Sick Again, But On The Mend....

Oh boy - it's been a while again. Actually had to go read the previous post to see where I left off. Well.... we got over the colds I mentioned last time (all three of us) about mid week that week. But they came back again mid last week and hit us all pretty hard. But the good news is that I think we're all on the upswing again and the boys are champs about it. No eating issues this time (also no temps - so that helped) just lots of messy noses and drooling in Oscar's case.

Well, I will start out with our trip down to the cities we took on Tuesday Feb 10th. We had our first ECFE class (new session) that morning from 10:30 am - noon (much better timing than last class which was 8:30-10am - the boys don't even get up by 8:30am usually)... AND both the boys are in the same class this time too. Looks like a fun bunch and most the kids are about their age too. They both were a little skittish at first as they hadn't been to ECFE in a month between the sessions... and all the new people. But Oscar warmed up and next thing I knew he was out of sight and found him playing in the little play house with another little girl. MacKay was more hesitant and didn't like being too far from me the entire time. Would eventually venture out to check things out, but if I moved from where he last remembered I was it was back to tears again for him. Got some serious separation anxiety we're dealing with again - but this will all be good for him. After ECFE we had lunch with Auntie Jolene in town (something we hope to do most days we have ECFE since the timing works perfectly).... and then headed down to the cities for what was intended to be a quick visit. The reason for our trip - My friend Heidi's son's (James) 3rd birthday party at Adventure Park in Ham Lake. They boys had never been to a place like this before (sort of like an indoor amusement park for kids with slides, and tunnels etc) and I thought it would be a blast for them - plus I would get to see my friends and their kids again - major bonus for me. Got to see and visit with so many people: Heidi and her family (Chuck, James, Avery) Ellie and her two girls Grace and Hailey, and the Nepote family (Monica, Tristan, Ava and Preslee). Overall the boys had a good time hanging out in the toddler area, tho MacKay was still periodically suffering from his anxiety and a little freaked out - but on occasion found a way past it to have a good time. We did find something that BOTH the boys love... and that was the slide. Mainly they loved climbing up it, but Oscar enjoyed the ride down too. It was just a little slide... and Oscar quickly learned he couldn't crawl up it (would slip) but found that if he bear walked, using his feet he could get up to the top most of the time. Oscar also loved this HUGE spotted ball (there were tons of balls, all different sizes in there) that was bigger than he was. Was constantly rolling that thing around........ tho MacKay was TERRIFIED of that thing. If it came ANYWHERE near where he was he started freaking out. Weird. I also heaved the boys up through the "big boy" area and took them down the big slide they had there. MacKay SCREAMED the entire time (a scream I have never heard before) so I am going to venture to say he DID NOT like that particular slide or experience...... but Oscar was SQUEALING with laughter every time I brought him down. We'll definitely have to do that again sometime.

We stayed with Gma Chris down in the cities and she got her fill of the boys and was so amazed at the things they are doing now - both naughty and nice :) She was especially impressed how both the boys seem to know how to put their shirts on with no guidance. Sure we put it on over their head... but aside from that they know to wing their arms underneath and threw the arm holes individually. They also will throw a foot up to you when you are putting their socks on and say "Gimme your foot". Probably more a case of repetition since we do it daily.... but still, pretty amazing to me. Gma was also amused at the boys' temper tantrums they throw now - nothing too intense... but just how they will cry when they don't get their way and will throw themselves on the floor. We just ignore it and it stops pretty quickly.... but it is SO hard to hold back the laughter as it is pretty comical. The boys also figured out this ball toy a Gma Chris's. They figured out where to put the balls (top) and how to mash them through the holes so they would go through the maze and end up at the bottom - then would know to pick them up and do it all over again. They are learning so much and it is so funny to watch them work over stuff like that. They also "get" stairs fully now too. Up has been a breeze for a long time, tho now they are starting to go straight to their feet when crawling up vs always using their knees...... but they now know that when they are at the top they turn around (backwards) and work their way down the stairs that way (vs the face first belly slide that Oscar always wanted to do, and MacKay trying to do it standing holding onto the rails). They got LOTS of "stairs" practice during our visit.

