Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Kissing the Snowman
My son and my husband made their very first real snowman at the beginning of this major snow - well, middle of the snow as it seems the snow is never ending. They were both pretty excited about it. I asked Handsome to stand next to the snowman so that I could take their picture together and he said, "No! I kiss the snowman!" No idea why he wanted to kiss the snowman, but he did and I kept thinking I'd get a normal shot after he finished his kissing, but no such luck. LOL. Even so, I thought it was pretty cute that he wanted to kiss the snowman. About 1 minute after this picture was taken, the poor snowman was knocked over. As much as Handsome loved the snowman he is still a little two year old boy and loved the destruction more. Teehee.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Exhausted
This pregnancy has been trying. Overall I've been healthy, but I have felt, well, crappy. Very crappy. I had morning sickness up to 20 or 22 weeks. Now I'm 29 weeks and I'm feeling sick again. How can this be? I am tired all the time, but I can't sleep because I can't get comfortable. I get restless leg and my back is killing me. Today I was nauseous and dizzy and couldn't sit still because of the restless leg and aching back. Plus to add stress I didn't feel the baby kicking as much as normal. He is still moving around, but not with as much gusto as I'm used to. It's worrying me and I don't know if it should or not.
I want it to be early April and to be holding my healthy baby boy.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Christmas Vacation
For Christmas we flew to see my parents. Handsome had the best time of his life there.
My parents have 16+ acres and a matching 16+ cows. Handsome loved being able to run in seemingly endless space and explore everything. DH let him get so close to the cows that the big sandy cow licked him more than once. I was fine with him being close until he startled a couple and they did the jumping thing. Handsome would lose that contest if their hooves got too close. Of course everything was fine. He loved to bring the pellets to the cows to feed everyday and DH and Granddad would leave a few for Handsome to throw over the fence. He would hit the cows in the face trying to make the trough and a few would land under the trough so the cows would have to use their long tongues to try to grab them. And the best part about the land? The tractors. He would climb up to the drivers seat and press as many buttons as he possibly could. He'd laugh his deep belly laugh and the joy would just eminate. Granddad took us on a hay ride around the land and Handsome would sit in the back with me until Granddad decided to stop the tractor to show us some new project he was working on. As soon as we stopped, Handsome would jump out the back and climb back into the drivers seat. Projects, schmojects, who cares when you can sit in the driver's seat of a tractor?
Handsome would walk around the place like he had lived there all his life. It was as if he was not meeting new people, but merely seeing the same people he loved and spent time with daily.
Granddad uses a mug to put his orange juice in. The first morning we were there, Handsome went to sit with Granddad and ask him what he was drinking. Granddad made the mistake of letting Handsome taste the orange juice. From that meal on, Handsome would make Granddad share his seat and his juice at every meal. I'd have to get Granddad a second cup to make sure he actually got to drink some of his juice.
Granddad has a fancy electronic keyboard. It will play sample music to let you see what capabilities it has. The first night we were there, we let Handsome sit at the keyboard and turned on the music. Again, heaven for Handsome. He pretended he was playing that music like a pro. He would move his head to the beat and his hands would press keys from one side of the keyboard to the tippy top of the other side. When the song would end he would give a gentle wave of the hand to add that special little flourish. For the first night he sat there for at least 30 min. An attention span for that long for a 2 year old is amazing. He loved that piano. Every day after that he would go and sit to play the piano, though he didn't reach the 30 min mark again. He managed to learn where the buttons were to play his favorite songs and how to turn the volume up and down. We would laugh and clap for him every time.
And then his cousins came. There are four ranging from 2 years to 8 years. He seemed to fit right in. He would follow them around and they would follow him around. He'd laugh at everything and they would laugh at him. When the bigger boys got their tiny legos though, poor Handsome was shut out. He wanted so bad to play with them, but he just couldn't be around the tiny lego pieces. I also felt bad when he would go to hug and kiss them and they would push him away. I know he needs to learn not to hug and kiss so much, but it broke my heart that he was trying to show them that he loved them and they would push him away. At one point they started playing Ring Around the Rosie, and again, heaven. That is his favorite all time song. He knows all the words and would sing just as loud as the bigger kids.
He got books and stuffed animals for Christmas which he did love, but "things" are secondary to him. He is completely a people person and it was all about the interaction with others. We got him a LeapFrog Tag system. It's an electronic pen that basically reads the book for him. Each picture also talks and at this stage he likes the pictures the best.
For the times when he needed to wind down, we put Caillou and Sesame Street onto the iPod and he would sit quietly and watch those. It worked like magic.
Grandma and Granddad also had a tricycle, little car, and big wheels to ride around the porch on. The tricycle and little car took up a majority of his time. He hadn't quite figured out how to use the peddles, but he was getting closer by the time we had to leave.
