Oh, times flies so fast and countless times I think to myself "don't forget to write that in the blog".... well, we all see how that turns out.
So, a list of things that are on the top of my head...
* John and Matthew have started playing together and it might be the sweetest thing I have ever witnessed. Well, for 90% of the time anyway.
* Matthew still is slow growing is vocabulary, but has clearly picked up "Mama", so I am happy. :)
* Matthew will do ANYTHING that John does. He has entered the obssession phase of little brotherhood I think. So cute. And John eats it up and 97% of the time encourages it and takes wonderful care of him.
* It look Matthew 3-4 times going to school, but now he leaps out of my arms into his classroom. It is an awesome feeling for us all. Matthew and John see each other sometimes and school and all 4 teachers tell me how cute they are when they see each other and how they light up! cue my heart melting.
* Today was Johanna's last day with us! :( She has been in our lives for so long, but she is moving to Houston. I am super sad about it, she was like family and helped us out in so many ways beyond watching the boys. She is precious and will be missed.
* I love when the boys run around the house. It makes me wonder at what age the "pitter patter" goes away. Matthew clearly still has it, but John is more of a clumping. :)
Friday, November 30, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Matthew 18ish months
We had to wait a few weeks on his 18 month appointment to spread out the shots, so we are a little late in these stats.
Matthew Stats:
Height: 34 inches (87%)
Weight: 27 lbs 2 oz (64%)
Head: 19 inches (61%)
In comparison, here is John's at 18 months:
John Stats:
Height: 34.5 inches (94%)
Weight: 26 lbs 10 oz (54%)
Head: 19.25 inches (79%)
A few things about Mr. Matthew:
- We started MDO on Wednesdays. We have been 4 times now and this last time there were no tears, he was smiling and reached out to Ms. Karen! WOOHOO! He does not nap at school, bu apparently is quiet, so they are fine with it. Surprising enough, he functions pretty well the rest of the day with no nap. We all got a little cold on week 2 and then settled with MJ and he got a double ear infection from it. yeah.
- We also started a playgroup with the kids in his class on Tuesday mornings which is nice, so they get to see each other 2 times a week now. He does not play with the kids, but he acknowledges that they are there.
- Still not a lot of words, but communicates very well. If not with sign language, he will point or grab your hand and take you to what he wants. I am guessing those words will come in a flood real soon.
- He LOVES to do whatever John is doing, most of all run around and play tag. Although he has no idea what is going on, he just runs and screams and laughs.
- Starting to really get into coloring and asks to do it all the time.
- Really enjoys nursery rhyme/ toddler music on Pandora and when I sing silly songs to him.
- No interest what so ever in TV yet. Not that I care, I just assumed he would like it by now. :)
- Full blown Mama's boy, but less and less separation anxiety each and every time. Worst part is when I am cuddling with John, he will literally insert himself between us.
- Can dribble a soccer ball almost better than John!
- Eats like a champ, not really picky at all. Although I still do have to sneak veggies in where I can.
And finally, to quote the new movie "What to Expect When You Are Expecting". I love him so much I am afraid I will eat him!
LOVE THIS AGE!
Matthew Stats:
Height: 34 inches (87%)
Weight: 27 lbs 2 oz (64%)
Head: 19 inches (61%)
In comparison, here is John's at 18 months:
John Stats:
Height: 34.5 inches (94%)
Weight: 26 lbs 10 oz (54%)
Head: 19.25 inches (79%)
A few things about Mr. Matthew:
- We started MDO on Wednesdays. We have been 4 times now and this last time there were no tears, he was smiling and reached out to Ms. Karen! WOOHOO! He does not nap at school, bu apparently is quiet, so they are fine with it. Surprising enough, he functions pretty well the rest of the day with no nap. We all got a little cold on week 2 and then settled with MJ and he got a double ear infection from it. yeah.
- We also started a playgroup with the kids in his class on Tuesday mornings which is nice, so they get to see each other 2 times a week now. He does not play with the kids, but he acknowledges that they are there.
- Still not a lot of words, but communicates very well. If not with sign language, he will point or grab your hand and take you to what he wants. I am guessing those words will come in a flood real soon.
- He LOVES to do whatever John is doing, most of all run around and play tag. Although he has no idea what is going on, he just runs and screams and laughs.
- Starting to really get into coloring and asks to do it all the time.
- Really enjoys nursery rhyme/ toddler music on Pandora and when I sing silly songs to him.
- No interest what so ever in TV yet. Not that I care, I just assumed he would like it by now. :)
- Full blown Mama's boy, but less and less separation anxiety each and every time. Worst part is when I am cuddling with John, he will literally insert himself between us.
- Can dribble a soccer ball almost better than John!
- Eats like a champ, not really picky at all. Although I still do have to sneak veggies in where I can.
And finally, to quote the new movie "What to Expect When You Are Expecting". I love him so much I am afraid I will eat him!
LOVE THIS AGE!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Mountain Village, Colorado: Summer 2012
Our first family trip just the four of us and it was a huge success. There were some struggles as well, but how could there not be with two young boys, a long drive and mountains?
Breaking down the days:
1) Monday 3:00am, Carl and I get up, get ready and pack the car. We have the boys in the car and on the road at 4:30am. They were pretty groggy, but stayed awake for half hour to an hour or so. Then me and the boys fell asleep for a couple of hours. Sorry Daddy.
