Last night, Nolan was sitting in the back of the double stroller, watching Bill do yard work. Watch the progression of this:
Yes, Nolan is crying in the last picture...it was bedtime!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Nolan and The Cat
As you know, The Cat has adopted us. She must really love us or be really lonely, because she even tolerates the boys carrying her around the yard. She seems to prefer Nolan, probably because he can't go after her yet.
Last night, Nolan was sitting in the back of the double stroller, watching Bill do yard work. Watch the progression of this:
Yes, Nolan is crying in the last picture...it was bedtime!
Last night, Nolan was sitting in the back of the double stroller, watching Bill do yard work. Watch the progression of this:
Yes, Nolan is crying in the last picture...it was bedtime!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
No consistency!
Why is it as soon as I brag about something, one of my children messes it up?? I am speaking of Nolan. I tell all of you he's sleeping through the night, and he's now gotten up every night for the past week. I was feeling so good, and now I have that fog on my brain again.
I have discovered if I give him a very small bottle (2.5 oz), he will go right back to sleep. Part of me wonders if he is simply waking up because he wants a bottle (meaning I am creating a monster), or if a little bit of milk helps him go back to sleep. Yes, part of me wonders that, the other part of me doesn't care.
For supper last night, he had part of a homemade waffle, about 1/3 of a breakfast sausage and some stage 2 fruit. I was afraid the sausage would upset his tummy, but he was fine! I am so excited about how well he is transitioning to big people food! After dealing with Sam, I will NEVER take that for granted!
Bill and his landscaping assistants (TJ and Sam) have been busy installing another sprinkler zone and putting in a bit more lawn. The weeds out there are freaking scary, so I'm thrilled to see more grass (well, right now it's dirt) and less weeds. Along the front of our porch looks awful right now with knee-high weeds. But we're putting in a retaining wall next month, so all of that will be ripped out. I'll have to post some pics soon of the boys out working in the yard.
I have discovered if I give him a very small bottle (2.5 oz), he will go right back to sleep. Part of me wonders if he is simply waking up because he wants a bottle (meaning I am creating a monster), or if a little bit of milk helps him go back to sleep. Yes, part of me wonders that, the other part of me doesn't care.
For supper last night, he had part of a homemade waffle, about 1/3 of a breakfast sausage and some stage 2 fruit. I was afraid the sausage would upset his tummy, but he was fine! I am so excited about how well he is transitioning to big people food! After dealing with Sam, I will NEVER take that for granted!
Bill and his landscaping assistants (TJ and Sam) have been busy installing another sprinkler zone and putting in a bit more lawn. The weeds out there are freaking scary, so I'm thrilled to see more grass (well, right now it's dirt) and less weeds. Along the front of our porch looks awful right now with knee-high weeds. But we're putting in a retaining wall next month, so all of that will be ripped out. I'll have to post some pics soon of the boys out working in the yard.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
A few tidbits
It's too bad I can't carry this computer everywhere. I frequently will think of something I should blog about, but then when I sit down at the computer, can't recall what that was!
I do have some updates on the boys:
TJ: Is down to his last month of Fabulous Fives. Where has this year gone? I still can't believe how much he's grown and changed. He's quite responsible and often very helpful. Bill and I are going to set up a chore chart for him this summer, which will allow him to earn privileges and a little bit of cash. It's time for him to learn about spending, saving, and tithing.
TJ can be a sentimental kid. Bill and I spent the weekend in Madison, WI, visiting my dear friend, Elisabeth Gaikema Platt and her husband. The boys spent most of the weekend with my mom. When I went to pick them up Sunday night, TJ came right up to me and said, "Did you miss me, Mom? Because I really missed you." Awww....
Earlier today, I asked the boys if they would like Daddy to make hot dogs on the grill tonight (TJ likes his whole and plain, Sam likes his sliced up, placed on a hot dog bun, and then drowned in ketchup). Both boys got really excited about this. Sam said, "Yeah! Hot dogs!" TJ said, "Oh, yes! I will have to write this down in my memory book." I do not have the faintest clue what he is talking about.
