"Me, Daniel"

picture by Megan McGee Photography

-Daniel has a language/speech delay. One of his IEP goals for last year and this year has been to say his name when asked, "What is your name?". Daniel usually responds with "Me" when asked. We try to work on the, "What is your name?" question daily. Daniel's response to the question last night was....."Daniel". We were so excited and gave him lots of verbal praising, high fives and thumbs up. We are so thankful for Daniel's wonderful teachers and therapist that work with him daily to meet his goals, he is making wonderful progress.

*Daniel got on the bus this morning, said "Hey, me - Daniel".

Pulling Up

-Isaac pulled up to a standing position this morning and grabbed Caden's snack cup filled with Lucky Charms and munched away. He has pulled up to a standing position several other times through out the day so I can officially mark this date down (9-21-10) as the day Isaac began pulling up (and had his first "table food").

Daniel Rides the School Bus

-Daniel was so excited to be able to ride a "bull bus" (school bus) this morning. We had no problems getting him dressed, fed and out the door on time (meaning no crying or refusing.)

-We waited on the front porch and when the bus came into view Daniel proudly took his Daddy's hand and start walked to the bus.

-I wish you could hear Daniel chatting with his Daddy about riding the school bus. Precious!

-Excited and ready for his 1st school bus ride.

*Daniel was a little hesitant once he got on the school bus, he was not so sure about me leaving him and not riding with him. I love the bus driver and the assistant. Richard described them as "grandma and grandpa" and that is a great description. I can't wait for Daniel to come home and hear all about his 1st school bus ride.

School Bus Rider

-We spent the summer debating "school bus riding" for Daniel this year. There are advantages - like not stressing over getting all 3 boys up, fed, dressed and out the door by 7:20 and not waking Caden and Isaac up from their nap to go pick Daniel up. There are disadvantages - getting Daniel up, fed, dressed and out the door by 6:45, Daniel getting home later (around 4). I also had the "mother guilt".....Am I being unfair to my child by putting him on a bus and not taking him myself? I LOVE to pick Daniel up from school and see him run to me with arms open for a hug. When we registered Daniel for school we were asked about transportation. We debated (again) and after talking with his teacher (who we very much trust) we decided to give bus riding a try. The bus driver called us tonight, Daniel will begin riding the bus in the morning. (I am sure I will cry, I am getting teary eyed just writing about it.)

Isaac's 9 Month Check Up

-I took Isaac for his 9 month check up today. He is growing so fast! Dr. Amis said that Isaac was doing GREAT. His growth and development are right on track. He is "small for his age", he weighs 17.5 pounds and is 27 inches tall, putting him in the 5th percentile for both height and weight. He crawls/scoots around everywhere. He loves to be on the go. He just recently started pulling up to his knees. He loves to watch Daniel and Caden play and will get mad if they get out of his sight. He is a "mommy boy", he very much prefers Mommy to hold him and stay in his line of sight but when Mommy is holding him he loves to look at Daddy and loves for Daddy to talk to him. He loves to eat and is not picky about what he eats. He is starting to self-feed and has tried Gerber Puffs, Mum-Mums, mac and cheese and a little donut (curtosy of Caden). He has not gotten the hang of a sippy cup yet but we are working on it. He's a great sleeper, (7 pm - 7 am at night with 2 naps during the day) the problem is getting him to go to sleep - he's a fighter. He is teething - majorly - he got 4 teeth in a matter of days (current teeth count 7 with one coming through). He is always smiling and happy. We have been asked many times if he is always happy and he is but when he is mad he is very mad, it doesn't happen often though. It's hard to imagine that he will be soon be 1 (in less then 3 months). He's the baby of the family. I have already started packing up the baby gear to pass on to another baby (in another family). The baby gear (swings, bouncey seats) may be gone but it is being replaced with toddler gear (train tables, ride ons and too many toys). It's bittersweet to watch Isaac grow. We are so thankful for "our surprise", he has been the best "end" to our family.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Caden!

