We are here!

Wow, how did this happen again? Its been another month since I posted. Life has been crazy busy getting ready for the move, actually moving and then setting up house. 

Three generations of Cochran men have slept in this crib!

Quentin turned nine months during all our crazy. He is growing up too fast. He is so smart and I can't believe how well he eats. He got one bottom tooth this week and has the second on the way. He has learned to wave goodbye and to high five. He loves that he can follow us around now and loves to play with his sister. He is still a crazy mamas boy and that makes it hard to get anything done.

We are liking in here in Des Moines. Our house is nice and in a great location. It is quick to get anywhere. It was so helpful to have John come help us on our move. We used the horse trailer to move our stuff from Colorado. Driving up was a long day, but I'm glad it only took a day to get here. So much better than driving across the country. We got here on Thursday last week and we unloaded and then stayed in our relater's condo for a couple of days before we got to move into the house. We weren't supposed to move in until Monday, but the previous owners moved out early so we got to move in on Saturday. We spent the weekend working in the yard and cleaning and moving what we could with the car. On Monday we had movers come and help us(we have the best relater, he paid for the movers and let us use his moving truck). Then is was unpacking and more unpacking. 

I am starting to feel like we are settled now. It has been slow going with the kids being so cranky, but the main floor is basically done now. We need to buy a couple more pieces of furniture, but we will get them over time. 

We have got to relax a little since being here. On Thursday night we went to a fellow residents house to have dinner and get acquainted to a few of the people Johnny will be working with. Yesterday we went to Adventureland (the local amusement park). The kids loved it. We had a blast ridding the rides and swimming in the water park. We had gone as a group with Johnny's co-workers, but got separated pretty early on. 

So life at the Cochran home is going well. I will try to get back on track with keeping up with the blog.

The Big Move

Well I have missed a few weeks, but I was pretty busy the last two Sundays. So now I have tons to catch up on. 

Quentin turned 7 months old on the 24th. He is getting so big and grown up. He wants to move all the time as is evident in his monthly pic. If you set him on the floor he immediately turns on his belly. He is still a mamas boy and prefers to be in my arms at all times. He is eating some solid food and is a little picky. So far he only likes to eat sweet potatoes, corn and any fruit. He also likes real rice not the rice cereal. He can play peak-a-boo and loves to grab anything in arms reach, cords seem to be his favorite right now and I am constantly having to take them away from him. 

Johnny's last week of rotations seem to take forever but Friday came and our lives changed very quickly that day. After going to the doctor to get Quentin some shots we picked Johnny up from his last day as a med student. We headed home, but before we went to our leasing office to see if we could move out whenever we wanted (I was previously told we could not move out until the last day of our contract). They told us we could move anytime we wanted so we went home and decided we wanted to move a whole week earlier than expected. All I can say is the next three days were a blur of packing cleaning and getting things ready for our move. We decided to stop by in Des Moines to drop off our stuff and look for houses before we headed to Colorado. I was also excited to get to see the place we are going to be living for the next three years! 

After packing the truck and driving the two days to Des Moines We were so glad to get unloaded and be off the road. Our kids are always so good traveling, but after the three previous days of not so much mommy time and the car breaking down it was nice to be off the road. We didn't get to rest though because looking for houses is hard work when you a dragging two little ones along with you. I'm not surprised, but a little disappointed we didn't find anything while we were there. So the search continues over the internet. The rest of the drive went very well and we were happy we got here safely.

We have been having lots of fun here at Nana's house. I can't decide who loves who more, Daphne or Tanner. We figured they would love playing with each other.Quentin loves all the attention he gets and he loves his bouncy gym. I have found a little job doing house/yard work for people in the ward. Its good to be making money and having things to do while I'm here. Johnny is hoping to get a job substituting at the schools here. Other than that our life is as normal as it can be. 

What we've been waiting for!

Our seven year anniversary was on the tenth. We didn't do anything because we wanted to wait to celebrate until after the match. So the week was spent waiting for this week to come. I know I shouldn't spend so much time looking to the future and focus on the present,  but I have been waiting for us to match for YEARS.

Monday we found out that we DID match and it was so nice to know that we did it and that Johnny would have a job in the summer being a REAL doctor! We are so proud of him and all the hard work he has done to make his dream come true! It was also St. Patty's Day and we celebrated with Corned Beef and Cabbage. 

