Blake did 2 things on Sun which I had to laugh at because they were soooo opposite most kids!
I made spice cake with cream cheese frosting and we decided to let him try a slice... yeah he liked the cake but wasn't crazy about the frosting. He did eat it with the cake, but don't give him just frosting.
That night we had pizza for dinner... Blake at the crust first and then the rest of the slice. And then wanted more crust
anything your little ones do that seem the opposite of the "norm"?
Another month down
Can you believe it? I posted my first post on my blog on Jan. 2nd and here it is the end of April. Anyone been around with me that long?? The other thing that shocks me is I started my sitemeter on March 18th and I've had almost 1000 visits since then... amazing when you think about it. Yes, I know there are boards that probably get that in a few weeks, but still!
I don't think there have been many changes to my board this past month... I think I maybe getting into my groove (that is usually a sure sign that I need to change something!). If there anything you'd like to see more/less of in the coming month... let me know! I'm sure things will slow down for a bit after the new baby is born, but I'll try to keep up my daily posts (we will see!) I've already posted my new scrapbook "flipper"... I decided to do something a bit different this month. Watch for a new month long poll... got to think of another question I guess!
May... lets see May is a crazy month! My birthday is coming very soon... a day I'd like to pretend doesn't exist! (don't even ask me how old I'm turning... eek!) Richard is struggling this year. Every year he plans some sort of surprise for my birthday, but this year is tough since we have an almost 18 month old and well... I'm just a bit pregnant. One year he took me to Downtown Disney to have ice cream sundaes and go see La Nuba. Another year he took me out to eat and then miniature golfing. Last year he took me out to breakfast and then gave me the day off (is there anything better for a stay-at-home mommy of a 6 month old than a few hours alone?). This year... yeah I'm not expecting much!
Then there's Mother's Day. Which this year is also the day Blake turns 18 months... I can't believe he is a year and a half old. WOW!
Oh and the other assorted relative birthdays, anniversaries, etc...
Then there's that whole... wait I could be having my baby this month too thing... crazy I tell you!
I don't think there have been many changes to my board this past month... I think I maybe getting into my groove (that is usually a sure sign that I need to change something!). If there anything you'd like to see more/less of in the coming month... let me know! I'm sure things will slow down for a bit after the new baby is born, but I'll try to keep up my daily posts (we will see!) I've already posted my new scrapbook "flipper"... I decided to do something a bit different this month. Watch for a new month long poll... got to think of another question I guess!
May... lets see May is a crazy month! My birthday is coming very soon... a day I'd like to pretend doesn't exist! (don't even ask me how old I'm turning... eek!) Richard is struggling this year. Every year he plans some sort of surprise for my birthday, but this year is tough since we have an almost 18 month old and well... I'm just a bit pregnant. One year he took me to Downtown Disney to have ice cream sundaes and go see La Nuba. Another year he took me out to eat and then miniature golfing. Last year he took me out to breakfast and then gave me the day off (is there anything better for a stay-at-home mommy of a 6 month old than a few hours alone?). This year... yeah I'm not expecting much!
Then there's Mother's Day. Which this year is also the day Blake turns 18 months... I can't believe he is a year and a half old. WOW!
Oh and the other assorted relative birthdays, anniversaries, etc...
Then there's that whole... wait I could be having my baby this month too thing... crazy I tell you!
Try again, and again and again
Listening to and following directions... This is a skill that I know I will be working on for a longgggg time. I know this because being a teacher you work on this skill EVERY DAY with EVERY CHILD!
One thing that I used to do with children in my room was to have them do it over until they followed each step correctly. Walk to the backpacks, get your lunch, walk to your seat, and show me you are ready to leave. (child runs to backpacks) Nope now walk back over here... ok now WALK to your backpack, now get your lunch. (child follows directions this time) Thank you now walk to your seat. (child runs to seat) Nope now walk back to your backpack and WALK to your seat. (child follows directions this time) Thank you now show me you are ready to line up for lunch.
At the beginning of the year I would have to do this daily with a handful of children every year, every step, until they realized... hey she wants me to walk... DUHHHH!
I've started doing little things like this with Blake already. The other day he pulled some paper plates out of the trash can (granted his father had them sticking out the top, but still). He proceeded to throw the plates on the floor.
Mommy: Blake pick up the plates please.
Blake... picks up the plates
Mommy: Thank you, Now put them in the trash.
Blake... throws them on the floor
Mommy: Blake please pick up the plates again
Blake... picks up the plates
Mommy: Thank you, Now please put them in the trash
Blake... throws them on the floor
Mommy: Please pick up the plates again
Blake... picks up the plates
Mommy: Thank you for picking up the plates. Now throw them away in the trash please
Blake.. puts them in the trash
Mommy: Thank you Blake
Quick get out of the laundry room before he takes them out again! Yes, I know these steps take a long time. Yes, I know it would be faster to just pick them up and throw them away myself. Yes, I know it feels like you are nagging after the second time trying to get him to follow the directions. But, it is sooooo worth it!
One thing that I used to do with children in my room was to have them do it over until they followed each step correctly. Walk to the backpacks, get your lunch, walk to your seat, and show me you are ready to leave. (child runs to backpacks) Nope now walk back over here... ok now WALK to your backpack, now get your lunch. (child follows directions this time) Thank you now walk to your seat. (child runs to seat) Nope now walk back to your backpack and WALK to your seat. (child follows directions this time) Thank you now show me you are ready to line up for lunch.
At the beginning of the year I would have to do this daily with a handful of children every year, every step, until they realized... hey she wants me to walk... DUHHHH!
I've started doing little things like this with Blake already. The other day he pulled some paper plates out of the trash can (granted his father had them sticking out the top, but still). He proceeded to throw the plates on the floor.
Mommy: Blake pick up the plates please.
Blake... picks up the plates
Mommy: Thank you, Now put them in the trash.
Blake... throws them on the floor
Mommy: Blake please pick up the plates again
Blake... picks up the plates
Mommy: Thank you, Now please put them in the trash
Blake... throws them on the floor
Mommy: Please pick up the plates again
Blake... picks up the plates
Mommy: Thank you for picking up the plates. Now throw them away in the trash please
Blake.. puts them in the trash
Mommy: Thank you Blake
Quick get out of the laundry room before he takes them out again! Yes, I know these steps take a long time. Yes, I know it would be faster to just pick them up and throw them away myself. Yes, I know it feels like you are nagging after the second time trying to get him to follow the directions. But, it is sooooo worth it!
eeek... don't look
Since I was posting about the new baby today....
Here are a few pics that Richard took of me tonight.... I look/feel like a house!
Here are a few pics that Richard took of me tonight.... I look/feel like a house!
new baby
ok someone asked me the other day (sorry I'm too lazy to go back through the posts and find out who... lol) if I'd set my c-section date. Nope, not yet. I have my next Dr. appt on May 1st and I'm setting it then... crazy to think I only have about 4 weeks left. Not sure what we are going to do about the date as Richard has a big presentation June 3rd and 4th so I really don't want to have the baby right before that (he is taking the whole first week off to help out at home). I'm not sure that my dr will let me go until June 6th (although that would be great since Blake's b-day is 11/11 then the new baby's would be 6/6).
We will see... I didn't really want a May baby as May is crazy month for us. My b-day is in May so I have nothing against May babies, butttt both of Richard's parents birthdays and their anniversary is in May. My aunt's birthday is in May and my nephew's mother's birthday is in May... May is busy for us!
I promise I will change my ticker at the top once I know the exact date.
I've also added another poll for you to do... the New baby's name! (it will only be up for 2 weeks, so jump over quickly) Names are hard! Our last name begins with an F if that helps any. If you don't like any... post a new suggestion!! (as you can see I like the first name to be a bit different, but not out there. It needs to be 4-6 letters only. I don't like names that are automatically associated with a nickname. And it should sound decent with Blake (whose middle name is Thomas))
We will see... I didn't really want a May baby as May is crazy month for us. My b-day is in May so I have nothing against May babies, butttt both of Richard's parents birthdays and their anniversary is in May. My aunt's birthday is in May and my nephew's mother's birthday is in May... May is busy for us!
