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A Peek at Life in Gillette


There it is! Our little town home! I cannot believe it is the same amount of rent as Sheridan! (Though I miss it.) When our place is clean one of these days, and decorations and art are up, I'll post the inside :) 

We've never had a garage before! We keep the Kia (Sorrento! That's a fun story, we bought our first car together too!) in the garage, and the red car (Fartmobile: it's old and smells...but works!) outside. I love, love, love our place and am so happy we have one of the green townhomes! I know... I dork out about things like that! 


Right now Austin works M-F 8-5pm, and I work 12's, six on and six off. I am switching back to 4 10's because I was following my preceptor. I've been lucky to have her schedule as well, and spoiled by the six days off with this little cutie. Always on the first morning off we have together, we sleep in. I think he may have his mom's need for the ZZzzz's!

Grandma Torres got him Jelly Cat, and he picked out Lenny the Lemur when he was much littler. He needs to have both of them to hug and go to sleep. It gets so so cold here in Wyoming, and little toddlers love to wiggle off blankets when they sleep. So we found this amazing sleep sack meant for cold weather and toddlers! He always starts with his outerspace blanket Grandma Carmen made on him and tucked in, but by the morning he snoozes on top of his covers next to his friends. 


Speaking of work life and the cold, I had to throw in this little bit to fellow nurses/avid handwashers/winter-bunnies out there. BEST cracked finger cream out there! I read a bunch of reviews on it and held off for a while. I got it finally and it's a miracle. 



Baby R has been super into sensory stuffs lately; when he's done with his food he loves to squish it around and feel his macaroni or oranges etc. His favorite things to do when I take him to the library are to stick his hands in all the tupperwares filled with dried pinto beans, rice, etc. for the little kids to play in. He loves petting cats and dogs too! Just today I took him outside to walk and he met a dog who licked him and let him pet it. (The owner was super nice to let him do that!) He cried so hard when we went inside and the dog left. He went to the front door and sat down and cried cause he loved to pet the dog!

I was trying to figure out a way to bring this sensory play into our home without a mess, no playdough in the mouth, no pinto bean choking hazard stuff. I found kinetic sand which stays together and doesn't dry out. He hasn't even bothered to put any in his mouth either. It doesn't spread and is easily put back in the tupperware. A Mom's dream! So I also got him CAT construction toys and playdough shaping toys! I don't think he's ever sat down for longer than 30 min, but this trick had him entertained for a 45 minute stint and then we brought it out in the evening again when Dad/Austin came home!


Excuse the messy toddler and counter.... (real life I suppose!) 

The library has also opened our world to baby signing. I thought it was a very hippie/pretentious thing to do that probably didn't work, but it has been life-saving. We really started getting into it when the Hospital Daycare Baby R goes to mentioned they teach them signs. We had to get books to educate Mom and Dad about baby signs because sometimes he'd come home with a new one and get frustrated! 

Signing has made it so there are much fewer tantrums from frustration and inability to communicate his needs. In the above photo he's signing for "more." He can also say "mo" now too! It definitely takes patience and time, but when it works it is incredible. He signs for more, drink/cup, milk, all done, raspberry (haha! of course!), and poop, etc. We are working on loads more since these have worked! 




Because we love cooking, I had to show off our culinary adventures lately! We had the above burritos from Thug Kitchen all week. The peach salsa and adobo chili chipotle beans were killer! Tonight I made Danish-style sandwiches from Green Kitchen. Sour-dough Rye bread and pumpkin garbanzo bean topping with swisschard, rocket (arugula), red onion and cucumbers! I also made homemade butter the other night too to help toast the bread. 



We are slowly making this place home, and are growing, healthy, and happy! 

Xoxoxoxo

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