Wacky Wednesday #10: A Day at Home

Today was a fairly uneventful day with the boys at home. I was really excited to have my schedule back to normal this week. Since we returned from Florida and school has started things have been quite nutty around here...

I always try to get the boys out of the house during our Wednesday adventures but today was one of those days where you just can't get motivated enough to motivate the kids, or at least Chase. Chase just wanted to be home today, at first he refused to take off his PJs then I got him dressed for about 5 minutes and then while I was folding laundry he found another pair of pajamas that he just had to wear and he did for the rest of the day. We actually did a lot of cleaning and housework today, Chase helped with sorting the laundry while Colby preceded to take everything that was sorted and put it back into the basket. We also got reacquainted with Caillou and watched a few episodes of Caillou on apple TV along with a few spiderman episodes. I'll take the good with the bad I guess... Chase is and has been for the last year obsessed with superheros and so we let him watch a little of the superheros shows, the Avengers, Spiderman, and now there's another cartoon called Captain Biceps which he LOVES but I am not a fan. It's innocent enough I guess just loud and sort of annoying.

We spent our time playing downstairs and then upstairs and then downstairs and then upstairs. Colby napped for about an hour. I'm finding that Colby's schedule is really unpredictable and I just can't get him down for another nap when I'm at home with him. He doesn't nap at daycare so that makes sense but he just seems so tired. He has fully recovered from his almost pneumonia, appetite is good and for the most part unless Chase is trying to bop him in the face or take away a toy that he is playing with he is all smiles. While downstairs the boys love to play in my closet and our bathroom. Today they started drumming together on our tub in our bathroom, totally random but so cute because they were playing together and cracking each other up. I just love it when they laugh and are having fun together, it is the best feeling. Chase and I have had some serious conversations about his little brother recently and Chase hasn't been too keen on his brother lately so when they have moments of laughter and joy it is really special.

Chase and Colby playing together

So because our day was so uneventful here's a quick update on how they're doing...

Colby is getting a couple more teeth in addition to his two top and two bottom. The next two are coming in on top both sides. He's been a little fussy because of this, too. He's also started saying a few words though it seems he's a little behind where Chase was in that category, he was ahead of Chase in walking about a month. He can say Da Da or De Da and MMMaMa and Uh-OHHHHH, and OOOH. He's also so fun to watch play with cars or trucks he will make the car or truck noise while pushing them all over. So cute. I had a few moments today where Chase and Colby were parallel playing with trucks or Chase's Thomas Train and it was so fun to watch. Colby's sleeping okay but we're still having to sleep with him and Chase. Not ready to bite the bullet just yet and change this routine. I know, I know it has to be done. Both Scott and I go round and round on when, it just never seems to be the right time. Colby is doing much better at school, I am so relieved. He was having a little trouble with naptime and bottles but things seem to be going well. Drop-off is a challenge. I do the drop and go which is like peeling off a band aid you just have to do it and do it fast. I feel a little guilty but I know that he's fine within minutes of me leaving.

Chase has a Children's appointment next week on Thursday which just happens to be my birthday. Which is a bummer but I'm sure all will be okay I just hate that we'll have to do labs and then be there half the day but as long as he's doing well I'll do whatever we need to do. Chase is no longer taking a BaBa at night, he still has a little milk in a sippy but not in a bottle which is a huge milestone for Chase. He's almost completely potty trained with the exception of night time where he still wears a pull up but we're working on that. He's so inquisitive, asks questions all the time about how things work and why things are the way they are. He's still painfully shy even with family he knows well. He does warm up after awhile but it takes some time to get there. He likes school but it is a challenge to get him up and ready in the morning but once he's dressed and had a little breakfast he's good to go.

Tomorrow is a work/school day as is Friday and then the weekend. I'm looking forward to the weekend as always with all my boys at home with a few events planned. :)

Wacky Wednesday #9: The boys go to the dentist!

It has been awhile since I've had my Wednesday at home with the boys and today was a busy day. I woke up to a big kiss from Colby this morning. He ended up sleeping with me after waking around 3 a.m. because I was too tired. At around 5:30 a.m. I feel Colby stir so I wasn't technically fully asleep but my eyes were closed and I wasn't quite awake. I then feel him come close to me and feel his breath and then I feel his lips, open on mine. He doesn't really know how to kiss, he's doing the big open mouth kisses right now which is so cute but sort of gross at the same time. :-) I opened my eyes and he had the biggest smile on his face. Even though I was hoping he would roll over and give me another hour or even two of sleep, I couldn't resist his big smile and happy face. We cuddled for just a bit and then got up to make coffee.

The big event of the day was Chase's first official dentist appointment. Chase went once when he had a few teeth around 1 yr old but not since. And, I've been a little worried about his two front teethers due to a little discoloration. I think because we've let him have too much juice in a sippy cup which we are slowly trying to break him from, the juice and the sippy -- not an easy task! Colby went, too, and had his teethers checked out (he has four, two top and two bottom).

