The Little Gym

 

The top video is of you going around the parachute. It's so funny to watch (for me) because when we first started these classes - 2 yrs ago - you were TERRIFIED of the parachute. You had such anxiety about it. It could have been the over-stimulation factor of it, the size of it, or who knows what... all of the above probably, considering there is almost always at least one screamer for this part of class. But the last year or so, you've LOVED it. And you participate and listen to the teacher SO so beautifully. I am just so proud!

The last video is of you receiving your 'medal of honor' - on the last day of class. We picked the wrong end of the semi-circle to sit at, and you were the last of about 12 kids, but you were patient as always, waiting your turn.

Snow Days

 

 

Christmas 2010 - Better Late Than Never

Yes yes, I know, this is WAY overdue. But I am just grateful that I am documenting it while it's still winter. It seems like it was just yesterday, anyway....
Aunty Kelly came home for Christmas, which is always a treat! Especially for certain toddlers who know they can get months worth of energy out all in a few days with her! Endless games of chase and hide-and-seek are the best ways to make some holiday memories.

On Christmas Eve night, we let you open one gift. It was a big Play-Doh set! I have to say, this item was strategically picked, given the fact that I knew that if you opened it ON Christmas Day (amidst the gift-opening chaos w/everyone else) that you would want to immediately play with it, and rightfully so, but Play-Doh is quite the cumbersome toy to play with/clean-up..  sooo... yeah. I picked a night where we could devote some immediate playtime to it! You really loved it. :)

Then came Christmas morning! Santa came and he was definitely sure you were a VERY good boy this year!

I don't have any photos of you stumbling out to the living room - I do have a video though.....  You were a little confused. Last year, you were very confused.. sort of in a state of awe, surrounded by all these new toys, not really knowing what to do or why they were all there. This year, you knew exactly WHY, but you were still in a state of awe I think. You kept asking 'are all these for me??!'...  YES CHILD! You were definitely latched on to your new train-set the first minute you laid eyes on it. All other gifts were pretty unremarkable by comparison.

Well, except your trash-truck (which, if we were picky, we'd call a Recycling Truck, because that's what it is.. but whatever!)..  you loved that. You unwrapped the box, and were so excited to get 'A TWASH TWUCK!'

You really loved your guitar, too. This was really the only toy you asked for (aside from your non-toy request of lollipops - daily, all day, all month long).. so Santa made sure one was available for you just days prior to Christmas!

And yes, Santa made sure to have a good selection of lollipops for your stocking!

Santa even brought ME things in my stocking! A few gift cards.. some antibacterial-gel (Santa knows me well).. a toothbrush holder I wanted...some chocolates.. and a few other things!

Santa got me my yearly planner, and a book I'd wanted to read, too. :)  And this year, since you'll have a baby sister soon, Santa even got me the cutest little newborn booties. Santa did well.

Let's not forget Daddy though! Santa brought him a book he'd wanted to read... and a few comics! Santa appreciates adults who are kids at heart. :)

After breakfast and getting dressed, we headed over to Grandpa's house for more Christmas-fun. Here all us ladies (plus you!) are squeezed in on the couch, a very rare photo where all of us are looking in the camera! Aunty Kelly had the coolest Christmas Snoopy shirt - which you liked, as you really enjoyed the Snoopy movies this Christmas.

We indulged your request to hide under the gifts... because really, how often can one even do this? The big black & white box that is over you is actually a gender-gift. We had Kelly open it in front of everyone, and it contained a 'Little Sister' onesie - as a way to tell everyone we were having a girl..  got that on vid, too, it's a good one!

You then started the races off with opening gifts.. you're holding a prayer-bear from Mamaw. It says a little prayer when you press the button.. It starts off cutely with 'Now I lay me down to sleep..' but the last line it says it absolutely incomprehensible. We've listened to it 3 dozen times, and still, no clue whatsoever. I think this just adds to it's novelty.

A bath-tub boat. You love bath toys!

Some cars, that I think you have only since played with once. But you really seemed to like upon opening! I guess it's because they are small - and everyone knows bigger = better, in terms of cars.

