Getting closer to having a toddler!

In the last month, Isabelle has made some great strides in movement. Back in February, she started scooting. It was sort of a combination of a military crawl and the way an inchworm moves. She would pull herself along with her arms but would also push herself forward using her feet. She could move around pretty quick this way once she got going. It wasn't too long after that that she figured out that doors didn't have invisible force fields (no idea where she got this idea but she just would not leave a room for the longest time) and she could leave the room and go anywhere she wanted to. This then evolved to climbing/pulling herself up on the bed (which is on the floor so not all to far to climb). From there, she would be able to sit down on her own. Not too long after that, she learned to pull herself up and finally, she mastered a regular crawl and has completely abandoned the military crawl she used for over two months. She's cruising now and learning to climb up on and over anything that stands in her way (her favorite is the foot locker I currently have in the bedroom). She's also getting into more trouble. Anything left in her reach is subject to being pulled down or dumped. If it's within her reach, she's into it. Nursing is getting interesting too as she's just not as interested in lying still for her meals. Instead, she would prefer to take them "to go". Unfortunately, that's one of the downfalls of nursing. You just can't get a breast "to go". She's also very well aware of where my breasts are which has me thinking of those who think a mom shouldn't nurse once the kid starts pulling up mom's shirt. Well, my ten month old knows exactly where to find her food and is already starting to lift up my shirt so...but no, have no intention of weaning this soon. Just a matter of time now before she starts walking which has me wondering just where the last ten months plus have gone. Admittedly, Natalie was walking by this time but I'm okay with Isabelle taking a little longer. My apartment isn't quite ready for a walker just yet!

Hmm, beginning to think I prefer the cold...

At least with cold weather, you don't get tornadoes. On Sunday, my hometown was hit by a tornado. There has not been a tornado here in almost 45 years. Last month, we had a really warm day that turned into severe weather when a cold front went through. The tornado siren sounded and we went down to the basement only to find that the storm didn't produce anything. This time, it did. An EF-2 tornado struck the south side part of my town touching down just a mere block or so away from one of our hospitals. It then took a NE path through town crossing 4 highways before dissipating near the bluffs. What's absolutely shocking is that despite NUMEROUS close calls, there were NO serious injuries or fatalities. Considering that our tornado struck a mere hour plus before Joplin, MO was hit, I consider us all extremely lucky. To add to that incredible luck is the fact that the siren nearest the area that was hit did not sound. It's been dead for a number of years. The warning that would have sounded through the weather radio also did not occur due to a malfunction. By the time the warning came over the weather radio, it was too late. If you were not watching TV, surfing the internet, or set up with a warning system over your cell phone, you did not get a warning. My brother was one of those people who did not even know a tornado hit until my sister called him to find out if he was okay. At the time, we didn't know where it hit. Fortunately, he was 8 blocks away from the path.

I had a chance to take a look down in the area the next morning and it was just amazing. Large trees were down at the room or snapped in half. Some homes were hit really hard and others barely touched. My old apartment that I had 8-9 years ago had no damage while houses on either side were hit. What's absolutely amazing is while trees were brought down, lilac bushes were left unscathed, blossoms intact. It looked like a war zone down there and I imagine that the neighborhoods down there will change bit by bit as trees are removed and houses town down and rebuilt.

Some of the stories that have been told are simply amazing. One couple rode the storm out in their car and survived. They come out of the car to find the apartment had been damaged severely. Another rode out the tornado in his bathroom and emerged to find no roof over the rest of his apartment. A bus driver basically drove into the storm head on and got through it without a scratch. It was a rain wrapped tornado so no one could see it and because of that there weren't even any pictures of it and officials for awhile were not even sure a tornado had hit. But the damage was clear that it was a tornado that struck.

We lucked out. Looking at what happened to Joplin, things could have been SO much worse. An EF-5 would have damaged the hospital and left a devastating path of destruction through my town. A storm hitting 24 hours later would have severely impacted rush hour traffic. We lucked out, massively.

Still, the whole thing has left me feeling unsettled. I live a mere 3 1/2 to 4 miles away from where the tornado hit. The last tornado hit the airport which is not all that far from me. I have been having nightmares since then and hearing anything about a tornado/storm makes me nervous. We're due for another really warm day on Monday and a cold front coming through. The Weather Channel is already talking about the possibility of severe weather in my area. I'm not looking forward to this. My husband will be at work and I'll be home alone with the girls. As much as I was done with winter, I do have to say that cold weather does keep the severe weather down.

Posting some current pictures.

And of course, realizing as I do so that I really need to take MORE pictures! Doesn't help that my five year old keeps stealing the camera to take over 100 pictures of random things around the apartment. I'm glad she likes taking pictures so much (really need to get her a camera) but all of her pictures take up space on my card. lol And of course, one of these days I really need to get some professional pictures done of Isabelle too.