We had some visitors during our stay too at Gma Chris's too. Thursday afternoon I ran out with the boys and met Ellie and her girls (Grace and Hailey) at McDonald's for some lunch. The boys did well tho they were so distracted by all the commotion in the play area that they didn't really eat.... and what Oscar did eat of his chicken nuggets he choked on - so hard that he was crying. Poor little guy. But it was a nice visit and Ellie is just so wonderful and supportive. She always has this way of making me feel like I am doing a good job with my boys. Then Heidi came over on Friday night since we didn't really get to visit with the chaos at Adventure Park. Was so good to catch up with her - she is such a dear and special friend - always there for me and genuinely loves spending time with my boys. She is so good with them. Even when they are stand offish she seems to know what to do to make them come around. Must be that teacher thing about her. And Saturday morning Susan Commers came over with her three boys: Gavin (1st grade), Graham (Kgarten next year) and Griffin/Finn (2 years). It was AMAZING.... her boys (and mine too) played SO well together, so well behaved, so.... QUIET even. We even got to talk and visit which is RARE with that many kids, let alone rammy boys. We were all just taken aback by it. Was great to see her too - since I missed her at Adventure Park (Finn was under the weather). This is the same Susie that makes those wonderful hats (plugging again - susieknits.blogspot.com)... she is so talented and I was SO glad she made time to come over and visit cuz I miss her so. Thanks Susie.

I must say we had some good little eaters during our visit, cuz Gma made up a couple of dinners while we were down there that the boys DEVOURED. They LOVE beef (rump) roast and gravy. So much so that they needed a bath immediately after. :) MacKay was growling and snarling at us cuz we weren't getting food on his tray fast enough - he just CRAMMED in the beef and gravy and green beans. Oscar tried it all and did okay with it but he was more leaning towards demolishing the mashed potatoes and gravy. Watching them you would have thought I never feed them - I don't even know if MacKay took a breath. So we threw them in Gma's HUGE jacuzzi tub right after dinner.... they didn't know what to think of that with the high walls and such - didn't enjoy their first experience in there. But a couple days later we threw them in again and they loved splashing around as normal. We decided to stay down (originally was planning on only staying down through Thursday morning) through the weekend and waited for Daddy to come down Friday after meeting with the tax guy. And Friday night Gma Chris made bologna and raw fries (basically sliced potatoes fried in LOTS of butter). Again, another dinner they loved - even the Captain Ken's baked beans :) Sunday morning we got all packed up and drove up to Annandale to visit Gma Bonnie and Gpa Dean for a while before heading back up to Brainerd. Was great to see them again and catch up - I so wish we lived closer so we could do things like this more often. But if we moved, whatever would I do without my wonderful sister in law Jolene and her family? Just torn on that one :)

Let's see, some details about each of the boys..... let's start with MacKay, who got his FIRST MOLAR last week. YAY! He's been working on that one for a while but it finally popped out. He loves when you check it - tho he fights you, but giggles when you make a big deal about it. He and Oscar still giggle their hinies off when we smell their feet (which MacKay's actually do stink sometimes) and say "PEW" or "You got Stinky Feet". And now MacKay will actually grab his feet if you come at him asking if he has "stinky Feet"..... he will smile and reach down for his feet almost to hand them to you to smell. Smart as a tack that one. Speaking of smart... couldn't believe it but just yesterday I woke the boys from their nap and MacKay, as per usual, didn't want to get up. So I sat with Oscar and read this laughing book with him (button that makes laughing noises)... which perked MacKay up. He watched from a distance from his crib while I sat and read it to Oscar then put it away. And wouldn't you know it, when I took MacKay out a couple minutes later he B-Lined it over to the EXACT place I put that book in the bookcase and dug it (I say dug cuz they are crammed in there pretty tight) out of there and went running out of the room with it. Very observant lil dood. During our stay in the cities, MacKay wouldn't part with the phone toy that Gma Chris had... and even knew to take the phone and put it up to the side of his head. I won't say that it was always turned the right way, but it was in the right area at least.... and he was saying things as if to be talking it in. And if we would make ringing sounds or say "Hello" he would pick it up and put it to his ear. MacKay has also perfected his "Roly Poly" move.... Gma Chris taught this to him months ago, would roll her arms around each other (like you do in PattyCake) and say "Roly Poly Roly Poly"... but MacKay's version was more like arms just flailing to the sides. Now he actually rolls his arms around each other and the look on his face (so proud) is priceless.