And here is a very thoughtful gift from Kelly and Roger - a big brother tee!!! You loved it. :) And it will get lots of wear. VERY cute,

Amongst fellow gift-openers..  Mamaw has apparently been into.. coloring. So Aunty Kelly decided to be a little cheeky and get her some new coloring books! Mamaw was LITERALLY using the very same half-used coloring books that us girls used as kids, in the 80's! (ever the Recessionista) So, it was time.

And it is no secret that upon purchase of his new Mac laptop, that Daddy has become a bit of an Apple.. FREAK. So, I decided to get him some snazzy Apple-application magnets. For his work.

I received the cutest iPhone holder EVER. And I love it not even based on looks alone! It's so functional! I can now find my dark-colored phone in the deep murky abyss of my purse, and for preschool drop-offs/pick-ups, I no longer have a pocket-bulge. I have a cute holder!








You can see here in the top left corner an easel you also got for Christmas (from Mamaw). It didn't get quite the enthusiastic response she probably hoped for, but I think it's because you had no idea what the heck it gets used for! Now though (almost 2 months past Christmas) I can guarantee her that you VERY much love it and use it several times a day.
You also went around the room, as soon as you were done opening your gifts, to HELP others open theirs. I think you definitely had the concept of gift-opening DOWN this year. Eventually though, I had some new blocks opened up and you were relegated to the window-sill to play. You were happy and others got to open a few of their own gifts!

Lunch/dinner then got rolling, with all us gals in the kitchen. Kelly & I doing all the cooking, while Mamaw stuck her fingers in things that ought not to be.
It was pretty well past your normal lunch-time, and as most know, it's not wise to mess with a toddler's eating schedule, so to avoid the incessant whining we had Grandpa read you several stories from your new way-awesome Curious George collections book (that we now read oohhhh 59 times a day!).
After a delicious meal, we got you upstairs for a much-needed nap, and then we all just basically laid around. I was beat, and I had about 5 books total I received, so I started in on one of them. It was a relaxing few hours!

When we got home, we set up your tent/tunnel from Mamaw, and you were one HAPPY CAMPER! You loved the novelty of it - and shockingly, it hasn't really worn off. You now play with tons of toys inside your tent.. and you love to go through the tunnel, or roll things through it. It's also the #1 top choice when it comes to hide-and-seek places.
I do realize this entire post has all been about STUFF. Gifts and presents and goodies. And while it's a huge part of Christmas for a toddler, we did try to talk to you about WHY we have Christmas. We read some cute books about it, and when we asked you what happened on Christmas Day, a long time ago, you would confidently tell us that 'baby Jesus was born!'.. It's a story that we'll elaborate on throughout the years when you're older and can understand a bit more. Though, I think there might have been some confusion... several weeks prior to Christmas, I would ask you who was coming for Christmas, and you would enthusiastically reply 'baby Jesus and Aunty Kelly!!!!'  HA! Let's just say she was flattered to be placed in the same category as the baby Jesus.
Overall, it was a wonderful Christmas. The last Christmas as a little family of three. I hope you can remember some parts of the day, years from now..  but if not, I'll just tell you about how you were the sweetest, most polite little boy we've ever seen. How it was so very amazing to get to experience Christmas through your stunned little eyes!

