It has been far to long since my last update on Antonio and I am sorry for that. Let's see...we left off at the first day of school!
He LOVES school! Absolutely loves it. If you ask him his (very) best friend is Sofia and Cameron. Those two have been his very best friends since day one. Sometimes he'll add Dylan or Jayden and most recently he's added Ethan, who apparently really likes him as well. Dylan's brother (yes, they are in the same class) Logan used to be included in those names but apparently knocks everything down that Antonio builds so she is NOT Antonio's friend anymore. Good logic there kid! :) He gets a snack, which is usually unhealthy, which in turn means he really liked it, gets to either play outside on the playground or in the gym (weather dependant) where they have blocks, balls, bikes, big and little cars etc. He gets to do crafts, have story time, sing songs, learn letters and number and have free play. All in 2 and half hours!
He has learned a lot about Jesus too! Which he can spell all by himself! They say prayers, read bible stories and even get "chapel time" one day a week where they talk about a bible verse. He tells me God loves everybody and Jesus takes care of everyone, even the bad guys. ;) School has been the best thing for him. He has become a lot more social, however, when a girl says hi to him he gets shy and I am completely ok with that. I am so glad everything fell into place so he can go.
Daycare is still great. He goes 2.5 days a week and looks forward to it every week. His girlfriend Destiny has come back too! One night we said a prayer before bed and he asked God to watch over all his friend and he randomly added Destiny (who had been gone since July). I said to him, "you still remember Destiny?" to which he replied, "yes, I miss her." Well believe it or not, the very next day he went to daycare and there she was. Not only was Antonio surprised but so were we! She has been back ever since! However, his desire to pray has become sparse since then; I am not sure if there is a connection with that or not. He had decided that Jaseline (another little girl at daycare) was his very best friend there and when I asked him who he played with since Destiny came back he said both Destiny and Jaseline! Already a smart boy!
He is loving learning and is starting to spell and I mean starting. He goes around saying "Pah, Pah, Pah, P says, PAH. And do you know what starts with P Mama?" "Papa, Pot, Pie, Puppy, Pumpkin." And others I can't remember. He does it with a bunch of letters. He is just starting to sound words out too. He doesn't so this nearly as often as the other though. I can't believe how smart he is getting. I fell like it has come out of nowhere. So proud of him.
All the tricking and silliness Albert used to, and still does, to him Albert is now getting it back from Antonio. It is so fun to watch. As Albert said, "It just means he is not a baby anymore." It is so sad in some ways... I canNOT believe he is already FOUR! Whoa...slow down kid!
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
First day of school.
Today is one of those days where I feel so blessed. Really I do.
Antonio's first day of school was today. Only half the class attended today and the other half will go tomorrow. Someone was smart in doing this. Antonio loved it.
Antonio's first day of school was today. Only half the class attended today and the other half will go tomorrow. Someone was smart in doing this. Antonio loved it.
When we got to his school we went in and he picked a hook to hang his coat and backpack on. Once done we went in to the classroom where he found his name on a name tag, put it on and confidently walked over to where the teacher and other kids were sitting. There was no hesitation at all. He sat right down and joined in. I thank Rosemary for that. She runs a school like setting for her daycare and since that is what Antonio knows, he was feeling comfortable and confident in his classroom setting. Once he sat down he not once turned to wave goodbye or anything. It was bittersweet to say the least.
I was also very thankful I was not the Mom of the little girl who was feeling opposite. The poor girl was crying and latching on to her Mom, pleading for her not to leave. Broke my heart a little for both of them. My Mom asked if she could come over to pick Antonio up from school with me and take us to lunch. I hesitated a bit but decided it would be fun for all of us if she came. When we arrived to pick him up all the parents lined up outside the classroom to one by one pick up their kids.
(looking in his classroom window, waiting in line to pick him up)
We were second to last to picking Antonio up but he did not seem concerned one bit. When the Mom before us was getting her kid, Antonio finally looked up to see if it was his turn. He looked out the window and saw me, I waved and he smiled. When it was our turn he was in no way in a hurry to leave. When the teacher, Mrs. Cunningham, said, "Ok Antonio, get your things, its time to go" he just continued to sit in his seat. He was happy to be there. Mrs Cunningham said that he told her he had a good day! :)
I asked him what his favorite thing he did in school was and he said, cutting paper. I'm not sure how much cutting with scissors he has done at daycare but I know he hasn't ever done it at home. He said that was his favorite thing he did a few different times, so it must have been fun for him. I am so glad we chose this Pre-K for him, I am feeling confident it was the right choice. He seemed happy and eager to go back again. Sadly he has to wait until Monday to go.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Camping for the first time
We camped, in a tent, with a short trail walk to the bathrooms and Antonio survived! Not only did he survive but he loved it! We only had one camping "malfunction"; our air mattress broke soon after we got it in the tent. The cap where the air goes in broke off so all the air within seconds, was out. We tried it out the first night without and managed but decided to send Albert in to town to get us a new one. Luckily, going in to town wasn't to far and was easy. We slept much better the second night even with thunder, lightening and rain. :) Besides the last nights "weather" we were lucky and had great weather!
We went camping to Ike Kinswa state park which is just south of Chehalis. We met one of my best friends, Erin and her family (husband Pete and son Jack, who is only a few month older than Antonio) there. She was in charge of picking the location which she did great at! They live in Beaverton, Oregon so it was somewhat in the middle. They are becoming big time campers and luckily had all the camping supplies. We had a tent and sleeping bags and thats it. No joke. They brought everything else! We stayed two nights, which was perfect for Antonio's first time camping and Albert and I's first time in forever.
The location was great. It was right on Mayfield Lake and all the campsites were nestled in beneath tall trees that kept all the campsites cool with some filtered sunlight. It did, however, make it pretty dark once the sun went down. Antonio was not fond of that. At all. The first night he was tired and went to bed in the tent on the early side with his new mini lantern. The second night he was up after it got dark and we could tell it was spooking him. We got him ready for bed and he once again crawled right in with his latern and fell asleep clutching it. So cute. On one side of the road was the campsites and the other was the actual State Park. Saturday after nap time, the three of us went to check out the park. It had a nice swimming area, playground and picnic area. Turned out the walk was a bit long, about a mile and half each way, but Antonio walked the whole way and did great!
Jack and Antonio had a lot of fun driving their trucks all around in the dirt, exploring in the bushes/woods by our campsite and throwing rocks into the lake. Even though there was a complete burn ban, not even campfires, we still had fun! The one plus of no campfires was that we didn't stink of smoke! :) It did suck cooking hot dogs and s'mores over a propane stove though. Oh well. The three of us may try to do a mini camping trip to a park really close to us still this Summer; we'll see. We will however, do more camping next Summer! We had a lot of fun with Erin, Pete and Jack and wish we saw them more often.
We went camping to Ike Kinswa state park which is just south of Chehalis. We met one of my best friends, Erin and her family (husband Pete and son Jack, who is only a few month older than Antonio) there. She was in charge of picking the location which she did great at! They live in Beaverton, Oregon so it was somewhat in the middle. They are becoming big time campers and luckily had all the camping supplies. We had a tent and sleeping bags and thats it. No joke. They brought everything else! We stayed two nights, which was perfect for Antonio's first time camping and Albert and I's first time in forever.
