~ McClure's ... What's Up With Us ~

Cleaning Machine

2012-02-11T11:54:00.002-06:00

Our new dust buster is proving to be one of my favorite Christmas gifts....you know, one of those things you'd love to have, but don't want to buy. It's also one of Miles' favorites. Surprisingly it provides a lot of entertainment. He knows how to use it and hang it back on the charger. Such a win, win.

What Miles Wants, Miles Gets

2012-02-09T17:32:00.000-06:00

That statement isn't always true, but probably more often than not. Miles usually wakes up between 6:30-7am every morning. The other day he was still snoozing at 7:45am. I really wanted to see him before I had to leave for work, so we both went in to wake him up. He was still sleepy, and just kind of tossing around grunting without opening his eyes. Then, he got still and without opening his eyes, he said, "I want a doughnut". We laughed and I left for work.

An hour later, I was sitting at my desk and got an email from Darrin that said "Hi Mom" with this picture attached.

I rest my case. And let it be known that Daddy is a much bigger sucker than Momma.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-08T07:35:00.001-06:00

Worn Out

2012-02-07T20:28:00.003-06:00

Miles was able to go back to daycare b/c he was fever free all day yesterday. As you can see, it completely wore him out. This was taken around 6:30 tonight.

Of all the characteristics I wish for Miles to have, kindness is at the top of the list. So, I was very happy to hear this story about him today...

This is Miles' friend, Avery Reece.

Avery Reece had to leave daycare today for a check up at the doctor and then come back. Like most kids, she was not happy about coming back to daycare after being with her mom. She was crying & very upset as they walked back in the room. Miles walked over to her, patted her back, and told her not to be upset. He then took her by the hand & asked her to play. Avery Reece's mom said that it was precious and helpful b/c she went with him and stopped crying. That's my boy {sigh}.

Our First Trip to the ER

2012-02-04T21:45:00.002-06:00

Right after my post last night, Miles got a lot worse. He had Motrin at 4pm and Tylenol at 7pm, but his fever went up instead of down. It was 103 the last time I checked it. I know that's not crazy high but he's never had a fever above 103. I put him in a lukewarm bath to try to get it down. He was pitiful. He couldn't even sit up on his own. As I was running a washcloth over him to try to get the water all over his body, he said his knees hurt. When I looked down, they were so swollen that I couldn't see his knee caps. That was my breaking point....I called the after hours nurse line.

My pediatrician has a set up with Vanderbilt Hospital where you can call and speak to their nurses at night or on the weekends. They help you determine what to do. I've used them once before and they are excellent. So nice...and calming. Long story short, I called and she thought that I needed to speak to Dr. Bates, our pediatrician. So they actually call and conference you in with him. I think he felt pretty confident that it was viral but said that a trip to the ER was probably for the best. The joint swelling in his knees could be from a virus, the flu, or could be a sign of something more serious. So off we went to the Union City ER.

I'd never been to the UC ER, but it was a great experience. Maybe it's b/c Miles is so young, or b/c he looked awful, but they were really great. The ER doctor also felt like it was viral but he ran tests for flu, strep, RSV, and also checks various blood counts. Everything came back fine. One test showed signs of what could be the onset of a bacterial infection, but he said that a virus can cause the same reading.

Thankfully we were discharged quickly. His fever was down to 101 and he was much more responsive. When we go to the doctor and it turns out that nothing is wrong, I usually feel bad for overreacting, but I didn't in this case at all. Our ER copay is $80 and that was cheap for the peace of mind that it gave. I don't usually get freaked out, but I did last night. It was scary to see Miles so unlike himself.

He woke up this morning feeling so much better. His friend, Thomas, dropped off a treat bag on the front porch to help him recover. What a cute idea....I told his mom that I'm definitely stealing that one.

We watched movies tonight, including Toy Story....hence the set up below that he arranged...

His fever got back up to 101 but never over that....and he seemed to feel fine most of the day. Hopefully he'll get another good night sleep tonight and be back on the mend tomorrow.

Sick Kiddo

2012-02-03T18:27:00.002-06:00

Our poor little boy is so sick. When he woke up this morning he felt warm, but not warm enough to say for sure that he had a fever. We checked and it was 99. He was a little whiny but no other symptoms. There has been a lot going around in his room at daycare, so Darrin & I quickly decided that he should stay home. About an hour later, his fever was already up to 101.5 and I was calling the doctor. Usually I would wait it out a day or two, but with it being Friday and so much exposure at daycare, I went ahead and called.

Darrin took him at 10:30am and I went to work :( I wasn't a happy mommy but I have to save my days for the times when Darrin isn't able to stay home with him. The doctor said his ears, throat, and mouth looked fine....just a virus or common cold....which means we have to wait it out.

He's been sleeping and watching Dora most of the day. When I came home from work, he was laying in my bed awake, but not facing the TV, with a bowl of marshmallows next to him. He was just staring in space. When he doesn't eat his marshmallows, you know it's bad. Poor kid. Darrin had given him Motrin an hour earlier but his fever was still 103. He's only had a high fever like this one other time.....I am not a nervous mom, but high fevers make me nervous. We may try a lukewarm bath in a little while.

Since I blogged Monday about him being mean to his teacher, his week spiraled downward. He wasn't nice to his teachers or friends all week. I'm really hoping that his behavior was a result of not feeling well. I guess time will tell. Must go take care of my baby now. Happy weekend!

This Shouldn't Be Funny

2012-01-30T20:41:00.003-06:00

Darrin picked Miles up from daycare today. There was note on his sign out sheet saying that he got in a little trouble. Apparently he decided to throw toys off the shelf in protest of Ms. "Nee-nan" leaving the room for her break. Ms. Lee Ann told him to stop throwing toys off the shelf b/c he needed to be a good boy. She turned to walk out and he told her that she was mean. She then told him that he is not supposed to talk to adults like that. She reminded him to be a good boy and turned to leave for break....at which point he told her that she needed to go to time out. Absolutely not funny that he disrespected his teacher, but aside from that major fact.....extremely funny.

One of Miles' favorite things to do right now is to cover you up with pillows. I actually really like this game b/c all I have to do is lay on my incredibly comfortable bed and he does the rest.....quite relaxing. My mom was his willing subject last weekend....

A close up of his sweet face in the same picture...

...the same sweet face that told his teacher she was mean and tried to put her in time out.

Lesson Learned....For Who?

2012-01-28T21:30:00.003-06:00

Wednesday night during dinner, Miles kept climbing up & down from his chair. He was warned several times that we would take his plate away if he got down again. Being the tester that he is, it didn't take long for him to see if we would actually do it. We did. He had a little meltdown & then we went to church.

During playtime at church, my friend, Carrie, said "Uh Jennifer" and pointed to Miles...he was biting chunks out of a Nerf ball.

The other side was equally bad...

I'm confident that it was purely coincidental that he decided to pull this little trick & that it really had nothing to do with dinner, or the lack there of. If he had been really hungry he wouldn't have been climbing up & down in the first place. It did make me think twice about taking his food away again!

Wordless Wednesday (ok...maybe a few)

2012-01-25T20:50:00.001-06:00

His mean face...

Not to be confused with his poop face...

Memories

2012-01-24T21:05:00.002-06:00

Just a few things I want to remember about Miles...

1) His answer to everything is "because"....but it comes out "be-tuz". "Miles, why didn't you eat your breakfast?"..."be-tuz". "Miles, why did you bite your friend at school today?"..."be-tuz". For the record, he's not a biter, but he did a random incident last week. The teacher said that she wouldn't have known about it but he told on himself.

2) He is the sweetest, most loving child. He randomly tells us that he loves us. He can be playing in his playroom by himself and he will say "Daddy, I love you". Or, while driving to school he'll say "Momma, I love you".

3) Last night was the first night that he sleep in underwear....and he did great. He's taken a few steps back on potty training, so his teacher suggested that we stop the Pull Ups at night and commit to underwear 24/7. He did great! It also carried over into today. It was the first day at daycare and home that he didn't have a single accident all day. I am so happy....the mismatched clothes and Walmart sacks full of wet clothes from daycare every day were about to get the best of me.

4) He wants a little sister. I hesitate to type this b/c I don't want to invite any questioning. I promise, there's nothing to talk about. He just wants a little sister....not a brother....a sister. He's very consistent and seems to know what he wants.

5) He doesn't use a high chair anymore, at home or at restaurants. For the most part, he does a pretty good job of sitting at the table and eating. Here are a few pictures from dinner at Outback that I took over the weekend. I love the look he's giving Darrin.

6) He must be going through a growth spurt. The child is eating so much. He's still a great eater, especially fruits & vegetables. His favorites right now are oatmeal, grapes, & marshmallows.

7) The bedtime woes that I talked about several weeks ago are gone. Thank goodness. That was not a fun spell but it reminded us once again that persistence pays off. We also moved his bedtime back an hour. It's now between 8:30-9pm instead of 7:30-8pm. I really struggled with this decision b/c I am such a believer that kids need a lot of sleep. It really seems to be the right thing for him. He's still getting 9-10 hours and we get to spend more time with him. Win, win.

8) He's the greatest. That's all.

Didn't See That Coming

2012-01-21T20:52:00.002-06:00

This is how Miles chose to watch Dora today. Lately he's been playing with pillows & blankets a lot. He likes to make forts, and he also likes to hide. He's always saying "Mama come find me" or "Daddy you find me". He usually follows it up with "I in here" before you have a chance to look. So, I just thought he was just playing with the pillows & watching Dora.

When he got up I realized he was covering himself up b/c he had peed all over the couch. He knew if I saw it he would have to stop watching Dora and go change. Sneaky, sneaky.

Boys Night Out & Girls Night Out

2012-01-20T21:45:00.004-06:00

Darrin took Miles to see Beauty & the Beast today. I got an email just before I left work...the subject line was "First 3D movie" and it had the following picture.....one of the greatest ever.

I went to eat dinner with some friends...for 2.5 hours...it was great. As soon as I walked in the door, Miles ran to greet me and told me all about the movie...and the popcorn. He spent last night with Darrin's parents, so I was extra glad to see him. I think it's safe to say that the feeling was mutual. We snuggled in my bed and watched Dora.

