Posts Tagged ‘sons’

Chase LOVES himself some Thomas The Tank Engine. I mean loves.Up until Friday, when I gave him his birthday present early, he hadn’t had any actual trains and only knew about them from the show. He knows ALL of their names and exactly which story goes with what train, and can tell you all about their stories. He is serious about this train thing. For realz.

Cue my mother.

It is no secret that I don’t enjoy her company. I really try to get along with her, but she is just not someone I can spend time with. I wanted her to be able to spend some time with Chase on his birthday (yesterday) so we made plans for her and my Dad to come over at 11am and have lunch with us. She asked him what she should get him. I told her, “Get James, Emily, and Gordon.” Being as that a certain big name toy store was having a “buy 2 get one free” sale on Thomas engines…I figured this was the cheapest…and easiest way to go. She wrote down the names and said she would get them. I should have known it was too easy.

At noon yesterday my parent arrive at my house. My mother immediately begins complaining about the fact that Jimmy is on his way up for his nap. I attempt to calmly tell her that I had asked them to come at 11 so that they could see him before his nap. That doesn’t work, so I drop the subject, put Jimmy up for his nap and do my best to ignore her complaining.

Chase and my Dad are very happily playing on the floor, which I was SO happy to see. My Dad has been so sick recently…I wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to do that again, but he was. My Mom pulls Chase’s gifts out.

James?  Check.

Gordon and Emily? Nope.

Instead, there was a Thomas Backpack.

The same Thomas Backpack that someone else had gotten him, because I told them my Mom was getting the 3 engines. OK. no big deal. I’ll take it back.

We go about our day, and they leave. Later that evening I get a call from my mom telling me that she hadn’t realized James was part of the “buy 2 get one free” deal. I told her that I had given her those 3 names because of the deal, yada yada yada. She asks first if she can have James to take back. I tell her no, just call the store and see if she can bring the reciept in and get two more trains.

9:15 PM. My phone rings. It is a local number but I don’t know it so I don’t answer.

9:17 PM. I call the number back. It is the toy store. I hang up, confused. The only thing I can think is that maybe I was getting a call because Chase is signed up for their birthday club.

9:19 PM. My voicemal notification goes off. I listen. It is MY MOTHER. Calling from the TOY STORE phone asking what trains to get. She wants me to CALL HER BACK. At the TOY STORE. Sigh.

9:21 PM. I call the toy store, so happy that they can’t see me and don’t know me

“Thank you for calling Toy Store, how can I help you?”

“Hi, my name is Ally. My mother just called me from…”

“The Thomas lady?”

*blushes even though she can’t see me”

“Yep. That would be her.”

“Do you want me to relay a message, or drag her over?”

” You better go get her.”

Oh. My. God.

Mom gets on the phone and proceeds into a long drawn out discussion about how she doesn’t want to get Gordon because he looks too much like Thomas. She doesn’t like Emily’s smile. She really likes Hiro though. Blah blah blah. The whole time…ON THEIR PHONE.

Finally I get a word in and just tell her…GET WHATEVER YOU WANT. I DON’T CARE. She says fine. Then tells me that she is keeping them to give him for Christmas.

*HEAD DESK* *HEAD DESK*

I give up.

Dear Chase,

Today you turn three. THREE. It seems so much older than two, even though just yesterday that is what you were. I find it so hard, no impossible to believe that it was already three years since I held you in my arms for the first time. I will never forget meeting your eyes for the first time, or noticing that we have the exact same thumbs. You are such an extension of me, a true smaller version. You have all of my features, right down to blood type. I used to wish you looked more like Daddy but now I am so happy you look like me.

You are my little sidekick, my best buddy. You are truly coming into your personality and you make us laugh all day long. You are an amazing big brother, even when Jimmy isn’t very nice to you. You LOVE Thomas the Tank and would watch that show all day if we let you. Your Daddy and I got you your first set of tracks and trains yesterday and you were so excited! You jumped around and yelled about how much you loved Thomas, but completely overlooked the fact you could open the box and actually play with them. That’s OK, you made up for it later.

