happenings

well i'm glad we got to take our vacation and enjoy it a month ago, because we've hit the ground running and haven't stopped since. 

half our house is packed away in a pod, there's a sign on our front lawn, and little old ladies who have come to look at our house have deemed it "too big".  ummm? too big?  did you see the crawl space we're trying to pass off as a third bedroom?  and how do i know that it was actually old ladies looking at the house you ask?  well we got a few hours notice the first day the house was listed that someone wanted to see it at 2:30 in the afternoon, and could one of us leave work quick and get the dogs out?  no problem, i'm on it. 

as i scrambled to hide the dog bowls i heard cannoli freaking out at the front window.  i grabbed the leashes and collars and ran them out the back door and down the driveway, apologizing as i saw the showing realtor and two lil old ladies standing on our stoop.  whoops - that was awkward.  as i walked up the street so these strangers could criticize my house in private, i read my watch - 2:15.  they were early.  they were probably so freaked out by the frazzled, sweating lady in her business casual attire dragging the dogs down the driveway past the electric fence they fear so much that they decided rather not deal with her for this house.

but, we have some more showings so i'm not losing faith yet.  meanwhile, cleaning up the house every morning before we leave is kind of refreshing....

on the more stressful front, all of our free time that hasn't been spent packing or cleaning up the house has been with doctors.   followups with the opthamologist and presurgical visits will all culminate in tomorrow's appointment - what i'm hoping is Gobble's final trip to the hospital in a long long time.  as we suspected, his clogged tear duct is long gone, but the opthamologist is still concerned about his horrible vision, and potential accompanying glaucoma, detached retinas, or cataracts.  for a normal adult all of this stuff could be investigated while they're awake.  for a toddler who said go awaayyyyyyy to the doctor last week who approached him with a stethoscope, it would be near impossible.

so, tomorrow morning at 9:45 my little baby boy will be anesthetized for a period of time while his eyes are poked and prodded and studied.  and that will be the easy part.  the 3 hours leading up to this time are what i'm worried about.  no food after 1:45 am, no water after 7:45 am.  how am i supposed to explain that to mr. gobbles, who wakes up every morning asking for two things, his eyes and pancakes?  no, no pancakes when you wake up tomorrow mister... and most likely not even a glass of water...

we're still trying to figure out how to schedule this-  keep him up as late as possible tonight, eating and drinking, then pray he sleeps until 9 so we can just throw him in the car and get to the hospital?  or do we wake him up at 5 am just to give him some water on the chance that he'll fall back asleep?  i'm thinking the former, because the less we disturb his sleep the better. 

anyway, like i said already, i just hope that there's a positive outcome to this whole procedure and that we can spend the rest of the summer away from hospitals and doctors.  it's hard enough to keep him from breaking his glasses all the time (yup, they broke again).  this time held together with a paper clip and tape so they're more flexible when he "rebreaks" them.  i refuse to run out again and get replacements because the new thing for tantruming is for gobbles to flick them off his face and bend them as far as he can in either direction.  so until this phase is outgrown, every new pair of frames will be broken in the same way the first two have been.

so, like we have tried since this whole parenthood rollercoaster began - we sit patiently and wait for the next step...

does this look like the face of a guy who has tantrums?  c'mon mommy!  i'm a good boy all the time....

oh yea, that is the reason my eyes aren't on my face right now... tee heee hee. 

18 months!

Hand hand fingers thumb.

One thumb one thumb drumming on a drum.

One hand two hands drumming on a drum.

Dum ditty Dum ditty Dum Dum Dum!

- Al Perkins



Dear Mr. Gobbles,

My little boy. You have become such a big boy so quickly I could cry. You've developed quite a little personality and can express to anyone exactly what you want. I can't think of a word you can't say, because you repeat everything that comes out of my mouth, good and bad. You are a shy little boy when you meet new adults, giving them a sheepish smile until they look back at you, then you bury your head on my shoulder and peek out with the same smile. By the time they leave the room you are telling them byebye and blowing them kisses.

With other kids, it's another story. You're still pretty shy, but you are immediately taken by them and will stand there and watch them play. If the child is bigger than you and invites you in, it still takes you a little time to warm up before letting loose and playing. If the child is smaller, you seem to be the one to initiate playtime. Either way, you are a little cautious and like to read the situation first before deciding what move to make. I feel like you may be more like me in this department, uncomfortable with strangers, but then ready and yearning to socialize when you know the people.

Because when you're comfortable, boy oh boy are you a fun guy! You've turned our couch into a jungle gym. We line up the pillows on the floor because you like to climb up and slide off, over and over again. You chase the puppies around, shove their toys in their faces, and hug and kiss them. You've started to "jump" and crack up when mommy and daddy jump too. At daycare, after returning from a weeklong vacation, one of your little girlfriends ran up to you so excited, Gobbbbas! she screamed. You started laughing and dancing and pointing to her Yaayaaaaaaaaa! (Laila). And you two began some sort of greeting ritual which looked kinda like a dance-off.

