Big boys use the potty

A few days ago, we purchased a potty chair for Sydney. We figured that the time was drawing near, as he is demonstrating more and more interest in watching US go to the bathroom and he often tells us when he's going to the bathroom.

One day, I was TRYING to go to the bathroom, but Sydney kept sneaking behind me and trying to push my butt off of the toilet so that he could SEE INSIDE. I kept announcing (loudly) "Sydney, I think Daddy needs your help in the living room." but Mike pretended not to hear me. (I think I said it SEVEN TIMES - louder and louder each time; Of course, he heard me the first time, but was having fun making me sweat it out on the toilet. He thought he was being funny. Me? Not so much.)

Whenever Mike goes, Sydney likes to race into the bathroom so that he can watch. (Only ONCE did Mike yell that he needed an assist because Sydney had reached in to touch the pretty yellow stream.)

When we took the seat out of the box, I set it on the kitchen floor and asked Sydney "Do you know what this is?" Immediately, he grabbed his crotch. (I take that as a YES.) 

I helped him sit on it (fully clothed) and we practiced the mount and dismount. He would sit on it for a few seconds and then HOP UP to check inside the bowl, as if something MAGICAL had happened. He would wave into the bowl and then, we'd do it all over again. Sadly, however, he eventually learned that it comes apart and he wouldn't stop taking it apart and playing with it's pieces. (He likes to wear buckets and bowls on his head, pretending they are hats so, naturally, I am a little uncomfortable with the possibility of the "new hat".) We locked the new potty chair in the bathroom by the kitchen.

This morning, I offered to let Sydney wear BIG BOY PANTS as we cooked in the kitchen. I figured that the kitchen floor is a MUCH BETTER place to practice potty-training instead of on the wood floors or area rugs in the dining/living rooms. He was SUPER EXCITED to wear big boy pants. (He picked Grover.) Almost immediately when we went into the kitchen, he decided that he needed to go potty so, we stripped off his pants and Grover undies and I helped him on the potty chair.

He sat VERY BRIEFLY and then indicated that he was ALL DONE so, I let him off. A few seconds later, he indicated he had to go to the bathroom so, I set him back on it. Again, same thing... ALL DONE. You could tell he was proud, but nervous. Within a few seconds of him getting off, he announced UH-OH and was standing next to the toilet in a small yellow puddle.

Hey, at least he peed IN THE BATHROOM, right?

I assured him "Good job! What a BIG BOY you are! You went potty in the bathroom!" but he seemed concerned about the mess on the floor. I took off his socks and wiped his feet (and the floor) with a combination of paper towel and Clorox wipes, telling him "That's OK." A few minutes later, we called Daddy (at work) to celebrate the news!

After his first attempt of going potty on the potty chair, he INSISTED upon leaving his pants AND big boy pants off, but within the half hour, he had accidently peed on his chair (that he stands on in the kitchen to help cook) and I decided to re-diaper him... to take the pressure off of him. (You can tell he feels VERY BADLY about making a mess because he SO DESPERATELY WANTS TO BE A BIG BOY.)

At one point, he took a cooking spatula and a measuring spoon over to the bowl of his potty chair and attempted to STIR inside that bowl. (Eeeew!) I discouraged that behavior and put those utensils in the sink to be washed; then, we locked the potty chair in the bathroom and I told him to knock on the bathroom door if he has to go potty (since he doesn't really TALK).

I'm guessing that we aren't REALLY ready for tackling this yet so, I wont push it too much, but we wont discourage him either. Anytime he goes potty, poops (or even just farts), he signs POOP and makes sure that we know he's making a mess (or some activity) in his diaper. We're making sure to ask him if he wants to go on the potty chair; sometimes, he says YES, but sometimes, he says NO.

Our pediatrician informed us that MOST BOYS potty-train closer to age 3. As nice as it would be to have only ONE CHILD in diapers, we'll see where this potty training adventure takes us...