I enrolled you in preschool this week Buddy-man. You are going to go to the same one that your Daddy went to when he was little. I really think you are going to like it, but I am a bit sad. I am just not ready for you to grow up. I am not ready to lose any more time with you than I already do by working. I really want you to have this experience though and I know you will be a rock star at school. You are the sweetest little man I know. You can adapt to anything that comes up, I know you can.

I really hope that you keep the sweetness that you have now. You are the first to say “God Bless You” when someone sneezes, and the first to ask “Whatsa matter?” when you think someone is upset. Just this morning when I stubbed my toe, you ran over and rubbed my back telling me that it would be all better. And you know what? It was. I like to think you had something to do with it. You have made my life mean something. You were the incentive I needed to get my life together and be a better person. Every time you run over for a hug, or you tell me “Lub you more”…my heart almost overflows. There is no better feeling in the world than hearing that from you. Every time you use the potty you run over and tell me “I made my Mommy happy!”. You don’t need to use the potty to make me happy, you thrill me each and every day.

I love you so much Chase-face, my  Chasifer, the Chasinator.

Mommy

So. We got back last night from a week at the beach. A very un-internet friendly week , but a week at the beach regardless. The boys were so amped up to go, Chase did nothing but ask every day “We go beach today”. Whether or not he really knew what he was excited for is another thing all together. Every day the two boys would stand and look out the window…asking if we were at the beach yet. Apparently they started with the “Are we theres yet” before we had even left. Tee Hee.

We really had an awesome week in Ocean City, Maryland. We got there every year, and we get the same house so we know what to expect. Chase and Jimmy did OK. They were a little out of sorts just not being home, but so happy to be with the whole family. Chase LOVED the waves this year, which was a huge difference from last year. (I don’t have any pics to post of them physically on the beach because I took them with my point and shoot…and now can’t find the cable. Grrr) Our house is AWESOME. This is the veiw from the back deck.

Sunday was the 4th of July. I LOVE Independence Day. I don’t know if it is just a side effect from living near Philadelphia, but I love it. I love BBQ’s and fireworks and the whole deal. After dinner we hung out outside and the boys played with trucks and did some bubble chasing.

Ocean City puts on a pretty spectacular fireworks display, and we were able to watch them from out front balconies. There were also tons of fireworks on the beach so once it was completely dark  we spent a lot of time running from the front to back of the house watching all the shows.

My favorite image from the whole day is not of fireworks. It’s not of the boys. It’s not of the beach. It is a simple statement, marked against a beautiful sky.

I love our flag.

11:15 pm. I am laying in bed watching a movie featuring a gloriously good looking young man. I have to get up at 5:30am but I can’t sleep. I toss and turn, smushing my pillow this way and that under my head. I search for the cool spots on the bed with no luck, but I still keep our blanket covering most of me. I always sleep like that.

A familiar tingle runs up my spine and I pray that this wasn’t going to turn into a full blown panic attack. I feel my heart begin to speed up and I throw the covers off and sit on the edge of the bed, attempting to get my body back into control. I stand up and walk halfway down the hallway to the room that holds the two innocent lives that I am responsible for. I have to keep my shit together…I can’t lose it until someone else is here with them. I turn back and go into my bathroom instead, holding on to the counter for dear life. I look up into my reflection and see sheer terror in my eyes. I try to tell myself that I have felt like this before and didn’t die…but my head doesn’t listen. Everything in my body screams that this time is different. This time I will die.

I wish Jim was home.

I go down the stairs and turn the air conditioning up a few notches. I slowly walk back up the steps, trying to keep my heart rate from going any higher than it already is. My cell phone is tightly clenched in my fist, I need to have it near me in case I need it. I am headed back into my room when I decide to go in and look at the boys.

I step over the gate at their door and enter their room. I walk over to Jimmy’s crib first and gently rest my hand on his back. He arches against my hand and scoots his legs under his body bringing his little booty up in the air. I toss a light blanket over him and move on to Chase.