I started to prep Chase for the appointment a few days ago when I made the appointment by telling him we're going to get his teeth looked at by "the teeth guy." I didn't want to even mention the word doctor because he will immediately think he will get "poked." For the last couple days he seemed really okay with that, understood that we need to get his teeth checked to make sure everything was okay. This morning he started to balk just a bit but got dressed and into the car without a fight. On the way, he asked me if we were seeing the "teeth doctor" and if he was going to get poked. I hadn't said doctor so I was surprised he did but he's so intuitive he knew what I was up to. I said, no that he wouldn't get poked and that "the teeth doctor" was just going to take a peek and it would be a fast and easy appointment. We then practiced opening our mouths really big and wide and showing all our teethers. He laughed and was in a pretty good mood. Colby, of course, went with the flow.

We arrived and all went well as we checked in until Chase peeked around the corner into one of the patient rooms. He could see a patient getting a cleaning and that's when saw the tools and heard the drill. He got a little nervous but didn't quite freak out but didn't want to go and kept saying it to me over and over and over. As I tried my best to balance holding and chasing Colby throughout the waiting room, while filling out the paperwork and comforting Chase, my wonderful husband walks in. I wasn't sure he would be able to make it, and honestly he is so busy this week with school schedules that I didn't think he would but what a relief that he did! He ROCKS! Even though the situation wasn't out of hand (yet) I had the feeling I would need a second pair of hands on this one...

We met Dr. Kao who is so wonderful, talked through some of our concerns and questions and then it was time for the exam. The dental assistant was great, too, she was able to get Chase's attention after blowing up one of the rubber exam gloves into a balloon. That got Colby's attention, too. She also mentioned that after Dr. Kao takes a quick look that he can pick out a treasure from the treasure box. Chase is all about little surprises, treats or treasures so he was happy to hear this. (I had also promised a little something if he was a good boy, I know I have to stop this but it really works and doesn't have to be a big something, just something!) All of this and even sitting on Scott's lap in the exam chair did not motivate him to let Dr. Kao examine him. I have been nervous about this dentist appointment with Chase for awhile and may have procrastinated a bit in scheduling it because I know he can be a challenge. When he doesn't want to do something, he will not do it. And, he is starting to develop a fear of any kind of doctor due to his neutropenia and the dozens if not more times he has had labs done to check his CBCs. I understand this, he's gone through a lot with the many tests we've had done over the last 2+ years, so any kind of dr. appt not only puts him on edge it does us as well, even an easy exam like a dental exam at 3 years old.

Well, after lots of encouragement from us all, I suggested that Colby go first and he found that acceptable and agreed to let Dr. Kao "count" his teeth after he counted Colby's first. Colby seems to always be our little guinea pig when it comes to things like this. He's so brake and open and at this age not scared of people or anything. He sat right in my lap and gave Dr. Kao the biggest grin. Dr. Kao took a look and counted all of his four teeth. It took all of 5 seconds. Colby did great and his teethers are looking good.

Next, came Chase. He got right in my lap without a big fuss and let Dr. Kao count his teeth -- it was just as easy as Colby's! His teeth look good, no issue or real concern from the slight discoloration on his two front teeth but the doctor confirmed what we knew, no more sippy cup and no juice if we can do it. After the appointment and both boys picked out their treasures, we headed to Target to pick up "big boy" cups and Chase was happy. I don't think getting rid of our sippys will be a big deal (fingers crossed!).

The rest of the day was busy, too. When we got home, we made a late breakfast of eggs, waffles and toast. Colby actually ate his eggs! That is the one food we haven't been able to get him to eat but he loved them this morning! We played outside, Chase rode his bike, Colby rode in the blue car, then we went for a walk around the neighborhood. It was a beautiful day today and even though I'm getting eager for Fall to come, I love soaking up the sun and will take an 75+ degrees and sunshine any day! We then watched a little Diego and then made rice krispy treats in the shape of Mickey Mouse from our new Mickey Mouse cookie cutter -- so fun!

All in all another great Wednesday with my boys. Even though later in the day Colby was a little off after we got back from the appointment and had lunch. He napped only 45 min. and was a little cranky after lunch. I think he's trying hard to not nap in the morning due to his new routine at day care even though they try and get him down in the morning and afternoon. It's as if he doesn't want to miss anything but he really does need the sleep. I'm hoping that after a few weeks (yesterday was only his 6th day at his new school) that he'll get into a new routine there and get the naps he needs. His buddy from his old daycare started on Monday so he has a familiar face other than Chase's at school which I think will help with the transition as well. He'll get there he just needs a little time :)

Colby Turns One in the Sun!