Playdate with Lucy: OMG, New tricks

We had discussed after Tuesday night's swimming lessons that Kate & Lucy should come over for a playdate. Kate announced that she was OFF on Wednesday so, we invited them to come play. (The photo of Sydney playing with my new cell phone was taken by Mike. He was proud that he got a picture of Sydney, looking like he is texting "his girlfriend" so, I used it for this layout.)

While they played, we laughed because they would both run into the kitchen or would both run hide behind the recliner. We teased that they were "looking for privacy". At one point, Lucy disappeared into the kitchen and didn't come running right back out. Kate announced "Oh, crap. She's probably inside your washing machine." Sure enough, she was. Turns out, she wasn't partially IN, but all the way inside. (Sydney witnessed her being pulled out by her mom and we decided that it was best to make sure that the laundry doors are kept CLOSED when Lucy comes over. I had hoped that he didn't notice, but he seems to pay attention to EVERYTHING! Oh, how I wish that hadn't have happened... but he probably would have done it eventually on his own someday anyways.)

Lucy also climbed onto our couch to say HELLO to Eddy. Then, with static-charged hair, she started jumping UP & DOWN on the seat of the couch. Ironically, Eddy didn't move from the back of the couch; I think he may have been paralyzed with fear. Sydney, of course, thought it looked like GREAT FUN to jump on the couch. Thankfully, he's still mastering the art of jumping; his style keeps his feet planted and he raises his body up & down by bending at the knee. Someday, he'll have that mastered as well. Lucy IS a few months older.

Mike and I are AMAZED at how much Lucy talks! Sydney still does NOT say much... just a few words here and there. She also identifies all of the Sesame Street characters (clearly) by name, as well as colors, animal sounds and toy food. Kate said that "all morning, she has been walking around our house asking SYDNEY? SYDNEY?" - wondering WHEN we were coming to your house to play. 

We know that SOMEDAY he will talk... when he is good and ready.

Hanging out with Lucy is a good gauge of what behaviors are coming our way... YIKES! (I guess THAT is why they remind parents at the Well Child appointments that "Toddlers at this age need CONSTANT SUPERVISION.")

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18 Jan 2011: LUCY, U WANT 2 COME 2 MY HOUSE 2MORROW 4 A PLAY DATE? - SYDNEY

19 Jan 2011: Lucy came to our house to play. She & Sydney dragged out most of the toys that we own, as well as the adult balance ball. They hugged. They chased each other. They ran. They read books. They played in the toy kitchen. They played with blocks. They had juice. LUCY EVEN TAUGHT HIM A FEW NEW THINGS: how to stand on the couch to JUMP up & down AND... how to climb INSIDE the washing machine! (EEK! Maybe he didn't notice. Yeah, right!)

KATE: Where is...

SYDNEY: (pointing) RIGHT THERE!

Uh-Oh... x+24.2 is 7.1 heavier than 2009's 24wk

I feared going in for my appointment today; in fact, I've DREADED IT for weeks! At my last appointment, Doc said that I had gained 7.4 pounds since the previous month. (I thought that was a mistake, but she held the numbers in my file and I'm not good at remembering numbers.) When I questioned her about my weight (last time), she instructed me "Well, don't gain 7 pounds between every appointment."

Hmmm, interestingly enough, I gained ANOTHER 7.2 pounds, which she laughed was less than last month's gain of 7.4. Doc didn't seem concerned AT ALL. We compared it to my first pregnancy... when we first met her at our 24 week appointment. My current weight was still considerably LESS than my 2009 weight. 

I, however, was CRUSHED. 

Venting: Damn all those baked goods and delicious hors d'oeuvres over the holiday celebrations. Damn all those cravings to eat... sometimes just an hour after my last meal. Damn these varicose veins bulging from my left leg, as well as the fluid retention in that ankle. Damn this discomfort in my low back/hip region where I sometimes have to CRAWL to the bathroom in the middle of the night. And don't get me started on having to wear these stupid, but obviously helpful, support hose!