I just tucked him in bed with 2 plastic stirring spoons that he calls "drumsticks", Rumpelstiltskin, his teddy bear, and a Little Book of Prayers. These things are in addition to the four Angry Birds, one dinosaur pillow and two flashlights that stay in his bed all the time. I think he's set until morning.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T17:17:00.001-06:00

Safari Park

2012-01-16T21:51:00.003-06:00

Darrin and I both had the day off today. He was supposed to recruit this afternoon and tonight in Memphis, but turns out he didn't have to. So, we decided spur of the moment to take Miles to Safari Park. The weather was windy, dreary and a little cold, but since you ride in the car most of the time, it didn't matter.

On the way there, Miles wanted to wear his sunglasses like Daddy...

We did the walking part first & fed a few of the animals...

Wind anyone?

A little better...

Then, we drove around the park twice and fed some of those animals...

This guy followed us for some food for a little while...

Llama, Llama...

I think Miles had fun...

The fact that he didn't have a nap set in when we got home and he was a little stinker for most of the afternoon. It was still worth it, and I'm glad that we all got to spend the day together.

Another Headache Update

2012-01-15T20:55:00.002-06:00

Tired of them yet? I am. But anyway...it's been a little over a year since I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Since then, I have learned so much about Lyme, among other things. I've also met other people with Lyme which helps so much. One thing I've learned about Lyme is that it can literally make you crazy in the head. Not just emotionally, it physically messes with you mind, your memory, your ability to concentrate, as well as your emotions. Talking with other people that confirm your feelings, and that can totally relate, is comforting.

The last year has been a slow process of getting better. The homeopathic treatments & supplements I've been on can be very hard on your body. There have been a lot of ups and down. Right now, I am very happy to say that I am experiencing a lot of good days. I never thought the day would come when I would feel normal again....when I wouldn't need pain killers to get through the day...but 4-5 days out of the week, I'm there. Don't get me wrong, I still have headaches and my body is quick to remind me that I have Lyme. I am however much closer to my old self than I have been in a very long time.

I started working out of again and that feels great. My body hasn't made me stop yet. I love it. I said if I ever got through Lyme I would never take my health for granted again....and that means working out like I used to, and enjoying it. I didn't feel like going to the gym tonight, so I got the following workout off of Pinterest. It's brutal. I mean really, really bad. Far worse than I expected. Darrin & Miles cheered me on, and Miles even tried to do a lot of it with me. His favorite part was the water break b/c that meant getting to drink out of my water bottle. Heck, it was my favorite part too.

The main thing I've learned from Lyme is to take your health into your own hands. If you know something is wrong with you, don't stop until you find out what it is. Also, don't be satisfied with prescriptions. I strongly believe that a change in diet or lifestyle can fix a multitude of health problems. Treating my Lyme has been a hard process and to say that it's expensive would be a gross understatement, but it was the right way to treat it. I can't help that insurance companies don't pay for it.....it's still the best treatment for me....and health is worth far more than other things that we could spend our money on. I didn't really intend to go here with this post, but maybe someone needs to hear it. Off my soapbox and onto the couch. Good night all & thank you God for the good days I've had lately.

It's Going To Be A Good Year

2012-01-12T21:20:00.002-06:00

Darrin and I love to make plans. I love to make plans b/c I always like to know what's going on, what's going to happen, how much it's going to cost, and exactly what I can expect. Granted...just b/c you make plans doesn't mean that all those things work out like they are supposed to....doesn't matter to me...I still love to plan things. Darrin likes to make plans b/c he likes to have something to look forward to & that's really the only reason. I'd love to say that I've converted him into a diligent planner over the last 10 years, but that would just be a lie.

Here are a few of the things that I'm planning & that Darrin is looking forward to...

I'm planning a girls trip to the beach with this chick. Super excited about digging my feet in the sand and not doing much else. The same week, Darrin is going on a golf trip with a bunch of guys. I don't have any pictures b/c guys don't take pictures.

Darrin is going to be a groomsman in Matt & Ashley's wedding in Nashville. We love these guys and are very honored to help them celebrate their day...

Darrin is also going to be in Jason & Christy's wedding in New Orleans. We are so happy for them & can't wait to be part of their wedding too. The plan is to make a vacation out of this wedding since we are already traveling a pretty good distance. We might take in New Orleans or drive down to the beach for a few days. Still planning, but sounds fun to me.

I'm also going to a Women's Conference in East Tennessee with our church, and we want to plan a weekend trip with Miles since sadly none of the above includes him. Shame on us, right? It makes me a little nervous to think about being away from him for any length of time b/c up until now that hasn't happened. I know it's good for all of us so I'm pushing on... It's going to be a busy spring & summer, which will get us back around to volleyball season....can I get an Amen!

All this fun begins in April....that's the good news. The bad news? Recruiting season begins tomorrow. Yuck! It's my least favorite part of Darrin's job, but it must be done. At least we have tons to look forward to.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T20:48:00.000-06:00

The Highlights

2012-01-10T11:33:00.000-06:00

Posting our Christmas pictures has been hanging over my head. Darrin informed me last night that "it was about time I updated the blog"....and he's right. So, I'm going to hit the Christmas highlights so that I can get on with normal blogging about all of our thrilling day to day happenings.

His first gift a few days before Christmas....

It was from Stephie, and it was a big hit...

Breakfast on Christmas Eve morning...

Can you tell that Olivia and Ava got iPod Touches for Christmas...

Miles and Darrin's cousin, Taylor....or Ta Ta as Miles says...

Love this...

Miles' first experience with Pop Rocks...

....and he liked them!

Miles & cousin Weston...

Sprinkling our reindeer food before bed on Christmas Eve...

Looks like Santa came...

These are the gifts that Santa left...the Angry Bird was the first thing he noticed...

Hard to tell if Darrin liked his new jacket??

Miles taking a Christmas Day nap with Uncle Dave...

Ava never disappoints with her looks and/or poses....

The girls both got helmets & knee pads for Christmas, so Granny managed to dig this out of the closet for Miles. He wore it for the rest of the night...

Merry Christmas! Now let's get on with 2012...

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T18:46:00.000-06:00

Lunch with some friends from high school....love them!

Potty Training

2012-01-03T22:02:00.000-06:00

The thought of uploading and discussing Christmas pics is still too much for me, so I've opted to talk about potty training. We've been working with Miles on using the potty for a while now. I thought seriously about training him in August using the 3 Day Potty Training method, but I just didn't think he was ready. We pushed it to the week after Christmas b/c daycare is closed and Darrin & I were both off of work. I knew daycare would be a huge help in training him, but I wanted to get a jump start at home so they wouldn't have such a big job. We waited until we got finished with all of the Christmas stuff and officially began potty training on Wednesday, Dec. 28th.

I read the 3 Day Potty Training method but chose not to do it b/c that is not what they do at daycare. The 3 Day plan tells you to constantly remind the child to keep their underwear dry, but don't take them unless they start to have an accident or unless they ask to go. I see the point, but Ms. Lee Ann at daycare said that she takes them every 20 minutes at first and then spaces the time in between potty breaks longer and longer until they are trained. She said it usually takes 2 weeks. Sounded good to me, so that is what we did.

I did like a few of the points in the 3 Day Potty Training plan. One thing it mentions is to get rid of all the diapers with your child. It shows him that he is a big kid now and that he does not wear diapers anymore. So, Miles and I packed up all the diapers on Wednesday morning.

His first pair of underwear...

The whole experience has gone far better than I imagined. The first day he had 4 accidents....3 the next, 2 the next....and then none the next with the exception of #2, which we won't discuss in detail....instead I'll just say that that part is a work in progress....."Phase 2", if you will.

On New Year's Eve, we had plans to go to Darrin's sister's house to spend the night. I was worried about what this might do to potty training, but we moved ahead with the plans. We drove an hour to Paducah to go to the mall...shopped for a little over an hour...and then drove 20 minutes to Crystal's house....all in underwear, and without an accident! There were potty breaks, of course, but no accidents.

I've always said that I didn't want to reward my child with food or candy. We started off with a bowl of stickers, toys, games, cars, etc....by the end of the week, we were using Smarties, Fruit Loops and Angry Bird gummies. By the end of day 2, he was completely over going to the potty every 20 minutes. We had to get create and increase the prizes. At one point, he was throwing Fruit Loops in the potty and aiming at them. Whatever it takes, right? I put on his Buzz Lightyear underwear yesterday and told him not to pee pee or poop on Buzz b/c he didn't like that. He came to me later and said very sadly, "I pee pee on Buzz".

To date, he's only told us once that he needed to go....and for that he got a push up for dinner compliments of Daddy...

As I said, it has not been as bad as I thought. I envisioned Darrin and I completely frustrated with him and each other. I'm happy to report that we have not lost our cool even one time. That's big time. Today was Miles first day at daycare. I was thrilled when I picked him up and he still had on the same clothes I dropped him off in. He had zero pee pee accidents and....well, we are still working on "Phase 2". Very glad that the hardest part is over. Ecstatic that daycare is helping this week. Looking forward to having a potty trained child very soon.

Build A Bear

2012-01-01T21:27:00.004-06:00

So...I took a little, unintentional break from blogging. I've been off work for a week & a half and any resemblance of a routine has been nonexistent. You would think I would have had more time for things like blogging, but it just didn't happen. We spent Christmas Eve morning with Darrin's family, and then that night and Christmas day with my family, and then celebrated again with Darrin's family on the 27th. The rest of our vacation has been consumed with potty training, organizing & decluttering the house, and playing a LOT of Monopoly on the XBOX.

It's been a fun & productive vacation, but I think Darrin and I are both ready to go back to work. I have so much to blog about that it feels overwhelming. Posting Christmas pictures feels way too daunting for tonight, so I opted for our first trip to Build A Bear. Here goes...

To my dismay, Miles loves stuffed animals. I always said that I would not waste money on stuffed animals (dust collectors) for my child, but he really loves them. He plays with them, totes them around, sleeps with them, etc. So, we got him a Build A Bear gift certificate for Christmas. Darrin, my mom and I took him the day after Christmas to redeem it. The rule was that he got to pick out whatever he wanted and there was to be no steering or influencing him.

Darrin and Miles studied the bears to find the exact one that Miles wanted. This bear was a close second, but did not make the final cut...

After his bear was chosen, it was off to stuff him. He like to push the pedal and fill him with "snow"...

