Christmas Day 2012

We made it!  We actually landed in Minneapolis at 7:45am CST.  Christmas Day is always spent at my dad's and we had a really nice time.  Kolton continued to keep us worried though by refusing to eat or drink anything.  By the time we went to bed we were resigned to the fact that we were most likely headed to the hospital again the next day.  But little man bounced back a little and drank nearly half a glass of milk and ate some french toast.  He still isn't completely back to normal and most of our time is spent pleading with him to eat. His pediatrician called and said his IGA and IGG numbers came back low. Basically his ability to fight off infections is compromised some what.  She told me not to "freak out" or anything and we will  test him again at the end of January.  So I'm just trying to relax and enjoy our time at home. 

Kolton finally grasped the concept of opening presents.  He gets bored after a few but its been really fun to see him rip the paper. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Where are you Christmas?

No, your eyes do not deceive you...that is Kolton sitting in a hospital bed once again.  We ended up getting admitted on Saturday because he continued to throw up and refused to eat or drink.  Ugh!  He slept all morning and didn't care one bit that there were a bunch of gifts for him under the tree.  Thankfully, we were only there for 24 hours and everything seemed to be on the mend.  Then little man threw up again last night.  So our Christmas is off to a pretty rocky start and to tell you the truth my spirit is knocked down a little.  Christmas Eve is probably my favorite day of the year and today seems like any other day.  Then I think about those poor families in Connecticut and feel like a complete asshole for getting all worked up.  We missed my family celebration on Sunday but are hoping to make it back tomorrow; we have a 6am flight.  We just don't know what is the best thing to do for Kolton.  Today he seemed better but still not eating and drinking like normal.  Traveling is always hard on a kid so I hope we aren't making things worse by going!  Merry Christmas!

This was taken Sunday afternoon after getting back...those cute Santa pjs have had puke on them at least 4 times.  I'm starting to think they are bad luck.

Inevitable

I spent most of yesterday puking my guts out!  Mike had to come home to help me out.  He ended up taking Kolton back to urgent care for an IV.  Now he's feeling a little grumble.  Uh oh!

Today was much better only little man still refuses to eat or drink.  His energy is normal so that is good but I just can't understand why he doesn't like to drink.  I try milk, water, grape gatorade, strawberry gatorade, apple juice, and white grape juice.  I'm telling you the kid does not like to drink stuff!  Its so incredibly frustrating.

We are leaving for WI bright and early Sunday morning so Santa is going to make a special appearance this evening ;)  I hope I will be able to post again tomorrow...assuming the world doesn't end in the next few hours!

You Know Its Love

We had another fun trip to KidMed last night!  Kolton got a stomach bug.  It didn't really hit until bedtime but he refused to eat dinner so that should have tipped me off.  After his bath we were sitting in his room chatting and singing songs like we always do when all of the sudden he puked.  I had given him some milk after dinner, which I never do, but since he didn't eat I thought I needed to fill him with calories.  Of course I was in the line of fire so I quickly got us both changed and back in the chair.  I thought it was just a fluke...I was very wrong!

He threw up 6 times over the next 1.5 hours.  Each time the amount of fluid increased.  Each time I foolishly changed our clothes top to bottom. We were sitting on the couch waiting for a call back from the on-call pediatrician when he gave me the sign once again.  I slid off the couch and sat in the middle of my living room while Kolton heaved 3 times.  You know its love when the feeling of warm vomit hitting your chest and rolling down between your boobs doesn't completely gross you out!

Needless to say I didn't wait any longer.  I changed us both yet again and got in the car.  Thankfully I had the good sense to pack yet another set of clothes because he threw up again in the waiting room.  And that is where I got pissed off and I'm going to rant....

While I was getting Kolton out of his car seat an SUV zoomed into the parking lot and two adults raced inside ahead of me.  Turns out it was a mom and her 14 year old son.  We approached the desk at roughly the same time but she was first and asked about getting an X-ray for her man-child that was clearly not in any pain.  Meanwhile I'm begging someone for assistance and was told I was welcome to use the bathroom.  Ok, What?!?!  It's not like my 23 month old knows how to heave over a toilet bowl!

When I emerged covered in vomit the receptionist did little to help besides hold forms for me to sign.  The mom with the teenager had the audacity to roll her eyes at me!  She shooed her son to another part of the waiting room.  And they were sitting in the SICK CHILD AREA, where SICK CHILDREN SHOULD SIT!  Then I had to wait while they got called back.  ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME!!!!!!  I don't know, I guess I thought she would see my situation was a little more dire and let me go ahead of her.  Ugh!

So we were back where we had been just a few weeks ago and Kolton was losing his shit.  I think he definitely remembered because he was crying hysterically while getting his vitals done.  We had to go through the same song and dance about him refusing to drink things that kids normally like.  The nurse practically shoved a piece of ice pop down his throat.  I begged her to stop and had to say over and over he doesn't like that stuff on a normal day, so he's not going to like it now!!!!

He did get anti-nausea medication that helped a lot although he continued to spit up a little.  I was so happy just to get him back home in bed, and shower.  This morning I got to face the piles of laundry I had created all around the house.  The smell coming from Kolton's room was completely foul.  The stomach bug had progressed to diarrhea...awesome!  I've gone through at least 12 diapers today, given two baths, and little man's tushy is so red and irritated.  He's never really had a problem with diaper rash but today the Desitin was in full effect.

Sorry this got so long! Hope all is well with all of you!

Sad

I really have no words for how utterly sad I've felt all weekend.  The shooting in CT is simply vile and evil.  These poor families.  How do you go on?

