Friday, October 25, 2013

October 25, 2013

I can't believe October is almost over. Even in my sleep deprived state, I feel like this month has flown by.

Last Friday night, my sister Danielle and her boyfriend Kevin came in for the weekend to attend a wedding. Danielle got in after William was asleep, but shortly after she arrived, William woke up needing to go to the bathroom. Danielle was already heading upstairs so she went ahead and took him. When he got up the next morning, I could tell he thought it was a dream, especially when we went downstairs to make breakfast and no Danielle was in sight. Imagine his joy when Danielle came down the stairs for breakfast. He squealed and ran to her. It was adorable! I am so glad William loves his family.

After breakfast, Francis, Robert, William and I headed toward Houston to spend time with my in-laws (Francis's parents and sister's family) and celebrate october birthdays at a pumkin patch. The one we originally planned to attend was rained out, so we ended up at Blessington Farm and it was well named. It was a perfect afternoon filled with family and beautiful weather. William and Abby had a blast. They played with each other and enjoyed the slides, train ride, hay maze, pedal tractors, and pumpkins. I think Francis and Chris had almost as much fun as the kids. Cyndy got some awesome pictures too so we are able to remember this day always. After having dinner together, we parted ways.

This is where the perfect day ends and a much sadder tale ensues. On our way home, the fall sun set quickly and we were driving in the countryside in the dark for a while. I was in the back seat with the kids trying to keep everyone entertained. All of a sudden we hit something. Francis looked and saw a hint of a headlight reflect back at him on the side of the road and quickly pulled over with a great fear taking hold of him. He ran back with a flashlight and his fear was confirmed. There was a motorcycle on the side of the road. Francis tried to see if the thing in the road was the driver, but he couldn't tell and there was too much traffic (every car was hitting the object) to get a good look. Thankfully other drivers circled around and come to help Francis while he called 911. They found the driver in the ditch by the road. Apparently he had hit a deer (which is what we hit also) and was thrown clear of the road. He was in full protective gear, but had lost his helmet in the crash and his face was pretty banged up. Francis said he was breathing but that's about all he could tell. Francis waited until the EMS arrived to take him, and finally came back to tell me what had happened. The boys and I were too far away to see anything, and William never knew what had happened. The whole thing had Francis pretty shaken up and thankful that we were all alive and well. We pray the cyclist will be well soon, though we have no way of knowing his status.

Sunday after church we had lunch with Danielle and Kevin before they headed back to their respective cities. I am sad we didn't get to spend more time with them, but I know they had a good time anyway. Monday, as the boys and I were all feeling crummy, we made a trip to the doctor's office. She said it was just allergies ( not what I wanted to hear...I wanted MEDS!), and we would just have to tough it out. Monday afternoon, I made my first solo trip to the grocery store with both kids. It went really well...it was almost too easy. I'm hoping that trend will continue. Tuesday we had The Little Gym. Really not much to report there.

Wednesday I was very ambitious. After my first time taking both boys to storytime at Barnes and Noble (William did awesome!!!), I took William to get a haircut. As a reward for being so good all morning, we three went to Chick-fil-a for lunch. This was a potential mine-field, but it went really well. I'm starting to feel like super-mom. I better not let it go to my head. Thursday after bible study where we had an awesome speaker about communication between the genders, we had a second day of Chick-fil-a, but this time with Arlene and Caitlyn. It was so fun and I treasure her friendship!

Today I have made a vow to take it easy, so we have not left the house. We've played in the driveway most of the morning, while I cleaned out my car and part of the garage. Surprisingly this was rather relaxing. William and I also played golf and I chased him around as he drove his hot wheels truck up and down the sidewalk. He is now officially tall enough to push the pedals by himself. Watch out world!!!

Updates on my boys:
Robert is becoming a pro at tracking objects with his eyes and can now turn his head consistently toward an object or person he wants to see. He is getting increasing control of his neck and back so that the days of a squishy newborn slowly becoming just a memory. He can now also hold and shake objects as well as aim at and hit objects in his field of view. He smiles at me, Francis and William at least once a day and really enjoys tummy time when William gets down there to play with him. Robert had his first real nap in his bassinet (he's started putting himself to sleep) this week and slept for a 5 or more hour stretch twice. He's growing so fast!

