Happy Friday!

We’re off to the beach for a week!

Rt giving me his version of Signing Times “Colors of the Rainbow.”

And Hola’s efforts at 1-10 from March.

So, while we have been dealing with life issues over here, our youngest, Hola, has been upgraded to a “big boy” bed of sorts. At first, I didn’t think this was ideal timing. I mean, why on earth would I want to take him out of his crib and give in to his freedom right in the middle of all of this?

Oh, right. CAUSE HE WAS ALREADY DOING IT.

Yes, Hola has been catapulting himself out of his crib off and on for months now. He’s become a master and the crib his high jump. While he does have skills, it was concerning me that he was doing this many times a day, mostly at bedtime. One wrong move and he could get hurt.

Our crib doesn’t have a drop down bar, so our only option was to remove the front railing and install the toddler rail.

Look how proud he is!

Still loves to scale the wall!

Now, none of this would work if we didn’t “lock” the door. You see, we have handle bar door knobs. They lock from the inside and cannot be reversed to lock from the outside. (Believe me, I TRIED!) So, I went to Home Depot the other day and bought a round door knob. I installed it myself, BACKWARDS, and now can push one little button and, voila, a safer place for Hola to sleep in.

Actually, he doesn’t know how to open the round door knobs yet, since we don’t have any. And, technically, I could put a safety knob on the door, so he couldn’t open it anyway. At least I have three options for the time being, and that is ideal, especially during a time like this.

e

Dear Hunter,

Despite our recent events, I wanted to make sure I gave you the proper shout out, now that you just turned 2.

You are an adoring spit-fire. I see you rarely without a grin on your face. You’re full of mischief, but somehow, someway, I have more patience for you. I think it might be that you are the second child. If you were my first, I would hesitate on having more children unless they were 14 years apart. I kid. You’re just so darn busy. I am told your personality is a spitting image of myself. I did everything before I was supposed to and it seems you are following along the same path. Maybe that’s it. I see myself in you and give you more room to roam.

You climb. You climb EVERYWHERE. Counter tops, dining room tables, bathtubs and tricycles. It was raining today. I can back from the back of the house and you had grabbed a chair, unlocked the sliding glass door and was rummaging around the backyard in one soaked sock.

You adore your brother. You ask for him often. You want him to play with you. You want him to be finished with quiet time once you awake from your nap. You love him and it’s obvious. Your brother told me yesterday that you are his best friend. You would be thrilled to know that. I can see a close-knit relationship with the two of you and I couldn’t be more pleased.

We wondered if you would ever say anything. You walked in your 9th month, so maybe you were just too busy moving to think twice about saying anything. Plus, your brother is such an articulate one. Why would you need to say anything when he says it for you? But now, you can count to 10. You can repeat the ABC’s. You ask to watch “Blues Clues” while mimicking jazz hands. Colors, you know your colors, somewhat. Hearing you say “yellow” is adorable. And when you get a time-out, hearing you say “sorerry” makes it hard for me not to snicker in your face.

You’re a natural. In everything you do. You can knock a ball off a tee better than some kids on your brother’s tee ball team. Your golf swing is as solid as they come. You drop kick a soccer ball without any instruction to do so. You can serve a tennis ball with a plastic putter and could probably clear the net if we got you out on the court. It’s in you. All your daddy and I have to do is sit back and watch, in awe, of course.

You’re a lover. A squirmy one, but a lover no less. I tell you I love you when I put you to bed and you tell me “I luv uuuuuu.” It melts me every time. I showed you how to “pretend snore” with your eyes closed last week  and you followed suite when I put you down for the night. It was a pure riot. Hilarious! You adore your daddy. He can do no wrong. He can shoot a mean basket and that’s all it takes for him to hang the sun and the moon. We got you a basketball goal for the backyard and every since, both you and your brother INSIST on going outside and shooting some hoop. It’s LOVELY.

While we were trying to conceive you, we had a miscarriage. If we had not gone through what we did, then you would have never been in our lives. Just thinking of that option, brings tears to my eyes. Because no matter how much you challenge me, remind me of myself, you are everything to me. And if I didn’t have you, I would be lost forever.