The location was great. It was right on Mayfield Lake and all the campsites were nestled in beneath tall trees that kept all the campsites cool with some filtered sunlight. It did, however, make it pretty dark once the sun went down. Antonio was not fond of that. At all. The first night he was tired and went to bed in the tent on the early side with his new mini lantern. The second night he was up after it got dark and we could tell it was spooking him. We got him ready for bed and he once again crawled right in with his latern and fell asleep clutching it. So cute. On one side of the road was the campsites and the other was the actual State Park. Saturday after nap time, the three of us went to check out the park. It had a nice swimming area, playground and picnic area. Turned out the walk was a bit long, about a mile and half each way, but Antonio walked the whole way and did great!
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| Exploring with Papa! |
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| Antonio had so much fun with them he insisted on being in their family pic! |
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| Saying good bye to Jack! |
Saturday, July 20, 2013
4 year well child check
Antonio had his 4 year well child dr. appointment yesterday, Friday, and it went very well. This time they checked his vision and hearing. He did perfectly on the vision, he was able to tell her the (correct) shapes on the very bottom, smallest, line. The nurse said he has 20/20 vision, hooray! So far he seems to have my eyes! The hearing test went well too. She asked him to raise his hand every time he heard a "beep". Well, he wasn't so good at that, however every time he did hear a beep he would look at her and smile, it was very cute. She came to the conclusion he heard every one, so he seems to have perfect hearing as well regardless of how he acts. :) The doctor came in and checked all the normal stuff, ears, eyes, heart, breathing etc and all is good.
Stats are as followed:
Blood pressure: 94/44 (last year 98/44)
Height: 42" or 3' 6" (last year 39") 85%tile
Weight: 42lbs (last year 38lbs) 89%tile
BMI: 16.73 (last year 17.38) 81%tile
He also received 3 shots:
Booster for DTap
Booster for Polio
And booster MMR & Chicken Pox combined.
That combo one was the painful one. In fact, for the first time he ran a fever and threw up...twice that night. It wouldn't be so bad but he stayed with my parents last night because I had to work Saturday. :( He has never had any sort of reaction to shots except for maybe sleeping more at nap but nothing else. I/we assume it is a reaction to the shots. Poor baby. He threw up twice late last night and ran a little bit of a temperature. They managed to get some Tylenol in him before throwing up again and happily his fever had broke. It killed me knowing he was sick and I couldn't be there. I so worried about him but I knew my mom would take care of him, but still, I wasn't there. Happily, when he woke up this morning he said he felt fine and acted like his normal self. I feel much better now that he is home with us. I hope he sleeps well tonight, he needs it.
He still is a bit red a swollen where he got his shot and that worries me a bit. But as long as he sleeps well tonight and there is no more throwing up or fever, I feel better. Overall, his check up went good! He doesn't need more shot until he is 10 and is all caught up and ready for school!
Stats are as followed:
Blood pressure: 94/44 (last year 98/44)
Height: 42" or 3' 6" (last year 39") 85%tile
Weight: 42lbs (last year 38lbs) 89%tile
BMI: 16.73 (last year 17.38) 81%tile
He also received 3 shots:
Booster for DTap
Booster for Polio
And booster MMR & Chicken Pox combined.
That combo one was the painful one. In fact, for the first time he ran a fever and threw up...twice that night. It wouldn't be so bad but he stayed with my parents last night because I had to work Saturday. :( He has never had any sort of reaction to shots except for maybe sleeping more at nap but nothing else. I/we assume it is a reaction to the shots. Poor baby. He threw up twice late last night and ran a little bit of a temperature. They managed to get some Tylenol in him before throwing up again and happily his fever had broke. It killed me knowing he was sick and I couldn't be there. I so worried about him but I knew my mom would take care of him, but still, I wasn't there. Happily, when he woke up this morning he said he felt fine and acted like his normal self. I feel much better now that he is home with us. I hope he sleeps well tonight, he needs it.
He still is a bit red a swollen where he got his shot and that worries me a bit. But as long as he sleeps well tonight and there is no more throwing up or fever, I feel better. Overall, his check up went good! He doesn't need more shot until he is 10 and is all caught up and ready for school!
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Birthday week!
Nina came to visit for Antonio's birthday. Nina is what Antonio calls his aunt (Albert's sister) Nelly. To be honest, I don't know why we call her that but we do. It is not Spanish for aunt, that would be "Tia" so I don't ask why, I just go along with it. :) Anyways, she arrived on Wednesday the 10th and left bright and early this morning, the 17th. We had such a fun time with her. She had some distractions with her life back at home but I think (hope) she still had a good time; I know we did!
For Antonio's actual birthday we all got up and went to Ihop for breakfast ( I think this shall be a new tradition!). Antonio got his very own waffle and was super happy about it! Then we went to have him help pick out his birthday present from us, a new big boy bike (with training wheels). From there it was up to him. He debated between the Zoo and a ride on big boat. At the last minute he chose the big boat. :) So we went to Mukilteo to take the ferry over to Whidbey Island and back. It was a good, quick, tourist activity for Nina as well. After the boat ride we played around at the beach. Form there we went home to put together his new bike and have lunch. Per his request, he had a grilled cheese sandwich. After his nap we went to swimming then again, per his request, we had hot dogs and cake for dinner. Thanks to technology, we had Grandma, Grammy and Grandpa and Nino all with us via phones (on speaker) and the iPad to sing happy birthday to Antonio! It was a great day!
Friday was a day of prep for Antonio's birthday party the next day. Shopping, grass cutting, cleaning and more.
Saturday was party day! We had family come an hour before the friends came. We had lunch and opened presents just in time for his friends to show up! We had a couple friends from daycare come which included Ms. Rosemary as well as cousins and a couple other friends. There was a lot of basketball, baseball and sandbox playing! We did a book exchange instead of presents which happily went well! I had every kid bring a wrapped book to exchange. Everyone sat down and put their wrapped books in the middle. Antonio picked first then youngest to oldest. Then everyone got to open the one they picked and then could trade if if they wanted to. That way not only did Antonio not get a bunch of toys he would maybe only play with for a week but each kid got to open a present and take a book home as a "favor"! Then we did a piñata, which is always fun, water ballon toss and had cake and ice-cream! After everyone left Antonio took a nap. When he woke up and came back outside he asked where everyone went. I think he had fun! ;)
Sunday, Antonio, Nina and I went to the Everett Farmers market in the morning. After nap-time (I had to wake hime after 2hrs and 15m!) and Papa coming home from work, we went to the Snoqualime Ice Cream Cafe in Maltby. If you haven't been and your local, GO! Yes, it's pretty much an ice cream shop but the flavors are so good! We left home so late that it ended up being dinner! I guess there is a first for everything! :) The "scoop" they give you is huge, more like 3 normal scoops! Antonio thought it was the best thing ever! I had "Mukilteo Mudd" which was basically chocolate, maybe even like a dark chocolate ice cream but so much better that normal plain chocolate. Albert had "Tennessee Whiskey", yes, they use actual Whiskey. It was also so good. Nina got "Honey and Lavender". It also was good but had some sort of "planty" after taste that I wasn't fond of. Antonio got his own cone, cookies and cream. All their ice cream is so good and creamy; you pretty much can't go wrong with what you pick!