Getting a heart for his bear...

Time to sew him up...

...and give him a bath...

After he picked out his clothes and accessories, it was time to name the bear. When Darrin asked him what his name was, he said "Rumpelstiltskin" without hesitation.

Waiting for Rumpelstiltskin to be dressed...

And there you have it...the finished product...a camo bear, in a Titans' jersey, with Converse shoes, holding a football. Excellent choice. Clearly he was not influenced by anyone b/c we never could have created such an awesome bear.

He was very proud and carried him through the mall as long as he could...

Sweet dreams Rumpelstiltskin...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-28T09:35:00.001-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-21T22:38:00.002-06:00

Ho Ho Ho

2011-12-20T21:31:00.004-06:00

Santa visited daycare today. I had to bring a small, wrapped gift for Santa to give Miles. They do this every year. I didn't go last year, but the pictures that Miles' teacher took were precious. So, I couldn't wait to go this year.

Here are all the kids waiting for Santa....of course Miles is right next to Ms. Lee Ann...

Miles was very excited when Santa came out. He kept saying "Santa, Santa, Santa"...

Waiting for Santa to call his name...

He was such a big boy & walked right up to get his gift...

Miles, Amelia, and Avery Reece...

After all the kids in his class got their gifts, they went back to their room to open them...

The moment he realized it was an Angry Bird (the only thing he wants for Christmas if you ask him)...

What a sweet picture of Miles & Avery Reece...

I'm so thankful that Miles' daycare does neat stuff like this. It was complete chaos and I know it would have been much easier to not get all the kids stirred up by Santa & presents....but it sure was cute & they had a great time. Ms. Lee Ann said that Miles showed his Angry Bird to everyone he saw today. Now the countdown is on to the real Santa. 4 more days...

A Must Have

2011-12-19T22:25:00.003-06:00

If you have a little one and don't have flashcards, I highly recommend them. They play with them at daycare, so I thought I would try. So much of what we play has zero education to it. I know everything doesn't have to be productive, but flashcards are like a game to him so we might as well play.

Tonight he asked to play with them. Darrin and I were amazed at how many new letters he learned in a 30 minute time frame. I would pick a few letters that he knew and add some new ones...then the next round, I would add some repeats that he just learned and add some new ones. He picked them up so quickly, and I think he had more fun with these than anything else we played with tonight.

I got these at Barnes & Noble. They are called "Ready for School".

Sunday Afternoon Naps

2011-12-18T18:27:00.002-06:00

The bedtime woes I talked about the other day are also naptime woes. We spent a little over an hour getting him to sleep yesterday, and last Sunday was dreadful. He needs a nap though. I would prefer to stick to the schedule that they use at daycare, which is lunch at 11 & then naptime, but I just can't spend a couple hours on Saturdays and Sunday trying to get him to take a nap.

So today Darrin & I talked about what to do and decided to let him watch a movie in our room, hoping he would fall asleep & could take his nap in there. We put in the one movie that he will watch from start to finish, Tangled, and waited to see what would happen.

We were pretty excited about the plan b/c it meant little interruption during the football games...none of which were worth watching BTW. I even gave him a bath & put him in his pjs b/c we planned to get comfy and stay home for the rest of the day.

He watched the movie for an hour, did not fall asleep, and then became bored with it & starting running around the living room like a wild man. He asked for a snack....so I gave him milk, rice cakes & some pineapple. He ate it and then crawled up in my lap & was asleep within 2 minutes. Darrin took him to bed and he slept for 2.5 hours.

Darrin & I were all set to watch the Broncos/Patriots game but then we both fell asleep and took a long nap ourselves. It was a good day in the McClure house. I see this Sunday afternoon routine happening again. It was perfect.

Bedtime Woes

2011-12-15T20:31:00.004-06:00

My mom sent me a text a couple days ago that said, "I've been reading about your bedtime woes with m on Facebook"....and that's exactly what we've been having. With the exception of being an early riser, Miles has always been a great sleeper. For most of his life, we've been able to take him to bed and he won't wake up or come out until morning.

A couple weeks ago, that all came to an end. I have no idea why. Apparently he's been doing the same thing at daycare during nap time. All I can think is that he's testing his boundaries and trying to exert some independence. We began the Super Nanny bedtime routine last week...where you take them back over and over without speaking to them or indulging them with the attention they are desiring. Here's how it's gone so far...

Night 1 (last Wednesday) - Awful. 2.5 hours of pure torture. He screamed & cried the entire time. We physically took him back to bed 50+ times. Many of the times, he was already at the door when we closed it.

Night 2 (Thursday) - 1 hour, but little crying. We took him back to bed around 20 times. It was a pain, but not as agonizing as the first night.

Night 3 (Friday) - He spent the night with Darrin's parent's, so as with any grandparents, there was definitely no sleep training going on :)

Night 4 (Saturday) - We were out late & he fell asleep in the car on the way home, so we were able to put him in bed still asleep....imagine the angels singing...it was wonderful.

Night 5 (Sunday) - 1 hour, little to no crying. We took him back to bed around 10 times.

Night 6 (Monday) - 45 minutes, no crying. He eventually fell asleep in his doorway. I picked him up, put him in bed, and he never woke up.

Night 7 (Tuesday) - I don't remember, but it wasn't too bad. The first time he came out, we kept ignoring his whisper. He finally got a little louder and I realized he was trying to tell us that he had a poopy diaper.....opps.

Last night - 40 minutes, no crying. We only had to take him back to bed around 5 times. We had a repeat of the poopy diaper incident from the night before. I'm beginning to wonder if that's a new stall tactic.

He's spending the night at Darrin's parent's house again tonight, so we all have a night off from the dreaded Super Nanny bedtime routine. It's no fun, but I've been assured by friends that it works. I can see a huge improvement in the last week, but it's taking longer than I'd like (of course). I'm sure some of that is our fault due to our inconsistency. Every now & then, we will fall off the wagon and do something way off the plan out of complete frustration. This is not for the weak, that's for sure.

Since I don't like to post without a picture, here's a sneak peak from Miles' Christmas party at daycare today. Miles & his adorable little friend, Amelia...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T21:59:00.000-06:00

Happy 5th Birthday Ava

2011-12-13T21:35:00.005-06:00

We helped Ava celebrate her 5th birthday at YaYa's Island on Saturday. Miles & Ava actually spent Friday night together at Darrin's parent's house, which they both LOVED.

The birthday girl...

Yummy cupcakes...

The Limbo...

Opening the doll we got for her...

Olivia helped her read the cards...

And then onto the good stuff...

This is what Darrin and Uncle Steve did during the party... Boo!

Happy Birthday to our very special niece, Ava. She is one of a kind & we love her very much!

When Mom's Away...

2011-12-11T15:35:00.000-06:00

...the boys will eat junk food all day...

Christmas Parade

2011-12-08T21:23:00.006-06:00

We'd never been to the Christmas parade before, but having a kid makes you do a lot of things you normally wouldn't do. We piled on some layers and stood in the cold, drizzling rain to watch firetrucks, motorcycles, horses, a few floats, and finally Santa.

Funny faces never get old for Darrin...I can't wait until Miles is old enough to make them too {enter sarcasm}...

The Covington's braved the cold with us...

Such adorable little girls...

So did the Cole's...

The kiddos are ready for the candy...

Miles and his friend Caleb...

Miles was having a hard time picking up the candy with his gloves on, so he finally took them off and threw them down...

He stuffed his pockets until he couldn't fit anymore, and then he started handing it to me...

He liked the firetrucks, but not enough to deter him from his candy search...

He did get very excited when Santa rode by though. He started clapping and yelling "Hi Santa!"

And there you have it.....our first Christmas parade (but surely not our last) is in the books.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T18:00:00.000-06:00

I Love Having Friends

2011-12-06T22:15:00.007-06:00

There was a time, after Darrin and I first got married, that we didn't really have many friends.....specifically couple friends. I think most couples go through this, especially soon after you get married. He had friends and I had friends, but "we" only had a few couple friends.

Our Sunday School class has grown tremendously over the last several years and has become so active with church and non-church events. The class is too big now to invite everyone to every event, so random groups get together here & there. It's fun, b/c it's always different groups. Some people hang out together more than others, but I still don't feel like there are any cliques.

I love having a ton of people to do stuff with. Last Friday, eight of us went to Patti's to eat & look at the Christmas lights. I didn't take any pictures during dinner b/c I'm already stalkerish enough with my camera. I thought I would just let everyone enjoy their dinner, and then I'd harass them with my picture taking.

Here I am just easing into the pictures...

The lights are amazing. I cannot imagine how long it takes them to put them up. These pictures don't capture a tenth of them.

The girls found a good place for some pictures. While we were waiting for the guys to catch up to us, Rachel was trying to get the heater to work. It was cold....

Carrie decided to warm up the picture spot and I guess Rachel decided the heater was a bad idea...

More posing from Jeni Beth and Carrie...

Aaron & Carrie...

Josh & Jeni Beth...

Travis & Rachel...

Awww...
In this picture, I am sitting on Rachel's lap and Carrie is sitting on my lap. I'm not sure how Rachel was making it. I was trying to hold myself up which resulted in my legs feeling like I had just done a wall sit at the gym...

Not a very unique pose from the guys...

Not too shabby for a self timer shot that Carrie taught me how to use that night...

I so {heart} my friends, and am very thankful this group and all the others that we get to hang out with. We went to the Christmas parade tonight a totally different group, and have plans on Thursday with some more. Bring on the fun.

Hi Santa

2011-12-04T21:53:00.003-06:00

At first he was a little unsure....he said "Santa no get me"...

Then, he warmed up to him and said to me "I pet Santa?"

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

2011-12-01T13:05:00.000-06:00

Miles has always been an early riser. Darrin & I are too, but Miles starting getting earlier and earlier when we moved him to his twin bed. We tried to set a rule that if he woke up before 6am, he had to go back to his bed. We would have to take him back and remind him that it was too early to get up and that he needed to stay in his bed. We would also tell him that he was not allowed to get in our bed. It broke my heart a little to tell him that, but I know that there can't be any gray areas with little kids.

Sometimes he would wake up and go to the couch....which also breaks my heart a little. But, I got over it and the new rule was that he had to stay in his bed or go to the couch, but that he couldn't get in our bed. Now, we even leave a blanket on the couch for him...