William is becoming more verbal all the time. He told his first joke this week to me. (Knock knock, who's there, Boo, boo who?, don't cry!) It was adorable. He is also learning to use his senses. He tells me to listen, look and touch things and then describes them to me if I ask him questions. Oh! And he can now recognize when I spell aloud or write down mom, dad, William, boy, girl and Robert, but can only spell mom and dad himself. He's such a smart kid!

That's all for now!

Friday, October 18, 2013

October 18, 2013

"Mr. Smiley" is laying in my lap trying to decide whether he wants to eat or poop. My guess is he will eventually choose to do a little of both (as my father said recently, input and output). Robert's been pretty talkative today and very interactive. He and William laid on the bed earlier making faces and talking to each other. William kept laughing and Robert kept cooing. I wish I had my camera!

Robert was dedicated last Sunday at Great Hills Baptist Church. My parents, Francis's parents and my sister Danielle were all there to witness our commitment and join in the celebration. Robert looked adorable in his little suit and everything went smoothly. We walked the stage (with Robert and big brother William) and then they had a special mother's song and the dedication. William kept trying to hold/touch Robert and hug me while Francis held him, which was cute but a bit distracting. Robert slept through the whole thing and was quiet as a mouse. After church, our families, us and the Davises (Angel, Austin and their child Ranger) went out with us to celebrate at Carraba's. It was great! Robert is so well loved, and the love of his earthly family pales in comparison to the Heavenly Father's love for him. I pray he grows up knowing and valuing his worth and purpose.

Oddly enough, Francis had off Monday for Colombus day. We went grocery shopping in the morning 
(I tried out the baby Bjorn carrier Tracy lent me and LOVED it!) and then had lunch a Chick-fil-a. William would be happy living there forever, but we eventually had to leave so he could nap. Francis wanted pizza for his birthday dinner (a couple of days early), but due to the Cowboys scoring more than 20 points in football the day before and the resulting 50% off pizza, we had to wait a long time to get our order and bring it home. Francis opened one of his birthday presents early and we spent the later evening watching Iron Man 3 in 3D on our TV. It was a great day!

Tuesday I finally tried to get back to business as usual. We did Little Gym and MOPS on Wenesday. Wednesday, William and I baked and decorated a birthday cake, wrapped presents and decorated for Francis's birthday. I thawed some of Francis's mom's delicious meatloaf and heated it in the oven. William and I worked out an adorable rendition of the Happy birthday song and then everything was set for Francis to arrive. William was beyond excited, yelling surprise before Francis even entered the door. We had dinner as a family, opened presents, and ate cake. William was particularly excited about the cake. He helped sing and helped blow out the candles. Francis and I finished off the evening by watching the first few episodes of The Big Bang Theory Season 6 which Francis had received from my sister Danielle. Happy Birthday Francis!

Yesterday we did Bible Studay, came home for lunch and then had a playdate with Ashley and her daughter Harper that we met through The Little Gym. William loved playing with all the girly toys that we don't own and also loved painting pumpkins with his friends.

Today we went to the Library where we saw Angel and Ranger. They came back to our house to play and have lunch before I finally put William down for a well deserved nap. I'm feeling a bit under the weather and William has a runny nose, so hopefully a rest will do us all some good.

That's all for now!!

Saturday, October 12, 2013

October 12, 2013

I seem to not have a good grasp on what day it is. I can't believe it is Saturday! This week has been a bit of a blur.
Last Sunday Robert surprised me by rolling over twice before church! We were eating breakfast while Robert was having tummy time, and I guess he wanted to join us because all of a sudden he went from his stomach to his back. This surprised him and he cried, so I rolled him back to his stomach. He immediately rolled over again! I got out the video camera, but he wouldn't do it again, probably because he was tired at that point. I guess we have mover on our hands! It was a great day. Francis grilled out that night and we had bacon wrapped filets. Yum!

Francis took off every day this week except Wednesday. He has to use up some vacation time and I need the help. Monday morning, William, Robert and I went and got Robert an outfit to wear for baby dedication this Sunday. Afterwards we went to the mall and played in the playcourt. Francis met us for lunch (after taking to morning for himself) and we ate at Fuddruckers. Francis and William then went on to a place called Jump Street where they spent the afternoon goofing off so I could spend time with Robert and clean the house and catch up on chores. It's a lot easier to clean when a 2 year old isn't undoing everything you do, just sayin. When they came home, William had passed out from all the fun he had. I think it was some great father-son time.

