19 months

Amanda turned 19 months old today. 19 months old really has the feeling of 19 years old. The date really isn't all that monumental. We are really starting to see her make her mark and advance with speech and skills. She knows when her diaper is dirty and pulls on it. She can verbalize and recognize several colors like red, blue and yellow. She is picking up a few of the Spanish words and commands that I have introduced such as leche (milk), sientate (sit down) and levantate (stand up).

She is still a very picky eater and probably derives most of her nutrition and calories from hot dogs and whole milk.

Momentum

It's been a long time. To all (three) of my followers. I apologize for that. Every now and again something happens in my life which is not meant for Facebook and requires a more thorough dialogue --> Blogger.

I found out today that my company is shutting down operations in Chicago entirely; dumping 40+ employees on the street. That's right, a company the size of about 30,000 could no longer foot the bill for our salaries and the rent for the office space. What a shame.

It's chilling how quickly this announcement takes the wind out of one's sails. You go from feeling like your efforts are kicking ass to wanting to kick someone's ass. It really is not fun.

I will be retained for a while to transition my knowlwdge to whoever is going to take on our jobs. It's going to be a rough road ahead. Lots to do.

18 months

Amanda added a few new tricks to her repertoire this past month
-loves to kiss goodbye or hello or goodbye or hello
-gets excited when we pull into the parking lot at daycare
-eats her food with a fork, drinks with a straw
-loves Flo Rida's Right Round
-took her first trip to the Holy Land known as Notre Dame
-learning to open doors
-says please, hungry and more (old hat)
-shows her belly button to anyone who asks and is very proud of it
-took her first ride in our bicycle trailer, smooth sailing

Crawl space update 3

The space is now populated. The world is right as rain.

10 years...goes by so fast

Ten years ago today, I received the worst news of my life.

I was a 22 year old senior at Notre Dame and at a beach party on Lake Michigan with friends. It was "Senior Week"; the one full week of free time allotted to seniors after final exams (when all the underclassmen go home) and before graduation. It's supposed to be the best time of your life. There are many scheduled events, parties, etc. You just finished four years at a very competitive university amongst some of the best and brightest of your peers and are ready to step out into the world and make your mark.

Over Thanksgiving weekend 1998, I found out that my father was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer. Each on their own is terminal. He was given six months to live. The family was in shock. The rock of our foundation was shaken. How do you react to news like that? If you are me, you don't believe it and you stay focused to finish strong. If you are my dad, it takes away everything you spent your life living for: family, friends, a home, a career, being a grandparent, retirement.

I still don't speak much about that day - the 12th of May, 1999 - the day my father lost his battle with cancer. It was four days before I was to graduate. All my own plans and dreams were washed away in an instant. I had everything I worked so hard to get, yet I lost so much.

17 Months

A few updates to Amanda's progress.
-She uses sign language to communicate (more, bye and hi are her favorites)
-She likes to be tickled/tossed in the air
-She hates bathtime; this has become troublesome

Crawl space update 2

Insulation, drywall and lighting are compelte. I need to clean up and start moving items into the space.