Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
This is my life...
Our days are crazy lately. So full of energetic boys. Yes, the puppy is included in this.
J has been busy outside. I can't keep that boy away from the back door. He is constantly asking to play outside. Outside is not my forte, so Matt built a playground in the backyard for the boys. This way we no longer have to go on walks or drive to the park, unless we want to. I'm quite certain my need to keep the kitchen floor clean will have to take a backseat to outdoor fun this summer. Between the dirt tracked in by little feet and a puppy attacking the broom and mop, I think dirt is in our future. On the plus side, J now has something to do while Bug Man takes a nap. We also have some great plans for a picnic table, a rocker-swing, a covered patio, a sandbox, and water table. I hope to make the backyard a "haven" for both of us and the kids. This is how our weekends will be spent until the project is completed.
O is now 10 months old. How did that happen? He's still just as snuggly as ever. And social. Boy is he social!
We finally got his 9 month appointment in. It kept getting delayed due to the never ending ear infection. He weighs 27 lbs. and is 29 1/2 in. Believe it or not, he's actually dropped on the charts, which I'm not surprised by, considering he never eats.
I talked with the doctor about some of his problems. To sum it up, he doesn't eat unless it's runny. He will throw up anything with a texture. Even though he's very interested in what we're eating, he will not eat it once we offer it to him. He does not roll over. He hasn't really mastered the pincer grasp. He does not try to pull up and can't pull up. Getting him to stand on his feet is like pulling teeth, and he collapses his legs as quickly as possible. He won't stay on his tummy (puts himself into a sit instead) and therefore cannot crawl. He does this weird thing where he tenses his arms, keeps his hands near his chest and repeatedly does the "milk" sign. While he does that, his legs are stick straight and his feet turn in circles at the ankle. He does this a LOT.
The pediatrician said he probably has a very mild sensory integration issue. However, she's not overly concerned about it just yet, since he's still in the "normal" range. And yes, not crawling is still normal up to 11 months. She wants to keep her eye on it. If he's still doing all of these things at his 12 month appointment, she thinks he could really benefit from some physical therapy, and likely some food therapy as well. In the meantime, I'm supposed to practice my own form of physical therapy by teaching him to use the stairs. She thinks this will help with the motor issues. He does not have any muscle tone issues. In fact, she was very impressed with how strong he was. She thinks most of his issue may be laziness. Which should resolve itself by 12 months, but if not, OT will still help with that.
And, the puppy. Well, I think this speaks for itself in terms of how I spend my days...
J has been busy outside. I can't keep that boy away from the back door. He is constantly asking to play outside. Outside is not my forte, so Matt built a playground in the backyard for the boys. This way we no longer have to go on walks or drive to the park, unless we want to. I'm quite certain my need to keep the kitchen floor clean will have to take a backseat to outdoor fun this summer. Between the dirt tracked in by little feet and a puppy attacking the broom and mop, I think dirt is in our future. On the plus side, J now has something to do while Bug Man takes a nap. We also have some great plans for a picnic table, a rocker-swing, a covered patio, a sandbox, and water table. I hope to make the backyard a "haven" for both of us and the kids. This is how our weekends will be spent until the project is completed.
O is now 10 months old. How did that happen? He's still just as snuggly as ever. And social. Boy is he social!
We finally got his 9 month appointment in. It kept getting delayed due to the never ending ear infection. He weighs 27 lbs. and is 29 1/2 in. Believe it or not, he's actually dropped on the charts, which I'm not surprised by, considering he never eats.
I talked with the doctor about some of his problems. To sum it up, he doesn't eat unless it's runny. He will throw up anything with a texture. Even though he's very interested in what we're eating, he will not eat it once we offer it to him. He does not roll over. He hasn't really mastered the pincer grasp. He does not try to pull up and can't pull up. Getting him to stand on his feet is like pulling teeth, and he collapses his legs as quickly as possible. He won't stay on his tummy (puts himself into a sit instead) and therefore cannot crawl. He does this weird thing where he tenses his arms, keeps his hands near his chest and repeatedly does the "milk" sign. While he does that, his legs are stick straight and his feet turn in circles at the ankle. He does this a LOT.