Monday, we went to Theo, which is a chocolate factory that is the first Organic and Fair Trade for life bean-to-bar chocolate factory in North America! Their factory is north of Seattle in the Freemont area, near the Zoo, on Phinney Ave. I must say, just walking in made me happier! As soon as you walk in the door you smell chocolate! Not only do they have a retail store attached to their factory but they also do tours of the factory. We wanted to take the tour until we read it was not recommended for children under 7. :( Albert and I both want to go back and take it sometime soon! Another place to check out if you're local. After that we went to the Zoo! As always, we had fun! Antonio seemed even more interested this time and happily (and surprisingly) our chocolate didn't melt in the hot car! Must be the organic/fair trade part! ;)
Tuesday, Nina, Antonio and I went to the outlets. Did you really think she would be here for a week and us not go?!? Happily Antonio was a happy shopper, he even went poop in the Starbucks bathroom with Nina! After lunch and a nap, we got ready to go to swimming and then to an AquaSox baseball game! Antonio was so excited to go and was looking forward to it all day! The weather people had been calling for thunder and lightening all day but somehow we made it to the 5th inning before it started to sprinkle! It was getting late anyways and Nina and Albert had to leave at 5am the next morning to head to the airport so we decided to head home. We definitely will go to another game. It was cheap, fun, close and Antonio had fun!
It was such a fun filled week and our hearts are, at least mine is, full. Antonio loved every second his Nina was here and cried pretty hard this morning when he realized she was gone. Broke my heart but it was worth it! I cannot believe my baby boy is 4, FOUR! How did this happen?! He is such a good kid and so smart. In just a few short weeks he will start preschool; wow! Before I know it he will be graduating... Slow down time, please!
For Antonio's actual birthday we all got up and went to Ihop for breakfast ( I think this shall be a new tradition!). Antonio got his very own waffle and was super happy about it! Then we went to have him help pick out his birthday present from us, a new big boy bike (with training wheels). From there it was up to him. He debated between the Zoo and a ride on big boat. At the last minute he chose the big boat. :) So we went to Mukilteo to take the ferry over to Whidbey Island and back. It was a good, quick, tourist activity for Nina as well. After the boat ride we played around at the beach. Form there we went home to put together his new bike and have lunch. Per his request, he had a grilled cheese sandwich. After his nap we went to swimming then again, per his request, we had hot dogs and cake for dinner. Thanks to technology, we had Grandma, Grammy and Grandpa and Nino all with us via phones (on speaker) and the iPad to sing happy birthday to Antonio! It was a great day!
Friday was a day of prep for Antonio's birthday party the next day. Shopping, grass cutting, cleaning and more.
Saturday was party day! We had family come an hour before the friends came. We had lunch and opened presents just in time for his friends to show up! We had a couple friends from daycare come which included Ms. Rosemary as well as cousins and a couple other friends. There was a lot of basketball, baseball and sandbox playing! We did a book exchange instead of presents which happily went well! I had every kid bring a wrapped book to exchange. Everyone sat down and put their wrapped books in the middle. Antonio picked first then youngest to oldest. Then everyone got to open the one they picked and then could trade if if they wanted to. That way not only did Antonio not get a bunch of toys he would maybe only play with for a week but each kid got to open a present and take a book home as a "favor"! Then we did a piñata, which is always fun, water ballon toss and had cake and ice-cream! After everyone left Antonio took a nap. When he woke up and came back outside he asked where everyone went. I think he had fun! ;)
Sunday, Antonio, Nina and I went to the Everett Farmers market in the morning. After nap-time (I had to wake hime after 2hrs and 15m!) and Papa coming home from work, we went to the Snoqualime Ice Cream Cafe in Maltby. If you haven't been and your local, GO! Yes, it's pretty much an ice cream shop but the flavors are so good! We left home so late that it ended up being dinner! I guess there is a first for everything! :) The "scoop" they give you is huge, more like 3 normal scoops! Antonio thought it was the best thing ever! I had "Mukilteo Mudd" which was basically chocolate, maybe even like a dark chocolate ice cream but so much better that normal plain chocolate. Albert had "Tennessee Whiskey", yes, they use actual Whiskey. It was also so good. Nina got "Honey and Lavender". It also was good but had some sort of "planty" after taste that I wasn't fond of. Antonio got his own cone, cookies and cream. All their ice cream is so good and creamy; you pretty much can't go wrong with what you pick!
Monday, we went to Theo, which is a chocolate factory that is the first Organic and Fair Trade for life bean-to-bar chocolate factory in North America! Their factory is north of Seattle in the Freemont area, near the Zoo, on Phinney Ave. I must say, just walking in made me happier! As soon as you walk in the door you smell chocolate! Not only do they have a retail store attached to their factory but they also do tours of the factory. We wanted to take the tour until we read it was not recommended for children under 7. :( Albert and I both want to go back and take it sometime soon! Another place to check out if you're local. After that we went to the Zoo! As always, we had fun! Antonio seemed even more interested this time and happily (and surprisingly) our chocolate didn't melt in the hot car! Must be the organic/fair trade part! ;)
Tuesday, Nina, Antonio and I went to the outlets. Did you really think she would be here for a week and us not go?!? Happily Antonio was a happy shopper, he even went poop in the Starbucks bathroom with Nina! After lunch and a nap, we got ready to go to swimming and then to an AquaSox baseball game! Antonio was so excited to go and was looking forward to it all day! The weather people had been calling for thunder and lightening all day but somehow we made it to the 5th inning before it started to sprinkle! It was getting late anyways and Nina and Albert had to leave at 5am the next morning to head to the airport so we decided to head home. We definitely will go to another game. It was cheap, fun, close and Antonio had fun!
It was such a fun filled week and our hearts are, at least mine is, full. Antonio loved every second his Nina was here and cried pretty hard this morning when he realized she was gone. Broke my heart but it was worth it! I cannot believe my baby boy is 4, FOUR! How did this happen?! He is such a good kid and so smart. In just a few short weeks he will start preschool; wow! Before I know it he will be graduating... Slow down time, please!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Four years ago
As I crawl into bed tonight I can't help but get very nostalgic. Four years ago tonight my body was getting ready to go into labor. on July 10th 2009, I would wake up at about 3 am to use the bathroom, then again at 5 when I seemed I had lost my mucus plug. It was a whole 24hrs later before we finally got to meet Antonio. At 4:11 am on the 11th he came into this world, a whole 8 days early! I cannot even believe he was ever inside of me; what a true miracle life is. I still, to this day, look at him and find myself in awe of the fact Albert and I made him and I grew him inside my body. How did my body know where to put the eyes? To only "grow" two arms? It really is amazing.
We are so lucky to have Antonio in our lives; what did we do without him? He really is a good kid and has such a sweet, kind heart. He makes each day better and teaches us new things all the time. He reminds us so often of what really matters; each other. He seems to be growing socially more and more each day. Just a few months ago he wold barely talk to people he didn't really know, now if someone talks to him he almost always responds. :) He is still a reserved kid and I am grateful for that in this day and age.