I promise I will change my ticker at the top once I know the exact date.
I've also added another poll for you to do... the New baby's name! (it will only be up for 2 weeks, so jump over quickly) Names are hard! Our last name begins with an F if that helps any. If you don't like any... post a new suggestion!! (as you can see I like the first name to be a bit different, but not out there. It needs to be 4-6 letters only. I don't like names that are automatically associated with a nickname. And it should sound decent with Blake (whose middle name is Thomas))
Awards
I decided to share a few more awards today:
I was given this award from Laskigal and her blog From the Cheap Seats eons ago and just never passed it on.
I'm going to pass this one onto:
Danielle from New Mommy Rant. She was one of the first people to find my blog and I've loved reading her blog too. The challenges she has handled after going back to work and leaving her little daughter Eliza home have been tough, but she has endured!
Andrea from the Laughs Will Go On... She has a little boy and one on the way (right around the same time as me). I love to read her reviews and she also tells of her day to day fun with her son, Tate!
Ok this one I've had even longer... oops! It was given to me by Pam from Random Thoughts
This one I'm passing on to:
Jamie from choosing my own... As a mommy of twins she has a lot of fun stories to share.
Laskigal from From the Cheap Seats. Someone who is in the same position as me... a former teacher turned SAHM. Not an easy choice, but I know she will truly enjoy this new adventure
I have one more to pass on, but I think I'll save that for another day. If you haven't checked out these people's blogs I encourage you to do so.... There are lots of other great blogs listed in my blog roll... check them out too. I wish I could pass the awards onto everyone, but then that would take alllll day!
I was given this award from Laskigal and her blog From the Cheap Seats eons ago and just never passed it on.
I'm going to pass this one onto:
Danielle from New Mommy Rant. She was one of the first people to find my blog and I've loved reading her blog too. The challenges she has handled after going back to work and leaving her little daughter Eliza home have been tough, but she has endured!
Andrea from the Laughs Will Go On... She has a little boy and one on the way (right around the same time as me). I love to read her reviews and she also tells of her day to day fun with her son, Tate!
Ok this one I've had even longer... oops! It was given to me by Pam from Random Thoughts
This one I'm passing on to:
Jamie from choosing my own... As a mommy of twins she has a lot of fun stories to share.
Laskigal from From the Cheap Seats. Someone who is in the same position as me... a former teacher turned SAHM. Not an easy choice, but I know she will truly enjoy this new adventure
I have one more to pass on, but I think I'll save that for another day. If you haven't checked out these people's blogs I encourage you to do so.... There are lots of other great blogs listed in my blog roll... check them out too. I wish I could pass the awards onto everyone, but then that would take alllll day!
cool give-away
Danielle from New Mommy Rant is holding her first give-away. She is giving a basket full of Munchkin products. 
Go check out her great blog, and this fantastic give away!!
Go check out her great blog, and this fantastic give away!!
random weekend thoughts
1. The longer this pregnancy goes the longer it gets!
2. Seeing a toddler proud of himself is a great feeling as a parent
3. Having Blake sleep through the night (ok 98% of the night) in his big boy bed makes life easier!
4. Going shopping and finding what you want feels good (not spending an arm and a leg feels even better)
5. Going no where during the week is justified when I go to put gas in my car... I paid $3.52 a gallon yesterday.... EEK!!
6. Having someone compliment Blake on his behavior makes me realize I'm doing something right
7. Having people leave comments on my blog makes me smile and want to post more
2. Seeing a toddler proud of himself is a great feeling as a parent
3. Having Blake sleep through the night (ok 98% of the night) in his big boy bed makes life easier!
4. Going shopping and finding what you want feels good (not spending an arm and a leg feels even better)
5. Going no where during the week is justified when I go to put gas in my car... I paid $3.52 a gallon yesterday.... EEK!!
6. Having someone compliment Blake on his behavior makes me realize I'm doing something right
7. Having people leave comments on my blog makes me smile and want to post more
Lights on / Lights off
Blake loves to play with light switches. The ones in his room are accessible from the changing table and he plays with them every time he's up there. He knows which is the light and which is the fan and how to turn them on and off. Yesterday he figured out to climb up on his ride-on car to get onto the love seat so he could play with the switches for the porch.
Hope you enjoy the video!
Hope you enjoy the video!
Little eyes are watching
My mom sent me this as an e-mail today... too good not to pass on
WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING (Written by a former child)
A message every adult should read, because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, 'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'
Time out for the purple crayon
As a kindergarten teacher, I truly believed in the benefits of using time-out as a form of discipline. I used it to not only calm down children who needed a break, but also as a way for the children to realize the importance of paying attention. I used to tell the children in my class that if they wasted my time I got to waste their time (recess or choice). Some children you threaten to give them a 5 min time-out at recess once and you never have an issue with them again. Others, well others spend more time in time-out than out of it.
One suggestion I had for a lot of my parents who were dealing with behavioral issues at home was to put their child's favorite toy (or the toy that there is an issue with) in time-out. Toys are a privileged and you have to earn the right to play with them. When you can show me that you are in control and responsible you can have it back.
Today I had to put Blake's crayons in time-out. (I do not use time-out with him yet. I will walk away from him if he is having an issue, or I will remove him from the situation, but I do not feel that he can truly understand time-out at this stage.) Blake has been playing this new game called I'm done drawing lets run around with the crayons. Ok fine. I usually watch/monitor him and he runs around the couch a few times and then puts the crayons down and goes onto something else.
Today the something else was drawing on the sliding glass doors. We talk a lot about only drawing on paper. He even got the paper out himself today. But, when he was done he decided to try drawing on the window... ok that's not going to fly. So I took away the crayon and put it in the tin with the others and put them up out of reach. I told him they were in time-out and he could have them back later today. Then we got a cloth and cleaned the crayon off the glass (got to love washable crayons!).
He was not happy with me, and by no means do I think that is the last time his crayons will be in time-out, but at least he cleaned up his mess. Oh and he also gave me a hug to say sorry... we are working on that... when he make the wrong choice he has to give the person a hug to say sorry since he can't say the words yet. Today was the first time he did it without being prompted... baby steps!
One suggestion I had for a lot of my parents who were dealing with behavioral issues at home was to put their child's favorite toy (or the toy that there is an issue with) in time-out. Toys are a privileged and you have to earn the right to play with them. When you can show me that you are in control and responsible you can have it back.
Today I had to put Blake's crayons in time-out. (I do not use time-out with him yet. I will walk away from him if he is having an issue, or I will remove him from the situation, but I do not feel that he can truly understand time-out at this stage.) Blake has been playing this new game called I'm done drawing lets run around with the crayons. Ok fine. I usually watch/monitor him and he runs around the couch a few times and then puts the crayons down and goes onto something else.
Today the something else was drawing on the sliding glass doors. We talk a lot about only drawing on paper. He even got the paper out himself today. But, when he was done he decided to try drawing on the window... ok that's not going to fly. So I took away the crayon and put it in the tin with the others and put them up out of reach. I told him they were in time-out and he could have them back later today. Then we got a cloth and cleaned the crayon off the glass (got to love washable crayons!).
He was not happy with me, and by no means do I think that is the last time his crayons will be in time-out, but at least he cleaned up his mess. Oh and he also gave me a hug to say sorry... we are working on that... when he make the wrong choice he has to give the person a hug to say sorry since he can't say the words yet. Today was the first time he did it without being prompted... baby steps!
The boys' rooms
Those who have been following my blog for a while know that I have a 17 month old son, Blake and another son on the way (no he doesn't have a name yet). I have been working on getting baby boy #2's room ready... granted all the furniture is still in Blake's room, but that's a minor technicality. I thought you might like to see where it's going....
sneak peek of Blake's room....
he was napping on his big boy bed (wooohoo!)