The night before this happened I was sitting at the mall with Kolton and found myself wondering what I would do if shots rang out.  Because, after all, there had been a shooting at a mall in Oregon earlier this week and this particular mall had its own incident in October (It didn't make national news).  Yet there I sat, looking for escape routes.

After the shooting at the movie theater this summer I wondered how I would ever be able to sit through a movie again.  I went to see Twilight last weekend and I didn't even think about it.  Is it wrong that I didn't?  Or should I believe that the gun man can't take away a simple pleasure like going to the movies?

I have to drop Kolton off at pre-school tomorrow.  We all have those security thingys that let you in the door.  Every week someone shouts "hold the door" or folks go in as you go out.  I wonder if tomorrow morning will be different?  I know I will let go of his hand with a heavy heart.  But I also know as the weeks go by without incident I may forget the weight of all this.

But, it happens to every generation....that moment when you realize that the world is inherently different from the one you grew up in.  It seems  there has always been a price to pay for time moving forward and advances in technology.  So while the world changes for the better it also gets worse because of it.

12-12-12

I saw on the news this morning that couples were rushing to Las Vegas to get married and many C-sections and inductions were planned for this lucky day, 12-12-12.  Well today just happened to be the worst day I have had in recent memory.  I was so distracted and pissed off I didn't really get a chance to figure out what is wrong with my iPhone.  So once again I don't have any pictures to post =(

Last night I noticed that the house seemed raw even though I ticked the thermostat up to 75.  When I went to bed I realized that the vents were blowing cool air.  I woke up multiple times to check the progress and the temp in the house only decreased.  I was fine snuggled in my bed with Sophie but I was really worried about Kolton.  He doesn't really sleep with blankets on yet.  I did my best to cover him and thankfully he slept through the night and then some.  He didn't wake up until close to 9:00.  Still, my day just got worse and worse.

On top of the heat thing Kolton was a bear...he had a 45 minute major meltdown.  He also continues to throw food everywhere and tries to gouge my eyes out every chance he gets.  Then after his long sleep he refused to nap. Sophie accidentally scratched my face and drew blood while we were playing.  I blew a fuse vacuuming with the space heater plugged in and we have so much shit in our garage it was challenging to crawl back to the circuit breaker.  When the heat was finally fixed I decided to seek some retail therapy and go to target with my cranky over tired toddler.  And just as I was driving home thinking about what a shitty day it had been I got rear ended!  WTF!  I was at a stop light so thankfully there was no damage but come on!  Ever have a day where you just look up at the universe and throw your hands up?!?!

Nothing that a glass of Mark West and a little Christmas Vacation won't cure!

Little Trees

Sorry I don't have a photo for you today.  Apparently the only way to free up space on my phone is to get rid of the videos that are taking up too much space.  When I connected my iPhone to my Mac I got nothing.  It didn't sync automatically like I thought it was supposed to.  I think sharing a computer for multiple devices is screwing everything up!  But I need to get it figured out soon because I miss taking pictures of my little man.

So what have we been up to?  I'm trying to just relax and enjoy the holiday season.  I love hanging out by my tree and watching Christmas movies.  I love it so much that I'm not getting much else done.  I'm really close to having all my shopping done but I also feel like there is always tomorrow.  I have to watch it or I'm going to be scrambling!

Kolton did his very fist craft today.  New Years Resolution #1 is to try to do one craft per week with him.  One of the women in our playgroup used to be a teacher.  She had the kids all do that handprint Christmas tree I've seen floating around Pinterest.   He was the only kid that didn't really like it so his tree is really small and doesn't take up much of the paper.  But I love it and I'm going to keep it FOREVER!

Pictures coming soon!

Space Invaders

I don't understand why I was able to take close to 2000 photos with my old iPhone and currently I'm just slightly over 800 with my 4S and its telling me I don't have adequate storage.  I purchased additional storage for $20 and hit my limit again almost immediately.  I must be backing up data I don't care about.  If anyone has any insight please let me know!  It drives me crazy to delete photos from my phone even though I have them all downloaded into Shutterfly.

I was finally able to make it back to the dentist for my permanent crowns.  What a freakin nightmare.  At one point 3 people had their hands in my mouth, plus instruments.  They were all hovering over me with masks on like alien body snatchers.  Ugh!  Personal space people!  A 30 minute appointment took almost 2 hours and by the end of it I was ready to throw down and punch someone.  And to tell you the truth when I was younger I did just that.  I tried to warn them...my dental issues are BAD!

The entire time all I could think  about was I deserved this after what I put Kolton through last week.  In the hospital they strapped him down with a straight jacket while they took a pressure sucker to clean out his nose.  His eyes got real big while he cried and squirmed.  Again, invasion of the body snatchers.  So yeah, I' got what was coming to me!

Afterwards I decided to treat myself to a mani & pedi where my nail tech told me I need to go to the gym.  I think I'll brink my headphones next time.

Cookie Exchange

Nothing has struck fear in me quite like the words that were uttered at play group a couple weeks ago...cookie exchange!  Shit!  I started to sweat.  I quickly proclaimed that my cookies would most likely be store bought.  I was met with a chorus of easy recipes I could try.  OMG, what was I going to do!  I wasn't ready to battle with an oven.  Thankfully, I found inspiration in my MIL's Family Circle magazine over Thanksgiving; chocolate covered pretzel rods.  So easy to do and they went over very well.  Go Me!  You better believe I bought a couple dozen from the store as a back up though =)

And in case you are wondering Kolton is feeling great!  He has a little bit of a runny nose and he coughs here and there but other than that he's totally fine.  Hard to believe just a few days ago he was soooooo sick.  I'm still struggling with feeding him.  But I think that's just him and no longer the sickness.  How long is this picky toddler phase going to last?

