Halloween 2009

Tonight was our annual Trunk or Treat event at church. It's such a great way for our kids to trick or treat safely and it's an awesome outreach event for our church. People from all over the neighborhood and city come for the candy and we're also able to share a little love of Jesus with them. Nathan racked up plenty of treats in just a few minutes and even a rice crispy treat from Mrs. Penny. Over a month ago Nathan saw a Mario in a costume book and immediately started saying he wanted to go pay for a Mario costume. Fortunately Shane found one at Super Walmart in Dothan early on and we were set. Nathan was quite excited that Halloween was finally here and he could be Mario. Our next door neighbor Michele found this precious Sheriff costume for Noah at Peeble's where she works. If only we'd had a cowboy hat for him. When we got home Nathan went trick or treating around the neighborhood with Ian and Andrew and their dads and absolutely loved it. I'm glad he got to experience true trick or treating like when we were little. This morning he was up counting out his candy loot just like when we were little too!

Pumpkin Carving 2009

I do a bunch of quick videos with small bits of different moments. But I thought for this one I would just set up the camera and capture the pumpkin carving experience. I did edit this down from about 30 minutes because there was a whole lot of Nathan wandering around and just me and my bald spot on the screen.

Calvary Little Praisers

Pumpkin Carving

I (Shane) am working on a video of the pumpkin carving experience, but I have to piece together the few moments when Nathan was interested in the pumpkin from the 30 minutes it took me to carve it. Until then you can check out these pictures. Nathan calls the skull “my bones” in this very cute way.

Then and Now

Just a glimpse of how he's grown. Yesterday Nathan came walking out of my room with my socks on and I couldn't help but laugh. He evidently saw them poking out the edge of my sock drawer and pulled them out and put them on. Now he looks like a child from the 80's with leggings on.

Nathan and Daddy at Troy

We got great seats sitting in the 6th row on the 40 yard line.

When the sun came out it was hot, but when it went back in it got cold. Nathan had fun watching the football players for a while, but then he decided there were more fun things to do. Like watch Fraggle Rock on my iPod and play with his Trains and cars.

Of course we had to have some popcorn, the boy is a popcorn fiend. Nathan actually walked up to the concession stand with Tanner (the guy who got us the tickets).

We had hotdogs earlier (I know you don’t get many pictures from us without a hotdog photo of Nathan, but I forgot sorry) and when we were walking back I looked down and Nathan wasn’t beside me. I checked the other side and he wasn’t there either. I turned a full 360 degrees and I had a small moment of panic before he popped out from behind a couple of ladies who were standing there.

On the road home Nathan wanted to stop at a restaurant so we ate at a place in Clayton. Nathan of course had shrimps.

Parkview School Fall Festival

But Why?

Meredith and I have really been struggling with Nathan and bed time. The boy doesn’t want to potty all day, but somehow has to pee 1000 times once the lights go out. We want to encourage him to use the potty, but at the same time we are just being played and we know it.

A couple of nights ago after a 30 minute battle where we had threatened, punished, and threatened again, Nathan was in the bathroom sitting on the potty doing everything but trying to poop. It was Meredith’s “turn” (we take turns because if we didn’t one of us would kill him) so I was sitting by my computer. I hear Meredith say in a very firm voice (which I have to admit makes me laugh a bit anyway) for what I know was the 30th time, “It is time for you to go to bed.”

Nathan, very innocently and matter of factly said, “But why?” I think it was the first time I had ever heard him use that phrase, and the way that he said it all normal and conversational after all that we had gone through just made me laugh, like out loud belly laugh sort of laugh.

I do think he eventually made it to bed, but not until Meredith and I were both in tears.

All in Perspective

We've had a crazy couple of weeks with Nathan being sick for so long and so many doctor trips. Noah had some kind of pink eye infection last weekend and gave it to Sumer. Last week Shane got sick with a bad cold. All he would do for it was take Nyquil day and night and he just wanted to sleep all the time. I didn't have a whole lot of pity on him and now I'm paying for it. Yesterday I came down with a sinus infection and can't breathe through my nose. I immediately went to the doctor and he gave me an antibiotic for it but that doesn't help the stuffiness, at least not yet. I can't take over the counter stuff for nursing Noah. Yesterday afternoon I about lost it with Nathan making scratches in the kitchen table with his fork at dinner time while I tended to a crying Noah. But then I went to church last night and Shane shared the story of Job with the youth. God can sure change my perspective in a heartbeat.

"The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."

Fun Filled Weekend

Friday night the boys and I took a mini-vacation to Birmingham. We stayed with Sumer and Caleb at a hotel. Nathan thought there was a jungle inside from all the greenery around. He and Caleb had a blast swimming in the indoor pool (though it was still a bit chilly) and playing together in the hotel room. It was very cute hearing them giggling together as they were supposed to be going to sleep. I remember doing that with my cousin Amy when I was a little girl.

