Individual Updates

Mom

There is so much to tell right now.  Our family is BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!  I am very behind on my blogging and I have a list of all the blogs and all the photos are just waiting for me to organize.  I am holding myself back for a few reasons, mostly because I tend to get on a roll and do them all at once, staying up until 2 am and then not falling asleep until 3 only to get up at 5 to run.  I have told myself I am not allowed to do that until after the marathon, which is on Sunday, followed by my thirtieth birthday on Monday.  I know, 30 years old.  Thirty years old.  It is kinda a big one.  I used to say I would own my own practice at 30.  Whoops, not gonna make that one.  That’s okay though.  It is in my future.  I think about all I have accomplished in my life thus far and I feel proud.  I am so blessed to have a happy marriage to my best friend, two beautiful children, and a career that I am passionate about.  What more could I want?

I wanted to run a marathon before we think about expanding our family again. I have been training since the July.  I am looking forward to the race yet will also be glad when it is over.  The training is pretty intense, and finding time when the kids are sleeping (only time I don’t feel guilty about running) is difficult.  It is the IMT marathon in Des Moines and I have heard the course is pretty good, some rolling hills but not too bad.  My goal is to finish, my last marathon I ran a 3:46 and I know I probably will not repeat that and I am not going to dwell on that.  Mom is coming to Marshalltown to watch the kids so Chris and I can spend the night at a hotel in Des Moines and we can go to the race without a double jogger and tired kids.  It will also be nice to go out to dinner for my birthday.  The weather is supposed to be good for running so I am hoping I have a “feel good” running day. 

I have applied to pediatric residency programs at Iowa and UNMC in Omaha.  I have two interviews coming up in the middle of November.  I am really looking forward to them but I am nervous and I don’t want to get my hopes up.  Chris and I are going to just leave it in the hands of God.  Do my best and accept His will for me and for our family.  The application process was stressful and I was also doing all the paperwork for the NHSC loan repayment program for a 40K amendment to my contract.  The month of August was not fun in terms of lack of sleep.  It became a nightly routine for Chris to say goodnight while I got to work for a couple of hours.  Flashbacks to dental school and residency.  Planning the kids’ birthday bash also took a toll but was so worth it.  Extra wrinkles on my thirty year old forehead! 

My work is going okay.  I find myself getting more and more frustrated with little things beyond my control.  I am trying really hard to separate myself and to remember that it is just a job, to do my work and go home.  I am really ready for a change.  For now, I am grateful to have a job and focus on the positive aspects of my job, like my awesome co-workers and the patients who express gratitude for my work.

I love fall.  We have our Halloween decorations up, the kids’ costumes are ordered and on their way, and we have already visited the pumpkin patch and the apple orchard. We bought pumpkins and gourds at Earl May, along with a garden flag.  Our house is looking festive with my ghost and Jack o’ lantern hanging on the front door.  Me and the kids have had a couple of nice bike rides to watch the high school marching band play before the football games.  A few nice warmer Indian summer nights we ate out on the deck on our new patio set.  Love it, love it, love it.  One clear night Chris and I even went outside after the kids were asleep to enjoy the stars, drink some champagne, and feel the cool breeze while we caught up on each others day.  A tiny part of me is missing the summer heat and swimming at Elmwood with the kids.  We really had a wonderful summer and we made some good new friends. 

Jack

Jack is one busy boy right now.  He is going to St. Henry’s preschool Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons from 12:30-3:00.  I really like the way this is working out for Jack and for me  because at first we worried about his afternoon nap.  He is doing just fine with the schedule and I get to take him to school most days!  I love it!  I drive either home and then help Chris get Jack ready to go, or I meet them at the preschool and walk him in.  After school he still lays down for an hour long nap.  The class only has eight children with two teachers so Jack gets plenty of one on one time.  Mrs. Ricken, his teacher says he is doing very well.  Mrs. Brandmayr, the other teacher that was with Jack last year, says he is doing much better with his listening skills this year.  We are really proud of him.  He is always excited to go to school. He always asks me at night when I am tucking him in, “school tomorrow Mom?” 