Colby had a lot of firsts in Florida including turning One! We had a little party and were able to celebrate with our family down south. It was a lot of fun and the first birthday we've celebrated in their neck of the woods for quite a while.

Colby and his birthday cupcake -- yum!

Colby wearing his birthday hat!

Gram was a super star making his awesome whale cake which she kept a surprise for me for weeks and all the decordations. When we were growing up she always made our birthday cakes. I had quite a few Barbie doll cakes with the barbie inside and the cake Barbie's dress, they were sooo cute! I just loved those cakes! 

Colby's whale cake that Gram made!

Colby liked playing with his new friends, Pyper and Addi, he's definitely not shy and they weren't either which was so cute. 

Colby with his new friends, Pyper & Addi

Having fun  at the party

Colby was interested in his birthday cupcake but didn't quite dive in like I thought he would. But he did manage to make a mess just as you're supposed to do on your 1st birthday! 

Colby enjoying his birthday cupcake

Colby didn't quite get opening presents but he had a lot of help from his big brother and friends. Chase loved opening Colby's presents and often thought those presents were his and that it was his birthday. I had to remind him that it was Colby's birthday and that he could help him open the gifts. Thankfully a few of our party guests brought Chase a gift or two as well (thanks Uncle Matt & Aunt Casey, Aunt Sandy, and Aunt JJ)! 

And thanks to Uncle Matt who played ball with Chase throughout the day to keep him busy! Uncle Matt's prepared to be Chase's agent one day. He was quite impressed with Chase's baseball skills, Izzy was, too!

Video Montage

I just realized that I haven't posted many of the video clips of the kids from the last few months... this post includes those videos that made the cut. :-)

A new look for Colby&Chase, their blog that is...

I've changed the url for Colby and Chase's blog and a new look is in the works (thanks D!)... wanted to do this quick post to share the new link. More adventures to come soon....

Wacky Wednesdays Catch-up

As of today it is officially three weeks since my last write-up. Last week, Colby was battling an ear infection and potentially bronchitis/pneumonia and so I was home with him every day with the exception of Wednesday until later in the afternoon. Chase went to school all week, so it was a hectic week juggling being at home with Colby and trying to work. To add another level of complication to our week, it was Scott's last official full week of school, and even though their last day was yesterday, he was slammed and as busy as ever. But, we got through it and had a great weekend (will blog about that on three2one). I'm also happy to report that Colby is doing great, although still on antibiotics to clear up his ear infection, he's breathing so much better! Even his daycare provider, Miss Nikki, wrote on this daily report yesterday that he was happy all day so he's definitely on the mends especially if Miss Nikki thinks so! She usually doesn't say much about Colby's day so this was a pretty good sign he's doing well!

In addition to Colby feeling better, he has hit a few wonderful milestones the last couple days -- and a scary one. He has now officially learned to wave. He waved to me on Monday morning as I was getting ready for work. In order to get ready in the morning, I often shower first while Scott "hangs" with the boys. He'll start breakfast for them and get Colby's bottles ready for the day. After I'm done showering/dressing, I'll relieve him of his duties with the boys so he can get ready and get out the door on time for school. From that moment on I'm usually in charge of getting them ready among so many other things! :)  And, if it just happens to be a day that I wash my hair (I tend to alternate days for this lovely task - I don't mind washing, it's the drying I dislike!) I have to manage them while also managing to get my hair dry and myself presentable for the day. I often leave the house without foundation/make-up/mascara, which I know is a scary thought but a girl has to do what a girl has to do! Or should I say, a mom has to do what a mom has to do! Anyway,  I was drying my hair watching the boys, watching Sesame Street (not Colby he was playing while Chase was watching) and I said "hi Colby" and waved to him and he waved back!!! It was so adorable!

The next milestone is that he slept through the night on Monday night!!! Yea!!! He really did, and in his crib, too!!! Last night, he did not but he can definitely do it and we're making progress which is such a huge relief. By now, Chase was completely in his crib (and in a better routine than I think he is in now) but for Colby I was feeling really guilty that we haven't transitioned him fully to his crib yet. But as of Monday night it is a priority and we're committed to making it happen because we now know he can do it! Chase is another story. Yes, I am still sleeping in his lower bunk, it is quite embarrassing but I find myself thinking about how this snuggle time with him will not last long even though it is quite painful. It is always a challenge to get him to stop playing and to get him to go to bed, and if I am really tired, I get really frustrated. He will only sleep with me so Scott is of the hook on this one although I think he would prefer to switch sleeping duty with the boys but Chase throws a fit! So, I guess I've just got to bite the bullet and stop sleeping with him. I know he will sleep better and I obviously will too if I do it. So, I promise to soon. Our trip to Florida in August may be the perfect time to get into a new routine anyway... so that will be my plan. And, we need to break him of his night time before bed "BaBa". I'll keep you posted on how that all goes.... 