Here's a few of the new baby's room
sneak peek of Blake's room....
he was napping on his big boy bed (wooohoo!)Here's a few of the new baby's room
lots of pictures
Ok I'm having a lazy blog day... I'm having a lazy all over day! But here are some pics of Blake from this week
more drawing fun
Last week I was telling you about how Blake has found a new love of drawing. Well, since then he has been drawing with crayons, his magnadoodle, his aquadoodle and now with sidewalk chalk on a daily basis. We have these in a drawer of the entertainment center that he has taken over (ok he's taken over most of the living room, but still...).
I find it fun to see that his three favorite things to do now are read books (still a favorite), draw pictures, and play with his trucks. One great thing about these activities is they all develop great skills (imagination, oral language, fine motor, etc...). The other good thing is for the most part he can do them on his own, although he prefers to have me play them with him. At least now he will be able to entertain himself if needed once the new baby comes. Yes, I realize that he will actually want more attention when the new baby comes... and the other bonus of these activities is I can put the baby in the bouncy chair on the floor and play with Blake and not have to worry about either one for the most part.
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Just a side update... Richard went and had a new set of x-rays done on his collarbone and it is healing perfectly. The doctor even said he doesn't need to go to physical therapy, but can begin doing strength training on his own. He has to go back for one more set of x-rays in about 6 weeks (yes just in time for the baby). The doctor just wants to check to make sure that he has fully healed by that time... YAY!
I find it fun to see that his three favorite things to do now are read books (still a favorite), draw pictures, and play with his trucks. One great thing about these activities is they all develop great skills (imagination, oral language, fine motor, etc...). The other good thing is for the most part he can do them on his own, although he prefers to have me play them with him. At least now he will be able to entertain himself if needed once the new baby comes. Yes, I realize that he will actually want more attention when the new baby comes... and the other bonus of these activities is I can put the baby in the bouncy chair on the floor and play with Blake and not have to worry about either one for the most part.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Just a side update... Richard went and had a new set of x-rays done on his collarbone and it is healing perfectly. The doctor even said he doesn't need to go to physical therapy, but can begin doing strength training on his own. He has to go back for one more set of x-rays in about 6 weeks (yes just in time for the baby). The doctor just wants to check to make sure that he has fully healed by that time... YAY!
update on toddler bed
Well... the toddler bed transition seems to be going smoothly (ok I haven't tried getting him to sleep there at night yet, but hey it's a transition right!). Saturday I put him down for a nap in the crib since we were having people over and I needed him to have a good nap (and an early nap), but later he took an hour nap in the toddler bed. Richard was impressed at how well he did in it.
Sunday he took both his morning and afternoon naps in the toddler bed.
It is nice now because he doesn't fuss at all when I bring him in there. He will play for a bit and then gets up on the bed and takes a nap. When he wakes up he comes into the hallway and waits for me to come to the kitchen. Sometimes he will just stand there and other times he will just start talking away until I come to get him.
Now we just need another gate so I don't have to keep moving the one that goes at the bottom of the stairs each time I put him down and get him up!
Sunday he took both his morning and afternoon naps in the toddler bed.
It is nice now because he doesn't fuss at all when I bring him in there. He will play for a bit and then gets up on the bed and takes a nap. When he wakes up he comes into the hallway and waits for me to come to the kitchen. Sometimes he will just stand there and other times he will just start talking away until I come to get him.
Now we just need another gate so I don't have to keep moving the one that goes at the bottom of the stairs each time I put him down and get him up!
Awards
I decided to create my own award this week...
I'm giving this award to (this was hard to pick, so I picked out a few this week and hope they will pass it on to more!):
Kami: I love reading about her adventures with her sons. Her blog is "real" just the way I like it!
Amy W.: I always laugh reading the stories about her daughters. I often think it would be great to hear more about their adventures.
Heather: Ok I may be bias on this one since I helped her get her blog set up (o: She has a great sense of humor and I love hearing about her son and trying to juggle everything
Karen: I loveeee her stories of the adventures with her kids! I often find myself laughing at her posts and hoping that if that same thing happens to me I can laugh too
I'm giving this award to (this was hard to pick, so I picked out a few this week and hope they will pass it on to more!):
Kami: I love reading about her adventures with her sons. Her blog is "real" just the way I like it!
Amy W.: I always laugh reading the stories about her daughters. I often think it would be great to hear more about their adventures.
Heather: Ok I may be bias on this one since I helped her get her blog set up (o: She has a great sense of humor and I love hearing about her son and trying to juggle everything
Karen: I loveeee her stories of the adventures with her kids! I often find myself laughing at her posts and hoping that if that same thing happens to me I can laugh too
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake bars
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
2 rolls chocolate chip cookies
2 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese softened
2 eggs
½ c. sugar
2 tsp vanilla
line 9x13 greased pan with one roll of cookies, sliced thin to cover entire bottom
combine other 4 ingredients until smooth and spread over cookie layer
cover with second roll also sliced thin
bake @ 375 for 30-40 min
let set for 20 min before cutting
best served cold
random weekend thoughts
Happy weekend! Hope everyone has a warm and wonderful weekend
1. Getting things done early makes life easier
2. You never know what a toddler will do when left alone in his room (for nap time)... he figured out how to unplug the monitor that is behind his bureau anddddd ripped up the edge of the rug
3. Transition times are NOT fun!
4. Going to the park is tiring (for mommies too)
5. Having a pan of chocolate chip cookie cheesecake bars in the fridge and not eating any of them is pretty impressive if have to say so myself! (yes I can post this recipe if people want it)
6. Having a hubby who helps out around the house is a God send!
7. Being pregnant with a 17 month old make for very short evenings with my husband... I'm ready to crash at 8:30 lately!
8. Having conservation land behind the house means you never know who is coming over to visit (yes... that is a raccoon on the TOP of our screened in porch!)
1. Getting things done early makes life easier
2. You never know what a toddler will do when left alone in his room (for nap time)... he figured out how to unplug the monitor that is behind his bureau anddddd ripped up the edge of the rug
3. Transition times are NOT fun!
4. Going to the park is tiring (for mommies too)
5. Having a pan of chocolate chip cookie cheesecake bars in the fridge and not eating any of them is pretty impressive if have to say so myself! (yes I can post this recipe if people want it)
6. Having a hubby who helps out around the house is a God send!
7. Being pregnant with a 17 month old make for very short evenings with my husband... I'm ready to crash at 8:30 lately!
8. Having conservation land behind the house means you never know who is coming over to visit (yes... that is a raccoon on the TOP of our screened in porch!)
Playing outside is fun!
Yes, I know it is Friday... but I don't have a video this week... oops! And, I wanted to post about our park visit earlier this week, but was busy with my toddler bed updates. So, you get a story and pictures today instead (o:
As a teacher, I recognize that children need to develop their gross motor skills first before they can master their fine motor skills. I always took my class outside for recess and as well as doing movement activities in the classroom. Children need these out lets for gross motor development, as well as to burn off some steam!
The other day was cool for Florida (ok the weekend we saw highs in the upper 80s ... like 87/88 kind of thing), Tuesday I decided to take Blake over to the park. It was only in the mid-50s at the time... that is why he is wearing a sweatshirt and jeans... yes I know you don't see him wearing this type of clothes often.
We play outside 6 out of 7 days a week most of the time, but don't often venture over to the park, which is pretty sad since it is probably a 3 min walk from the house! But, let me tell you after our visit on Tuesday we went again on Wednesday and may even go back today (depending on when he wakes up.
The last time I took Blake to the park (before Tuesday) he could climb up the steps and cross the bridge, but other than that he needed help to play on most any of the equipment. This time other than helping him sit down at the top of the slide I just shadowed him from the ground. It was great to see him run around, climb and have fun!
At our playground they have a fenced in area for little ones and then a bigger playground for older kids. I know it won't be long before he outgrows the little equipment and is ready to conquer the rock wall of the bigger playground!
As a teacher, I recognize that children need to develop their gross motor skills first before they can master their fine motor skills. I always took my class outside for recess and as well as doing movement activities in the classroom. Children need these out lets for gross motor development, as well as to burn off some steam!