A friend told me about an alarm clock that changes colors at a certain time to help the child understand when it was ok to wake up. She said that it worked for her daughter, who is around Miles' age.

So, we invested in the "Teaching Me Time Talking Alarm Clock". This is what it looks like during the day...

We have it set so that it turns yellow at 7pm and stays that way all night...

At 6:15am, it turns green...

Miles says that yellow means "stay in my bed"....and green means "go see momma". It didn't work at first. We kept talking about it for several weeks and praising him when he stayed in bed. He even gets a sticker now when he waits until the light turns green to get up. I'm happy to report that he has stayed in bed until 6:15am seven out of the last eight mornings! He was consistently waking up between 5-5:30am, and now he often sleeps past 7am! I think he when the clock is still yellow it makes him lay there for just a little while and he ends up falling back asleep. Whereas before he would get out of bed the first time he woke up. The first thing he says when he sees us in the morning is "MY CLOCK IS DEEN!" Money well spent.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T17:49:00.000-06:00

PJ Night at AWANA

Because His Daddy is Amazing...

2011-11-29T18:15:00.000-06:00

Dermatologist Follow Up Again

2011-11-28T20:47:00.003-06:00

Darrin took Miles to his follow up appointment (to this visit) with the dermatologist today. Darrin said that she took one look at it and said that all three spots (stomach, bottom & foot) were all birthmarks. When she saw him two weeks ago the spots were irritated by dermatitis or eczema, but now they just looks like birthmarks. Random fact: birthmarks like this are typically on one side of your body. Miles' three spots are on his right side.

Since we began treating them two weeks ago, he has not complained one time. On our initial appointment, the dermatologist basically said that the spots would not go away but that we could make them better so that they didn't bother him. I think we are at that point. I'm happy that he's not hurting, and the spots look a lot better now too. We are scheduled to go back in February but if all is well then, we may be cancel. I'm content with her assessment and his progress.

After the appointment, Darrin took Miles to the mall to jump on the trampoline again. Unfortunately no one ever showed up to help them, so they had to settle for this...

...and this...

He did get to see Santa. Apparently Santa shook his hand and Miles handled it like a big boy instead crying out of complete panic & fear, which is what usually happens when he encounters someone dressed up as a character. Way to go Miles!

Miles' Big Boy Room

2011-11-27T14:00:00.002-06:00

After several weeks of planning and buying the paint, bedding, and accessories, it was finally time to redo Miles' room into a big boy room. I had off on Veteran's Day so my mom came up so we could work while Miles' was at daycare. I knew it would be hard, but I really wanted to have it all finished when Miles came home.

Before we get to the good pictures, why is it that the rest of the house looks like this when you are working on a project?

The first job was painting. We used low VOC paint to cut down on the smell & fumes in his room. It was the first time I used that type of paint. Even though I would use it again, it was like painting with slime. It took some getting used to and took a lot longer to paint than regular paint. Picking out a paint color is so tricky to me. Luckily I was very happy with this color.

I am very happy with the finished product...

He now has pictures of all his besties in his room. The dinosaurs were $1 each from Walmart. They were a complete afterthought & probably his favorite part. He now has six of them.

My mom added the ribbon to the curtains. She also added backing to make his room extra dark for nap time.

I got this idea from Pinterest. It is an oil drip pan. I bought it from Advance Auto for $12. Several people have asked how I mounted it. I used white double sided mounting tape. Good/easy for me, bad for the next owner of our house. This morning before church, he had disappeared and was very quiet. I went to find him and he was playing with all of the magnets.

This was his expression when he saw it for the first time. Not very memorable, but I know he liked it. We had been telling him for several weeks that his room was going to be blue and that he was going to have dinosaurs on his wall and bed.

See, he likes it...

Pointing to all of his friends...especially Avery Reece...

We finished with about 5 minutes to spare. It was a lot of work for one day, but this smile made it all worthwhile...

Our boy is growing up...

Usually when it comes to decorating, things never turn out as I have imagined them. Not in the case. I couldn't be happier with the outcome. Miles loves it too and tells everyone about his "dinosaur bed".

The Rest of the Story

2011-11-26T20:45:00.000-06:00

We left Morehead on Sunday morning around 7:30.

Darrin rode with us instead of riding the bus.

The bus broke down.

We took gas to the bus b/c it has a fuel problem & Darrin thought it was probably out of gas.

The bus started.

We followed the bus to the gas station so they could fill up.

Our car died as soon as we got to the gas station.

Our car was towed.

We rode home with a volleyball parent that was following the bus.

We finally got home after 11 hours (should have been more like 7-8).

Miles lost his mind on the way home.

I did too.

Car needs a new engine, even though it's a 2008 with 77,000 miles.

I thought Toyotas were supposed to run for like 900,000 miles.

This it the second time the car has died on us & had to be towed.

If/when we can work out a deal, we are trading it.

Now you know the rest of the story.

Volleyball Season

2011-11-25T21:17:00.001-06:00

Volleyball season has come to an end. The year started with UTM being ranked preseason 10th, out of 11 teams. We had much higher expectations, and the season did not disappoint. The Skyhawk's conference record was 12-7 earning them 3rd seed in the tournament. This is the most conference wins for UTM since 2002. The girls earned so many individual awards during the season including over 10 player of the week awards, two 1st team OVC, one OVC newcomer team, and the Defensive player of the year. It was an exciting year.

My mom, Miles, and I traveled to Morehead, Kentucky last Thursday for the first round. Before the game, Darrin was awarded OVC Coach of the Year. I am so proud of him for all his hard work. His efforts over the last four years are paying off. And, I know there is so much more in store for this program and his coaching career. So very, very proud.

Two of the Skyhawk's biggest fans...

Even though I'm smiling, this was right before the game and there are no words for how nervous I was.

Warm ups...

Game time. We played Jacksonville State. I didn't take any pictures during the game b/c gym pictures never turn out for me and I really just wanted to watch the game. Before the game started, I just kept thinking that we had to win the game b/c it would be awful to go home in the first round. Then, we quickly lost the first two sets and were down in the third when my mindset changed to....we can't go home in 3 sets, on the first day. Thankfully our team just likes to keep it entertaining and they came back to win it 15-12 in the 5th set. Whew.

Many thanks to my mom for doing whatever it took to entertain Miles so I could watch the game.

On Friday, we had the whole day to kill since our game didn't start until 4:30pm. My mom went to college at Morehead, so we were both interested to drive around the campus. She showed me several of the buildings she lived in, and we went into the student center. It was fun to see the campus.

My mom and dad got married while attending Morehead. This was brand new married housing. The rent was $65 a month.

Finally it was game time against Tennessee State. We beat them in 4 sets. The girls did a great job. I think it was the best they played all year.

Beating Tennessee State put us in the championship game against Morehead, which wasn't until 6pm. That meant we had a lot of time to waste. So, we drove an hour to Lexington, Kentucky to shop. It was the closest city with some time wasting options. Unfortunately Miles was completely uncooperative. We basically drove to Lexington to get gas, eat Chickfila and return a Red Box movie.....then we drove back to Morehead. Regardless we were able to waste some time.

After a long day of waiting, it was finally game time. Morehead was the #1 seed, and had a regular conference record of 19-1. Needless to say, they were good. They beat us in 3 sets. It's never fun to finish 2nd, but it was a great season & the girls accomplished so much. I have no doubt that the future holds big things for UTM Volleyball.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T21:21:00.003-06:00

I have so many things to blog about....like the end of volleyball season, my husband's fantastic award, our 7 hour trip home from the volleyball tournament that turned into 11, Miles' new dinosaur room....and I will try to get around to all that soon....but not tonight. Soon, I promise.

Just a few funny pictures to commemorate our Thanksgiving. We ate Thanksgiving dinner at Darrin's cousin house. Darrin has over 100 cousins (no exaggeration), but there is a group of aunts, uncles and cousins that we usually get together with on holidays. Out of these cousins, there are 11 girls and 2 boys. One of the boys is Miles and the other, Hayden, is a teenager. At one point today, I went to check on Miles and found this... It's like the he's a king on his throne.

Just of couple of the cousins that he played with today...

After family time, we had a little family time with just the three of us. We took Miles to see the Muppets. He did pretty well, especially since the movie was very average and most of it was too big for him.

After the movie, we played cards with Darrin's cousin, Christy, and her family. I got to play cards today, which makes every holiday okay in my book. Darrin got to watch some football. Family time was good. The food was yummy. Hanging with Miles all day was the best. Happy Thanksgiving to you all. So thankful for my life and the many blessings in it.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-23T21:20:00.000-06:00

Dermatologist Follow Up

2011-11-14T20:55:00.002-06:00

I took Miles to a different dermatologist to follow up on our last appointment. The last doctor said that the spot on his belly was dermatitis when he was really little. Then it spread to his bottom and we took him back. That time he said that it was epidermal nevus. Not satisfied with that answer, I took him to a new doctor today. She's a PA, but we call her Dr. Lisa anyway. Darrin told Miles to tell Dr. Lisa to "fix his belly"...he kind of told her today, but it was really shyly and I had to translate. Cute regardless.

He now has a big spot on his belly, another long patch on his bottom and a small spot on his foot. Dr. Lisa said that it is a benign skin condition. She's not exactly sure what we are dealing with yet. She said that we would have to biopsy it to find out and since he's so little, and it's benign, there was no point in that. She thinks it is eczema that has raised & thickened due to constant rubbing b/c of where the spots are.

She then asked what kind of laundry detergent, soap, wipes, lotion, fabric softener & diapers we use. Not my proudest mommy moment when I realized I should have switched to allergen free a long time ago. Seriously, how did that not occur to me? We bought a few products from her and stopped at Walmart on the way home to get the other items we needed.

The plan...showers instead of soaking in baths. We started that tonight. He loved it. We used the new soap, lotion and topical creme for the spots tonight too. All allergen free laundry detergent....a load is in the washer so he can wear fresh clothes tomorrow. Also, we are going to dress him in pants that are loser in the waist.....specifically limiting jeans. She doesn't think the spots will go away, but we can make it better so it doesn't irritate him. We go back in two weeks to see how he is doing.

I was very happy with Dr. Lisa. At the end of the appointment, she assured me that we were starting with the easy things and if this didn't make a difference, there are other options including a referral to a pediatric dermatologist. Very happy to see that she is taking this seriously as opposed the last doctor who totally blew it off.