This may be TMI for some people, as a warning. Jack is still struggling with going #2 in the toilet. He doesn’t have accidents, but he refuses to sit down and try.  He can do it and he will but only after three or four days of holding it and begging for a diaper.  It is exhausting, and really wears on your patience.  Chris usually gives in and just lets him go in a diaper during the week.  The pediatrician told us to back off the pressure we were putting on him because she didn’t want Jack to develop a problem with constipation.  So we did for awhile, but I am ready for some tough love.  On Monday he finally went after a weekend of working with him to sit and try.  After lunch I met them at the preschool and Jack jumped out of the car and yelled, “ I WENT POOP IN THE TOOOOOIIIIIILLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTT Mom!!”  He was so excited, jumping up and down, and grinning from ear to ear.  I was as excited as he was.  I know this is silly for those reading who do not have small children, or even for people who do have small children and whose child never had this problem.  But I mean to tell you…. it is a big accomplishment in our house for Jack….one we celebrate!

Jack still goes to therapy at ChildServe two mornings a week, Mondays and Wednesdays, for OT, PT, and speech therapy.  His therapy is going well.  He is learning how to ride a big boy bike and he is really having fun.  Jack’s speech is really improving and I am amazed sometimes.  Tonight Jack said, “Mom, after swimming tonight, we have a popcorn party with sodeee pop please?”  His sentences are getting longer and clearer and having conversations with my son is really enjoyable most of the time.  He is getting really good at arguing his way out of time out. “Accident Mom, please Mom, be a nice boy, be nice to Savvy, promise Mom, no time out!”  Then when I put him in time out, he tells me, “Go to work Mom!”  A dagger to the heart.  Even when he is naughty my little boy cracks me up.

Jack is taking tumbling class on Monday nights.  I started out with both the kids in the same class and that was a disaster.  They would feed off each other and they were all over the place.  The coaches were sweating chasing after my kids.  Yikes.  So I decided that every other Monday night I would take one of them.  On Jack’s off week, he has gone golfing with Dad or done lawn work.  He really likes tumbling and has learned to do most of the activities in his own way.  It is really fun to watch him modify the stretches and moves to do it the best he can.  Jack is also taking private swimming lessons on Wednesday nights at the Y with a teacher who also teaches special needs children in the public schools.  Her name is Gretchen and we love her.  Jack is doing so well gets so excited to “SWIM WITH GRETCHEN MOM!!”  He wears a small flotation backpack but tonight Gretchen said he is ready to move to an even smaller one.  He blows bubbles, puts his face in the water, jumps off the side and goes completely under, and has learned how to wear goggles and get toys under the water.  From worrying that Jack wouldn’t be able to swim because of his right arm and shoulder limited functioning to what he can do now, I am amazed and so happy. 

Both kids are in Kindermusik on Saturday mornings.  I just cannot get over how much the kids love music class.  They get so excited to go to see Miss Judy.  Jack is in an individual class where he goes in by himself.  This is a change for him since he has been going with me to class since he was 15 months old.  The first day of class he stood in front of the closed door with his Kindermusik backpack on, just staring, waiting for that door to open. We were pretty early and he was the only child waiting.  I asked him to come sit down with me and Savannah but he refused.  He wanted to stand there and wait.  When the door finally opened, Miss Judy greeted Jack warmly, and Jack gave her a hug!  It was very cute.  He has done well in class and he even has little “homework” assignments.  The first one was to practice making glissando sounds and audio/video record it to share with the class, the second was to practice making patterns, and the third was to explore the cardboard park and little people that came with his class materials.  We have had a lot of fun doing these activities together.  Now when he uses his whistle, he says, “Good glissando!”

