Still Waiting

Well since I said to expect a post in a week regarding the job opportunity in Portland I figure I need to update. Cam hadn't heard anything from the Portland office all last week. On Friday about an hour before his shift ended (which would be 2 PST) he sent a message to the manager inquiring about the position. The dude in Portland told him that they hadn't figured it out yet. Cam let them know that he was expecting a baby still (he had mentioned it at the original interview as well) and that he may not be in work next week depending on what happens. The Portland guys say they will give him a call on his cell phone, if he isn't at work, to let him know about the job.

I guess this shouldn't come as a HUGE shock to anyone that has been following the stock market the last few weeks; there have been tons of banks going under and huge plummets and rises, so things have been pretty busy. Anyway, the training for the position starts a week from Monday (October 6th) so E*Trade technically has all of next week to mull over the decision of who they are hiring as well, I just hope they let us know sooner rather than later. Hopefully the delay also means that they are trying to get funding to help with moves (since they are having to import employees).

In other news I am still waiting on Chelane to decide to make her entrance into this world as well. I was due last Monday (the 22nd) and there is no "change" that I can see to make me predict when she is coming. I am hoping it will be sooner rather than later as well since there will be a lot to do if we have to move and I would like to be pretty recovered from child birth when I have to make a 12 hour drive to Oregon. *Sigh* I hate everything being to up in the air.

For something completly different Dallas broke our DVD player this week. He tried to put both Baby Signing Times in at the same time... Cam had to take a screw driver to the player to get them out and once he put it back together it wouldn't read the DVD's. It is OK though, the player was old, the remote only worked half the time, and we got a new player for about $30.

Some of Dallas' Favorite Things

This is a bit of a compilation of pictures of Dallas over the month of September and some in late August. He definitely has his own preferences and personality. It is very fun to see them develop.

One of the first things he is liking is using the stairs instead of the couch. I guess it is because he doesn't have to climb on anything (so long as he uses the first step). He will lay on it while watching TV and if we give him a snack to eat outside of his booster seat (dry cereal or something like that) many times he will plant himself on the step to eat it. Also with the aid of the 2nd stair he can reach a light switch - the only light switch he can reach in the house.

Stairs aren't the only thing he likes to sit in... Any box or basket that he can fit in, or if he can empty out one of his drawers, he will happily take up residence for a time. But I guess most kids are like that. (Karma took this picture, I am not sure what is up that face...).

Since we moved Dallas into a twin sized mattress that just sits on the floor in his room, he has started to enjoy looking at books and playing with small toys while in bed. One night Cam and I put him in bed, said good night and went about our activities. I walked back in (probably only 5 minutes after we put him down) to see how he was doing (I normally don't do that), but I am glad I did. I came into the room to this sight and ran downstairs to grab a camera and tell Cam to come have a look.

Dallas has had a bit of the hat fetish lately. He fished out his sun hat from this summer (that is already getting noticeably too small for him) and his winter beanie from his closet. Depending on his mood he will put one or the other on and wear it while he roams around the house.

While at Wal*mart last night we past a display of cheap, children's cowboy hats. Cam and I decided to see what Dallas would think of a cowboy hat (since he seemed to love the straw hats at Grandma and Grandpa's while he was there in July). Well he picked the red one over the black one and immediately put it on. We weren't necessarily intending to buy it, but he didn't take it off until we were home (even in the car where the hat was smashed between his head and the back of his car seat). Well it seems like a good buy, Dallas really likes the hat and now he has a hat that is a "toy" and that he can grow into (it is pretty big on his head still).

I Can't Believe it IS Butter

Honestly I still by margarine most of the time because it is cheaper than butter, but I cringe almost every time. Butter is much more natural and I like that. Organic butter is EVEN BETTER! I am slowly trying to move to organic fruits and veggies and natural, grass-fed, free-grazing animal products, the only thing that really holds me back is the price. It is hard to spend $4 for a dozen eggs when I can get them for $1.50, but the more I read the more I want to support local farmers and farmers abroad that allow their animals to graze and don't cover their veggies in pesticides. Being able to find coupons and learn more about organic farmer's products and methods is a huge motivator to convert my small family over to all natural and organic products. Organic Kitchen is doing just that. Thank you so much!

