car". We're thinking of starting potty training with her soon, since she is showing a lot of the signs of readiness. Daniel starts pre-k (it's free in Georgia) on Monday- woohoo!

We attended a family reunion (with my 2 parents, 4 siblings, 4 siblings-in-law, and 13.5 nieces/nephews) a few weeks ago in Washington and had such a wonderful time- honestly, I can't think of how it could have been better.
I have about 7 months worth of pictures to post, but I'll go ahead and just post the recent family pictures my sister Lori took (as taken from her Elby Photography website):

So many more at the album, go check it out!

And the family reunion pics:

My cute parents:

With all of their grandkids!

December 2011

Oh my, so much to catch up on, and December was a crazy crazy month. This post may be a tad dry, but since this blog serves as the family journal as well, I feel I need to detail some of the fun that was had.
First, I had a week-long business trip to NYC- what was the last of my regular trips. I may still travel for work but not this every-other-week thing anymore. It was a fun trip- a friend took me to a bar at the top of a building, just to see the view. It's cold enough that the bar keeps thick red hooded bathrobes and everyone wears one to stay warm- kind of freaky and cult-ish. But it was fun, and the view was incredible.

I was home from that trip for a few days, then my sister Becky arrived from Portland to watch the kids while Kenny and I went to Utah for my company's Christmas Party. Becky hadn't seen Daniel since he was 15 months old, and had never even met Camille, but Kenny and I both couldn't think of someone we'd trust our kids to more. She brought her youngest, Tyler, who is just a few months older than Daniel. They hit it off pretty well, even if it was hard for Daniel to have someone in his space playing with his toys (he needs more practice at that). Much fun was had, though:


Kenny and I missed Daniel's Preschool Christmas Program, much to my dismay. But Aunt Becky went and video taped it, just so I could see Daniel have a bit of a breakdown in front of the whole audience. Poor kid, apparently musical performance does not come naturally to him (yet).
Meanwhile, Kenny and I had an absolute blast in Utah. My company went all out. Most of us work remotely so we don't see each other very often. We got to stay in nice hotels (sans kids), go inner tubing at Soldier's Hollow, and go snowmobiling near Heber, not to mention much karaoke-ing. It was so so so much fun, and it once again showed me that I'm working for the right company (not just because they spoil us so, but also because we got to discuss where the company was headed and what we've accomplished this year). Though while snowmobiling, I may have taken a corner a bit fast and gone off course and hit a tree. It could have been much much worse, I'm very lucky. Kenny had been in front of me and took a few minutes to figure out I wasn't following him anymore. A coworker was behind me, though, and helped me get out of the deep snow once we were sure I hadn't broken my leg (and that I wasn't going to pass out).
Unfortunately, my camera fell out of the snowmobile's "trunk", so I lost all my pictures from the trip (not to mention my beloved camera). And my leg had a nasty bruise for a week afterwords:

Also, semi-unfortunately, my cellphone stopped working, so we had no choice but to buy new iphones. Oh, boo ;)
When we got back home, my oldest brother Chris and his family were in town from Denver. Camille and I went by ourselves to NASA to spend the day with them (Daniel was sick so he missed out). We see them so rarely, it was so nice to spend time with them. They have delightful daughters and Camille seemed to take a shine to them all.
Then, Christmas! And such a delightful Christmas. Really, it was perfect, minus a few minor germs we had floating around. Camille got a pink wagon she loves to sit and be pulled in, Daniel got Cars 2 and a few fun race tracks, Kenny got some board game expansions, and I got a new wool coat and some books/DVDs. But mostly, we got a lot of time together. My company gave me the week between Christmas and New Years as some additional paid time off, so we had a full week. And what do we do? Nothing much at all, and it was delightful.
The downside was that I caught MRSA ("the superbug"- drug-resistant staph infection). It started off as what looked like a spider bite and ended up with my entire forearm red, swollen, and throbbing. In summary: it hurts a lot, looks AWFUL, and needs treatment. Bleh.
In happier news, New Year's Eve, our Best Man Ben (he will always be that to me) came out to visit from North Carolina for a few days. We went folfing and played games and had a lot of fun. We miss him so much.

Camille is now walking like a pro, but here are some of those first steps from december:

Many more pics up at our December Album.

One Year Old

Anyone still out there? It's been months since I blogged, but here's the general theme since my last post:

• Work keeps me busy. I've been traveling every other week or so for various work projects- this won't be the norm, it's just for this season. I'm ready to be a homebody again. I've spent a lot of time in New Jersey (Princeton area) and Manhattan and even got to see some old friends.
• Kenny is the ideal stay-at-home dad. He's happy and feels "more appreciated and productive as a stay-at-home dad to two kids than he did as a public teacher to 100+ kids". On top of it, he does almost all of the cooking, cleaning and dishes- and yes, he even does most diapers these days. What an awesome husband I have.
• Daniel is hilarious and bright and exhausting. He's learning his letters (slowly) and will happily tell anyone he meets his full name ("Daniel Jatson Toonz"- still working on that K sound) but mostly, he's perfecting his already impressive video game skills. Seriously, this kid can navigate a Wii Mario Kart course on his own, or get a Mario Sunshine sprite, and this afternoon he found me my sword on Zelda Skyward Sword- in a place I didn't even think to look.
• Camille had her first birthday yesterday. She's babbling WAY more than Daniel ever did, can correctly identify Mommy, Daddy, Brother, and Puppy, and is still a few weeks off from her first steps (by my best guess). I think she has finally resolved whatever digestive issues she had her first year and she eats most anything we eat these days.

We had an awesome Thanksgiving week: we got to see my parents here in houston AND kenny's parents and sister in Fort Worth. We went to the zoo and an animal park and the kids loved seeing their cousins so much. We're SUPER excited to go up to Utah in December for a few days for my company Christmas party- my sister Becky is flying down with her Tyler (just a few months older than Daniel) so Kenny and I can take the trip with just the two of us. It will be the first overnight trip we've had together without kids since before Daniel was born. 

Here are all our pictures from November. Others can be found at our online album.