The pediatrician said he probably has a very mild sensory integration issue. However, she's not overly concerned about it just yet, since he's still in the "normal" range. And yes, not crawling is still normal up to 11 months. She wants to keep her eye on it. If he's still doing all of these things at his 12 month appointment, she thinks he could really benefit from some physical therapy, and likely some food therapy as well. In the meantime, I'm supposed to practice my own form of physical therapy by teaching him to use the stairs. She thinks this will help with the motor issues. He does not have any muscle tone issues. In fact, she was very impressed with how strong he was. She thinks most of his issue may be laziness. Which should resolve itself by 12 months, but if not, OT will still help with that.
And, the puppy. Well, I think this speaks for itself in terms of how I spend my days...
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Things we love about Easter
So, I'm back! It's been busy over here, and the task of writing it all down and uploading pictures has seemed, well...daunting. We've had a lot going on between J's swim-meet, pre-Easter festivities, spring break, sickness, and a new puppy. So, a quick update...
My sweet, lazy baby hates his tummy so much that he puts his back legs into a split, uses his hands to walk up, and puts himself into a sitting position. It's quite talented and takes a ton of core strength. He's also very sick, poor baby. He had an ear infection and sinus infection a few weeks back. I kept thinking the antibiotics weren't working, and sure enough, poor boy had 102 fever for a couple days and the ear infection is pretty intense. Hopefully, he's on the mend. Here's a tiny glimpse of how miserable the poor kid has been (puffy, splotchy face, and watery eyes).
J and I have both been struggling with asthma and allergies for a few weeks now, so we are just ready for everyone to feel healthy again!
Teddy, our schnoodle puppy, joined our family as the newest addition. He is super sweet and laid back. As the pictures I posted yesterday will attest, he and J are best friends already. While Matt and I feel as though we have another baby in the house, I know in a few months (when he's trained!) it will be worth it. I've never seen J so excited about something day after day. Teddy is the first thing he asks for in the morning, and the last thing he asks for at night. In fact, he's been begging for Teddy to sleep with him. Once Teddy is housebroken, I have a feeling we might fulfill that request.
Now, onto the fun (which will also update on the other things we've been up to)....
10 things we love about Easter/Spring time!!
1. Bunnies! How fun are they?!
2. The coveted creepy bunny picture.
3. Egg hunts. Sure, they usually only last 20 seconds, but it's still the highlight of the season for the kids. J had a blast running around and filling up his basket. And this is the first year that he really understood what he was supposed to do, so it was doubly exciting.
4. The start of pool season. J is getting ready for pool season by taking swim lessons. And he recently had a meet to show off his new floating skills.
5. Easter parties! Which also contain egg hunts and boatloads of sugary food.
6. Dyeing eggs. We love this tradition that we started last year with J. He comes up with some interesting color combinations.
7. Eating hard boiled eggs. Yup, we might be the only family that actually enjoys this part of it. But it's true. We all love 'em.
8. The Easter bunny visits! This year J was really excited about the eggs the bunny hid. I love when they finally start to "get" it.
9. Dressing up!
10. Warm weather, and all that it entails. Summer clothes, floppy sunhats, flip flops, and in this case juice pops (thanks Ikea!)
My sweet, lazy baby hates his tummy so much that he puts his back legs into a split, uses his hands to walk up, and puts himself into a sitting position. It's quite talented and takes a ton of core strength. He's also very sick, poor baby. He had an ear infection and sinus infection a few weeks back. I kept thinking the antibiotics weren't working, and sure enough, poor boy had 102 fever for a couple days and the ear infection is pretty intense. Hopefully, he's on the mend. Here's a tiny glimpse of how miserable the poor kid has been (puffy, splotchy face, and watery eyes).
J and I have both been struggling with asthma and allergies for a few weeks now, so we are just ready for everyone to feel healthy again!
