Space Ranger

My son, as I'm sure many other children are, is absolutely obsessed with Toy Story. He quotes lines from the movie ALL day long and even yells, "ohh my little sweet potato" when trying to get my attention! It so stinkin' cute!

The thing that I find funniest, though, is that his absolute favorite line is, "Not today, Zurg!" He runs around the house (sometimes in just his undies) doing this laser pointing stance while pretending he's fighting off the evil emperor. Apparently the second movie is his favorite of the set.

For a short while there he liked to pretend he was a cowboy like Woody. He'd grab his stuffed horse (a decent sized one that we got from Wells Fargo for opening up his account) and act like he was riding around trying to lasso everything. Of course he didn't leave out the "ride like the wind, Bullseye!"

But the cowboy love didn't last long. Buzz Lightyear quickly took center stage.

He had a pen with a little Buzz on it that was in his stocking last year. It broke off and he seriously carried this small little Buzz with him everywhere we went. When visiting his cousins a few weeks ago he nearly died of excitement when he saw their huge one! He's been begging for one every since, but I told him he could get it for his birthday if he was good.

Grandpa George was in town and Lucas told him all about Buzz and his desire for the big one. He immediately looked at me and said that he'd get it for him, and then asked if he could take him to the store right then and there. I've never seen Lucas get out the door so fast!

They both came back from the store, Buzz in hand, yelling "to infinity and beyond!"

Now he's got his giant Buzz that talks, makes laser noises, and lights up. He hasn't put it down since he got it! Buzz now sleeps in our bed too and is quite the conversation starter in public. I know children go through their phases, but this has got to be his biggest obsession to date!

He loves to show Buzz off to everybody...especially to little Levin!

L's Parent-Teacher Conference

Today I had my very first Parent-Teacher Conference. It was exciting, and somewhat sad at the same time. I cannot believe my baby is old enough for conferences!!

His teacher had nothing but great things to say about him! She keeps records and notes of every child so that she can reference back to them and have documentation of their growth. I loved reading through the assessment that she prepared for Lucas.

In the short 9 weeks of class, Lucas has grown more than I ever imagined he would. For starters, he has demonstrated quite the increase in independence. He used to stay close to me or always ensure I was within eye sight. Now, he could care less if I'm even there! He immediately comes into class, places his belongings into his cubby, and signs himself in. He is sufficient at changing into his outdoor clothing for play time and can use the restroom on his own. Although his teacher did say he turns down the offer to help with his zipper...apparently he's comfortable walking around with his fly down. ha.

He doesn't demonstrate anxiety and seems to really trust all of the parents that come in to work. He is helpful, respectful, engages in both parallel and cooperative play, and defers conflicts to the adults. What a big boy!

In the cognitive areas, she noted that Lucas likes it when there are new works and activities available in the classroom. He shows lots of curiosity and has a true desire to learn. He also uses a lot of imagination and creative play in the dramatic play/dress up area. Boy can this kid get things rolling! He loves to play fire chief and let everyone follow his lead, and he has started an imaginative fishing game on more than one occasion!

I was also told that Lucas stays engaged and interested in tasks, and shows a great deal of focus and concentration. When some of the children start running around during story time, Lucas stays on his mat like he is suppose to. His ability to follow directions really impressed her as well. He helps with the clean up time and can follow a small list of request. Although he is still somewhat quiet, he is becoming a lot more interactive towards every member of the class.

He can count, identify shapes & letters, sing along with the songs, recall sequences and repeat patterns, and is beginning to write his name!

His physical gross motor skills are impressive too. It was noted that he can catch an object thrown directly at him (from a short distance), and can run, jump, and ride like a big kid.

Although unsure if I will take the offer, Lucas' teacher invited him to join into the 3-day class as well! The younger 3's attend the T/Th class, while the 4 year olds come M,W,F. She said that he is so advanced that she thinks he would fit into that class perfectly! He would be the only student in the school that attends 5 days a week, but since I'm struggling to figure out his care come January anyways, we have a lot to think about. Pretty darn impressive for a not-even-three-year-old, huh?!

He sure does love his teacher and his new friends!

The biggest advice I was given is to ensure that I am an active participant throughout his school years. His teacher mentioned that children like him (sweet, cooperative, well-behaved, and very advanced) often fall between the cracks. She made a strong point - it's the trouble makers that get all the attention. She fears that he will sit back and let the other students get most of the teacher-student interactions as he progresses into grade school, and told me that I need to make sure he is at a place that will continue to push him and allow him to grow.

