Four year checkup

This morning AJ went to the pediatrician for his 4-year-old check up. It turned out to be quite a traumatic experience for the little booger. He went through:

1. 6 vaccinations
2. 1 finger prick to test for anemia (NEGATIVE)
3. hearing test (A LITTLE OFF DUE TO CONGESTION AND FLUID IN HIS EARS FROM A COLD)
4. vision test (PERFECT 20/20)
5. peeing in a cup for further testing

He has finally reached the 30 pound mark on his weight! YIPPEE! He was 30.2 lbs and 3 ft 3 in tall...we're finally making some progress on that growth chart.

His poor little legs are going to be pretty sore from all the shots, so we'll have to come up with a very special treat for him this evening.

I know it's not Wednesday...

but isn't this just the cutest kid ever...

Profound Conversations - UPDATED

Here are some of my recent conversations with AJ:

AJ: " What is that, Mommy?"
Me: "I don't know, sweetie."
AJ: "But Mommy, yes you do know. You know everything."
Me: (laughing) "Sorry, sweetie, Mommy doesn't know everything. Who told you that?"
AJ: "Daddy."


AJ: (examining a toy figure) "Mommy, I can't find the mustache."
Me: "Do you know what a mustache is, baby?"
AJ: (pointing to his upper lip) "Yes, it's a thing that goes right here."
Me: (nodding) "Is it some hair on your upper lip?"
AJ: "Yes. It's hair on your lip that the boogers hide in."


AJ: "I want some M&Ms."
Me: "Tell Daddy to give you two M&Ms."
AJ: (in the other room) "Daddy, I want some M&Ms."
Daddy: "How many do you want?"
AJ: "Five."
Daddy: "How many did Mommy say you could have?"
AJ: "Two."
Daddy: "Then how many do you think I should give you?"
AJ: "Five."


AJ: (from the backseat while we are going to school) "Mommy, your head is not as bigger like Daddy's..."

Table Trouble

I'm beginning to suspect AJ doesn't like crowds or a lot of noise. He is very similar to me in that.
Usually, we drop him off at school so early that there aren't really very many kids there yet. It's pretty laid back and he picks out a table and goes to sit down by himself.
On the occasional days that he gets dropped off a little later, the reaction is quite different. Those are the days when he looks around at all of the occupied tables, listens to the other children talking/yelling, and gets clingy. He won't pick out a seat, even at the table where his own classmates are sitting. He doesn't mind sharing the table, but he needs to be the first one there. It's like he needs everyone to come to him. I don't know if he's overwhelmed or just needs everything to revolve around him?
Thoughts?

Randomness

I have been tagged by KimboSue for a meme.

1. Link the person that tagged you.

2. List 7 random/weird things about you.

3. Tag 7 people.

4. Inform them they've been tagged.

Random Stuff About Me (that I'm willing to share...):
1. I started clogging when I was 12 years old, was a choreographer for our group, and even competed.

2. I am also a percussionist.

3. I'm left handed.

4. I don't know how to swim (or even float).

5. My sister is 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days older than I am.

6. I graduated third in my high school class.

7. I LOVE old movies...I'm talking about the ones pre-1960.

I don't think there are even 7 people who read my blog, so I guess if anyone wants to participate, then feel free...

Wordless Wednesday - Meet Me Under the Apple Tree

My new 4 year old

It's really hard to believe my baby is now 4 years old. He had a party with some of his friends on Saturday and spent the rest of the weekend playing with all of his new loot.

His haul?

Thanks to his "church girlfriend" - 300 teeny tiny Legos that will be all over my house on a regular basis.

From his Aunt S - a V-Tech learning laptop that he has already offered to let his Daddy check email with.

From his "school girlfriend" - transformers

From one of his buddies - dinosaurs and airplanes to attack them with

From Mommy and Daddy - his own Fisher Price "fp3" player with headphones. We have loaded it with over two hours of his own music and stories. Now he wants to "listen to my phones" all the time...

And enough Hot Wheels stunt tracks and race cars to make a lap around the living room. The trick is getting Daddy to stop playing cars long enough for AJ to enjoy them.