Last week Friday we went to Iowa City for Jack’s appointment in orthopedics.  Our OT and PT wanted Jack to be evaluated for possible botox therapy of his right bicep to help reduce the tone to help his tricep overcome the tone to extend his arm.  We were also concerned about curvature of his spine and wanted them to evaluate his back.  The appointment went really well, the pediatric orthopedic surgeon was great, and said Jack’s spine looked perfect, no need for radiographs.  He did want an x-ray of his pelvis though after watching Jack run and walk down the hallway.  The doctor had a toy that flew up in the air like a helicopter.  Jack loved it and chased it down the hall practically plowing into other doctors and nurses in his monkey undies.  It was hilarious.  He brought many smiles to peoples faces as he ran down the hall.  When the doctor said he wanted an x-ray of his pelvis I immediately became very nervous and hoped everything was normal.  Jack has had a lot of x-rays and CTs and MRIs and has never been scared.  This time was different.  Jack took one look at the big machine in the darkened room and started to back out of the room and his chin started to quiver.  I felt so sad for him.  I scooped him up and told him that it was a big camera and we were going to take his picture.  He asked me to hold his hand and stay with him.  I promised not to leave him and hold his hand.  He laid there on the big table like the brave boy he is and did great, but his little face was scared the whole time.  I feel so sad for him that he has to go through what he does, but I tell myself it will make him a stronger person.  The x-ray was perfect, and the doctor said it looks just like any normal little boy’s pelvis.  We were very relieved.  The doctor said that Jack would be a good candidate for botox if we wanted it for the right reasons.  Chris and I wanted to talk about it more, but we have decided to try it and see if Jack is able to learn to use his right arm more if he has less tone.  Over all we were so happy with how the appointment went.

Savannah

Savannah is just growing up before my eyes.  In the last three months she has just developed into this little girl.  Absolutely no more baby.  She is talking in full sentences, demanding that she do everything herself (including climbing into the Pilot and into her carseat), and wanting to help me with so many things.  She is a very good girl, almost always listens immediately when you ask her to do something, and if she does something wrong, starts crying and says she is so sorry with a hug and a kiss.  She loves her Jessie doll, has to sleep with Elmo, her puppy Bella, her baby doll and sometimes a glo-worm too.  She loves to color and play with stickers at the picnic table.  She adores her purse from Grandma and keeps three mini barbies in there, along her cell phone and pretend manicure polishes.  She knows all her colors and three shapes, circles, squares and hearts. She can count to six, only sometimes she says, “one two one two” counting four different objects.  She can sing “Baa baa black sheep and Happy Birthday in entirety by herself.  It is precious. She loves to read and points out over half the alphabet.  I KNOW, SHE IS A GENIUS, you don’t need to tell me.  It does surprise me how much she takes in and remembers. I tell her one time, “Savannah that is a rhino with two horns.  The camel has a bump on his back and it has water in it.”  The next night, “Mommy, rhino, two hons two hons mom, water in camel back.”  Then she points to an upper case B and says, “It’s a B Mom.”  WOW.  I think Superwhy and the Letter Factory DVD has a lot to do with it.  We read every night and I will take credit for teaching her colors, shapes, singing the ABCs and counting but letter recognition I can thank the TV!

Savannah loves tumbling class.  She follows directions really well and mimics the other kids.  She is the youngest and the smallest in class, but I think she is more agile than a few of them.  She can do the length of the balance beam on her own, and loves the tumble track.  The coaches were impressed she could raise her legs from a hanging position on the bar, and so was I. She has some abs under that little bit of baby chub! Every time we drive by the gym, she asks, “Tumblin class Mom?”  When I tell her, “Not tonight Savvy,” She responds with “Nuts!”

Savannah goes with me to Jack’s swim lesson on Wednesday nights.  We play together on the seats by the pool and watch Jack swim.  After his lesson is over we all swim together for open swim time.  She is a brave girl and has no fear in the water which has resulted in a few underwater excursions that leave me with my heart pounding and Savannah coughing up mouthfuls of water.  I cannot take my eyes off her for a second! She loves to go down the slide and kick her legs holding onto the side. 

Savannah’s Kindermusik class is one of my favorite times of the week.  I will admit that this same class when it was just me and Jack was less enjoyable because he didn’t always participate and sometimes he was all over the place, running away or just plain being silly when all the other children sat quietly with their parents.  Well, maybe not all the time, but it seemed that way.  This time with Savannah, I feel like my child is the one who is perfectly behaved, does all the actions, sings the songs, cleans up quickly, and impresses the other parents.  She has so much fun and I feel very relaxed during her class.  I love watching her learn new things and understand how to put actions to a song. 

