Memorial Day, cont.

Warning: picture overload ahead...

Patrick grew up this weekend. I had no idea what a profound effect his relatives would have on him. Okay, I kind of suspected they would end up affecting him, but I figured it would be more on the crazy end of things. Instead, he matured to attempt to meet the level of the adults around him. It's a good thing he's going to have a younger brother and cousins to help him stay a kid around all the adults at family events soon.

He even looks more grown up, thanks to his first salon haircut. I won't go into the torture that is cutting a toddler's hair (thanks Mom for playing bad guy during that), but once he left the salon, he seemed to really love his new haircut. I have to agree. He grew from a young toddler to a miniature pre-schooler with just a few snips of the scissors.
His vocabulary grew immensely over the weekend, too. I can think of two new words he says now off the top of my head and one he learned to associate with much more.

Yesterday when we called Nana, Patrick started waving at the phone and saying, "Bye!" He hadn't gotten the two--waving and "bye"--in sync until this weekend when he went bye-bye several times every day. Now when he thinks of bye-bye, he thinks of going to Nana and Ba-pa's house. Speaking of that, he figured out what to call my dad (Grandpa). He calls him Ba-pa, because that's what he can pronounce that's close. How adorable is that? We're still working on the other grandparent names; even though he has proven to us that he can say Nana, Gigi, and Papa, he won't use them to identify his grandparents yet.

Sorry for all the Nana pictures this time around. He was acting really cute with her--while standing in one place! I took the opportunity to take lots of pictures, which turned out really well.

We got to see that goofy grin on his face nearly the whole weekend. Patrick loved having the task of entertaining the family with his antics and equally loved having each of them play with him as well. That squealy laugh rang through the house regularly any time he was awake. How come you guys can't hang out with him all day every day?

Uncle Nick is quite the accomplished pianist, and he was attempting to teach Patrick the trade. As much as Patrick loves music--and his Uncle Nick--he had fun "learning." Of course, moments before this picture, he displayed his comfort with his uncle by leaving him a smelly present in his diaper--hence the expression on Nick's face.

Patrick also had a lot of fun with his Aunt Jennifer (or Aunt Jill, or whatever nickname sticks for this aunt Jennifer). He wouldn't pose for the camera with her, though. Despite what it looks like here, he smiled a lot when Aunt Jennifer was playing with him.

Of course, his favorite part of the weekend had nothing to do with people. He remembered the cat immediately (kit-ty!), in the short time he saw her before she hid in "her" room from the mean old dog who showed up with Uncle Nick and Aunt Jennifer. That didn't bother Patrick any; the dog was just as amusing. He laughed at every doggy thing she did, like bark or scratch herself or run around the room. He also learned her name almost immediately. It doesn't hurt that it closely resembles "kitty"--Katie. He pronounced it very carefully: Kay-tee, emphasizing each syllable and that t. He has even asked for her since we got home. We may just have to try the dog thing again sometime after Nathan gets here.

We also went shopping over the weekend--naturally--and picked up a few new outfits for Patrick. I think this one wins as my favorite so far. It's a pair of mechanic's overalls (hard to see on the pocket, but that's what it says). They fit perfectly and look so cute on Patrick.

Not that it hurts that the first thing he did after getting them on was lean down next to his car like he's going to fix it. That's my boy!

The Best Decision of My Life

Two years ago today was one of the best days of my life. I made some promises that were easy to make, that I have never been tempted to break.
In memory of that day two years ago, I make those promises again. Matt, I still promise to love and cherish you, through the best times and the worst (we've experienced both in the last two years), until my dying breath and beyond. Thank you for being my best friend and loving me no matter what, even when I don't even like myself too much. You're a wonderful man and husband, and I don't deserve you--but I'm oh, so glad you chose me anyway. I love you with all my heart. I look forward to the next two years, and the two after that, and on and on as long as God will allow us to remain together. Happy anniversary, sweetie.

Thanks to my brother Steve for the photo.

A New Tradition?