Teddy, our schnoodle puppy, joined our family as the newest addition. He is super sweet and laid back. As the pictures I posted yesterday will attest, he and J are best friends already. While Matt and I feel as though we have another baby in the house, I know in a few months (when he's trained!) it will be worth it. I've never seen J so excited about something day after day. Teddy is the first thing he asks for in the morning, and the last thing he asks for at night. In fact, he's been begging for Teddy to sleep with him. Once Teddy is housebroken, I have a feeling we might fulfill that request.
Now, onto the fun (which will also update on the other things we've been up to)....
10 things we love about Easter/Spring time!!
1. Bunnies! How fun are they?!
2. The coveted creepy bunny picture.
3. Egg hunts. Sure, they usually only last 20 seconds, but it's still the highlight of the season for the kids. J had a blast running around and filling up his basket. And this is the first year that he really understood what he was supposed to do, so it was doubly exciting.
4. The start of pool season. J is getting ready for pool season by taking swim lessons. And he recently had a meet to show off his new floating skills.
5. Easter parties! Which also contain egg hunts and boatloads of sugary food.
6. Dyeing eggs. We love this tradition that we started last year with J. He comes up with some interesting color combinations.
7. Eating hard boiled eggs. Yup, we might be the only family that actually enjoys this part of it. But it's true. We all love 'em.
8. The Easter bunny visits! This year J was really excited about the eggs the bunny hid. I love when they finally start to "get" it.
9. Dressing up!
10. Warm weather, and all that it entails. Summer clothes, floppy sunhats, flip flops, and in this case juice pops (thanks Ikea!)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Running away, already?
Matt got onto J for yelling while Matt was on a conference call. J leaves the office and comes, pouty face and all, to talk to me.
J: Daddy did a mean voice at me. That hurts my feelings. I am so sad. You are so sad that I am so sad.
Me (stifling laughter): Oh really? I must be very sad then.
J: You are. Now I'm gonna leave you! I'm gonna go to the train store!
M: Ok, we'll go as soon as brother wakes up.
J: NO! I am going all by myself. You stay here!
M: But how are you going to get to the train store?
J: I will ride Lightning McQueen!
M: But do you know how to get to the train store?
J: Yes! It's left, then right!
J: Daddy did a mean voice at me. That hurts my feelings. I am so sad. You are so sad that I am so sad.
Me (stifling laughter): Oh really? I must be very sad then.
J: You are. Now I'm gonna leave you! I'm gonna go to the train store!
M: Ok, we'll go as soon as brother wakes up.
J: NO! I am going all by myself. You stay here!
M: But how are you going to get to the train store?
J: I will ride Lightning McQueen!
M: But do you know how to get to the train store?
J: Yes! It's left, then right!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Easter Fun
Today we decided to do an egg hunt trial run. We made this decision for two reasons.
1) The egg hunt we attend every year is insane. If you don't act fast, crazy adults will knock you over to help their baby get eggs. The more familiar J is with egg hunts prior to Saturday, the better.
2) Is a bit more complex, and warrants some back story. Matt and I aren't really big on toys. We don't buy many things for either of our children, preferring to use imaginative play (space is also an issue, as each new toy means another one is chosen for the Goodwill pile). This suits both of our boys' personalities as well, as toys don't really get much use over here. Maybe at first will something new be exciting and worthy of J's attention. But for the most part, he's using "old fashioned" toys like blocks, or play kitchens, or pots and pans. Sure, Buzz and Woody get a lot of play. But even the way he plays with them is imaginative. He walks them through the house to go "on a bear hunt", or plays hide and seek with them, or teaches them how to dance. We all enjoy this type of play as it encourages creativity and thinking outside the box.