I thought my weight gain week-by-pregnant-week was comparable to last time. Mike assured me that it was fine; "afterall, look how good Sydney turned out!" BUT looking back on my blog, in early 2009, I felt concerned at 24 weeks when I had already gained 17.1 pounds – knowing that 25-35 is the recommended weight gain allowance.

During my appointment, I joked that I need to start wearing the same outfit to the doctor's appointments so that my clothes are at least consistent. Sassily, Mike said "Or wear LESS clothes." I laughed, but deep down - this weight gain makes me want to cry.

24.2 POUNDS! Horrified, I keep repeating the number to myself throughout the rest of the day. (I already know that Number 2 is scheduled to gain 6 ounces PER WEEK from here on out.)

Mike assures me "not to worry because it will all come off during breast feeding." (Yes, I "hope" that my body/MS will cooperate and that I will be able to do just that.)

Still, it makes me want to cry. (Hey, at least it doesn't make me want to over-eat. Right?)

:(

As we walked to our car, Mike announced "Despite knowing he's in there and normally moving around quite a bit, that's got to make you feel a little un-nerving when the nurse can't find the heartbeat." (Today, she struggled A LOT to find it - searching repeatedly on both of my sides, but eventually finding it right smack in the middle of my belly; while you lay there, however, it FEELS like an eternity.)

"I know." I replied. "Especially after she asked if I've been feeling a lot of fetal movements, that made me stop and think that he hasn't been super, super active today. Granted, I know he has periods of quiet, too. He just found a comfy place to sleep."

On a more positive note:

• Number 2's heart rate was good (144)

• my blood pressure was good

• my soccer ball-sized uterus measures right where it should 

• there were no traces of sugar or protein in my urine 

• Doc gave me a brochure on some exercises I can try - in hopes that it can ease some of my hip/back pain by strengthening my low back/hip/butt muscles. (The chiropractor has offered no such advice so, THIS is at least worth a try!) 

• my silly cough has been basically gone for about a week (YAY... finally!)

My next appointment (28 wk) tests for Gestational Diabetes and starts us going in every 3 weeks for regular appointments.

Deep breath. Sigh. It IS what it is. Regardless of my new weight complex, I grow anxious to meet Number 2 - who likes to remind me that he's living inside of my cozy uterus. AND just today, I informed Mike "I really LOVE being a mom!"

Parent/Tot Swim, whale in the water

We recently signed up for swimming lessons again; we hadn't gone done them since mid-July and wondered if Sydney would enjoy them any better than last time. Thankfully, he wore a smile on his face for MUCH MORE of the lessons this time around; it probably helps that he's done it before and was somewhat familiar with what was going to happen. (They did NOT force us to dunk our kids under water this time, which I think also helped a lot.) Despite the spa-like warm water, he shivered a lot. I think he was still a little bit nervous being in the water; he liked to hold on tight to Daddy.

After bearing a swimsuit in public, at the Parent/Tot Swimming Lessons, I kind of needed to see this pregnancy email update that was in my In-Box this morning. (I was ALREADY dreading my doctor's appointment - scheduled for this afternoon - because of my fear of the scale.) Somehow, I felt strangely HUGE donning my old maternity swimsuit; Mike reminds me that I will be entering my third trimester reasonably soon and that I am supposed to be BIGGER.

It didn't help either that there was a mother of 3 there wearing a tiny bikini and sporting a FANTASTIC body; she's currently still nursing her set of twins so, I wonder how THAT helps her metabolism. 

Truth be told, I never looked like THAT after giving birth. 

My friend Kate (Lucy's mom) and I decided that we MUST be doing something wrong; Kate's guessing "Genetics" has something to do with it. (She also wondered where the other mother's stretch marks were.) I wonder if/how she finds time to work out.... or if NURSING TWINS was the answer. 

(Sigh, it took me TEN MONTHS to lose my pregnancy weight last time!) 

Mike reminds me that MAYBE I CAN look like that... afterall, I "WAS" pregnant with twins in the beginning. (Yeah, a girl can dream....)

