Today turned out to be a great day!
It started with the fact that Daniel slept in until 7:30...which was really 8:30 because of the time change. We did keep him up an extra hour last night in hopes that it would work, but I fully expected it to backfire on me. Too bad I decided to stay up late though, because of course my own body woke me up at 6:30. At least I got to snuggle under the covers for awhile!
I was even able to get Daniel down for an early nap today without a fight! Mimi and Pa were coming over this afternoon, so I wanted him to have a decent nap, but also wanted to wake him up early to play. He knew that they were coming, so when I woke him up he got really excited! Usually it takes him awhile to wake up and get used to the fact that they're here. Not today! He walked right out and started talking to Pa and even went over to Mimi and gave her a big hug!
Daniel enjoyed playing with blocks and then he, Pa and Jacob went outside to play. Brenda and I stayed in a talked. It's nice being able to actually talk without a little person to keep an eye on!
Once they came in, the playing continued until it was time for them to head home. Might I just add that it's rather depressing that the sun was going down at 4:45. I had my pajamas on within the next hour. No shame.
Daniel ate all of his supper, and was happily rewarded with his new love...the "Bix" bar. Also known as a Twix bar. He'll be really bummed that it was the last one in his treat bucket.
That kid was SO amped up tonight...but in a good way! We had fun playing and being silly as a family. I love moments like that!
He also had 2 successful potties today, so yay for that!
Getting him down for bed took just a little bit longer tonight. Partly because the little guy just wouldn't stop talking, but partly because I was having so much fun with him tonight, that I just wanted to snuggle and hang out!
Hopefully the rest of the week goes just like today!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Saturday, November 2, 2013
My Growing Boy
Let's a pause a moment to let it sink in that my little boy is going to be 2 years old in 21 days! I seriously can't believe it!
From this:
To this:
Words cannot even express how much I love this child. He exasperates me daily, but fills my heart with joy each day too.
He knows all the letters of the alphabet by recognition, and can name 23 out of 26 letters. He's even recognizing a lot of the lowercase letters as well!
He can also identify and name each number from 1-10! My favorite is when we're at a store and it points out numbers or spells something out and someone hears him. They're like, "How old is he!?" I must say, I'm rather impressed and proud of him for picking it all up so quickly!
He's obsessed with: fire trucks, stop signs (yep), basically anything with wheels (which he pronounces "wee-hulls" and it's freaking adorable.), Super Why (PBS show), throwing things in the trash and fruit snacks (or meena mes as he calls them. Why? We have NO clue).
He loves reading books, and although it gets tiring reading the same ones over and over again, I'm thrilled that he loves books. I started taking him to the library every few weeks and we check out some books each time. He loves going. In fact, the last time we went I was just going to drop the books outside in the book drop. I did, and then got back in the car. Apparently Daniel knew exactly where we were and freaked the heck out. We ended up going in because that boy was not leaving until he had new reading material!
I *guess* we're potty training! He's peed on the potty a few times over the past few months, but I haven't pushed it. This week he's been showing more interest and has gone once or twice each day! Today he went when he woke up. Tried before we left to go to the middle school. Then when we got home he was dry and went again! I'm excited, but I'm not forcing anything on him. If he doesn't want to try, I don't make him. He gets so excited and says, "Pee?! Potty"!? after he goes. Then he has to flush and collect his 2 "M's" (M&M's).
We're working on his eating now too. I've been way too lenient with him and Jacob and I had a discussion this week about him needing to eat more of what we're eating. I fell into the habit of just handing him dessert and a cup of crackers later even if he didn't eat well. He's been doing better, but I have to keep on him and remind him he doesn't get a snack if he doesn't eat what we ask him to eat.
Last night Jacob had to go to the school to help with the musical set, so I decided to try to watch an actual movie with Daniel. We watched, "Over the Hedge". He was into it for awhile. He even snuggled on the couch with me. Then he played. Then he watched. Then he played again. Yeah. Not quite ready for a full length movie, but I needed something relaxing to do!
Had to post these for my mom. One of the new pairs of jammies we got him last weekend!
