Farewell Swing, Bouncer, & Bumbo

Our 21 pound Brogan has outgrown most of his baby equipment. A lot of the items had a 25 pound weight limit, but we could see that waiting that long could prove dangerous. To see Brogan's growth, look below at a picture of Brogan in the swing in early May and a picture of him in it in mid-August. We couldn't use the headpiece any longer! Neither one of my children loved the swing, though it proved somewhat useful for Brogan's short morning naps. I don't think any of us miss the thing. The swing just took up a lot of space in our living room.

A bouncer is supposed to sit at somewhat of an incline, but it no longer did with Brogan. He was essentially lying horizontal, especially when he bounced. It would not have been long before his legs were higher in the air than his head. And, so, the bouncer got the boot as well. I will probably miss it the most since I often used it to entertain Brogan while I showered or did chores. Ayden might also miss the bouncer since I sometimes caught him sitting in it!

 

 

And, finally, the Bumbo. Yes, I know the Bumbo was recently put on recall. That has nothing to do with why we don't have it anymore. One, Brogan was starting to rock in the Bumbo, which obviously increases the likelihood that he will throw himself backward. Two, I was having a hard time getting him out of it because his booty would literally be stuck in the chair. Three, yep, you guessed it... Our little man is sitting up on his own! Two weeks ago, he looked like this:

After one day of practice with his Daddy and then another with CeeCee, the expert teacher on sitting up (she taught Ayden as well), he now looks like this:

He occasionally loses his balance and falls to the side or backwards, but he has learned quickly to balance and play with toys. He still gets tired after about 30 minutes and then wants to try something new. Some of that may also have to do with boredom; he doesn't last too long doing any one activity.

Of course, once we got rid of three big baby items, we put out one larger than the rest, the jumper! When Ayden came downstairs one morning and saw the jumper in the living room floor, he exclaimed, "WOOOOOW!" We have had a difficult time explaining to him that he played with the jumper once upon a time and that now Brogan would play in it. We told him to show Brogan how to use the toys. I'm not sure Ayden is as keen on being teacher as he is on playing with the toys himself!

Mama! Stuck! Help!!!!!!!!!

Yes, Ayden has a bucket on his head.
Yes, Brogan is eating his bib.

On day one of being in the jumper, Brogan learned how to use all of the toys, and, naturally, he learned how fun it was to jump.

I think Brogan certainly benefits from having an older brother to mimic. I'm not sure he will ever crawl because he sees that Ayden walks. He still loves when someone holds him standing up, and he grins when his daddy helps him "walk" across the floor.

The first time Brogan rolled over back to belly, he completely freaked out. Since then, he is content to do twisting motions to see what everyone is doing. That doesn't mean that his daddy doesn't do tummy time with him to encourage him to keep trying.

How far can I go without actually rolling to my tummy?

Yes, that is drool. I am rather messy with all my drool and spit up!

As Brogan becomes more interactive, Ayden become more jealous. If one is taking pictures of Brogan, Ayden decides he wants his picture taken (notice Ayden say "Cheese!" in the background of one of the videos). If one pays attention to Brogan, Ayden wants the same attention (notice Ayden say "hug" or actually sit in my lap!). Ayden has recently become quite angry with his daddy over the amount of attention Brogan gets. As a result, Ayden is all about his mama. Brogan, on the other hand, is slowly evolving into a Daddy's Boy. My favorite thing to watch Brogan and Bryan do is have conversations. Brogan especially likes to gargle his spit to "talk," and his daddy will hover over him gargling back; they can go back and forth gargling for as long as Bryan is willing.

In sum, our little boy is fastly becoming a big one. His smiles and laughter further cheer a home already filled with enormous joy and blessing!

MORE PICTURES AFTER THE BREAK

School Daze

My great grandmother bought me this great golf polo.
I looked "spiffy" for school!

Ayden has done well with adjusting to his new school. Only one day did we have trouble at dropoff, which resulted in throw up. All other days he's settled in fairly quickly and begun playing with the toys or helping his teacher. He especially loves to help people and says, "Help me?" when he wants to be of assistance. (Yes, he should be asking if he can help you, but I don't care how he says it! At least his heart is in the right place!) Ayden's favorite part of the day is going outside to play on the playground. Unfortunately, lunchtime follows playing outside, so he's not always cooperative at lunchtime because he doesn't want to leave the playground. Regardless, his reports have indicated that he is cheerful and interactive, participates in group activities, and listens to his teacher. His teachers describe him as a "helpful, wonderful child" that is "such a joy." Every parent wants to hear that his/her child is behaving well and appropriately and having fun doing so. We are so happy for him. Below you will see Ayden sharing his daily report with his daddy.