The drive was not bad at all. John was GREAT. Matthew had a little harder time, but overall as long as I was available to give, reach, climb, feed, do, have, etc, they were good. John only watched one movie. Cars 2. Matthew would not wear the head phones to his movie, but he watched some baby Einstein pretty well. John played on the ipad a lot too. Stickers were a hit for both and the best thing of all was food. I had packed about 10 sacks of random trail mix type of stuff that was supposed to last the trip there and back. It was like a surprise in every bag. They made there way through them all on the trip there. We stayed in New Mexico after 9.5 hours and then drove in the next day. The hotel was not fun, too tight of space for a family with Matthew's age. And we were all tired and cranky.
2) Tuesday morning we got up and went swimming at like 9:00 in the morning after some room service that neither boy would eat (note: the boys have not had a real meal since dinner the night before we left our house. I tried to let it go.) The pool and the little splash pad with the mountains in the background were great. We were trying to wear them out before getting in the car for another 5 hours.
After we dried off and packed up we headed off again. Matthew was asleep with one night taken from a granola bar before we got on the highway. John was not far behind.
The landscape totally changed this part of the trip and was awesome to look at it. Oklahoma and Texas are so flat. I only thought we passed through mountains in New Mexico.... Colorado was AMAZING! From the moment you cross into the state there was not ever a scene that captured my attention.
We pull in right at check in time at 4:00. We stayed in Mountain Village which is a smaller less known area, but just a gondola ride away from Telluride. The house and views were nothing less than breathtaking, seriously, made me wonder why I live in Texas.
The second thing that becomes very apparent to only a mother of two boys and the the second one having no fear.... STAIRS....E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. A little panic set in, but in the long run we were able to block and maintain. Not quite sure it was how the house intended to be used, but it worked for us. The house was built into a side of a mountain so there were literally 5 stories or half stories throughout the house and multiple staircases to some. The bottom street level was like a basement with three bedrooms, and although I think it was meant for the "kids" to stay in we stayed down there too. I could not imagine John trying to find us in the middle of the night otherwise. Or me stumbling around to get down to Matthew.
The very top floor was all a master suite and bathroom, AMAZING! It had a steam shower and I used it as my bathroom while we were there to escape, but other than that, did not really use it much.
We spent most of the time in the great room, porch and kitchen area. Beautiful from every vantage point. There were no vents in the house, thus no air conditioning. The house was heated through the floors. So during the day we had to open every window and door and it felt like we were outside. Again.... AMAZING!
We ordered pizza and the boys finally ate... A LOT! Everyone off to bed, slept pretty good.
3) Wednesday. Our first day of hiking. We got off to a little late start, maybe 9:30. Carl had scouted out the Alta Lakes. We drove up what they call "switchback" roads, which was basically zig zagging up a side of a mountain on a one lane road, inches between you and well....I won't turn this to negative town. I did cry the entire way up the mountain. Seriously.
Once we got to where we could park, we loaded up and started hiking. It was more fun than I ever dreamed. All 4 of us had a great time. It was an easy hike to start out and then we set up a day camp by the side of one of the lakes to fish and fly fish (hoping to catch lunch). John of course caught the first fish, but it was a baby and a throw back. We ended up eating the PBJ's that I packed.
Carl and John went on a hike by themselves while Matthew and I explored a bit. They saw some sort of animal that we never really figured out what it was. When the got back, the boys fed a duck on the lake while we packed up and then we headed back. 10 minutes into that hike, Matthew was asleep in the pack. He was exhausted. It was so cute. Carl took the opportunity to hike a steeper hill with him asleep and John and I perched in the valley eating a snack and watched him the whole way. John found a chipmunk skeleton and yes, it is on his dresser now along with the cow bone he found on Nana's farm. yea.
Back to the house (much less nervous on the drive down, I guess you get initiated and then it seems okay). I pulled together some random stuff we had packed for dinner because we were too tired to do anything else. We were starting to adjust to the altitude, but still struggling.
Wrapped up in a blanket and a cocktail Carl and I spent our evenings on the porch just staring. LOVE THIS PLACE!
4) Thursday. Okay, so Wednesday went well.... we decided to take it up a notch and try for Silver Lake. The sites all said "difficult", but we thought we could do it if we carried both boys. We should have brought a trail map.... going to leave it at that.
The drive up was MUCH longer, but the roads were a little wider, so I felt better. It seemed like we had driven to the top of the mountain. Only to find there were more mountains to climb. We found the only place to park and loaded the boys up. Carl's pack with John and the gear was so heavy that he broke his walking stick trying to STAND UP! WHAT? Should have been our first clue. We followed the directions on the website (prior to leaving, because of course you get no reception once you are on trails) and this guy that worked at the power plant (uh huh) and crossed the river right where we were supposed to, only problem was we really did not know what to do from there. We were in the thick of it and creating our own trails at this point. I was getting a little anxious. Then we kept seeing people on a main trail across the river... we came to a decision point.... we hit a part of the river where it was either climb a mountain on the right or turn back, we could no longer cross the river because of the high cliffs.... we were exhausted and Carl had too much weight.... we crossed the river where we could and then literally crawled on our hands and knees up the steep side to the main trail and collapsed. At this point we needed shade and food.