Today we went to musical practice so I could take some pictures of the kids rehearsing for Jacob. Daniel enjoyed running around, but wanted Mommy and Daddy the whole time. We stayed for lunch and then came home.
From this:
To this:
Words cannot even express how much I love this child. He exasperates me daily, but fills my heart with joy each day too.
He knows all the letters of the alphabet by recognition, and can name 23 out of 26 letters. He's even recognizing a lot of the lowercase letters as well!
He can also identify and name each number from 1-10! My favorite is when we're at a store and it points out numbers or spells something out and someone hears him. They're like, "How old is he!?" I must say, I'm rather impressed and proud of him for picking it all up so quickly!
He's obsessed with: fire trucks, stop signs (yep), basically anything with wheels (which he pronounces "wee-hulls" and it's freaking adorable.), Super Why (PBS show), throwing things in the trash and fruit snacks (or meena mes as he calls them. Why? We have NO clue).
He loves reading books, and although it gets tiring reading the same ones over and over again, I'm thrilled that he loves books. I started taking him to the library every few weeks and we check out some books each time. He loves going. In fact, the last time we went I was just going to drop the books outside in the book drop. I did, and then got back in the car. Apparently Daniel knew exactly where we were and freaked the heck out. We ended up going in because that boy was not leaving until he had new reading material!
I *guess* we're potty training! He's peed on the potty a few times over the past few months, but I haven't pushed it. This week he's been showing more interest and has gone once or twice each day! Today he went when he woke up. Tried before we left to go to the middle school. Then when we got home he was dry and went again! I'm excited, but I'm not forcing anything on him. If he doesn't want to try, I don't make him. He gets so excited and says, "Pee?! Potty"!? after he goes. Then he has to flush and collect his 2 "M's" (M&M's).
We're working on his eating now too. I've been way too lenient with him and Jacob and I had a discussion this week about him needing to eat more of what we're eating. I fell into the habit of just handing him dessert and a cup of crackers later even if he didn't eat well. He's been doing better, but I have to keep on him and remind him he doesn't get a snack if he doesn't eat what we ask him to eat.
Last night Jacob had to go to the school to help with the musical set, so I decided to try to watch an actual movie with Daniel. We watched, "Over the Hedge". He was into it for awhile. He even snuggled on the couch with me. Then he played. Then he watched. Then he played again. Yeah. Not quite ready for a full length movie, but I needed something relaxing to do!
Had to post these for my mom. One of the new pairs of jammies we got him last weekend!
Today we went to musical practice so I could take some pictures of the kids rehearsing for Jacob. Daniel enjoyed running around, but wanted Mommy and Daddy the whole time. We stayed for lunch and then came home.
And now the little dude is awake in his bed, so I'd better go get him!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Fall Fun From October!
I haven't been good at keeping up with my blog this year, but every November I try to blog every day for National Blog month...so here goes nothin'.
Since we all know that I love fall, let's check out some of my favorite fall festivities from the month of October!
I let Daniel paint for the first time! I'm not a good pumpkin carver, so we went the painting route this year. I'd say it was a hit!
We got invited over to Mimi and Pa's house to make apple cider! Daniel had lots of fun helping Pa (and being ornery and NOT helpful at other times!) It was a really special day though, and Daniel still talks about Pa and apples!
Plus he got to have fun with Mimi when she got home from work too!
We took him to a Trunk or Treat at a church in Cedar Rapids this past weekend. He had so much fun, and I was very proud of him for telling everyone, "Sanks!" when they gave him candy.
They even had a little photo booth set up. :)
We also went to a small pumpkin patch down the road from my parent's house. It was freezing cold and Daniel was not being a willing participant in most things, so it was a short lived trip, but I still ended up with a few good pictures.
And of course, last but not least...HALLOWEEN!!!
I was kind of bummed out because Jacob's school had parent teacher conference scheduled last night. I mean, really!? On Halloween? So, out of all the fall things we did, he didn't get to do any of it with us. I'm really glad that we got to take a trip to the St. Louis Zoo as a family though!
