The Triple(t) Threat: Transitions

I've been thinking a lot about transitions lately, probably because we are in the midst of so many transitions right now. Michelle is transitioning into a new semester (started this week) and I am transitioning to a new job (starting next week) and have been transitioning back into work period after being off so much of the summer. On top of that we have a new nanny who started two weeks ago. So life has felt pretty nutty and all over the place for the past few weeks. I'm sure that in a few weeks or so we will have settled into a new routine, but in the meantime we're just trying to get through each day with some semblance of sanity.

Michelle has a busy semester ahead of her that is going to require quite a bit of time on campus and even more time working at home or elsewhere. She not only has to keep up with week to week stuff for her final two classes, but is also helping a professor with an assistive technology class and starting her "Comps" project, which will be a hands on research study. Oh yeah, and next Wednesday she defends her Candidacy paper, the first of three major projects. This project was started pre-babies and put on hold for about 6 months. Michelle has been working feverishly on it for the past couple of months so while she's understandably nervous about next week, it will be a big relief to check that project off!

My work transition shouldn't be too big of a change because even though I'll be working for a new company I will be keeping the majority of my caseload. I've been thinking about making the move from Easter Seals to Strawberry Fields since the spring when my boss and another manager both left but have been wrestling with the decision a lot over the past month or so. We had decided that what we needed as a family was for me to only be working part time like I have since the babies were born. Financially it isn't that easy, but we've been making it work and for a few weeks before my surgery I was pretty much back to full time and we all felt pretty ragged. After talking with my current boss, who is in Pittsburgh, I did have the option to stay with Easter Seals and go part time, but with the switch to Strawberry Fields I think I will have more overall flexibility in scheduling because it will be all early intervention (birth to 3 home visits) that I can schedule around Michelle's classes and such. And I'm looking forward to having other PTs to connect with again because since my previous manager quit I've been the only PT at Easter Seals. So we'll see...I hope I made the right choice.

Thankfully, with all these other changes, the new nanny is working out great so far. She is about my age and has a ten year old daughter who came with her the first week since she wasn't back in school yet. She was a special ed teacher for ten years so she understands development and engagement which is great and she is super flexible about when she comes as long as it is during school hours. And that flexibility is the best possible scenario for us since my work schedule will change as I get new kiddos on my caseload and Michelle's schedule may change once she starts her research project. So we are very happy that this big piece of the puzzle seems to have fallen into place. We will miss having Hope with them/us during the day, but she starts full time student teaching on Tuesday and will only be around in the evenings and on weekends.

Speaking of transitions, the babies have been learning some new gross motor transitions lately. I might have to write a Motor Monday post about transitions! (I've been soooo bad about getting those written lately!) I have been missing blogging, but with all the craziness around here and either helping proofread Michelle's paper or taking care of things around the house so she can work more I haven't really had time. And then this week the screen on our old laptop that I usually use for blogging decided to stop lighting up. =( So Michelle is always using the good laptop and either she is also using the iPad or it is in the guest room as a white noise machine. Speaking of which, I know this is a long shot, but if any of our readers have an old iphone or ipod stashed in a drawer somewhere and would be willing to send it to us to use for white noise that would be super! We will pay for shipping! Or, for that matter, if anyone has an old laptop that they want to part with, all I need is something that will connect to the internet! =)

So that's what has been going on around here and why you haven't heard as much from us lately! Hopefully once we get settled into our new routines that will change because I really do enjoy blogging and have been missing it lately! Here are a handful of random cute baby pics as your reward for reading this otherwise baby-less post! =) I do have some more baby posts coming soon (hopefully)!