Circus Animal

Get a load of this crib!  If you look really hard you can see that there is also a top on it. He looks just like a caged circus animal.

Kolton was born at a Baltimore City hospital.  My monthly check ups were near there as well.  For every appointment...and by the end there were a lot....we had to pay for parking in the ramp.  These suburban hospitals crack me up because you can park right out front!  It feels like I'm stealing!  It also felt like there was hardly a soul there.  We were released Saturday afternoon after Kolton had gone 24 hours without needing oxygen and showed signs of wanting to eat and drink.  He's definitely not 100% but pretty close.

The past week has felt like three.  I hardly know what day it is.  I can't help but think about all the kids that are stuck in the hospital for a lot longer and for serious conditions.  But honestly, I didn't mind the food!  It's waaaaay better than anything I can make!

In The Hospital

Most of you are my friend on Facebook so you saw that Kolton was admitted to the hospital last night with RSV.  He hadn't eaten or drank anything substantial in 48 hours so besides the IV fluids from the night before I wasn't really sure what he was running on.  He was EXHAUSTED and slept most of the evening.  He even fell asleep on the procedure table after they inserted his IV.  But don't get me wrong my little fighter put up a BIG fight before going down for the count.  Through out the past week multiple doctors and nurses have commented on how strong he is.  We are so proud of that!!!!  But, it makes handling him on my own quite difficult sometimes.

I actually went home to sleep while Mike stayed the night.  I figured there wasn't any reason why both of us should be there.  I'm not going to lie, leaving went against all of my Mommy instincts.  However, I had been through the ringer myself the past few days and really just wanted to sleep and take a shower.  When I went back this morning around 8:00 I expected to find a happy, smiley, little guy.  What I got was the lethargic version that scared me a little.  Mike said they had a rough night and that Kolton's oxygen levels had dipped too low multiple times over night sounding an alarm.

He spent most of today, from 9 am to 3:30pm, sleeping on my chest.  When he finally woke up I got the smiles I was hoping for!  He even drank a little bit of milk and ate a few crackers.  So while we've definitely turned the corner we are going to stay one more night.

I can't believe it got this bad!

Pushing Fluids

Today was not such a good day.  Kolton refused to eat or drink anything.  I spent the entire day offering different types, flavors, and textures.  So, we ended up at KidMed for 3 hours tonight.  He got a 1/2 bag of IV fluids and another nebulizer treatment.  They told me they were on the fence about admitting him.  Thankfully we were sent home but I might end up sleeping in his room tonight.

Kolton is so picky that he doesn't drink things like Gatorade & Juice on a regular basis.  He also refuses popsicles and ice cream.  So when he is this stuffed up and milk just isn't appealing there is nothing left to hydrate him besides a little water here or there.  Its really hard trying to explain this to the doctors when they tell me to push fluids.  Do most kids just like that stuff automatically?  Its sometimes hard to tell if I miss the boat on some obvious mommy things or if my kid is a little weird.

Ho, Ho, Homecoming

My dad

The Holidays!  I can't believe Thanksgiving is over already and we are now on to Christmas.  I also can't believe we will be back home in WI again in just under 4 weeks.  We always look forward to getting home and seeing family.  But as Mike hilariously stated when we finally got home around 12:00 am this morning... there is nothing quite as wonderful as getting to sleep in your own bed after a long trip away.

Kolton has a terrible cold.  I'm actually not 100% sure he ever fully recovered from the ear infection.  He is so congested he chokes on the phlegm.  The last few nights have been anything but restful for him.  We went back to the doctor today for more antibiotics and a nebulizer.  My poor little guy.  I have been relatively laid back because his energy has been up but today he slept most of the day and was down again by 7:30.  Then there was this hilarious moment at the airport last night....we sat down to eat at Ike's which is kind of an upscale burger place (BTW, the Minneapolis airport is awesome) I was feeding Kolton applesauce when he started to gag (again from all the phlegm) and he ended up throwing up the applesauce on his pants.  It wasn't too gross so I just wiped it off.  As Mike and I settled in with our burgers he proceeded to eat his mandarin oranges.  Can you guess what happened next?  Yup, those suckers came back up too, all over his sweater.  I haven't carried a change of clothes for him in a long, long, time and all of his clothes were checked in my suitcase.  But, like I said, the MSP airport is great so I was easily able to find him a $20 T-shirt to wear home!  It's moments like those that all you can do is laugh and hope for the best.  He slept from take off to touch down.

Even with little man feeling like crud earlier in the day we were able to sneak in a trip to the Mall of America so Kolton could see Santa. I was anxious for other people to be with me instead of doing these little holiday traditions on my own.  I also really, really, miss that place.  It was simply 'the mall' to me and I took it for granted.   On a Monday afternoon there was no line to sit on the big guy's knee =)

Hope your holiday season is off to a happy, and healthy start!

Behind

 

I'm pretty sure I've gained at least 5 pounds in the last 3 days.  Holy Moly!  I don't know about you but I can wait another month before eating mashed potatoes again.  And now that Thanksgiving has been over for 48 hours I'm already feeling behind in Christmas preparations.  Every year I tell myself to get a jump on things and every year I fail to do so.  Mike and I did manage to get some shopping done today.  It was nice to be able to buy gifts without worrying about shipping them back.  I also just ordered our cards, so hopefully I can get them out in a timely manner.  We will be here in WI for a couple more days before I can dive into getting the tree up at our place.  Um, it is still November right?