I know not many of you remember, but last year on my birthday Matt took bunches of pictures of me with Patrick. That was the most special present I got last year, even if it only cost him time, not money. This year things worked out for him to do the same. Patrick may have been a bit less than cooperative much of the time, reaching for Daddy instead of cuddling with me, but we still got a few cute pictures. Here are my favorites from the bunch.

(not crying, just making a funny face)

(say it with me...awwww)

And of course we took a couple of belly shots in my new dress, too. This would be me at somewhere between 20 and 21 weeks (we'll probably get an updated due date based on the sonogram at my appointment on Thursday).

Thank Goodness Spring Is Back

Sorry I got on a roll there, blogging something like four days in a row, and then disappeared for a few days. You'll be thrilled to hear my absence from blogworld was due to busy-ness not sickness this time. This whole week has been go-go-go, and it's such a wonderful change. It feels great coming home at the end of the day totally exhausted but content. I like feeling exhausted from activity not illness.

Wednesday wasn't super busy, but Patrick and I did get out of the house for a short errand in the afternoon. We went to Babies R Us to pick up a few things for Thursday's anticipated outing. Of course we left the store with a few more things than were on our shopping list, but I restrained myself. It was great just being out, but on a relaxed schedule, not a doctor's schedule like Monday and Tuesday. I felt a little silly at first because I've grown so accustomed to talking to Patrick when it's just the two of us at home, and I ask him serious questions as though I expect him to hold a real conversation with me. I was doing that at the store too. I felt like I was talking to myself and that all the other moms with their little babies would be laughing at me. Then I realized that Patrick was talking back with me, even if I couldn't understand what he was saying. It would have been weirder if I let him jabber at me without acknowledging he was trying to get my attention. The only reason the other moms weren't talking to their kids was that their kids were little babies, unable to do much more than scream yet. It's great having an excuse for talking to myself finally!

Yesterday, Patrick and I got together with my friend Lauren, who is in town visiting her parents. She has a nearly-two-year-old son Will who came with her (I don't envy her making that flight alone with a two-year-old). It was so much fun hanging out with them. This was the first time in a really long time that Patrick had been around another kid anywhere near his own age. It was interesting watching them interact. Patrick wasn't nearly as timid or selfish as I thought he might be. We may have to work on the concept of personal space with him, though. His first instinct when he saw Will, just barely awake from his nap, was to toddle right up to him and start poking at the buttons on his shirt and grabbing at his pacifier (remember Patrick hasn't taken one since he was about six months old; he was curious what it even was). Will was a good sport about it, thank goodness, but I felt a little bad that he woke up from his nap to find another kid had invaded his grandparents' home, was playing with his toys, and wanted to grab his pacifier. Poor kid.

One of the big draws of going to visit Lauren--other than, you know, getting to hang out with a friend--is that her parents' house has a pool. Patrick and I got to go swimming for the first time this season. That's why we had to go to Babies R Us first; Patrick had obviously outgrown his swimsuit from last year (although not his swim diapers, oddly enough). The weather couldn't have cooperated better. It was gloriously warm and sunshiny without being hot. Between the warm sun and the warm water cascading into the pool from their adjacent spa, the water felt like bath water--just the way I like it. The boys had a lot of fun being carried around back and forth through the water, and Patrick squealed with delight every time he splashed us, which happened way too many times to remember during the afternoon. The best part is that despite being in direct sunlight for about an hour in the afternoon sun, none of us ended up sunburned. Usually it doesn't matter how much sunscreen I apply; I'm almost guaranteed to end up with at least a pink patch somewhere. I have yet to discover one on either Patrick or myself. I'm quite impressed with that cheap sunscreen.

Patrick played hard, both in the pool and out, and I was surprised that he managed to stay awake all the way until we got home. He didn't fuss at all when I put him straight down for a nap, though. He was an exhausted kid, probably just as worn out as I was. The exhaustion was completely worth it. We both had a blast yesterday.

Here are a few pictures from the afternoon. You'll notice that there are no swimming pictures. For one, it's difficult to take a picture when we were both holding kids. I also didn't want to get the camera wet; I'm just clumsy enough that I would have dropped it in the pool. Besides, both Lauren and I are pregnant and neither of us has a maternity bathing suit. We were making do with normal bathing suits, and at least in my case, it was bordering on obscene (think big ghost-white belly jutting out between the two pieces of what should be a sexy bikini). We had a good reason to be camera-shy until we made it back into normal clothes.