TJ received a small dog from his failed trip to see my dentist (but we've had success since moving him to a pediatric dentist). The dog, Cooper, was a Happy Meal toy that wound up being a prize at the dentist's. TJ absolutely loves this dog. The dog has 2 empty Kleenex boxes that TJ has converted into doghouses for him. TJ is also trying hard to spell 'Cooper'. He sounded it out the other day and wrote it down..."KWPR". I thought that was a pretty good start.
SAM: Sam is still petrified of potty training and is also very much afraid of bath time. I do not know why. Nothing bad has happened to him, but he seems to be very afraid to take control of his bladder and he is terrified of having an accident in the tub. So for now, we are not even mentioning potty training to him. We also put him in a bathing suit or a diaper cover for bath time (I do remove it to wash him, but then it goes right back on). It does seem to be helping somewhat. He stays dry all night at least once a week, so I know he is fully capable of being potty trained, but I guess he isn't ready emotionally.
Sam is my ketchup king. He'll eat almost anything if you give him ketchup. Last night, I made a lemon chicken that you serve with snow peas over chicken ramen noodles. Sam picked at it for awhile, then asked for ketchup. I thought about arguing with him, but then decided it was more important that he finish his dinner. And he did! He just wanted some ketchup on his noodles and chicken (blech). I have started buying organic or natural ketchup for him. Dummy that I am, I never read the label and didn't realize regular ketchup had high fructose corn syrup in it. Sam doesn't need any additional calories or sugar. The organic/natural stuff has no corn syrup, fewer calories and less sodium. So he can enjoy it and I don't feel guilty about it.
NOLAN: Nolan is getting SO close to crawling! Last night he was on his tummy on the living room floor. Bill and I both watched as he used his feet to push himself across the carpet (he reached his goal and emptied a bunch of DVDs off the entertainment center). It's not a crawl yet, but he's definitely figuring out mobility.
Like his big brothers before him, Nolan has turned his burp cloth into his security blanket. His "Buddy" must be with him at all times. He gets a clean one everyday, but each one is special to him. If I pick him up and his Buddy is still on the floor, he will lean over until I lower him so he can grab it. He then places it on my shoulder, lays his head on it, and pats me on the back. It's so cute!
I am thankful that TJ now only wants his Buddy at bedtime. Sam wants it at bedtime and if he is hurt or upset. It would be rather tricky if I was trying to keep track of 3 Buddies at once. One is enough, thanks!
I do have some updates on the boys:
TJ: Is down to his last month of Fabulous Fives. Where has this year gone? I still can't believe how much he's grown and changed. He's quite responsible and often very helpful. Bill and I are going to set up a chore chart for him this summer, which will allow him to earn privileges and a little bit of cash. It's time for him to learn about spending, saving, and tithing.
TJ can be a sentimental kid. Bill and I spent the weekend in Madison, WI, visiting my dear friend, Elisabeth Gaikema Platt and her husband. The boys spent most of the weekend with my mom. When I went to pick them up Sunday night, TJ came right up to me and said, "Did you miss me, Mom? Because I really missed you." Awww....
Earlier today, I asked the boys if they would like Daddy to make hot dogs on the grill tonight (TJ likes his whole and plain, Sam likes his sliced up, placed on a hot dog bun, and then drowned in ketchup). Both boys got really excited about this. Sam said, "Yeah! Hot dogs!" TJ said, "Oh, yes! I will have to write this down in my memory book." I do not have the faintest clue what he is talking about.
TJ received a small dog from his failed trip to see my dentist (but we've had success since moving him to a pediatric dentist). The dog, Cooper, was a Happy Meal toy that wound up being a prize at the dentist's. TJ absolutely loves this dog. The dog has 2 empty Kleenex boxes that TJ has converted into doghouses for him. TJ is also trying hard to spell 'Cooper'. He sounded it out the other day and wrote it down..."KWPR". I thought that was a pretty good start.
SAM: Sam is still petrified of potty training and is also very much afraid of bath time. I do not know why. Nothing bad has happened to him, but he seems to be very afraid to take control of his bladder and he is terrified of having an accident in the tub. So for now, we are not even mentioning potty training to him. We also put him in a bathing suit or a diaper cover for bath time (I do remove it to wash him, but then it goes right back on). It does seem to be helping somewhat. He stays dry all night at least once a week, so I know he is fully capable of being potty trained, but I guess he isn't ready emotionally.