Andrew, almost 34 months

Oh my sweet little man! So many cute things, as always, that I have to get documented to remember them forever.
* You are so conversational! You aren't even a toddler anymore - you're a little kid. And it blows my mind constantly. You will come up to me and say 'hey, I got a good idea, wanna hear what it is?' - and it's usually something like 'let's watch some Polar Express' (your fave movie du jour) or something else that is typically given out in limited doses. Sometimes it's quite outlandish - 'let's go to New York. Right now!' - or 'let's go to a hotel room' - you just love it when we check into hotel rooms!
You'll gaze out the back-door windows as you eat your dinner and proclaim that 'it's getting dark.. just not dark yet!'.. sort of your way of saying that it's not quite night-time yet.
Your story-telling to us continues, but now you add in genius little segueways like '...and all of a sudden...!' Or 'suddenly!' Such intrigue for a two year old!
You still add on the phrase 'or something' - to a lot of phrases.. though it comes out 'or somefin'.. once or twice you've said 'wanna go play somefin or somefin?'... Your father and I say this between the two of us for a laugh, just because it's so cute.
* When we clean you up after meals, you take notice of how clean or dirty you are. You'll look down at your pants or shirt and say 'wow, hey! I'm pretty clean!' or your tone will lower, and you'll say 'ohhh no, we're dirty, we gotta change!' As if you were ever reprimanded for being dirty - I guess you just equate it with a sad tone. And sometimes, when immediate stripping is necessary (that dirty), you'll run in your underwear as fast as lightning, screaming 'naked toddler on the loose!!!'
* Speaking of naked-ness, when you're getting dressed/undressed, I'll sometimes ask if I can give you some back kisses.. which I LOVE to do because 1. your back is just so so so soft and I could smother it with kisses all day long and 2. your back has always been the most sensitive-to-touch part of you, so I loved seeing you squirm and squeal with laughter. When I ask if I can, you'll always oblige, turning around and back up into me, like a sweet boy. Though, now that I do it all the time, you've been successfully de-sensitized and you no longer squirm.. you just humor me til I'm done.
* This morning, after you woke up, you went to go potty, and as always I am sitting on your bed, where I can see you but you can't see me too well (to give you privacy/keep an eye on you at the same time)... well, this morning during your epic-long 30 second pee, you start to pick your nose. You bring a prize-winning-booger out of your nose, on your finger, and say 'wow, that's a big one...' Talking to yourself while peeing while picking your nose just adds up to some major cuteness in my book.
* You recently took to bouncehouses. Before, they were mostly something to be walked around, eyed with caution and suspicion. You eventually worked your way up to actually going ON one, but you'd only hold hands with your friend if you were to slide down on one. Just a few days ago, you went with your father (I dropped you two off to shop for a little bit) and when I returned, you were whizzing down these 20 foot tall slides like it was nobody's business. Of course, your father had quite the smug smirk of parental pride, but he admitted he bribed you (to play an iphone game you quickly forgot about, because you were having so much fun). I must say, it brought me much happiness to see you being all .. kid-like.. but also some sadness because of just how fast you're growing up/away.
* The other day, all 3 of us were out running errands, and due to some miscommunications between your father & I, you got jipped out of a visit to the park. You would have been 100% a-ok with this, easily distracted, not the type to hold grudges or throw ridiculous tantrums. But, just because I KNOW THIS and how damn lucky I am, I went in to the store really quick and brought you out a big orange lollipop (you go ape). You had the biggest sweetest smile when I gave you that lollipop. The little lollipop was 29 cents, but my God, that joy was just immeasurable.
* Today, we were sitting on the couch, and when you got up, you leaned on me and elbowed me really hard in my growing abdomen full of baby. It surprised me more than hurt me, and I sort of snapped at you. I didn't yell, I just said 'Andrew, be careful!' or something like that, very sharply. You walked away, and maybe 3 steps away you turned to me and tears welled up and just started flowing. It was the type of cry I remembered as a kid, not ones of being scared, but 'I'm sorry are you ok?' tears. You really had thought you hurt me, and I think my sharp tone didn't help the situation. I held you and you cried for maybe 15 or so seconds (an eternity to a mother!). It wasn't at all how you gouged me in the stomach that made my heart ache after all this, it was seeing what a sensitive little soul you are. How so so so much more in your years ahead will bring on tears like that. Little boys will hurt your feelings on the playground, and big girls will hurt your feelings on the dance-floor. And I won't be there to scoop you up and let you blow your snot in my shirt. I am afraid that I grow more understanding of your grandmother all the time, who wants to physcially coddle your almost-30 year old father. It's quite inappropriate, but I am getting it more and more.
* You adore picking out girl clothes. You find something that's pink and yell it out 'here's some girl clothes!!!'. You get a lot of practice at this, too. :) You talk about how you'll play hide and seek with your sister and play-doh, and how you'll show her your train. And you very much know that something babies do a lot of is CRY. I am so so excited for you to meet her. I am so excited to dedicate these posts to how amazing of a brother you are. You are already one amazing little son. 

I'm going to have a daughter.