Today I took the boys over to a friend's house. They have just had a new baby and we were delivering dinner. O sat on the floor while I snuggled the tiny one (new babies are like an addiction. I could hold one for the rest of my life!) Nearby happened to be a collection of toys, specifically the Little People collection. Now, I should mention that my friend has a toy collection for her daughter that would rival Toys R Us'. She is quite the opposite of me when it comes to toys, and it's a running joke between her and me that my kids are deprived of fun. So when I say the Little People collection, I mean the entire collection. Her daughter was kind enough to push the learning zoo playset collection towards Oliver. And then, something happened. He laughed, he squealed with delight, he grabbed the tiger and would not let go. He corralled all 26 of those A-Z collection animals into his lap and picked them each up to laugh at. I cannot even adequately describe the joy he had from those little toys. We already have a few characters at home, but I guess the animal variety is O's choice du jour. When it was time to leave, I panicked a little. Was he going to flip out when I took that coveted little tiger away from him? My only choice was to act quickly. He still wasn't happy, but thankfully was distracted enough that he didn't cry.
On the way home, we stopped at Target. According to my friend Target sells holiday themed Little People. I should have known that, as it now occurs to me that one of J's most favorite toys ever is the Reindeer/Santa sleigh and Baby Jesus manger that Little People makes (again at our friend's toy store house). Once in Target, I found Little People eggs for hiding. And no, I did not pay that much for them! And also a Little People themed Easter basket. I wish they had had the train as O really loved that at our friend's house as well.
Once home, Matt and I decided tonight was a good night to do our "practice run" hunt.
The kids loved it! And I will admit, Little People toys are fun!
This series of pictures cracks me up because they are fighting over the toys. J was very particular about which ones were for him. For the record (ahem, Matt!) these toys are for up to 4 years old, so they are not too babyish for him. Check out J's angry face!
And look how happy O is to play with his toys.
Looks like there are many more Little People collections in our future.
1) The egg hunt we attend every year is insane. If you don't act fast, crazy adults will knock you over to help their baby get eggs. The more familiar J is with egg hunts prior to Saturday, the better.
2) Is a bit more complex, and warrants some back story. Matt and I aren't really big on toys. We don't buy many things for either of our children, preferring to use imaginative play (space is also an issue, as each new toy means another one is chosen for the Goodwill pile). This suits both of our boys' personalities as well, as toys don't really get much use over here. Maybe at first will something new be exciting and worthy of J's attention. But for the most part, he's using "old fashioned" toys like blocks, or play kitchens, or pots and pans. Sure, Buzz and Woody get a lot of play. But even the way he plays with them is imaginative. He walks them through the house to go "on a bear hunt", or plays hide and seek with them, or teaches them how to dance. We all enjoy this type of play as it encourages creativity and thinking outside the box.
Today I took the boys over to a friend's house. They have just had a new baby and we were delivering dinner. O sat on the floor while I snuggled the tiny one (new babies are like an addiction. I could hold one for the rest of my life!) Nearby happened to be a collection of toys, specifically the Little People collection. Now, I should mention that my friend has a toy collection for her daughter that would rival Toys R Us'. She is quite the opposite of me when it comes to toys, and it's a running joke between her and me that my kids are deprived of fun. So when I say the Little People collection, I mean the entire collection. Her daughter was kind enough to push the learning zoo playset collection towards Oliver. And then, something happened. He laughed, he squealed with delight, he grabbed the tiger and would not let go. He corralled all 26 of those A-Z collection animals into his lap and picked them each up to laugh at. I cannot even adequately describe the joy he had from those little toys. We already have a few characters at home, but I guess the animal variety is O's choice du jour. When it was time to leave, I panicked a little. Was he going to flip out when I took that coveted little tiger away from him? My only choice was to act quickly. He still wasn't happy, but thankfully was distracted enough that he didn't cry.
On the way home, we stopped at Target. According to my friend Target sells holiday themed Little People. I should have known that, as it now occurs to me that one of J's most favorite toys ever is the Reindeer/Santa sleigh and Baby Jesus manger that Little People makes (again at our friend's toy store house). Once in Target, I found Little People eggs for hiding. And no, I did not pay that much for them! And also a Little People themed Easter basket. I wish they had had the train as O really loved that at our friend's house as well.
Once home, Matt and I decided tonight was a good night to do our "practice run" hunt.
The kids loved it! And I will admit, Little People toys are fun!
This series of pictures cracks me up because they are fighting over the toys. J was very particular about which ones were for him. For the record (ahem, Matt!) these toys are for up to 4 years old, so they are not too babyish for him. Check out J's angry face!
