Whew.

It's been a whirlwind around here, as you can probably imagine since my last post. Blogging is usually the first thing to go, and that pattern seems to be the case here too.

So, if you missed it: David has cancer. Chronic myeloid leukemia, to be specific. All things considered, he is honestly doing *really* great. I feel a little weird writing too much about it, because it's his battle and he's not a big share-er of things on social media...but I also want to be able to look back on this time and have a little bit written about it, so that tightrope line is what I'm walking with this post.

He's been home from the hospital for just a week now, and for someone who only got out of the hospital a week ago, he's doing great. He's up walking, not even nauseous enough from the chemo to need his anti-nausea meds, but really pretty tired most of the time. All things to be expected, for sure. We're trying to adjust to him being here all the time, which is a weird sentence to write because duh, he lives here, but it throws us girls off our usual routine and that is always stressful, no matter the reason.

We have had family visiting off and on for a few weeks, and so today was our first day with just us 4 home. My work has been really slow this month, which is a blessing and a curse at the same time. Good because I can concentrate on keeping up the house/feeding us/cleaning more than normal (those are all things I basically do not do from Monday-Friday if I'm working my full 40 hours, in case you've ever wondered), and keeping up with insurance calls/doctor visits/etc. etc. It's also a bit of a bummer because we need the money, but next month should be a little more normal and I think that will be good timing.

We've been shown an insane amount of generosity from every corner of our lives since the diagnosis. It's been overwhelming in the best way possible: meals brought to us, prayers said for us, cards and well-wishes from all over the globe. It's incredible, really, and hard to express the thanks we feel in just words.

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In non-cancer news, we've had a great fall. I keep meaning to update on all the house projects and things we've done, but as it's been go-go-go I haven't yet. This winter! I will take a bunch of crappy photos of stuff and regale you with it all. Gotta keep it all documented for posterity's sake.

I do not have high hopes that a 10 month post will be written about Cora, but I did take the photos so I'll probably squeeze those in with her 11 month ones. Sorry to disappoint everyone, I know you're probably all depressed because of it.

A short update on her: she is crawling everywhere SOOOO fast, loves getting into every single thing she can possibly get to, still sweet and a little clingy, but otherwise basically the happiest baby on the block. She eats big people food like a person twice her size, cut her first tooth 3 days ago (beating Kate on alllll the milestones), and I'm guessing she'll be walking in the next few weeks. YIKES. Lots of changes for a cutie this size but we love her.

She fell asleep sitting up, I'm pretty sure, and then just doubled over. Flex-i-ble.

We carved photos! Guesses on which is mine and which is David's? :)

Target trips these days leave little room for actual purchases. That is another double-edged sword: good for my bank account, difficult for when we actually need to buy stuff. 

Seriously, can she GET any cuter?

This spitfire is another story altogether. We're nearing a calmer part of the threenager behavior, but entered into an all-new negotiating phase and it is exhausting. She's definitely inherited her father's penchant for arguing and negotiation.

For example:
Me: Kate, 5 more minutes until dinner time.
Kate: No, Mama, 10 more minutes!
Me: No, I said 5 minutes.
Kate: 7 more minutes?
Me: FIVE MINUTES.
Kate: 3 minutes?
Me: *silently rages because toddlers*

As you can tell, she needs a little practice with some numbers being smaller or larger than her intended target, but the natural gift is all there. She's got a great career as an attorney in her future, if she wants.

On the other hand, she has been extra sweet and cuddly with David's health stuff, and always tries to be very helpful, so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with the tantrums and stuff. It's a very faint light, but it's there.

Don't you worry, as soon as naps end (not wanting that to come quicker), I'll be taking an insane amount of photos of these two cuties in their Halloween costumes. And I'll be making an effort to take more sibling photos - I seem to have lots of photos of them separately but not many together. Whoops.

Thanks for sticking with that randomly-conglomerated photo dump. I'll be doing more of those in the next few weeks interspersed with home improvement progress stuff so you don't get too overwhelmed.

Keep us in your prayers, and thanks to everyone who's reached out already. <3
HG