We ran into some folks that pointed us in the direction of Silver Lake (our destination) and it was on the opposite side of the river and on a steep mountain with no main trail.... poo... we hiked a bit more towards another lake and then decided to turn around, we were in over our heads. Matthew slept on me on the hike down. We found a shallow and narrow part of the river with some shade and ate lunch.
Carrying Matthew was great, Carl and I both agreed. Although he does not weigh much less than John, he sits still and he "talks" the whole time very sweetly and happily and plays with your head. Super fun. John apparently (although I never carried him) would lean from side to side and at one point tried to count as far as he could and got close to 150. And he would talk loud right in Carl's ear and then start rambling about something and then complaining. In retrospect... pretty funny. I choose Matthew on this one. :)
On our way home, we drove through Telluride because John had fallen asleep. There was one school K-12. But beautiful. I can only imagine what it would be like to live there.
We stopped in Mountain Village for a rootbeer float and some sliders and this little park with the biggest and the best see-saw I had ever seen. Carl and I got on that and laughed so hard we couldn't get off. Showered and then back on the gondola to Telluride for dinner. The boys loved the gondola. And I have to say.... I think it would be pretty cool to take a gondola to work everyday. We ate at a high review but let down of a bakery type place, but did pick up some cool desserts and breakfast stuff.
4) Friday. Carl got up with the boys and got them breakfast and brought me coffee in bed. FIRST TIME EVER to bring me coffee in bed AND I WILL NEVER FORGET IT! MEANT A LOT TO ME!
For the adventure, we decided to take this one easy. Went to Priest Lake (I think) after a detour up a long switchback road to get to lake that was private (they should put that CLEARLY on the maps). Back down we go in the car. Once there, no hiking, car within site distance, set up day camp and tried fishing for lunch again. No luck. but lots of fun. We went on little adventures around the lake and crossed another river and built a lean-to for some shade. Awesome day.
For most of the trip I am the type of person to be anxious about the unknown and what could happen that I would not enjoy myself. However, from the depths of my sole, I trust Carl with our lives and if I ever had to be stranded with both kids and him, I know we would be okay. He amazes me and keeps me sane. He approached every outing as if he was to break a leg and we would have to stay the night in the mountains. He was more than prepared and I can not thank him enough for that peace of mind.
After our adventure, we took the gondola to the same place with the pizza from the first night. Just a huge outdoor open area with umbrellas that several restaurants shared. But still my kiddos run-a-muck. We ate quick and went home.
5) Saturday. Up and at 'em. Long drive ahead. Took FOREVER to pack us all back up. I forgot what time we got on the road, but it was 14 hours until we got home I think at 1:00am (ish) Sunday morning. John watched movies at night and Matthew fell asleep right on cue, but then after an hour or so, he was just awake, staring, almost in a trance for a couple of hours before he fell asleep again. I tried my hardest to stay awake. I did. I did. But I think I slept the last hour. Boys went right to sleep when we got home, but were up early.
Would do it again in a heartbeat and I hope to do it every summer. As the boys get older it will only get easier and more adventurous.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Top Ten
1) This is our last week of summer and once again, I can not believe how fast it goes by! I still have another year with John before he starts the big K, but as I see some of my friends letting go for that first time, it makes me remember how fast this next year is going to fly.
2) I am on an organization crusade! Slowly I am cleaning and organizing different parts of the house and there is a neighborhood garage sale next weekend, so I will unload a lot of it then. I am also going to try and get some more organization to meals and daily life. I have dry erase calendar and wall files hung in the laundry room that I refer to as my command center. I love it and use it every day. I hope to include more things like that around the house to help me stay organized so that I can focus on more important things like my hubby and kiddos. :)
3) We went to Telluride, Colorado a couple weeks back and it was incredible. A whole post coming soon, but if you are ever in the market for a summer vacation spot that is not the beach, I highly recommend this place and I hope to go back many times!
4) Matthew is not talking much. I think I have said this for a while now, but his vocabulary does not increase near at the rate that John's did at this age. I guess it is true what Dr. Bill, why should he learn to talk when everyone else will talk for him.
5) John and Matthew play more and more together every day and it is cute to watch. Matthew will follow John around (when John wants him to) and mimic everything he does (crawl, jump, hide, growl, super powers, etc.)
6) Carl has traveled much less these past few weeks which is great. We are preparing ourselves for the busy season that awaits him pretty much now and ramps up to its highest of highs at the end of the December. Here we go again (collective sigh).
7) I love play dates for John now. I love them when they are over here so that I can hear and see him interact with the other kids and I love them when they are at someone elses house (as we speak) because I know he is having fun and I get a little extra break.
8) John's official first season of soccer started this week and it is going to be great. There are 5 boys from the neighborhood, although he only knows Garrett. He will get a chance to know the rest of the boys that will go to his school next year too. I will try to take some pictures and do a whole other post on this because he is a different kid than the first day of T-ball and it is so fun to watch.
9) I am into running... yes...you heard it right. I have always cursed running and did not quite understand the enjoyment. All of a sudden I can not get enough. It is some alone time with my thoughts and my music and my competitiveness (against myself this time) leaps back into action. I get better with every run. Although my IT band on my right side of my leg has been bothering me and stops me in my tracks on some runs. I am seeing a sports chiropractor about it and is doing wonderful things. I think a couple more sessions with him and more conditioning, it should be gone for good. Anyone have any good running/workout songs to add to my play list, let me know.
