Observations

Observation #1: I haven't blogged in so long I don't know how long it's been.

#2: It is possible for your back to swell when it's injured. Just ask RR.

#3: Mary Lane ER has the shortest wait times... probably in the country.

#4: If you need to drive 35 mph in a 50 zone, you probably shouldn't be driving

#5: Said ER offers a 10% discount if you pay at time of visit.

#6: There are some really dark stretches of road out here... just right for Steve Kind novels

#7: You can use Big Y turkey coupons at Stop and Shop.... this means like $4 for a 19 lb turkey

#8: I'm trying to decide what to make for ERP for his birthday, but we're celebrating together this year... so does that mean I need to cook on my birthday?

#9: Even with his haircut super short everyone still thinks ERP is a girl

#10: TT is the world's biggest cuddle bug

#11: Everyone in the ER thinks RR is really tall for his age... if only they knew how big his feet where as well

#12: Sometimes your armpits get sore when you're really over due to nurse a child



and to conclude.... RR is fine, "just" soft tissue damage to his back... from him falling off his bed and catching his back on the wooden rail while trying to get ERP to come see him

Away at Camp

The biggest boy, aka RR; is away at camp this week. 

This isn't the first time he's gone away to camp. And I am sure it won't be the last time. 

But I seem to be missing him more than normal this time. And we're only on the second night.

As he gets older he opts to spend more time by himself or with his friends. He opts to not go to the grocery store. Instead he stays home "for the dog" as he puts it. And when we are all home we need to pull him out of his room. Off the phone. Away from Skype. But he's around. 

With him at camp this week it's making me realize how important he is to the family. Even if it feels like Husband or I are always prying him out of his room. 

First of all; there is no one to set the table. Or empty the dishwasher. 

There is no one stay home "for the dog", which means in this weather Lily has to spend time in her kennel when we go out.

There is no one to take ERP for a walk when "I need a minute".

But it also means that no one is coming downstairs to hang out with Husband and I at 9pm, when the little ones are in bed. 

It's funny. When he's around I don't realize how much he helps us out. How much we enjoy his company. 

I'll need to make sure I let him know he as missed when he gets back from camp.

Good-bye Maternity Clothes

Tonight I said good-bye to my maternity clothes. Three pregnancies over 11 years worth of maternity clothes.

Gone.

Out of my closet.
Out of my life.

I kept a few favorite pieces. Like the very first piece of maternity clothing I ever bought, back in the summer of 2003 when I was expecting RR. A jean-jumper. Which I will be honest, I wore last weekend strawberry picking.

I kept a holiday themed shirt that I wore often in my pregnancies with TT and ERP. It reads "Baby the Gift that Keeps On Giving".

But the rest of it; which honestly and sadly seemed to have more style to it than my everyday clothing; is gone.

Off to see another mama through her third pregnancy. After her maternity clothes went missing.

My maternity winter jacket I had passed on this past winter to a friend.

Off, out, and gone out of my life.

It's a little sad.

It's a turning point.

But I like to think of the new people wearing them. Of the other new beginnings they will see.

Super awesome swimsuit - GONE

The dress I wore to so many weddings - GONE

This well loved outfit from TT's birth - GONE

Had this shirt through three pregnancies - GONE

This is one I had to keep.

And this one.

Also gone - but look how cute?

And it's worth it... because I have these three guys and this stud muffin to show for it.

18 Months!

A few days ago the baby, aka ERP, turned 18 months.

How did that happen?

Oh I know. I blinked.

Don't blink.

Ever.


I often forget that he is not a baby anymore, but rather a toddler.

This also leads me to forget that TT isn't a toddler anymore, but rather a preschooler.

And when did that happen?

And don't even get me started on the biggest boy, and his hairy upper lip and deep baritone singing voice.

Anyhow, I digress....

ERP is still a little squirt. I call him Bird. Husband calls him Mouse. He has his 18 month check-up next week and he may finally weigh 20 lbs. He is certainly going through a growth spurt these days.

