Still here...

...but not much new to talk about. Summer is pressing on (it is HOT this weekend), and Aiden is developing faster by the second--I can't believe he's 17 months old already! But I do think I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that he's not a baby anymore--he's a full-blown toddler. He has completely mastered walking, tripping far less than even a week ago, and he's even made attempts to jump, which are just HILARIOUS (I tried to get a video, but the camera battery died). His vocabulary expands everyday; he's looking at my inquisitively when he doesn't know the name of an object, so I've been doing a lot of explaining. He's also become quite affectionate, which just makes my heart happy; I melt when he walks up to me, smiles, says "Mommy!" and gives me a big hug. Just. Awesome.
We're kind of in a holding pattern right now in the Cotter house--there's a lot of waiting. Waiting for my Buckeyes to take the field, waiting for the new fall season of my show to start (more on that in a later post), waiting for Aiden to start going to his new daycare, and waiting for our October vacation to Hilton Head. Lots of stuff coming up--guess I'd better enjoy this downtime while I have it. :)

Shamrocks in August

Yesterday, Mike & I had a much-needed date. I didn't see him much last weekend since I was at my folks' and he had to stay and work, and then with the normal work-week woes, I just felt as though we needed some time to reconnect. Luckily for us, the Dublin Irish Festival was this weekend! I had never been but I had wanted to for a long time. We had a great time! It was PACKED, despite the cloudy skies, but Mike & I really enjoyed walking around drinking beer and browsing all the celtic-themed booths. And although we saw PLENTY of merchandise that we might have purchased for ourselves (I was eying a neat shamrock plaque for the kitchen while Mike had his eyes on a soccer jersey), we giggled because the two things we did end up buying were for Aiden! I think he's look great in this fleece & T-shirt next spring.We left a bit early than anticipated due to some threatening skies, but it was time well-spent with each other. We already have plans to head back next year, hopefully bringing our little leprechaun with us.
In other news, I'm about to become a student again, something I SWORE I would never do once I received my bachelor's degree. But things change, and I think I would be a much more well-rounded employee with a MBA. Of course, the tuition reimbursement program where I work is a plus as well. I've already been accepted into a program; now if I can just figure out if I'm going to start in September or January, I'll be on my way.

Good Times, Stupid Rain, Bad Cold

I should have known that my first vacation since April would mean that I would wake up with a cold. Go figure. I also should have guessed that Aiden would be extremely Mommy-centric when both sets of aunts and uncles from out of state were visiting, meaning that he pretty much wouldn't let anyone hold him BUT me. So you can imagine the slight damper this put on the past few days, with my congestion and Aiden's neediness. You know what, though? It was all worth it, 'cause I got to see my family :)
On Thursday morning, the Vegas & Dills came down to Columbus so that we could all get our portraits taken together. See the slideshow below for the highlights; as you can see, things started to get a bit silly by the end, culminating in a pose where we asked for the ugliest background they had, and then we all just started grabbing random props. A true masterpiece to be sure.

On Saturday, we had our combination baby shower / cookout for Megan & Denver. As is Megan's luck with weather, it rained (just as it did for her graduation party and wedding). No worries there, though; everyone who attended said they had a great time. Megan got lots of nice things for Baby Dill, who is due to arrive in just nine short weeks now! So excited to see if we're getting a new niece or nephew, though I'm leaning towards nephew after seeing Megan. After opening the gifts, we devoured the beautiful cake that Angie made. As the party wound down, so did the rain, and the sun came out. Not even kidding.
On Sunday, we celebrated Gary's fifth birthday at the same park we've gone to for his past three birthdays. We started out the festivities with a bit of a scare as the car carrying Joel, Gary, Lexi, and Grandma E was rear-ended while trying to turn into the parking lot (you can imagine our nervousness as we pulled up to the scene, especially given our history with car accidents). Luckily everyone was okay, so we went on with the party. We only had a tiny sprinkle of rain, but there was a constant wind (not a breeze, a wind), but at least this was the first year I can remember where it wasn't unbearably hot. Everyone again had a great time--see the photos below for the proof :)

My Son Wears Army Boots.

Strange Week

Well, those of you who know where I work probably heard about the upheaval there this week. The company let 550 folks go on Wednesday. We knew something was coming; we'd heard rumors of an announcement for months, so admittedly I was on edge about it for quite awhile. About five minutes before I left on Wednesday, I learned that I was safe, but that my job is going to change COMPLETELY. I'm really excited about the opportunity, but admittedly nervous about the unknown. I'm also relieved that so many of my friends (especially Angie!) and co-workers were spared, but I feel bad that their functions may be changing in way they weren't expecting. Definitely a difficult week at work.
On a (much) happier note, I attended the wedding of my friend and co-worker Julie last night. It was a beautiful ceremony, and Julie looked simply stunning. She & her new husband Dave seem like a match made in heaven, so I couldn't be happier for them. Or jealous, for that matter, as now they're off Hawaii and Las Vegas for the next two weeks.
Next up for us: four relatively normal days, and then the Vegas & Dills will be descending on Ohio for a few fun-filled days! I am soooooooo excited to see everyone!