10) Invesco pulled my plug last week. This is the first time I have been officially unemployed, I am sad about it, but it did lift one more burden and one more to-do list from my life. They said I can call them anytime once I have a more set schedule and get back on the team. Not sure when that will be, but glad to know the door is still open.
2) I am on an organization crusade! Slowly I am cleaning and organizing different parts of the house and there is a neighborhood garage sale next weekend, so I will unload a lot of it then. I am also going to try and get some more organization to meals and daily life. I have dry erase calendar and wall files hung in the laundry room that I refer to as my command center. I love it and use it every day. I hope to include more things like that around the house to help me stay organized so that I can focus on more important things like my hubby and kiddos. :)
3) We went to Telluride, Colorado a couple weeks back and it was incredible. A whole post coming soon, but if you are ever in the market for a summer vacation spot that is not the beach, I highly recommend this place and I hope to go back many times!
4) Matthew is not talking much. I think I have said this for a while now, but his vocabulary does not increase near at the rate that John's did at this age. I guess it is true what Dr. Bill, why should he learn to talk when everyone else will talk for him.
5) John and Matthew play more and more together every day and it is cute to watch. Matthew will follow John around (when John wants him to) and mimic everything he does (crawl, jump, hide, growl, super powers, etc.)
6) Carl has traveled much less these past few weeks which is great. We are preparing ourselves for the busy season that awaits him pretty much now and ramps up to its highest of highs at the end of the December. Here we go again (collective sigh).
7) I love play dates for John now. I love them when they are over here so that I can hear and see him interact with the other kids and I love them when they are at someone elses house (as we speak) because I know he is having fun and I get a little extra break.
8) John's official first season of soccer started this week and it is going to be great. There are 5 boys from the neighborhood, although he only knows Garrett. He will get a chance to know the rest of the boys that will go to his school next year too. I will try to take some pictures and do a whole other post on this because he is a different kid than the first day of T-ball and it is so fun to watch.
9) I am into running... yes...you heard it right. I have always cursed running and did not quite understand the enjoyment. All of a sudden I can not get enough. It is some alone time with my thoughts and my music and my competitiveness (against myself this time) leaps back into action. I get better with every run. Although my IT band on my right side of my leg has been bothering me and stops me in my tracks on some runs. I am seeing a sports chiropractor about it and is doing wonderful things. I think a couple more sessions with him and more conditioning, it should be gone for good. Anyone have any good running/workout songs to add to my play list, let me know.
10) Invesco pulled my plug last week. This is the first time I have been officially unemployed, I am sad about it, but it did lift one more burden and one more to-do list from my life. They said I can call them anytime once I have a more set schedule and get back on the team. Not sure when that will be, but glad to know the door is still open.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The Top Ten
1) Carl left town today. :( Although so far this is the only trip scheduled in July I still hate to see him go. I have noticed how very different our days and weeks are when he is in town versus out of town. Now that we are used to him travelling, I look back on how freaked out I used to be when he would leave for a night and I laugh. I miss him and want him home.
2) Matthew still has not taken a liking to Church nursery at all. Although this last time he did not fuss much, but he did have to be held most of the time. I guess we are making progress. He will be going to MDO there once a week in the fall and be in that same room, so I really hope he can get used to it. I will pull him out of MDO if, after a fair trial, he does not warm up. He will only be 18 months and we do not HAVE to do it since I am not working from the office any longer.
3) This summer is flying by! I can not believe it is July already. I need to remember this feeling going forward, as both last summer and this summer I was nervous about and wondered how I would keep the kiddos busy. In all honesty, I am looking at our "summer to-do list" that John and I created and wondering how I am going to get it all in at this point. I completely believe in down time, at home, doing nothing, except being with each other and taking us where the blows....but I may need to step it up a gear. :)
4) John is going to drop off camps this summer and really enjoying them. Garrett and/or Elyse are also there with him and in his mind there is NOTHING better. He has been to an "extreme sports" camp at The Little Gym and to VBS at Stonebridge United Methodist Church and to science day and tomorrow is solar system day at Trinity Presbyterian Church.
5) Matthew has bumps and bruises all over his head and body. It looks like we beat him. (we don't)
6) Bailee is old. I love her so much and she has been the one day-to-day part of my life that has stayed consistent since I was 21 years old. She is on pain medication for her arthritis, the vet says it is one of the most advance cases he has seen, but the meds really help. And they do not make her a lump on a log at all, they really just help her to walk and get up and down. I know John will remember her, as he still talks about Kallie, but I hope Matthew will remember Bailee too. Her name is one of the few words that he has and he loves dogs.
7) How is my house more messy now that I stay home full time than it was when I worked part time. I look around and think... I should be cleaning that, not writing this... but we can all see how that turned out. :)
8) We have been in this house 5.5 years and it is starting to show a bit. Random things are happening, but nothing major thank goodness. Toilet seat broke, cabinet door hinge fell off, shutters breaking, paint peeling, etc. I love this house, but would love to build one from scratch one day with my entire wish list (the list is reasonable and practical for the most part). Pinterest will really help me out in the design process! :)
9) I catch myself looking almost daily at John and wondering where the last 4 years went. Time flies by with these boys. I remember the early days with both boys thinking those sleepless nights and newborn frustrations would never pass, but man, they pass too quickly!