He may look a lot like TT and have some of RR's mannerisms, but he is certainly not his brothers. He has broken the mold in every way possible. From his blue eyes and curly hair, to his temper and all of those teeth. He is one tooth shy of having all of his first set of molars, and then on to cutting his eye teeth.

And that temper I mentioned. Oh the temper. He pitches the biggest fits. He bites toys and furniture. He turns beat red. He throws things. He just gets so mad. It takes all of mine and Husband's strength not to laugh at his over the top pint size melt downs.

He is still nursing. Which is another post in itself. I recall being so happy with reaching this milestone with TT. These days nursing is the same as breathing. It just happens.

ERP has a total disgust for getting wet. And as we found out the other day, when we went to the park; he also hates sand. Really hates sand. As in "clean my hands every time it touches me" hates sand. He should be a ball of fun at the beach this summer.

So the water thing. He hates it. Unless it's the dogs dish, a small puddle or his water table. Water he has to get into. Forget it. When he has to be bathed, it's a two person job. One to hold him down and the other to wash him. He totally looses his shit. Seriously. And he tries to escape from the water like it was on fire. He will scale you like a cat climbing a tree to get away from a dog.

Actually he tries to climb me a lot. He is without a doubt a "worn child". He is also a mama's boy. He likes Husband enough, until I'm around. When I am around, everyone else if chop liver... assuming you don't like chop liver.

Food. Food is all over the place. Some days he's eats, and eats a variety of stuff. Other days he turns his nose up at everything.

He's all about doing what his brothers do. He loves hanging out with them. He likes RR to take him for walks in the stroller, and he loves playing play-doh and coloring with TT.

But he doesn't plenty his brother's never did. He climbs. Oh, he climbs. On everything. He likes to stand on chairs. He races from one side of the couch to the other. And it's not like we endorse these activities; they happen in a blink of an eye. He certainly keeps us on our toes.

And for everyone that ask - how's he's sleeping? He's not. We'll just leave it at that.

And now... the photos.

Stuffed Animals

Friday night RR went away with his friend and family for the night, to celebrate his friend's birthday. Husband and I took the opportunity to purge RR's room. We gave it a good old fashion deep clean.

As I was putting his bed back together I was amazed by all of the stuffed animals he was still sleeping with. A giant stuffed snake wrapped around the headboard. A stuffed alligator that has to be 4-ft long. A floppy giant red stuffed dog. Several pillow pets and enough stuffed animals from Build-a-Bear to open our own shop. In fact it had been birthday tradition for years to go to BaB and get a new stuffed animal. We haven't gone in a year or two. In fact that last stuffed "animal" RR has gotten was a giant stuffed donut he won at the fair. But he did take that giant stuffed alligator away to summer camp... so...

So while I am going through his stuffed animals it occurs to me, that at some time in the not so distant future; the stuffed animals will be moved off his bed. Moved to the closet perhaps... like he did with half of his collect several years back. Or maybe moved to one of his brother's beds. But he will in fact, be growing out of his love of stuffed animals at some point. He is certainly going through that transition, the period between child and teenager. Where toys are still fun, but for how much longer.

Part of me remembers those days like they were yesterday. I recall pining for an American Girl doll, Samantha, back before they were the most have doll. Before Disney bought the company. And I got the doll and I still have the doll. Will RR keep some of his stuffed animals like that? Put away, but not forgotten?

4 Years

A little while back, TT turned 4 years old.

Four.

What is he up to -

About 58 lbs and 46-inches. About the same size as RR, when RR was six.

His favorite color is RED. Red everything. Especially sneakers. He will only wear red sneakers. And red shirts and sweatshirts.

He is fully daytime potty trained. No worries about night time and nap training now. He'll get there at some point.

He is a funny guy. And his has this lisp. Such a cute little lisp. Some of my favorite TT sayings from this past year include "holy wack-a-mol-ee" instead of "holy guacamole", and "seriously?" Which with his little voice is so sweet.