Sam is my ketchup king. He'll eat almost anything if you give him ketchup. Last night, I made a lemon chicken that you serve with snow peas over chicken ramen noodles. Sam picked at it for awhile, then asked for ketchup. I thought about arguing with him, but then decided it was more important that he finish his dinner. And he did! He just wanted some ketchup on his noodles and chicken (blech). I have started buying organic or natural ketchup for him. Dummy that I am, I never read the label and didn't realize regular ketchup had high fructose corn syrup in it. Sam doesn't need any additional calories or sugar. The organic/natural stuff has no corn syrup, fewer calories and less sodium. So he can enjoy it and I don't feel guilty about it.
NOLAN: Nolan is getting SO close to crawling! Last night he was on his tummy on the living room floor. Bill and I both watched as he used his feet to push himself across the carpet (he reached his goal and emptied a bunch of DVDs off the entertainment center). It's not a crawl yet, but he's definitely figuring out mobility.
Like his big brothers before him, Nolan has turned his burp cloth into his security blanket. His "Buddy" must be with him at all times. He gets a clean one everyday, but each one is special to him. If I pick him up and his Buddy is still on the floor, he will lean over until I lower him so he can grab it. He then places it on my shoulder, lays his head on it, and pats me on the back. It's so cute!
I am thankful that TJ now only wants his Buddy at bedtime. Sam wants it at bedtime and if he is hurt or upset. It would be rather tricky if I was trying to keep track of 3 Buddies at once. One is enough, thanks!
Monday, April 27, 2009
More Nolan
You can tell Nolan had a birthday this month! Most of the posts are about him!
He went to the doctor last Friday for his 12-month check-up. I know he's almost 13 months old, but the insurance company won't let me get back on track. Each appointment gets later and later. His 15-month appointment is July 31...one day before he hits 16 months.
Anyway, he weighs a whopping 16 pounds, 5 oz, and is 27.5 inches long. He is still not on the chart for weight, and is in the 1st percentile for height. Dr. Conner showed me his weight curve...he is gaining and is following his own little curve. She said when he starts crawling (and he's getting awfully close!) he might actually lose some ground weight-wise since he'll be burning off more calories. She still thinks that by age 2, you wouldn't guess he was a preemie.
Here are his one-year photos. He did pretty well, except for his tongue. The happier he gets, the more his tongue comes out (maybe he's part dog??). So I had to be careful to order some where the tongue was in his mouth!
This one won't cooperate. It's either really tiny or I'm cutting his feet off:
And my favorite (because he is as sweet as this picture):
He went to the doctor last Friday for his 12-month check-up. I know he's almost 13 months old, but the insurance company won't let me get back on track. Each appointment gets later and later. His 15-month appointment is July 31...one day before he hits 16 months.
Anyway, he weighs a whopping 16 pounds, 5 oz, and is 27.5 inches long. He is still not on the chart for weight, and is in the 1st percentile for height. Dr. Conner showed me his weight curve...he is gaining and is following his own little curve. She said when he starts crawling (and he's getting awfully close!) he might actually lose some ground weight-wise since he'll be burning off more calories. She still thinks that by age 2, you wouldn't guess he was a preemie.
Here are his one-year photos. He did pretty well, except for his tongue. The happier he gets, the more his tongue comes out (maybe he's part dog??). So I had to be careful to order some where the tongue was in his mouth!
This one won't cooperate. It's either really tiny or I'm cutting his feet off:
And my favorite (because he is as sweet as this picture):
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Bill's countdown
For those of you who glance at Bill's blog occasionally, you might be wondering about the countdown on his blog. We are counting down to our cruise, which leaves in mid-January. I love how it has the seconds calculated out. Only about a gazillion seconds to go!
As for any other confusion you may have with his blog, I can't help you. I read his posts, and am not sure what he's talking about half the time.
But I still love you, Sweetie! :-)
As for any other confusion you may have with his blog, I can't help you. I read his posts, and am not sure what he's talking about half the time.