10) John is hot and cold, good days and bad days, no in between. Today was fantastic and gives me hope. His latest antic is the way he speaks to people, his tone of voice is so angry and unkind. The "fits" have virtually stopped (with the exception of the normal 4.5 year oldisms, but he gets those under control pretty quickly), but the tone of voice is crazy. We are working on it....
2) Matthew still has not taken a liking to Church nursery at all. Although this last time he did not fuss much, but he did have to be held most of the time. I guess we are making progress. He will be going to MDO there once a week in the fall and be in that same room, so I really hope he can get used to it. I will pull him out of MDO if, after a fair trial, he does not warm up. He will only be 18 months and we do not HAVE to do it since I am not working from the office any longer.
3) This summer is flying by! I can not believe it is July already. I need to remember this feeling going forward, as both last summer and this summer I was nervous about and wondered how I would keep the kiddos busy. In all honesty, I am looking at our "summer to-do list" that John and I created and wondering how I am going to get it all in at this point. I completely believe in down time, at home, doing nothing, except being with each other and taking us where the blows....but I may need to step it up a gear. :)
4) John is going to drop off camps this summer and really enjoying them. Garrett and/or Elyse are also there with him and in his mind there is NOTHING better. He has been to an "extreme sports" camp at The Little Gym and to VBS at Stonebridge United Methodist Church and to science day and tomorrow is solar system day at Trinity Presbyterian Church.
5) Matthew has bumps and bruises all over his head and body. It looks like we beat him. (we don't)
6) Bailee is old. I love her so much and she has been the one day-to-day part of my life that has stayed consistent since I was 21 years old. She is on pain medication for her arthritis, the vet says it is one of the most advance cases he has seen, but the meds really help. And they do not make her a lump on a log at all, they really just help her to walk and get up and down. I know John will remember her, as he still talks about Kallie, but I hope Matthew will remember Bailee too. Her name is one of the few words that he has and he loves dogs.
7) How is my house more messy now that I stay home full time than it was when I worked part time. I look around and think... I should be cleaning that, not writing this... but we can all see how that turned out. :)
8) We have been in this house 5.5 years and it is starting to show a bit. Random things are happening, but nothing major thank goodness. Toilet seat broke, cabinet door hinge fell off, shutters breaking, paint peeling, etc. I love this house, but would love to build one from scratch one day with my entire wish list (the list is reasonable and practical for the most part). Pinterest will really help me out in the design process! :)
9) I catch myself looking almost daily at John and wondering where the last 4 years went. Time flies by with these boys. I remember the early days with both boys thinking those sleepless nights and newborn frustrations would never pass, but man, they pass too quickly!
10) John is hot and cold, good days and bad days, no in between. Today was fantastic and gives me hope. His latest antic is the way he speaks to people, his tone of voice is so angry and unkind. The "fits" have virtually stopped (with the exception of the normal 4.5 year oldisms, but he gets those under control pretty quickly), but the tone of voice is crazy. We are working on it....
Monday, July 9, 2012
Matthew: 16 months
Happy 16 months baby boy!
Car Seat: Today was the first day that Matthew got to turn around and face forward in the car. I know I am not following the new guidelines of 2 years, but Dr. Bill said to keep him rear facing as long as we could. Being that today he is exactly 16 months, it seemed like a good day. :) He loved it and was mesmerized the entire trip.
Swimming: I took the boys swimming today and Matthew is a little fish! He loves the water and has no fear. I will stand him on the step and count to three and he "jumps" to me. Today I started telling him to go "under" the water this time and he would mutter a similar sound and then put his hand under water each time I said it. Then when he jumped I would let him go under. He comes up a little jolted, but then claps and laughs and wants to go again. It is so fun, but a little crazy for me when I have both of them in the water at the same time.
Talking: He does not seem to have many more words than last time I thought about it. I know he is soaking it all in, but doesn't seem to be processing it into output just yet.
Physical development: He is so close to jumping, he love to climb on EVERYTHING and he has no fear. He has some natural (at least compared to John) ability with balls for sure, he can kick, throw and catch balls and balloons and balance and manipulate them with no trouble. I over analyze all of his physical development because I still worry about the torticollis and the left side of his body. He does favor his right side, especially when he climbs stairs and holds anything. His left eye seems smaller to me, but only I would notice that. I suppose maybe he will just always have a little hitch in his left giddy up. :)
He also has 4 teeth coming in right now, all in the back and his little gums look like marbles are growing. BUT he is missing his "eye" teeth on both top and bottom. Hope that is not a problem.
Sleeping and eating: Same old, Same old. Sleeps through the night (7:30 - 7:30) and takes anywhere from 1.5 hours to 3 hours nap. Loves to eat and always asks to eat, but is starting to show stronger signs of preference in what those things are. Overall is a good balanced eater, but with a twist...the kids does not like fast food. I have yet to find a drive through that he will eat and enjoy. Not that we do it often, but I do revert to it at times. Arg....
In comparison: Just read John's 16 month post (here) and the three things that stood out the most as being different was that Matthew has NO interest in TV and John apparently loved to cuddle and watch PBS. I had just stopped pureeing Johns food! WHAT?!?! I stopped pureeing Matthew's food before he was 1. John had a much wider vocabulary for sure.