 

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

It is a little bit of a shame that Thanksgiving kind of gets swept up into the whole Christmas Hoopla.  Thanksgiving is the opening act to the main event.  It doesn't quite stand on its own.  But it is definitely a time to reflect on what is good in our lives.  This year I am thankful for my healthy, happy, almost 2 year old, precious, still my baby, light of my life, little boy.  Plus my sweet as pie, apple of my eye, still my baby too, little bestie, Soph-A-Loaf.  I'm also thankful for the fact that Mike seems to have found his stride at this new company, maybe things will work out for the better!  And that we can afford to fly back home for both holidays this year.  I'm all packed but I never did get my tree up.  Oh, well!

So, I buy this ridiculously expensive dog food for Sophie.  She is picky and this is the only combo she will eat.  She eats Merrick dry food mixed with those little Chef Michael's canned soft food.  They are nearly $1 a can!  To stretch things out I try to use only 1/2 a can for each feeding.  I'm in either Target or the grocery store so much that I usually always pick up a few cans just so I'm not spending a ton at one time.  ANYWAY---  This week at both Target and Petco I found a random coupon stashed in with the cans.  Some coupon crusader must be going around stashing unwanted coupons for other people to use.  I laughed out loud when it happened the second time.  Thank You Coupon Crusader where ever you are!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!!

Girls Weekend!

Mike sent me this photo a few minutes after I left.  Don't you just melt!?!?  My baby was still looking for me.  What a cutie.  This weekend was wonderful filled with a lot of heartfelt girl talk that was so desperately needed.  Now that we are old, we didn't get too crazy or anything.  But we did go out to two amazing dinners which is my favorite thing to do anyway.  And the boys survived with ease.  The hubby's kept texting us pics as if to provide photographic evidence that everyone was still alive!  Of course, like any good weekend, I needed to day to recuperate a little =)

Hard to believe we are going to be flying back home in just a couple of days.  I don't know why but I feel a compulsive need to have my house clean before I go anywhere.  I wish I felt that way on all days!  But I think the thought of coming home to a messy house is just a little gloomy.  I'm also contemplating putting up our Christmas tree before we leave.  Suddenly, I have so much to do!  Hopefully I'll have a little pep in my step tomorrow.

Quirky

Every neighborhood has its quirks.  In Baltimore it was the old guys who sat on the corner everyday.  Our first Richmond place was like a retirement community. At this new place nobody walks their dogs!  Since the day we got Sophie we realized what a social advantage having a dog is.  Its easy to meet and chat with your neighbors when you are all out with the doggies.  But here, I don't see a soul!  I honestly don't understand.  I can't imagine that people don't have the little fur-babies.  And I definitely hear them barking when we are out on our walks.  So where is everybody????

I'm off to a girls weekend; leaving tonight and coming back Sunday.  I might even have to go to campus for a late AOII meeting too.  That Means Mike and Kolton will have some quality alone time.  I think (hope) they are going to be just fine.  But this will be the first time in quite a while that I won't see my little man for a full 24 hours.  As much as I know I'm going to miss him I also know I desperately need this girl time!

BOB

I got my Christmas gift early this year....a BOB stroller!  Sorry I don't have a pic of Kolton in it yet.  For the longest time I resisted getting one because they are expensive and lets face it; I don't exactly jog.  However, since I started having to take Sophie and Kolton on 2 walks a day the plastic wheels just aren't cutting it.  I'm still a little intimidated by it.  Its not quite as user friendly as my other strollers and I can't figure out where certain flaps should go or how to adjust the seat.  But the ride is sooooo smooth and now I can take on those speed bumps with ease.

Kolton in his Rockstar Ronan T-Shirt...size 2T!

November

I've decided that November is now my favorite month, especially here in Virginia.  Its been so warm...in the 70's.  But its different because the sun is low in the sky and the colors are still very vibrant.  I just love the late afternoon light and right now it feels like almost the entire day is late afternoon.

I also feel a huge sense of relief that Halloween is over.  Honestly, for what ever reason, in October I obsess over making sure Kolton has an enjoyable Halloween and a great costume.  But, November makes me feel laid back and comfortable. Its just all about looking forward to the holidays and being excited.

This weekend we went to the mall both days.  Kolton did a lot of walking and even though we waited and waited for him to be steady on his feet sometimes I still marvel at what a big boy he is!

First Infection

Little man has his very first ear infection!  I some how thought that he would breeze through childhood without one.  We've been so incredibly lucky so far.  But now he's getting his dose of the good ol pink stuff!  The past few days have been a little rough for him.  I'm concerned because he won't eat or drink like normal.  Thankfully this morning he drank his full cup of milk but he still won't eat anything but applesauce.

I know it's not fair to say because nothing is more important than taking care of my baby.  But, when he gets sick its incredibly isolating for me.  Playdates are cancelled and we don't attend activities like normal.  He also sleeps a ton...4 hour naps all week.  That leads to me spending way too much time in front of the television.  My new favorite is How I Met Your Mother.  But, I still love the gang from Grey's Anatomy...the old episodes are so much better.  I can't handle grown up, responsible, rich, Meredith.  Seriously, she drives a Mercedes now.  BORING!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Winter Weather

I've become one of those people who think temps in the 30's and 40's is cold.  My Midwestern self laughs in the face of the East Coast version.  I always thought it was ridiculous that people in California wore scarves and Uggs in the Winter.  Who are they kidding?  Apparently me because once the temps dipped below the point where it was comfortable to wear flip flops I got the winter coats out.  But isn't little man's hat awesome!?!?