 You.. are.. a.. GIRL. And I am still in shock. I mean, I knew the odds - 50/50. But in my mind, I was 100% mentally prepared for a boy. In my gut, however, I knew you were a girl. From the very beginning, it was this very strong, scary, intuition. Which, I know, sounds sort of ridiculous, given the equal odds - but it was truly a gut feeling. One that I didn't like to admit out loud, because.. I don't know why. Because I didn't want to jinx things? Not, of course, that a precious little boy would be less favorable, but because the thought of a girl just kind of made me giddy. For all the reasons that they do make us giddy.

At the ultrasound appointment, I was pretty wound up. I hadn't had time to really get nervous, up until that long endless wait in the waiting room. In doctors waiting rooms, I typically like to power through as many celebrity gossip magazines as possible, but that day, I just stared. At the walls, the chairs.. who even knows. My mind was going at warp speed at how very much our lives were about to change. The endless differences between a boy and girl, our futures, the planning.. everything. We were (FINALLY) called back and the ultrasound began. She told us, after measuring different things, that all looked right on target. Praise the LORD, for this was most certainly the main source of my nauesous anticipation. All looked perfect, and that was music to my ears. At that point, my adrenaline kicked in and I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest. I literally put my hand on my chest to feel it, it was beating that hard and fast. She pointed to 'the goods' - and said that we were looking at a little girl. And my rapidly beating heart went to my throat, and my eyes watered, and I looked at Pablo in complete shock and grabbed his hand and held on for dear life. Minutes later, I finally let go and only then realized how hard I was squeezing it. Sorry! I was/am in shock.

Afterward, we went out to lunch, and just looked at each other with these stupid grins, and would say 'A lot!' - referring to how much our lives just changed. We know it's still a baby. She will still require endless diaper changes and there will still be endless sleepless nights. Still the same 'first's - smiles, clapping, words, food, tantrums, dancing...  But. She will be OUR DAUGHTER. We have never been the parents of a GIRL. I know this all sounds so dumb, as if we are the first people to ever have a girl - but this is the first girl, to us, and we are still a little bit awed by that prospect.

After lunch, we went (where do you think??!) girl! clothes! shopping!!!! It was just so darn fun. The market for baby clothes has definitely given the girls-side the edge. There's so much out there. Every cute outfit Pablo saw, he would hold up to show me, practically squealing over the immense cuteness. I still used some store-coupons, and only bought what was on sale. But still. He's going to need a raise and a promotion, and soon.

And this post is delayed because we wanted to wait to tell immediate family all in one room, on Christmas morning. We thought that us finding out 9 days prior to Christmas was an opportunity we couldn't pass up. BOY was I stupid. It has taken all the strength I possess to not blow this little secret, with just about everyone I know. At least people I don't know have been getting the good news, without them even asking (and caring, probably!). Neighbors we hardly speak with.. retail store employees.. hairdressers.. oh yes, they all have heard the news, because I HAVE to tell someone. I have literally dreamt almost every night of standing on a rooftop, or somesuch other tall building, and screaming 'We're Having A GIIIIIRL!'.

So, internets, WE'RE HAVING A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First letter to you

Tomorrow we have our big 20 week ultrasound, that's main purpose is a full anatomy once-over, detecting all the potential scary things it can. That's my technical description at least. A cherry on top is a peek betweem the legs, and we find out girl or boy! Entire wedding or rehearsal dinner! I can't say that I am not worried about this ultrasound, simply because of the many many things they could tell me is wrong, but I think I'll choose to focus on how excited I am to find out if you are a little lady or a little man. And since I don't yet know, I wanted to cover both bases, writing to you from both perspectives.

If you are a boy, I hope:
~that you are an excellent little brother to Andrew. He is not the kind of kid who would push you back down, if you picked a fight with him, so in some ways I do hope you end up teaching him a healthy sense of self-defense. But more than that, I hope you go easy on him.
~that you enjoy second-hand clothes, because kid, that's just about all you'll get if you are a boy! And why not, when there are a dozen storage bins full of baby boy clothes just waiting for you. I promise they're all pretty damn cute. And your bro was/is not the type to go digging for diamonds in the yard, so they're in pristine condition!
~that you go easy on me. People have said that I'll be getting a polar opposite of Andrew, and that terrifies me because Andrew is a pretty chill little dude. I think raising a couch-diver could bring me some hard-earned life experience, but really, I am as scared of head injury as the next mom.