After the appointment, we ran a few errands in the mall. Miles was so good at the appointment and in the mall, so we had a little fun. He was a little nervous at first, but then he loved it.

A Date With Miles

2011-11-12T20:47:00.005-06:00

It was just the two of us tonight....so we went to Walmart & played with the dinosaurs for a little while...

Then, I told him to pick one and he scooped up four. After reminding him that he only got to have one, he picked his favorite and nicely put the others back. I know they are only $1, but he already had 5 more at home...

Then, we picked up some popcorn....

....and went home to watch Tangled in our boots (note the above mentioned dinosaur collection in the background)...

One of the best nights I've had in a while.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T21:53:00.001-06:00

Undwinding

2011-11-07T20:43:00.001-06:00

Relaxing on the couch after a hard day at daycare. Just watching a little Mickey Mouse...

Luna

2011-11-04T20:32:00.005-05:00

Our new fascination is the moon. We call her Luna. Miles looks for Luna every time we are outside. As we were driving home from shopping tonight, the moon happened to be directly over the car making it impossible for Miles to see it. I promised him that after his bath and pjs we would go outside. So, we found Luna....pointed....waved...and then had a slight meltdown when it was time to say good night to Luna and come inside.

I think it had more to do with the fact that he was really tired. I tried to find a book with the moon in it to no avail. So we read Humpty Dumpty and Thomas the Train, said our prayers, and he went to sleep.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T20:35:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T20:59:00.008-05:00

Miles has been looking forward to Halloween since he got his rain boots last week. He doesn't really know what Halloween is, but he knows he gets to wear the boots and that's all that matters. He's been saying "I'm a fireman, I save people" all weekend.

We had several stops.....First was his party at school. I told him this morning that I was coming to his party & then then got to put on his fireman outfit & boots. I made the mistake of bringing it in, which totally distracted him from the party. So I moved it outside his classroom door. If you look out the window, you can see the orange bag that has his costume & boots in it. It took some coaxing to get him away from the window.

He finally got over the costume and decided to get in on the fun....

We didn't carve pumpkins at home (bad parents)....he was fascinated by the pumpkin. Here he is with Mrs. Nancy, the lead teacher in his room...

He wore his glow in the dark "I Love My Mummy" shirt today, which has been a big hit with him the whole month. It's always a good day when he gets to wear it...

Miles and Ms. Lee Ann, or Ms. Nee Nan as he says. She is the other main teacher in his room. He absolutely loves her. She says he is her shadow all day...wanting to know what she's doing...where she's going...come play with him...on and on and on. She is so patient and sweet with him...

After the party, it was time to Trick or Treat at the businesses downtown. We met several friends at the library, which was the starting point. Here's our little fireman...

Miles and Avery Reece...

Miles and Aiden...

And he's off...we didn't really practice saying trick or treat, and he didn't really grasp it. Halfway through he started holding up his pumpkin and saying "I want more". Must work on this before next year...

Along the way we found our little friend, Amelia...

Next stop was Fall Fest at my work. I only have one picture b/c I stink at taking pictures inside. He loved playing the games at Fall Fest...

Our fourth and final stop was Trunk or Treat at church. The first trunk was set up as Angry Birds. From that point on, all he wanted to do was go back to Angry Birds. It was really cute.

Miles and his cousin, Abby...

Miles and friends, Ethan & Caleb...

This trunk was all decked out with a spot to take pictures. This is probably one of my favorite pics from the day...

Whew....I'm exhausted. It was totally worth it to spend the afternoon with Miles. He enjoyed every minute of it.

The Day Went Something Like This

2011-10-27T21:40:00.001-05:00

8am: I left for work, leaving Miles & Darrin at home b/c Darrin was taking Miles to get his hair trimmed at 9am & then to daycare.

8:27am: I get a text from Darrin saying that they are going to stay home all day and have a Daddy & Miles day.

9am: Hair cut & lollipop

9:30am: Rented the Lion King. Darrin wanted the Smurfs but he was vetoed.

9:45am: Go to Rural King to get free popcorn & rain boots to go with his Halloween costume. Terrible picture quality, but he loved the boots. He wore them all day including with his pjs.

10am: Watch the Lion King. Miles sat beside Darrin for over an hour glued to the movie.

11:20am: Nap time b/c he couldn't stay awake any longer.

Afternoon: They played golf outside in between the rain & watched more of the Lion King.

5:15pm: I called Darrin to tell him I was running a little late. He told me to hurry home b/c apparently their time together had come to an end. Miles was super fussy.

5:20pm: I came home to a happy little boy, tired husband, and a yummy dinner....grilled chicken, baked beans and corn.

6pm: Darrin left for practice. Miles & I enjoyed the rest of the night together. He took a bath, we played trains & read books.

7:45pm: He put his rain boots on to walk to bed. I asked him where he wanted to put them while he slept. He placed them neatly right next to the stool that he uses to climb onto his bed so that they would be there in the morning.

For a child that seems to thrive on quality time, I'd say his cup runneth over. What a great day for both of them. Darrin- thank you for being such an awesome Dad.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T11:14:00.000-05:00

My Kind of Sandbox

2011-10-25T18:21:00.003-05:00

Miles loves to play in the sandbox at school. They had a small sandbox on the playground for his last classroom. In his current classroom, they have a giant sandbox. He loves it. Me....not so much. I just can't stand the sand in his hair...shoes...diaper...so I've always deprived him of sandbox at home.

Then I saw a neat little sandbox on Pinterest. It's just a rubbermaid tub with some sand that he can play with, but can't sit in and wallow around in. Perfect. I also love that you can put the top on at night so it doesn't get wet and yucky.

Darrin was hiding golf balls and then Miles would find them....

Win, win on this one. Thank you Pinterest.

More Firsts

2011-10-23T17:39:00.003-05:00

We experienced two more firsts with Miles this weekend. He slept in his twin bed for the first time last night. He did great! My mom and I are going to paint & decorate the room over Veteran's weekend, so I'll post pictures of his new room when we are finished.

The other first....Miles played outside in the backyard by himself. Granted, we never took our eyes off of him, but he played by himself nonetheless. At first, he didn't know what to do with the freedom. He kept looking back towards the door as if he doing something wrong.

He came in and out a few times to get random toys. Once he kept talking about a bug and I thought he was asking for water, but as it turns out...he wanted a fly swatter. After a lot of work, he came inside with this massive bug. To my dismay, I saw him pick the dead bug up numerous times with his hands instead of scooping it up. I had to remind myself that it was just a bug and that's just what boys do.

He just wanted to throw it away like I do when I swat flies in the house.

He also did a lot of "work" with his Handy Manny tools...

At one point, he tried to order a cheeseburger through the window....maybe I need to re-evaluate how much we eat fast food. I didn't think it was a lot, but obviously it's too much.

I was reassured when he told me that he was cooking chicken on the grill...

...and here he is saying, "I make peas for YOU!"

He also chased Mack around the yard a lot.

We enjoyed watching him play by himself. He loved being outside and the independence of it. The bed was a bigger milestone for me, and playing outside by himself was more significant for Darrin. Both reminded us how fast he is growing up. We are loving every second of it.

Daddy Hammock

2011-10-22T20:02:00.001-05:00

This is one of Miles' favorite things to do. It's called the Daddy Hammock. Those are Darrin's legs propped up with the blanket taut enough to be a hammock for Miles. He thinks it is so fun. A lot of times, he will just sit in there and play with toys.

He is very much a creature of habit. He always has to have Johnny Tractor and Spencer (the train) in the hammock with him.

It's so funny how he associates things.....such as the Daddy Hammock with Johnny Tractor & Spencer. Several months ago he wore a big bib that completely covers him. I used it b/c he had just taken a bath and I didn't want him to get messy while he was eating a donut. Now, when I put that bib on him, he asks for a donut. He says and does things like that all the time. His memory amazes us....and I always get nervous, yet have to laugh, when he shows his OCD/creature of habit tendencies b/c that is so definitely me.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T07:02:00.001-05:00

My Little Encourager

2011-10-18T20:29:00.000-05:00

The other day on the way to daycare I was quizzing Miles on spelling his name and counting to ten. He consistently spells his name now, but counting to ten is here & there. On this day, he happened to do it perfectly. I told him that he did a great job & that it was perfect! He said, "Momma you do it." So, I counted to ten....perfectly, I might add....to which he replied, "Good job Momma." He must have been so proud of me :)

Cousins Sleepover

2011-10-16T20:03:00.006-05:00

Miles spent Friday & Saturday with his cousins, Olivia & Ava. He LOVES them and was so excited about going. We talked about it all week. Friday afternoon they played outside. Aunt Crystal and Uncle Steve have chickens and dogs, which makes them very cool to Miles.

He is trying to catch "Red"...

Loving on Ava...

Olivia & Miles share a love for animals...

Friday night he had the option to sleep with Olivia, but he said "I sleep by myself". So, he slept in a pack & play in Aunt Crystal & Uncle Steve's room. He slept until 8am on Saturday morning. I'd love to know how that happened since his internal alarm clock goes off between 6-6:15am EVERY morning at our house.

After breakfast, they went fishing. Miles has been most excited about this. He's been practicing with a clothes hanger all week saying that he was fishing.

He caught his first fish!

This is one of my favorite pictures ever b/c I know how proud he must have been after looking forward to it all week.

Saturday afternoon, they went to a pumpkin patch. They had a petting zoo and apparently Miles was fascinated by the camel.

He was so excited to see us when we picked him up that he almost cried. It melted our hearts. I am so happy that he had such a fun weekend. On the drive home he was saying "fun, fun....happy, happy....excited". What fun memories for him. Thank you Crystal & Steve.

Pinterest Project #2

2011-10-13T20:32:00.003-05:00

Today must have been "Glow in the Dark" Day. First, Miles wore a glow in the dark Halloween shirt to daycare (which he loved)....and tonight he took a bath in the dark with glow sticks. I got the idea from Pinterest and it was so worth the $2 I spent for 1 large & 3 small glow sticks. He was mesmerized and just calmly played with them for quite a while.

Then, we got out and played with them some more...