Car Seat: Today was the first day that Matthew got to turn around and face forward in the car. I know I am not following the new guidelines of 2 years, but Dr. Bill said to keep him rear facing as long as we could. Being that today he is exactly 16 months, it seemed like a good day. :) He loved it and was mesmerized the entire trip.
Swimming: I took the boys swimming today and Matthew is a little fish! He loves the water and has no fear. I will stand him on the step and count to three and he "jumps" to me. Today I started telling him to go "under" the water this time and he would mutter a similar sound and then put his hand under water each time I said it. Then when he jumped I would let him go under. He comes up a little jolted, but then claps and laughs and wants to go again. It is so fun, but a little crazy for me when I have both of them in the water at the same time.
Talking: He does not seem to have many more words than last time I thought about it. I know he is soaking it all in, but doesn't seem to be processing it into output just yet.
Physical development: He is so close to jumping, he love to climb on EVERYTHING and he has no fear. He has some natural (at least compared to John) ability with balls for sure, he can kick, throw and catch balls and balloons and balance and manipulate them with no trouble. I over analyze all of his physical development because I still worry about the torticollis and the left side of his body. He does favor his right side, especially when he climbs stairs and holds anything. His left eye seems smaller to me, but only I would notice that. I suppose maybe he will just always have a little hitch in his left giddy up. :)
He also has 4 teeth coming in right now, all in the back and his little gums look like marbles are growing. BUT he is missing his "eye" teeth on both top and bottom. Hope that is not a problem.
Sleeping and eating: Same old, Same old. Sleeps through the night (7:30 - 7:30) and takes anywhere from 1.5 hours to 3 hours nap. Loves to eat and always asks to eat, but is starting to show stronger signs of preference in what those things are. Overall is a good balanced eater, but with a twist...the kids does not like fast food. I have yet to find a drive through that he will eat and enjoy. Not that we do it often, but I do revert to it at times. Arg....
In comparison: Just read John's 16 month post (here) and the three things that stood out the most as being different was that Matthew has NO interest in TV and John apparently loved to cuddle and watch PBS. I had just stopped pureeing Johns food! WHAT?!?! I stopped pureeing Matthew's food before he was 1. John had a much wider vocabulary for sure.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Confidence Building
After some angry outburst and beahvior issues with John I started asking around and reading this book "How To Talk So Kids Will Listen; And Listen So Kids Will Talk". While reading it and looking at our family and applying what worked for our family I quickly saw changes in John as well as myself. I feel like his confidence is much higher and I am much more patient becuase of some of the theories in this book.
I wanted to remember some of these confidence builders if I ever need them for Mattew or if anyone out there reading this sees anything that they empathize with. Note: some of these things are so small and some parents may have started well before 4, and I do think some of the issue was that I have not let John have the room to grow up as much as I could have. I rescue him in a lot of very simple ways that I have turned around and can see a big difference.
1) Completely picking out his clothes and getting dressed 100% by himself (no matter how long it takes)
2) Wiping his own bottom. (this one is hard for me to watch, but practice is the only way he will get better)
3) Eating off a glass plate and giving him a knife to cut his own sandwhiches.
4) Leaving cups at his level so he can get a drink when he wants one without asking.
5) Letting him struggle with something that he is clearly frustrated with (zipping his book bag, a game on the ipad, new toys, opening a lid, etc.)
6) I have stopped finishing his sentences. He takes SO LONG to tell a story and sometimes it is painful to listen to him struggle to remember or start over 3 times, especially when I know the ending. But I listen, patiently. He has actually become much more talkative and the end of the stories and sentences are sometimes unexpected and I learn something!
7) I put him in charge of things and let him make more decisions (holding the list at the grocery store, getting the mail, feeding the dog, deciding when he is done eating (which is hard on the rare occasion he only has a couple of bites, but until I feel like his health is in jepordy, I am going with this)), etc.
8) Stop reminding him to go to the bathroom.
Just these little things I have already seen improvements inlcuding:
- doing something when I ask him the first time (this is sort of a stretch, but still improvement)
- less thumb sucking
- no potty accidents at all
- talking more and telling me how he is feeling
- fits end as quickly as they start
- less whining (still whining, but less)
- wanting to do more things with no help
- better attitude overall
- more willing to do something new or a little uncomfortable.
I wanted to remember some of these confidence builders if I ever need them for Mattew or if anyone out there reading this sees anything that they empathize with. Note: some of these things are so small and some parents may have started well before 4, and I do think some of the issue was that I have not let John have the room to grow up as much as I could have. I rescue him in a lot of very simple ways that I have turned around and can see a big difference.
1) Completely picking out his clothes and getting dressed 100% by himself (no matter how long it takes)
2) Wiping his own bottom. (this one is hard for me to watch, but practice is the only way he will get better)
3) Eating off a glass plate and giving him a knife to cut his own sandwhiches.
4) Leaving cups at his level so he can get a drink when he wants one without asking.
5) Letting him struggle with something that he is clearly frustrated with (zipping his book bag, a game on the ipad, new toys, opening a lid, etc.)