~that you potty-train at a reasonable age. It's rumored that girls are much easier to train than boys, and I completely lucked out with Andrew, so my hope is that you go just as smoothly. Don't worry, I've dealt with endless poop-filled underwear episodes, I have a very tough stomach by now.
~that you catch on quickly that I am not a mom who is ok with touching reptiles or insects. Sure, if it's you & dad flying solo, go to town! But when it's just me, as it often will be, there will be much distraction and redirection.
~that years from now, you don't ever spend too much time investing in a romantic relationship with someone who doesn't treat you right. Life is just too short.
~that even though 99% of people I know are telling me they are hoping it's a girl, because that's apparently just what you do when someone already has one boy, you are exactly what I prayed for. 


If you are a girl, I hope:
~that you are an excellent little sister to Andrew. As sassy as you might turn out (genetics), I hope that you remember that he's your only big brother and that he loves you very much. Don't verbally abuse him too much, he's a sensitive soul.
~that you try to remember, when you are a teen, that I BIRTHED YOU. Don't forget the 10 months (plus years of getting back to square one) of sacrificing my body (and mind), either. I know you will inevitably hate me, for no other reason than I am your mother, but I pray that you remember this time, before you were born!
~that we can someday be best friends. I had that bond with my mother, and as complicated as it was on some days, it was something so amazing I can't even describe it. If I told someone I wanted a girl, it's not because of the outfits and bows, it's because of the potential for this relationship someday.
~that you try to rise above the girl-drama of your later years. There will be many many girls who try to bring you down and make you feel less-than, and I urge you to go the other way.
~that you understand that as of right now, I have no clue how to dress a little girl. I see baby girl leggings sold, but I have no idea what the purpose of them is. As a pants replacement? No clue. We can learn all this together. It'll be ok.
~that you know right now, your first car will not, under any circumstances, be a mini-van.
~that you try your hardest to not get caught up in the food/weight obsession. I hope you enjoy good food and enjoy a good sweat, don't hold yourself up to any standard but your own.
~that you treat boys kindly, when you start dating. I wasn't always so great at this, but I never had a brother for a different kind of male perspective either, so I hope you can use yours to better yourself.
~that, if you are ever treated poorly by a boy, you remember that they're like buses. A new one every 10 minutes or so. And please don't misinterpret that. 
~that you know that, even though the thought of a girl actually kind of petrifies me a little, for complicated-girl-reasons, you are exactly what I prayed for.

32 months

Today you are 32 months old. Yeah, that's right. No half-month posting today! Who's unnaturally on the ball... ME! Woo!
So many things..  good AND bad. Let's get the bad out of the way first, shall we? I say bad, but it's more like par for the course stage of toddler development. Annoying and highly frustrating. But not bad.  It's your mouth, child! Hoooo boy, do you have a mouth on you. I have no idea where you get that, as I am sure that I, for one, almost never smarted off or tested my parents' patience levels to the point of insanity. I certainly wasn't known for this quality. So, it's anyone's guess. Your propensity for the word NO is becoming more and more.. disturbing. You have no remorse whatsoever as you look me straight in the eye and tell it to me, when I ask you to do something - usually mundane, like put your shoes up, please. And when I respond with 'we don't talk to mommy that way' - your response is 99% of the time: 'yes, we do.' Cue the time-out chair. There is counting..  and when the counting stops (usually when a normal child is eager to be finished with time-out) you bellow from the chair 'keep counting!' The act of me choosing to do something (stop counting), prompts you to make an opposite response to my decision. I am growing leery of what older, wiser mothers have been known to say - that the terrible twos are nothing compared to the horrendous threes. I am beyond grateful for your advanced vocabulary - but I also know this will be your undoing. It should be an interesting next few years, to say the least!

