Sam at 18 months

Sam is now 18 months old. WOW - he is a busy boy. Owen said that he really noticed a difference in Sam when he came back from Banking School. Sam has developed into a toddler right before our eyes. He communicates well - still mostly with non verbals. He is starting to make more connections with words, sounds and items. Here he is this morning - being a very busy and curious little boy.

Some interesting facts about Sam this month are:

* We are slowly getting rid of milk at night. We had dropped it completely but then he hit his head and we went back to it for comfort.
* He says a couple of new sounds. He knows a cow - moos and he knows a lion - roars
* He can say Andrew almost perfectly. He asks about Andrew when he is not in the room. First thing in the morning he is asking where Daddy and Andrew are?
* Sam listens for Daddy to come home every night. Every time Ralphie barks he thinks it is Owen and gets so excited and happy.
* Some new words or phrases are: thank you, milk, bink (for blanket), juice, night night, light (and he likes to turn them off).

Sam can comprehend a lot. He can go pick out his own snack, he can show you were something is, He can close a door when asked. He still gets fighting mad when he doesn't get his way. But we are making progress on a few things like throwing. He is better at handing me a cup or object instead of throwing it down. He is also slowly learning that drinks and food stay in the kitchen only.

He is still a very loving baby. He doesn't eat much breakfast b/c he would rather play. Same for dinner. He eats a few bites and then wants to play.

He is sitting at the table now. We made this change at the beginning of the month. He likes being with of all of us.

That is one happy boy

We read the same three books every night. He doesn't "calm" down as much as he used to with bed time b/c he is engaged in the stories. We don't rock as much either. Usually it is three stories and he starts to cry b/c I won't read a 4th one. I try to get him to a calm and peaceful place before putting him in bed, but that does not always work. Luckily he soothes himself to sleep (with the help of a tag blanket or tag on a stuffed animal).

Sam is a happy kid. He wakes up "talking" and smiling and ready to start the day. I just know he is going to take life for all it has to offer. This makes both Owen and I very happy.

Our Anniversary Picture

As I have mentioned we spent our 6th Anniversary with the boys at Chuck-e-Cheese. It was a really fun time and makes for a great story.

We took a couple of pictures to remember our night out :)

There we are! Snapshots from Chuck-e-Cheese :)

Still Hurting

Sam has not been 100% like himself. He seems wobbly and trips over his own feet. He is a little more clingy to me and has been waking up alot during the night. Last night was a bad night b/c he woke up every 2-3 hours. I took him to our pediatrician today to make sure everything looked ok. And thankfully his ears, throat, lungs, etc...all looked good. I told the pediatrician that we were not given any details on what to expect as far as recovery for Sam. He said that Sam most likely did have a mild concussion so head aches, dizziness, and irritability would be common and would last a week. Our little guy is still recovering. He is a tough one but I pray he learned a little lesson.

Here he is on the way back to school. His sucker stick still in his mouth. :( He was not happy when I left him today.

Sam's ER trip

When we got home from Aha and Mick's on Father's Day - the boys were playing in the kitchen and I was vacuuming. Sam loves to get on our bench in the kitchen. He had been doing really well at sitting on it and playing like a big boy. But Sunday he decided to climb off of it from the arm of the bench. Owen was watching him and told him to sit on his bottom but Sam did not listen and did a swan dive off the bench onto our brick floors. I heard Owen make an awful noise and went running to the kitchen. Owen was holding Sam and I could see the bump on Sam's head getting bigger. I held him tight and Sam eyes were rolling back and he was loopy. We called on the pediatric on call number and they told us to take him the ER immediately. Which we did. Owen's parents came over to watch Andrew for us. I texted my friend Laura whose husband is an ER doctor and who grew up with Owen. I wanted to see if he was working and thankfully he was. So we knew a friendly face would be there. Sam threw up in the car which scared us even more. He kept trying to fall asleep as well. It was the scariest moment and drive of my life. They did a CT of his head to see if he cracked his skull or if there was any unusual fluid. Another blessing is I work for the radiologists so Dr. Molpus came in to tell us it was fine. Sam was fine. And he was thank God. Sam was back to his self with in 2 hours. They said he could go to sleep and just give him Tylenol for the pain.

waiting in the ER

The next day. His eye is black and swollen

I kept him home on Monday. He also had pink eye but I wanted to make sure he took it easy and did not play too hard. We took naps and met dad for lunch. And did our grocery shopping for the week. He did not sleep good on Monday night. I think because he rolls over and touches his bump which is sore. :(

What it looked like on Monday.

Monday, June 17, 2013

The bump is better on his head but he has a dark purple black eye. I assume the eye will look worse before better. It was the scariest day of our life but am so thankful he is ok. He has not tried to get on the bench since. I am happy about that.

Father's Day 2013

The boys made so many fun cards for Owen during the week of Father's Day at school. It was fun to put them all out for Owen on Sunday. The boys got him a new shirt and a new pair of shorts.

We went to the Munton's for Father's Day lunch. It was a fun day. Abby and Eric came too.

The boys playing at Aha and Micks

Andrew was in the play zone all day on Sunday

Daddy and his boys! 

 

Happy Father's Day Owen!

Our 6th Anniversary

Our Anniversary was this past Sunday - which is also Father's Day. Our usual babysitter could not babysit for us on Saturday. We deemed Saturday our anniversary so Father's Day would not get over shadowed. It started out as a good day. I gave Owen a family picture we took back in November. It is a fun, happy picture. I am making a family picture wall and it is our first picture to go on the wall.