Election Day

Did you get out and vote?  I did, at 6:15 this morning!  I'm still adjusting to day light savings so I was already awake.  Mike was home so I was able to get out and do my civic duty without a potentially unruly toddler in tow.  I had to wait in line a good half hour even that early in the morning.  I'm not going to get political but there is no denying its time to move beyond this election.

The last 4 years have really gone by so incredibly fast.  It's really hard to imagine that in another 4 years Kolton will be almost 6 years old and in Kindergarten!  Can that be right????

As I type this Karma is biting me in the ass, HARD!  Remember all that bragging I did about having a  child that went to bed without a peep?!?  Ugh, Karma is a bitch!  Its hit or miss and even though Kolton rubs his eyes and displays the signals for being tired he will not go down without a fight.  And by fight I mean screaming and crying.  So we inevitably give in and bring him back downstairs for a bit, go up, back down, go up, etc.  My mom thinks he gets stimulated by taking a bath.  But that   has always been our routine....bath, stories, lullaby, bed.  So now I'm back to feeling a little lost when it comes to bed time.

Alright, time to go give it another try.  Kolton has been running around for the past 15 minutes as I've tried to type this.  I guess we'll be staying up late to watch the results any way.

Dental Dread

Yesterday I had some dental work done.  I had to have multiple caps replaced, cavities, a deep clean, etc.  I think I have mentioned it before but I am a big wimp when it comes to the dentist!  My dental issues have plagued me since I was very, very, young.  To save me some anxiety, I opted for the sedation route.  Has anyone else done this?  This is actually my second time.  They give you a drug that allows you to function without remembering anything.  You know what you are doing but not really.  Basically I woke up in my bed and my first thought was of dread because I had to go to the dentist.  My second thought was the realization that I had already been there!!!!  I probably should mention that I had a babysitter for Kolton (and myself) all day until 8pm.  And yes, she drove me to and from the appointment.  I really hope little man doesn't inherit this from me.  And don't get me wrong sedation doesn't come without its challenges.  Apparently I was rather feisty and fought them quite a bit.  Although they said they are used to it I'm pretty embarrassed.  So now its just another reason to dread going there.

Happy Halloween-Is It Christmas Yet?

Tonight I am feeling very happy and satisfied with this years Halloween experience!  I don't know why but I feel so much PRESSURE to make these milestones special even when I know little man won't remember a thing.  I blame Facebook.  I think it was better being blissfully unaware as to what others were up to.  But now its like "Whoa!  Look at them.  Doesn't that look like fun?!?  I need to do that too!"

This morning Kolton's Romp N Roll class dressed up for the holiday and then of course the all important Trick or Treating this evening.  I wavered whether or not to take him.  Especially since we don't really know anyone in the neighborhood.  But then I thought about the fact that I never really knew the people when I Trick or Treated as a child so what's the big deal?!?  So I threw on my mask and introduced Kolton to the final joy of Halloween.  We went to 8 or 9 houses.  My little dragon was still incredibly cute and grasped the fact that the candy went from the bowl into his bucket.  But he also thought we were supposed to go in to each house.  Maybe he was confused because they all look like ours????  Mike has been home all week because all of his meetings have been cancelled due to Sandy.  It was really nice to do this little rite of passage as a family.  I know it might not have been the most exciting time but it was perfect for us!

I think you either fall in the Love It or Hate It camp when it comes to Halloween.  I'd say I'm more in the Hate It camp but overall I had fun with it this year.  Now we can plow right on through Thanksgiving to Christmas!

Getting Back To Good

Well Wow! The Sandy Storm turned out to be pretty bad.  My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who lost so much, including their lives.  Mike and I were talking about how these natural disasters almost seem unnatural lately.  But thankfully everything is all good here in Richmond.  We didn't even lose power.  It's just been a whole lot of rain.  But, even that has stopped now.

Despite the weather we still had Kolton's speech evaluation at Children's Hospital yesterday.  The therapist interacted with him exactly the way the lady from the county does.  So it was kind of nice and reassuring to see consistency.  Her recommendation was that he should receive therapy once a week.  She felt that he is demonstrating the appropriate behaviors towards saying his first word but he is only at a 9-12 month level.  What sucks is they called me back this morning to say that our insurance will not cover their services.  To be honest I'm not even 100% sure his current therapy is covered.  Its just that we've never seen a bill.  I hate to go digging into situations like this.  I'll imagine they'll say..."Oh, why yes, we should be billing you and we haven't been.  You owe us $1500.  Thank you for bringing this to our attention"  So now I'm not really sure what to do.  I just wish someone could tell me he'll be fine and talk when he's good and ready.

Today we went to Romp N Roll for Open Gym.  They didn't hold any of their scheduled classes but just allowed parents to bring the kids in for play time.   It was a MAD HOUSE.  Everyone was clearly suffering from cabin fever.  I knew at least 5 of the other mothers there.  So even I had fun chatting and catching up.  But I still can't help wondering why I'm just not connecting or making the type of friends I'm used to making.  I've been so incredibly lucky to meet so many wonderful people in my life.  Have I run out of luck?  What's it going to take to get back to a place where I feel 100% sure I've ended up exactly where I'm supposed to be?