The other day was cool for Florida (ok the weekend we saw highs in the upper 80s ... like 87/88 kind of thing), Tuesday I decided to take Blake over to the park. It was only in the mid-50s at the time... that is why he is wearing a sweatshirt and jeans... yes I know you don't see him wearing this type of clothes often.
We play outside 6 out of 7 days a week most of the time, but don't often venture over to the park, which is pretty sad since it is probably a 3 min walk from the house! But, let me tell you after our visit on Tuesday we went again on Wednesday and may even go back today (depending on when he wakes up.
The last time I took Blake to the park (before Tuesday) he could climb up the steps and cross the bridge, but other than that he needed help to play on most any of the equipment. This time other than helping him sit down at the top of the slide I just shadowed him from the ground. It was great to see him run around, climb and have fun!At our playground they have a fenced in area for little ones and then a bigger playground for older kids. I know it won't be long before he outgrows the little equipment and is ready to conquer the rock wall of the bigger playground!
Toddler bed take 2
Ok well I was going to skip a day posting about the toddler bed, buttttt...
First let me update you on yesterday. After about 2 hours I put him in the crib and he still only slept for about 30 min. Needless to say he went to bed early last night... and CRASHED!
Today he went down for his nap at 11 and fussed for what felt like a nanosecond! I found him like this at 11:30
So, I guess he figured out what that thing was for!
As I said I would do.... here are a few other pics of his bed
First let me update you on yesterday. After about 2 hours I put him in the crib and he still only slept for about 30 min. Needless to say he went to bed early last night... and CRASHED!
Today he went down for his nap at 11 and fussed for what felt like a nanosecond! I found him like this at 11:30
So, I guess he figured out what that thing was for!
As I said I would do.... here are a few other pics of his bed
toddler bed take 1
Well we put Blake's toddler bed in his room last night. 
Richard, Blake and I played and read stories on/next to it before he went to sleep last night. Then this morning Blake and I played with the felt cars for the headboard. I managed to get him to skip his morning rest time so he'd be tired for his afternoon nap. I brought him in and put him on the toddler bed and he got very upset. So I stayed with him for a bit and rubbed his stomach and sang with him to calm him down. Then the phone rang so I told him I had to go answer it and he should close his eyes and get some rest. Yeah well that wasn't in his plans, but in less than 5 min he was quiet. I check on him and found him like this...
yes that is on the floor next to his closet... sort of near the toddler bed! so being the good mommy I am I first went and go my camera to take a picture of him. Then I tried to move him... oops that didn't work.
I got him back on the bed and settled down again and told him to lay down and rest. I'm sure he was off the bed before I even left the room. He was upset for less than 3 min. But, he didn't sleep... I could hear him playing and talking away. Then he got quiet... ok I'm going to go check in a min... nope he began screaming at that time.
So I go back in again and he's fine. I tell him to get up on the bed and lay down and he did without hesitation, but he wanted to read. So we read a book and I sat with him a minute or two and then said... ok you rest. I'll see you when you wake up. He fussed that time for less than a minute, but as of now still hasn't gone to sleep.
We will see!!
(I'll try to remember to take a pic of the bed in the room when he's awake to show you later)
Richard, Blake and I played and read stories on/next to it before he went to sleep last night. Then this morning Blake and I played with the felt cars for the headboard. I managed to get him to skip his morning rest time so he'd be tired for his afternoon nap. I brought him in and put him on the toddler bed and he got very upset. So I stayed with him for a bit and rubbed his stomach and sang with him to calm him down. Then the phone rang so I told him I had to go answer it and he should close his eyes and get some rest. Yeah well that wasn't in his plans, but in less than 5 min he was quiet. I check on him and found him like this...
yes that is on the floor next to his closet... sort of near the toddler bed! so being the good mommy I am I first went and go my camera to take a picture of him. Then I tried to move him... oops that didn't work.
I got him back on the bed and settled down again and told him to lay down and rest. I'm sure he was off the bed before I even left the room. He was upset for less than 3 min. But, he didn't sleep... I could hear him playing and talking away. Then he got quiet... ok I'm going to go check in a min... nope he began screaming at that time.
So I go back in again and he's fine. I tell him to get up on the bed and lay down and he did without hesitation, but he wanted to read. So we read a book and I sat with him a minute or two and then said... ok you rest. I'll see you when you wake up. He fussed that time for less than a minute, but as of now still hasn't gone to sleep.
We will see!!
(I'll try to remember to take a pic of the bed in the room when he's awake to show you later)
Drawing
As a kindergarten teacher, I always found it odd to meet a child who did not like to color, draw, or anything like that. At 4/5/6, most children enjoy coloring and being creative, but every once in a while you'd come across a child who would rather do anything than color. This posed one unique problem in that a lot of kindergarten work is done through coloring... whether it is completing a worksheet, illustrating a picture or diagramming how you solved a math problem... you need to draw it so I can see that you know what you know.
For Christmas, Blake got TaDoodles Crayons. When I originally saw these as a teacher I was like... these are great! Young toddlers will be able to color without the issue of holding the crayon... yeah nope! First off Blake tried to eat all the tops off the crayons. Second he would hold them and then try to draw with the side of the TaDoodle not with the crayon part.
I would help him from time to time, but he wasn't really interested in drawing with them. So we put them away and said... soon we will try again.
For Easter, Blake got TaDoodles First Marks and TaDoodles All-in-one Paint. Again I think... ok lets try this again and see what happens. Again he tries to eat them (yes he tries to eat everything!). But, the bigger issue was he still wasn't comfortable holding them the way they were designed to be held, andddd they got paint and marker EVERYWHERE! At least they are washable!
Ok... I give up. We will put these all up here and sooner or later we will try again. Maybe when his teeth finally finish cutting and he doesn't want to eat anything and everything. Well, my little guy decided he was ready to try again. He was looking at a simple board book that was about the color purple. He turned to the crayon page, brought the book to me and I said "look a purple crayon". At this time, he walked over to the counter where the crayons were and pointed up. I got down the box of Kid's First Large Washable Crayons and the pad of blank paper. He then sat with Richard and I and colored not one, not two but three different pages. He only tried to eat one crayon one time and stopped before he even got it in his mouth.
The next day he again went over to the counter and pointed up to the crayons wanting to draw another picture. I thought ok lets try the TaDoodles again... yeah NOPE! That was a major failure. So for Blake anyway we will stick with the good old fashion fat crayons. And just be happy that he has decided to like to draw!
For Christmas, Blake got TaDoodles Crayons. When I originally saw these as a teacher I was like... these are great! Young toddlers will be able to color without the issue of holding the crayon... yeah nope! First off Blake tried to eat all the tops off the crayons. Second he would hold them and then try to draw with the side of the TaDoodle not with the crayon part.
I would help him from time to time, but he wasn't really interested in drawing with them. So we put them away and said... soon we will try again.
For Easter, Blake got TaDoodles First Marks and TaDoodles All-in-one Paint. Again I think... ok lets try this again and see what happens. Again he tries to eat them (yes he tries to eat everything!). But, the bigger issue was he still wasn't comfortable holding them the way they were designed to be held, andddd they got paint and marker EVERYWHERE! At least they are washable!
Ok... I give up. We will put these all up here and sooner or later we will try again. Maybe when his teeth finally finish cutting and he doesn't want to eat anything and everything. Well, my little guy decided he was ready to try again. He was looking at a simple board book that was about the color purple. He turned to the crayon page, brought the book to me and I said "look a purple crayon". At this time, he walked over to the counter where the crayons were and pointed up. I got down the box of Kid's First Large Washable Crayons and the pad of blank paper. He then sat with Richard and I and colored not one, not two but three different pages. He only tried to eat one crayon one time and stopped before he even got it in his mouth.