Weight Worries During Pregnancy

After a lifetime of watching your weight, it can be unnerving (and sometimes depressing) to watch it go up, up, up.

Repeat after me: I am not fat, I am growing a baby. After a lifetime of watching your weight, it can be unnerving (and sometimes depressing) to watch it go up, up, up. Whenever you feel bummed about your expanding girth (and your expanding bum), remind yourself that there's a beautiful reason your body is changing.  To fuel that baby growth at 25 weeks pregnant, you need to keep your growth going, too, so dieting's never an option when you're expecting.  Instead, eat as healthy as you can (remember, you share every bite with your baby), and eat as much as you need to in order to gain at the right rate. (One more time, with feeling: I am not fat, I am growing a baby!)

Baby 2 at 24 weeks

I'm not sure WHAT is happening... my baby tickers are all in disagreement: one says 108 days to go, two say 109 days to go and one says 110 days to go. (I guess I'll trust the 2 that say 109.)

Earlier today, I informed Mike that I am nervous to go for my 24 week appointment later this week; I dread the scale - hoping that I did not over-indulge too much over the holidays. He assured me NOT to worry... it IS, what it is!

He also informed me "Do you realize that you are ALMOST into your 3rd trimester already?" (I think that happens a little closer to his birthday, but I suppose THAT is right around the corner....)

I'm pretty proud to say that I am still able to lay flat on my stomach from time-to-time; although, Mike reminded me that I'm probably squishing Number 2 and that I wont be able to do that much longer. (I can expect for baby to start gaining 6 ounces per week now - packing on some fat!) 

This pregnancy has gone by SO FAST! Number 2 - still nameless - remains QUITE ACTIVE! I can tell that he's getting stronger and stronger with his kicks & punches. I'm finding myself wondering WHO he will look like - picturing in my head - a little cloned version of Sydney. (Afterall, our genes meshed together pretty well the first time.) Hopefully, we'll decide upon a name before we meet NUMBER 2.

Wonderful weekend for a winter wedding

It was a wonderful weekend for a winter wedding! We picked up our rental car on Thursday, loaded our stuff and headed (due east) to Wisconsin. Unfortunately, an upgrade with cruise control was not available so, Mike had to "watch himself". It took us slightly longer to get there than usual, but nothing remarkable. Thankfully, the weather cooperated for our travels!

Grandma & Grandpa Olson were VERY EXCITED to see us, as well as the growing "baby bump" that is reportedly MUCH BIGGER than it was at Christmastime. (Perhaps, wearing horizontal stripes wasn't helping my cause, but YES... baby bump IS bigger, as is the hole-selection on my belt.)

FRIDAY

Friday, we ran some errands in the morning and then, met Grandpa Olson at Culver's for lunch. We took Sydney home - in hopes of him taking a nap before the 3pm wedding - but the little stinker had other plans. He sat in his crib, talking to his babies... Tigger, Elmo and Uncle Mike's old nostalgic Dapper Dan doll. Grandma Olson & I watched him through the crack of the door while Mike slept on the bed (oblivious to the fact that Sydney was NOT SLEEPING). Sydney would pick the doll/stuffed animal(s) up, one by one, and look them squarely in the eye, talk jibberish to them, give them a hug (or pat them, as if burping) and then lay them down. I reminded Sydney on MULTIPLE OCCASIONS that he needed to nap so that we could go dancing. I told him that his babies were going to have to go sleep somewhere else because they are tired, too. After a few warnings, the babies were taken to Grandma's bed. But I could STILL hear Sydney talking. Peering through the crack of the door, he was crawling around the crib and pointing at all of the ducks on his blanket, announcing "Duck, Duck, Duck...."

After an hour and 15 minutes of screwing around, he was JUST starting to settle down! Needless to say, it hardly seemed fair to wake him from such a short nap so, we decided that Mike would stay home from the church-part of the wedding so that Sydney could nap.