But I still love you, Sweetie! :-)
How to waste $25
Friday was a big day for The Cat. The Cat is how we refer to the stray that's been living in our garage for the past six months. At one point, TJ was calling her Milo, but then informed me that Milo wasn't her name after all. So, she went back to being The Cat.
Bill and I had seen a male cat after her (she seemed highly insulted by that experience), and decided we didn't want to risk a garage full of kittens, so we made an appointment with C-snip (a local non-profit) to get her fixed. They would do the procedure for $45, which is cheaper than any vet we could find.
About a week ago, our neighbor across the street told us he thought he knew who owned the cat. We asked him to call them, since we had the appointment set up, and didn't want to fix the cat if someone was willing to step forward and be responsible for her. Well, we never heard back from the neighbor, and the cat was around just as much as usual ('usual' means she sleeps in our garage six out of seven nights a week, spends the majority of the day in our garage, or within eyesight of our yard, and asks for food at least twice a day). I had thought that if someone knew she was mooching off of us, they would have made an effort to give her more food and water, and possibly try to keep her in her own yard. That didn't happen, so we went forward with the plans to get her fixed.
Bill brought her in on Friday morning and picked her up after work on Friday. And when he picked her up, he was informed that when they opened her up, they discovered 'she' was ALREADY an 'it'! Yep, she had been fixed some time ago! They reassured Bill that this happens fairly often and they refunded us $20 of the $45. She bounced back fairly quickly, since she didn't actually have surgery, just an incision. The people at C-snip said she was fixed 'years ago', which makes no sense to me. When I started seeing her last summer, she was not full grown. I'm wondering if she was fixed last summer and it just healed really well. They could not tell she had a scar. Bill had also checked and not seen evidence of a surgery.
Anyway, I keep mulling this over. Did we waste $25? Is there someone nearby snickering over the fact that we tried to fix their already 'fixed' cat? Or is $25 worth the peace of mind knowing that there will never be kittens in my garage? I'm going with that attitude.
Bill and I had seen a male cat after her (she seemed highly insulted by that experience), and decided we didn't want to risk a garage full of kittens, so we made an appointment with C-snip (a local non-profit) to get her fixed. They would do the procedure for $45, which is cheaper than any vet we could find.
About a week ago, our neighbor across the street told us he thought he knew who owned the cat. We asked him to call them, since we had the appointment set up, and didn't want to fix the cat if someone was willing to step forward and be responsible for her. Well, we never heard back from the neighbor, and the cat was around just as much as usual ('usual' means she sleeps in our garage six out of seven nights a week, spends the majority of the day in our garage, or within eyesight of our yard, and asks for food at least twice a day). I had thought that if someone knew she was mooching off of us, they would have made an effort to give her more food and water, and possibly try to keep her in her own yard. That didn't happen, so we went forward with the plans to get her fixed.
Bill brought her in on Friday morning and picked her up after work on Friday. And when he picked her up, he was informed that when they opened her up, they discovered 'she' was ALREADY an 'it'! Yep, she had been fixed some time ago! They reassured Bill that this happens fairly often and they refunded us $20 of the $45. She bounced back fairly quickly, since she didn't actually have surgery, just an incision. The people at C-snip said she was fixed 'years ago', which makes no sense to me. When I started seeing her last summer, she was not full grown. I'm wondering if she was fixed last summer and it just healed really well. They could not tell she had a scar. Bill had also checked and not seen evidence of a surgery.
Anyway, I keep mulling this over. Did we waste $25? Is there someone nearby snickering over the fact that we tried to fix their already 'fixed' cat? Or is $25 worth the peace of mind knowing that there will never be kittens in my garage? I'm going with that attitude.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sleeping through the night
I think it's safe to say that Nolan is sleeping through the night. Over the past 12 nights, he's slept through 10 of them. Yes, it took a year to get to this point, but it took Sam almost two years, so I am rejoicing! Nolan is up to 50% whole milk in his bottles, with no signs of tummy trouble. I can't even describe how relieved I am. And yes, I know we need to give up the bottles. Once he's off formula, we'll start working on the sippy cup.