The next day he again went over to the counter and pointed up to the crayons wanting to draw another picture. I thought ok lets try the TaDoodles again... yeah NOPE! That was a major failure. So for Blake anyway we will stick with the good old fashion fat crayons. And just be happy that he has decided to like to draw!
random weekend thoughts
Yes I know I am yet again posting in the middle of the night (well early morning), but I was hungry so I had to get up and have a snack, and then I was awake sooooo.... why not blog?
1. A good night sleep makes it so much easier to deal with the day
2. A well rested Mommy is a lot more fun to be around
3. Mini meals are great (especially when pregnant and you don't have a choice) except your body is often still looking for that kick of food during the night time
4. Little changes make a big difference
5. Getting out of the house (even if it's to the grocery store) can make a SAHM's week
6. Breakfast for dinner is a treat... I love pancakes and french toast and other breakfast foods, but I never want to make them at breakfast time
7. Trying to guess what a toddler is thinking is NOT easy!
8. Soon they are going to have to raise the minimum wage because the price of gas is going to be more than some people make in an hour
1. A good night sleep makes it so much easier to deal with the day
2. A well rested Mommy is a lot more fun to be around
3. Mini meals are great (especially when pregnant and you don't have a choice) except your body is often still looking for that kick of food during the night time
4. Little changes make a big difference
5. Getting out of the house (even if it's to the grocery store) can make a SAHM's week
6. Breakfast for dinner is a treat... I love pancakes and french toast and other breakfast foods, but I never want to make them at breakfast time
7. Trying to guess what a toddler is thinking is NOT easy!
8. Soon they are going to have to raise the minimum wage because the price of gas is going to be more than some people make in an hour
What a difference a year makes!
April 11, 2007 (5 months old)
April 11, 2008 (17 months old)
[ok the pic was taken on 4/9, but still]
[ok the pic was taken on 4/9, but still]
Hard to believe that next month he will be 1.5 years old... and I will be having my next little one shortly there after (nope still no date yet)
Beep Beep
Blake is becoming more and more verbal.... no wait he was always verbal... he is making more sense now... lol! If you listen carefully, you can hear Blake trying to sing along with his truck! (I'm not sure why it's just coming up with a black box today... but the video is there... just push play)
on another note: I finally got the phone call I've been waiting for..... NO GD for me. Thank you all for your concern and support during this crazy time!!
on another note: I finally got the phone call I've been waiting for..... NO GD for me. Thank you all for your concern and support during this crazy time!!
lots of updates
A few updates first...
Well I finally got a decent night sleep... I didn't even hear Abby scratching, but I did hear Richard get out of bed to let her out of the bedroom. I'm not sure if I was just exhausted or if it was because I changed the programing on our air conditioner so it would cycle during the night... who care! I just care that for the first time in a while I feel well rested!
I still haven't heard back from the doctor's about the GD test, my guess is I passed and therefor they aren't concerned about calling me back. If I don't hear today, I'm going to call tomorrow. I'm not too worried! And, I go back to the dr's next week anyway sooooo...
Blake continues to sleep through the night. And, continues to have his long nap in the morning. Whatever little guy as long as you still take some kind of nap in the afternoon it works for me. I can only hope he will nap this well once we transition him to the toddler bed (which will happen SOON! Richard made Blake's bed, and I painted it... now we have to finish the headboard and he will be set to go).
He also had a good day as far as behavior yesterday too. Much better at listening and following directions. We are working on waiting so that he is used to hearing that before the new baby comes. Let me tell you though you have to tell him why or else he won't wait. If you say wait a min, yeah no waiting. If you tell him, wait until I finish blah blah blah, he is more than willing to wait.
Richard is feeling a LOT better. He hasn't had to wear his sling in over a week now. He has gone to physical therapy twice and there isn't much they can do to help him right now. He has full range of motion (a few movements still feel like they are over stretching, but that is normal). In two he goes back to the surgeon for more x-rays and hopefully to get permission to begin weight training. It is nice that he is not in so much pain now and can comfortably interact with Blake a lot more... which makes them both a lot happier!
Well this post ended up longer than I expected so I'll leave it at that. Maybe I'll post a typical teacher turned mommy post later... if not enjoy your Thursday!
tune in tomorrow for a new video... that reminds me I still have to edit it
Well I finally got a decent night sleep... I didn't even hear Abby scratching, but I did hear Richard get out of bed to let her out of the bedroom. I'm not sure if I was just exhausted or if it was because I changed the programing on our air conditioner so it would cycle during the night... who care! I just care that for the first time in a while I feel well rested!
I still haven't heard back from the doctor's about the GD test, my guess is I passed and therefor they aren't concerned about calling me back. If I don't hear today, I'm going to call tomorrow. I'm not too worried! And, I go back to the dr's next week anyway sooooo...
Blake continues to sleep through the night. And, continues to have his long nap in the morning. Whatever little guy as long as you still take some kind of nap in the afternoon it works for me. I can only hope he will nap this well once we transition him to the toddler bed (which will happen SOON! Richard made Blake's bed, and I painted it... now we have to finish the headboard and he will be set to go).
He also had a good day as far as behavior yesterday too. Much better at listening and following directions. We are working on waiting so that he is used to hearing that before the new baby comes. Let me tell you though you have to tell him why or else he won't wait. If you say wait a min, yeah no waiting. If you tell him, wait until I finish blah blah blah, he is more than willing to wait.
Richard is feeling a LOT better. He hasn't had to wear his sling in over a week now. He has gone to physical therapy twice and there isn't much they can do to help him right now. He has full range of motion (a few movements still feel like they are over stretching, but that is normal). In two he goes back to the surgeon for more x-rays and hopefully to get permission to begin weight training. It is nice that he is not in so much pain now and can comfortably interact with Blake a lot more... which makes them both a lot happier!
Well this post ended up longer than I expected so I'll leave it at that. Maybe I'll post a typical teacher turned mommy post later... if not enjoy your Thursday!
tune in tomorrow for a new video... that reminds me I still have to edit it
Independence!
As a teacher, I pushed my students to be independent... try it on your own before you ask for help! How often did I say that?? I felt that they needed some level of independence in order to be a successful student. That once they tried it on their own they would feel pride in their work. That once they accomplished more and more on their own they would become more independent thinkers and not depend on others to help them complete any and all tasks. Yes, there were children who still needed help to do a lot of things. But, all children have areas of strength and that is what I pushed... see you CAN do it!
With Blake, yeah I don't have to worry about the independent thing. He's got that mastered! He gets frustrated if you try to help him do something that he feels he can do, never mind helping him do something he's already shown you he can do. Sometimes I have to remind myself that there isn't a rush... that it's ok if it takes him 10 tries as long as he is trying. (trust me strong willed and frustration over failure go hand in hand even in toddlers!)
Blake has figured out how to climb on chairs, and has been for a while now. But still struggles from time to time doing it. He is persistent and will do it... you just have to step back and watch. Give him praise and encouragement and he will do it, and then look at you like... see I told you so!
With Blake, yeah I don't have to worry about the independent thing. He's got that mastered! He gets frustrated if you try to help him do something that he feels he can do, never mind helping him do something he's already shown you he can do. Sometimes I have to remind myself that there isn't a rush... that it's ok if it takes him 10 tries as long as he is trying. (trust me strong willed and frustration over failure go hand in hand even in toddlers!)
Blake has figured out how to climb on chairs, and has been for a while now. But still struggles from time to time doing it. He is persistent and will do it... you just have to step back and watch. Give him praise and encouragement and he will do it, and then look at you like... see I told you so!
ahhh the terrible twos (ok almost 2's)
As a kindergarten teacher tantrums was something I nipped in the bud right at the beginning of the year. I learned quickly that if you controlled the circumstances under which a 5 year old is allowed to throw the tantrum that in itself was enough to eliminate the tantrums. I would always tell the child... this doesn't work with me, but if you must throw a tantrum you will throw it over there and you have 5 minutes to pull yourself together. They also quickly learned that the tantrum did not get them their way. They didn't get to do, have, or have whatever they were tantruming over even after they were done. I would say with 90% of the tantrumers they realized that this isn't worth it to even try here. I had parents who had issues with these tactics at first, but then began to notice... hey if they don't tantrum at school why am I letting them do it at home?