He doesn't usually put up much of a fight at bed time, but tonight there was none b/c he got to take the glow sticks to his room. Best $2 I've spent in a long time. We both had so much fun and he was entertained all night.

Tonight took me back to one of my favorite childhood memories. We lived an hour and a half from Disney World, so we went a lot. When it would get dark, my mom would buy me a glow necklace. I would wear it for the rest of the night at the park, in the car on the way home, and to bed. What a fun memory. Thanks Mom!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T20:42:00.006-05:00

Go Skyhawks...

2011-10-10T21:11:00.003-05:00

...or "Eye-docks" as Miles says. My goal was to take a lot of pictures tonight, but Miles was a handful and the game was intense. We lost the first two sets and came back to win the next three! Way to go Hawks! With this win, we are in 2nd place in the OVC, with a conference record of 7-2.

I'm so tired....I can't think of any way to wrap this up. So I'll just say good night. Monday Night Football is calling my name.

Happy Birthday Momma

2011-10-06T19:47:00.004-05:00

Today is my birthday. We all know how much I love my birthday...and today did not disappoint. I was getting ready for work when the bathroom door jiggled a few times and then finally opened. A very sleepy little boy with a crazy bed head handed me a card. I opened a precious Mickey Mouse card with a gift certificate for a "headache relief" massage...I'm not sure who was more excited at this point....me about the massage or Miles about the card. After a few minutes of hugging and talking about the fact that it was momma's birthday, he grabbed the Mickey Mouse card and headed for the door. He turned around right as he got to the door, pointed & shook his finger over his shoulder at me, and said "Happy Bird-day Momma"....and that was enough joy for the whole day.

But my friends at work didn't think so. So, they fixed a massive breakfast for me. And then, I received a gazillion Facebook posts, emails, calls and texts from friends and family all day long. What a happy day. Darrin surprised me with a cookie dough blizzard at work....he knows me. After work we went to eat dinner. We had to stay local since Darrin had practice. Volleyball season will always keep us from a blow out birthday and anniversary celebration...and that's ok. Darrin's birthday was last week and we celebrated with Mexican for lunch and brownie batter instead of a cake. During season, you just get by with what you can.

I'm celebrating now in the silence of my house. Miles went to sleep at 7:15pm b/c he was exhausted and Darrin has practice until 10ish. It was a fun day, but normal for the most part. Thankfully my "normal" life is pretty great.

I almost forgot (not really) the most important thing about today....it's our TEN year anniversary! Looking back, we didn't really know each other that well after only five months of dating...but we knew enough to know that we never wanted to be apart....and ten years later nothing has changed. I love you babe....you are the only one for me.

Wordless Wednesday...In Honor of Our 10 Year Anniversary (Tomorrow)

2011-10-05T21:27:00.001-05:00

Sunday Best

2011-10-02T12:17:00.002-05:00

Miles was so happy to wear a tie (like Daddy) to church this morning. He kept saying "my tie, my tie". I couldn't resist a few pictures before left.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T21:07:00.000-05:00

Pinterest Project #1

2011-09-26T20:30:00.002-05:00

I got the idea from Pinterest to fill an ice cube tray with water and add food coloring to each cube. I made some colored ice cubes two nights ago. Tonight was the first night Miles got to play with them. It's amazing what kids find entertaining.

He had a great time until they melted. He was slightly disappointed but still liked swimming in the blue water. My only suggestion if you try this is to skip the bubbles that night. He had a hard time finding the ice cubes before they melted. Pinterest project #1....check.

Help

2011-09-24T20:48:00.001-05:00

I need a Pinterest intervention. I may never blog again. In case I don't return, you'll know where to find me.

Hello Front Yard

2011-09-22T20:08:00.005-05:00

We love playing in the front yard. Even though the backyard has a swing set, it just feels so closed in. So, we typically play in the front yard where we can see what's going on in the neighborhood. Since it's been blazing hot, we have been cooped in the house forever. We finally got to play outside this afternoon and it was actually a little chilly....but trust me, I'm not complaining. We live right next to the middle school football field. Between the weather and the football game, it was the perfect fall afternoon.

Miles' first request was to play golf...

Oh look, it's Ansley...

She has her hood up....maybe I should put mine up too...

Ansley, I've missed you all summer (even though I just saw you last night at church)...

We're so happy to play together...

Awww...

Okay...so maybe it didn't happen exactly like that, but they really do like each other. Here's to many more fall days.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T20:39:00.001-05:00

Random Things About Today

2011-09-20T21:07:00.002-05:00

On the way to daycare, Miles spelled his name completely unsolicited. I heard him say M-I-L-E...and then there was a long pause...S! We've been working on it for a couple weeks. He was doing great with M-I-L until I added the E-S. Then it became M-I-S. So, I was so proud of him today when he did it correctly, all by himself.

When I dropped him off at daycare this morning, he had a complete come apart. Some days it's easier to handle than others. Today was not one of those day. I almost had my own come apart.

Work was good.

I didn't have to take any pain meds for the 3rd day in a row.

Miles played outside for a little while this afternoon...here he's saying "mon Mack" (come on Mack)...

Mack listened...

He insisted on wearing his "bolleyball" shirt today...

For dinner, Miles ate two servings of grilled chicken, 2 servings of roasted carrots, and 3 servings of green beans, plus a cup & a half of milk. I thought I made enough for tonight and tomorrow so I wouldn't have to cook before church. I was wrong. I see expensive grocery bills in our future.

My plan was to chill out tonight and watch some TV. Even though Miles went to bed at 7:45pm, it's now 9:24pm and I've yet to sit down. That's about to change. Good night friends.

Miles' Belly

2011-09-19T18:05:00.004-05:00

Since Miles was a baby, he's had a spot on his stomach. Our pediatrician referred us to a dermatologist and we visited him twice last year. The dermatologist said that it was dermatitis and prescribed some cream. It seemed to get a little better but never went away. For the past couple of months, Miles has been complaining about it. He's infatuated with boo boos and kissing boo boos, so I wasn't sure if he was for real.

It's gone on for long enough that the spot on his belly has spread to his bottom, so it was time to visit the dermatologist again. We went to the same one for a 3rd visit. Darrin took Miles today. He had to pick him up at daycare at 11:15 which is right after lunch and just before nap. He fell asleep on the way there, but did great when Darrin woke him up.

This it the spot, just below his belly button...it's pretty big...

The doctor said that it is epidermal nevus. He said it was common, doesn't hurt him, and won't spread due to the location. According to him, it is a genetic condition caused by too many skin cells in a particular area while he was forming.

I didn't love him the doctor on the first or second visit, so I don't know why we went back. I'm just not completely convinced in what he's told us b/c it does seem to be hurting him. Even his teacher told me today that he is always scratching and rubbing his belly. It's right at his waist line and his pants seem to irritate it. We're going to get a second opinion. I'll just feel better if we do, especially since it's spread to his bottom. Hopefully the doctor is correct...I just don't feel good about it yet.

He fell asleep on the way back to daycare. Darrin was able to take him inside and lay him down for a nap without him completely waking up. Darrin said he opened his eyes a little and went back to sleep. He was the last one up from nap. He's like his mom....loves a good nap.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T21:04:00.001-05:00

Miles 1st AWANA class at church

Air Show

2011-09-11T21:31:00.004-05:00

We took Miles to the Union City Air Show today with Darrin's parents. It's one of those things that you aren't sure if he'll like it or not, but we thought we'd give it a try. He was very interested/excited for about an hour and then he was over it. When he was into though, he really loved it. He was amazed by the skydivers.

They had several random things for kids to do, pony rides being one of them. Since Miles has been saying for weeks now that he wanted to ride a horse, we thought we'd give him that opportunity. I thought he would be scared but he wasn't at all. It probably helped that his daddy was beside him the whole time.

He liked checking out the planes...

And ran from one to the other...

Just to prove I was there...

It was actually kind of hot & he was thirsty.

While drinking some of his Granny's water, he spilled some on her leg. He walked over to me and asked for a napkin. I told him I didn't have one. He unzipped his diaper bag and said "wipe"? After figuring out that he wanted to dry Granny's pants, we got Darrin's dad's handkerchief. He tried and tried.

It was a busy weekend for Miles with Thomas the Train and the air show. Busy, but fun.

Day Out With Thomas

2011-09-10T22:17:00.000-05:00

My mom and I took Miles to see Thomas the Train in Nashville today. Darrin was out of town, so I drove to her house last night after work and we woke up bright and early to go to Day Out With Thomas at 9am. We had talked about taking him but the only place that was possible this year was Nashville & the reviews online were awful. After talking to someone a couple weeks ago that had gone last year, we bought the tickets & made plans to go.

Basically the reviews were right on as far as adults go, but Miles liked it and that's all that matters. He didn't realize it was in a sketchy part of Nashville, that the train rode about 5 miles down the track going 2 mph & then reversed to get back to the starting place, or that the whole set up was definitely not worth the ticket price. With kid events like this, you are typically going to get a little ripped off so you just can't look at it that way. As I said, he enjoyed it so it was worth our time & money.

My mom dressed him up. At first I wasn't a fan, but I have to admit he looked adorable and there were plenty of other little boys dressed up too.

Miles holding his ticket....ready to board the train...

Precious...

We opted not to wait in the mile long line to have your picture professionally taken with Thomas, so this is the best we could get considering the people and boundaries...

Percy is one of his favorites...

One of the highlights of Miles' day, was riding this train with his Marmee.

He wasn't excited about only riding once, but quickly got over it when she promised him a balloon...

It's massive and he loves it. We had to put a towel over it in the back of the car to keep it from blocking my view on the drive home.

We drove back home tonight. He was so tired and happily went to bed when we got home. And now, I am going to do the same. I'm exhausted, but happy that we could do something fun with Miles. He's always worth the effort.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T20:11:00.001-05:00

Soybean Festival Parade

2011-09-06T20:50:00.005-05:00

We went to the Soybean Festival parade tonight. Darrin had a game at Alabama A&M (which they won!) so Miles & I decided to meet our friends there. I wasn't sure if he would like it b/c there are a lot of characters & sirens. I am so glad we went b/c he LOVED it. He was very reserved about it and mostly just took it in, but he really loved it.

Just chillin' waiting for the parade to start...

Hangin' with Colt....

This picture cracks me up with their funny faces...

Aiden & Miles waiting to see what's next...