Patrick and Will just before swimming
A close-up of Patrick and his swimsuit (we got sandals to match)

Lauren and me--It was pure coincidence that we are dressed nearly as twins. By the way, she's about 25 weeks along with a little girl.

The four of us in the only picture where we were all facing the camera--too many distractions for the active boys

Patrick's Appointment

Everything's fine, of course. Patrick's perfectly normal, from his height and weight to his temper tantrums. The doctor seemed impressed with his normalcy. Here are the all-important vital stats: weight 18 lbs 2 oz, height 29 in, head circumference 18 3/4 in. Height and weight are still below the chart by quite a bit, but reasonable growth for Patrick. They follow right along his own curve. It's too bad we can't turn his carseat around yet, but at least he doesn't mind it the way it is. Apparently it's much safer to ride backwards, so we were encouraged to leave it that way as long as possible.

The most interesting part of the appointment was when the doctor brought up the subject of growth hormones. Patrick's right on track to grow up to be his daddy's height, or maybe an inch or two taller, but all of you who know us can attest to the fact that he won't exactly be a basketball player. There's no cause for worry about his height at all, but because Patrick was a preemie, he qualifies to take growth hormones on insurance's bill. It was very interesting to hear, and Matt and I aren't sure whether to consider this. It's going to take a lot of thought and research to decide what to do. Anybody have any experience with growth hormones that you care to share?

Happy Easter!

If these pictures don't say Easter, I don't know what does! Despite the cool weather, the three of us headed to the backyard for a quick egg hunt. Obviously, the eggs weren't exactly hidden. Patrick had much more fun playing with the eggs and basket than doing a traditional egg hunt. Doesn't matter...it still made great pictures!

He sat down after a little while. A boy can only stand and pick up eggs for so long. Unfortunately, it rained yesterday, and this is what we found when we came back in...

Despite the fun egg hunt, that wasn't the best part of the day. I was awakened early by my husband with breakfast in bed. He and Patrick hung out in bed with me while I finished eating, and we all had a great time with lots of laughter. My favorite moment happened when Matt accidentally let some gas slip out...audibly. Patrick heard and responded by smiling and spitting in perfect imitation of the fart. (Thanks, Papa!) I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard. He is definitely a little boy in every way!

Happy New Year's!

Trying again...thanks to an uncooperative blogger.

I should probably be writing a more traditional New Year's post, either telling all my nonexistent resolutions or doing a year-in-review recap. Instead I've downloaded my pictures from the Christmas trip for everyone to enjoy. I'm hoping to still do a year-end recap soon, but I need to wait until our computer situation is more stable and I can access all my old pictures more easily.

Enjoy!

Patrick playing with Grandpa
Patrick showing off for the camera
He has starting crawling for me every time I pull out the camera, so I have lots of shots similar to this one.
Patrick and Nana
Patrick playing with the cars he got in his stocking at Nana and Grandpa's
The puppies at Papa and Gigi's...Ours is the cute one. Any guesses?
Patrick playing with Gramps...He ended up loving these blocks, which surprised us when we saw all his other cool gifts.
Patrick and Papa
Patrick and Grammy
Patrick in his new Radio Flyer outfit, surrounded by his new Christmas toys
Patrick watching The Backyardigans
Angie mid-play
Angie playing with Daddy
More Angie
And more Angie
Patrick playing with Angie

First Night Back

We made it home late last night. Yesterday morning was a frenzy of getting everything ready to go, especially stuff for the puppy that somehow I hadn't given much thought to. By some miracle we still made it out of there shortly after lunch.

Then came the never-ending drive home. It was long enough already, but then when you have a fussy, screaming boy for hours at a time trapped in the same car, it really does feel like it will never end. All he wanted was to be let out of the carseat and car, and stopping didn't help that at all. He was just as unhappy being put back in the car after a break as he had been before. It seemed simpler to just keep driving with him screaming.