I was really up in the air about taking Daniel out. We did buy some treats to pass out to the kiddos at the Y though! It was rainy and dreary for most of the day, but the temperature was so perfect. It was over 60 degrees! I put Daniel down for his nap and as the afternoon went on, I knew that I REALLY wanted to take him out. I am apparently a 5 year old at heart and eventually started feeling giddy! The rain had even pretty much stopped! I remember as a kid coming home from school and being so antsy to get out and trick or treat. I'm not gonna lie. I totally felt that way last night! I got Daniel all dressed up to head to a trunk or treat and it started raining as soon as we got outside, so only indoor pics!
I remembered from last year that the line to get in was really long, so we left early to get there. I put Daniel in the stroller to save some sanity. We had to wait awhile, but they did let people in about 5 minutes early. I had the canopy over Daniel and an umbrella over me and the rest of him while we waited.
I was really impressed this year. Last year's seemed a little smaller. This year felt like there were more cars and people were in such a good mood despite the rain! I didn't encounter one grumpy person. The church was handing out umbrellas to those who needed one. People were bumping into each other with umbrellas and would just smile and say, "No worries!" if they got bumped into. Daniel got lots of candy and compliments. We didn't get any questionable tracts in his bucket this year, but 2 very nice ones. (Seriously...last year he got a comic tract about a little kid in hell and he was like, "Grandpa! What are YOU doing here?" Umm...) It was just all in all a very fun experience, even though we were very wet!
Even as I walked across the road to get to the car I encountered kindness. The car was in a gravel lot clear towards the back. I was only about 6 cars away and the stroller just kept getting stuck and sinking into the mud and rocks. There was another set of mom's with their kids and one ran over to help me. She picked up the other end of the stroller and helped me carry it/Daniel to my car. It's good to know there are still good people in this world!
We got home and he enjoyed a sucker and we examined all of his candy. I love his crazed look in the second one!
Farewell October! Thanks for being my favorite month. 11 months until we meet again. I look forward to it.
Since we all know that I love fall, let's check out some of my favorite fall festivities from the month of October!
I let Daniel paint for the first time! I'm not a good pumpkin carver, so we went the painting route this year. I'd say it was a hit!
We got invited over to Mimi and Pa's house to make apple cider! Daniel had lots of fun helping Pa (and being ornery and NOT helpful at other times!) It was a really special day though, and Daniel still talks about Pa and apples!
Plus he got to have fun with Mimi when she got home from work too!
We took him to a Trunk or Treat at a church in Cedar Rapids this past weekend. He had so much fun, and I was very proud of him for telling everyone, "Sanks!" when they gave him candy.
They even had a little photo booth set up. :)
We also went to a small pumpkin patch down the road from my parent's house. It was freezing cold and Daniel was not being a willing participant in most things, so it was a short lived trip, but I still ended up with a few good pictures.
And of course, last but not least...HALLOWEEN!!!
I was kind of bummed out because Jacob's school had parent teacher conference scheduled last night. I mean, really!? On Halloween? So, out of all the fall things we did, he didn't get to do any of it with us. I'm really glad that we got to take a trip to the St. Louis Zoo as a family though!
I was really up in the air about taking Daniel out. We did buy some treats to pass out to the kiddos at the Y though! It was rainy and dreary for most of the day, but the temperature was so perfect. It was over 60 degrees! I put Daniel down for his nap and as the afternoon went on, I knew that I REALLY wanted to take him out. I am apparently a 5 year old at heart and eventually started feeling giddy! The rain had even pretty much stopped! I remember as a kid coming home from school and being so antsy to get out and trick or treat. I'm not gonna lie. I totally felt that way last night! I got Daniel all dressed up to head to a trunk or treat and it started raining as soon as we got outside, so only indoor pics!
I remembered from last year that the line to get in was really long, so we left early to get there. I put Daniel in the stroller to save some sanity. We had to wait awhile, but they did let people in about 5 minutes early. I had the canopy over Daniel and an umbrella over me and the rest of him while we waited.
I was really impressed this year. Last year's seemed a little smaller. This year felt like there were more cars and people were in such a good mood despite the rain! I didn't encounter one grumpy person. The church was handing out umbrellas to those who needed one. People were bumping into each other with umbrellas and would just smile and say, "No worries!" if they got bumped into. Daniel got lots of candy and compliments. We didn't get any questionable tracts in his bucket this year, but 2 very nice ones. (Seriously...last year he got a comic tract about a little kid in hell and he was like, "Grandpa! What are YOU doing here?" Umm...) It was just all in all a very fun experience, even though we were very wet!