As of lately he loves everything RR loves. He idolizes his big brother. Currently Legos, little Legos and Lego guys. Which make me so nervous, since ERP loves everything TT loves.

TT is a "go go go" kind of guy. He is always on the move. He has been super in love with the snow and the winter. Frozen was his favorite movie for the longest time this year. He watched it daily. Multiple times a day if you let him. Playing "snowballs" and sledding in the yard were big winter hits for him. In the summer he wanted to play in the pool as much as he could. He loves being outside.

Most importantly this year we were able to get him to give up his pacifier.  Woo Hoo!!!

He is funny to watch - being the middle child. Trapped between wanting to be big like RR, who is much older than him; and wanting to be little like ERP. Most days he seems to waffle between the two extremes, and we need to remind him it's "OK" to be "medium".

In fact he loves most things. He is a big giant snugly "Teddy bear".

Identity Crisis

TT: Spell your name.
Me: M-O-M
TT: No, tell me spell your name.
Me: Ok, spell your name.
TT: T-H-E-O-D-O-R-E,  Teddy.
Me: No, that's Theodore.
TT: No. I am not Fee-a-dore. I am Teddy.
Me: Yes, Teddy is short for Theodore. You are Theodore W... N....
TT: No. I am Teddy Nadore.

We have this conversation at least once a day. Sometimes two or three times. He is very insistent that he is right and I am wrong. But I will eventually win this one... because we  I am right.... but I will take my time. There is no reasoning with a 3-year old. Everyone knows that.

A Year!

ERP is a year old. Actually one year and five days. But, who's counting?

We had his one year well child check today. And guess what? He is still a peanut. Getting more and more peanutty as he gets older. He is a whooping 18 lbs. and is 28.5 inches long - note this was said dripping in sarcasm. For ever inch TT is a giant, ERP is just the opposite. His weight is holding steady at the 3 to 5% but his height has gone from about 20% down to 5%. He's petite as his doctor put it. He is easily 4 inches shorter and 4 pounds lighter than his brothers were at this age.

What he's got that they didn't have - sixth teeth!!  And more coming in. He has four top ones just about in, the two bottom ones (he's had those for months) and some random ones further back making their way on through.

He is "this close" to walking. He's taking a couple steps between Husband and I. He cruises along furniture, but still loves to crawl. And he is FAST.

He is still nursing on demand - read all night long - and eating three meals a day and two snacks as well. He is fully eating table food and has what we are having (as long as the sodium isn't insane). The only food he doesn't like - eggs - scrambled or fried. But he will eat them boiled.

He says "mama" and "dada" and RR swears he says his name. He makes lots of other sounds as well, but I don't think they mean anything at this time.

He is still napping two times a day. Some days he still naps three times.

He is stacking blocks and putting things in and out of containers. He waves bye-bye and loves to clap and read books. In his jumper he rocks it back and forth, and gets some serious air time.

We celebrated his birthday on December 6th with a circus themed party. His brothers even had clown wigs to wear. Husband and brother-in-law did an awesome job with the streamers and I made a five layer rainbow cake.

And I didn't cry. OK, maybe once...

Oh yes... and the crazy hair. He has some serious crazy hair.

Things I don't want to forget from this last months
~ How the hair on the back of his head is so course - and he sleeps on his belly so that's not it
~ How the rest of his hair is super wispy and fine
~ The way he HATES and I mean HATES the shower
~ The way he arches his back and becomes stiff as a board while crying and turning red when he doesn't want to do something - like go to bed or get a diaper change
~ His smile and his giggle
~ The "stork bite" on the back of his neck - I am guessing it's a faint birthmark by now.
~ The way he will happily lay on me in the darkness for hours on end
~ How afraid of meeting St. Nick he was
~ The way he looks in he morning with his hair all a mess
~ How he loves his pacifiers and will crawl around with one in his mouth and one in each hand
~ The way he plays with TT and they are doing more actual playing these days
~ The way RR simply adores him and dotes on him
~ The face he made when he saw his light up book for his birthday
~ His baby smell
~ The softness of his skin and hair