But don't forget we had a tiny, not-yet-potty-trained, away-from-home-for-the-first-time puppy with us too. We were forced to stop often for her to try to pee. She didn't the first few stops, but finally she got to the almost-popping point and went. It turns out she's a good traveler and won't go in her bed or kennel. Lucky us!

Last night was rough, though. Poor Angie whined on and off all night. This was her first night away from her siblings, and I think she missed them badly. I woke up to take care of her this morning even before Patrick. I guess I will have a new routine to get used to that includes taking care of a puppy around Patrick's care.

By the way, it tore me apart yesterday to take Angie away from her family. I was glad I wasn't the one who had to do the deed of taking her out of the cage with her siblings for the final time. I didn't want to have to see her face as she left her siblings, and I didn't want to have to look at those mournful faces of her siblings as they watched her leave them forever. I know it would have had to happen eventually even if we hadn't been the ones to take her, but that doesn't make it any easier. I've been trying to give Angie plenty of attention and cuddle time today so that she doesn't feel so lonely.

Speaking of her, though, I hear her whining now. I guess it's time to cuddle again! I don't mind that so much. That's what I was hoping for most in a puppy after all.

On the Go

Despite being on vacation in a pretty sleepy little town, we've been on the go a lot the last few days. Yesterday we met Gigi for lunch (poor thing had to go back to work already) and then left as soon as we got home to go hang out at Matt's grandparents' house in Odessa. As soon as we got back home from that visit, we left to go out to eat with Matt's brother and sister-in-law. By the time we finally made it back home to stay, Patrick was exhausted. He'd only had one short nap all afternoon, in the car on the way to Odessa. He didn't even fuss the tiniest bit when we put him to bed.

Today we met Gigi for lunch again, but some of us (like...me) slept really late and weren't ready to go on time. At least she got caught up doing something and just barely beat us to the restaurant. Patrick has had lots of opportunities to try new solid foods with all the eating out. He's almost certainly put on lots of weight finally. Oh, and he loves mashed potatoes. I might just have to figure out how to make those for him.

It's been fun watching Patrick with the dogs (kitties!) today. He's interested in the puppies and Mitzi, the full-grown miniature schnauzer, but he has a downright fascination with the big dogs. He constantly crawls for Zeus, the doberman, and Leda, the pit bull mix. It cracks me up that both of them are more hesitant around Patrick than he is around them. Zeus actually runs from him. This morning the two were play fighting, and Patrick watched with a big grin on his face, laughing loudly at their antics. I think I would have been frightened if I hadn't known they were playing, and Patrick thought it was hilarious.

I actually took some pictures yesterday. You may notice there aren't pictures here, though. I realized today that Matt had formatted the hard drive on this computer to install a new operating system, and all my familiar editing programs are gone. Rather than deal with an unfamilar downloading routine, I'll just wait until Matt sets the computer up the way it used to be. Hey, at least the picture posts will give everyone something interesting to see on the days that I don't have as much to write about. Unfortunately, they probably won't happen until after we get home this weekend. Sorry! I'll try to keep taking pictures anyway, though, even if nobody will get to see them for a while.

I'm Still Alive

Whoo...things have gotten busy around here. Since I blogged almost a week ago, lots has happened, and I think I may have forgotten nearly all the cute stories I wanted to tell. We had Christmas #1 on Thursday night with my brother and sis-in-law who came in on Wednesday evening, then Christmas #2 on Friday night, the few gifts we forgot about on Thursday. We had our third Christmas later that evening when my sister and bro-in-law showed up and then one more Christmas before we left Saturday afternoon when my other brother and sis-in-law showed up. And that was all before we got to Big Spring to have real Christmas with Matt's family. Told you we'd been busy!