Blake is a VERY strong willed independent child and has been since day one. Anyone who knows Richard or I in person would so not be shocked that we have a strong willed independent child! When Blake sets his mind to doing something there is little to stop him (more on this later today... I have pics and a story to share on this topic).
Blake is typically a good eater, but when he is done... he is DONE! For the most part he will either push his plate away or raise his hands up to say "all done". Not last night! He wasn't too crazy about dinner, or not hungry, or who knows what! He began to throw his food on the floor. I then took away his plate and just gave him a few bites of each kind of food (since he hadn't eaten much of anything and wouldn't tell me he was done). After he then threw this on the floor, I finally said... ok you're done and put him down. He then decided that Richard and I should be done too. This is something we work on often.... he is usually pretty good about going and playing or hanging out in the kitchen area, but letting us eat. He so did not want to let Richard finish his dinner tonight.
After being reminded that he needed to let Mommy and Daddy eat, he decided to take my cookbooks out of the closet they are in, and run away with them. This means we have to stop eating and get the books back. Both Richard and I had to speak to him about this behavior. At this point he was NOT a happy camper. He decided to stand next to my chair and scream... me being the good parent/ teacher just ignored this behavior and went on eating.
The thing I'm beginning to realize about a toddler (or at least with Blake) is once he gets himself all worked up, he can't calm himself down. The challenge is finding that fine line between I'm throwing a tantrum (ignore my choices) and I need help pulling it together (help me calm down). This is something I as a mother (and Richard as a father) will have to become cognizant of in order to help Blake move on when he's upset. Luckily for me... most of Blake's tantrums are microbursts and for the most part are over before they begin.
Blake is a VERY strong willed independent child and has been since day one. Anyone who knows Richard or I in person would so not be shocked that we have a strong willed independent child! When Blake sets his mind to doing something there is little to stop him (more on this later today... I have pics and a story to share on this topic).
Blake is typically a good eater, but when he is done... he is DONE! For the most part he will either push his plate away or raise his hands up to say "all done". Not last night! He wasn't too crazy about dinner, or not hungry, or who knows what! He began to throw his food on the floor. I then took away his plate and just gave him a few bites of each kind of food (since he hadn't eaten much of anything and wouldn't tell me he was done). After he then threw this on the floor, I finally said... ok you're done and put him down. He then decided that Richard and I should be done too. This is something we work on often.... he is usually pretty good about going and playing or hanging out in the kitchen area, but letting us eat. He so did not want to let Richard finish his dinner tonight.
After being reminded that he needed to let Mommy and Daddy eat, he decided to take my cookbooks out of the closet they are in, and run away with them. This means we have to stop eating and get the books back. Both Richard and I had to speak to him about this behavior. At this point he was NOT a happy camper. He decided to stand next to my chair and scream... me being the good parent/ teacher just ignored this behavior and went on eating.
The thing I'm beginning to realize about a toddler (or at least with Blake) is once he gets himself all worked up, he can't calm himself down. The challenge is finding that fine line between I'm throwing a tantrum (ignore my choices) and I need help pulling it together (help me calm down). This is something I as a mother (and Richard as a father) will have to become cognizant of in order to help Blake move on when he's upset. Luckily for me... most of Blake's tantrums are microbursts and for the most part are over before they begin.
Back on track
As a teacher you realize that after a break, long weekend, and sometimes just after a normal weekend... it takes a bit to get back on track. You know this is important, you know that it will make everything soooo much easier to deal with, you know that it is what you and the children need and want... buttttt it is so hard sometimes to get there. In my classroom I had what I called a flexible schedule... we did everything on the board (I wrote out the day each day on the board) but I never really planned how long any specific activity would take. The children also adjusted to some minor tweaks if something took a bit longer and we had to move activities because of lunch or specials.
The last few weeks we have been so busy with this, that and the other thing that Blake had gotten off schedule (of course the fact that he had a molar cutting through at the SAME time didn't help at all!). As I've talked about in the past, Blake doesn't have a super strict schedule/routine. But, he still needs to have a specific order to his day (not necessarily time, but order). In a lot of ways I let him pick the time frames he naps and eats (to a degree), but it is in a window of time (for example: sometimes between 8:15 and 9:00 he goes down for his morning nap). When we are busy he is more active and therefore has a harder time slowing down to stay on track. Plus when we are going we may not always be home for his windows of time... throwing off the rest of the day.
Well the last few days Blake seems to be back on schedule (whatever that is for the day). He is again sleeping through the night which makes my life a wholeeeee lot easier! But, as Andrea mentioned in her blog yesterday (about herself of course)... now I'm not sleeping through the night just for the fact that well... I'm pregnant. (Oh and our dog thinks that when I'm up she gets to be up... yeah not fun)
Now if he could decide which is his long nap time. Yesterday he slept 1 hour in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon. Today he went down at 8:30am and here it is 11:05am and he is still sound asleep. I try to do stuff around the house when he takes his 3 hour nap and then rest/watch tv during his 1 hour nap, but it is hard to plan that when I don't know which nap is going to be which. At one point I tried waking him up from his morning nap after an hour, but that didn't always mean he wanted to take a long afternoon nap... and if he didn't take a long afternoon nap he was not fun to be around in the early evening.
Oh well... guess it is just one more thing getting me ready for a newborn in the house... unpredictably!
The last few weeks we have been so busy with this, that and the other thing that Blake had gotten off schedule (of course the fact that he had a molar cutting through at the SAME time didn't help at all!). As I've talked about in the past, Blake doesn't have a super strict schedule/routine. But, he still needs to have a specific order to his day (not necessarily time, but order). In a lot of ways I let him pick the time frames he naps and eats (to a degree), but it is in a window of time (for example: sometimes between 8:15 and 9:00 he goes down for his morning nap). When we are busy he is more active and therefore has a harder time slowing down to stay on track. Plus when we are going we may not always be home for his windows of time... throwing off the rest of the day.
Well the last few days Blake seems to be back on schedule (whatever that is for the day). He is again sleeping through the night which makes my life a wholeeeee lot easier! But, as Andrea mentioned in her blog yesterday (about herself of course)... now I'm not sleeping through the night just for the fact that well... I'm pregnant. (Oh and our dog thinks that when I'm up she gets to be up... yeah not fun)
Now if he could decide which is his long nap time. Yesterday he slept 1 hour in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon. Today he went down at 8:30am and here it is 11:05am and he is still sound asleep. I try to do stuff around the house when he takes his 3 hour nap and then rest/watch tv during his 1 hour nap, but it is hard to plan that when I don't know which nap is going to be which. At one point I tried waking him up from his morning nap after an hour, but that didn't always mean he wanted to take a long afternoon nap... and if he didn't take a long afternoon nap he was not fun to be around in the early evening.
Oh well... guess it is just one more thing getting me ready for a newborn in the house... unpredictably!
Monday Monday Monday
When I was teaching I always hated Mondays. It meant I had to get up early. It meant that I had to go to work. It meant I had to figure out what I was teaching that day/week... who plans on Fridays? It also meant I never knew what was going to walk through the door... what kind of weekend did the kids have? What kind of drama occurred while they were with their parents? What kind of drama was going to happen this week? Lots of questions and lots of what nows, what nexts.
The funny things is as a stay-at-home mom in some ways I like Mondays. Don't get me wrong I don't want to send Richard back to work... I love having him home with us, but at the same time.... Mondays are relatively quiet here. Monday means back into routine, back on schedule. Monday means I can choose the pace of what happens for the most part. Monday means time to myself (even if I'm trying to clean, blog, rest, cook, etc... all at once).
So do you love or hate Mondays? And why??
The funny things is as a stay-at-home mom in some ways I like Mondays. Don't get me wrong I don't want to send Richard back to work... I love having him home with us, but at the same time.... Mondays are relatively quiet here. Monday means back into routine, back on schedule. Monday means I can choose the pace of what happens for the most part. Monday means time to myself (even if I'm trying to clean, blog, rest, cook, etc... all at once).
