Afternoon in the ER

I'm too tired to go into details right now, so here's the short version....

We were at SamsClub grabbing a slice of pizza from the snack bar before heading home. Zander started to wiggle, I can't blame him, it was naptime. He had a pair of basketball shorts on and wound up sliding off the back of the bench (it didn't have a back) and he hit his head on the bottom part of a shopping cart. We took him to Children's Hospital and he now has 3 staples in the back of his head. The cut was half an inch long and 1.5cm wide and bled like none of your business (needless to say, it scared me!). He was acting fine by the time we got to the ER, he even ran around playing and checking out the massive fish tank (Children's has an awesome ER!) while we waited for him to be patched up. He didn't bat an eyelash at anything they did to him and only fussed/cried when they put the acutal staples in. I was very very impressed with him, he was really brave!

And, that's the short version!

Potty news

Zander is in training pants all the time now, except for bedtime. Overnight we put him in a pull up and he's usually soaked by morning. The first thing he wants to do when he wakes up is "go poddddy"...his request, we don't tell or remind him to!

This last week he's woken up from his naps totally dry, but again requested to potty right after waking. Oh yeah, he's still in his training pants for naptime so that's been a major accomplishment. :)

The poops, the poops...he's doing really good there too! At first Zander was afraid do to that business in the toilet. I know that some will debate the idea of bribes when it comes to this, but it worked for him. We started out with a new HotWheels car or truck in the bathroom (where he could see it) and when he asked for it we told him that he could have it when he pooped in the toilet. It took him 2 days to "earn" his first car. After a week he had earned a total of 4 cars, only having a poo accident in the mornings (when he'd wake up super early, before our alarms went off). Yesterday we had a major pooping breakthrough. There was no new HotWheels car waiting as a reward but Zander pooped in the toilet anyway! woohoo!! :) We gave him one final car for his "accomplishment" (lol) and he'll get no more cars. His final reward was a Lightning McQueen, Radiator Springs style. He's carried it with him everywhere.

The little boy is growing up fast!

April 24, 2007

I am completely confused by this weather. It's nearly May and yet...I look outside my window and see snow falling. How freaking messed up is that? This has been the longest winter. Ever. Seriously, will I be able to break out the shorts this year?

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Zander has been doing great with the potty training! He's had one poo accident since we really started to get serious about toilet training...and it happened just after he woke up in the morning and I was still asleep! He's even waking up dry from naps, it's going great! Mornings...not so dry but we'll get there...eventually. :)

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MiKael is working on walking, he'll take several steps at a time now but still gets majorly freaked out if Zander is too close. If that happens he drops down on all 4's and starts crawling, can't say that I blame him though! He also says (and regularly uses) words for apple, hi, Zander, dad...ocassionally mom...I think there are a few others but I can't remember!

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Zander is also getting the hang of this talking thing, he's still not where he should be but he's definetly getting better. We are still thinking about the possibility of preschool, still gotta ride that one out and see what happens. Zander is very smart and it's amzing to see him grow and learn every day!

Ok, so now I'm curious...and nosey!

I just checked out the stats on my blog from the past few days and I'm rather intrigued! If you find yourself here could you comment somewhere and let me know how you found me? I know most of you are coming from emails I sent out but a few places have me totally baffled!!

Day #2 of...

Zander pooping in the toilet!

I'm just a little bit excited about this one! We decided just over a week ago that it was time for Zander to stay in "big boy underwear" during waking hours. This means that he's only been wearing a Pull-Up for naps and bedtime. Until...he started holding poops in til naptime. When he started doing this he just got plastic pants over his training pants. He hasn't done it since!

He seems to have a pretty good handle on using the bathroom...as long as he's not too focused on play. If he's really focused on something he'll forget but we just clean him up and try again. I think we did a good job getting some motivatiors for him...if he pees in the toilet he gets a sticker (either Cars-the movie or construction trucks) and when he poops in the toilet he gets a brand new HotWheels car or truck.

Yesterday he "earned" a yellow car. Today he got a really neat looking orange truck. Tonight after the boys went to bed I put the next car in the bathroom for him to see. It's funny, as soon as we showed him the new car that he'd get for pooping in the toilet it only took a few days for him to figure it all out. The yellow car...he studdied that thing every time he was in the bathroom to potty and his excitement when we gave him the car was awesome. He has carried the yellow car with him everywhere since earning it. Even to bed.

If anyone out there wants to contribute to the "pooping cars" fund...I have a PayPal account! :-P

More pictures

The boys were having so much fun playing in the sand on Sunday afternoon. I think we took them inside shortly after MiKael kept dumping buckets of sand on his head...on purpose...and laughing about it!