In just a couple months he will go to Preschool. I am beyond excited for him but am also not ready for him to go. That means he is growing up. He is going to learn so much, meet so many new people and do so many new things. My baby is no longer a baby. Antonio does however, still want a baby sister and as you may or may not know, we are in the early, very early, stages of fostering to adopt. So maybe I will get the chance to "have" another baby in the near future, maybe. Until then, I will try to continue to hold close every little moment I share with my sweet Antonio and try not to rush the days along. Happy early birthday my sweet pumpkin doodlebug.
We are so lucky to have Antonio in our lives; what did we do without him? He really is a good kid and has such a sweet, kind heart. He makes each day better and teaches us new things all the time. He reminds us so often of what really matters; each other. He seems to be growing socially more and more each day. Just a few months ago he wold barely talk to people he didn't really know, now if someone talks to him he almost always responds. :) He is still a reserved kid and I am grateful for that in this day and age.
In just a couple months he will go to Preschool. I am beyond excited for him but am also not ready for him to go. That means he is growing up. He is going to learn so much, meet so many new people and do so many new things. My baby is no longer a baby. Antonio does however, still want a baby sister and as you may or may not know, we are in the early, very early, stages of fostering to adopt. So maybe I will get the chance to "have" another baby in the near future, maybe. Until then, I will try to continue to hold close every little moment I share with my sweet Antonio and try not to rush the days along. Happy early birthday my sweet pumpkin doodlebug.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Fathers day
Antonio is lucky. So very lucky.
I was telling Antonio today about how today, Sunday, is Papa's day and that we need to make sure Papa feels extra special. :) Also, how he (Antonio) needs to be thankful that he has a Papa. I told him that not every little boy and girl has a Papa they get to see and play with everyday. He said he was sad that they didn't. "Who did they play ball with?", he wondered. I told him that maybe their Mama did and he said, "No, only Papa's do that".
Ouch kid.
I understand, Albert is much better at playing ball with him than I am, so it's ok. :) Anyways, I told him he was lucky. As I was noticing that he was just not understanding why he should feel lucky I also realized that, that in itself, is lucky. For him to not realize how lucky he was to have a Papa is luck in itself. :) Most of my closest friends growing up had only one parent in their home, that they saw regularly. Whether it was because of divorce or death that was just how it was. Some of us were struggling to deal with that while others of us were used to it already (as much as possible) and realized that was just the way it was. Being around a family, a real family with a Mom and a Dad living in the same house was weird.
We always want our kids to have a better life than our own, not that ours was horrible, we just want better. For Albert and I, happily (or sadly depending on how you look at it) Antonio's is already better. He lives in a big house (big as in, bigger than both Albert and I grew up in), he has both his Mama and Papa living with him and he has toys, that even if they existed when we were kids, we would've never have had. And, when he sees people in a drive-through he assumes they are waiting in line to get hot cocoa, not burgers/fries/etc. Our job here is complete! :)
Both Albert and I grew up without a Dad, for very different reasons, but we did. I am amazed everyday how great of a Papa Albert is for never having one himself. He has no idea what he is "supposed" to do (nor do I) but amazingly enough, he is the best Papa Antonio could ask for and the best Papa I could ever want for Antonio. Maybe since he has no idea that makes him better because he's trying to be the Papa he always wanted.
For us, Father's Day is bittersweet. A day that we would try our best to ignore, before Antonio. Now however, it is a day to celebrate Papa and show him how lucky we are to have him; because I do know how very lucky we are! :)
I was telling Antonio today about how today, Sunday, is Papa's day and that we need to make sure Papa feels extra special. :) Also, how he (Antonio) needs to be thankful that he has a Papa. I told him that not every little boy and girl has a Papa they get to see and play with everyday. He said he was sad that they didn't. "Who did they play ball with?", he wondered. I told him that maybe their Mama did and he said, "No, only Papa's do that".
Ouch kid.
I understand, Albert is much better at playing ball with him than I am, so it's ok. :) Anyways, I told him he was lucky. As I was noticing that he was just not understanding why he should feel lucky I also realized that, that in itself, is lucky. For him to not realize how lucky he was to have a Papa is luck in itself. :) Most of my closest friends growing up had only one parent in their home, that they saw regularly. Whether it was because of divorce or death that was just how it was. Some of us were struggling to deal with that while others of us were used to it already (as much as possible) and realized that was just the way it was. Being around a family, a real family with a Mom and a Dad living in the same house was weird.
We always want our kids to have a better life than our own, not that ours was horrible, we just want better. For Albert and I, happily (or sadly depending on how you look at it) Antonio's is already better. He lives in a big house (big as in, bigger than both Albert and I grew up in), he has both his Mama and Papa living with him and he has toys, that even if they existed when we were kids, we would've never have had. And, when he sees people in a drive-through he assumes they are waiting in line to get hot cocoa, not burgers/fries/etc. Our job here is complete! :)
Both Albert and I grew up without a Dad, for very different reasons, but we did. I am amazed everyday how great of a Papa Albert is for never having one himself. He has no idea what he is "supposed" to do (nor do I) but amazingly enough, he is the best Papa Antonio could ask for and the best Papa I could ever want for Antonio. Maybe since he has no idea that makes him better because he's trying to be the Papa he always wanted.
For us, Father's Day is bittersweet. A day that we would try our best to ignore, before Antonio. Now however, it is a day to celebrate Papa and show him how lucky we are to have him; because I do know how very lucky we are! :)
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Sick
If there were a "sick" bingo I am guessing we, well Antonio, would have won by now. Or at least he would have filled his card up. :/ In January he had bronchiolitis, the end of April he had croup then on the 10th (of May) he woke up with a fever and has had one on and off ever since. By that evening he was throwing up. Then that turned into a nasty cold, cough, runny (thick nastiness) and a lot of congestion. Then, last Sunday, he started complaining of ear pain and his throat hurting, meanwhile he was still having fevers off and on. I was hoping it would go away after a couple days yet here we are, 4 days later, and he still have a fever and his ear still bothers him. :(
We made an appointment this morning to go to his pediatrician instead of the walk-in clinic. She checked him all out and said that if his body was going to fight this off on its own it should've by now. She looked in his ears and saw that the one he said was hurting him was more red and "bothered" than the other. She said it didn't look to bad but was obviously infected. She she gave us some medicine and said if he wasn't better by the end of the weekend to call her. So hopefully he will be all better by then.
I am so done with him being sick. He hasn't been sleeping well and he has lost about 2 pounds in a month, which is good for an adult! Happily, he could afford to lose a couple before anyone would even think about starting to worry. ;) I just want us to sleep better, eat better and most importantly FEEL better! Oh and it would be nice to venture out and have some fun adventures again! So in the mean time, pray he gets better, no more fevers, colds or "pain".
We made an appointment this morning to go to his pediatrician instead of the walk-in clinic. She checked him all out and said that if his body was going to fight this off on its own it should've by now. She looked in his ears and saw that the one he said was hurting him was more red and "bothered" than the other. She said it didn't look to bad but was obviously infected. She she gave us some medicine and said if he wasn't better by the end of the weekend to call her. So hopefully he will be all better by then.