When we got back home, poor Handsome kept asking (is still asking) to go see Grandma and Granddad. He looked for them at the airport and was very dissapointed when he didn't see them. After his bath the first night home he asked to go hug and kiss his Granddad. He cried major tears when we told him he couldn't. During the day he asks to go put on his shoes, get in the car, and go to see Grandma and Granddad.
I know he misses them, but I also know it was time to come home. By the last couple days he started to whine at most anything and you could tell his little senses were overwhelmed and he needed to be back in familiar territory.
My parents have 16+ acres and a matching 16+ cows. Handsome loved being able to run in seemingly endless space and explore everything. DH let him get so close to the cows that the big sandy cow licked him more than once. I was fine with him being close until he startled a couple and they did the jumping thing. Handsome would lose that contest if their hooves got too close. Of course everything was fine. He loved to bring the pellets to the cows to feed everyday and DH and Granddad would leave a few for Handsome to throw over the fence. He would hit the cows in the face trying to make the trough and a few would land under the trough so the cows would have to use their long tongues to try to grab them. And the best part about the land? The tractors. He would climb up to the drivers seat and press as many buttons as he possibly could. He'd laugh his deep belly laugh and the joy would just eminate. Granddad took us on a hay ride around the land and Handsome would sit in the back with me until Granddad decided to stop the tractor to show us some new project he was working on. As soon as we stopped, Handsome would jump out the back and climb back into the drivers seat. Projects, schmojects, who cares when you can sit in the driver's seat of a tractor?
Handsome would walk around the place like he had lived there all his life. It was as if he was not meeting new people, but merely seeing the same people he loved and spent time with daily.
Granddad uses a mug to put his orange juice in. The first morning we were there, Handsome went to sit with Granddad and ask him what he was drinking. Granddad made the mistake of letting Handsome taste the orange juice. From that meal on, Handsome would make Granddad share his seat and his juice at every meal. I'd have to get Granddad a second cup to make sure he actually got to drink some of his juice.
Granddad has a fancy electronic keyboard. It will play sample music to let you see what capabilities it has. The first night we were there, we let Handsome sit at the keyboard and turned on the music. Again, heaven for Handsome. He pretended he was playing that music like a pro. He would move his head to the beat and his hands would press keys from one side of the keyboard to the tippy top of the other side. When the song would end he would give a gentle wave of the hand to add that special little flourish. For the first night he sat there for at least 30 min. An attention span for that long for a 2 year old is amazing. He loved that piano. Every day after that he would go and sit to play the piano, though he didn't reach the 30 min mark again. He managed to learn where the buttons were to play his favorite songs and how to turn the volume up and down. We would laugh and clap for him every time.
And then his cousins came. There are four ranging from 2 years to 8 years. He seemed to fit right in. He would follow them around and they would follow him around. He'd laugh at everything and they would laugh at him. When the bigger boys got their tiny legos though, poor Handsome was shut out. He wanted so bad to play with them, but he just couldn't be around the tiny lego pieces. I also felt bad when he would go to hug and kiss them and they would push him away. I know he needs to learn not to hug and kiss so much, but it broke my heart that he was trying to show them that he loved them and they would push him away. At one point they started playing Ring Around the Rosie, and again, heaven. That is his favorite all time song. He knows all the words and would sing just as loud as the bigger kids.
He got books and stuffed animals for Christmas which he did love, but "things" are secondary to him. He is completely a people person and it was all about the interaction with others. We got him a LeapFrog Tag system. It's an electronic pen that basically reads the book for him. Each picture also talks and at this stage he likes the pictures the best.
For the times when he needed to wind down, we put Caillou and Sesame Street onto the iPod and he would sit quietly and watch those. It worked like magic.
Grandma and Granddad also had a tricycle, little car, and big wheels to ride around the porch on. The tricycle and little car took up a majority of his time. He hadn't quite figured out how to use the peddles, but he was getting closer by the time we had to leave.
When we got back home, poor Handsome kept asking (is still asking) to go see Grandma and Granddad. He looked for them at the airport and was very dissapointed when he didn't see them. After his bath the first night home he asked to go hug and kiss his Granddad. He cried major tears when we told him he couldn't. During the day he asks to go put on his shoes, get in the car, and go to see Grandma and Granddad.
I know he misses them, but I also know it was time to come home. By the last couple days he started to whine at most anything and you could tell his little senses were overwhelmed and he needed to be back in familiar territory.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thankful
I really am thankful. I forget to say it, and really forget to think about it, but I am thankful. I have been given so much in this life and sometimes I should really reflect on that.