Waving at the tractors...

He contained his excitement all night...until the very end....when the horses passed by. He started jumping up and down saying "horses, horses" (he doesn't say on-knees anymore).

I never dreamed he would have as much fun as he did. The weather was absolutely perfect too. I'm so glad we went. Fun times.

Slacking

2011-09-04T21:32:00.003-05:00

My blogging has been slacking lately....and I feel really bad about it...but from the looks of my blog roll, I'm not the only one. So, my bloggy friends, pick it up a little please :)

I don't have any pictures b/c apparently my picture taking is also slacking. There are a couple miscellaneous things I would like to mention, mostly so I will have them for future memories.

First, quick update on Miles' toddler bed situation. He has done really well in his toddler bed. It hasn't been the big adjustment that I feared. The first week he did great, and then he realized he could get up whenever he wanted in the morning. He still has never gotten up at night. Around the second week, he started waking up earlier and earlier....from 6:30 to 6:15 to 5:40 and then 5:09 on a Saturday morning. That was the straw....it was time to break this trend. So, we decided that no matter what time he got up the next day, we would get up & start our day. We had a talk with him before bed and told him that he needed to stay in his bed and that he was not allowed to get in our bed. The next morning he got up early again, so begrudgingly we got up and made our bed. He was pointing saying he wanted to get in our bed. We explained that he wasn't allowed to and that it was time to get up. I told him he could go lay back in his bed, but he didn't want that. I felt like a really mean mom, but I strongly believe you have to establish these standards and then you slack every now & then later. Long story short, it took 2 days and he stopped getting up. Success.

Second, to carry on with the sleeping theme...Miles has asked to take a nap for two days in a row. Yesterday I couldn't believe my ears when the said "Wanna take a nap". I told him he needed to hug my mom and niece who were visiting and about to leave. He did and then walked back and crawled in his bed and slept for 3 hours. Today, he ate lunch after church & then stood up in his high chair and said "go to bed" and then he did for 3 hours. Clearly he takes after me....the one who crumbles without sleep.

I guess that's about all. What a snoozer, right? I'll try to get with it this week. Have a great Labor Day!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T20:57:00.000-05:00

Playdate with Olivia & Ava

2011-08-28T18:40:00.006-05:00

Saturday morning my mom, Darrin's mom and I took Miles, Olivia & Ava to the park. It was a beautiful day outside. They were excited to feed the ducks first.

The ducks can sometimes be overwhelming but they were very nice and Olivia and Miles loved feeding them.

Ava, on the other hand, did not want anything to do with the ducks. So, she sat with Granny.

Then it was time to play on the playground.

Check out this face...

It's a toss up as to who enjoyed this swing more.

Ava was mad b/c she said Olivia was pushing her into the bar....I didn't see anything...

This face says it all. It was a fun morning complete with donuts and Capri Suns. What more can a kid ask for?

It's Here

2011-08-26T21:27:00.001-05:00

The time of year that we look forward to the most in our house is here.....volleyball season. I like to call myself the 2nd assistant coach b/c we talk so much volleyball around here. The team left for Mississippi State this morning for their first preseason tournament. Darrin & I thought it would be fun to take Miles to see the bus before I took him to daycare. We knew he would have a melt down when we left, and he did, but that it would be worth it, and it was.

Miles stayed in this position for awhile. We decided it was his version of planking.

Darrin looks happy....volleyball brings out the most intense side of him...usually he's completely stressed. I promise he is secretly ecstatic about leaving for the first tournament.

Darrin's dad drives the bus for the team a lot and he was driving on this trip. Miles was happy to see his Pa.

They won their first game again Southeast LA today 3-0! Off to a great start. Wishing good luck for the two games tomorrow. I love the coach!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T22:26:00.001-05:00

2 Year Check Up

2011-08-23T20:11:00.002-05:00

We went to Pediatric Place today for Miles' 2 year check up. I picked him up at daycare and asked if he wanted to go see Dr. Bates. He was very excited and ran to the door to leave. He chanted "Dr. Bates, Dr. Bates" all the way to Union City.

This was the first visit where he was weighed and measured on the big scale instead of the baby scale. He stood up there like a pro. He weighs 28.8 lbs (57th percentile) and is 35.5" tall (79th percentile). Darrin has already done the "double your height at age 2" math to see how tall he will be...which is 6' tall. Daddy was happy.

He walked right over to the nurse and let her look him over. He has a spot on his belly that he has had since he was a little baby. He was eager to show the nurse the spot.

Dr. Bates said that he looked great, but that it would probably be a good idea to see a dermatologist about his stomach. We went twice when he was younger and the dermatologist said it was dermatitis. It wasn't anything to worry about so we haven't. Lately the spot seems to be bothering Miles. He has been crying and pointing to his stomach saying "stomach hurts" consistently for the last month. He's infatuated with "boo boos" and kissing boo boos these days so I've been cautious to not overreact. However, he also has some of the same patches of rash/dryness on his bottom. He's been saying "bottom hurts" lately too. I just think we've gotten to a place that I would feel much better having it looked at again.

Other than this little skin issue, we have a happy, healthy little boy. Very thankful.

Party at Ya Ya's Island

2011-08-22T18:29:00.007-05:00

We partied at Ya Ya's Island on Saturday night with 12 of Miles' friends & cousins. I decided on Ya Ya's b/c it's too hot outside and our house doesn't feel big enough for a party of 30+. I was nervous since it was an hour away, but we had a great turn out & I think the kids had a good time. The theme was Mickey Mouse, but I forgot all of the Mickey items....plates, napkins & party favors, which were water bottles. Thankfully my mom stopped and bought some plates and napkins, and I was able to give out most of the water bottles at church on Sunday.

Miles was sooooooooo excited to see my mom. He was stuck to her most of the night. She can't tell him no and he's figured that out. She even went down the slide with him. I didn't think she would appreciate the picture, so I'll refrain from posting. My niece went down the slide too, and I don't think she would like the pic either. It was very fun of them & I'm sure he loved their cooperation :)

This was our party area. Miles was patiently waiting on everyone to arrive...

...even though he couldn't wait to go play...

Once everyone arrived, we ate pizza and cupcakes...

Miles was very embarrassed when we sang Happy Birthday to him...

He opened a few gifts...

...and then it was time to play...

Despite the fact that my niece and I took pictures all night, I still wasn't able to get great pics of the kids. They were all over the place. Thank you to everyone that came to celebrate Miles' birthday. What a fun night. We might repeat it all next year.

Happy Birthday Miles

2011-08-21T21:16:00.002-05:00

What a difference at year makes...12 months ago...

Yesterday...

We celebrated Miles' Mickey Mouse birthday at Ya Ya's Island in Paducah last night. We had a great time and I have tons of pictures, but I'm just too tired to post them tonight & have decent narrating. It's been a great weekend celebrating our little boy, but it's left me exhausted.

Miles, it's been an amazing year watching you grow. You are not as laid back as you once were. You are still as sweet and loving as ever, but you know what you want and let us know when you aren't happy. At times you are a daddy's boy, and other times you only want me. You love to read books and play. You would watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 24/7 if we let you...but we don't. You love to play with your Thomas the Train engines and your stuffed animals....Woody, Buzz, Mickey, Teddy, Donald and Goody (or as you say "Doofy"). You are still a great eater....your favorite foods are green beans, peas, oatmeal, watermelon and chicken. You are sensitive and very tender-hearted. You like to be around mommy & daddy and we love that so much. We can't imagine our lives without you. We love you. Happy Birthday!

Catch Up

2011-08-18T20:14:00.002-05:00

Life at our house has been oh so busy. Darrin is nearing the end of preseason. For whatever reason, I have been completely stressed lately. Things are hectic when Darrin is busy and as I have mentioned numerous times, I don't function well when we are outside of our routine. This is such a huge flaw of mine, but I just can't seem to reason with myself. So....that is my excuse for not blogging...even on Wordless Wednesday...opps.

This is mine and Miles' new favorite spot. The first time I read books with him here, I grabbed a blanket b/c I was cold. Now, every time we read books he gets the pink blanket and heads to our spot.

Random thoughts in an effort to catch up:

1) Miles' first sentence without any grammatical errors, and without any prompting, was......"I like milk". Very appropriate.

2) When we drove by the horses on the way to daycare this morning, Miles said "wanna ride one". Interesting. I started thinking about how we could arrange this and then I quickly reminded myself that he would never even touch a horse if we got close to one, much less ride one. Cute regardless.

3) Darrin and I have lived in 5 houses since we've been married. The moves have all been for a purpose...sold our house...lived in an apartment until we found a house...bought a house...downsized b/c Darrin went back to school...bought a bigger house when Darrin got a job. We've been in our house for a little over 3 years now & I have house hunting fever. It's a terrible idea. I wish someone would block realtor.com from computer.

4) I had a phone conference with Dr. Bernui yesterday. Long story short...he's not pleased with my progress. I had kind of resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to get any better. I began treatment for Lyme disease on December 28, 2010. Over the last 8 months, he has been persistent but patient during the course of my treatment. After talking with me yesterday, he has ordered more blood work to check certain vitamin & immune function levels, but also to check specifically for Babesia and Rocky Mountain Spotted fever. He says it sounds like we are hitting some stuff with the treatment, but either not hitting it hard enough or missing something altogether. He upped my Lyme medicine which has the potential to make me feel really bad. It was encouraging to hear that he had a greater sense of urgency. It made me think that he believes I will feel better one day. I think his breaking point came when he heard that my idea of managing my pain was to take enough Aleve and prescription pain pills to eventually knock it out for the day, which may take until night time. We adjusted my treatment plan and my new meds should deliver tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about the "worse before it gets better" thought, but am ready to get on with this.

Time to go watch Big Brother with hubby. Good night all!

Our Little Alarm Clock

2011-08-13T06:37:00.004-05:00

Miles has been doing really well in his toddler bed. He sleeps all night but runs in our room in the morning to get in bed with us. At first this was perfect b/c he would come in our room around 6:30am, which is the time he usually gets up. However, lately it's been getting earlier and earlier every morning. Yesterday when he decided to get in bed with us at 5:40am, I decided we had to break this trend.

Last night I talked to him about staying in his bed until daddy came to get him. I told him he could not come get in mommy & daddy's bed in the morning, and that he needed to wait until we told him he could get up. We went over it several times and one last time right before he laid down.