I am so done with him being sick. He hasn't been sleeping well and he has lost about 2 pounds in a month, which is good for an adult! Happily, he could afford to lose a couple before anyone would even think about starting to worry. ;) I just want us to sleep better, eat better and most importantly FEEL better! Oh and it would be nice to venture out and have some fun adventures again! So in the mean time, pray he gets better, no more fevers, colds or "pain".
Saturday, April 20, 2013
It's been awhile
I'm sorry it's been so long since my last but there hasn't been much excitement or "goings on" to report about. Life is pretty good here. :)
Antonio is still doing really well with the potty situation. He only wears pull-ups at night! A couple days ago we had a rough potty day, 1 accident (well he caught himself mid pee) while we were baking cupcakes and then during his nap but that is it since I last reported! We are so proud of him. We are still working on the overnight thing and from what we've heard, that could take a while. Maybe 5 out of 7 days he wakes up with just a full pull-up, no leaking and I'd say 2.5 out of those 5 he wakes up wet, pants, sheets and everything. So yes, that means 1-2 days a week he wakes up DRY!!! However, I think that may just be luck not skill. :/ Regardless, those mornings we celebrate big time!
This week was my first week on my new part time schedule, Thursday - Sunday off! :) We have had a good time too. He has been really good for me and I definitely think we have reconnected! I've been told twice in the past 3 days that I am "the best mama in the whole wide world". :) Love that. Starting next week Albert will have Wednesdays and Thursdays off which will give us a family day on Thursday's! It will be nice to have a middle of the week day off together so we can do things when it won't be so busy; like the Zoo, downtown Seattle or even an overnight somewhere! The only bummer will be that Albert won't have weekends off... BUT he will get extra pay for working Sunday's which will help! :)
Antonio seems to really be growing mentally all of a sudden, or I am just noticing it more since I've been home with him more this week. He's a little more outgoing with others, he tells stories ("once upon a time...") and wants to be physically more involved, in a good way! He is turning into more of a boy before my eyes. Even more reason I am glad I am going to be home more with him.
Antonio is such a sweet, curious and innocent boy, like most kids his age are. After this past weeks events, it makes me even more grateful he is to young to comprehend, let alone ask questions about it all. We never watch the news anymore and since we don't have cable if the tv is even on, it is on channel 9 or Netflix so the injection of real life doesn't even come into his world. And I am very ok with that. I don't want to shelter him to much but he is 3, not 7, so why even give him the ideas of the dangerous world we live in. He will learn about it soon enough. I just hope and pray that when all these little kids grow into big kids the world will be a little less dangerous.
Antonio is still doing really well with the potty situation. He only wears pull-ups at night! A couple days ago we had a rough potty day, 1 accident (well he caught himself mid pee) while we were baking cupcakes and then during his nap but that is it since I last reported! We are so proud of him. We are still working on the overnight thing and from what we've heard, that could take a while. Maybe 5 out of 7 days he wakes up with just a full pull-up, no leaking and I'd say 2.5 out of those 5 he wakes up wet, pants, sheets and everything. So yes, that means 1-2 days a week he wakes up DRY!!! However, I think that may just be luck not skill. :/ Regardless, those mornings we celebrate big time!
This week was my first week on my new part time schedule, Thursday - Sunday off! :) We have had a good time too. He has been really good for me and I definitely think we have reconnected! I've been told twice in the past 3 days that I am "the best mama in the whole wide world". :) Love that. Starting next week Albert will have Wednesdays and Thursdays off which will give us a family day on Thursday's! It will be nice to have a middle of the week day off together so we can do things when it won't be so busy; like the Zoo, downtown Seattle or even an overnight somewhere! The only bummer will be that Albert won't have weekends off... BUT he will get extra pay for working Sunday's which will help! :)
Antonio seems to really be growing mentally all of a sudden, or I am just noticing it more since I've been home with him more this week. He's a little more outgoing with others, he tells stories ("once upon a time...") and wants to be physically more involved, in a good way! He is turning into more of a boy before my eyes. Even more reason I am glad I am going to be home more with him.
Antonio is such a sweet, curious and innocent boy, like most kids his age are. After this past weeks events, it makes me even more grateful he is to young to comprehend, let alone ask questions about it all. We never watch the news anymore and since we don't have cable if the tv is even on, it is on channel 9 or Netflix so the injection of real life doesn't even come into his world. And I am very ok with that. I don't want to shelter him to much but he is 3, not 7, so why even give him the ideas of the dangerous world we live in. He will learn about it soon enough. I just hope and pray that when all these little kids grow into big kids the world will be a little less dangerous.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Potty train
We are just heading up the last hill before coasting into the station.
Antonio has been in underwear all day, even at daycare and during nap times, for for a week and a half now and has stayed dry the whole time! We've been on longish car rides, stores, parks and the beach and no accidents! Yay! We are, however, still putting him in a pull up at night for bed time. I have realized we offer him a lot less fluids during the day though because of this. I am so proud of him! Only a couple times has he woken up wet from overnight. I am so hoping we are almost done with this potty training thing. I am guessing the overnight thing may take awhile and well, that is ok. I'll take what I can get! :)
Now on to "wiping". Yeah, how do I teach him to wipe? You know, after pooping. It's one of those things we all just do. Maybe I should have tried teaching him this already but I/we haven't. How do I even begin? So...that is my next dirty task; literately and figuratively. Wish me luck! In the meantime...cross your fingers we are in the home stretch of this potty train!
Antonio has been in underwear all day, even at daycare and during nap times, for for a week and a half now and has stayed dry the whole time! We've been on longish car rides, stores, parks and the beach and no accidents! Yay! We are, however, still putting him in a pull up at night for bed time. I have realized we offer him a lot less fluids during the day though because of this. I am so proud of him! Only a couple times has he woken up wet from overnight. I am so hoping we are almost done with this potty training thing. I am guessing the overnight thing may take awhile and well, that is ok. I'll take what I can get! :)
Now on to "wiping". Yeah, how do I teach him to wipe? You know, after pooping. It's one of those things we all just do. Maybe I should have tried teaching him this already but I/we haven't. How do I even begin? So...that is my next dirty task; literately and figuratively. Wish me luck! In the meantime...cross your fingers we are in the home stretch of this potty train!
Friday, March 8, 2013
Preschool Update.
It's happening people; it's really happening!
Antonio is going to go to preschool in the Fall and I am beyond excited for him. In fact it will be a Pre-K class. He has to be 4 by August 31st to be able to be in it so he will be on the younger side of the kids and with his shyness I'm a tad worried but I think he will be fine. He has starting to become more outgoing so hopefully by then he will be good. That is a whole 6 months away, heck he will be 4 then. FOUR! I just worry the the actual preschool class will be too young for him then because it is mainly 3-4 years olds. The pre-k will prep him for Kindergarten better than the preschool class will and if we decided to send him in the Fall of 2014 at least this way he will be ready. If we don't he can do another year of the pre-k there. The director told me that doing that would be ok since they don't repeat the year over and over again. So he wouldn't just repeat what he does this coming year again. He will attend 3 days a week; M-W 9-11:30.