The rest of the week was long and hard for two reasons: one because I had to wait until Friday to find out where we are going to spend the next three years, second because Johnny had the night shift all week. It was hard to have him gone for so long. On top of his 12 hour shift he had to stay for morning report and rounds which means he really had a 16 hour shift everyday. Hard on him and us. The kids seemed to sleep horribly all week so none of us were getting any rest. 

Well the long awaited Friday came and we found out we are headed to Des Moines, Iowa! It was not what I was expecting, but we are so excited! I really didn't care where we went as long as we got in some where. It will be so nice to feel settled and have friends and feel a part of a community.

Johnny says the program is good and the hospital is very nice as well as the people he will be working with.

Saturday after Johnny got home from his last night shift he took a little nap and then we headed out to celebrate! We went out to dinner at Longhorn Stake House. It was super tasty and we all were stuffed so we decided to take a walk around the mall. We also went to get our groceries for the week. By the time we got home we were all pooped. It was a week of ups and downs and now its time to get busy with the move, finding a house, and Johnny's LAST WEEK as a med student!

Nine days with Nana

We are so glad Johnny's mom got to come see us and help with the big move. We all went to the airport to pick her up which was fun because she was only expecting Johnny. She was happy to see the kiddos. I spent the next couple days packing and cleaning while she watched the kids. It was a big help.  Johnny left on Saturday for Maryland. This left us without a car or much to do for a couple days. We kept ourselves busy with crappy tv and playing with kiddos. We also had one last playgroup with the girls. It was so good to get to see everyone and say goodbye before we left. Mary the kids and I flew up on Monday. I would not have been able to do the airport without her. Especially with all the luggage and car seats and stroller. When we got to Maryland I was so exhausted so we went out for dinner. I was a little nervous to see our apartment because Johnny didn't give it a good review but I was happy when we got here. It's not perfect, but it will definitely do for the next few months. The next couple of days were the same as the first, but instead of packing I was unpacking.
On Thursday we took a break from getting the house organized and went into D.C. to sight see. Johnny wanted us to go to the things Mary didn't see on their family vacation a few years back. We took the tour of Ford's Theater, went to the Art Museum, The Library of Congress, The National Archives, and the Museum of Natural History. By this time Mary and I were pretty pooped so we grabbed some Subway and then just drove around to see the monuments. There is always so much to see and it is impossible to see everything in one day. I'm excited to be able to live so close so we can take our time and experience some of the things more thoroughly.
We rested on Friday and Saturday we went to the airport to drop Nana off. Daphne was not very happy when Nana left. She loved having her here to play with and spoil her. I hope Mary had a little fun in between "sleeping" on the floor and the packing. I think she did.

I don't know why but we really didn't get any pics while she was here. I guess I was busy doing other things.

Last Week

 

So I spent the whole of last week sewing away. I made this super cute quilt for my little man. It was fun to do because even though I had a tutorial I had to figure most of it out myself because I changed the size of the stripes from 3in to 4in. It turned out just how I wanted and I can't wait to get to use it.

 

I also made this beauty. I had a ton of fabric left from the quilt so I decided to make this car seat cover up.  I didn't have one with Daphne, but always wanted one. I think it will be great to have to keep little Daphne hands away from him when we are in the car and it will help keep the cold weather out.

 

Speaking of cold weather our little family is heading north this fall. Johnny ended up not being able to finish up med school here in Atlanta like we were hoping. So we are headed to Baltimore sometime in Sept.-Oct. I'm not very excited about it. I'm going to miss it here and I'm not looing forward to moving with a newborn. But that's life and I've done it before and I'm hoping it will be our last time.

 

Daphne had her two year well check up and is doing just great she is 28lbs and I can't remember how tall. I love her so much. She is just the best little girl in the world (and I'm not bias at all). She is so smart and always surprises me with how quickly she picks things up. She also is so sweet. The other day in the grocery store she just kept wanting to give me hugs. It took us twice the time it usually takes to shop, but I didn't mind one bit. We are having a little party for her next week for her Birthday and I can't believe she has been in my life for two years It has gone by to fast! I keep thinking about how we really only have 16 more years with her and I am realizing that time is going to fly by. I love that I get to stay home with her and soak her up. Johnny always says its not fair that I get to be with her all the time and its not. I'm glad I get to be the mommy!

Atlanta and the Crab Shack.