During our trip to Hilton Head, there was a stage with a children's singer on the boardwalk. He invited all the kids up on stage to listen to him. You were more interested in the handicap ramp at the back of the stage and spent the entire show running UP and DOWN the ramp with another little girl, cracking up as the two of you kept almost crashing into each other.

On the beach, you fearlessly took on the ocean and laughed every time a wave came crashing on you. You were suddenly shy when a little girl approached you and started splashing around. She spend a good 15 minutes trying to get you to play, and then when her mom said it was time to go you finally decided you wanted in. Sometimes you gotta come outta your shell a little sooner buds.

It's ok though, because you still had the time of your life. You liked the pool even more than the beach. Forget the kiddie pool - you were bored 5 minutes in. You kept looking over my shoulder and pointing to the big pool. So in we went. You loved jumping off the side into my arms. You'd love even more to go under water, but I wouldn't let you. I'm so mean. But Gobbles, I kept trying to show you, if you want your face in the water you have to blow bubbles. Instead you tried to drink it. We'll have to get swim lessons sometime soon!

The thing you loved most about Hilton Head was spending time with your Mommy and Daddy. We were pals all week, and we were proud to walk around the resort with the cutest little guy there. Even though you got sick for a few days, spending time with you was all that mattered. Unfortunately, we may have rubbed you the wrong way because by the end of the week you started to have a little attitude, which you've carried back home.

You have begun to verbalize No. You narrow your eyes and look right at me No, mommy, no. When I ask you if you're like to play with this or that no, no! Oh my goodness. And then, the other night, Daddy told me you guys were hanging out and Spoons jumped up on the couch to snuggle. He said you pushed her off the couch and said Go Away! Buddy, as cute as it may be in my head that you have sibling rivalry with the dogs, we won't stand for it. Because I know it's just going to get more challanging. Terrible twos here we are!

My little Gobbles, despite the fact that you are growing so quickly (34 1/2 inches tall - 99th percentile!), you'll always be my little boy and Mommy loves you with every fiber of her being.  Instead of saying No! all the time, just look at me and give me kisses like you love to to and tell me Aye yay yaaa Mommy (I love you Mommy) because you know that gets you the biggest hugs in the world!

Happy 18 months little boy.

Love,

Mommy

ps.  now for a random assortment of Mommy's phone pics.  Since the rest of the vacation pics are up on facebook, no need to copy them all twice!

i know exactly where to dump that sand!



give me a sqirt bottle and some water and I'm entertained for hours minutes!



no mommy no!  i do NOT want to walk by myself!

All eyes on ME in the backseat!

will ya put that camera away?

haha i agree it's very fun that i stole daddy's chair!



how humiliating!  just because my suit was soaked doesn't mean you had to put me in the carseat nekked!  This swim diaper makes my thighs look chunky!



this dog is so much easier to walk than my pups!

chillaxin on daddy's shoulders. lovin life!

who's idea was it to take me on a 12 hour car ride?  i'll give you a smile for a few minutes, but the other 11 hours.  i'll make sure you never to this to me again!

sitting in a carseat ALL.DAY.LONG.  makes me so hungry i can polish off more pizza than mommy!

MOMguyver

thank god we bought the warranty...

I have a feeling with a boy I'm going to be saying that a LOT over the next 18 years or so.   Gobbles glasses lasted less than two months of wear and tear before they snapped.  literally.  at the right temple.  This happened on Monday night, so Tuesday we promptly called the eye doctor for replacements and sent our boy off to school with electrical tape holding this "Eyes" together. 

This tape is such a pain I can't even keep my head still!

After he came home with more tape and the earpiece hanging off and I realized it was just 3 days until we left for vacation, the engineer in me came out.  I can't take all the credit because I did a quick google too, but the finishing touches were all me.  I grabbed some toothpicks, super glue, and bronze nail polish I had leftover from a wedding a few years back (to match my bridesmaid dress at Cawola's perhaps??).

A few minutes later, viola!

25 cent fix for for a mom in a rush

Just like new!  But don't try to fold them...

They didn't bother him at all!

Stop taking pictures and lemme eat my pancakes momma!

Nom nom nom.  Better get my eggs and fruit ready!

That's right!  More breakfast please!

At least I thought they were awesome.  But of course daycare is a rough and tumble place, and by the end of the day he came back again with tape on his glasses.  Good news is, on Thursday I got the call that his replacement frames were in... a lot quicker than I thought they'd be!

We picked them up this morning on the way to our cardiology appointment - the next step in the followup to the Geneticist.  After being poked and prodded for another 90 minutes, including an EKG and an echocardiogram, Gobbles' heart was pronounced perfect.  Great news to start a beautiful day. 

Only thing left on our to do list today?  Pack for vacation!  The first time our little family is going away together, just the three of us.  I can't wait!