I am so proud of my big boy! He has exceeded my expectations and blossomed so much in the last two months. He is so much more outgoing and loves to sing about his everyday happenings. I'm in agreement with his teacher...we cannot wait to see how much has changed at the end of the year!

My Little Fire Boys

I have to admit, I'm a little fire-manned out lately. Two months ago when my mom visited we took the boys to Trick or Treat in the Heat. Both went as firemen, and it has been nothing but fire fighting action in our lives since then.

It was fire safety week at Preschool and absolutely everything the kids did was related to fire...including participation in fire drills, wearing costumes, making little shields in the art room, and reading tons of fire books. During free play, Lucas took charge of the roll playing and designated himself as the fire chief. All of the kids followed his lead, even when he dropped down to the floor and began crawling under the smoke. It was hilarious!

On Monday, we all took a field trip to the fire station where the kids got to watch a clothing demonstration, learn the do's and the dont's of fire safety, and tour the big engine and the rescue boat. It was a lot of fun and my child of course enjoyed every minute of it. During the demonstration when the fireman asked what the tank was used for, Lucas shouted out "scooty diving!" Daddy was pretty proud of that statement!

You know what they say about the ladies loving a man in uniform! My boys sure do make some handsome firemen!

Drug Allergies

Any time you go to the doctors they always ask if you have any known drug allergies. My answer has always been 'no'. Unfortunately, that can no longer be my response.

I came down with mastitis (yes, for the third darn time!!) since nursing Levin and since I knew Levi was headed out of town soon I decided it was time to go in for a stronger treatment. This was by far the worst occurrence I've had and it struck full force in 3 hours flat. I went from being perfectly healthy and content to bawling my eyes out on the bathroom floor with the shakes. I cried for Levi to run grab the breast pump (at 5 in the morning) and emptied it out immediately. I don't know why I'm so prone to this god awful condition, but they say once you've had it once you're susceptible to getting it again. Oh joy.

Anyways, considering I was so weak that I couldn't even hold Levin, I rushed myself to an urgent care center for some treatment. It seemed like I knew more about the condition than the doc...firstly because I'm a women and he was a man, but secondly because I'm almost an expert at this point. I showed him that I had all of the classic symptoms (pain, redness, warmth, etc) and he agreed that I needed a prescription of antibiotics. All of the natural remedies I was doing at home helped, but I think they just masked the symptoms and let them return at a later date. I couldn't afford to get sick again while caring for the boys solo, so I agreed that this was definitely my best bet.

Doc came back in with a prescription for Sulfameth/Trimethoprim and sent me on my way. As with most antibiotics, you take two a day for somewhere between 10 and 14 days. Mine was a 10 day regiment and I was feeling back to my healthy self by the next day. I continued taking them as instructed and on day 9 I noticed a few small bumps on my left wrist area. I passed them off as bug bites and went on my way.

The next morning, I woke up and noticed the bumps had multiplied. I still didn't think too much of it at that point and just let it be. But before I knew it, I was covered from the neck down in the worst rash that my eyes have every physically laid eyes on. I itched more than I thought was humanly possible and I was absolutely miserable!!

I'll spare you all the hideous pictures, but this is what I looked like everywhere. Thankfully it spared my face though. Awful, huh?

I had gotten an e-mail the day before about a student in Lucas' class who had just been diagnosed with Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease, so my mind automatically went in that direction. But after researching it, I quickly realized my situation was completely different.

I went back to the clinic and was told exactly what I had expected...I was allergic to the antibiotics. No more sulfa drugs for me! It's frustrating that it took over an entire week of consuming them before any symptoms showed up because there was quite the build up in my system. I stopped taking them immediately, which really only meant skipping out on the last few pills, but the condition continued to worsen before it got any better. I put the poor pharmacist at Walgreens to work by asking her to compare each and every antihistamine I could think of. I needed to find the safest option for a nursing mother...you can never be too cautious! Benadryl won the title, but the drowsy side effect was awful. Thank goodness my boys are now on a similar nap cycle because we all passed out for 2.5 hours that first day! It was the only thing that stopped the itching, and it really did help lessen the rash over time.

I am almost 90% back to normal, with a few light patches still on my thighs. I swear, everything always has to go wrong while the hubs is out of town. But I'm happy to be itch-free and no longer looking like a walking science experiment. That was no fun. None at all!