On Tuesday and Thursday mornings I am gone doing my outdoor run with the running group when Savannah wakes up.  So when I get home, she is usually in our bed watching Superwhy and drinking her juice.  She sits right up and says, "Well, hi Mommy.  All done running?  See Jim, see Griffy?”  Jim is our neighbor who runs with us and his dog is Griffy, who often joins us to run.  I love the “well” part.  When I get home from work, she comes tearing around the corner like a bat out of hell, screeching, “all done brushing teeth mommy?  all done brushing teeth for the kids?”  She hugs my leg and keeps asking me until I answer.  She makes me feel so loved. 

Savvy still has quite an appetite and usually cleans her plate except for vegetables.  Even bribery will not get her to eat a whole bite.  She loves to push the garage door opener when we are coming home from errands.  She starts yelling, “Bailey Drive, Bailey Drive, I do it Mom, I push button!”  Then she and Jack get into an argument over who did it last time and who gets to do it this time.  They also argue about who will get their hair washed first in the tub, and whose turn it is to pick the show, and who gets the Mickey cup and so on and so on.  As I type it, it seems funny, but its not when we are in the moment!

Dad

I saved the best for last.  In the last year Chris has really been my partner in life, if it is possible to be more of partner than he has been in the past.  He has risen to the challenge of supporting me more than I could ever expect.  I used to tell myself that being a stay at home Dad was much different than being a stay at home Mom.  The mom, even if she works full time, still has to do the bulk of the housework, laundry, and cooking and just all round planning for the family.  Childcare is on Mom’s shoulders too the minute she walks in the door, compared to a lot of working fathers, for men that tends to not be the case.  Chris is slowly morphing more into the stay at home Mom, and what I mean by that is he is taking on more duties that used to weigh heavy on my shoulders after my work week had ended.  He is planning meals, going grocery shopping, doing laundry, and cleaning BATHROOMS. Yes, that is right, scrubbing bathrooms.  He is working with Jack during any free time to trace shapes, practice writing his name, drawing his self portrait, and other preschool activities.  Chris is spending quality time with Savannah while Jack takes his late nap on M, W, F, playing games, reading books, and teaching her games on the IPAD.  Today, Chris vacuumed all the main floor, and cleaned the hardwood floors.  They shined when I got home.  I like a clean house and Chris is an awesome cleaner.  I know a part of him enjoys it too!!  It makes my life so much easier because then I am not scrubbing the house on a Saturday night at 9:30 like I did last year.  He even organized a social activity with our friends and their kids, making the plans and deciding what food we should make.  Now, there are nights when I get home from work, a yummy dinner is on the table, and after dinner he pushes me out of the kitchen so I can PLAY with the kids while he cleans up.  Sometimes the guilt gets the best of me and I can’t do it and I make him go upstairs for a much needed break, but other times I relish in the freedom of getting down on the floor to give my full attention to the kids and have fun.  He knows how much I miss them during the day and how much I would like to be part time or the stay at home parent.  On Fridays I come home to baskets full of folded clean laundry ready to be put away.  I come home to clean sheets on the bed, happy kids, a house that is picked up, and a cute husband who is usually smiling. Haha.  I can’t express how much it means to me that he is working so hard to be the BEST stay at home Dad. 

Chris has also been a great source of encouragement for me in the application process for pedo.  He is my cheerleader and he boosts my confidence when I am doubting my abilities.  He is willing to support me in anything I want to do, including this marathon.  He has spent some extra time alone with the kids while I have done my long training runs.  He has motivated me when I want to sit on the couch instead of logging my miles.  Chris even puts my miles on the computer from my Garmin watch since I have no idea how to do it.  I am so grateful to him for all his help during this hectic, busy time in our lives. 

Chris continues to work out at the Y four or five times a week.  He is pretty much done golfing for the season but had a great time on the men’s league this past summer.  He has been really enjoying the college football season with Nebraska in the BIG 10 now.  He is hoping to get tickets to the Nebraska Iowa game the day after Thanksgiving.  He will be turning 32 in a few weeks and I am still trying to figure out just how we will celebrate this birthday. 

 

I wanted to write this blog tonight to document where we all were in our lives as I turn 30.  I am very happy in my life right now, and I know changes are coming but I am enjoying these moments, in this house, in this town, in this job, with my children at these ages each day.