Caden,

Our rough, tough and lovable little boy, you "keep us on our toes" with your many "adventures". You are growing so fast.
You began your 2nd year of life with your very first sickness. Daniel had pneumonia and passed it on to you. What a way to start a new year!
Your 2nd year has been full of many new adventures. Your BIG big brothers (Everhett and Jarod) were here to help you celebrate the beginning of your 2nd year. We moved to a our new (and hopefully forever) house soon after your turned one. You enjoyed "helping" while we packed and loaded boxes and furniture onto the moving truck and once we got to the new house, you "helped" unpack. You started sharing a room with Daniel when we moved (and you still do). I think you and Daniel would miss each other if we were to seperate you now. You began walking around 14 months old and have been running ever since. We transitioned (moved) you to a toddler bed when you were 15 months old because you were climbing out of the crib. You actually started climbing before you were walking and would (and still will) climbing anything. NO FEAR! You love to explore. We bought child safety locks for the bottom kitchen cabinets and joked that we were "Caden proofing" because you loved to climb through the cabinets. You became a big brother in October (when Isaac arrived). You are a GREAT big brother, very loving (lots of hugs and kisses for Isaac) and you always make sure Isaac has a toy to play with. We think (and hope) that you and Isaac are going to be BIG buddies. We hope (and pray) that you, Daniel and Isaac are always close and the best of friends. You started going to preschool in April. We struggled with this decision but knew in the end it was the best for you, you needed the socialization with kids your age. You cried your first day. (Mommy cried too.) Your teacher (Ms. Lynn) is GREAT, you love her and you love "school" and Mommy feels good about "sending" you to school now.
There is so much we want to remember. You love "Monkey" and sleep with him every night and pick him up through out the day to love on him. You are a "mommy boy" and every morning you have to have some one-on-one "snuggle time" with Mommy. (Mommy has to have this time too.) You are a climber and will turn any item into a stool to assist you with climbing. You have a unique bedtime routine.....when we say it's night-night time you grab "Monkey" and your "collection" that includes some little guys and a car and run the opposite direction of your room. When we finally convinence you to go into your room (meaning we carry you to your room) you get into bed and tell us bye as we cover you up, give you kisses and close your door. Once the door is closed you get out of bed and play for several minutes before getting back into bed and going to sleep. You have developed some "favorites". Your favorite foods are fruits, especially bananas, you will choose a fruit over a cookie for a snack. Your favorite movies are Toy Story and Tinkerball, if we need you to "be still" for several minutes we will put one of those movies in. You are a "Drama King" and are very dramatic in your crying when you fall down, a lot of times you will pretend to fall down and get hurt. You are rough and tough and will hit (usually Daniel or Gus) with a toy but you are also lovable because right after you hit them, you hug and kiss them.
You are right on track with your development, your only delay is speech. You really show no signs of being born 7 weeks early. You weigh right at 27 pounds and are wearing 18-24 month clothes and size 6/7 shoes. You are just a few pounds behind Daniel in weight and just a few inches shorter.
We can't imagine life without you, we would not want to imagine life without you. You bring so much joy, life, laughs and adventure to our family. We love you, KK.

Spring Picture Day @ School

Cheese!

-Today is picture day at school. I had a hard time deciding what Daniel should wear. What do you put on a 3 year old preschooler for pictures? The clothing choice must look nice (for the picture) and be able to withstand a day in the life of a preschooler (lunch, play time and messy classroom activities -gluing, painting, etc.) After much debating and consulting with Daddy (who has strong opinions about what his boys wear) we went with the orange plaid button up Old Navy shirt (sleeves rolled up) and blue jeans (comfortable and stylish). We brushed teeth, styled the hair (which I am sure was messed up before getting in the classroom), got dressed and Mommy snapped some pictures. Every time I got ready to snap a picture Daniel would tilt his head to the right and say "Cheese!". I wonder if they have been practicing posing for their pictures at school? (I'll have to ask.) I am anxious to hear how the picture taking adventure went and can't wait to see the proofs. (Daniel's fall school pictures were adorable.)

First Taste

-Isaac had his first taste of rice cereal today. Well, actually his second. He tried rice cereal last week and really didn't like it.
-I mixed in some pears this time.

-He LOVED it!

Daniel's 1st Day of Preschool

(talking about carrying his backpack to school)

-Daniel was up and ready to start his BIG day by 6:45. We were afraid that we would have to wake him up and he would not be a happy boy, he thankfully woke up on his own and we did not have any fussing or crying. He enjoyed a yummy breakfast of blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs and chocolate milk. He took his medicine, brushed his teeth and got dressed (all with help). He was ready to go. We had spent the morning talking about going to school and carrying a backpack and his teachers (the head teacher is part of our church family). Daniel was very excited about going to school and REALLY excited about carrying a backpack. I am currently on bed rest but I was not going to let bed rest keep me from missing my big boy's first day of school. I rode to Benny Bills with Richard, Daniel and Caden. I sat in the car with Caden while Richard walked Daniel to the door. Daniel looked around and was kind of puzzled about what was going on but he did not cry or seem upset when Richard said goodbye and left. (I would have been cried, infact I teared up setting in the van.) It was quieter in the house without Daniel. Caden seemed to miss having his big brother to play with and he stayed glued to Richard or I the whole day (except nap time). I spent the whole day wondering if Daniel was okay, wondering if he was missing us, worrying that he would not eat lunch, etc. ("the mommy wondering and worrying"). I again HAD to ride with Richard to pick Daniel up. Ms. Linda said that Daniel had a great first day. His daily report (a sheet that is sent home daily) stated that he ate very little lunch (not surprising), he did not use the potty (not surprising), he sat in his chair, did his work independently and followed instructions. He made a hat with an apple on it (Johnny Appleseed) and wore it proudly as he walked to the van. We celebrated Daniel's GREAT first day of school by going to the donut store and getting donut holes and chocolate milk.

