It is hard to believe that you are two and a half years old already. You are still my baby, but you are so big in so many ways (and let’s be clear, you do NOT like to be called a baby).
You are a little ball of cuteness—with your blonde curls always bouncing around, your little legs always running and your big-time vocabulary! I simply can’t get enough of you!
Development:
I won’t have your full stats until next month (sorry, I was a little late in scheduling your checkup) but I think it is a safe bet that you are still a shorty with a big head.
Pardon me for harping on the talking, but GEEZ. The things you say constantly astonish me.
On Thanksgiving, you looked at me and RanRan and said, “Mommy and RanRan hab similar hair.”
Really?! "Similar?" I mean, come on.
You are also rocking along with hand-eye coordination (you love to throw and catch the football with Daddy), and you are a very intentional color-er.
TV Show: Yo Gabba Gabba (specifically the Fairy Tale episode which you ask for by name)
Activities: Duplo and “Chase and Run”
Dislikes: Bed time, sitting still, and brushing teeth
A Few Highlights and Milestones
Big Boy Bed:
This happened…
So this happened….
You LOVED “helping” daddy use his tools on this
Another Haircut:
You adorably said that you were nervous.
Music Class:
You’ve had so much fun in the USC Music Play Class with your friends.
Lately, it has been a bit challenging (to say the least) to get you to listen and follow direction. You love the songs but are far more interested in running around the classroom than sitting beside us and twirling the scarves.
Halloween:
While we were all a little sick the week of Halloween this year, we managed to perk up just in time for trick-or-treating!
I was probably a little TOO excited that I found such a good Mom-tiger t-shirt. Don’t judge.
We also hit up Boo at the Zoo with your buddies this year. Wild times but such fun memories!
Football:
WOW- you are IN. TO. FOOTBALL. I’m sure your father’s excitement is the reason, and unfortunately for me, it is mostly geared toward Clemson. You love the Gamecocks, too and are always excited to see Cocky, but you can name several Clemson players and can somehow remember their numbers. You love it!
We did head to our first football game with Papa. Though we did not stay long, we all had a nice time while we were there! While the actual football was disappointing, it was fun watching you run around the ramps and take everything in. You make everything more fun!
It was a little loud, but you were a trooper.
Thanksgiving:
We had a beautiful celebration with family this year at Uncle Patrick’s house. You were certainly wound up and were not too interested in having your photo taken. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family so close!
By the time I got to posting this, Christmas festivities started rockin', but if it works for you, I'll list this separately later.
So much is happening in the world right now—football is
back, Stephen Colbert is hosting The Late Show and Google has a new logo. Whew.
Also big news -- Doster has started his new class and has
also purchased his first pack of “big boy undies.” Apparently, his new teachers are going to
potty train him—we’ll see how that goes.
Since my last post was a little heavier, I thought it would
be fun to document some of the adorable and awesome things my child has said
recently. If you don’t have a toddler-aged child, you may not find this
interesting at all—but I can’t help myself.
I am constantly baffled and amazed by the things that come out of this
kid’s mouth.
A few cute little conversation tidbits:
After accidentally
peeing on the floor between trying on undies:
Doster: “Oh no! Oh no!
My pee-pee spilled!”
Target checkout:
Doster: “What his
name?”
Me: “Why don’t you ask
him?”
Cashier: “My name is
Chase. What’s your name?”
Doster: "Doster, wif’ aD."
Challenging night:
Me: “Doster, you’re
being rotten.”
Doster:” I’m not
rotten. I’m happy.”
“You happy, Mommy?”
“Let’s be friends.”
Much later that same night….
“Mommy, I’m sorry we had a rough
night.”
Just Love:
Me: “I’m glad you are
a talker; I like talking to you.”
Doster: “I like
talkin’ ta you, Mommy.”
Melt. My. Heart.
And there’s one more little tidbit that I want to jot down
so that I can remember it forever…
On our way home from school, Doster asked to hear “dat bass”
(“All About That Bass”) and we pulled in our driveway before the song
ended. He was distraught when I turned
off the car, and refused to get out of the car seat.