Halloween- Part two

One of the nice things about the fact that Halloween is now a month long celebration and not just one night is getting multiple uses out of the costume.  That, and having multiple activities mean that if one is a bust at least the overall experience isn't completely ruined.  This weekend we went to Baltimore to celebrate the holiday in Patterson Park and watch the Lantern Parade.  Kolton was pretty cranky because he didn't get a really good nap in.  But he made the most of it and was super cute running around in his dragon costume.  Unfortunately we weren't able to get a photo of all the kids together.  And just like last year we ended up calling it quits before the parade began because the little ones just could not make it that long.  But I still absolutely love this little tradition and being able to hang out and socialize was well worth the trip!

We cut our visit a little short to make it back to Richmond ahead of this Sandy storm.  Um, so far...nothing.  Schools are already closed for tomorrow so I guess its supposed to start getting worse over night.  I went to the grocery store to stock up on essentials like water and toilet paper.  I think its crazy but EVERYONE does it and I just don't want to be the stupid, unprepared one.  But frankly this panic is a little hilarious/ridiculous.

The Bread Isle

Mike's appointments for the beginning of the week have already cancelled as well.  So, thankfully I won't have to worry about being alone through all of this.  Oh, and the best part; it gave me an excuse to buy a head lamp!

Trick & Tires

Kolton had his first Halloween event today; Trunk or Treat with the Mom's Club.  I remember going to this same event last year.  Its so hard to believe how fast the year really went.  If you can't tell he is a dragon this year.  I cannot get enough of him in this costume.  He looks like a real live muppet!  AND he tolerated it with the hood and everything; never mind the fact that it was 85 degrees!

While in the parking lot I became aware that I had a tire that was almost flat.  I actually knew about it yesterday but didn't put any more thought into it after I filled with air.  I guess it was something more than a little low.  I don't know what it is but I blow tires left and right.  Anyway, we made it to a nearby gas station for more air and then went straight to the closest garage.  Here is Kolton running amuck behind the counter.  They were all so nice and let him have free reign.  I think he had more fun there!

Size Matters

The weather here in Richmond has been absolutely B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!  And we've been enjoying it by being lazy and staying indoors.  I just don't know what to do outside besides take Sophie for a walk. Which I do for at least 1/2 hour once a day.  I could always drive to a park so little man can play.  But there is something about that that drives me crazy.  I mean the sunshine is right out side my door.  Do I really have to get in the car and go someplace else to get it?  Either way today was a windows open kind of day and I loved it!

We were able to get the garage reorganized this weekend.  That has been on my mind since we moved in.  I had to get at Kolton's boxes because I needed to dig out his 12 month pants.  I packed them away last spring thinking for sure he'd be into 18 months in the fall.  But I found myself having to constantly roll both the waist band and the bottoms.  Oh yeah, he is still in a size 3 diaper too.  Basically he has really thinned out.  His body now resembles a little boy and no longer a baby.  Thankfully he still has those deliciously round cheeks!  

I have really been struggling with size matters myself.  I'm like a size 8 in the waist but a size 4 in the butt/legs.  It's been incredibly difficult to find anything that fits but doesn't sag and make me look like a HoBo.  So I went back to an old favorite...$10 low rise stretch jeans from Forever 21.  I need to stock up.  I've been wearing them for the last 2 days and I'm still comfortable =)

Little Fighter

This is Kolton's pre-school picture.  It's a picture of the picture so I think you can see my shadow hovering over it.  Anyway, I am in love with it!  I think it captures his essence perfectly.

If you are my friend on Facebook then you know over the past couple of days I have made posts regarding pediatric cancer.  I wrote on here that I first started following Ronan Thompson's story on his mom's blog, www.Rockstarronan.com.  Ronan passed over a year ago but Maya continues to update the blog with her brutally honest feelings about losing a child to this awful disease.  She is on a mission to raise money for research and ultimately build a Neuroblastoma care facility.

She recently posted a link to another mom's blog, www.SuperTy.org.  Sadly 5 year old Ty Louis Campbell, who they called their Little Fighter, just lost his battle.  I can't explain it but I'm honestly forever changed.  Mike thinks I am too engrossed in this.  But I think that's exactly the problem.  Too many people looking the other way.

Here is the LINK to the petition for the NFL to wear gold next September to raise awareness for Pediatric Cancer like they wear pink in October for Breast Cancer.

I also signed up to volunteer for a local group here in Richmond called Connor's Heros.  I have an informational meeting next week.  Here's the thing about me; I'm still struggling to find my place in the world.  Living in Richmond still feels a little like wearing the Left shoe on the Right foot.  It's not just the town its me too.  I love staying at home with little man but I'm missing something...  But I don't have any career type aspirations that would make me want to put Kolton in daycare.  With Mike gone so much I think its important that I be with him.  I'm really not trying to make this all about me, but maybe by helping these kids and getting behind a cause I'll end up helping myself too.

Parting Gifts

My mom left early Sunday morning.  Like always she definitely spoiled us while she was here.  Is it sad that I sill feel delight when my mom buys me things?  It's like I'm 4 or something.  I know part of it is because she only sees us about 4 times a year and she sees my siblings a lot more.  And part of it is because I am her only daughter and I like stuff =)  This time she left us with two parting gifts to mark her fall visit.

The first is that carousel  you see in the photo.  We were at Castco looking at more of the "stuff' and less of the "bulk food".  Most of you know that I am a Christmas junkie so while I was getting lost in the isles looking mom disappeared with Kolton.  When I found them he was absolutely mesmorized by this carousel.  I think its supposed to be a Christmas decoration like you'd display in a Christmas village but it also plays non-Christmas music two.  Well it hit the trifecta for little man; Music, Blinking Lights, & Spinning!  Mom said he had been staring at it for at least 15 minutes, if not more, and wouldn't let her leave the area.  I just knew we HAD to get it for him and Mom was generous enough to offer to buy it...and it was kinda of pricey.  I'll leave it out for him through Christmas this year but then I think I'll pack it away and only bring it out in December.  It is pretty awesome.  Thanks Mom!