Onto Oscar (geez - this is getting long, but what is new right?). Poor little Oscar got hit the hardest with the cold they got this last time - so much so that his filtrum (area between nose and upper lip) and his cheeks got so chafed/chapped that it was actually bleeding. He always gets hit the worst by these sinus things,... yet MacKay gets hit differently, moreso with the drainage and coughing. Of course with the cold, the drooling came back.... tho could be related to teething again cuz he's now got one of his canine/cuspids and working on a couple more. That boy has a mouthful of teeth I tell ya. Oscar has just been in really good spirits lately too - he constantly loves just even being smiled at. He's so easy, just look at him and smile and he gives you the biggest grin back - not an inch of his face isn't joining in on the smile either. And he loves running full boar at you from far away and lunging into you for a big bear hug. He's running so fast that he almost looks out of control. And what a climber this boy is.... constantly climbing whether it be couches, tables, chairs, slides..... and so naughty about it lately too. Can't keep him off of stuff. Thinking we should get him something for the house (definitely for outside this summer) that he CAN climb on so that we can redirect him to that when he starts upon the furniture. He actually almost fell into the toy chest the other day and was teetering back and forth with his feet kicking in the air unable to figure out how to rectify his predicament. And Oscar has an additional temper tantrum tactic he uses now too - stomping. He'll stand at the gates or even in the middle of the room whining and stomping his feet to get attention. Again, so hard not to laugh.... He also has started walking on his tip toes. We caught him doing it down in the cities for a few steps, like he had discovered he had toes or something. And periodically he will still do it but will be only on one foot with the other flat. Just all about experimenting I suppose. More foot related things...... we played a game of kick ball the other night. I kicked a ball at his feet and he actually kicked it back - this went on for quite a few minutes before he got bored and picked it up and ran off.

Updates on us..... well, I am now in the 2nd trimester (about 16 weeks right now).... and we have our ultrasound in about 3 weeks. Can't believe it is just right around the corner. Very excited to see what we have in there. Still trying to figure out which option I want to go with for birth..... as I was told I don't HAVE to do a Csection again if I would rather go natural. But, the whole idea of being able to schedule this (I've become a bit of an organizational control freak) is really appealing to me. Would just feel better knowing the boys were in good hands and everything was planned out vs mad chaos at a moments notice. More to come on that when I talk to my OB about it at our next appt next month.

I think this is long enough now, so I will sign off...... LOTS of pictures as it has been a while.

Had to put these pictures in of the boys with Angus - their bud. Still amazed at the things they can do to him (invade his space, poke him, prod him, lay on him etc) and not get a rise out of him. Even here, MacKay is playing in his mouth.... geez.

Adventure Park pictures:

MacKay was more about the smaller balls - he even dunked one in the basketball hoop...... while Oscar was more about the balls that were bigger than he was (and terrified MacKay)

The boys on the slide sometimes getting a little help from Gma Chris (and Oscar enjoying the ride down and getting right back up for more)

LOVE THIS..... MacKay and Oscar constantly interact while eating. Here Oscar is reaching for a GREEN Apple Jack on MacKay's tray (notice he has a ton of orange ones on his - but he likes the green ones - CRAZY)..... and what does MacKay do? He picks it up for him and hands it over to his brother - gotta treasure these sweet moments.

Some giggly boys (laughing at their stinky feet)... followed by Oscar attacking MacKay with a big sloppy kiss.

Naughty boys caught in the act. Oscar loves getting up in the chair and looking outside - and look at that look on MacKay's face .... no shame there. And one of MacKay's temper tantrums caught on film. First picture = crying ..... Second picture = throwing himself to the floor

MacKay and Oscar in Gma's big jacuzzi tub enjoying a bath after smearing their beef roast dinner all over themselves.

Some random pictures of MacKay:

MacKay with the telephone toy he wouldn't part with (and holding it up to his ear)..... and cuddling in with a big teddy bear and his favorite doggy toy (with the satiny ears he likes to rub on his upper lip).

Why buy toys? The boys were obsessed with playing with utensils, buckets, tupperware and cleaning products. Here's MacKay "cleaning" the kitchen floor with a scrub brush...... and his new favorite thing to do, put an ice cream pail on his head and walk around - he also likes the way his voice sounds when he talks into it.

Lastly I love this picture... MacKay just crawled up onto the couch and surrounded himself with these books and paged through them. They love books lately - but most the time don't have the patience to sit through a whole reading.

Some random Oscar pictures:

He loves his xylophone (likes to chew on the mallet most the time) and they both love their new toy.... a Rubik's cube. They even know how to spin the layers.

Just a couple of goofy pictures of Oscar..... making a crazy face in his high chair (obviously wanting to get out), and sporting his new dinosaur PJs - yet the ensemble wouldn't be complete without something hanging out of his mouth. This kid has ALWAYS got something in his mouth - he is so oral and loves to chew.

Lastly, love this picture of Oscar chillin' on his favorite chair of Gma's..... just leaning back so casual-like.

Come on back again soon....