Moving Progress Day One

Well, Marv got the new renter's security deposit in the mail so we are moving for sure!!
Also --a huge blessing-- on Tuesday we looked at the lower of a duplex about four blocks from where we are now. We decided the price was too much since no utilties were included and we had no idea what the range would be. The man who owns the place also didn't know because he just recently bought the house and was fixing it up. He is the president of St. Paul's church (where we're members.) Small world.
We were pretty bummed since it was a beautiful apartment and it was obvious he puts a lot of time and care into his work. His "hobby" is flipping/restoring older homes in the New Ulm area so this is just so fun for him.
I called him Wednesday afternoon and told him we weren't interested since we don't want to agree to something we can't afford.
He called me last night and said that he and his wife were talking and they would lower the price $75/month because they wanted to help us and because they wanted us to be their tenants. It would be for the upper part of the duplex, even though it's not quite finished. We went and looked today and it is amazing! It still needs some electric work, cabinets installed, new windows put in, and sheet rock for the bathroom (and a toilet and sink in there for that matter) but he thinks he can make it liveable by January first and then do the other things while we're in there. God is good! We have a place to live!! I'll post pictures of it once we're in.
But here is my packing progress for today. Coen was a great helper.

Playing in his box

Packing up the kitchen!

Day One's progress

Laughing Baby!

Sleepytime Video

Move!

We get to move! We will be out of the smoky apartment by Dec. 31st. It'll be a quick pack/move/unpack, but it's worth it.
Here's a video of Coen's "talking." He likes to move his mouth and not make noise.

more!

Coen's fake picture smile

He's number one!

Laundry time

He has also started spreading his arms and legs out like he's flying

5 mo con't

Me as a naked baby

Coen as a naked baby

tickles!

his new thing...throwing himself backwards

5 Months!!

just playing!

I'm teaching him how to share his toys

Looking Out the Window

Coen and I like to look out the window and watch the cars drive past. This day he got to do it with Justin!
sucking his thumb!

looking at a dead ladybug in the windowsill

waiting for more cars!

Rolling Front to Back

We got the Court's decision-- we have to stay in the apartment. Even though in the last paragraph of the Order/Memorandum the judge admitted it is unhealthy for our family. I think he thinks that by law he can't release us from the lease. We're just praying now that someone will want to rent the apartment and we can get out of here. It might be difficult, though, since most people don't want to move during the holiday season or during the winter.

On a happier note, Coen is rolling all over now! I went to run his bath water and found he moved about 5 feet to follow me. It's getting harder to dress him and keep him still for diaper changes.

Here's a video of him rolling:

Sleep Training & Reading

Our Christmas tree

Sitting by himself and reading! (He only sat by himself for a few minutes.)

Justin was taking self-portrait pictures

Sleep training....Didn't go too well at first but now he's sleeping very well at naps and for 8 or 9 hours at night. Go Coco!

More Tgiving

See? He has hair!

Cute bubble friends

Justin carving the turkey!

Thanksgiving!

Fun with Jenny! She was blowing on his face and he loved it.

Thanksgiving meal

Big sloppy kiss from Coco

Baby's First Thanksgiving!

A New Noise!

Everyday Fun

I babysit John three days a week and he insists on waving and saying "hi" every time he sees Coen.

Coen likes to smile at John and John usually just stares at him.

I think he was in the middle of talking for this picture.

Such a ham

Cute little Coen

Funcle Josh, Coen, & Justin

Awww

Laughing at Justin

Disc golfing! (Well, watching...)

Close-Ups

Karaoke

Sam, Justin #1, and Justin #2

Coen singing along

Coco and me!

We had some friends over for karaoke, but Coen stole the show! He is very social and loves to smile and talk to new people. I've been trying to teach him that strangers could be dangerous, but he doesn't listen.

Update-r-oo

Just lounging!

I think this picture is hilarious!

He's teething! How exciting....

Suuuuper baby!

Hello to all of you blog followers. Blollowers.

Coen now weighs 17 pounds (what a chunk) and is very alert and likes to be in the action. He now stays up for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours before needing a nap which means lots of quality time for us. It has been relatively warm here so we've been on lots of walks. We are also getting the apartment packed up again in case we can move out.

The smoke has only gotten worse and so next Monday a judge will decide whether or not we can get out of our lease. It is such a rotten situation, but we just want to be done with it! We've seen a few other places we would be fine with but are sad to have to leave our spacious apartment and the washer and dryer. And moving is not fun.

Love to you all!

Pumpkin Pics

Coen saw lots of other baby-friends on Facebook who took pumpkin pictures and he felt left out. So we took a few.

He was so excited for this photo shoot.
He wanted to know what pumpkins taste like

so I let him. He wasn't all that impressed.

He was trying to scoot but just kept grabbing the blanket and pulling it to himself. Immobile for yet another day--success!