Monday, August 18, 2008
The final weeks of summer are closing in on us, and I find myself wishing for more time. The next few weeks are going to be pretty crazy for our family. Chris is in the midst of moving his entire store to another location (combining with another store), Grant starts preschool on September 3rd, and I begin work at my new job on September 8th. I think I'm nervous enough for all of us.
Chris stays exhausted these days, and we don't get to see him very much. God bless him. He's such a hard worker and does a great job providing for our family. He's such a trooper. Even when he gets home in the evening worn out, he asks what he can help me with knowing that I'm tired from going all day with the boys. "Stay-at-home," I've learned, doesn't by any means mean "bored-at-home." He will never understand how much it means to me that he is willing to help out. Yeah, I'm pretty proud he's my husband!
Grant is officially a big boy! Potty training finally took and he's going #1 and #2 in the potty. He rarely has accidents and stays dry most nights. Going #2 on a big toilet is still iffy, but he's working through it. He's so proud of himself - as he should be! It's soooo nice to not have to change Pull-Ups, or to buy them for that matter. He's the cutest thing ever in his big boy "unawears." He's still as excited as ever to start preschool. He asks about it at least once a week. Kathy (the boys' new babysitter) invited Grant to Vacation Bible School a couple of weeks ago at her church (she was also his teacher), and he had an absolute blast. She wanted to get to know him better, and we both agreed that would be a good opportunity. He had so much fun! He loved painting, making crafts, playing on the playground, and playing with the other kids. It was a good trial for him as to what the structure of preschool will bring. She said he did wonderfully and was the sweetest one in the class. She commented on his good manners and willingness to share and to get along with others. I'm so glad! He seems to really mesh with her and loves playing with her grandkids (we do play dates every now and again).
Bean is still our lovable, huggable, constant-moving, Bean. There are no more traces of babyhood, and I do believe he's trying his best to quickly surpass toddlerhood and move straight into big boy status. He loves his "budda" and mimics everything he does. It amazes me the things that Ben can do at 16 months that Grant didn't do until 20-24 months. He's definitely a motivated little boy. He's not happy unless he has a big boy sippy (no handles on his cup, please) just like Grant, has a fork to eat with just like Grant, and gets a jelly bean like Grant does every time Grant goes potty. He's such a little man! He's the most cuddly little thing. However, I rarely get to cuddle him because he never stops moving. He keeps me on my toes but still is as good natured as ever. He loves making us laugh. If we laugh at something he does, he will do it 50 times again just to keep us laughing at him. He's already a "class clown." I see many parent/teacher conferences in our future.
Ben has yet another ear infection so we are off to see the ENT this week. Yes, they tell me he will need tubes as well. The thought of surgery still scares me, but tubes did wonders for Grant so I'm sure they will save Bean from a lot of antibiotics and pain in the future. Every time I take Ben to the doctor for an ear infection they ask, "does he go to daycare?" When I say "no," they say "well, he must just have short Eustachian tubes." Laughable.
As I said before, I will be starting work on September 8th. I'm so excited about this new job. I will be working for a smaller firm. My interview with them was probably the most laid back, positive interview I've ever been on. I've heard wonderful things about them, and from what I've heard thus far, they are very family oriented and flexible. What a blessing!
I'm still extremely bummed that I can't keep staying at home with the boys because this summer has been absolutely wonderful. I have to say, I'm probably the most content now than I have ever been. They make me laugh everyday, several times a day. There's nothing like taking picnic lunches to the park, going for walks, making crafts, playing in the pool, reading a book, going to story time at the library, or just hanging out at the house with my boys. My cup runneth over!
On a personal note, I'm finally taking some initiative to lose this stinkin' weight. I'm down 17 lbs. and even though I still have a lot to go, I'm motivated to do it and know I can. I don't want to turn 30 years old next year and still be fat and feel miserable about how I look. What a struggle! I know I can do this! Look out! LOL!
I hope everyone is doing well. It was nice to see everyone a couple of weeks ago, and, as always, I found myself wishing we had more time to spend.
We love you!