And look how happy O is to play with his toys.
Looks like there are many more Little People collections in our future.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Street Safety
People don't go in the road. They just go in the sidewalk. Only cars go in the road cuzin the cars will hit the people.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Exercise Needed
Hey Mama, I think there's another baby in your tummy!
No, there's not. I promise.
Yeah, there is. (pokes fat) Right there!
No, really. I promise there's not a baby in there.
Hmm. Let me see. (lifts shirt) Oooooooh. It's just your tummy.
No, there's not. I promise.
Yeah, there is. (pokes fat) Right there!
No, really. I promise there's not a baby in there.
Hmm. Let me see. (lifts shirt) Oooooooh. It's just your tummy.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Differences
Ten differences between Jamers and O-Man, as babies.
1. O is very content to play by himself, James always wanted to be held.
2. James woke up every 2 hours for his first 9 months of life. Ollie slept through the night at 6 weeks old and continues to sleep well, except when sickness/teething throws him off.
3. James was very attached and didn't like other people holding him. However, he was super smiley to strangers and very flirtatious (as long as they didn't try to hold him). Ollie will let other people hold him, but warms up to strangers slowly. Mostly he looks at people like they're insane when they "baby talk" him at stores. He's also very quick to let someone else know when he's ready for mommy or daddy to hold him again.
4. James would eat just about anything and had a special love for veggies. Ollie makes himself throw up if you offer him anything other than yogurt or babyfood-fruit.
5. James was a marathon napper. Ollie naps for 30 minutes at a time.
6. James was very demanding of attention (not in a bad way). Oliver is super laid back and never complains, unless he's sick.
7. James preferred mama, especially when he was tired. Ollie prefers daddy, especially in the middle of the night.
8. James had big sicknesses his first year of life (heart surgery and asthma issues). Oliver has minor sicknesses, but they are never ending. He constantly has a cold and/or eczema issues.
9. James was an easy teether. We never knew when they were coming in. He'd just surprise us. Ollie whines and cries for about two weeks when teeth are coming in (and whining and crying are so rare with him that that is our first sign he's teething).
10. Before he could crawl, James just fussed whenever he wanted to be moved or needed something out of his reach. Oliver somehow drags his body around, while staying in the sitting position.
And there ya have it. Matt and I comment all the time on how they are polar opposites. But in reality, there are a million similarities too. The differences are just more obvious.
1. O is very content to play by himself, James always wanted to be held.
2. James woke up every 2 hours for his first 9 months of life. Ollie slept through the night at 6 weeks old and continues to sleep well, except when sickness/teething throws him off.
3. James was very attached and didn't like other people holding him. However, he was super smiley to strangers and very flirtatious (as long as they didn't try to hold him). Ollie will let other people hold him, but warms up to strangers slowly. Mostly he looks at people like they're insane when they "baby talk" him at stores. He's also very quick to let someone else know when he's ready for mommy or daddy to hold him again.
4. James would eat just about anything and had a special love for veggies. Ollie makes himself throw up if you offer him anything other than yogurt or babyfood-fruit.
5. James was a marathon napper. Ollie naps for 30 minutes at a time.
6. James was very demanding of attention (not in a bad way). Oliver is super laid back and never complains, unless he's sick.
7. James preferred mama, especially when he was tired. Ollie prefers daddy, especially in the middle of the night.
8. James had big sicknesses his first year of life (heart surgery and asthma issues). Oliver has minor sicknesses, but they are never ending. He constantly has a cold and/or eczema issues.
9. James was an easy teether. We never knew when they were coming in. He'd just surprise us. Ollie whines and cries for about two weeks when teeth are coming in (and whining and crying are so rare with him that that is our first sign he's teething).
10. Before he could crawl, James just fussed whenever he wanted to be moved or needed something out of his reach. Oliver somehow drags his body around, while staying in the sitting position.
And there ya have it. Matt and I comment all the time on how they are polar opposites. But in reality, there are a million similarities too. The differences are just more obvious.
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