You are a true blessing from above and I am reminded of that daily. Thank you for keeping me on my toes and loving me every step of the way.

I love you,

Mommy.

Last Fall, I wrote about Hola popping out his elbow while we were in Oklahoma visiting my family. Well, while visiting hub’s parents in Carmel over the weekend, Hola did it again. And this time, he did it all by himself.

He was reaching up on top of the dresser for Rt’s Leapster when hubs stepped in and tooked the game away. (It’s not his game, but that just means he wants it EVEN MORE. ALL THE TIME.) Hola was so PISSED that he dropped his right arm, while still holding onto the dresser with his left, and chose to throw himself to the ground in protest.

WHILE STILL HOLDING ONTO THE DRESSER, mind you.

One twist, one MAJOR pull, and

OUT the elbow goes.

He immediately grabbed at his elbow and began crying wildly.

I said something like “Shit”,

“We’ve got to go to the ER.”

It was perfect timing since we all were about to head out to dinner for my mother-in-law’s birthday celebration. Brother and sister-in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews all going. Mexican food…. Coronas….Limes…oh my!

Us?

En route to C.H.O.M.P.

(California Hospital of Monterey Peninsula)

2 hours later, elbow “supposedly” back in place, we were sent home. We almost stayed for x-rays since Hola was still not using his arm after being reset. (Last time, the recovery was MINUTES later. So not the case here.) BUT, moments before they came to get us, Hola used his arm, to point. And the doc let us go. CURED!

Not so fast.

Next day, on the way back home, 24 hours, almost later, STILL not using arm, AT ALL.

So, we decide to take him to Urgent Care for x-rays just to be safe. Results? No bone damage. Score, right? Well, then what was the problem??? The “doc in the box” with his medical book in hand, (I KNOW!!) tried to put the elbow back in place for a second time. Still, no immediate recovery. So, he half-cast his arm, put him in a sling and sent us home hoping it would roll back into place on its own until we got in to see the pediatrician the next day.

(Next day, 4:30p.m.)

Pediatrician surveyed his wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, collar bone, basically looked like he was giving Hola a mini-arm massage, then all of a sudden, we heard…..

POP.

Back into place. Maybe. (It was such a massive move that took a lot of focus and courage to wrangle that joint back into place. I am sure as all get out I would never have the balls to do that myself. WAAY too creepy for me.)

So, we sat around waiting (AGAIN) for some left arm movement.

Nothing. Nada.

Was told to go get x-rays to see if it could be ANYTHING else. Too bad they were closed for the holiday, so we were told to head in first thing this morning.

Thankfully, upon awaking this morning, Hola was using both arms as if nothing had ever happened. X-rays averted. WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOO!

******

We have until the age of 3 for Hola to outgrow this.

It’s going to be a long year.

e

This is what I look like before I have my morning hot chocolate. Purdy, huh?

The past two mornings, Hola has awakened at 5:30am. For the life of us, we can’t get him to go back to sleep. So, one of us gives up after a good long, LOUD struggle and brings him to our bed for that 10 minute chill before one of us gets up, so the other one can have their weekend sleep in session. (which I am sure is part of the problem, he knowing he can come to bed with us, but those 10 minutes mean EVERYTHING!)

Today was my morning to get up.

What makes matters worse is he takes a 3 hour nap in the early afternoon, to make up for being so dang tired from being up SO DARN EARLY. Clearly, we could wake him up earlier to see if that would shift things, but who wants to do that?

NOT ME.

So, at 6:10a.m., Hola and I made our way down the hall, stopping at Rt’s room to tell him to go back to bed. (He had the light on in his room after using the potty.) If I was going to be up this early, I only wanted to deal with one kid. I know, I know, such a meany.)

Usually I turn on the tube while Hola and I take in the early morn with some Sportscenter or something else mild like a cooking show. Today, I decided to keep the tv off and hoped by being in the pitch black, we might have a little more down time.

And we did.