Saturday after a very yummy breakfast at the hotel, we went over to the Galleria and did a little shopping and stopped for a carousel ride.
Saturday afternoon we went on to Pell City and went to a "Cowboy" birthday party with Aunt Amanda. Nathan got to bob for apples, feed the horses and dig for the loot someone had stolen from the bank.
We all love spending time together with Aunt Amanda, Uncle Jonathan and Jennifer. They are lots of fun to play games with, work puzzles with and play outside.

Soap Bubble Nathan

Our Friend Dr. Glaze

We went to see our friend Dr. Glaze again today. People wonder why we drive back to Opelika to take the boys to the doctor. It's all for Dr. Glaze. He is so calming and reassuring. Along with being a good doctor he is a very kind man. And Nathan loves him. Of course Dr. Glaze gives him huge Thomas and Veggie Tale and Spiderman stickers, so what little boy wouldn't.

After eating lunch Nathan came to me looking like he did not feel good at all. He burst in to tears saying his ear hurt. The other ear. So back we go to Dr. Glaze. Four times in about Six weeks. God is good - when I called the Pediatric Clinic at 3:00 p.m. they gave us their last appointment of the day. Since it was Wednesday and Shane had to be at church I had to take both of the boys with me. Nathan does have a new ear infection, but we've already started a new antibiotic tonight and hopefully he will be feeling better in the morning.

But while we were there and weighing Nathan the nurse helped me weigh Noah too. He is now a whopping 14 lbs. 8 oz.

Indian Summer

Penny helped me take the boys around at Indian Summer today, the annual arts & crafts festival here in town. Nathan has a Blues Clues DVD that's all about the "Neighborhood Festival" so he thought it was great to go to our festival (which is all of 3 blocks long). Our church put up a booth and handed out information and gave away prizes and did face painting as an outreach.Shane bravely let Nathan paint his face.

Nathan ate almost two of the biggest hot dogs I've ever seen.

Buddha Baby

(This is Shane) I always assumed when we bought this swing that I would have this big baby who would sort of lay on it like a big fat Buddha. Even in Nathan’s bigger times he never quite achieved what I was imagining. He always was much thinner than I imagined my child to be.

Noah still doesn't quite fit that weird internal picture I had, but this picture comes close.

Pumpkin Patch

Today was one long hot sweaty day. I'm not sure when I'll be ready to chaperone a 3 year old field trip again. Nathan still did not feel well. And a bad cough, a runny nose and the hot sun are not fun. Especially when it's a lot of waiting with your class to go to the next event only to wait in line till it's your turn. But there were some high spots during the day such as riding the charter bus on the way with all his friends from school.Riding on the hayride behind the blue tractor out to the pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin. Playing in the big box of popcorn.Petting the bunnies.

Riding the cow train with all his friends. Nathan got to ride with Ella.
This is a "for sale" tractor in the gift shop like the ones they got to race outside.
Some big checkers, a cold water and a skittles sure can make a boy feel better.
All day, he kept asking to go to the big slide and bouncy house. That was the last thing to do and by the time he got there he was so tired he almost couldn't enjoy it.
Tuckered out on the ride home. Sorry the picture is sideways.

And Daddy suggested we painted our pumpkin tonight. Nathan picked out the colors and Mommy painted.

Nathan Update

How scary is this?

Nathan has had a cough and off and on runny nose for a month now. Our pediatrician is not big on overmedicating children, especially for the common cold. Nathan did have an ear infection and was treated with antibiotic however, he can't get rid of this nasty cough. So, I took him back to the doctor again today and he prescribed an inhaler for 7-10 days and a steroid. He showed us in the office today what the inhaler looked like and how to use it.

Well, I didn't know it then but it terrified Nathan. Tonight when we tried to use it, he cried and cried. He wanted to go potty, which we still have to make him do. He even put himself in time out. He was pitiful, offering up anything to not have to use that inhaler. But once we finally got him calm and got him to try it, he realized it wasn't so bad. Hopefully this will clear up his cough and cold or possible RSV and we can all have some peaceful nights and Nathan will be 100% better.

Shane’s Update: It hasn’t gotten better yet. When he woke up in the middle of the night and we tried to get him to use it and when we tried to get him to do it this morning he fought us. No amount a bribing or ordering would work.

But here is a funny story. When he is supposed to do something I normally give him a choice. "Nathan you can get in your bed or you can sit in time out” something like that. Last night I said, “OK, here are your choices” and even before I said them he got up and practically ran to his room saying, “I’ll sit in time out.” It was funny and pitiful all rolled into one.

The Coolest Parents on the Block

At least we were this afternoon.

Noah at 3 Months

Can you believe it has been 3 months since Noah was born. Yesterday we went to the zoo and I recorded a little video of him. Check out how much he has grown and how aware of his world he seems to be.

Montgomery Zoo

As you can see from these pictures Nathan enjoyed his Rainbow Sucker more than anything else. Video to come soon.