And now, what you *really* want!

The balloon noise...he was not fond of it!





Awake one second, out the next!







Our first chocolate pudding experience! Zander REFUSED to touch it!




A cuddle moment :)






Zander has been pulling some evasive manouvers when it comes to the camera lately...I'll hafta work on that one and get some of him on here! I actually think I have some on the other camera but that'll hafta wait til tomorrow...it's stuck on the charger for now.

Special moments with Zander

The past few weeks I've been doing something new with nap time since both boys seemed to play instead of nap. Zander and MiKael have been sharing a room for a few months and naps have been sporadic since they began to share that space. It didn't take long for me to decide that something must change...it just took me a while to figure out what to do (and do it!).

I have separated the boys for their naps!

Something amazing has happened. They are both napping again and it's wonderful! MiKael sleeps downstairs in the pack n play and Zander naps in his bed. It's been so nice having naps reinstated and working! MiKael goes down without a fuss, seriously...I lay him down and leave the room and a few minutes later he's asleep.

Now, here is where the special moments have come in with Zander. When he starts to get sleepy he gets SO wound up. He'll go and go and go and go....and go. It's insane. A couple of weeks ago we switched Zander from his toddler bed to a full size bed. That's when it all started. :) I've been going in with him at nap time and we'll read a book...or just be goofy for a few minutes. I love it! Then all the sudden I'll be "soooo sleepy" that I'll (pretend, obviously) fall asleep. I grab the blanket and cover up and snuggle up to the pillow...next thing I know Zander is also under the blanket and asleep! Most of the time I get to watch him fall asleep and it's so sweet, I absolutely love it!

I know, I know...shame on Mommy for the bad habit of getting the boy to fall asleep just cuz I'm there. But really...it's just nap time. He falls asleep on his own at night, requiring no "special attention". If we were having a problem at night, then I'd be worried and stop. But for now...I'm enjoying this!

This just in!!

Zander just pooped in the toilet for the first time (on purpose)!!

This and That

It's been a long time and I don't even now where to begin! I guess I'll go for a quick update that might just turn out to be long. After that I'll just shoot for some normal, regular posting on here!

Both of the boys are getting so big and grown up, I really can't believe it. MiKael is still a runt (I mean that affectionately!) but might soon outgrow "runt" status. His last appointment he actually went up the percentile brackets, he's sitting right at 20 pounds and is just now fitting into 12 month pants (@ 16 months)...short sleeved 12 month shirts fit him alright, but if you try long sleeve shirts, the sleeves are too short! He's "long and lean". Walking yet? Nope, he cruises around everywhere and is fully capable of letting go and walking...he just won't! He's walked from point A to point B unassisted...more than once, but it seems that there is no hurry to make it a permanent thing!

Zander, Zander, Zander...where to begin with him...In October last year Zander went for a speech evaluation and was found to have a mild delay. It was suggested that I take a class offered by TheChildren'sHospital that would enable me to work with Zander at home. I think we're about halfway through the class now and we've already seen major improvements with his speech, it's all very exciting! There are 2 people teaching the class (they are speech therapists) and they recommended that I get Zander into preschool through the public schools since he just turned 3...Preschool would give him social interaction with kids his own age, something he's been seriously lacking. It would also allow him to have speech therapy services through the school on a weekly basis...the information is in the mail and I should receive it shortly. The story I just got from the lady on the phone though is that they usually don't take kids for Preschool til they are 4, so this should be interesting.

Within the last month or so Zander has taken an interest in all things "artsy". He loves to color and cut and write...he's started to scoff at coloring books, he'd rather have "pai-puuuuuur"...he can draw a circle of sorts and a triangle too. And music! WeeSing is brilliant...SillySongs...WeeSing InTheCar...AroundTheWorld...etc...it's all very good stuff. There are a few songs he likes to sing along with and others he likes to laugh at, it's all very fun.

Now, me...I'm still working on my Fitness and Nutrition stuffs, I'm scheduled to be done with it by August. I've still got quite a bit of work to do in that area, but it's all coming together. Sometime in the near future...don't ask when, cuz I couldn't say...but sometime...I'll be going back to school to explore all of this more in depth. Gail the Nutritionist will take some getting used to but I'm really getting excited about it! :) I'm also planning on updating the look of this blog...and fixing links....and and and... stay tuned for that one! So, not a ton new with me...just trying to keep up with the boys and their never-ending supply of energy!

I must be getting along for now, I have some activities to plan for the boys while they are still napping...I'll get some pictures posted soon, I promise! :)