You are very testy when it comes to sharing the spotlight when both your father and I are together. If I have something I want to tell him, in your presence, you will usually find some way to make yourself be heard - yelling or otherwise. We have had to teach you that when one of us is talking to the other, that you are to be patient and let us talk til we are done. This goes well maybe 40% of the time. And when it does, and you are a sweet patient quiet boy, you look at us the SECOND we wrap our conversation and say 'thank you for being so quiet.....' SO desperate for praise! Related to this need to intervene, is how you really keep me in check with my tone of voice, concerning your father. If I am trying to get a point across in a harsh tone, you will YELL at me - 'mommy, don't talk like that!' - Thanks son, now I try to save my harsh tone for when you are not around! ;)
This sharing of the spotlight thing is surely going to come into play in the spring-time, when you welcome your forever-spotlight-stealing little sibling! I'll certainly be able to empathize with you, but it'll be your new life as you know it.
You are very much into counting. Counting items, anywhere, and counting out loud before you start something. You'll perch yourself on your little indoor-scooter we have, and say 'ok mommy, I'm gonna count to three, then I'm gonna ride my scooter! ok?? ok? one.. two.. three!!' You are so into counting, that you countdown to count. That's right, you say 'I'm gonna count to five, then I'm gonna count these beads!!' - and you count out loud, before you.. count. You love to put up 1 finger on each hand and proudly say 'how many is this?' and you count your fingers to total two - and you smile like a crazy little genius. You count before I flush the toilet in public restrooms. You count cars as they pass by out front. You count rocks and sticks. You count planes as they fly by.

You crack us up with the random things you say sometimes. You went through a short phase (a few weeks) of totally randomly saying (as you pointed at us) 'mommy! you have a nipple! daddy! you have a nipple!' Strange, but funny. Or very emphatically saying 'oh mommy, you're so handsome!' You cracked yourself up over that one. And when you see a car back up in the middle of the road (doing a two point turn or something) - you will yell at it 'what is that car doing???!' laughing maniacally.
You have a definite sense of good and bad.. scary and not scary. There's very little gray in your world right now. You make bold statements of 'spiders are not good.. doodlebug are good.. ants are not good.. butterflies are good though' (*I think this stems from what you have seen me 'take care of' -kill- and what you haven't!) When your father does his dinosaur impression, which you used to love but are now scared of, you'll say that dinosaurs are not good - but monkeys are okay. You somehow picked up the word 'excellent' -so that is usually what you say now instead of good - things are either excellent or NOT excellent.
Preschool is wonderful. And not just for the time it gives me while you are there! You have made some great friends, which you talk about all the time, and you now love to do crafts and color. You sing songs out of the blue that we've never heard of, that you apparently sing at school. One of which you call 'the bible song' - and goes to the tune of 'the bible book is a gift God made me'... you repeat this line over and over. You started singing the days of the week song, which I certainly never taught you. You sing the clean-up song, which helps immensely. And one day, you told me it was November. I just looked at you, stunned. But you are used to this.
Halloween went very very well. About a trillion times better than last year, the year of the Mad Cow. Your costume was very airy and comfortable - and it represented something you were obsessed with. You got candy, something you really didn't know existed last year (and sadly, are very aware of this year!). It was a success all around.

You tell us stories now. We've been telling you stories for so long, we decided to kick back and have you attempt the story-telling. You come up with some great (and very random) plots. Always starting with 'once upon a time' and usually involving an elephant named Lulu and a dust storm and something getting splashed by a lake. You do some pretty cute hand gestures along the way, too. You raise your hand towards the sky, in increments, to convey how big something is. And the pitch of your voice gets pretty darn high, too - the more excited you make yourself.
I think you are known as the welcome-wagon on our street. No car passes by without you stopping to give it your full attention, as you wave to it. When it's passed on by, you'll turn to me and either tell me that they didn't wave or 'didja see that??! they waved!'. I've noticed quite a few cars that pass by daily around the same time, that wave to you way sooner than you do to them, as they are very used to seeing your smiling face and anticipating your friendliness.If people are on foot. you'll wave til I think your arm is going to fall off, not calling out to them. I had to teach you to say something like hello, very loudly, if they don't see you - but I've had to witness maaany way-too-cool teenagers in our neighborhood give you the cold shoulder. Five feet away. And this makes me want to say very bad things to them. I am pretty surprised I haven't, given my level of pregnancy hormones.

Summing up this novel of a post, you do something everyday that blows my mind - in awe at your sheer brilliance and sometimes in awe at your advanced manipulation skills. Either way, I am one lucky momma. Thank you for every day.