So do you love or hate Mondays? And why??
random weekend thoughts
wow what a week!
1. Staying busy isn't always a good thing
2. Sometimes you have to remember that toddlers go through phases and it will get better (Blake slept alllll the way through the night last night)
3. The best way to fix a tough day is to laugh with a child
4. Hugs can make everything better
5. Waiting is half the battle
6. 8 weeks... that's all I have left (or about that) until I get to meet my new little one... how exciting and scary at the same time!
7. Sleep is a good thing
8. Having the support of a loving husband and a caring family makes it easier to deal with the unknown!
1. Staying busy isn't always a good thing
2. Sometimes you have to remember that toddlers go through phases and it will get better (Blake slept alllll the way through the night last night)
3. The best way to fix a tough day is to laugh with a child
4. Hugs can make everything better
5. Waiting is half the battle
6. 8 weeks... that's all I have left (or about that) until I get to meet my new little one... how exciting and scary at the same time!
7. Sleep is a good thing
8. Having the support of a loving husband and a caring family makes it easier to deal with the unknown!
today's update
Thank you all for your concern about my test today. Let me tell you that stuff is NASTYYYYY!!! I told them that they need to provide tooth brushes for use right after drinking it!... but the girl just said, but then you may swallow water and it would alter the results... well duhhh but still!
Anyway. I felt terrible after drinking it and let me tell you the baby was all over the place. By the time I was done I was sooo done. I did have a lot of laughs watching people in the waiting room. It is spring break down here for the schools so there were a lot of kids. At the place I went you can call or set up an appointment on-line and yet most people were walk-ins. They'd walk in and there would not be a seat anywhere and then they'd get upset when they heard they may have to wait an hour or so. Oh and when a person who had an appointment was taken before them, you'd think it was the end of the world. The lady at the desk told a few people... go call and make an appointment we have openings at ___, ___, and ___ today then come back and you won't have to wait as long... "NO I'm going to be seen soon" ok but there is an hour wait. Helloooo people complaining won't get you in there faster!
Richard came and picked me up after my last round of blood work and took me out to lunch. I almost made it home without feeling like I was going to be sick. But, I had to pull into a neighborhood park and have my mom come get me. I do not understand why they think that it is good for a pregnant person to go that long without eating and 3 hours without as much as water is pretty much torture!
Oh well... now the wait is on until I hear how these results come out. And yes, I'll keep you posted!!
Anyway. I felt terrible after drinking it and let me tell you the baby was all over the place. By the time I was done I was sooo done. I did have a lot of laughs watching people in the waiting room. It is spring break down here for the schools so there were a lot of kids. At the place I went you can call or set up an appointment on-line and yet most people were walk-ins. They'd walk in and there would not be a seat anywhere and then they'd get upset when they heard they may have to wait an hour or so. Oh and when a person who had an appointment was taken before them, you'd think it was the end of the world. The lady at the desk told a few people... go call and make an appointment we have openings at ___, ___, and ___ today then come back and you won't have to wait as long... "NO I'm going to be seen soon" ok but there is an hour wait. Helloooo people complaining won't get you in there faster!
Richard came and picked me up after my last round of blood work and took me out to lunch. I almost made it home without feeling like I was going to be sick. But, I had to pull into a neighborhood park and have my mom come get me. I do not understand why they think that it is good for a pregnant person to go that long without eating and 3 hours without as much as water is pretty much torture!
Oh well... now the wait is on until I hear how these results come out. And yes, I'll keep you posted!!
Friday Video
first off... yes I know it is Thursday. But, I have my 3 hour glucose tolerance test tomorrow morning at 7:30 and figure I'll be wiped out after that. I don't tolerate being without food for long stretches (pregnant or not) never mind a 12 hour fast followed by 3 hours of no food or water!
Just a few other updates... Blake is sleeping a bit better we will see how tonight goes... last night he woke up every 2 hours. Man I just want these last few molars to finish breaking through so life can go back to normal! Richard went and had his physical therapy evaluation and his range of motion in the arm he broke his collarbone of is the same as his other arm (yay!)
ok... here's a cute Blake and Abby video for you all to enjoy
Just a few other updates... Blake is sleeping a bit better we will see how tonight goes... last night he woke up every 2 hours. Man I just want these last few molars to finish breaking through so life can go back to normal! Richard went and had his physical therapy evaluation and his range of motion in the arm he broke his collarbone of is the same as his other arm (yay!)
ok... here's a cute Blake and Abby video for you all to enjoy
I just don't get it!
There are somethings in life that I just don't get! Never have.... never will!
This is one of them. Leaving your child in the car. We've already had our first death this year of a child left alone in the car (ok first that I've heard of). Come on people first of all this is FLORIDA and it's hot even in the winter! There is NO excuse for this. I know when Blake was little, and often to this day, I check the car seat even when I know he isn't in the car with me. It should be a habit you create as a mother. Where are the mother's instincts in these cases? Trust me it is talked about a lot on the news as the weather gets warmer down here... how dangerous it is to leave pets and children in the car. I am not an eye for an eye kind of person but I so just want to strap these people into a 5 pt harness and leave them out in the sun for as long as they left their child.
The other one that bugs me more than anything is people who do not restrain their child in a car seat... oh hey even in a seatbelt. It bugs me to no end! Don't you want your child to be safe? Don't you understand that it is dangerous to hold a baby while driving. Yes, I have heard the arguments that "back in the day" we didn't have such a thing... well now we do! Now we know that dangers and have a simple way to prevent something happening. We also live in a society that seems to think that traffic laws are suggestions so people drive too fast, don't stop at red lights (never mind stop signs), do not know how to yield or merge, and the list could go on and on and on.
I just don't get why you wouldn't want to do everything and anything in your powers to keep your little ones safe (no matter how old your little one is!).
ok.... off my high horse. I'll try to get on later and post a more typical Teacher turned mommy post!
This is one of them. Leaving your child in the car. We've already had our first death this year of a child left alone in the car (ok first that I've heard of). Come on people first of all this is FLORIDA and it's hot even in the winter! There is NO excuse for this. I know when Blake was little, and often to this day, I check the car seat even when I know he isn't in the car with me. It should be a habit you create as a mother. Where are the mother's instincts in these cases? Trust me it is talked about a lot on the news as the weather gets warmer down here... how dangerous it is to leave pets and children in the car. I am not an eye for an eye kind of person but I so just want to strap these people into a 5 pt harness and leave them out in the sun for as long as they left their child.
The other one that bugs me more than anything is people who do not restrain their child in a car seat... oh hey even in a seatbelt. It bugs me to no end! Don't you want your child to be safe? Don't you understand that it is dangerous to hold a baby while driving. Yes, I have heard the arguments that "back in the day" we didn't have such a thing... well now we do! Now we know that dangers and have a simple way to prevent something happening. We also live in a society that seems to think that traffic laws are suggestions so people drive too fast, don't stop at red lights (never mind stop signs), do not know how to yield or merge, and the list could go on and on and on.
I just don't get why you wouldn't want to do everything and anything in your powers to keep your little ones safe (no matter how old your little one is!).
ok.... off my high horse. I'll try to get on later and post a more typical Teacher turned mommy post!
pregnancy update
I know I haven't said a lot about my pregnancy. That's because for the most part it's been pretty uneventful. Little to no morning sickness. I have felt the baby move since early on. Other than craving chocolate I haven't had a lot of issues.
But, this pregnancy was the total opposite of Blake's. If I hadn't seen 2 ultrasounds that told me I was having a boy I'd swear I was having a girl!
Anyway, I got a phone call today I never expected to get! I did not pass my 1 hour glucose test on Monday. So now I have to do a 3 hour test to have my levels even more closely monitored. I needed to score below 140 and I scored 149 so I'm so hoping it was a fluke thing.