Of Bibs and Ducks

So, as Chelane is stubbornly waiting until AFTER her due date to come, Dallas keeps reminding me of the fact that I am an anxious waiter.

Dallas came two weeks early so one afternoon in August I decided, "Hey, why not set up all the baby stuff?" So I did. Since Cam is an EXTREMELY heavy sleeper (as long as it is in the middle of the night, from about 5am on he isn't so heavy) and the master bedroom is in this house is huge, I just set up the crib and dresser, with the baby clothes and diapers, on the side of the room we weren't using. Cam, of course, came home and immediately teased me for being so pro-active and then put the crib (already complete with sheets) to good use as a hanger for his work pants. *sigh*

Every few days or so Dallas will decide to rearrange my baby organization job and pull the clothes out of the dresser. He especially seemed to love a little pink spit bib (he believes it is a hat I think) until the other day. He pulled out a cute, newborn-size, yellow sleeper with ducks on it and brought it over to the bed where I was finishing "Return of the King". He handed me the sleeper, and when I asked what he wanted me to do with it he promptly started trying to pull his shirt off and signing "help". When I didn't oblige and tried to explain that the sleeper was for a baby and too small for him, he took the sleeper from me and went to find Daddy...

Portland

So Cam had his interview for the RM position in Portland yesterday. Cam has applied to almost anything that has opened up in the Sandy center over the past few months (about 3 different positions); after all those interviews, however, he said he didn't feel good about the interview... he didn't think some of his answers were good or he felt ill-prepared, etc. When he came home yesterday he said he felt good about the interview. I take that to be a good sign.

If he gets the position he would have a week of training in Seattle, a week in GA and then start on Oct 20th in Portland. We will know if he got the position by the end of next week so (for those of you not doing the math) that will leave basically 3 weeks for 2 weeks of out-of-town training and moving. That also means (for those of you not following too closely along) that I will be packing up the house pretty much by myself with a newborn and a toddler running around. At least I won't be bored! Hopefully Karma can help out...

As you can tell (well maybe you can't) I am getting my hopes up, which I know I shouldn't be. I am just VERY ready to be out of the desert and I know Cam is ready to be off his estate and retirement team. Anyway, we will find out by the end of next week, so watch out for a post along those lines in a week!

Movie

So since Dallas isn't talking too terribly much I have decided I need to stop slacking on teaching him signs, especially of things he asks for constantly. So the last two days I have taught him "candy" and "movie". Of course he is making the signs his own... His candy is a pincer grasp twisting anywhere on his head (last night it was behind his ear). His movie is him interlocking hands and doing that "wave" like move from elbow to elbow. I think it maybe him combining "help" and "movie" together.

Anyway, it is pretty cute and a lot nicer than "uh uh uh" and pointing.

Some Pictures

I am not sure why I am posting these, most people that check this are family and have already seen these pictures, but they are so darn cute. So here are the Dallas and me pictures with my 33 week preggo belly and Dallas is about 19.5 months.

The Waiting Game...

I didn't expect to be waiting until my due date with this pregnancy, but it looks like that is where I am headed. Dallas came over 2 weeks early so I just assumed that would happen again, but here I am 8 days from the due date and nothing. Cam is looking forward to his daughter, not only to have another baby but also to take some time off of stressfull work.

Also Cam is applying for a position within E*Trade at a new office they are opening in Portland. It is the same position we have been waiting to open in the Seattle office, but this will at least get us out of the desert at considerably closer to family. He has an interview on Wednesday and the position would start October 20th (when Cam first told me about the position I thought they would *maybe* be filling it by around Christmas... this would be happening a lot quicker than that).

Dallas started saying some more words. He has "yes" ("ya-ya" in a very happy (and high) voice), "no" (complete with head shaking), juice ("oo-s" along with the sign), and cereal (sounds a lot like his juice but he is signing cereal along with it), and "uh-oh" that I have only heard a few times. His understanding of words has ballooned and he is starting to obey better (and at the same time be more defiant). Cam and I are looking forward to his verbal skills taking off.