I said, “How about you come sit in the front with me, and
you can listen to it while you drive?”
Wow. You would have
thought I had given him a million dollars.
As soon as he realized that he could sit behind the steering
wheel, his face lit up. Watching Doster
grow that excited made my heart swell and I truly experienced a ridiculous
amount of joy in that moment. For the
next 10 minutes, we sat in my car, beeping the horn, rolling the windows up and
down, turning the wipers on, adjusting the air—it was wonderful.
It’s those little tiny moments that are so random and
beautiful. I’ve thought about that moment a few times this week and I’m sure
Doster has too.
Per usual, I am a little behind on the ol’ blog. I’d like to do a 27-month update, but before
I tackle that, I wanted to document a few other milestones.
I planned to do a blog about The Great Paci Takeaway, and
another blog about tubes but since neither were particularly positive experiences,
I’ll get them all over with at once.
Cool?
The Great Paci Takeaway
I am not exaggerating when I tell you that this is one of the
hardest things I’ve ever had to do as a parent. Doster LOVED his paci. LOVED
more than most anything. It was a
special, bedtime-only security blanket, and I had no idea how spoiled we ALL
were by it. With the paci, Doster went to bed with very little fussing or
pushback—it was paci time, so all was well. It could not last forever, and we
knew that it was time.
After Doster’s excellent two-year checkup, we headed to the mall
to build a special paci-bear. I read
online that kids LOVED putting their pacis in bears and they received consolation
knowing that they still had their paci, only inside their new bear. WRONG.
Doster started freaking out as soon as the bear was sewn
up. “GET IT OUT!” he screamed. At the store, he cried uncontrollably, I
cried uncontrollably, and the poor high-school aged cashier looked at us as
though we’d given her years of free birth control. Sweet Uncle Thomas was a
trooper and served as extra support for James.
The brief moment of humor came when James asked the cashier if she could
take tips. She couldn’t.
Doster’s bear (actually a tiger) served no comfort for him—it
was only a reminder of his missing pacis. It was a pure three weeks of misery –
crying for paci every night. It still makes me feel a pit in my stomach just
thinking about it. Taking something way
from your child that brings them so much comfort and security is SO TOUGH.
Now that we are a few months out of the hole, life is much
better. Doster will still occasionally ask
about his paci, but he knows the drill. “ I a big boy—tigey has my paci.”
Bed time is still not as easy as it was with paci, but I am
positive that we can make our way back.
Tigey, by the way, lives in the closet. He only makes guest appearances when
necessary.
At first, I was annoyed.
Then after other round antibiotics (which I am NOT a big fan of) I mentally
prepared myself for tubes round 2. I remember
going to that checkup—patting myself on the back for being so level-headed and
ready to proceed with the doctor’s orders, with my emotions in check.
WRONG. What I was NOT
prepared for was the suggestion to remove Doster’s adenoids while we did the
tubes. I had been so proud of myself for
mentally preparing, all to be thrown this emotional curve ball. The doctor explained
in detail why we needed them, but all I could think was: Do not cry here, calm
down, this is normal, breath. I had to
call the doctor the next day to get the information again; I was so unable to
focus on what he was saying.
It felt like the biggest decision I’d ever make. Adenoids? WTF are adenoids and why would I want
to take them out?
It was a really hard
decision to make. I want to give a huge
shout-out to our pediatrician, Dr. Painter.
I left him a crazy-mom voicemail and
he took time out of his evening to call me back and weigh in on the decision.
He took so much extra time to walk me through the process—not all doctors would
have done that. He’s a keeper.
What truly sealed the deal was that Doster got an extremely
gnarly ear infection the week after our consultation. It seemed like a sign to do what it took to
avoid more of these. A hot, feverish,
two-year-old waking up in the middle of the night saying sweetly, “somethin’
hurts” is enough.
Wow—that was a lot of backstory—I didn’t realize I had so
much to say on the topic.
We waited until the day before the procedure to talk to
Doster about it. We gave him a few key bullets:
-We’re waking up early.
-We’re going to see Dr. Vidrine (note, we did not
say hospital!)
-You get a special mask.