6) I have stopped finishing his sentences. He takes SO LONG to tell a story and sometimes it is painful to listen to him struggle to remember or start over 3 times, especially when I know the ending. But I listen, patiently. He has actually become much more talkative and the end of the stories and sentences are sometimes unexpected and I learn something!
7) I put him in charge of things and let him make more decisions (holding the list at the grocery store, getting the mail, feeding the dog, deciding when he is done eating (which is hard on the rare occasion he only has a couple of bites, but until I feel like his health is in jepordy, I am going with this)), etc.
8) Stop reminding him to go to the bathroom.
Just these little things I have already seen improvements inlcuding:
- doing something when I ask him the first time (this is sort of a stretch, but still improvement)
- less thumb sucking
- no potty accidents at all
- talking more and telling me how he is feeling
- fits end as quickly as they start
- less whining (still whining, but less)
- wanting to do more things with no help
- better attitude overall
- more willing to do something new or a little uncomfortable.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Matthew: 15 months
Matthew's 15 month appointment went absolutely seamlessly. Only question I had for Dr. Bill was if I could possibly feed Matthew too many eggs. The boy LOVES eggs and I can slip anything in there and he will eat it...cheese, cabbage, spinach, meat, you name it, he will eat it in an egg. (Dr. Bill did say that he is not worried about cholestrol at this age, so feed away)
Matthews stats were (followed by Johns in comparison which I am shocked how close they are):
Weight: 25 lbs 4 oz (59%) (John: 25 lbs 14 oz (68%))
Length: 32 inches (75%) (John: 32 inches (75%))
Head: 19.25 (90%) (John: 19 inches (79%))
His favorite things are:
- Balls
- Balloons
- John
- FOOD (eggs, pancakes, muffins, fruit of any kind, cheese, deli meat, spagettios, peas, corn, oatmeal)
- Baths
- "swimming"
Developments:
- Running pretty well
- tries to jump already, but no air yet
- He is pretty steady on his feet. Especially in comparison to his Little Gym buddies, he can run circles and skills around those guys. But they are all 1st kids, so I think watching and chasing after John these past 15 months has given him a leg up.
- Words include: ball, dog, balloon, fish, shoe, mama, bubba, dada, tree, bye-bye, hi
- carries out instructions pretty well, even more complex ones as long as you use simple words.
- Wearing 12-18 month clothes, but I need to pull out the 18-24 months. That belly just keeps getting bigger.
- Only had 4 teeth up until last week, but 2 popped through at the same time. He was cranky, but overall, he is not a bad teether.
He is not cautious like I am used to, he wants to walk down stairs and dive head first into water and climb on anything he sees. Have to keep a careful eye on this guy. However, he does still look at me and will pause prior to doing most of those things. Not that it would stop him, but more of a warning for me and head start to catch him before he breaks a bone.
Matthews stats were (followed by Johns in comparison which I am shocked how close they are):
Weight: 25 lbs 4 oz (59%) (John: 25 lbs 14 oz (68%))
Length: 32 inches (75%) (John: 32 inches (75%))
Head: 19.25 (90%) (John: 19 inches (79%))
His favorite things are:
- Balls
- Balloons
- John
- FOOD (eggs, pancakes, muffins, fruit of any kind, cheese, deli meat, spagettios, peas, corn, oatmeal)
- Baths
- "swimming"
Developments:
- Running pretty well
- tries to jump already, but no air yet
- He is pretty steady on his feet. Especially in comparison to his Little Gym buddies, he can run circles and skills around those guys. But they are all 1st kids, so I think watching and chasing after John these past 15 months has given him a leg up.
- Words include: ball, dog, balloon, fish, shoe, mama, bubba, dada, tree, bye-bye, hi
- carries out instructions pretty well, even more complex ones as long as you use simple words.
- Wearing 12-18 month clothes, but I need to pull out the 18-24 months. That belly just keeps getting bigger.
- Only had 4 teeth up until last week, but 2 popped through at the same time. He was cranky, but overall, he is not a bad teether.
He is not cautious like I am used to, he wants to walk down stairs and dive head first into water and climb on anything he sees. Have to keep a careful eye on this guy. However, he does still look at me and will pause prior to doing most of those things. Not that it would stop him, but more of a warning for me and head start to catch him before he breaks a bone.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The Top Ten
I am not going to say that I will start the "Ten on Tuesday" again. But I sure did love it when I was doing it, so I am going to start my own version.... The Top Ten list and hope to post weekly at some point. :)
1) My 2nd nephew Everrett Ambrose Richards was born on June 12th. I can not wait to snuggle that little nugget next weekend!
2) John loves animals like no other kid I have seen and he has been this way since infancy. I think we have discovered that Matthew's passion is for balls and balloons. The boy can not get enough!
3) The book "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk" is my newest attempt at understanding and coping with parenting.... LOVING IT! Not to say that it is for every situation, but it does have a very wide range of real life examples for ages from 3 and above. I know that overall my boys are happy and healthy, but some of the theories and language in this book has really helped me to feel like I have more control of my own impatience and I can see a lot of positive changes in John. Well.... this book and a lot of prayer!
4) OKC Thunder is down 3 games to 1 against the Miami Heat right now for the Championship. This is totally bazaar for me. This basketball team did not exist (nor did its stadium or half of the things that OKC downtown has these days) when I lived there. I keep calling them "us", but it seems so foreign. Good Luck either way! "Thunder UP" I think is the saying, although I like "Roll Thunder" better. (They forgot to ask for my opinion).