Her other parting gift was this brutal cold, sorry Mom!  She got sick on Thursday night and now all 3 of us have it too!  Mike is traveling and I barely got out of my pj's today.  It isn't the worst cold I've ever had but I'm a big baby when it comes to getting sick.  Thankfully Kolton has taken 4 hour naps both yesterday and today so I haven't been too stressed.  He's also figured out that when I come at him with a tissue I am trying to help him and not suffocate him or something.    I really wish I could take a dose of Nyquil and call it a night.  I just don't trust myself taking it alone in the house with Kolton.  Even though I'm pretty sure he'll sleep through the night;  that stuff knocks me out!  So I think I'll crawl in bed and turn on the Presidential debate.  My guess is that will work just as well =)

Anger Management

I remember the last time my mom left after a visit I had to re-sleep train Kolton.  I think the first couple of nights he cried for a 1/2 hour.  It looks like we will be entering that territory again.  It's honestly not her fault.  Inexplicably both times little man started to get incredibly clingy before she even set foot in the door.  But if memory serves me right I think it only took 4 or 5 days for him to settle back into a smooth bed time routine.  It breaks my heart but I refuse to be held hostage.  Especially when I know he can do it.

This past week I saw a lot of little changes in my baby.  He is definitely trying to communicate with his own version of words and even used signs independently for the first time.  He also expressed anger for the first time.  Of course he has been upset and frustrated in the past but this week on two separate occasions he was MAD!  I watched his face turn bright red when I couldn't understand what he was saying after repeated attempts.  Then one night I left the room so that my mom could put him to bed and he stomped the ground and threw a ginormous fit.  Like I said he has been so clingy to me it's almost embarrassing.  It's too bad that its so darn cute.

Well, its been twenty minutes, I think he might be tiring himself out.  Wait....yup, it's finally quiet.  Poor little guy.  I hope he still loves me in the morning.

No Naps

Don't be fooled...since my mom arrived on Sunday Kolton has not napped properly.  It is insane!  But I think this happened the last time she visited as well.  Oh yeah, and not to mention the day after she arrived he decided to wake up before 5am.  WTF!!!!  I've honestly feel like the past few days have been a week.  The crazy thing is he makes it through the day without melting down or throwing too much of a tantrum; just a little one here and there.  But OMG do I miss MY naps!  We painted his room today so we put him down for the night in the pack & play in our room.  This might be interesting.

On a side note today was the first time Kolton got hit by another kid.  We were at the play area at the mall and this other little boy just came up and slapped him in the back.  Kolton just looked up at me a little bewildered.  So I guess it wasn't really that bad.  But it was the first time I had witnessed a deliberate attack on my baby!

Pumpkin Patch 2012

 Isn't it funny the things you do once you have kids that you never cared about doing before.  Like going to the pumpkin patch  I think it's more about entertaining your child with something out of the ordinary.  And of course taking pictures!  The highlight was taking Kolton on his first pony ride.  We really contemplated doing it.  He had already acted scared of the tractor during the hay ride so we weren't quite sure how he would react to a horse.  But he was cool as a cucumber.  We came home with a few funky pumpkins and a lot of great memories.  Ha, ha, was that cheesy enough for ya!

Loooong Week

It's been a really long week somehow.  The combination of Mike being gone all week and no social events on my calendar proved to be somewhat destructive on my well being.  Its still a little hard to stomach why we had to move when Mike is gone this much.  But I think I've been over that more than a few times =)

It's now past 8:00 and Kolton is eating cookies.  I think I just earned myself of loooong night too!

Freaked Out

Well today was one of those days.  I'm sorry I don't have a lot of positive things to say about it.
One thing that made today especially trying was Kolton had a major freak out when I tried to put him in his car seat to go get lunch.  It started last night on the way home from the gym.  He screams and cries and throw his hands over his eyes like he is trying to shield himself from something.  But its been cloudy and rainy so its not the sun.  It is bad you guys.  He acts like he is honestly terrified.  I thought maybe he was scared of the wind shield wipers or something.  But he started to cry before I even started the car.  I don't know what to do. I didn't leave the house again all afternoon.  I have no idea what this could be about.  He's been in this seat for a while now, why all of the sudden is he upset?  What is going through his head?  He's an extremely sensitive little boy sometimes.  But I wouldn't change a thing about him =)

Gotta go, a new episode of Giuliana & Bill is on.  I love them!  Maybe I'll have popcorn for dinner....

Bites

For the past several weeks I have really struggled with finding things Kolton will actually eat.  He'll take little bites here and there but won't eat meals.  Things he used to gobble up now get pushed away.  Every google search results in toddler friendly recipes.  But, what do you do when your kid won't even open his mouth to try anything?  Its extremely frustrating and of course I worry that he isn't getting adequate nutrition.  More than anything I just hope he's not going hungry.  But if he was hungry don't you think he'd eat?????

In other Kolton news I'm starting to suspect he might have really sensitive skin.  His reaction to bug bites is almost alarming.  It takes him a really long time to heal.  I fear some may even scar.  The weather has been really beautiful so I've been trying to spend more time outside.  Last week we were out for only 1/2 hour but I had to take little man in due to no less than 6 mosquito bites that were already turning red.  3 or 4 were clustered on the side of his cheek.  On Friday we went to play at a park.  We were only there for a few minutes when I saw a mosquito land in the exact same spot.  He came home with 3 bites added to his collection.  He had a big puffy red spot about the size of a quarter...but you could see all the individual bites.  Then of course he scratched it and it broke open and bled.  I covered it with a band aid just to keep his grubby little paws off it.  Things look better today but now a new cluster has shown up on his leg.  Do all babies react this way?