Though the school does teach him colors, numbers, shapes, and letters, we aren't sending him so he'll learn those things. Honestly, our bright two-year old is already doing really well with learning those concepts in everyday living. Bryan and I laid some ground work with his colors many months ago, but he was either yanking our chain or didn't have a clue as to what was going on. Then G-Daddy showed up in early July, and he made learning colors fun and new. Ayden was receptive, and, with G's encouragement and the use of Eric Carle's My Very First Book of Colors, as well as the corresponding iPad app and some Lego Duplo blocks, he learned the following colors: blue, black, brown, green, yellow ("yellyo"), orange, red, pink, white, and purple. (As a side note, I never believed that children picked their own favorite colors, but I now know they do; Ayden seems to love blue and purple.) In addition to his colors, Ayden has learned to count to 15; he gets to seven with no mistakes, and his teens all sound the same, but he is really doing great. With regards to shapes, he knows circle, square, oval, and triangle. He also recognizes some letters, such as G, A, and Y.

What we do want from school is for Ayden to learn how to interact with other children. Some things Ayden has acquired while interacting with his classmates:

• "No."-- We had never heard the word "no" from Ayden until after his first day of school. I'm not sure how we managed to make it this far avoiding it!
• "Oh, boy!"-- Apparently, his classmates have taught him, "Oh, boy!" In exchange, he has them saying, "Oh, man!"
• "Ready, set, go!"-- He sometimes forgets the "ready" part, but the other two he combines well with car racing or running around the house.
• Gross motor skills-- Already we see an advancement in Ayden's ability to climb, run, and slide. He has also been trying to jump, which still looks more like a gallop.
• His second crush (Ms. Anna was his first)-- We aren't sure if has a crush on his classmate or his assistant teacher. Since the three of them are together often at lunch and on the playground, it's difficult to tell. Maybe he has a crush on both!

Unfortunately, playing with children also means subjecting Ayden to the germs we've been avoiding for two years. As a result, all four of us have gained a cold, and Ayden has missed two days of school due to illness. We have been trying to teach Ayden to cover his mouth, with some measure of success; Ayden was strangely initially opposed to the idea. Bryan and I are tired of wiping snotty noses, administering Tylenol for fevers, and cleaning up throw up because of gunky congestion and coughing. We knew he'd get sick, but we didn't think it would happen so quickly. Of course, it's possible that we got sick elsewhere, but I have my doubts...

I feel terrible!

And how am I doing with Ayden being in school? I think it's awesome! Ayden gets to hang out with kids his age, play outside regularly, observe and participate in eating activities, and take direction from another adult. Brogan and I also benefit: I get to exercise, go to Bible study, and run errands; Brogan gets one-on-one time with me. It's a good thing for all of us... as long as we can stay healthy some of the time!

I want to acknowledge Ms. Kristin, Ayden's physical therapist. She works in conjunction with Ayden's school, and she has been a tremendous asset in helping Ayden make the transition. She has walked him into the classroom, hung out with him at dropoff, checked in on him during the day, and even sent me text messages and pictures to show me how well he is doing. She has gone above and beyond to make us all feel comfortable with Ayden's first days at school, and I am so grateful for the love she has shown us!

Pictures of Ayden at his home desk (painted dragon created by Great Aunt Susan) after the break...

Like His Daddy

 

Ayden is a fairly photogenic kid; however, over the past couple of months, he has become more and more difficult to photograph. He gets annoyed when you ask him to be in a photo or to provide an award-winning smile. However, if I try to take a picture of Brogan, it's amazing how he then wants to steal the spotlight. Occasionally, he becomes interested in having his picture taken, so he can then look at himself on the digital camera. After the break, you can see some of the crazy, and sometimes bad, pictures taken over the past two months.

