The. Big. Update.

Jeez! I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted!! I'm just about to go pick up K from daycare, and I was thinking I'd take some eight-month pictures this afternoon before it gets too dark. So I'll post 'em soon.

Here's the lowdown of what we've been up to over the past month:

• We moved!! I started packing and all that joyfulness about six weeks ago, when I found out I'd be able to move this fall instead of next summer, and it's been nothing but busy-ness ever since. I can finally say that I'm done moving, but definitely not done unpacking. Last night I got so sick of looking at the boxes strewn around the living room that I went into a total cleaning frenzy and unpacked a ton of stuff...but I do still have a small mountain of boxes next to the windows in the living room. I can't wait to go home tonight and survey the cleared space! It's satisfying. We now live in a very cool two-bedroom townhome (with an upstairs! Yay!) that has everything I was hoping to find except for a garage. Big rooms for both of us complete with vaulted ceilings and skylights, huge closets, fireplace that I can't wait to use this winter, cute (read: small) backyard with space to garden and plant grass in the spring, and the most beautiful renovated bathroom I've ever seen. Right out of a magazine. I never knew I'd be so excited about fixtures!! I'm so glad I'm all moved out of the old place. The mice can have it all to themselves. Yeah, I know. Mice. Horrible for an about-to-crawl baby. I did 95 percent of the moving all by myself, since the people who offered had things come up last-minute. I was disappointed for a while there, since I'm taking care of K on my own AND teaching middle school full-time AND trying to get us moved all the way across town. But I did it, and I'm really proud of myself.

• K turned eight months on Tuesday. I can hardly believe it! She's doing all sorts of new things, and I love every minute of it. It sure helps that she's in a new room at her daycare with kids who are a little older...lots of crawlers and walkers in there. Her latest thing is babbling nonstop, which is so entertaining to listen to and respond to, especially on the commute home in rush-hour traffic. She LOOOVES her bathtime, especially splashing and playing with her toys. She still loves to stand (supported) as often as possible, and now she's finally sitting by herself too. She cut her first tooth two Saturdays ago, and unfortunately it's all about the funky diapers now. Terrible diaper rash, which we're battling on a daily basis. Lots of frequent, irritating poops (sorry, TMI). I keep reading that this is all a part of teething, and friends have confirmed that too. But at least she loves having her teeth (tooth!) brushed...it probably feels good on her gums. She's a really happy kiddo on the whole...lots of smiling and laughing, even while she's teething. I actually have a parent conference tomorrow at her daycare, which will be interesting, I'm sure. I really like her caregivers, so I'm sure it'll go well. She's not crawling yet, but she is scooting, so I know it won't be long now. And she's a tall baby, just like her mama--she's in 9 to 12 month sizes mostly, only for the length in her legs, arms, and torso. She's a long drink of water! (I'm six feet tall, so no surprise there.)

• Things have just been incredibly busy lately. Now that the moving is done, I can focus on getting caught up with everything else, including getting everything unpacked and put away. We now live within walking distance of one of the many walking trails that crisscross my Colorado city, so I'm really looking forward to enjoying what's left of fall by going out with K in the stroller. I need the exercise!! I promise I'll do better in the future with updating this blog. :)