The scary milestone that Colby hit this morning actually, was climbing up the stairs. We are finally at a point where we feel comfortable with Chase going up and down and not needing help even though we do watch him. He's very careful and coordinated and has done it a million times by now... Anyway, so because we are comfortable we sometimes leave the bottom gate open.... And, Colby is always in our sigh,t usually. Although now that little buggar is so fast and crawling all over you really do have to pay attention EVERY second. This morning, the bottom gate was open and he made his way half-way up the stairs!! Chase noticed first and let us know immediately, I was in complete shock.... Anyway, the gate is now closed 100% of the time!

So back to Wacky Wednesdays!!! The week prior to last week and today, I took the boys to Sehmel Park. On both days it was a bit overcast but not raining and warm. Chase LOVES that park and we have great memories there, we visited that park when Gram visited and on the day before I went into labor with Colby. Anyway, I have photos of our visit two weeks ago but didn't take any today. It was a busy day today with school out all over the district so many children were there, it was packed! I was solely focused on playing, watching, and keeping up with Chasers today, no time for the camera. But, looking back I think our quiet day two weeks ago was more fun, and Chase met a friend, Logan who teeter-tottered with him and taught him a few tricks in the sandbox like how to make a slingshot... Here are those photos... enjoy!!!

Wacky Wednesday Write-up #7

Today was a challenging day to say the least! Chase was a true three year old. I've heard that the "terrible twos" are not as difficult as the "terrible threes" and for my three year old that is proving to be true, at least today... some days are golden and others test you. Yep, today was one of those days. It started from the moment he woke up and Scott nor I could put Chase's spiderman cape on just right... After his complete fit-throwing, breakdown my  first thought was to change my entire plan for the day and go to work but guilt started to set in as I promised Chase he did not have to go to school.

The rest of the morning was just as challenging with Chase wanting macaroni and cheese or pretzels for breakfast and then preceded to play really rough with Colby after repeatedly being told to be gentle, do not kick or hit his brother. Honestly, I felt like a referee all day long protecting Colby from Chase's kicks, head-bumps, pushes and hits. I can only guess it will only get worse as the boys get older, stronger and Colby can reciprocate. The scary part is that eventually they will be bigger than me and I will not be able to step in and protect one from the other!!

At about 11 a.m. I decided it was time to get out of the house but the rainy, gloomy day was not helping at all. My idea to get outside and go to the park so that Chase could burn off some of this energy was not going to pan out. So, I decided to try an indoor cafe/play area I heard about in town, Play-A-Latte. It was okay, a few kids and mom's were there, there was a bouncy house, pirate ship and soft play areas for Colby to enjoy but I wasn't thrilled with the place. Chase seemed to be in shy mode and needed me around or close by in order to feel comfortable enough to play.

We did meet another Chase which was really fun. His mom and I chatted for awhile as she tried to protect all the other kids from her Chase. He played a little rough but was sweet. It's so interesting to watch Chase in these situations with other kids with all types of personalities. Chase is usually shy at first until he feels comfortable and gets to know the kids he's with and then he'll be their best bud. We did have a "bully" type situation where a kid was blocking the entrance at the top of the slide and would not let Chase pass by.... I realized this when Chase did not come down the slide for several minutes and went to check on him... I saw the boy completely blocking the slide entrance and when Chase tried to get around, he would block him and put out his arms almost pushing him back. I politely asked the child to let him by and he just stared at me and continued to block the way. The boy's grandpa, who I believe he was with, was busy on his iPhone at the cafe' and not paying attention to what was happening. I asked again in a more stern voice a couple more times and he finally moved. I was a little taken aback by this situation as I haven't had to deal with a kid intentionally bullying my kid before. After Chase got down the slide he was a bit more timid and didn't want to play and instead eat the rest of his lunch.... After the kid left with his grandpa, he turns to me and says, "I want to play now, the bad boy is gone."

We then headed to Target which seems to have become our weekly shopping destination on Wednesdays. Today we went to pick up something special for Chase's friend and a few cards. Chase had fun shopping for his buddy, Matthew, although it was a learning experience as Chase wanted every toy that he was supposed to be picking out for Matthew! :) So, we of course left with another toy for Chase (Scott will be so pleased) only because Chase wore me down and it was within my budget and I knew it would keep him occupied when we got home. Chase is now the proud owner of a new toy bowling set. We had fun the rest of the afternoon bowling, and playing with our new giant bear who is now an official member of our family as of a couple weeks ago thanks to our friend, Miss Cheri who babysat for the boys recently. Chase and Colby love pouncing on the bear and hugging him and laying on him. He's really huge, bigger than me, not taller but bigger in the tummy area, thank goodness :-)

Well, that was our day. I won't say it was one of our best Wednesdays together but the most important part is that we were together. :)