The day was jam packed with birthday parties and we wanted to celebrate Andrew being 100% potty trained. So we were busy. But it was good busy. Boys were exhausted at the end of the day busy!

Birthday Party #1 at Kids Rule - a jump jump place. This is Andrew and his friend Tyler Lowery

Birthday Party #2 for Bergen. This is Andrew and Davis Hayes Temple

Sam enjoying the birthday fun

After Bergen's birthday party we went home to change and headed to Chuck-e-Cheese. That was our celebration for Andrew doing so well with going to the potty.

Andrew fell asleep on the way to Chuck-e-Cheese

Sam was not too sure of the rides. He did like watching the mouse on stage

Andrew immediately woke up and was ready to play.

The day was perfect...until the end. The prize store ended our fun. Andrew was so tired he couldn't make up his mind and of course the toy he wanted was too many tickets. It was horrific! Happy Anniversary to us! :)

Mommy's Boys

I took a couple (more than a couple) of pictures of the boys and me today and yesterday. Just trying to be fun and silly with them while remembering them at this age. I love them so much.

They are too big .

"I did it, I can't believe I did it"

Andrew earned his big potty prize!! He has pooped in the potty for 4 straight times and earned his MSU helmet and uniform. The first time he pooped he said in the most excited voice "I did it, I can't believe I did it". He is so proud of himself. Owen and I are also over joyed. We have been on the #2 in the potty mission for quite some time. I think we started too early. Going #1 was pretty easy for Andrew. But #2 was a challenge. Andrew is so strong willed. He is the best negotiator too! We have had the MSU uniform set for 6 months or more and he said he didn't want it (after it was something he told us he wanted badly). He wasn't interested in it anymore. But now that he has mastered the potty chart - the uniform set was once again a desirable item.

When Andrew pooped in the potty on Sunday night he asked his daddy if he could go to the toy store. Owen said sure after school on Monday. When I picked up the boys yesterday the FIRST thing out of Andrew's mouth was if we were going to the toy store. I think he thought about it all day.

He was so excited - this is a funny face

Another funny face

We went to toys r us and Andrew walked around the store on a mission. He looked at everything and decided on hot wheels. It was at the front of the store and he came right back to them. The boy loves cars. I even made us walk around one more time to make sure that is what he wanted. He was so happy. I love seeing him that happy. He said he was NOT going to share with Sam but when we got home and Sam threw a fit for one - Andrew did share. There were 5 cars in the set. He is a great big brother.

Today he got his final potty prize for going this morning on his own without help. Here he is in his uniform.

First time wearing the helmet

The first moment he got to wear his prize

In front of his potty chart

Mom trying for a better picture

He wanted to wear the jersey to school but it had shoulder pads so he wore this jersey to school as a replacement.

On the way to school he told me he wanted to be a football player when he grows up. I said that would be great. He said "I am going to play for Mississippi State". He wants to run on the field and have people watch him. And then he asked if Owen and I would be there. I said, of course. I will be on the front row. Then Andrew asked if I would have a cow bell. Of course, I said.

He melts our hearts. Maybe one day he will be on the field. I am thinking the kicker would be a good position :)

We are SO PROUD of him! This is a big day/week for Andrew.

Andrew - Potty Update

I have potty news! And it is good news. Andrew is making real progress on the potty. He was 2 for 2 this weekend with going #2 on the potty. This is HUGE! Friday night my parents were in town and I was putting Andrew to sleep. He wanted a lightening McQueen story before bed so I told a story about a little boy named Andrew who was able to get a new toy (lightening McQueen toy) if he went #2 in the potty. Well low and behold he got up and did it! I was shocked, he was shocked. He ran out to tell his grandparents - with his pants still around his ankles that he did!! It was a pure joyous moment. On Saturday morning, Andrew and Owen went to Academy Sports to get a new toy. Andrew has not been that excited in a really long time. It was a happy day.

 

This is what Andrew picked out. A hot-wheels race track. He is becoming such a big boy. 

Memorial Day 2013

Owen has started the LSU School of Banking and has been away for 2 weeks. His first weekend to leave was Memorial Day weekend. So the boys and I went to the beach with the Muntons. Abby and Eric also came with their two dogs Annie and Sherpa. It was a fun weekend and more relaxing than I thought it would be. Here are some pictures! The weather was fantastic.

My attempt to get a picture to send to Owen

Boys playing together

Sam ran into one his mommy and me friends at the beach - Turner Thrash

Sherpa and Andrew - he loves dogs

Annie and Andrew

Andrew preferred the pool - but I did manage to convince him to play at the beach

I love this picture! Mick and Sam

We had such a fun time!

Andrew's end of the year TOTs performance

Andrew had his end of the year TOTs performance in May. I was excited about it but probably did not talk it up enough. Aha and Mick came with us and we got there early (I thought). But there it was about to start when we got there so it was a little rushed for Andrew and there were alot of people talking to him and telling him to do alot of things. So Andrew shut down. He did not participate at all. He sat in my lap. I could tell he knew the routine b/c I would hear him whispering the songs and quietly doing the motions. I was sad he didn't get up there and that it wasn't like it was in December. He did get a trophy and told me the next day he was ready to do his "TOTs skills". The coach told me he was the youngest in the class and that she was always impressed with him during the week. Owen and I talked about it and when we think back it was pretty intimidating with 50 people looking at you. Here are the pictures we captured.

Trying to talk him into standing on his dot for the performance

This is where we stood until I decided to just sit down with the crowd and watch

Very nervous little boy

But he did get a trophy and was happy at the end

Little brother enjoyed the day in a gym. This is Sam running all over the place.

Sam loves for people to chase him