It was a BEAUTIFUL WEDDING... Rachel made a beautiful bride, Aunt Sue & Kristen both looked super cute and all of their hard work had paid off - because everything looked PERFECT! (They did ALMOST EVERYTHING themselves and it looked fabulous!)

Here is the happy couple - during the ceremony.

(My baby bump is DEFINITELY larger than Rachel's baby bump... and we're only a week apart!)

After the ceremony, we gathered some stuff from the church and delivered it to the reception for them. It looked BEAUTIFUL inside the new Veteran's Terrace. Then, Grandma & Grandpa dropped me off to get Mike and Sydney ready to go. While they went for cocktails at a nearby restaurant with Uncle Jim, Aunt Barb & Auntie Karin, we went to the reception hall and reserved ourselves a table. As the room filled up, we were pretty glad that we had done that - and even more glad that we had a diaper bag full of books to set out at various place settings as place-holders.

While holding Sydney, he all-of-a-sudden gasps and points clear across the room. He had spotted Aunt Sue from across the crowded room. "Do you want to go see Aunt Sue?" I asked. (He nodded.) I set him down and he ran between all of the tables, making a B-line straight to her. (She was equally excited to see him; they are BUDDIES! Sydney LOVES Aunt Sue!!!)

Sydney was VERY PATIENT, sitting at our table, signing that he wanted to eat. I talked to the servers, asking them what the order of the tables was - discovering that we had quite a while to wait. They gave us permission to sneak into line after the head table and parent's table went through. Mike did sneak over to steal a pickle for Sydney to snack on while we waited for the food lines to start moving. 

Also, Aunt Sue & Kristen both kindly dropped food off at our table for Sydney; unfortunately, all he would eat there was a little roast beef, some cheese & crackers & PICKLES!

He was fascinated watching it snow outside the large windows. Some smokers decided to take a short-cut in/out a nearby door. Sydney thought it was a perfect opportunity to EAT THE SNOW that they tracked in off of their shoes! Ah, the mind of a 19-month-old...

(Sydney with beautiful cousin - maid of honor - Kristen.)

Eventually, we could tell that Sydney was getting tired. (We already knew that he hasn't been feeling himself lately... he had lost a little of his spunk and had red cheeks for half of the week, most likely from teething.) He wasn't his typical smiling self...

We diapered him and dressed him in his jammies. Then, made our rounds to say GOODBYE. He was pretty snuggly and tired - ready to go home and go to bed.

(Sydney LOVES to Skype with Aunt Sue & Rachel; He gets SUPER EXCITED to see them! Now that Rachel is married and taking her laptop with her... we'll have to see how often we can SAY HELLO on the computer. Maybe she will visit her parents and bring her laptop with her from time to time...)

SATURDAY

Saturday, we were surprised when Sydney took Mike by the hand - from the basement, up the stairs, through a room full of people in the kitchen, up another flight of stairs and indicated that he wanted to go to bed. His NAPTIME was overdue, but we were pretty proud that HE was the one that indicated that he was tired and wanting to sleep.

Sydney suffered from "monkey butt" on Saturday. His butt was BRIGHT RED and obviously VERY SORE! (This happened a few days after his cheeks turned red last time too. However, it also happened after he ate a lot of pickles - both times, as well. He DID eat pickles at our Culver's lunch and had 2 pickle spears at the wedding. Mental note: monitor pickle intake, as much as he loves them!)

Late in the afternoon, we diapered him and lubed him up thick with Butt Paste. He wiggled in pain, crying and yelling "OW! OW! OW!" the whole time, which is heart-breaking. Tears rolled down his cheeks, collecting in his ears; that NEVER HAPPENS! We made our voyage home again (because Mike had to work for his boss' Sunday shift). 

It was a short trip that went fast. And was SUPER NICE to see my family!

Word explosion in early January

Sydney's Christmas present from Rachel was a Leap Frog talking pot with veggies. 

When you take the lid on & off, there is a sensor that announces "ON", "OFF", "OPEN" or "CLOSED". Thanks to this toy, Sydney now says the words ON and OFF.