(walking to his classroom)

32 Weeks

-I went for my 32 week check up today thinking I would get a good report. I have been feeling great, my blood pressure has been great and I have had very little swelling. I was surprised to hear that my blood pressure was elevated (194/108) and that my protein level was slightly elevated. The doctor had me lay on my left side and relax (HA!) and the nurse check my blood pressure again (170/100). The doctor decided that it would be best for me to head over to labor and delivery for monitoring and testing (for preeclampsia). I was monitored for several hours, my blood pressure came down to the normal range (excellent for me) after laying on my left side for 15 minutes. My lab work all came back negative for preeclampsia. Baby Isaac's heart rate and movement were great. I was sent home on bed rest and a long list of "to-dos" and "not-to-dos". The plan is for me to go to the hospital twice a week for monitoring and NSTs and I will see the doctor (in the office) once a week. The goal is to do a scheduled c-section around 38 weeks (about 5/6 more weeks). The timing is not perfect as we are not completely unpacked and there are a lot of "projects" that we wanted to to do before we brought baby #3 home but boxes and "projects" will have to wait because we want to bring home a full-term, healthy baby and will do whatever it takes to reach that goal.

Caden's 1st Birthday Celebration

-We celebrated Caden's 1st birthday at home with a yummy supper of spaghetti, salad, garlic toast and cupcakes. We had planned to have a big party for Daniel and Caden but with all the craziness that have been going on (Daniel's hospitalization, getting ready to move and Caden and Mommy being sick) we have had no time for party planning. Daniel was discharged from the hospital today and is feeling LOTS better. Mommy is feeling better. Caden is still feeling yucky which has made for a (un)happy birthday. We enjoyed our time together as a family (sick and tired) and we especially enjoyed having Everhett and Jarod with us to help celebrate.

yummy spaghetti

yummy cupcakes

Story Time

-We have been looking for activities that would allow Daniel to interact with other children his age. Our local library story time for preschoolers every Friday. We were excited to learn about this activity and took advantage of having a free, fun event to go to. Daniel LOVED story time! Daniel listened to the story that was read (about a caterpillar). After the story, all the kids enjoyed playing with a parachute as music played in the background. The kids would run under the parachute as the parachute went up in the air and ran out as the parachute went down. Daniel was hesitant to participate at first and watched and laughed as other kids ran. When he finally got the courage to run in and run out he enjoyed it so much and laughed as he ran. The story time ended with a craft project, each kid got to make a caterpillar out of popsicle sticks and fuzzy balls. Daniel wasn't to impressed with this project because he didn't like his hands getting sticky so Mommy helped. His caterpillar was very cute.

Daniel's catepillar

Caden @ 6 months (4.5 months adjusted)

15 pounds, 2 ounces - 25 inches long

-4 Month Milestones (according to iVillage.com)

-May sleep about six hours at night before waking (total sleep typically 14 to 17 hours) (check - goes to bed around 8 p.m., wakes up around 5 a.m., naps from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.)
-Rolls over (usually stomach to back is first) (check)

-Sits with support (check)

-Lifts head up 90 degrees (check)

-Can follow a moving object for a 180-degree arc (check)
-Babbles and amuses self with new noises (check - and gets very loud)

-Responds to all colors and shades (check)

-Explores objects with his/her mouth (check - everything goes in the mouth)
-Recognizes a bottle (check - LOVES his bottle)
-Communicates pain, fear, loneliness and discomfort through crying (check - seems to have a fear of the dark)

-Responds to a rattle or bell (check)

-6 Month Milestones (according to iVillage.com)
-Keeps head level when pulled to sitting position (check)
-Makes some vowel-consonant sounds (check)
-Sits by self with minimal support (check but not for long)
-Opens mouth for spoon (check)
-Reaches for and grabs objects (check)
-Rolls over and back (check)
-Drinks from a cup with help (we haven't started using a cup yet)
-Can hold bottle (check)
-Copies some facial expressions (check)

-Makes two-syllable sounds (check - he's a talker)