5) Matthew is working on more words these days... a lot of babble...but I am starting to make a little more sense of it. The pointing and staring give it away. So far we can understand...ball, balloon, fish, shoe, mama, dada, dog, book, tree. Looking back, I feel like John was saying much more than this, but I feel like Matthew understands a lot more of what we are saying. He follows simple commands, but can also understand a few more in depth sentences. He also can pick up sign language after the first couple of times you show him. Just this week he is doing the sign for "help" (his version) and he uses it correctly. He still uses eat, more, and brother on a regular basis, but has dropped the others for the most part.
6) John's latest habit is to come into bed every morning with us when he wakes up. Luckily it has been later and later, but it was starting at like 5:30. And although I tried to sleep with him in bed, I was basically up at 5:30. Awesome. I am loving this little cuddle time!
7) Matthew must be going through a growth spurt. He is sleeping SO LONG at night and at nap. 7:30pm to like 8:00am (or longer) and then still a 2-3 hour nap! Woohoo!
8) The summer already feels like it is flying by. John has been out of school almost a month already. I know I am going to look up and Pre-K is going to start. We are staying extremely busy, but we have a lot of down time too, I think that is important for the boys to build their relationship now that they are starting to play together a little more.
9) I am in love with Pinterest. What an amazing concept. There are so many things that I now have at my fingertips. It is such a wonderful resource that saves so much time!
10) Outside of Nick Jr. and PBS are there any other channels that are generally safe for a small child? I feel like most other channels have some programming that I am okay with, but either the commercials or certain times of the day are turned more towards older kids.
1) My 2nd nephew Everrett Ambrose Richards was born on June 12th. I can not wait to snuggle that little nugget next weekend!
2) John loves animals like no other kid I have seen and he has been this way since infancy. I think we have discovered that Matthew's passion is for balls and balloons. The boy can not get enough!
3) The book "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk" is my newest attempt at understanding and coping with parenting.... LOVING IT! Not to say that it is for every situation, but it does have a very wide range of real life examples for ages from 3 and above. I know that overall my boys are happy and healthy, but some of the theories and language in this book has really helped me to feel like I have more control of my own impatience and I can see a lot of positive changes in John. Well.... this book and a lot of prayer!
4) OKC Thunder is down 3 games to 1 against the Miami Heat right now for the Championship. This is totally bazaar for me. This basketball team did not exist (nor did its stadium or half of the things that OKC downtown has these days) when I lived there. I keep calling them "us", but it seems so foreign. Good Luck either way! "Thunder UP" I think is the saying, although I like "Roll Thunder" better. (They forgot to ask for my opinion).
5) Matthew is working on more words these days... a lot of babble...but I am starting to make a little more sense of it. The pointing and staring give it away. So far we can understand...ball, balloon, fish, shoe, mama, dada, dog, book, tree. Looking back, I feel like John was saying much more than this, but I feel like Matthew understands a lot more of what we are saying. He follows simple commands, but can also understand a few more in depth sentences. He also can pick up sign language after the first couple of times you show him. Just this week he is doing the sign for "help" (his version) and he uses it correctly. He still uses eat, more, and brother on a regular basis, but has dropped the others for the most part.
6) John's latest habit is to come into bed every morning with us when he wakes up. Luckily it has been later and later, but it was starting at like 5:30. And although I tried to sleep with him in bed, I was basically up at 5:30. Awesome. I am loving this little cuddle time!
7) Matthew must be going through a growth spurt. He is sleeping SO LONG at night and at nap. 7:30pm to like 8:00am (or longer) and then still a 2-3 hour nap! Woohoo!
8) The summer already feels like it is flying by. John has been out of school almost a month already. I know I am going to look up and Pre-K is going to start. We are staying extremely busy, but we have a lot of down time too, I think that is important for the boys to build their relationship now that they are starting to play together a little more.
9) I am in love with Pinterest. What an amazing concept. There are so many things that I now have at my fingertips. It is such a wonderful resource that saves so much time!
10) Outside of Nick Jr. and PBS are there any other channels that are generally safe for a small child? I feel like most other channels have some programming that I am okay with, but either the commercials or certain times of the day are turned more towards older kids.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Evenings
Evenings have become my favorite part of the day. This is vastly different than some past times. Of course, the main reason being that Carl comes home and hangs with us, but even on days he is out of town, I enjoy the evenings the best.
I am not sure if it is because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, or maybe the boys are finally tired of me (what? never!), or everyone finally has a full stomach, or the stars are all aligned, I don't need to know, I just want to enjoy it.
Both boys are calm (or at least calmer) and more content to just sit in the floor with me or without me or with each other or whatever. All of us seem to be much more relaxed and able to just be in the moment and do whatever tickles our fancy.
Love my life!
I am not sure if it is because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, or maybe the boys are finally tired of me (what? never!), or everyone finally has a full stomach, or the stars are all aligned, I don't need to know, I just want to enjoy it.
Both boys are calm (or at least calmer) and more content to just sit in the floor with me or without me or with each other or whatever. All of us seem to be much more relaxed and able to just be in the moment and do whatever tickles our fancy.
Love my life!
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