Puppy Love

Last night we went over to my mother-in-law's house and got to play with her adorable litter of Jack Russell puppies! Of course, Lucas was in total heaven. I've been battling back and forth between the idea of breeding our female one more time, and after holding these pups and watching the boys with them...I think I have my answer.

This is the third and final litter for the mama, and also siblings to our female. We've bred our little girl once before and had such a hard time giving them all away. They were just far too cute! And I was ultra particular about where we placed them.

Lucas held and kissed nearly every pup and worried when one little guy was left out of the feeding frenzy. He was so sweet and gently with them all.

Levin was very interested in them also. He even allowed one to kiss him right on the lips! It was very obvious that they both were attempting to nurse from the other, but it was hilarious to watch.

Little boys and puppies just go together, don't you think?

8 weeks old!

On the one hand, I cannot believe my little Levin is already 8 weeks old! Yet at the same time, it feels as if he's been a part of our family forever. He is a wonderful and happy baby who I am so proud to call my own.

At a mere eight weeks old, his development has truly surprised me. His alertness and responsiveness are astonishing, and his personality is really beginning to shine!

The smiles are in full effect and absolutely contagious! Naturally, he smiles most for me, but he sure saves some for his daddy and big brother. These last two days I have caught him smiling specifically to get my attention. He will wait until I make eye contact and grin as big as his chubby little cheeks will allow. I love it!

Although not a huge fan of the bath yet, he at least tolerates them now. He seems to prefer when Levi gives them, but maybe that's because he makes them a little on the hot side. I get paranoid that the water will burn him and can never bring myself to make it too warm. You'd think that a baby born into water would love it...but I guess that's not the case.

His sleep patterns are fantastic! He is fairly predictable throughout the day (3 naps) and we are working on a consistent bedtime. He usually goes down between 9 and 10, which is fine by me as I'm usually fairly preoccupied with Lucas. He typically sleeps 5-6 hours during his first stretch, wakes to nurse for a mere 10 minutes, and then goes right back down for another 3-4. He still likes to be swaddled at night, and is wonderful about going to sleep if laid down into bed. Pure bliss.

Unlike his brother, Levin actually enjoys tummy time! Lucas used to scream the entire length of time, but Levin loves to look around and work those neck muscles. This is usually when our dog Rori tries to sneak in a lick on the cheek. I guess I'm not the only one infatuated with those big chubby kissing magnets!

Not only has his development gained, but his size has too! He now weighs 14lbs, is 22.5 inches long, and is wearing 3-6 month clothing. We had to bump up diaper sizes (twice!) and it's now time to adjust the car seat to the next height. Goodness gracious child, stop growing so darn fast!

He sneezes in 4's, coo's for attention, loves following people with his eyes as they move about the room, and has even scared the dogs with his loud farts! This little boy is such a blessing and I absolutely love him to death. Looking back at my fears about having enough love for both boys just makes me laugh. I feel like there was always a special place in my heart just waiting for him. He is absolutely perfect in my eyes and I am going to hold him as tight as I can until he fights me off!

Behavior Update

Between my blog, facebook, and many text messages, I had an amazing response to my previous post about Lucas' behavior issues. It is very comforting to know that I am not alone in these struggles and I truly appreciated the advise and suggestions that I received from my many friends.

It is very difficult watching your child behave in a manner so inconsistent with the way you've parented. I think it's natural to think you are doing something wrong as a mother, but we all know toddlers can be a handful at times. It's just the way they are wired! I have been making a very conscious effort to watch how I respond and to not let him see my true frustration. Keeping myself calm leads to less yelling and a shorter outbreak. I guess that's one way to look at it positively.

Lucas has been acting much better since my last post and we have talked in great length about his behavior and what is acceptable. Although he still has his episodes, he knows they are wrong and apologizes after the fact. He really is a sweet, smart, caring and very imaginative boy who I absolutely adore. I have come to terms with the idea of rearing his behavior as opposed to eliminating it. I know that kids act out for a variety of reasons and that no child is perfect. But ensuring that my actions and words are geared in an effective manner, it really has improved our lives.

Thank you all again for your words of encouragement. I felt guilty for mentioning that I didn't exactly "like" my child at certain points in time, but hearing that multiple moms I know have admitted to saying/thinking the same thing was quite a relief. Whew...I'm not alone. Parenting isn't always easy. And the one thing that you need most of all is support from other parents who have been in your shoes and truly understand your frustrations. Sometimes all you really need to do is vent! Verbalizing your issues sometimes makes a solution to the problem much much clearer. I will always remember that!