-It will make you feel sleepy.
-When you wake up, mommy will be there.
That’s it!
Sweet boy woke up with a smile that morning and we took him
to the hospital in his PJs.
The hardest
part was waiting to be called back. That
20 minutes felt like two hours to me. Once
we were in the pre-op room, it moved pretty quickly. Everyone was very sweet to Doster and he was
a good sport. He did not want to put on the special shirt, but we talked him
into it.
The genius staff at the hospital has these cool little wagons
and cars that they can take the children to the surgery room in. That made Doster SO happy. He was promised a popsicle at the end and
that seemed to be enough to convince him to ride away with the nurse.
After 15 long minutes waiting, I was called back to recovery
(only one parent allowed, sorry James).
From experience, I knew that coming out of anesthesia would be the hardest
part. But I knew that since we’d talked
about it the day before that Doster could handle it. HE WAS A CHAMP. He did not even cry--- he was uncomfortable
and wanted mommy, but he rocked it.
“He wouldn’t let go of that mask—he can keep it”, said the nurse. I knew that talking up the mask would help!
He asked for a Popsicle but had no interested in eating it—he
just wanted me to hold it.
Dr. Vidrine visited us and told me that everything went
wonderfully. He said he suctioned out
all of the gross fluid that had been building up in little guy’s ear, and I felt
immediately relieved and glad that we’d done it.
Our only little hiccup occurred when the nurse and I
disagreed on his pain medicine.I was adamant
that a little Tylenol would suffice but she wanted to give him something
stronger.I cried. She wouldn’t let us
leave recovery without it. I gave in.
James joined us in the post-recovery room and I filled him
in. The nurse in that room made me feel
much better about the pain medicine. We
received our instructions and home we went!
Post-recovery room-- still hanging on to his mask.
Sweet Doster felt well enough to ask for Chic-Fil-A on the
way home, and of course we allowed it. I
had stocked up on pouches, mashed potatoes, and pudding—but I felt little biscuit
and hash browns would be the perfect medicine.
We took it easy for a few days and things seem to be pretty
much back to normal!
And, I'd like to add that if you don't agree with our decisions-- that's okay too. I know that some people are against adenoid removal and deem it an unnecessary medical procedure. Totally your prerogative. Some folks also think that taking the paci away before three is unnecessary. That works in some families. We can only weigh our options together as parents talking to doctors that we trust and friends who have comparable experiences. We are making decisions that we feel are best and anyone certainly has the right to disagree with them. Every family is different, and that's what makes the world go 'round.
So, these are a few little things that I wanted to get out of my head and in to the blog.I pinky promise to have brighter things to discuss next time.It feels cathartic to get it all out on “paper”.Both of these experiences have been very educational and humbling.
Parties have sure changed a lot over the last few years, am I right? While we may have traded adult beverages for juice boxes, the true makings of a good party are still there: good people!
We were so blessed to have our family and friends join us for Doster's second birthday party. It was the perfect combination of old friends and new friends, for Doster and us! I did not know how happy it would make me to see Doster interact with his little people. He absolutely loves his friends and I could see the joy written all over his face. It was most of his favorite people in one of his favorite places, all themed out in one of his favorite characters. He was so excited and so happy, which made my heart so full.
The day of the party was a no-brainer. Doster's birthday fell on a Saturday, so it made sense to run with it. We decided on a Daniel Tiger theme a few months before the big day and we figured that a park would be a good party locale. Our house isn't large enough to accommodate so many kiddos, so we started checking out parks. I originally wanted Saluda Shoals Park due to the awesome train, but it was booked. After going down the list with the parks department, Mays Park was available, so I booked it site unseen (though we checked it out many times before the party day). It was really the perfect little park: close to home, yet kind of hidden, a playground just the right size for toddlers, pretty shaded with an available picnic shelter. I decided that morning would work the best since lil man would be well-rested and it would be too hot any other time.
After that was squared away, we ordered the invitations, along with a few other this, from ETSY, got the banner and the awesome birthday outfit from pbs.org, hit up party city and that's about it!
Voila!