This morning, I asked Sydney "What should we have for breakfast?" Immediately, he pointed to the microwave and smiled a HUGE GRIN - as if he had just won the lottery jackpot. "No, we're NOT eating cookies for breakfast, but nice try though." Then, he ran to the fridge door and said "Ow-oh-oh". (This is how he has been consistently saying HOT DOG; other times, he drops the second OH.) So, for breakfast today, Sydney picked: a hot dog, an entire orange and a few carrots - to go with his cranberry juice. YUM! (Shiver.) All of this, of course, was AFTER we had finished off the fresh blueberries.

Sydney also has a slightly jibberish word for APPLESAUCE. (It's the APPLE-part of the word that is tricking him.) I wish I could tell you how he says it, but it's a tongue-twister of a word, especially since he likes to leave the first letter off of his words. It is recognizable enough that you can guess that he is trying to say applesauce though. I give him credit for trying!

This afternoon, in the bathtub, Mike and Sydney were talking. Mike was working on vowels with Sydney. After a little practice, Sydney says: A, E, I and O. (The U seems like a lost cause at this point.)

We went on a dinner date tonight to Salsa's Mexican Restaurant. Sydney LOVES to eat their salsa & chips. Thankfully, we brought a bib and a dishtowel for protection of his shirt... last time, his clothes were sopping wet from the salsa dripped all over his front. He especially likes that he gets HIS OWN BOWL of salsa there. Tonight, when his drink of water was gone, he indicated that he was still thirsty and motioned for mommy's drink. He got SUPER EXCITED to see that there was ice in my glass. Mike got Sydney to say "Mama, ice." and to motion the word PLEASE. It obviously helped that they just worked on saying "I" in the bathtub.

YAY! Another word for Sydney... the boy who almost never speaks! :)

NOTE: He says MaMa, but sometimes it is Am-Ma. He says DaDa, but sometimes it is Ah-Da. He LOVES to say UP, but sometimes that also means DOWN. And his new favorite is UH-OH. Ah-Pa-Pa still means Grandpa, but sometimes that means Grandma, too. It, apparently is interchangeable at this point... in the mind of a 19-month old.

Our day in review...

Today started off as a good day. 

Sydney slept reasonably well, only waking at 10:30pm last night for a short snuggle with mommy. When we went downstairs, Sydney started saying "DaDa? DaDa?" wondering where Mike was. When I said Daddy was at work, he pointed to the phone and said "DaDa". So, we called to say "Good Morning." While the phone was ringing, Sydney kept saying "DaDa, DaDa, DaDa", but once Mike answered, he wouldn't say anything, but DID wave at the phone with his hand. Daddy had asked us if we were having OATMEAL for breakfast. Sydney shook his head NO. Mike suggested TOAST. Sydney shook his head YES. Although, after we hung up, Sydney INSISTED that we make oatmeal. (He is SO PROUD that he can point to all of the cabinets to tell me where we keep the oatmeal, bowls, measuring cup, brown sugar and raisins. He also has to stir it himself; he physically removed my hand that was holding the bowl in place because HE had to do it all himself. He's getting to be SUCH A BIG BOY!)

While the oatmeal was cooling, we had some fresh blueberries; however, he INSISTS that they be served out of a ramekin because an ordinary bowl just won't cut it. This kid KNOWS what he wants!

After breakfast, Sydney watched a little bit of television. Today's Sesame Street episode was about a case of "Mine-itis" so, I purposely did NOT turn that episode on. Sydney does NOT know the word "mine" and we hope to keep it that way for a while... While I was making myself breakfast, he came running into the kitchen to drag me by the hand to the tv. Elmo's World was featuring brushing your teeth. (This is the same episode that he watched yesterday, which explains why he insisted upon brushing his teeth every time we went upstairs yesterday.) During the segment, a little girl announced that she eats CARROTS because they are good for her teeth. Sydney immediately bolted to the kitchen and stood, pointing to the fridge. We opened the door and sure enough, he pointed to the vegetable drawer and INSISTED that he needed carrots, too. He took a bite and then, pointed to his mouth, announcing "teeth". Funny kid!