Choo Choo

Bryan and I got Ayden a few wooden train cars and a small amount of track on his second birthday. I never dreamed that our gift would instigate the adoration that Ayden now has for all things trains. I remember when he used to call trains "choo choos," and he would serve as the caboose behind CeeCee or me chugging him around the house. Now, he expertly refers to them as "trains" and calls all of the train cars by character name. And, of course, his collection of trains and train accessories has grown over the past months, as has his interest in the various train programming, Chuggington, Thomas and Friends, and Dinosaur Train. His favorite trains seem to be Brewster, Wilson ("Wils"), and Koko ("ToeToe") from Chuggington. His favorite characters on Dinosaur Train are Buddy (he calls him "Rex") and Shiny the Pteranodon. He can sit and play trains for hours, and he would probably watch train shows all day if we would let him. One of the cutest things I've seen him do recently is sing the Chuggington theme song. And he refers to Thomas the Tank Engine as the "cheeky one" since that is how the song describes him.

Sick Ayden is playing with his Dinosaur Train toys while watching the show.

Dinosaur Train Sculpture

How awesome are my hat & stickers?!?!

 MORE TRAIN PICTURES AFTER THE BREAK...

Out With the Old, In With the New

At mealtimes, Ayden's famous requests used to be for "cheese" (puffs) and (tomato) "sauce." Very seldom does he now desire those food items. He's moved on to french fries and pizza.

Ayden asks about certain people throughout his day. When he gets to his CeeCee, I tell him she is selling pizza. (She works for Schwan's.) I'm starting to wonder if Ayden wouldn't also be a good salesperson for a pizza company. He would, at the very least, be an excellent advertisement: We taught Ayden the Batman jingle, and we have moved on to the Superman slogan; out of nowhere this past week, he exclaimed, "Bird! Plane! Pizza!" Who needs Superman when he can have pizza!?!?! He waits for pizza expectantly and assumes that is what is waiting at the door when the doorbell rings. When he actually gets pizza, all he does is bite on it and lick off the sauce; still, he loves the stuff.

When Ayden points to his jaw and bites,
he is showing you that he knows the concept of chewing.

Though pizza is high on the list, french fries are still higher. You know you eat fast food too often when your son yells from the backseat, "Fries!" as you put in an order at any drive thru. When he gets home from school, he almost always expects to have a bowl of fries, as well as the accompanying All Done Bowl (or paper towel) for his discards. His consumption of fries is minimal at best; however, fries are the only food item he makes a concentrated effort to bite, chew, and swallow. Often these actions result in spitting the fry pieces out; sometimes he ends up gagging on a piece he feels uncomfortable having in his mouth. On occasion, he swallows some of the fry, and we all applaud the accomplishment. Indeed, it's still a scary action for him, so we give him all the fries he wants! We do similar activities with more meltable items as well, such as Ritz crackers, Oreo cookies, and graham crackers. He's really come a long way, and we are hopeful that his peer models at school will inspire him to try and consume even more. Already he has come home one day with a report that he ate TWO WHOLE CRACKERS! We've never seen him eat one, so we're thrilled!

I love french fries with ketchup!

CeeCee and Mama made me pancakes, bacon, banana slices,
yogurt, and milk for breakfast. A bit ambitious, perhaps, but yummy, nonetheless!

Ayden is a very funny guy, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. One recent instance that made Bryan and me chuckle was when Bryan told Ayden he had only two more bites of food before he could get down to play. Ayden responded, "Four?" Bryan said, "You're negotiating skills are not that good, Buddy. You want four?" Ayden then questioned, "Six?" Yeah, he's not quite getting it yet.

Overnight Trip with the Boys

Awhile ago Bryan petitioned to our readership for advice on purchasing a vehicle. We wanted something that I felt comfortable driving in big city traffic, as well as parking in tight hospital spaces. We also wanted something that accommodated two growing boys and their everyday and vacationing needs. We really only received one serious response from one of my Clemson roommates, Megan, and, at the end of July, we ended up purchasing the very vehicle she suggested, the 2012 Mazda 5. (Thank you, Meg!) I feel great about our purchase. Not only did Bryan and I research, investigate, and negotiate well, but the Mazda 5 is a fantastic fit for our family. Yes, it's a small minivan, and Bryan wasn't thrilled about a minivan option, but he seems okay with the concept since it doesn't really look too much like one. Ayden named the van "Elly" after Ellyvan on one of his favorite shows, Jungle Junction; I thought that was a very clever unprompted name, considering their shapes and colors are the same.