I won't elaborate with too many more words when there are plenty of pictures to tell the story. But I do want to give a shout out to the grand parents-- they really helped us so much logistically! At one point, I'm pretty sure my dad was spotting James as he stood on a park trashcan to hang that banner. And the grands were great about taking pictures and videos too! Most of the videos are from them, and I am grateful to have them!
I love this picture more than words...
A few "detail shots"...
I can't help myself when it comes to the cheesiness...
I don't know why but I was obsessed with the helper station. No one even used it, but I was all about it, ha!
We had the park all to ourselves-- the one random family left as we were setting up. They coulda stayed and joined!
Happy Doster opening some presents that he was too tired to play with...
And now some videos, if you are so inclined.....
We also had a double-exciting day as Doster's bud, Olivia, had her party that evening. We all slept really well that night! James and I agree that this was one of the best days, hands down. Thanks again to everyone that was able to help make this day so special!
I really did write this a month ago. Due to some technical difficulties, we are a little delayed in publishing. I'm sure you won't mind.
--
Sweet Doster,
The past two years have been incredible. In fact, incredible is an
understatement. I live in a paradox
where you still seem so new, yet it feels like I’ve known you forever.
On your birthday morning, I kneeled next to you and
said, “Doster, I really like being your mommy”.
You smiled at me and gave me a huge hug and said, “I love
you, Mommy”.
That pretty much sums life up. You are sweet, you are a
communicator, and you are a heart-melter!
While it isn’t always hugs and kisses (feet stomping, hands
waving, eyes crying over wanting to wear pants AND shorts to breakfast today)
you are usually pretty easy on us.
I absolutely love spending time with you and do everything
in my power to have as many laughs and lessons as we can. Your dad and I watch videos of you before we
go to bed every night and just stare in bewilderment at the screen. We made a great mini-human!
Development:
You’re still kickin’ it in the growth department. At your
two year doctor’s visit you clocked in at: 26 lbs 4 oz (28th percentile), 32.9 inches (20th percentile) and 48.5 cm for the head circumference (45th percentile). So, like your parents-- you are short with nice size noggin.
We love Dr, Painter (or as you sometimes call him, Pastor Jim).
Show off those muscles!
Your hand, eye coordination is really taking off. You received latch puzzle for your birthday
and I was surprised at how quickly you caught on.
Your verbal skills continue to amaze me. I know, I’m your mom and everything that you
do amazes me, but your talking is so impressive. You don’t always “perform” for
a crowd, but at home you talk pretty constantly.
Books: Any Daniel Tiger Book (bedtime, feelings, ride around
the neighborhood), Where Is Love Biscuit, Happy Easter Mouse
TV Show: Daniel Tiger
Other loves: Your shark pajamas (you want to wear them every
night), playtime, cars, trucks, puzzles, being chased, “relaxing”, and
restaurants.
Dislikes: Bed time, kale (“I do not like kale.”) and the
vacuum cleaner
A Few Highlights of
the Last Few Months
Your birthday was wonderful—Rather than elaborate now, I’ll
probably wait and devote a whole blog to it.
We’ll see how that goes!
I know this is incredibly long, but I love every second of it!
Meeting Uncle Thomas:
First
Hair Cut:
Staring your new class:
First pool day of the summer:
Fun at Soda City Farmer’s Market:
Just a few other
phrases and such that I want to mark for my memory:
I love how when you make a mess, you say: Mommy will cwean
it. We’re working on cleaning together.
You did not want
me to use the blender because it was too loud.
After I was finished I said, “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” You now say that all the time.
At dinner a few weeks ago, you looked at Gigs and said,
“Daddy take ya shirt off. Wanna rub ya belly.”
I cried I was laughing so hard.
You love helping. The
other day I was genuinely running around the house looking for my phone. You brought it to me and said, “We found it,
didn’t we?” (You love saying “didn’t
we”).
You also love starting a sentence with “how ‘bout”. Like, how ‘bout a snack?
Thanks again for being such a sweet baby. I hope it is okay that I still call you my
baby, even though you are for sure a big boy. I am so proud of you and cant’
wait to see what the next year has in store for us!