The preschool, for those interested, is called Bethlehem Christian School. It was referred to me by the girl that does my hair. Her son, who is now in first grade there, (they do preschool - 1st grade) has attended there since he was 4 and he, as does she, love it there. While we were there it just felt right. I can't really explain it but it just felt right there. The teachers were very nice, 2 in each class, and we got to peak in to both the pre-k class and preschool class. The pre-k class was just finishing up a workbook type page and the room just seemed calm and positive. Not at all chaotic. The preschool room on the other hand was a bit more active but still felt and looked very in order. Neither classroom had kids running around crazy. They were just finishing up an art project. Antonio got to go in and play with the kids for a few min while the director showed me around a bit more and explained a few more things.
Antonio was not at all phased by the fact I left the room. He just joined in the fun! In fact I had to bribe him with driving over train tracks and going to the park after in order for us to leave without making a scene. :) Needless to say he was happy there, and they even had crayons! When we toured the other school he never saw any crayons and was a bit worried they didn't have any. He has priorities!
In case you are wondering, he will be able to attend because I will be going to part time as of April 1st at my work. Hooray! My employer has decided to close our Burlington branch which is a bummer because that means 2 people are out of a job there. However, the one who has the same position I do up there is willing to work part time in Mukilteo! He and I will be able to do a job share type of set up. Until September, I will work full days on Monday's/Tuesdays and the 2nd half of Wednesdays (with Thursday/Friday's off) while he will work the 1st half of Wednesdays and then full days on Thursdays/Fridays. I'm shocked he is willing to drive that far; I am not sure I would. In September we will switch our off days so I will have Monday/Tuesday's off and work Thursday/Fridays. His wife has Monday's off so I offered to let him have Mondays off with her through the Summer as long as he was willing to switch in September so I can take Antonio to preschool! He agreed! Money will be a bit tighter for us but in my opinion it is worth it!
So thank you to all that prayed or sent good thoughts about us finding a way to make this preschool thing work out! It worked! Hooray! I am so excited for Antonio to go and I know he will LOVE it!
Antonio is going to go to preschool in the Fall and I am beyond excited for him. In fact it will be a Pre-K class. He has to be 4 by August 31st to be able to be in it so he will be on the younger side of the kids and with his shyness I'm a tad worried but I think he will be fine. He has starting to become more outgoing so hopefully by then he will be good. That is a whole 6 months away, heck he will be 4 then. FOUR! I just worry the the actual preschool class will be too young for him then because it is mainly 3-4 years olds. The pre-k will prep him for Kindergarten better than the preschool class will and if we decided to send him in the Fall of 2014 at least this way he will be ready. If we don't he can do another year of the pre-k there. The director told me that doing that would be ok since they don't repeat the year over and over again. So he wouldn't just repeat what he does this coming year again. He will attend 3 days a week; M-W 9-11:30.
The preschool, for those interested, is called Bethlehem Christian School. It was referred to me by the girl that does my hair. Her son, who is now in first grade there, (they do preschool - 1st grade) has attended there since he was 4 and he, as does she, love it there. While we were there it just felt right. I can't really explain it but it just felt right there. The teachers were very nice, 2 in each class, and we got to peak in to both the pre-k class and preschool class. The pre-k class was just finishing up a workbook type page and the room just seemed calm and positive. Not at all chaotic. The preschool room on the other hand was a bit more active but still felt and looked very in order. Neither classroom had kids running around crazy. They were just finishing up an art project. Antonio got to go in and play with the kids for a few min while the director showed me around a bit more and explained a few more things.
Antonio was not at all phased by the fact I left the room. He just joined in the fun! In fact I had to bribe him with driving over train tracks and going to the park after in order for us to leave without making a scene. :) Needless to say he was happy there, and they even had crayons! When we toured the other school he never saw any crayons and was a bit worried they didn't have any. He has priorities!
In case you are wondering, he will be able to attend because I will be going to part time as of April 1st at my work. Hooray! My employer has decided to close our Burlington branch which is a bummer because that means 2 people are out of a job there. However, the one who has the same position I do up there is willing to work part time in Mukilteo! He and I will be able to do a job share type of set up. Until September, I will work full days on Monday's/Tuesdays and the 2nd half of Wednesdays (with Thursday/Friday's off) while he will work the 1st half of Wednesdays and then full days on Thursdays/Fridays. I'm shocked he is willing to drive that far; I am not sure I would. In September we will switch our off days so I will have Monday/Tuesday's off and work Thursday/Fridays. His wife has Monday's off so I offered to let him have Mondays off with her through the Summer as long as he was willing to switch in September so I can take Antonio to preschool! He agreed! Money will be a bit tighter for us but in my opinion it is worth it!
So thank you to all that prayed or sent good thoughts about us finding a way to make this preschool thing work out! It worked! Hooray! I am so excited for Antonio to go and I know he will LOVE it!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Pee Pee in the Pot..tay
As most of you know we went to California for a week about a week ago and had a great time! We went to Knott's Berry Farm, the beach a couple times and visited family and cousins! Right before we left, Antonio had been waking up soaking wet in the mornings. He has been pretty much perfect about going potty in the potty during the day. We were still putting him in pull-ups when we would leave the house and during nap/bedtime. But when we were home he was always in underwear and did/does great!
We were a bit worried about the leaking of the pull-up at night all of a sudden. So we put a towel down underneath him just in case while in California. Happily he never leaked! Yay! I thought, good, we are done with the leaking! Boy did he have us fooled. The first morning back he woke up wet and it continued. We don't give him drinks at all from about 6:45 on, he goes to bed at 8. We have him, at the very least, try to go potty before getting in to bed. Some nights he goes, some not, but he always seemed to wake up soaking wet; except in California. Weird. Regardless, I was sick of having to immediately change his sheets etc in the morning. So we picked up some nighttime pull-ups at the store. They say they have extra absorption, so I figured it was worth a shot.
By golly, they work (knock on wood)! He's been wearing them for almost a week now and he has yet to wake up wet! Knock on wood. In fact, a couple times when he woke up in the morning he was dry and had to go pee right away! Double yay! :) However, this morning he wasn't wet but his pull-up was pretty heavy. Regardless, as long as he wakes up not soaking wet I am happy at this point!
While we were in California, Antonio did an awesome job at telling us when he has to go potty. A few times we had to insist but never an accident! Even at Knott's Berry Farm for 5 hours with a ton of distraction he told us! I was a bit worried he would become "irregular" because of the unfamiliarities but he did great! We were/are so proud!
I have been so hesitant about keeping him in underwear when we go out because I don't want to have to deal with a wet carseat or driving down the road and him telling me he has to go. He's never told me he had to go driving down the road he had to go and he always has dry pull-ups but I am still paranoid about it. So today we got up, put on underwear and went about our normal business. We had to got to Target so I asked him, "do you want to put a pull-up on or wear your underwear to the store?". He picked underwear so I bit the bullet and said ok. I reminded him he would have to tell me if he had to go. We tried to go before we left but nothing. So I nervously drove to Target (about 10m away). When we got there I asked him and he said he didn't need to go, then right before leaving Target I asked again and he said no. So I nervously drove home; I made myself trust him. ;) We did make it home with no accidents, thankfully. Granted he also didn't pee of another hour...but still!
I feel like it was a big accomplishment for both of us. For me, I trusted him to tell me if he had to go and for him, he probably knew I was trusting him to tell me. It felt good. We played outside and even went on a walk with underwear on. I was pretty proud of him (and me). I am hoping to keep up the no pull-ups and trust him to tell us. He is so good at telling us with a pull-up on so whats the difference?! I am still in debate on whether or not to buy a "piddle pad" for the carseat, just in case.