He nodded off, I nodded off till about 7am. I cannot TELL YOU what a difference that makes for me. I just might make it through the day at this rate! And just maybe this extra morning cat nap will shift him enough to sleep past 6am tomorrow. Hey, while I am at it I am going to hope for SEVEN AM.

Hey, we were there once. A girl can dream….

e

This is what happens when you let your child, you know, PLAY.

Hope you and your loved ones have a Happy and HEALTHY New Year!!

e

Last night was a nightmare.

I was flying solo and awake with a “what the HELL is wrong with you” child for TWO entire hours.

From 3am-5am.

As I have mentioned before, we only go into Hola’s room if he is standing and crying in the night. Last night, he did this close to 20 times. No joke. No lie. NO WAY. I had no idea what was going on. He’d stop crying immediately when I entered the room, which pissed me off more than anything. If you REALLY needed me kid, you’d be bawling your eyes out continuously, but no, quiet as that Warner Bros Singing Frog the moment I opened the door.

While I would like him to work his issues out himself, I find myself conflicted. His crying PAINS me. Not in a, “poor baby” way, but in a “If I hear one more wail I am going to leave this joint” way. His room is right next to ours and the walls are made out of parchment paper. You can’t get away from it. No item shoved into my ear socket will do the trick. Plus, Rt’s room is on the other side of his, and especially while I am flying solo, I’d like to only be dealing with one kid in the night, not another one who can actually say, WORDS.

So, he’d cry, I’d eventually go in, lay him back down, get back in bed. 5 minutes later, he’d cry, I’d eventually go in, lay him back down and get back in bed. 10 minutes later, LATHER, RINSE, and REPEAT. The only thing that would change each time I would enter would be a strategic aid. First effort was with teething tablets, then Orajel. (I swear I just complained about this last week, right?) Next up, Motrin. NOTHING changed the outcome.

CRY.

Silence.

10 minutes pass.

CRY,

Silence,

9 minutes pass.

Almost falling back asleep 4 times is such a Debbie Downer on the body. It actually HURTS.

So, towards the end I was squeezing 43 ear drops into each ear, throwing his blanket back at him showing him who’s boss. (I swear, you should have been a fly on the wall. I was COMICAL. And not enjoyable to be around. Yelling obscenities in the hallway under my breathe was so close to AWESOME.)

Thinking I might have an ear infected kid on my hands, (cause why else would he NOT GO BACK TO SLEEP FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, BOY?) I called early this morning and made an appointment for this afternoon. We saw the magic ear doctor that can detect infected fluid from miles away. He gave a good look inside both ears and found…….

NOTHING.

No issues, no problems, NADA. Good luck to ya, sister.

But, wait! There isn’t anything to take for what he’s got?!? An attitude? A beef with his cotton sheet? Prefers flannel by this time of year?

In the end, I have no idea what it was, what did the trick. Maybe it was my will, maybe it was his. No matter, I pray I don’t see anybody, I mean ANYBODY, especially with a penis until daylight tomorrow.

e

I was gone for mere moments to take a shower BY MYSELF the other day. While in the back of the house, I heard tons and tons of laughter, the kind that makes you smile knowing someone is just tickled pink. Somehow, I never heard what was so funny. Then, today, I find tons of pictures on my camera taken by hubs of the boys. Check out a few below…

Now I get it.

e

Ok, so I’ve decided to do NaBloPoMo this year. I think I need some sort of pep in my step in these here parts, so this is the only thing I can think of to get me off my ass and start writing more frequently.

This is where I need your help. Is there anything you want to know, want to me to talk about? Anything I’ve mentioned before, but never got around to sharing? I’ve got 30 days to come up with decent material, so help me out a bit, mmmkk?

I did this two years ago during the month of November (so I know I can do it.) However, I was pg with Hola and had nothing better to do. I can say asking your sister-in-law to borrow her laptop during Thanksgiving so you can get your post written seemed a little SILLY, but it was the end of the month and I wasn’t going to lose out on all that work! (why I didn’t bring my own computer, I have no idea. Wait, maybe they didn’t have wireless…..)

Anywho, wish me luck!

e