A look back:

AJ's first birthday

AJ's fourth birthday

This Day in History

On this day four years ago, our journey with prematurity and parenthood began. I went to see my doctor after work that day because my blood pressure seemed to be a little elevated and my feet had begun to swell. I was 25 weeks and 5 days pregnant.

After doing the requisite "pee in a cup" that I had been doing at every doctor appointment, I was informed that I would not be going home that day. He was arranging a bed for me at the local hospital. Pre-eclampsia was setting in and he wanted me on a fetal monitor and bed rest. I would likely be there for the duration of my pregnancy.

We had no idea at that time, that the duration of my pregnancy would only be another 3 days. That was on Thursday, September 23, 2004.

One year later, on September 23, 2005 we were preparing to evacuate for Hurricane Rita and had to cancel AJ's very first birthday party.

I sit here today in an office that is still without electricity after Hurricane Ike, preparing for my miracle baby's fourth birthday. And as stressful as those few days and weeks were in 2004, I am thankful for my sweet, healthy little boy.

Ike goes on

We had power last night. Had some friends over who were without electricity to enjoy the A/C for a while. Unfortunately, the lights went out again at 4am. It finally came back on at 11am.

There are trees and fences down everywhere.

Don't think we'll be going to work tomorrow...

Update on Ike

3:35pm - the winds have started to pick up now. It has finally started sprinkling. The kids outside playing with their kites are having a little harder time now.

4:00pm - it only rained for about 5 minutes. Not enough to even get the sidewalk wet. The sun is shining and there is a nice breeze. We have turned off the A/C and opened the front door.

6:00pm - They say that hurricane-strength winds have now hit Galveston. But here in Katy, it's just a little overcast, and the wind hasn't really gotten to us. A few gusts now and then, but not much.

7:55pm - the wind is staying pretty steady right now. Some pretty decent wind gusts. Getting a little harder to see what's going on since it's getting dark.

10:55pm - now getting tropical storm force winds. The power just flickered but came right back.

11:30pm - power has gone out. Hasn't really started raining much - it's just the wind. Can't post until we get power back.

3:15am - I think it's the eye of the storm. It's gotten pretty calm.

4:00am - That was DEFINITELY the eye. The winds are now much worse and are coming from the other direction. This side is MUCH worse than before!

6:00am - the power flickered on. Then off just as we started celebrating. It's hot in here.

10:00am - Still windy and raining, but not bad. Still no power. It's really stuffy.

2:00pm - if we don't get power back soon, I will likely be childless. AJ is bored and is driving me absolutely BONKERS.

3:00pm - HALLELUJAH! We just got the power back on. Hopefully everything in the fridge and freezer is okay. We were very careful not to open them while the power was out.

Hunker Down

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Or so the local media would have us believe. After the latest forecasts on Hurricane Ike, I was a little worried. It seems to be drifting closer to the Houston area. At my house in Katy we are told to expect sustained winds of 81 mph if the storm goes in near Freeport on its present course. If it tracks a little further north into Galveston Bay, I actually end up on the clean side. We will be preparing today by clearing out space in the garage so that both vehicles will fit.

My biggest concern is the large pile of lumber in pieces within 10 yards of my house. They have pulled off the boards that created the form for the concrete foundation on the new house they are building. They have not bothered to clean up the construction site at all. I will take pictures of this hazard and let the builders know that if any of that stuff ends up in my house through one of my windows, they WILL get the bill for the repairs.

Other than that, we'll have AJ and the kitty sleep with us on Friday night. Or board up the window in AJ's room and put an air mattress on the floor in there with him.

We'll try to keep updates coming and we can. Stay safe, everyone!

You Gotta Ask the Right Questions

Daddy: "AJ, did you go to kick class today?"
AJ: "No."
Daddy: "Didn't you and S* go to kick class?"
AJ: "Not kick class. We went to the cafe."
Daddy: "What did you learn in the cafe?"
AJ: "We. didn't. learn. anything...!"
Daddy: "Well, what did you and S* do in the cafe?"
AJ: "Kicked."

Just like in the interrogation room. You can eventually break them down...

Ridiculously Early

So the EXTREMELY LOUD noises outside my house this morning at 5:30am? Yeah...cement trucks pouring a foundation next door. About 6 feet from my front door. AJ and the cat were terrified.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the one morning lately when we have actually gotten out of the house on time? Yeah...cement truck blocking my driveway so I couldn't get out.