We have been here since Friday and this is the first time I have been able to sit down it seems. I have been on the go since the moment we got here. After arriving and loading the car I started the long process of getting things in order around the house. The we all went out and did a little exploring and got a bit to eat. When we got home I was so pooed and so I went to bed. The next morning Daphne and I we up bright and early so we could go to Liz's baby shower. It was great fun and it was so fun to see Jessie again, even though we didn't get to talk much since she was hosting. After the long drive home I went grocery shopping and then it was home to finish the unpacking. I didn't get it all done until Sunday morning during the first session of conference. During the break we out for a little walk cause it was so nice outside. We found a little park pretty close to the house. When we got back we had missed a whole bunch of calls. some from my mom and some from Jessie inviting us for dinner. So after a quick chat with my parents we headed over. It was so nice getting to visit and to play with the boys. Today we went and did a little shopping and we went out for my birthday dinner....Finally. We ate a Joe's Crab Shack. I had never been there and Johnny has been trying to take me for years, but it has never worked out, but tonight it did and I LOVED it. Whats not to love about a bucket full of Crab? Yum!

Travel and our newest home...

We are here! I've even seen my sweet friend Lisa! We got in on Friday afternoon after a very easy 24 hours of driving. I spent most of the time in the drivers seat, but I prefer it that way because Daphne just screams t me to hold her if I'm not. She did so well on the trip though. We had one dirty night in Fort Smith, Arkansas.(Don't ever stay at the Days Inn there, it is HORRIBLE!) And then one blissful night in Birmingham, Mississippi! We have spent the last couple of days cleaning and getting settled. I promise to post a video of the new place. I have to give the biggest shout out to Liz for letting us stay in there home with all their furniture. We really love it!

Moving on!!!

      

A week from today we are heading to our new home, Georgia. First we are going to Augusta. I am super excited about this because my dear friend Lisa lives there. We will only get to spend 6 weeks there, but I can't wait. Then we are heading to Atlanta for 6 months. We are hoping Johnny can schedule the rest of his rotations there as well so we won't have to move.

On another note Daphne is taking steps. I don't really consider it walking yet since she would still rather crawl than get up on her two feet to get around. The first time she did it I was such a proud mama. I can't believe my little one growing up so fast. Last week I was bored and went through all our pictures since she was born and was amazed at how much she has changed. Its hard to believe how small she was and that she used to be on oxygen. Time goes by to fast. 

Home (for the next four months)!

We arrived here in Lamar on Friday, but our lives have been a little crazy and this is the first opportunity I have gotten to even look at my blog, much less post. Unpacking has gone very slowly and Daphne has not been feeling well. She got a pretty high fever when we got here and wanted to be held, only by me, constantly. She is better now. I think she is majorly teething right now. She didn't seem to have any problems when her two bottom teeth came in, but these top teeth seem to be a little tougher on her. She is tired a lot more now too. Her little tired eyes are so sad, and it kills me to see them. She goes down like a dream though. When here tired eyes appear I lay her down and she turns to her side and goes right to sleep. Have I mentioned I have the easiest baby in the world!?!

 I know some were shocked to find out that we went on a little trip to D.C. on our way home, but is was just as big of a shock to me. I am going to start working on recording our adventures there and hopefully you will have a post with tons of pictures soon. Until then....

Leaving again.

You think after all the times I have had to pack up and move in the last couple of years that I would be used to it, but I'm not. I hate having to leave new friends behind. I really am going to miss Brielle. She and I hit it off and have had so many fun days sewing, swimming and just talking. I wish I could fit all my friends I've made in my suitcase and bring them right along with me where ever I go, but I can't. Sometimes I think it would be better to just not make friends when I know I'm going to be leaving, but I'm to social of a being to not make friends  where ever I'm at. Oh well, I guess that is what Blogs and Facebook are for right!?!

From Colorado to Forida

Our time in Colorado was great, but I think both Johnny and I were ready to head into the next phase of Medical school. That, as always, started with a long trip. We headed out on Tuesday and were hoping to get all the way to Louisiana that first day, but Texas is a LOT bigger than Johnny thought. I kept telling Johnny that I didn't think we would get further than Dallas. When we finally got to Dallas we got something to eat and then found a hotel to lay our tired heads. The next day wasn't quite as long, but we did spend the whole day driving. 

Float

We  finally got to our "half way" point, New Orleans! Our hotel was right in the middle of down town so it took a little back tracking to find the right road. As we were turning on to it this little parade cut us off. It was a little bit of luck, because I think it would have taken us all night to find our hotel if I hadn't been able to get out and walk while Johnny drove. The hotel had another name besides the one we were looking for. ("Worldmark" vs. "Avenue Plaza" The parade was just a high school marching band that need to practice, so they thought "lets have a little parade". The floats were throwing beads(we got a ton) and it was great fun to get to hear them play. It was a great way to introduce us to the Big Easy.  