Tuesday, Francis took William to the Little Gym while I waited for the bug guy to eradicate our spider and ant problem. William's burn is now just a red spot (I peeled off the skin) so he had no trouble doing what the instructor asked. I had my Dr. appointment check up Tuesday afternoon. I am healing nicely. the doctor had only positive things to say. I am hoping to be completely back to normal soon.

William has not been napping as well as waking up at night with bad dreams and Robert has been sleeping really well and for longer periods of time. The two seem to be polar opposites in that respect. Wednesday (when Francis was at work), William, Robert and I had a play date at a park with a bunch of wonderful ladies I know and their kids. It was so fun and extremely refreshing. Well, William played and was a ball of energy and Robert pretty much slept through the whole thing. Later that day Arlene and Caitlyn (her daughter) brought us dinner and stayed to play for a while. William was still going strong and had a great time. After we ate, I look over and William is holing his chocolate milk on the couch and has completely passed out. It was not even 6:30. Francis came home and put him in bed. William slept through the night (only waking once but putting himself back to sleep) until morning. He was one tired kiddo. I guess even toddlers have their limit!

Thursday Robert turned one month old! Wow, how the time has flown! I keep taking pictures each day so I can remember as much as possible, but I still feel like I miss so much. Francis dropped me and the boys off for Bible Study and headed to church to program lights. He didn't make it back before we were done, so I carried Robert in the carrier and went to get William form class. He was having such a great time, he didn't want to leave. He had a meltdown which ended in me carrying him, the carrier and the diaper bag down the hallway. Needless to say, I threw out my back. Francis arrived and got me home, but the damage has been done. I need to take it easy, but it is hard sometimes. Francis took William on a bike ride in the afternoon and brought me back a coke icee. They are such sweet boys! Becky brought us dinner Thursday night. I can't say enough how much help it has been to have food provided for us. It is one of the greatest gifts and blessing that could have been bestowed!

Friday morning I was still pretty waylaid by my back, so Francis took William out and shot off rockets at a nearby park. They have been building the rocket all week together, and this was William's first time to see one fly. Francis said the look on his face was priceless as he pressed the button and watched the rocket soar. William was so excited to tell me all about it, so I can only imagine how he felt at the time. I am so glad they've had all this time together. Robert and I met them for lunch at Wing stop and then after nap and a wardrobe change, we had pictures taken at church for the church directory. The one we chose turned out pretty well, although William was all over the place during the (short) session. After pictures, we headed across campus and dropped William off at parents night out in the children's building. Francis and I (with Robert) had a date night at Kona Grill and it was amazing. The decor was beautiful with a fish tank taking up one entire wall. The food was delicious, and the company beyond compare. It was so refreshing to have that one on one time with my husband outside of our home. I always treasure that time.

Today, Francis and I had been cleaning the house. I know it will drive us both crazy if we don't get things in order before "business as usual" starts next week. It will be good to have everything start off on the right foot.

William continues to enjoy Robert and loves the title "Big Brother". He makes sure people know what he is just in case they are confused. Tummy time has become brother bonding time as William will also get on his tummy and talk to Robert. It's adorable. William has also been explaining to Robert how to do all sorts of processes such as rolling over and using the potty. It's great! William has been constructing language and trying to understand it in new and different ways. He realized this week that everyone calls themselves  "me" and the other person "you". He's been using those words for a long time, but he decided to ask me about it this week and it was so cute! Something else was also super cute that we discussed, but I can't think of it!! So frustrating!

Robert is becoming more alert all the time, sleeping for longer periods of time, and using more and varied sounds. He is getting pretty good control of his back and neck so that I can sit him in the crux of the couch or on my arm and he can stay pretty upright. It's so cool to see him grow so fast. It's hard to believe William was ever that little.

That's all for now!

Friday, October 4, 2013

October 4, 2013

I'm flying solo. I have been for the past couple of days (which is one of the reasons I haven't written). I'm doing ok, but it's tough at times. I don't feel like I'm failing miserably, and I consider the a huge win.

Last week my mother in law was here, which was AWESOME! She cooked and helped me clean my house and went with us pretty much everywhere. Thanks to her, my mom, and a few wonderful ladies from my church, I have not had to cook yet and probably won't have to for at least another couple of weeks. As this was one of the hardest things to do when William was little, it is one of the biggest blessings. My mother-in-law FILLED (and I mean FILLED) my freezer to the brim with things that either need to just be heated or require minimal effort to have a hot, healthy meal on the table. My heart is overflowing with the love that has been shown me. Well, we spent last week shopping, cooking, cleaning, and preparing for me to be alone this week. William and Robert behaved like real troopers. I only really overdid it one day, which is amazing in itself. I cried when she left, but I know she left us all well looked after. Thank you!!!