Chase has fallen asleep with 3 Matchbox Cars and a portion of their track. I pull all the toys out of his bed and slowly ease down beside him in his twin bed. Laying flat emphasizes how fast my heart is beating and my body is dying to get up. To move. To pace. Anything. I don’t move. I stay there and concentrate on the up and down of Chase’s chest. I concentrate on the warm weight of his head on my shoulder. I concentrate on them and once again, like so many other times, they save me.

Two weeks ago yesterday I took Chase to the doctor for a red swollen area behind his left ear. It looked a little hivey, but since nothing new had been introduced to him I figured we would go have it looked at. Chase’s pediatrician told us it was probably a reaction to a bug bite, and maybe it was a bit infected. We left the office with a ten day script for some antibiotics.

A couple days later the redness had spread some, so back into the doctor we went. We saw another doctor in the group, and he said it wasn’t anything he was very concerned about but to continue the antibiotics and add some Zyrtec to the mix to see if that helped. We gave him the Zyrec that afternoon and immediately saw a huge difference. We figured he got bit by a spider and had had a little allergic reaction, and maybe a bit of an infection. There was a big sigh of relief when the redness went down.

Chase finished his antibiotics last Saturday and this Wednesday I noticed a red splotch on his left cheek. Over the course of Wednesday and Thursday it across his cheek and the center took on a pale look to it while all around it was red.

Back into the doctor we went.

Diagnosis?

Lyme’s Disease.

We are fortunate that Chase presented with the bulls-eye rash. The theory is that the original redness was the tick bite being a bit infected, and now he is presenting the bulls-eye. The course of treatment is three weeks of oral antibiotics. He should be fine, it is highly unusual for there to be any issues after it has been caught so early.

I hate this part of being a parent. I hate the feeling in your stomach when you JUST KNOW something is not right. I hate watching the doctor examine my child. I hate having to give him medicine. I hate the idea that something could take him away from me.

Chase was lucky, but a lot of kids go undiagnosed until they become symptomatic. Check your kiddies before bed for ticks if you live in an area that Lyme’s is prevalent in. We live in an area where Lyme’s is hugely active and we are vigilant about checking the boys. However not all ticks latch, some just bite and fall off so watch any bites carefully.

In the mean time? I would like to wrap the boys head to toe in plastic wrap and ensure nothing gets in. Think I can do that? No? Damn.

I am seriously running on empty over here. Class is killing me. Work is kicking my ass. The boys are all over the place and the kitten has made it so I can’t walk across the room without little razor sharp claws attacking my ankles. I was going to do a little list of things that are bothering me (see above) but I decided to do some things that are making me happy instead. Cause, you know. I am all about rainbows and unicorns and shit. Or not.

I like my job. No really. I do. It has it’s moments and holy hell there is drama and bullshit everywhere. However, I work with 90% women…there is no way around the drama. I am thankful every day to have that job and to be able to help support my family and provide insurance for them. It is so important for me to be able to do that for them.

I leave for vacation at the beach in 23 days. A week of fun in the sun with Jim and the boys. We go every year with his family and it is always so much fun. The boys get to see Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop every day for a week and there is nothing better than that in their world. I can’t wait to relax and to especially spend some much needed time with Jim.

 In 21 days my class will be over. I will be done working this wack ass schedule to accommodate my class. I will be done with my entrance exam for the clinical portion of the nursing program. At this point I don’t even care if I get in for the year I am applying for…I just want the application process to be over.  I will then be off for 6 weeks before the hell of fall classes start.

In 54 days I will head down the Philadelphia International Airport and tackle Jenn when she gets off the plane. I am SO.EXCITED to have her here. Then in 55 days we will head to NYC for BlogHer, even though we will be a couple days early. The idea of a couple days and nights that I can be myself, and not have to change diapers and fill cups is amazing.

Chase is potty training. Like for realz this time. I think. Or maybe he will wake up tomorrow and decide he wants nothing to do with it like he did a month or so ago. But we are on day two going strong! He uses his little potty all by himself without me reminding him at all. However…he has to be naked. He refuses to pull his pants down to go. I’m not sure how to get over this hurdle but we will figure it out I guess!!