So, I heard him crying in his bed around 5:45am...but then it got quiet. Success, he had gone back to sleep. Then around 6am, I hear his little feet running through the living room. Usually he just runs straight to our room. This morning, I just kept hearing his feet on the hardwood. We couldn't figure out what he was doing, but we guessed that he was purposely not coming in our room.

Finally after a couple minutes of this, he sat down right outside our bedroom door in a way that he was sure we could see him. He wasn't talking or making any noise....just sitting quietly in the corner. We'll never know how long he would have sat there b/c we died laughing. I finally told him that he could come get in bed with us.

It's amazing what kids can learn and how much they understand. A friend told me about an alarm clock that parents set to let kids know when it is ok to come out of their room. The light is yellow all night and then turns to green when they can come out. We might have to invest. More talks tonight about actually staying in his bed....

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-10T22:22:00.000-05:00

New Room

2011-08-08T19:42:00.002-05:00

Miles has been talking about his new room at daycare for a few weeks now. Today was the day.

He was so excited about Room 3...

This is his new room, with tons of new toys...

Amelia & Ethan were so excited to see him when he arrived. You could tell that they were excited too...

He had a very good day. They have a class hamster which he thought was great. As soon as I got there to pick him up, he said "mon momma" which means "come on momma" and he lead me over to the hamster so I could see it.

He told me on the way home "door...teachers...daddy...momma"....that translates to "only the teacher, daddy & momma are allowed to open the doors". I only knew that b/c his teacher told me when I dropped him off that they would be teaching them that first. Even though I needed a translator, it was so neat to pick him up from his first day of his new room and hear what he had learned. I'm so excited about all the new things he will learn over the next year.

Moving On Up

2011-08-07T21:04:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow, Miles moves up to Room 3 at daycare. We have both enjoyed our time in Room 2 very much. In Room 2, the kids learn a lot...to feed themselves, colors, numbers, how to play outside, coloring & painting, songs...he has been a busy boy all year long.

The past year also saw it's share of scrapped faces & noses, allergic reactions & bite marks. Growing up can be tough! I always hated to see the daycare # come up on my cell and hear "Jennifer, this is Ms. Debra"....she was always super calm & I knew he was in good hands, but my heart always sank a little.

I took my old camera to daycare and left it for a month. The teachers took some random pictures. Unfortunately the camera is really old, so the pictures aren't great quality. Nevertheless, it's always fun to see pictures of Miles playing and some with his friends.

Miles & Alex Belew....I would ask him everyday on the way to daycare who he wanted to see that day. 9 out of 10 times, he would say Alex Bah-llleeeewwww (just like that)...

I think Miles and Molly have a love/hate relationship. Must have been love on this day. Molly's last name is McClure and these 2 have always resembled each other.

One of his besties...Amelia...

Neeley is another cute friend. Her mom & I are friends, so they have no choice :)

Miles isn't in this picture, but how cute is this? Miles calls them trucks...

Miles had several teachers in Room 2 that we have loved, but the lead teacher, that was there all year, was Dr. Debra. Some of my favorite things about Ms. Debra are: she takes good care of the kids and handles accidents wonderfully, she loves them without babying them, she doesn't act bothered by my questions & texts. We will miss Ms. Debra a lot.

Miles got her a little gift to say thanks...

The note says: Ms. Debra, The time has come for me to move up. Thanks for teaching, loving & watching out for me over the last year. I enjoyed every second with you. Love, Miles. The gift was a rubber boyfriend watch, hence all the time references.

Tomorrow begins the next phase. We're all ready to see what it holds.

Pros & Cons

2011-08-04T22:26:00.002-05:00

I always said we would not be those parents that plan everything around their child's schedule. I wanted my kid to be able to go with the flow. Then we did Babywise and it was so fantastic....but it puts you on a schedule....and we've never gotten off. Part of that is my personality and part of it it Miles who probably has my personality. We just don't function as well outside of our routine. And, I don't push him enough b/c selfishly I don't want to pay for it.

He goes to bed between 7:30 - 8pm every night. 8:15pm is a late night. Tonight I decided to throw caution to the wind and watch Darrin play church softball at 7:30pm. We won the first game, which meant he played again at 8:30pm. Oh what the heck, we'll stay for that game too. Miles was filthy and needed a dry diaper but we ignored all that & just kept playing.

We got home around 10ish and still had to have a bath. When he got out of the bath, he hit a wall. Not bad considering he had done pretty well until that point. I got him dressed....we turned on his night light....turned on his music....and I told him to climb up in his bed. He was crying so hard he couldn't catch his breath. At this point, nothing was going to help except sleep.

So, I put him in his bed, walked out, and shut the door. He was screaming & crying while sitting up. This is our first real test of the toddler bed b/c he could have just gotten up.....but he didn't. I walked to our room and talked to Darrin for a minute and by the time I got back to his room, it was silent. And that my friends, is why I appreciate our schedule. It was chaos for a few minutes when he laid down, but when it's all said and done, he knows what to do. Now, I need to do the same. Good night.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T21:29:00.001-05:00

Family Pictures

2011-08-02T21:58:00.003-05:00

We had family pictures taken Saturday. My friend (& boss) took them for us. I wanted her to take some for us last year but Miles kept falling on the sidewalk at daycare and his face was never camera ready. I wanted to make sure that we got some made around Miles' second birthday, which is in 3 weeks, and before the chaos that is volleyball season.

It was blazing hot outside at 9 in the morning, but the pictures turned out great. We took them at the UTM quad. She took 300 pics in 30 minutes & I love them. I went through them immediately on Saturday and cropped/edited a few. I took more time tonight and found even more that I love. Enjoy!

He really is a happy kid, I promise...

A favorite from the day...

Another favorite...

Look at that face...

Love...

Absolute favorite of the day. Seriously...

Thank you to my anonymous photographer! If any of my family would like some, let me know which ones and I'll get them ordered.

Big Milestone

2011-07-31T21:29:00.003-05:00

When it comes to changing from a crib to a toddler bed and also potty training, I've always said I was going to wait until Miles was two and a half, which would be around December. That seemed like a good time b/c Darrin is slow that time of year and both of us have time off of work. My plan was to learn from others that tried to potty train too early and regretted losing the crib before they really had to. I'm not sure what in the world caused me to change plans, but here we are...since Miles was born, I've followed my gut and this is no different.

I learned of the 3 day potty training method and bought into it like I did Babywise. We are going to attempt the 3 day plan in a couple weeks. Even though it doesn't say it's necessary, I thought it would be better for him to be in a toddler bed so he could get out if he needs to go to the bathroom. We thought we'd switch his bed now and give him a couple weeks to adjust before we start the potty training.

Tonight Darrin changed the bed, and Miles "worked" too. That's what he kept saying as he played with the screwdriver...

He was so excited about his bed...

He climbed up and down...

When it came time to go to bed, he was still very excited about it. He climbed right up in there and went to sleep. We never heard a peep from him. We are really hoping that his good sleeping habits continue with this transition. Another benefit is that he can get his animals in and out himself. Praise the Lord. We are constantly retrieving Buzz, Woody, Teddy and Mickey from the crib so he can play with them.

On another note, we bought the insert for the toilet and tons of underwear tonight. He was so excited about his potty seat that he wanted to go immediately. He actually pee peed in the potty twice tonight! That feels like an even bigger milestone than the bed. He's showing so much interest in the potty that I don't think we would have ever been able to wait until December.

He's grown up so much lately, and he's conquering new things. We are so proud of Miles tonight.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T22:01:00.001-05:00

Playdate with O & A

2011-07-25T20:48:00.004-05:00

Miles spent last Friday at Granny & Pa's house with his cousins, Olivia & Ava. He was so excited to go. When Granny & Pa picked him up, they buckled him in the car seat and closed the door. Darrin had to open the door to get something and Miles started saying "No, no, no" b/c he thought Darrin was going to get him out.

According to Darrin's mom, all three of them were filthy by the end of the day. She washed their clothes and gave them baths before returning them to us! Much appreciated! And, here's why they were messy...playing so hard in the dirt all day, while sweating like crazy...

I never post black & white pictures, but this one looked too good to not post it.

A Little Tumble

2011-07-21T18:43:00.002-05:00

Just when you think you don't have anything to blog about, you get a call from daycare at 4:15pm saying your child fell off the toy oven and busted his lip. Ms. Debra wasn't sure if he needed to go to the doctor & thought I should come take a look at it. So I left work and called the doctor on the way. They told me to call back after I saw it and could actually describe it.

After a quick prayer, I walked in and found Miles as happy as could be. He was running around in swimming trunks (b/c his mommy didn't have any spare clothes at daycare) & no shoes.....he had been given a popsicle for his swollen lip and more than enough TLC. Needless to say, he was fine and we did not go to the doctor.

His lip is puffy and he has a mark on the outside where he actually bit through the skin. The only time he has complained tonight is when he ate some chicken with seasoning on it. Ms. Debra took great care of him as usual. This is not the first or the last boo boo. Boys will be boys.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T20:10:00.001-05:00

Miscellaneous

2011-07-19T21:52:00.002-05:00

This morning Miles was ready for daycare and I still had to finish getting ready. I turned on Mickey Mouse and went back into my room. This is what I saw when I returned. He sure does love Buzz, Woody, Teddy and Mickey...

A few other random things that I want to remember about Miles...

1) He calls horses "on-knees". I have no idea why. It's really the only word that he says completely wrong. We drive by the horses every morning. I say "there are the HORSES" and "the HORSES are eating grass" and "the HORSES sleep in the barn"...but no matter how many times I say horses, he says "on-knees". It's actually quite precious.

2) I can't remember if I've mentioned this on here before or not...the boy loves to watch golf on TV. Darrin has taught him to say bad shot, driver, and putter. He recently watched quite a bit of the British Open.

3) He hugs and kisses us so tightly that he grits his teeth in the process. He is a very affectionate kid.

4) Every time I sing to him, he immediately says "NO mamma, No!" It's kind of hilarious b/c I have the worst singing voice ever. He says it EVERY time, without fail, while shaking his head emphatically.

5) He loves to ride with the windows down. He calls them "win-nos". He has a come apart when it's time to roll them up.

Just a few little things I want to remember about the little guy. Good night all.