Well, My mother-in-law left Friday, so Saturday morning was our first morning with no visitors. Francis got up with William to let me rest and they made breakfast for me. William came to tell me that food was almost ready. I got up and was almost ready to head downstairs (William had already gone down) when I heard a scream of pain. I knew it was bad. William had apparently reached for something while helping Dad and lost his balance. His had (the edge of it) landed on the burner when he steadied himself. The burn was blistered and so red it hurt to look at. William couldn't stop crying. After getting him to eat a little, Francis took him to the emergency room where they diagnosed it as a 2nd degree burn and wrapped it up with meds, telling us to check back on Monday. Funny thing was that the Social worker came in (which is mandatory when children come into the emergency room with injuries) and took one look at the wound and one look at the horror on Francis's face and told him that "accidents happen" and he needs to be more careful. She could tell right away how bad he felt. She did get the story and do her job, but I think it's funny that she felt the need to comfort him. Poor Francis. I know he will be hyper vigilant in the future.

Well, my mom happened to be in town for a political meeting, and she scooped up Robert, William and I back to Dallas to give Francis a little break and let hi recover a bit for work (he's had very little sleep lately). We headed to Dallas late Saturday evening. It was Robert's first road trip and both boys did phenomenally! Roebert slept the whole way except for when he nursed and then needed to be changed. He's a great car baby!

Sunday, after church, my parents, sisters, chad, the boys and I all went to the State Fair of Texas! It was awesome! William got picked to be on stage for the World on a String puppet show, he played in the cars at the car show, he was a lion (completely adorable!) in the Backyard Circus and he loved the parade and fireworks show. Robert too was enamored with all the sites. He watched the puppet show with interest and could not take his eyes off the bright lights in the parade or the fireworks. I could tell he was confused by it all, but he watched and was fascinated by each new thing. We also got a picture with the new Big Tex. Not bad for Robert's (and Chad's) first Fair trip!

Monday, Mom, Robert and I took William to the doctor where they looked at his burn, gave us some new meds (which have been working great!) and sent us on our way. After an afternoon nap, My sweet friend, Ashley Duran came by to meet Robert.  She's one of those people who you are glad you know, and I'm so glad she got to meet my baby boy.

Tuesday mom, my boys and I went to Hillsboro Outlet Mall where I got a dress for Robert's baby dedication. After dinner, we met Francis in Waco and switch all our stuff over into his car so he could take us home and my mom could go back to plano. It was so nice of each of them to take us (halfway) home!

Wednesday was my first official day solo. I made it to MOPS on time with both boys dressed and ready, but it took sometime to find William's classroom. Everything went smoothly and I was even able to give William his lunch in the car because I knew he would be hungry before we got home. Well, I then tried to put William and Robert down for naps, which they both refused. I struggled for 2 hours before I gave up. Out of desperation at 4 I turned on the TV and fed Robert. and both boys were out in 30 seconds. They both slept for an hour and a half while I was pinned to the couch by them. Oh, the joys of motherhood.

Yesterday, I again made it to Mom's Together (a bible Study) on time with both boys ready. When I got home, William needed to go potty and missed a bit, I got him new clothes only to find ants all over his closet and clothes. I threw the ant covered clothes in the washer and started it with hot water, leaving William on the toilet yelling at me and Robert screaming to be fed. I nearly had a nervous breakdown before getting the situation contained and getting myself fed about 1:45. Quite an ordeal!

Today, Angel came over with Ranger and we had a little playdate. And now the boys are resting. Waiting for the natural disaster that will happen today, but it hasn't hit yet. I'm sure it will come ^_^

William has been an awesome Big Brother. When I picked him up from class on Wednesday, they said he had been taking care of all the baby dolls and making sure they were fed and got rest. And that's what he does at home too: he watches out for his little brother and wants to do things with him as much as possible. Robert's a good sport. I think they will be good friends.

Robert has grown so much physically this week. He is gaining weight so fast and looks less like a newborn all the time. He has pretty good head and body control for his age and is so alert and watches most everything that goes on. He cries very little and has been sleeping great at night. I can only hope this behavior will continue. It keeps me calm and pretty well rested. I truly can't complain.