I am so proud of him. Now, if we can just get him to stay dry at nap time at daycare I'll feel even better. I know the night time part of it can take time, a long time, so one step at a time! :)
Now where is that conga line....Pee pee in the pot..tay. Pee pee in the pot..tay
Monday, January 28, 2013
A baby sister
No, I am NOT pregnant.
Just wanted to get that out there first. However, Antonio told everyone at daycare today he (we) are buying him a baby sister. Yup, so then the kids asked him if his Mama was having a baby and he said, "No, we are buying a baby sister." Duh. Then he proceeded to tell us tonight that we were buying him a baby sister for his birthday. Yeah, that is definitely not happening considering his birthday is less 7 months away.
Eek, in less than 7 months my baby will be 4?! Ack! How did that happen? FOUR?!? Whoa...how do I stop time?
Anyways, I digress. Since I am not pregnant and you cant "buy a baby sister" through adoption/foster care in that short of time no matter who you know, it is not happening. Poor Antonio. He has, however, been mentioning how he wants a baby sister for a couple weeks now. When I asked him what we should name her the other day he simply and plainly responded, "Baby Jesus". Of course because if we got him that baby sister for his birthday it would have to be Baby Jesus since I am currently (and yes, for sure. check out While the Doodlebug Sleeps if you want to know why it's "for sure") not pregnant. Thank you Ms. Rosemary and the Christmas season for that. :)
So I guess we should start really deciding on if we want another baby by means of pregnancy or adoption. Adoption has always casually been mentioned as an option since I was SO sick the first 4-5 months of pregnancy. I am not sure, nor is Albert, I want to "risk" being that way again; it was terrible. They say you forget about it after the baby is born...nope, not me. It is still pretty vivid in my mind. Blech. And the high possibility of having another c-section? I just don't know.
Of course Antonio was worth it, but now being so "aware" of adoption/foster to adopt it is more of a realistic option. So who knows. Regardless, we are getting pressured by Antonio. Or maybe it is God's way (or the universe's) of telling us to figure it out. :)
We'll keep you posted!
Just wanted to get that out there first. However, Antonio told everyone at daycare today he (we) are buying him a baby sister. Yup, so then the kids asked him if his Mama was having a baby and he said, "No, we are buying a baby sister." Duh. Then he proceeded to tell us tonight that we were buying him a baby sister for his birthday. Yeah, that is definitely not happening considering his birthday is less 7 months away.
Eek, in less than 7 months my baby will be 4?! Ack! How did that happen? FOUR?!? Whoa...how do I stop time?
Anyways, I digress. Since I am not pregnant and you cant "buy a baby sister" through adoption/foster care in that short of time no matter who you know, it is not happening. Poor Antonio. He has, however, been mentioning how he wants a baby sister for a couple weeks now. When I asked him what we should name her the other day he simply and plainly responded, "Baby Jesus". Of course because if we got him that baby sister for his birthday it would have to be Baby Jesus since I am currently (and yes, for sure. check out While the Doodlebug Sleeps if you want to know why it's "for sure") not pregnant. Thank you Ms. Rosemary and the Christmas season for that. :)
So I guess we should start really deciding on if we want another baby by means of pregnancy or adoption. Adoption has always casually been mentioned as an option since I was SO sick the first 4-5 months of pregnancy. I am not sure, nor is Albert, I want to "risk" being that way again; it was terrible. They say you forget about it after the baby is born...nope, not me. It is still pretty vivid in my mind. Blech. And the high possibility of having another c-section? I just don't know.
Of course Antonio was worth it, but now being so "aware" of adoption/foster to adopt it is more of a realistic option. So who knows. Regardless, we are getting pressured by Antonio. Or maybe it is God's way (or the universe's) of telling us to figure it out. :)
We'll keep you posted!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Preschool update...kinda
Preschool seems to be the next step for Antonio. We still haven't decided, let alone thought much about it, if we will hold him back a year before starting Kindergarten. I, myself, lean closer to waiting until he is 6 but we will see. I know Antonio is anxious, without even know about it, to go to "school". I would like to send him to a Preschool for possibly a Pre-K class. However, what I have found out that a huge problem is transportation. I have looked in to a couple Preschools through church's and they have no transportation. And well, unfortunately, I hadn't really thought about that part of it. Would I even want him riding a bus to and from? We, Albert or I would have to drop him and pick him back up. I could make dropping him work but picking him up between 11:30 and noon (depending on the place) 3 days a week is close to impossible with my work schedule and Albert's.
Is preschool only for kids who have a stay-at-home Mom/Dad? Or a parent who has a very flexible work schedule or works very part-time?
I have maybe 3 people that I would feel comfortable picking him up from preschool. Albert or I, my Mom, Rosemary (the awesome daycare lady) and my cousin/her husband. Here is the problem with them. My Mom lives on the other side of the water and that would be a HUGE in convenience, let alone favor, to ask of her. Rosemary, well she'd have to pack up the other kids in the car and pick him up, at lunch time, so not an option considering they typically eat between 11:30-noon. Then my cousin/her husband. They live in Everett, preschool would be in Marysville, they have two kids of their own with their own schedules. That would mean they would have to pack up, drive to Marysville just to pick Antonio to take him to daycare...ummmm, no, not an option.
So what to do? It sucks.
There is always a chance I may find a part-time job by next Fall so I could pick him up, but at this point, there is no guarantee of that. I know he would love it but I am starting to find out it may not be a possibility and that frustrates me (and makes me sad). A lot. His current daycare is fantastic and is/would be very similar to what preschool would be like but I was really hoping he could experience "school". He talks about it a lot and I can tell he wants to go. So the worse case scenario of no Preschool and just daycare would be ok but not preferable, in my opinion.
Sigh....
Is preschool only for kids who have a stay-at-home Mom/Dad? Or a parent who has a very flexible work schedule or works very part-time?
I have maybe 3 people that I would feel comfortable picking him up from preschool. Albert or I, my Mom, Rosemary (the awesome daycare lady) and my cousin/her husband. Here is the problem with them. My Mom lives on the other side of the water and that would be a HUGE in convenience, let alone favor, to ask of her. Rosemary, well she'd have to pack up the other kids in the car and pick him up, at lunch time, so not an option considering they typically eat between 11:30-noon. Then my cousin/her husband. They live in Everett, preschool would be in Marysville, they have two kids of their own with their own schedules. That would mean they would have to pack up, drive to Marysville just to pick Antonio to take him to daycare...ummmm, no, not an option.
So what to do? It sucks.
There is always a chance I may find a part-time job by next Fall so I could pick him up, but at this point, there is no guarantee of that. I know he would love it but I am starting to find out it may not be a possibility and that frustrates me (and makes me sad). A lot. His current daycare is fantastic and is/would be very similar to what preschool would be like but I was really hoping he could experience "school". He talks about it a lot and I can tell he wants to go. So the worse case scenario of no Preschool and just daycare would be ok but not preferable, in my opinion.
Sigh....