Even as I walked across the road to get to the car I encountered kindness. The car was in a gravel lot clear towards the back. I was only about 6 cars away and the stroller just kept getting stuck and sinking into the mud and rocks. There was another set of mom's with their kids and one ran over to help me. She picked up the other end of the stroller and helped me carry it/Daniel to my car. It's good to know there are still good people in this world!
We got home and he enjoyed a sucker and we examined all of his candy. I love his crazed look in the second one!
Farewell October! Thanks for being my favorite month. 11 months until we meet again. I look forward to it.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
What We've Been Up To!
It's been over a month since I've posted! I've wanted to write, but whenever I fall so far behind it's hard to get started again. How can I ever catch up!?
It's been a pretty busy month, with lots of fun activities. October is my very favorite month of the year. It's just about the one time of year that I love being outside. Daniel and I have been taking advantage of this and going on lots of walks and playing outside. We've also started going to the library every 2 weeks. We pick out 5 or 6 new books and he gets to play with the train table and Legos.
A few weeks ago Kendra came to visit for a long weekend! We had so much fun and Daniel absolutely LOVES his Aunt Nenny! It was fun getting to spend time together. Growing up we weren't super close. With a 7 year age difference it was hard because we were never really on the same level. Now I love spending time with her and we definitely have a sister/friend bond!
We went to The Great Pumpkin Patch together and had tons of fun. She and I love everything fall so we couldn't wait to go! Daniel loved it too. It was the perfect day for it.
We spent close to 4 hours there and then went in search of the Amish store we found 2 years ago that sells these enormous whoopie pies! It was a success.
We enjoyed the rest of the weekend playing with Daniel, taking him to the playground, gorging on Mexican food and other such crap and rotting our brains with a Sister Wives marathon. Man, I love that girl.
Thankfully she came when she did. She had debated coming the following weekend, but if she had it wouldn't have been fun at all. Between Friday and the following Wednesday we all had our turn with the stomach flu. It was not fun. Not fun at all.
I had wanted to go to the zoo that weekend, but once the sickness hit, that was out of the question. We ended up deciding to go this past Sunday because the weather looked perfect! It was a bit on the chilly side, but really enjoyable. Far less miserable than going when it's over 100 degrees which we've done before! Daniel loved it all. He did a great job in the beginning ,but the fits all started once he started wearing down. All in all though he was a good boy.
Daniel passed out in the car about 2 minutes after we left, but we stopped for a late lunch at Steak and Shake. Jacob has somehow converted me into a Steak and Shake fan. And let me just say...I tried the limited time S'mores Shake and I kid you not, that is the BEST shake I've ever had. I want more! (Daniel thought it was pretty awesome too, but my phone died before I got a picture of him with it).
There. That about catches us up! Daniel is still being ornery as ever, but we're working on it. At 22 months he knows almost all of the letters of the alphabet and knows all of the numbers from 1-10! He points out letters and numbers wherever we go. He's impressed several people. I'm not gonna lie. I'm totally a proud Momma! It's fun watching him learn so many things and knowing that I helped teach him those things!
It's been a pretty busy month, with lots of fun activities. October is my very favorite month of the year. It's just about the one time of year that I love being outside. Daniel and I have been taking advantage of this and going on lots of walks and playing outside. We've also started going to the library every 2 weeks. We pick out 5 or 6 new books and he gets to play with the train table and Legos.
A few weeks ago Kendra came to visit for a long weekend! We had so much fun and Daniel absolutely LOVES his Aunt Nenny! It was fun getting to spend time together. Growing up we weren't super close. With a 7 year age difference it was hard because we were never really on the same level. Now I love spending time with her and we definitely have a sister/friend bond!
We went to The Great Pumpkin Patch together and had tons of fun. She and I love everything fall so we couldn't wait to go! Daniel loved it too. It was the perfect day for it.
We spent close to 4 hours there and then went in search of the Amish store we found 2 years ago that sells these enormous whoopie pies! It was a success.