I am thankful for the person that my son is. Sometimes I worry about his development. I hear other moms brag about their child the same age as Handsome being able to ride a bike or read a book or recite the entire alphabet, and I think, why can't Handsome do that? But really, those things aren't nearly as important as the person that Handsome is becoming. Learning the alphabet will come in time and whenever we can actually afford a bicycle I'm sure he'll learn how to ride it like all the neighbor's kids. What I'm truly thankful for is the loving heart that Handsome has. That boy has shown true love from the time he was born. If he hears another baby crying, he will be truly concerned and want to go over to the baby and comfort them. If he sees a child at all younger than him he will go over and pat them on the back or give them a hug. He fears no one and loves everyone. He forgives in an instant. He will sit next to you on the couch, and cuddle in your arms and say, "I love you" without any prompt. He is unashamed of the love he feels for every person around him. He has a little car that he rides on and pretends that he is going to work or going to class and he yells, "Bye Mommy! I go class! Love you!" When he comes back into the room he'll give a big hug and a kiss and say, "I missed you!" One day DH was gone all day because of his school. Handsome didn't see him until 7pm - DH normally stays home with Handsome. When DH came home, Handsome was visibly miffed and said, "I missed you, Daddy." DH, who never cries, got a little choked up and felt terrible for being gone all day. Handsome loves to smile and laugh. The smallest joke will make him laugh so hard that he falls over. He is so filled with love and with joy. I am thankful for the blessing that he is in just being himself.
I am thankful for my second pregnancy. It's been hard this time. I've been sick for about 20 weeks. I've spent many hours in the bathroom and laying down. I must admit that I'm not a pregnancy loving girl. I love the baby and I love that I can be pregnant, but for me the most joyous moment comes when I see the beautiful baby that is the literal embodiment of the love between DH and I. I love seeing the intertwining of my life and my husband's life continue in a new being. All of the pain that my body must endure is nothing compared to the life that we help create. I am thankful for being able to be a mother. I am thankful that I am growing a healthy baby. I am thankful for the little kicks that I feel every day that are like a little secret between my baby and me.
I am thankful that I have a home to live in. I complain constantly about the fact that the value of our house has dropped so low, so fast. I would like the ability to sell it and move closer to family. I realize though, that some people don't have a home to call their own. I do have a home. My son has his own bed to sleep in. I am thankful for a stable roof over our heads.
I am thankful for my job. This one is a kicker. I complain about my job a lot. In the end though, I have a job. The economy right now is not the greatest and many people do not have jobs. I have a job that pays my bills and allows me to travel to see my family. I have a job that I don't have to worry about losing. I have a job that allows me to work a flexible schedule and take care of my son and let my husband attend college full time. I am thankful for the job that I have.
I am thankful for my husband. I can't believe how God has blessed me with DH. He is kind, self-sacrificing, and most of all, he loves me for who I am. He has crossed over the boundaries of the culture that he was raised in and is able to compromise with me to make our family work. Not many people can do that. He stays home with Handsome as a stay at home dad when many men from my own culture would not be willing to do that. When I'm having a bad day - or a bad month - he brings me flowers and writes notes that bring tears to my eyes. He always knows how to make me smile. And did I mention he was incredibly hot? ;)
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I will be spending the day with DH, Handsome, the baby in my belly, and two close friends. Thank You Lord for the gifts You have given me and my family.
I am thankful for the person that my son is. Sometimes I worry about his development. I hear other moms brag about their child the same age as Handsome being able to ride a bike or read a book or recite the entire alphabet, and I think, why can't Handsome do that? But really, those things aren't nearly as important as the person that Handsome is becoming. Learning the alphabet will come in time and whenever we can actually afford a bicycle I'm sure he'll learn how to ride it like all the neighbor's kids. What I'm truly thankful for is the loving heart that Handsome has. That boy has shown true love from the time he was born. If he hears another baby crying, he will be truly concerned and want to go over to the baby and comfort them. If he sees a child at all younger than him he will go over and pat them on the back or give them a hug. He fears no one and loves everyone. He forgives in an instant. He will sit next to you on the couch, and cuddle in your arms and say, "I love you" without any prompt. He is unashamed of the love he feels for every person around him. He has a little car that he rides on and pretends that he is going to work or going to class and he yells, "Bye Mommy! I go class! Love you!" When he comes back into the room he'll give a big hug and a kiss and say, "I missed you!" One day DH was gone all day because of his school. Handsome didn't see him until 7pm - DH normally stays home with Handsome. When DH came home, Handsome was visibly miffed and said, "I missed you, Daddy." DH, who never cries, got a little choked up and felt terrible for being gone all day. Handsome loves to smile and laugh. The smallest joke will make him laugh so hard that he falls over. He is so filled with love and with joy. I am thankful for the blessing that he is in just being himself.