So with Elly only two days in ownership, Ayden, Brogan, and I traversed state lines and went on our first overnight trip. We spent three nights at my parents' house three hours away. The road trip was initially a little scary for me. I'm kind of a pee queen right now, so I kept thinking about the implications of a scenario in which I needed to use the restroom. I practically dehydrated myself on both legs of the trip to keep from having to haul both (potentially sleeping) boys out of the car and into a nasty bathroom. We left during afternoon naps. Brogan slept the entire trip both ways. Ayden slept maybe 30 minutes on the way there; his nap was interrupted by bridge construction traffic, but he handled the awake traveling time well. On the return trip, Ayden, like his brother, was practically unconscious. Phew! Survived that part.

When we arrived at my parents', Ayden was glad to see his G and CeeCee; he marched along in G's meticulously groomed spongy grass (something he would excitedly do throughout the visit; he loves walking outside) and entered their home without trepidation. The rest of our visit followed suit. He was happy to be somewhere new with people he loved and trusted. The only aspect he was unsure of was their dog, a chipper Boston Terrier named King. (Tangent: Those of you that know me know I'm not a huge fan of family pets (allergies, etc.), so it bothers me not at all if Ayden doesn't like them either. In some ways it will make my life easier if the boys don't want a dog or cat; I won't have to crush them with a firm "absolutely not.") Anyway, the boys even did well with sleeping somewhere new. Ayden slept on a super cool toddler air mattress complete with Mickey Mouse sheets and matching pillow, and Brogan slept in the crib used for my brother and me. They did great... I, on the other hand, slept terribly because I slept in the room with Dinosaur Brogan, the noisiest sleeping baby on the planet!

These chairs totally rock!

My teeth hurt some while on the trip;
rare was the occasion that I didn't have something in my mouth!

The first full day started with some time with friends from Clemson, Kyle, Meribeth, and their three precious daughters. CeeCee bought a pool complete with waterfall, as well as a special sprinkler, and the girls and Ayden played most of the morning in the water. I wish I could explain to you the memory those children created for my parents and me. Though Ayden didn't really play with the girls-- more like around them-- he was with other children doing what children do. Hanging out with Kyle and Meribeth and meeting their girls and then seeing our children together having so much fun... it was truly a blessing.

Another wonderful adventure was when we took the boys to one of the neighborhood parks. This particular park was tricked out with an awesome oval bike track. Ayden was supposed to drive his truck on the track, but since his driving skills aren't that predictable, he ended up traveling more in the small grass field in the middle of the track. Once he had gotten his fill of G-Daddy running after him in his truck, Ayden was then eager to play on the playground. His favorite part was walking up and down the stairs, occasionally taking the slide route instead. (He's obsessed with stairs these days, and I've been so proud of how much his stamina has increased and his abilities have improved as a result of his efforts to climb!) Brogan spent most of his park time with CeeCee. CeeCee strolled him around and held him in the standing position. He had his first swing experience, which proved a little scary for him; he may be too little still. Overall, both boys just loved being outside.

Ayden learned to open and close doors at CeeCee and G's. He was already obsessed with doors, so this discovery was super exciting for him and super annoying for me. Ayden spent a lot of time going from door to door and letting us know if one needed to be opened or closed. Since Ayden said "door" and "CeeCee" and "G" about a thousand times while we were there, I know the house must have felt extraordinarily quiet once we were gone.

Fun with Uncle James!

The whole trip was awesome. A lot of thought went into making the visit manageable and fun. Not only did my parents and brother work many hours to provide appropriate accommodations for us, but their neighbors also pitched in to make the stay comfortable. My parents had a high chair, beds, baby bathtub, diapers, burp cloths, toiletries, etc., and they also had age appropriate toys for both boys. Ayden even had a left-handed desk, which is probably very appropriate for him. (Many of our family members are left-handed, and though he does many things with both hands, I won't be surprised if he is officially a lefty.) My daddy was shocked at how little I had to bring to their house, but, honestly, they provided everything... and more. My parents have been so supportive and encouraging and thoughtful and selfless and loving and nurturing and helpful and fun over these three years (well, really, my whole life!)... and I hardly know what I would do without them!

I played with one of my mama and uncle's old Ghostbuster toys!

If we put our heads together, we can get this thing built!

MORE PICTURES AFTER THE BREAK...