Jen
Monday, May 26, 2008
We've been enjoying a long, lazy weekend here at home. I thought I'd post some new pics of the boys. Have a wonderful Memorial Day everyone!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Our friends and neighbors, Heather and Mark, told us about this cute little amusement park in Blowing Rock, NC called Tweetsie Railroad. Knowing Grant's love of trains right now, we thought this would be the perfect time to take him. So we decided kind of last minute to leave Friday evening, stay overnight, go to Tweetsie on Saturday, and return on Sunday morning. I had so much fun just being with my family, no phones, no outside distractions... just us. It was a much needed breath of fresh air. The rides at Tweetsie were age appropriate for Grant as well as Ben. They both got to ride quite a few rides, see lots of animals, and ride a huge locomotive (however, they didn't like the cowboy and Indian gunfight on the train). Grant has always been quite cautious so I didn't know what kind of rides he would really like. He liked the smaller, slower rides, of course, but didn't much care for the faster, get-your-belly kind of rides. Chris got him on the Tweetsie Twister, and while he wasn't horrified, I don't believe he liked it very well. Later, I got him on the Tilt-a-Whirl and he screamed in horror the entire time. He definitely hated that one. My stomach didn't like it so much either. Ben, on the other hand, is our little daredevil. He rode all of the rides with Grant and was dying to get on the Tweetsie Twister. So, Chris took him on the Tweetsie Twister. The look on his face was priceless! It was kind of in between sick and shock, but Chris said that when they went to get off of the ride that he acted like he didn't want to get off.
Later in the day Ben wound up with a fever and fell asleep in the stroller. I figured he had an ear infection and was just going to take him to the doc on Monday when we returned. By early Sunday morning his fever had reached 102.8, and he was miserable. We were planning on grabbing some lunch and then heading back to VA. We were all eating our food when I noticed that Ben was grunting like he was trying to fill his diaper. He kept eating, so I just figured I'd go change him when he was finished. About ten minutes later, he started acting strange even though he still kept eating. I picked him up, fed him a few more bites of applesauce and noticed that his fingernails were purple and his lips were blue. Since Grant has horrible breathing problems every time he gets a cold, etc., I just figured it was the same with Ben. I thought that maybe his blood oxygen level was low or something. We immediately left and took Bean to the emergency room. By the time we got there his fever was up to 103.3 and he was very lethargic, but his color had returned to normal and he was breathing fine. He does have a double ear infection and the doctor didn't know what would have caused his lips to turn blue. In hindsight, I figure now that he must have had something caught in his throat since he didn't ever dirty his diaper. Dummy me, never even thought about something being caught in his throat since he still kept eating. I figure that maybe when I picked him up and fed him some applesauce it helped to wash whatever it was down. All I know is that it scared Chris and I to death.
The boys were exhausted and slept almost the whole way home. We had a blast in NC, but were ready to sleep in our own beds again. Today, I've enjoyed a nice, quiet day at home with just the boys.
My plan to return to work is still in full swing, however, I won't be going back until August more than likely. Once visiting her home, I realized that the babysitter I had in mind before wasn't going to work out. So, I searched some more and found a 60-year-old lady in our neighborhood who has watched children most of her adult life. She mostly just watches her grandkids now, but agreed to watch Grant and Ben as well. Grant will have her 3-year-old grandson, Shane, to play with. We met them at the park one day and all of the kids got to play together. Grant is kind of backwards so we're going to get them together a few more times before August just so the transition is easier on the boys. She seems like a wonderful person and is very easy to talk to. Now that I know what it's like to be a full time babysitter for someone else's child, I found it easier to relate to her and found that we have a lot in common. Also, Grant will be starting in the older two-year-old's class at South Roanoke United Methodist Pre-School. I was able to go and meet with his teacher and see his classroom and what he'll be doing three half days a week. He's so excited to go and is constantly asking to see his school. I will be taking him on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and since Kathy's (the babysitter) grandson, Shane, attends there as well, she will be able to pick him up for me. It's all worked out very well, and I hope it'll be a smooth transition for all of us. I would love to be able to stay home with Grant and Ben, and hope that I will be able to again some time in the future without having to watch other kids for income.
I have learned many life lessons since I started staying home last year. I have found a new appreciation and respect for my own mom and wonder how she did it all those years with three girls everyday. Stay at home moms don't get near enough appreciation for the things they do. It's a 24/7 job - for sure! I've learned that kids and keeping a house are WAY more demanding than any employer I've ever had, hands down. Managing stress and frustration has been a toughy for me lately. My friend, Kari, who recently moved to NC is struggling with these very things as well and has been a great listening ear. It's nice to be able to confide in someone who is going through the very same thing at the same time. Advice is wonderful, but NOT so much when it's coming from someone who's never been there.
I hope this finds everyone well. As for you Ohioans, the boys and I will see you the first week of June.
Later Gaters!
Jen
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