It's gonna be a long day.

THAT didn't go as planned...

Every year, Hubby and family gather for a big get-together at his aunt and uncle's house outside of Orange. This year we didn't have quite as many people (only 25 instead of last year's 75). We were having fun anyway, until they called a mandatory evacuation of Orange county for 6am Sunday morning. We were being forced out of our hotel room, and needed to make a choice. We could get in the traffic with everyone else and head back to Houston. Or we could go somewhere else and enjoy the rest of our holiday weekend. We headed north and went to my parents' house. The storm track looked like they may get some tropical storm-forced winds, so we helped tie everything down there and visited for a couple of days. Now we are home and, just like after Hurricane Rita, need to put out the sprinkler in the yard.

YIKES! I just caught movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see a mouse scurrying across the top of my desk! I'm outta here!

NOT Wordless

Well for once, we have some good news.

As you recall, AJ had an orthodontic "spacer" device installed by the dentist a couple of weeks ago to correct his crossbite. We were told that he would need to wear it for about 3 months. Well after only a few days, I was able to tell a difference. My baby's smile was looking more like Bucky Beaver...

His appointment to get it adjusted was on Monday. The dentist looked in his mouth, looked at the chart, looked in his mouth, started doing some measuring...Then he said to his assistant, "We have some over-correction." Well, DUH! His two front teeth are all you see when he's talking!

Anyway, Dr. H decided to remove the device and see if AJ's teeth fall back into place. So instead of being a "metal mouth" for 3 months, he only had to wear his "de-tainer" for two weeks! (Downside, he has to be on soft food for about a week. Small price to pay...)

Fun Monday

This is my first official foray into the mania that is called "Fun Monday". Today's assignment is as follows:



What funny trivial fact do you remember that you probably should have forgotten a long time ago?



Anyone who knows me also knows that my head is chock full of useless information. I can't get anyone to play Trivial Pursuit with me....I just can't get enough of this kind of stuff. So here goes...



1. It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.



2. In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes.
When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... 'goodnight, sleep tight.'



3. Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil.



4. If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.



5. Coca-Cola was originally green.



6. In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have 'the rule of thumb'.



7. In the 1500's, most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.


7b. Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, Don't throw the baby out with the bath water..



8. If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.



I'm off to enjoy all of the other Fun Monday entries....to fill my head with more useless information.

Chores

AJ will be 4 at the end of September, and he just started in his new class at daycare. I know there will be new rules and new expectations, so Hubby and I want to set up some more responsibilities at home, too. We bought a little "chore chart" to put stickers on. He gets a sticker for each day that he does that assigned task. He will earn rewards like a trip to Baskin & Robbins for ice cream, going to the park, and taking a trip to the zoo.

Now we just have to come up with some chores for him to do. I just don't know how much to expect out of him without setting him up for failure or frustration. What should a 4 year old be expected to do on a regular basis?

I'm open to suggestions...

Thunthine

AJ went to the dentist yesterday morning to have a spacer apparatus put in his mouth to correct his crossbite. He was very brave, sat completely still, and only whimpered a couple of times. However, now his poor little mouth is sore. He doesn't want to bite or chew anything; and he didn't talk for several hours after it was put in. He now talks with a slight lisp...

This morning on the way to school he asked:
"Mommy, why the thun have more thleep time? Why the thun not have to get up and go to thunshine thool?"


That's a very good question, my sweet little boy...

AAARRRGGGHHH

Well crap on a cracker -- now he has an EAR INFECTION!

(And on a side note - there are now purpura spots showing up on his arms and elbows...)

Tired of being sick

Conversations with AJ yesterday:

(Wiping at the purpura spots on his leg) "Mommy, I all done with these. You get some water and wipe them off."

(Last night at bedtime)
"AJ, are you ready to pray?"
"No. I do it myself."
(AJ puts his hand on top of his head) "Thank you Jesus for loving me in my heart. Thank you God for make me not sick anymore. Amen."

At the point that my three-year-old starts laying hands on himself, I have to leave the room. I can't deal with this much longer...he's breaking my heart.