We enjoyed the rest of the weekend playing with Daniel, taking him to the playground, gorging on Mexican food and other such crap and rotting our brains with a Sister Wives marathon. Man, I love that girl.
Thankfully she came when she did. She had debated coming the following weekend, but if she had it wouldn't have been fun at all. Between Friday and the following Wednesday we all had our turn with the stomach flu. It was not fun. Not fun at all.
I had wanted to go to the zoo that weekend, but once the sickness hit, that was out of the question. We ended up deciding to go this past Sunday because the weather looked perfect! It was a bit on the chilly side, but really enjoyable. Far less miserable than going when it's over 100 degrees which we've done before! Daniel loved it all. He did a great job in the beginning ,but the fits all started once he started wearing down. All in all though he was a good boy.
Daniel passed out in the car about 2 minutes after we left, but we stopped for a late lunch at Steak and Shake. Jacob has somehow converted me into a Steak and Shake fan. And let me just say...I tried the limited time S'mores Shake and I kid you not, that is the BEST shake I've ever had. I want more! (Daniel thought it was pretty awesome too, but my phone died before I got a picture of him with it).
There. That about catches us up! Daniel is still being ornery as ever, but we're working on it. At 22 months he knows almost all of the letters of the alphabet and knows all of the numbers from 1-10! He points out letters and numbers wherever we go. He's impressed several people. I'm not gonna lie. I'm totally a proud Momma! It's fun watching him learn so many things and knowing that I helped teach him those things!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
The Roller Coaster Called Parenthood
It's been a long weekend.
It seems that our kiddo has officially hit the "Terrible 2's" early. I suppose I can still just pray that it's a fluke, but holy smokes!
The weekend has been filled with timeouts, tears, tantrums and a bit of silliness mixed in there thankfully. I've been hit, pinched, and smacked in the face. Then again, I did get some hugs and kisses too. I've had moments of frustration, and annoyance and other times I've been able to take a deep breath and stay patient. Oh parenthood. Such a roller coaster.
Yesterday was a battle from the start. It was hot so we were stuck inside. I'm sure he was bored at times, but even when I tried to do things with him he had more interest in climbing up on the table, climbing in the computer chair and turning on the screen, finding pens and taking off with them, stealing and throwing the remotes, opening things he knows he's not supposed to, etc. etc. etc.
Nap time was a battle, as it has been all week long. It resulted in him crying, ripping letters off his wall, and throwing his stuffed animals and blankets on the floor before finally curling up in a ball and falling asleep...only to wake up as a bear.
Apparently when he woke up he wanted a snack. Instead of asking, he ran into the living room, started crying and throwing his toys. He tipped over his big car ramp and then to show us just how mad he was, he picked up his activity table and chucked that too! I managed to stay calm for that one. I asked him to pick up his toys and then tell me what he wanted. He calmly put everything back, hugged me and requested a granola bar.
Then the rest of the evening was a mix of good moments and not so good moments.
8:00 arrived and I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or full of dread. We brushed teeth, got our books, read and turned off the light to rock. My little boy suddenly turned back into my sweet child. He snuggled up and didn't move. He didn't fight me and wiggle all over, he just laid there. We talked about our day and how tomorrow would be a brand new day. I reminded him just how much we all love him. When we were done with our songs and prayers I told him it was time to go to bed. Lately, I usually get a whine and him shaking his head "No". This time he nuzzled right into my chest and just laid there. After a day like that, I decided he and I BOTH needed extra snuggle time.
We started out fresh today...but it's been a bit rough too. He's testing all of the boundaries right now.
Thankfully, he decided to take a real nap today. I'm hoping it helps since he hasn't really had a decent nap this week compared to normal.
Ahh...just had to vent and I know my fellow moms (and dads too) will likely be able to relate to this.
Daniel of course has had his adorable moments too. One of my favorites of the weekend was yesterday morning. I caught him waving and talking to his shadow. When he moved the shadow disappeared. I asked him where the shadow went and he steps into the light again and says, "There it is!"
Last night, he and Jacob were sitting on the couch and Jacob's phone vibrated in his pocket. Daniel's foot happened to be next to him. Daniel goes, "Toot???" and then, "What was that?" Haha!