After getting settled we went out to dinner at the Cheesecake Cafe. It was so good and really close to hotel, so if we ever go New Orleans again, we will definitely be stopping by. 

WWII Museum

The next morning we headed out to the WWII Museum. We were told it was a must see. It was really a great museum and I know Johnny loved it. He loves History so it was a good choice. After that we headed to the French Quarter. We walked around looking in shops. We went and saw the St. Louis Cathedral. After this we were pretty hungry so we went in search of The Court of the Two Sisters. This is where we had wanted and planned to eat. They have a buffet that is supposed to be very good with lots of Cajun food. After searching all over the Quarter, we finally stopped and asked for directions. After a nice couple stopped and took us there we walked in and they told us the buffet was closed. We were very disappointed so we headed out to find a  relatively cheep Cajun restaurant. We headed back to the hotel early because we decided it probably wasn't safe to have a baby out on Bourbon Street after dark.

St. Louis Cathedral

The next two days were spent driving here to Mirimar, Fl. When we got in I was so happy to finally be here and get settled. The place we are staying is nice. The city is very ritzy with lots of shopping. To bad I don't have any money, or I could have a lot of fun here. 

Daphne and me on the corner of Bourbon St. and Canal St.

 

Two days of bad luck.

Traveling went well, if well means getting milked for all your worth. It seemed like any way they could get more money from us they did. Other than that the flying was smooth. Daphne was so good. It was such a long day and it was nice to get off that last flight and know we were done for the day. We were planning on going all the way to Lamar that night, but It would have been horrible to do that. So we stayed the night at a hotel so we could get some shopping and other things done. 

The next morning we got all our shopping done. All morning Johnny's parents were calling us and telling us we needed to come home because there was a storm, but we wanted to make sure everything got done so we didn't have to head back to Denver before the new year. On our way home all the roads were really clear........and then we hit Eads and things changed dramatically. All of a sudden there was a blizzard between us and our final destination. When his parents said there was a storm I was not picturing what was before us. Johnny was driving very carefully, but hit some black ice and the next two seconds of my life felt like an hour. He lost control and we slid across the road, spun 180 degrees and ran into a barbed wire fence. While we were spinning I just grabbed Daphne's seat and braced myself, I was just waiting for us to flip. Don't worry no one was harmed in any way. The car did get pretty banged up though. When we ran into the fence we hit a post and it bent and lodged itself under the car so we couldn't get out.

We called the cops and Johnny's parents.The cop came and said he had another wreck that was priority because it was a flip so he left and we waited for a tow truck to pick us up. While we were waiting two snow plows stopped and then the cop came back and they got us out. So we got back on the road and headed home. Well 45 seconds after starting out we hit another patch of ice. It was not bad that time we just spun around 180 again, but stayed on the road. We decided the smart thing to do was to sit where we were and wait for the tow truck. 

It took forever for the tow truck to get us home, but it was such a relief to walk in the door and have a hot chocolate and a warm bed waiting for us. So leaving Dominica was a pretty eventful undergoing. It will be a trip I will never forget.

P.S. Johnny passed!

Travelling Circus

Travelling went very well. Daphne was very good. We had one flight that was 5 1/2 hours and she only cried once because she was hungry. She loved all the things to look at in the airport. she refused to be in any position that she couldn't see all the things going on around her. We stayed the night in Barbados and our sneaking suspicions that they have a personal vendetta against us were once again confirmed. I'm sure its a nice place to visit, but their airport is just stupid. Daphne didn't like it much either and acted out by keeping us up all night. I think she finally fell asleep at about 4:30 and we had to leave the hotel by 6:00. Getting back "home" felt nice and it didn't seem to hot until I was stuck in the apartment all day with no a/c and no fans. We had a couple of visitors as well. Jamie brought some cookies and the baby stuff I am buying from her. Keith and Ann also came over to see the baby and check out the new apartment. Courtny brought over some yummy stir fry for us to have for dinner as well. This is my favorite part of the island, the great sense of community. I have missed it so much. Everyone is always there to help and hang out. I'm so glad I'm back!

Moving day

Today we moved over to the new house. We had a ton of help so it went pretty well. Daphne was of course good all day, but now she is being really needy. She wasn't held all day so now she WANTS to be held. I am so tired I'm going to have to take two days off to recoup. I won't have internet again until Monday so I will write again then.