So yeah. I’m tired and worn out and the circles under my eyes have their own time zones…but there are some really good things on the horizon!

On Drawing

On His Magnadoodle

Have A Great Weekend!

When I was pregnant with Chase I spent HOURS online pouring over bedding, swings, bouncers, clothes and last but not least…the car seat/stroller combo. I won’t lie…I bought the car seat I did because it matched the pattern I had picked for the swing and pack-n-play. Luckily, it was a good seat and had the specifications on it that I would come to appreciate as I educated myself more.

When Chase was about 6 months old I found myself abruptly educated to the idea of extended rear facing. A friend of mine was in a bad accident and her son, 13 months old, was severely injured. He met the minimums to be forward facing (20lbs AND one year) and she had turned him on his first birthday thinking it was something fun and exciting to do. After the accident the doctors told her that had he still been rear facing, his injuries would have been minimal. Colin made it though the accident and after spending months in a halo he came home. She has become one of the most staunch rear facing advocates and begged me to leave Chase rear facing until he HAD to be turned.

There are tons of technical reasons why rear facing is safer for little people. The easiest way to explain it is that the bones in the neck don’t fuse completely until right around the age of 3. This leaves toddlers wide open for internal decapitation and a whole host of other spinal issues, especially due to their head to body proportions. Also, rear facing takes the force off of front end collisions. Yes, people get rear ended too…but head on and side impact accidents are so much more dangerous and generally more severe.

Last year the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that infants and toddlers were 75% more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a forward facing seat. They put out an official recommendation that children stay rear facing until the age of two.

That right there has been enough for me.

Chase was happily rear facing in a First Years True Fit until he turned two and hit the weight limit on his seat for rear facing(35lbs). Chase is in the 90th percentile for height and was quite comfortable. He sat cross legged in his seat, and to this day he still asks to sit in Jimmy’s seat, which is currently rear faced.

Jimmy is also rear facing in a True Fit and at 23lbs, he will be that way until he hits the weight or height limit.

There have been times when I considered turning them earlier. It is easier on the parent to have them facing forward…you can see them and hand things to them so much easier. My family thought I was nuts and some of them probably still do.

I don’t care.  I want to see them play outside. I want to see them splash in the tub. I want to see them color and blow bubbles. I don’t want to see them in a halo with pins in their head. I don’t want to see them in years of physical therapy.

I feel there are so many things I don’t have any control over in my children’s safety. This is one thing I can do to help keep them safe.

What about you? What works for your family?

*Anyone with any car seat questions, feel free to email me. I’ll answer any installation questions I can!*

A couple weeks ago my little notch of south eastern Pennsylvania had a bit of a heat wave. Weather was anywhere from 70 to 90 degrees and it was glorious. Jim and I were off together and decided to take the boys up to a little place near our house. It’s an orchard and a cute little store that you can buy pies and doughnuts and all sorts of things I shouldn’t be eating. You can pick apples or pumpkins depending on the season. There are hayrides and flowers and it is such a great little place.

There is also a little playground that the kids made the most of. They love to be outside and run and run and run.

On the move

Chase will take a break from running to take a pass down the slide.

Jimmy only pauses to crawl in the dirt.

Then? They saw the goats. THEN? They realized they could feed them.

That made for some ridiculously happy baby men. I so cherish being able to spend time with them. My life is going to get insanely hectic for the next couple years and I am so afraid I am going to miss out on some of this time with them. They deserve a million days out playing in the sun with us.

We had a really nice Easter! The weather was PERFECT and  Jim’s brother Mike and his wife Kyley hosted Easter dinner this year in their new house. They did a really nice job and the best part?

Fenced in yard. The boys ran free for hours and had such a good time.

There was bike riding…which Jimmy was NOT amused by.

There was Easter egg hunting, which Chase took very seriously and Jimmy didn’t quite understand.

He did however understand what to do when M&M’s spilled!

It was a fun day with the family and I once again realize how blessed I am to have married into a family like this. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

PS-The best part? Chase informing everyone that the Easter Bunny was “Jeebuses pet Wabbit.” You rock baby-man.