The highlights:
1. My sis-in-law is pregnant! This is my younger brother's wife, the one who got married in March. We're all so excited. She's due in August, so it's only a few more months until I'm an aunt for the first time.
2. Patrick had a blast at Christmas...all of them. He really raked it in this year. I have no idea how we're going to get his presents home. I'll have to get pictures of him with some of his new toys to show everyone what he got. The camera has mysteriously stayed in its bag the last few days, so I have lots of picture-taking to catch up on.
3. I ended up with quite a Christmas, too. My husband got me the most beautiful heart-shaped locket so that I could put a picture of Patrick in it. Isn't he sweet? I might have to have him get a picture of me in it so that I can show it off too.
4. We finally met our future puppy, Angie. It looks like she will be going home with us when we leave at the end of the week. I really need to get that camera out, don't I? She's so totally adorable. Patrick's mildly interested in all the dogs but won't get too close. I have a feeling that will change once he realizes Angie comes with us. I hope he warms up to her quickly.
5. We realized last night when Patrick woke up unexpectedly screaming that he's teething yet again. This time his bottom molars are coming in. The left one has just broken through the gum, and the right one has a huge swollen spot. I don't know how he can function with a bubble that size on his gums. Poor thing! He's coping well, though, since last night was our first inkling that something was wrong. I guess he's getting used to the pain.

Even though yesterday was my first Christmas away from home ever, it was pretty good. Matt's family treats me just like I'm one of their own (I guess I am now, though, huh?), so they made the transition easier. We had a massive meal over at Matt's brother and sis-in-law's new house and did the gift-opening there. It was lots of fun. Patrick wore his Santa outfit and was a big hit.

I guess that's it for now. I'll try to blog again later tonight or tomorrow to work on more catching up. Many of the cute stories I've meant to blog in the past week may be lost forever, though. I could kick myself for letting myself get so far behind. Blogging while on the road is hard!

Busy, Busy Boy

It's been a long day with lots of activity. It started early this morning when I had to wake Patrick up for the first time in a long time so that we could all get ready for church in time. Sleepy as he was, he still made it through church pretty well. We didn't have to take him out even once. I'm quite impressed with him. It took all four of us and any number of toys (and random items that can turn into toys, like pens and papers) to keep him entertained, but he was good with all that entertainment.

After church, he was still ready to socialize. He grinned at everyone we stopped to talk with and everybody who glanced at him as they walked by. The cutest was when he saw another little baby girl. She was certainly cute, and Patrick noticed. He gave her the biggest grin and kept reaching for her. I'm not sure exactly what he wanted, but he was most definitely flirting. I guess that technically would be cradle-robbing, though, since she was only five months old. Maybe in a few more years Patrick...

I got most of the afternoon to myself, surprisingly. When Patrick woke up from his marathon nap, Daddy, Nana, and Grandpa took him on some errands, giving me some time alone for the first time in a long time. I was taking my own nap when they returned, so they continued to babysit instead of waking me up. I have the best family! Apparently he was still pretty well-behaved without me around.

We headed back to church tonight for my parents' church's candlelight service. My parents were participating in it, so there was no way we were missing out. Patrick was a little harder to entertain tonight, though. He only had Mommy and Daddy, and we weren't interesting enough. He really wanted to play with the candle, lit or not, and proceeded to throw a hissy fit when we wouldn't let him have it. He also wanted to sing when nobody was singing (really just loud jabbering). The music and lights and dramas fascinated him, though, and we hated to take him out of the auditorium for much of it. I guess it's not too bad that he missed only about ten minutes of it.

By the time we got home tonight, he was pooped. We could barely get dinner in him before he was ready for bed. He cried for only a minute, just because he feels obligated to, I suppose, and then he was out. He's not used to all this activity!

On the Road Again

We are in Dallas again this week, for another training for Matt. We'll leave from here next weekend to go to Big Spring to spend Christmas with Matt's family.

I'm finally starting to get into the Christmas spirit now. All our shopping is done (and has been for a while), and my parents' house is decorated festively as it usually is this time of year. They even have wrapped presents under the tree already! I pulled out our gifts to Patrick to show my mom, and Patrick saw them. Apparently we made some good choices. He didn't want to let us put them away until Christmas. I'm glad he's still young enough that he'll forget tomorrow that he ever saw them.