We had another boring lazy weekend.  I'm starting to get a fire lit under me though to get and and do more.  The fall seems to be packed with things to do and I'm already seeing a ton of apple orchard and pumpkin patch pictures on Facebook.  I may even try some home improvement projects like painting.  In my 34 years I have never painted anything!  Can you believe that?!?!

Terrifying

Last night for 90 terrifying minutes I had no idea where Kolton was.

Well, maybe I'm being a tad overly dramatic but that's what it felt like anyway.  Let me explain...

I knew he was with his babysitter but I was surprised when I got home from my dinner meeting before them.  We only have one girl that watches him and her son is involved in a youth football league that practices every Tues, Wed, & Thur.  She took him one other time and made it home by 8:00.  So when I got home shortly after 8 and they weren't back yet i thought it was odd.  I sent her a text and tried to ignore the lump in my throat.  5 minutes and no response later I called her phone...it went straight to voicemail!  Que panic.  I texted again, called again, called again, called, called, called, well you get the point.  Now it was 8:30 and I'm pacing the driveway willing her car to pull into the community.  Here was the problem...

I didn't know exactly where she was taking him.  I just knew football practice.  I didn't know the babysitters home phone number.  I only know her cell.  I didn't know her address either.  She had recently moved.  I was FREAKING OUT.  So I did what any panicking, irrational mother would do.  I threw a Hail Mary and called the realtor that had recommended her because I knew they were close friends.  She wasn't sure where the fields were either but told me she wouldn't be surprised if practice ran late because there was no school on Wed.

My rational brain told me there had to be a logical explanation but my irrational brain jumped to the worse case scenario.  What if the got in an accident?  What if he was kid napped from the field?  My heart was pounding out of my chest!!!!  So I looked up youth football and started driving to the closest field not knowing if this was even the right place.  FINALLY she called.  They were at our house and Kolton was already in bed.  I must have just missed her.

Apparently, Kolton got fussy so she took him to her house while she waited for her son to get done with practice.  She fed him and then he fell asleep and so did she.  When she woke up and realized her phone was dead she decided to bring Kolton home instead of plugging her phone in.  But she brought her charger to plug in at my house.

I'm not mad at her at all.  Although falling asleep and having your phone die when you are watching someone else's child is probably something that shouldn't happen.  More than anything I was appalled at my lack of judgement.  I was completely lacking any details about the where abouts of my child and that my friends, is on me.  I also didn't set the expectation with her about what time I'd be home.  I'm sure she thought it was going to be a later night.  She loves Kolton and was very apologetic.  She also wouldn't accept any payment from me.  I'll definitely continue to use her.  I just need to make sure to give and get ALL the details.

I remember my mom telling me stories about me getting lost in the grocery store.  I feel like most parents have a terrifying moment or two in their memories.  If you haven't had one yet consider yourself lucky!  I hope the worse is over for me, but I have a feeling that won't be the last time.  Having kids changes everything!

Big Boy Seat

We FINALLY got Kolton into a big boy seat.  Oy!  For what ever reason I really struggled with the decision.  Part of it was cost but who am I kidding that's not really what was holding us back but I also didn't want to spend $300. But Heaven forbid something terrible happens then I'm the ass hole parent who didn't want to protect her child.   I just couldn't decide.  I read and re-read and re-read a number of reviews online.  I went to Babies R Us, Target, Walmart, back to Babies R Us.  Then there was the convertible vs straight on booster seat.  What brand is good, better best?  I just couldn't decide!!!

A few of the Moms I know told me that the Evenflo brand was recommended to them.  It was also recommended to me by a man who ran a baby boutique where he couldn't offer me a seat for anything less than $250...I laughed in his face.  So I ultimately decided on the Evenflo booster for $150.  It was actually thinner than the convertible seats which I thought would fit better in my little Mazda 3.  Plus at 20 months my intention was to get Kolton forward facing.

What I didn't know was all car seats have an expiration date of about 6 years.  So that means if we want to use our infant seat for another child we better get crakin.  Um, not quite ready for that yet!

A Little This & That

I'm a little scattered tonight because I just saw a giant spider outside.  Ugh!  I know they start to come in during the fall and I'm beyond terrified.  Chances are I am going to be home alone and screaming my head off. At the other house we paid for pest control to come and spray.  But in a town house with only 2 exposed sides I'm just not sure its worth it.  So I think I'll go to Lowe's tomorrow to try to find something.  I just wish they didn't print big damn eight legged freaks on the bottles!  So here are a few little tid bits thats been going on around here...

This is the kind of thing that I think is hilarious and Mike would have a cow over.  I emailed this to my mom who promptly called me to tell me that this was how babies fall out of windows.  I'd like to think that if we lived in a high rise I'd be more mindful

Catching a glimpse of Kolton sleeping still takes my breath away.  I don't allow myself to watch him too often because I'm always so afraid he'll wake up.   Over the weekend he treated both Mike and I to a little sleepy snuggle time which rarely happens.  

Little man still isn't talking but he's definitely hearing and understanding language.  He's able to identify body parts when asked, well, when he wants to, and follows simple instructions.  I'm just waiting for him to catch me off guard and spurt out something really inappropriate.