On Friday I'm going to have my 3 hour test so maybe by next week I'll know if I have gestational diabetes or not. Just goes to show you can't assume anything!
But, this pregnancy was the total opposite of Blake's. If I hadn't seen 2 ultrasounds that told me I was having a boy I'd swear I was having a girl!
Anyway, I got a phone call today I never expected to get! I did not pass my 1 hour glucose test on Monday. So now I have to do a 3 hour test to have my levels even more closely monitored. I needed to score below 140 and I scored 149 so I'm so hoping it was a fluke thing.
On Friday I'm going to have my 3 hour test so maybe by next week I'll know if I have gestational diabetes or not. Just goes to show you can't assume anything!
long day... longer night! (and long post to boot)
Well yesterday was a longgg day for Blake. He woke up in the morning happy as a clam and that was the end of that. He was upset before he even had breakfast. Took maybe a 45 min nap and then wanted to cuddle with him for another 1.5 hrs on the couch (this is a huge red flag with him... Blake is not a cuddly kid). He was running a mild fever but it broke quickly with Tylenol.
I did get him to have a cheese quesidilla for lunch, but he wanted nothing to do with the banana I offered him (usually one of his favorite things). After a bit more cuddling and a bit of fussing I got him down for an afternoon nap at 1pm... he slept until a bit after 4. Ok... this is good... nope now we have a higher fever (still not overly high 101.2)... more Tylenol for you! I also gave him gas drops because his stomach has seemed off the last day or so. Ok doing better now... play time with the grandparents.
Dinner was supposed to be at 5:30, but didn't happen until after 6 so he'd snacked more than normal and refused to eat dinner. Then was upset because no one was playing with him. Ok he can get frustrated but it got to the hysterical phase so I had to stop and take him to his room to comfort him (and change his diaper).
Richard then put on his bathing suit and took Blake into our shower to shower... a FAVORITE activity of Blake's. He was doing fine... had his yogurt shake, watched the news and Jeopardy, went down will little to no fuss. Ok great!
Richard and I both checked on him a few times before we went to bed. But around 10pm he decided that he was awake and wanted to be held for a min. Ok give you hugs and put you back to bed... no go!
We finally got him comfortable and sleeping. We then went to go to bed ourselves. Well the fun began around 11:30 and didn't end until maybe 3am. I was up with him at 11:30, 12:15, 12:30 (at which time I decided to go play on the computer so Richard could get some sleep). Ok I'll go play on the computer for a bit, if he continues to fuss I'll sleep on the couch. If he sleeps for an extended period of time I'll try going back to bed.... guess what? He slept... I went back to bed and 10 min later he was fussing again!
He finally did sleep for a block of time and woke up around 7:15 am. At 8:30 he was bringing me to his room to put him down for a nap... yeah that lasted 30 min if that (barely time for a shower).
But at 10:30 he decided to try again... hmmm will he sleep? What is the issue??? good question! Could be his teeth. Could be his grandparents are here and as much as he's on schedule he's not. Could be anything. I'll keep an eye on him and see. At least there is no temperature today so my guess is it is nothing
I did get him to have a cheese quesidilla for lunch, but he wanted nothing to do with the banana I offered him (usually one of his favorite things). After a bit more cuddling and a bit of fussing I got him down for an afternoon nap at 1pm... he slept until a bit after 4. Ok... this is good... nope now we have a higher fever (still not overly high 101.2)... more Tylenol for you! I also gave him gas drops because his stomach has seemed off the last day or so. Ok doing better now... play time with the grandparents.
Dinner was supposed to be at 5:30, but didn't happen until after 6 so he'd snacked more than normal and refused to eat dinner. Then was upset because no one was playing with him. Ok he can get frustrated but it got to the hysterical phase so I had to stop and take him to his room to comfort him (and change his diaper).
Richard then put on his bathing suit and took Blake into our shower to shower... a FAVORITE activity of Blake's. He was doing fine... had his yogurt shake, watched the news and Jeopardy, went down will little to no fuss. Ok great!
Richard and I both checked on him a few times before we went to bed. But around 10pm he decided that he was awake and wanted to be held for a min. Ok give you hugs and put you back to bed... no go!
We finally got him comfortable and sleeping. We then went to go to bed ourselves. Well the fun began around 11:30 and didn't end until maybe 3am. I was up with him at 11:30, 12:15, 12:30 (at which time I decided to go play on the computer so Richard could get some sleep). Ok I'll go play on the computer for a bit, if he continues to fuss I'll sleep on the couch. If he sleeps for an extended period of time I'll try going back to bed.... guess what? He slept... I went back to bed and 10 min later he was fussing again!
He finally did sleep for a block of time and woke up around 7:15 am. At 8:30 he was bringing me to his room to put him down for a nap... yeah that lasted 30 min if that (barely time for a shower).
But at 10:30 he decided to try again... hmmm will he sleep? What is the issue??? good question! Could be his teeth. Could be his grandparents are here and as much as he's on schedule he's not. Could be anything. I'll keep an eye on him and see. At least there is no temperature today so my guess is it is nothing
homemade ice cream
because I had nothing to blog about today... hahaha... sorry I should have added this to the original but instead I'm clogging up your blog readers today!
here's the recipe I used for the ice cream below.... it is soooo simple and sooo good! I chopped up a dark chocolate dove bar in my food processor and added it to the mix!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_23743,00.html
here's the recipe I used for the ice cream below.... it is soooo simple and sooo good! I chopped up a dark chocolate dove bar in my food processor and added it to the mix!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_23743,00.html
sending happy thoughts to a fellow blogger
I know a lot of you read Danielle's blog "The New Mommy Rant". Her daughter Eliza is in the hospital and has been there since Saturday night. They are hoping to go home by the end of the week.
If you have a min or two to spare, please stop by her blog and send Danielle and Eliza thoughts and prayers. I know Danielle is very worried and not taking care of herself as much as she should. She is checking in on her blog to keep her busy during the down times.
Let's show her the power of prayer and friendship!
If you have a min or two to spare, please stop by her blog and send Danielle and Eliza thoughts and prayers. I know Danielle is very worried and not taking care of herself as much as she should. She is checking in on her blog to keep her busy during the down times.
Let's show her the power of prayer and friendship!
Let me help!
As a teacher I value the importance of letting children help out in any way that he/she is capable. I always encourage my class to not only help out by cleaning up, but also help each other. Yes, teaching kindergarten I had to teach the difference between doing it for someone and helping them do it, but it is worth it in the long run.
Blake wants to help, but his version of helping isn't always the most helpful! (o:
Yesterday I was making ice cream (yes I make my own ice cream), and Blake wanted to help pour it into the bowl. He let me know this by dragging his chair over to the counter and then trying to climb up into it. So I had to stop what I was doing so I could put him into his chair before he tipped it over. Then he proceeded to try to put his hand into the bowl I was pouring the ice cream into while I was scooping.
I decided to get one of his spoons and give him a taste to see if that would satisfy him. I soooo wish I had a picture of him when he first put the spoon in his mouth. I think he was a bit shocked at the temperature of it. After getting over the initial shock of the temperature he couldn't get enough of it.
I decided to put the mixing bowl
down for him to scoop out his own (he didn't have very much don't worry). But, he certainly enjoyed trying to get it out!
Blake wants to help, but his version of helping isn't always the most helpful! (o:
Yesterday I was making ice cream (yes I make my own ice cream), and Blake wanted to help pour it into the bowl. He let me know this by dragging his chair over to the counter and then trying to climb up into it. So I had to stop what I was doing so I could put him into his chair before he tipped it over. Then he proceeded to try to put his hand into the bowl I was pouring the ice cream into while I was scooping.I decided to get one of his spoons and give him a taste to see if that would satisfy him. I soooo wish I had a picture of him when he first put the spoon in his mouth. I think he was a bit shocked at the temperature of it. After getting over the initial shock of the temperature he couldn't get enough of it.
I decided to put the mixing bowl
down for him to scoop out his own (he didn't have very much don't worry). But, he certainly enjoyed trying to get it out!
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