Patrick recognized the kitty and his grandparents immediately. I guess it's good that we had such a short break since we were here last time. As soon as he saw the cat, he slipped into his "kitty voice." He also gave his grandparents a huge grin when he saw them and was willing to let them hold him right away. That's a nice change from the last few visits.

It also seems that he is obsessed with the Christmas tree. He crawled straight for it when he got put on the ground. He wants to yank the ornaments off and play with them, and he's already trying to unwrap the presents, especially those shiny bows. Something tells me opening presents on Christmas morning may be a little more interesting with him this year than last. The funniest thing was when it was bedtime and we encouraged him to let go of the ornaments so he wouldn't take them to bed with him. He was quickly trying to put the ornaments back on the tree himself. He hadn't quite mastered the art of looping the ribbon around the branch, so he couldn't figure out why those didn't stay on the tree like the others. He's so funny.

Weight and Wait

Today was a big day. Patrick had his second weight check, the one that would determine whether we needed to go see a specialist for it and whether he needed a 15-month appointment. Despite some construction traffic, we still got there early. I've started planning for the worst construction traffic ever for every trip, and it seems to be working since we keep getting there early. It usually works out that we get seen early. Today we left the office at the time his appointment was supposed to start.

Okay, here's what you're all anxious to hear: Patrick weighs 17.5 pounds exactly. I'd told him before we left, while I was stuffing his belly with as much lunch as he could hold, that that was the minimum weight I'd be satisfied with. I wonder if he held his poop in just long enough so that he would weigh those couple of extra ounces.

The doctor was quite satisfied with that weight gain, up 3/4 of a pound from last month. We won't be going back until his 18-month appointment, barring any illnesses. Patrick also got the other part of his flu shot. He is turning into such a shot pro. He fussed for about ten seconds while I held him and then he was fine. By the time we reached the elevator, he was ready to flirt again already.

The other reason today is a big day is that Matt headed to Oregon for a business trip. It's been in the works for a while, and he found out almost two weeks ago that he was going this week. He left early this morning and will be back Wednesday night. It's an exciting experience for him, but that means I'm left all alone here with Patrick. So far, so good, but I'm afraid I'm going to get much more lonely after Patrick goes to bed tonight. I don't know how I'll make it through two more days without Matt. I can't wait until he makes it back home.

Welcome Grandpa

Wow, I take a day off and everybody disappears. I'm hoping there are still some of you out there, so I'll plod on anyway.

Patrick had an off day. He's still teething like crazy. He still has at least four teeth that feel like they may cut at any moment. As soon as the Tylenol for that kicked in, he still fussed. That's when I noticed the snot under his nose. That was a first. I guess he's either reacting to allergies or has a slight cold. No sign of respiratory problems, but I'm watching like a hawk. I practically have the doctor on speed dial at the first sign of a wheeze.

Grandpa is in town today and tomorrow for business. He makes it to Houston pretty often, but his meetings are usually in another end of town, and he isn't given much free time. This time, though, he's staying with us because his meeting is pretty close. Patrick's loving all the special attention, even through the fussiness and medication. Too bad Grandpa's trip is another whirlwind one; he'll be gone tomorrow. At least it's only less than two weeks until we make it back to Dallas to see him and Nana again.

Oh, of course I took lots of pictures. I'll work on downloading them tomorrow. I haven't taken as many pictures lately. It's discouraging that most of them turn out blurry, thanks to Patrick's abundant energy. I think I have a few cute ones now, though. Maybe he'll share some of his energy so that I can get motivation to download the pictures I have.

16.000-Word Post

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then here are at least 16,000 words...finally.

Patrick with his Uncle Daniel
Patrick sagging his pants while playing with Nana
Patrick with Aunt Jennifer (Daniel's Jennifer)
Patrick and Gigi
Mama Kangaroo with a joey in her pouch
Colorful bird (I forget what kind)
The rare breed of Patrick...sleeping Patrick
Patrick playing X-Box

A pride of lions
Rhino head
Lion stalking a kid climbing a tree at the edge of its habitat
Beautiful white tiger

Zebra
Flamingo
Meerkat
Elephant

Sorry there are so many. Considering I started with 175, I think I did pretty good narrowing it down to only sixteen.