We also made him malfunction. He's been confusing, "up" and "down". In general he gets "up" right, but also says it when he means down. We've been correcting him when he gets it wrong. He wanted out of his high chair and says, "Up? Up?" I was washing the table and not quite ready to get him down yet so I didn't even reply. Then he pipes up, "Down?" I told him that was right and that I'd get him down in a minutes. He proceeds to sit there the whole time going, "Up? Up? Up? Down??? Up? Down? Down? Up? Down?..." Silly boy.
Here's hoping to a better week. I need some ideas of things to do with him. It's getting to the point that I dread going places because I know there's going to be a meltdown at least once...but alas, he's a toddler and that's what toddlers do.
Really though, no matter what, who couldn't love this kid?
It seems that our kiddo has officially hit the "Terrible 2's" early. I suppose I can still just pray that it's a fluke, but holy smokes!
The weekend has been filled with timeouts, tears, tantrums and a bit of silliness mixed in there thankfully. I've been hit, pinched, and smacked in the face. Then again, I did get some hugs and kisses too. I've had moments of frustration, and annoyance and other times I've been able to take a deep breath and stay patient. Oh parenthood. Such a roller coaster.
Yesterday was a battle from the start. It was hot so we were stuck inside. I'm sure he was bored at times, but even when I tried to do things with him he had more interest in climbing up on the table, climbing in the computer chair and turning on the screen, finding pens and taking off with them, stealing and throwing the remotes, opening things he knows he's not supposed to, etc. etc. etc.
Nap time was a battle, as it has been all week long. It resulted in him crying, ripping letters off his wall, and throwing his stuffed animals and blankets on the floor before finally curling up in a ball and falling asleep...only to wake up as a bear.
Apparently when he woke up he wanted a snack. Instead of asking, he ran into the living room, started crying and throwing his toys. He tipped over his big car ramp and then to show us just how mad he was, he picked up his activity table and chucked that too! I managed to stay calm for that one. I asked him to pick up his toys and then tell me what he wanted. He calmly put everything back, hugged me and requested a granola bar.
Then the rest of the evening was a mix of good moments and not so good moments.
8:00 arrived and I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or full of dread. We brushed teeth, got our books, read and turned off the light to rock. My little boy suddenly turned back into my sweet child. He snuggled up and didn't move. He didn't fight me and wiggle all over, he just laid there. We talked about our day and how tomorrow would be a brand new day. I reminded him just how much we all love him. When we were done with our songs and prayers I told him it was time to go to bed. Lately, I usually get a whine and him shaking his head "No". This time he nuzzled right into my chest and just laid there. After a day like that, I decided he and I BOTH needed extra snuggle time.
We started out fresh today...but it's been a bit rough too. He's testing all of the boundaries right now.
Thankfully, he decided to take a real nap today. I'm hoping it helps since he hasn't really had a decent nap this week compared to normal.
Ahh...just had to vent and I know my fellow moms (and dads too) will likely be able to relate to this.
Daniel of course has had his adorable moments too. One of my favorites of the weekend was yesterday morning. I caught him waving and talking to his shadow. When he moved the shadow disappeared. I asked him where the shadow went and he steps into the light again and says, "There it is!"
Last night, he and Jacob were sitting on the couch and Jacob's phone vibrated in his pocket. Daniel's foot happened to be next to him. Daniel goes, "Toot???" and then, "What was that?" Haha!
We also made him malfunction. He's been confusing, "up" and "down". In general he gets "up" right, but also says it when he means down. We've been correcting him when he gets it wrong. He wanted out of his high chair and says, "Up? Up?" I was washing the table and not quite ready to get him down yet so I didn't even reply. Then he pipes up, "Down?" I told him that was right and that I'd get him down in a minutes. He proceeds to sit there the whole time going, "Up? Up? Up? Down??? Up? Down? Down? Up? Down?..." Silly boy.
Here's hoping to a better week. I need some ideas of things to do with him. It's getting to the point that I dread going places because I know there's going to be a meltdown at least once...but alas, he's a toddler and that's what toddlers do.
Really though, no matter what, who couldn't love this kid?
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