I am thankful for my second pregnancy. It's been hard this time. I've been sick for about 20 weeks. I've spent many hours in the bathroom and laying down. I must admit that I'm not a pregnancy loving girl. I love the baby and I love that I can be pregnant, but for me the most joyous moment comes when I see the beautiful baby that is the literal embodiment of the love between DH and I. I love seeing the intertwining of my life and my husband's life continue in a new being. All of the pain that my body must endure is nothing compared to the life that we help create. I am thankful for being able to be a mother. I am thankful that I am growing a healthy baby. I am thankful for the little kicks that I feel every day that are like a little secret between my baby and me.
I am thankful that I have a home to live in. I complain constantly about the fact that the value of our house has dropped so low, so fast. I would like the ability to sell it and move closer to family. I realize though, that some people don't have a home to call their own. I do have a home. My son has his own bed to sleep in. I am thankful for a stable roof over our heads.
I am thankful for my job. This one is a kicker. I complain about my job a lot. In the end though, I have a job. The economy right now is not the greatest and many people do not have jobs. I have a job that pays my bills and allows me to travel to see my family. I have a job that I don't have to worry about losing. I have a job that allows me to work a flexible schedule and take care of my son and let my husband attend college full time. I am thankful for the job that I have.
I am thankful for my husband. I can't believe how God has blessed me with DH. He is kind, self-sacrificing, and most of all, he loves me for who I am. He has crossed over the boundaries of the culture that he was raised in and is able to compromise with me to make our family work. Not many people can do that. He stays home with Handsome as a stay at home dad when many men from my own culture would not be willing to do that. When I'm having a bad day - or a bad month - he brings me flowers and writes notes that bring tears to my eyes. He always knows how to make me smile. And did I mention he was incredibly hot? ;)
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I will be spending the day with DH, Handsome, the baby in my belly, and two close friends. Thank You Lord for the gifts You have given me and my family.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
And then there were two...
So I think I've pretty much told everyone, so I can start to talk about it here. We're pregnant! Yay! We are due just before Easter next year. This pg has been much more difficult than the last one was. I've been consistently sick since maybe week 6. I'm slowly starting to get energy back and my stomach is slowly getting better.
Ok, gotta go bathe the boy.
Potty Training
We started potty training a few weeks ago. He has done really well! I should have been giving updates along the way because I know we'll eventually be going through this again and it's a landmark sort of development, but I've just been so busy that I've completely let this blog go stale. Boo.
Anyway, yesterday he asked to pee in the potty while we were at Best Buy and he actually peed in the potty! I'm so proud of my little boy.
The only thing we are behind on is the pooping in the potty. He will have nothing to do with that. After a couple mistakes on the first couple days of potty training he has been consistently holding it and going when he is waking up from a nap (we still put a diaper on him for sleeping).
My little lion
As I sit here on the computer, Handsome is sitting in his Daddy's lap wearing his lion costume that we got for him this weekend. To say he loves that costume would be an understatement. He picked it out at the store and carried it around all day once we got home. Today we put it on him in the morning and he roared and played with the little paws. He must keep the hat part on too. It is a must. This morning after we put it on he had to call Grandma and Granddad on the computer (Skype) so that he could show them his costume. So I forgot about the time difference and called and woke them up. They still got up to come to the computer and see him and Handsome roared his best roar and loved every minute of the extra attention. Tonight when he put it on again, we had to call Grandma and Granddad yet again.
Yesterday we went to a bounce party. DH even came so that I wouldn't have to climb everything and bounce with Handsome. Handsome had a blast! On the way to the party the whole time he was saying, "See Carter! See Sam!" Those are his best friends. The whole time we were there he would have to know where his friends were. Then he would see them and seemingly forget about them until he lost where they were again. Friendship among two year olds (or nearly two year olds) is an odd phenomenon.
I wish I had brought a camera to the bounce party. With DH there I finally would have had an opportunity to take pics, but unfortunately I completely forgot. Owen was actually big enough to climb some of the slides all by himself. He had to have encouragement, but he would get up to the top and start laughing with pride. He also found two horses to play on. One was like a bouncy ball in the shape of a horse that he could jump on. He found a green one and was rather attached for a while. Even if he wasn't sitting on it, he didn't want anyone else to sit on it either. Then he found a different horse that I'm not even sure I can explain on here. I've never really seen anything like it. It was a fuzzy horse with wheels on the bottom. If he jumped up and down while sitting on it, it moved almost like a caterpillar moves. He was on that thing forever. We'd just have to redirect him when he got too close to a wall or a baby crawling by.
And then there was the food afterward. He rarely gets sweets in our house - interpret rarely as never. He got a cupcake a the bounce party and the little boy was in heaven. They stacked the odds against him however as they put more frosting on the top than there was cake at the bottom. By the end of it his face was covered in frosting. He did pretty good at not putting it all over his shirt though.
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