After I was done eating and Sydney was done with Sesame Street, I invited him into the kitchen to help me make a breakfast strata.  We used a glass and a biscuit cutter to cut shapes out of bread. I thought for sure that he would LOVE this part. He grew bored with it and just wanted to rip the bread. He LOVED snapping the ends off of asparagus; although, he kind of snapped the entire stem of it so, I had to pre-snap the end and then let him snap it into small pieces for me. He thought that was fun. His favorite job was helping with the cheese. The recipe called for process cheese cubes. I cut them into cubes and Sydney LOVED to arrange them on top of our torn bread pieces. Then, I gave him some shredded cheese that we needed to use up; he had a great time sprinkling that on our dish. 

While I diced some onions and ham, he disappeared into the living room. (I found him sitting in the recliner with a copy of Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham. He was flipping through the book, announcing "ham, ham, ham" as he turned the pages of the book. (It was cute!) When I was done dicing the ham, he enjoyed arranging that on top of the cheese and asparagus; although, you could tell that he REALLY wanted to pick up the entire bowl of ham to speed the process. After transplanting a few handfuls of ham, he DID pick up the entire bowl and dumped it onto our dish. Then, we spread it out.

He LOVED that we had to count out 6 eggs. Then, he did his Sesame Street LAUGH - like "The Count". (That, too, was SUPER CUTE!) He motioned that we needed to use the whisk to stir the eggs. This 19-month old certainly knows his way around the kitchen!

Sydney's lunch and nap were a little bit later than usual today. I still had time to shower before my haircut at the beauty school. (As I was hopping in the shower, I could hear a snowblower. Frank, across the street, had come to clean up all of our snow for us, for which I was VERY THANKFUL; although, I had promised Sydney that after his nap, he could go outside to shovel snow with Daddy.) 

On my way to the beauty school, my check engine light came on and the car displayed an error message: ALTERNATOR WORKSHOP! (Mike and Sydney were BOTH napping when I left so, I left a message on the answering machine so that I would remember what the error was.) After my SUPER CUTE haircut, I went home to have a quick snack and then, brought Sydney down for a haircut. When we got back home, we talked to the neighbor about the car problems and she offered to go with me/us to have it looked at. (She has a mechanic background.) I told her that we could do it AFTER dinner & swimming lessons.

When we got back from our haircuts and visit next door, the house smelled delicious; Mike had prepared dinner. We ate and got ready for swimming lessons. Tonight was our first session of Parent/Tot swimming lessons at the YMCA (since we did it in June). On the way, Mike glanced over at my dashboard and informed me "that's not your check engine light, that is the battery light". Within a few seconds, I suddenly had a few more lights lit on my dashboard and we scurried to turn off the heated seats, the radio, etc. As we drove, we watched the dashboard suddenly start to dim. Mike announced "You need to pull over right away." YEP, turns out, the car died a few seconds later. We tried to restart it, but it was DEAD-dead.

Mike offered to run home to get the truck. (He said he only lasted a few blocks running before he had to walk the rest of the way.) While we waited, I took Sydney out of his carseat (since we had to move it into the truck anyways to get home.) When I got out, I noticed that my back end was blocking someone's driveway. Great! (I thought.) I turned on the ignition and was surprised that it started so, I pulled ahead. When Mike got there, we restarted the car (again) and he turned it around so that it was headed in the right direction (home). I followed him in the truck. It didn't last very long so, thankfully much of the stretch home was DOWN-hill and he was able to coast. As we got closer to home, he pulled over and we switched drivers. I sat in my dead car, with it in neutral and he pushed the back end with his truck as I attempted to steer home.