Last night, both of his big brothers had me up (I tell you, it's an evil conspiracy). TJ had to go to the bathroom around 3 a.m., and he wanted company. He has started having nightmares and is afraid to be in the bathroom by himself. When he describes his bad dreams to me, they are almost humorous, but in the middle of the night he finds them frightening. He was actually trying to get Daddy up, but it can be pretty hard to rouse Bill. So, I trailed after him, watched him go potty, and then watched him climb back up into his bunk.
A half hour later, I had just gotten back into a deep sleep when Sam started shrieking (and he has a pretty loud and demanding shriek). I went in his room and he told me his favorite yellow blanket had fallen off the far side of the bed. I walked around the bed. No blanket. I started rifling through his sheets, trying to come up with the blanket. No blanket. I finally looked at Sam (he was huddled up by his pillow). He was HOLDING the blanket! Argh! I covered him up and he went back to sleep. Or maybe he wasn't fully awake to begin with?
A couple funnies:
Diet pop makes me hiccup. I don't know why; it just does. I don't drink much pop anymore, but I did have a can with the pizza I made on Friday night. Diet Big Red. It's gross. Anyway, I took a sip, and hiccuped. TJ asked me what was wrong. I had just finished explaining to him that I had the hiccups when Nolan let out a huge belch. TJ looked at him very calmly and said, "We've got us a burper here!"
The older two boys have suddenly latched onto Nolan's two "Signing Time" DVDs. I alternate between thinking they are really cute, to wanting to tear my hair out over hearing the same songs endlessly repeated. Both TJ and Sam have learned a couple dozen signs (Nolan has only minimal interest thus far). Before church this morning, TJ did something and Bill scolded him. TJ came to me and was highly insulted. He said, "I signed 'sorry' to Daddy and he was still mad." I had to remind him that Daddy hadn't watched the videos, which means TJ still needs to SAY the word!
This afternoon, I was playing with Sam and Nolan on the living room floor. Sam alternates between talking with me, and carrying on conversations with himself. He was busy working on his alphabet puzzle, when he murmured, "I think....I stink." He didn't, but I thought it was quite funny.
Last night, both of his big brothers had me up (I tell you, it's an evil conspiracy). TJ had to go to the bathroom around 3 a.m., and he wanted company. He has started having nightmares and is afraid to be in the bathroom by himself. When he describes his bad dreams to me, they are almost humorous, but in the middle of the night he finds them frightening. He was actually trying to get Daddy up, but it can be pretty hard to rouse Bill. So, I trailed after him, watched him go potty, and then watched him climb back up into his bunk.
A half hour later, I had just gotten back into a deep sleep when Sam started shrieking (and he has a pretty loud and demanding shriek). I went in his room and he told me his favorite yellow blanket had fallen off the far side of the bed. I walked around the bed. No blanket. I started rifling through his sheets, trying to come up with the blanket. No blanket. I finally looked at Sam (he was huddled up by his pillow). He was HOLDING the blanket! Argh! I covered him up and he went back to sleep. Or maybe he wasn't fully awake to begin with?
A couple funnies:
Diet pop makes me hiccup. I don't know why; it just does. I don't drink much pop anymore, but I did have a can with the pizza I made on Friday night. Diet Big Red. It's gross. Anyway, I took a sip, and hiccuped. TJ asked me what was wrong. I had just finished explaining to him that I had the hiccups when Nolan let out a huge belch. TJ looked at him very calmly and said, "We've got us a burper here!"
The older two boys have suddenly latched onto Nolan's two "Signing Time" DVDs. I alternate between thinking they are really cute, to wanting to tear my hair out over hearing the same songs endlessly repeated. Both TJ and Sam have learned a couple dozen signs (Nolan has only minimal interest thus far). Before church this morning, TJ did something and Bill scolded him. TJ came to me and was highly insulted. He said, "I signed 'sorry' to Daddy and he was still mad." I had to remind him that Daddy hadn't watched the videos, which means TJ still needs to SAY the word!
This afternoon, I was playing with Sam and Nolan on the living room floor. Sam alternates between talking with me, and carrying on conversations with himself. He was busy working on his alphabet puzzle, when he murmured, "I think....I stink." He didn't, but I thought it was quite funny.
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