I got to climb up and down the step stool and look out the window between doctors!

And my new glasses fit look specTACular!

a man of many words...

Over the weekend, Gobbles sort of exploded into speaking.  Now he's been saying words here and there forever now, and been babbling gibberish for quite some time too.  But all of the sudden, something just clicked and his vocabulary expanded exponentially.

I'll start with the best word ever, EVER, Mommy.  Granted, he's been saying this for awhile, but it's always come out in sort of a whiny momamomamoma.  But recently, it's quite clear.  MOMMY!  With a smile.  I think daycare helped out a bit because they felt bad when Gobbles came home saying "Terri", one of his teachers, all day and all night. 

On the way to school I quiz him, I ask which kids will he see today.  "Gobbles, are you going to see Layla" Yaya "Tori?" Tooowi "Aiden?" Ayen "Carter?" Ca-ta "Abby?" Ab-BE! "Ellie" Ayee.  Oh I could go on forever.  We say the names of his aunts & uncles and he can repeat them all back.  And Nana, and Pop.  Unfortunately there are three names he still has trouble with - his own, a little boy Patrick in his class, and, god forbid, Grandmom.  Don't worry Mom, he's saving it for someday special.  At least that's what I can say now that he's finally saying Mommy!

Besides the names, I don't know what words he can't say!  There are the old favorites - giggle, wiggle, shoes, cheese, teeth, daddy, bus, truck, car, ouch, dog, woof, moo (mmmm), roar, this, that, go, stop.  And all of the sudden, out of his mouth I've heard egg, puppy, milk (gook), cup, cookie, cracker, up, open, tree, house, book, bike, i love you (i yai yai), water (ok he doesn't say water - he says aqua.  my bilingual boy, haha).  Finally, last night, I felt like one of the items on my mommy checklist can be ticked off - Gobbles finally said Please.  Sure, it followed a thirty second tantrum and I had a cookie in my hand, but he said it.  What a well mannered child!

There is one problem that has been revealed with this onslaught of words.  Oh boy.  I thought I had cut back on my swearing when he was born, but I guess not enough!  The other day during rush hour I let a "Jesus Christ" slip and didn't even realize it until I heard a Chrise! enthusiastically pipe up from the backseat.  Yup, he is forever listening.  Listening and repeating.  As I pulled my rammy son out of his high chair this morning to go brush his teeth, I tried to get him to calm down with a stern "hey buddy!" Well it stopped the tantrum, my son looked back at me, square in the eye and repeated hey buddy!!

And so it begins :)

Hey Buddy! Just because i'm decked out in camo with my gut hanging out...



And I'm a bit of a motorhead...

...doesn't mean i'm not smaaaat!  CHEEEEEESE!!!!



why not, throw it in the mix.

I think there's something wrong with me.  Seriously, just when our normal routines start to run like a well-oiled machine, I decide to try something new.  Let's see if we can withstand this!  Then we'll relax.  Well, I guess that's not entirely true since this time we'll be doing our relaxing first - in the form of a weeklong trip to Hilton Head starting THIS Saturday!  Considering this is the first weekend in a month that will not require one of us to be at work (being on a rooftop in the rain with whiney contractors at 6:30 am two Saturdays in a row with no paid overtime is NOT what I signed up for over here a-holes), we don't even mind that we'll be spending twelve hours in the car...

But, back to the thing that has hubs and I looking at each other like giddy teenagers what are we DOING?... We decided to try our luck in this risky and unstable housing market and try to upgrade.  I've spent the last nine months watching listings come and go and the prices seemed to steadily fall.  As a seller, that's bad, especially having bought near the height of the market.  As a buyer, heck yes.  Give me that 4 bedroom 2 bath house for just a couple hundred dollars more a month.  We have a few favorites from open houses but of course putting in an offer can't happen until we do the following:
1) Get preapproved!  (Almost check.  We have the bank and the forms, just trying to scrounge up a few more documents requested).
2) Get a POD to get the clutter out of the house (Almost check.  POD's on order and arriving after we get back from vacation).
3) Hire a cleaner, scrub out that dog smell (love ya spoonsie bear).
4) Get a realtor and get the house listed!  Droves and droves of people will come from miles away to see it!
5) Find out the market feedback / get an offer on our house to see how much $ we'll get!
6) Pick our a new house, get our lowball offer accepted (wishful thinking), and schedule settlements.

Um, have I mentioned we are literally away every other weekend from now thru August?  Vacation, camping, wedding, cousins trip, family trip... etc.  But no need to worry, all of this craziness I completely brought upon myself and I accept these terms.  Heck, for more of a challenge (um, before we decided to actually put up the house) we even dropped Gobbles down at daycare to two days for the summer, two with my mom and Fridays with me, so no more sticking him there on Fridays just so I can get stuff done.  I think 18 months is old enough to learn how to pull weeds :)

Whew.  Next post will return to your normally scheduled Gobblestime.