Once we were home, he did announce that we cracked the paint off of the back bumper a bit. Neither of us were super upset by this. To both of us, it's "just a car"; in my past life, it would have been THE END OF THE WORLD. (Did I mention how much I LOVE my husband and how happy I am with this NEW LIFE OF MINE?) We went to the neighbor's house to see if we could borrow a battery charger (since Lisa told us to NEVER BUY ANYTHING without checking with them first). While Mike hooked up the car, Sydney and I tested out Sydney's new shovel (that he had been BEGGING to use for most of the afternoon.)

Mike hopes that the car has enough charge by tomorrow that he can take it to an auto store for a diagnosis. (We can rescue him in the truck, if needed.) We were relieved that THIS happened today instead of on our way to WI for Rachel's wedding later this week. Mike was also relieved that it happened NOW instead of while he's away at corporate seminars... which is in a few weeks. Hopefully, we can get my car back into action again... otherwise, we might be renting a car for the weekend!

Our haircuts are cute. Our bellies are full. We missed swimming lessons. The car is broken down. (And the truck is already scheduled to go in for over-due repairs next week.) Thankfully, we are all healthy and happy. 

Tomorrow is a new day. 

He REALLY pays attention!

This afternoon, after a handful of uncomfortable nights, we went to the chiropractor. (I had been avoiding going in because I stayed uncomfortable for SO LONG after my last adjustment and was finally starting to feel pretty good overall. Then, all of a sudden, I was having to CRAWL to the bathroom at night and didn't have the strength to lift my one leg when laying on my side because of a nerve pinch.) Mike wanted an adjustment today, too.

While we waited in the office for the doctor to finish with his previous patients, Sydney was checking out the open exam room. Sitting in the room, at Sydney's perfect level, was an open case that held an otoscope. (It was in a disassembled state, resting inside the case.) He reached for it, but I quickly re-directed him back out into the waiting room, telling him that THAT was NOT a toy for babies to play with.

A while later, while we were chatting with the doctor, Sydney ran back in and grabbed the head piece of the otoscope and immediately inserted it into his ear. There was NO DENYING that Sydney knew EXACTLY what it was for. He OBVIOUSLY pays attention whenever we take him to the doctor.

Perhaps, he will grow to be a doctor someday?

• • • • • • • 

On a separate note, after we brushed our teeth tonight, Sydney pointed to my makeup compact that sat on the vanity shelf. Then, he started to rub his hands on his chin and cheeks - pointing again at my makeup compact.

I don't wear makeup very often, but OBVIOUSLY he has watched me put it on at least once. He knew EXACTLY what that was, too.

This kid REALLY pays attention!

No one noticed the shoes

This morning, while Mike was going to the bathroom, I noticed that his underwear was on inside out. He didn't seem to care all that much because he was tired and un-enthused to go to work. (He clocked in 60 hours this past week.)

Later in the day, when we talked to him on the phone, he questioned if Sydney and I were going to be running out later in the day. I explained that I hadn't necessarily planned on it, but inquired WHY.

Mike informed me that he was wearing two different shoes.

"What do you mean 2 different shoes?"

"Well, they are BOTH Reebok, but that's about the only similarity. They are two different colors... like one is navy blue and the other is white."

"Seriously? THAT is funny! So are they making fun of you at work for it?"

"Surprisingly NO. No one has noticed... or else they are too polite to say anything."

Interestingly enough, today was NOT a day that he was up at 3:45am getting ready for work. He didn't have to be there until 7:30 so, he should have been a little more alert than that, getting up at 6am.

I reminded him that his underwear were on inside out and said that he could use that as ammo to detract from the shoes if anyone noticed. "No, I think I'll keep THAT to myself." he quickly replied.

• • •

When he came home from work tonight, I couldn't wait to see (and take a picture) of his mis-matched shoes. He said they were VERY BUSY all day at work and that thankfully no one noticed the shoes.

I still think it is pretty funny! (At least he wasn't wearing two left - or two right - shoes.... and they WERE on the correct feet.)

Ah, honey... thanks for the laugh! That made my day. :)