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Preschool
So it's January and in order to have Antonio in preschool in the Fall we need to get him registered this month. So like...NOW. Whoa...when did that happen? I (we) have done no research on this. And I mean ZERO research. Antonio would so love to go and I know it would be good for him. As I have mentioned before, his daycare is very much set up like a preschool so I haven't felt "pressured" to get him in to a preschool. I just know he would love the idea and honestly, the idea of "going to school" is what would be so good for him.
Next problem (first being I probably already should have registered him). How do I been begin to research places? We don't go to church. Most of my friends have their kid attend the preschool through the church they attend. Since we don't attend a church I'm not really sure how that would work for us. ;) So, besides through a church (and Google) where does one start? I all of a sudden feel a bit pressured (by myself) to at least attempt to do some research and check on registering. So please, any ideas, advice or suggestions please let me know here, via Facebook or email. Thanks. :)
Next problem (first being I probably already should have registered him). How do I been begin to research places? We don't go to church. Most of my friends have their kid attend the preschool through the church they attend. Since we don't attend a church I'm not really sure how that would work for us. ;) So, besides through a church (and Google) where does one start? I all of a sudden feel a bit pressured (by myself) to at least attempt to do some research and check on registering. So please, any ideas, advice or suggestions please let me know here, via Facebook or email. Thanks. :)
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Bronchiloltis
That's what Antonio has and it is not fun.
I suppose it could be worse, a lot worse so for that, I am thankful. Ever since Antonio got his flu shot back on December 14th (nasal spray version) he has been fighting something. He had a cold for about a week and then seemed to get better. Then he got sucker punched New Year's Eve day. He woke up with a congested cough but it seemed to go away later in the day. The next he woke up the same way but we went about our day and I'm still in debate on whether that was a bad idea or not. Every day since, he has gotten progressively worse. We kept him home Thursday and then Friday from daycare after throwing up Wednesday night and having a fever. The cough went from very congested to hardly congested. The cough is pretty aggressive and I can tell when he coughs its a hard cough. His face gets red and coughs for a good 2 min straight. It has to hurt his throat, head, chest and everything else.
Friday we had an appointment to have him checked out but he ended up sleeping well after when we should have left so we canceled it. We planned to take him to the walk-in Saturday but the waits at all of them were anywhere from 1.5 hrs to 3 hrs! We decided to wait to see how he was doing. Well the cough was consistent and didn't get any better and again kept him up all night. In fact there was a point where he coughed for a good 5 min straight last night. It made my ribs and throat hurt just listening to him. :(. So the plan was to get up and go to the walk-in when they opened. When we got there, we were a good 6 people deep in line at 9am, when the opened. It was about 40m before we were taken back. The dr saw us pretty quickly after we went back, maybe 10m later. She listened to him breathe and noticed a lot of wheezing. She looked in his throat and said it looked pretty red so she took a strep swab, which Antonio hated but rocked! She had him go down to X-ray to have his chest looked at.
My throat has been hurting me for a couple days now so she took a strep test from me too. Happily both our tests came back negative! She came back after she got the results from that and she looked at his X-rays. (That took forever, maybe 30 min!) She said his lungs looked ok, a little fluid in them but that he doesn't have pneumonia but definitely has bronchiolitis. :(. She said if he didn't get any better in the next couple days to bring him in again. She prescribed him an inhaler to help at night (or day) when he starts coughing a lot. Besides that we just have to wait it out. Make sure he gets enough fluids, use a cool mist vaporizer and give him Tylenol to reduce his fevers and help with "pain", which we have been doing. Since it is pretty contagious he isn't allowed to go back to daycare until he is better.
I also was diagnosed with the beginning stages of bronchitis and was told to not go to work since I was also contagious. She also said that I should take emercen-c packets which I already do so she suggested that I doubled up on them. The one good thing with not being avle to go to work is that the daycare issue is taken care of. I hope to send Antonio back to daycare and I back to work Thursday. Fingers crossed for that. Until then, rest, drink fluids and get better! Oh and keep Albert healthy!
On a side note....Antonio is 40 lbs!!!!!!! Holy cow! So turns out we hadn't been giving the right dosage of tylenol, not enough. So when we got home we gave him some more, the right amount and he napped. Already he seems to be doing better. Maybe the right dosage really is the key?! Anyways, send healthy vibes our way, we need them!
I suppose it could be worse, a lot worse so for that, I am thankful. Ever since Antonio got his flu shot back on December 14th (nasal spray version) he has been fighting something. He had a cold for about a week and then seemed to get better. Then he got sucker punched New Year's Eve day. He woke up with a congested cough but it seemed to go away later in the day. The next he woke up the same way but we went about our day and I'm still in debate on whether that was a bad idea or not. Every day since, he has gotten progressively worse. We kept him home Thursday and then Friday from daycare after throwing up Wednesday night and having a fever. The cough went from very congested to hardly congested. The cough is pretty aggressive and I can tell when he coughs its a hard cough. His face gets red and coughs for a good 2 min straight. It has to hurt his throat, head, chest and everything else.
Friday we had an appointment to have him checked out but he ended up sleeping well after when we should have left so we canceled it. We planned to take him to the walk-in Saturday but the waits at all of them were anywhere from 1.5 hrs to 3 hrs! We decided to wait to see how he was doing. Well the cough was consistent and didn't get any better and again kept him up all night. In fact there was a point where he coughed for a good 5 min straight last night. It made my ribs and throat hurt just listening to him. :(. So the plan was to get up and go to the walk-in when they opened. When we got there, we were a good 6 people deep in line at 9am, when the opened. It was about 40m before we were taken back. The dr saw us pretty quickly after we went back, maybe 10m later. She listened to him breathe and noticed a lot of wheezing. She looked in his throat and said it looked pretty red so she took a strep swab, which Antonio hated but rocked! She had him go down to X-ray to have his chest looked at.
My throat has been hurting me for a couple days now so she took a strep test from me too. Happily both our tests came back negative! She came back after she got the results from that and she looked at his X-rays. (That took forever, maybe 30 min!) She said his lungs looked ok, a little fluid in them but that he doesn't have pneumonia but definitely has bronchiolitis. :(. She said if he didn't get any better in the next couple days to bring him in again. She prescribed him an inhaler to help at night (or day) when he starts coughing a lot. Besides that we just have to wait it out. Make sure he gets enough fluids, use a cool mist vaporizer and give him Tylenol to reduce his fevers and help with "pain", which we have been doing. Since it is pretty contagious he isn't allowed to go back to daycare until he is better.
I also was diagnosed with the beginning stages of bronchitis and was told to not go to work since I was also contagious. She also said that I should take emercen-c packets which I already do so she suggested that I doubled up on them. The one good thing with not being avle to go to work is that the daycare issue is taken care of. I hope to send Antonio back to daycare and I back to work Thursday. Fingers crossed for that. Until then, rest, drink fluids and get better! Oh and keep Albert healthy!
On a side note....Antonio is 40 lbs!!!!!!! Holy cow! So turns out we hadn't been giving the right dosage of tylenol, not enough. So when we got home we gave him some more, the right amount and he napped. Already he seems to be doing better. Maybe the right dosage really is the key?! Anyways, send healthy vibes our way, we need them!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Being home
Between holiday days off, daycare being closed and my regular Wednesday's off I have had two weeks in a row with only working 2 days a week so I've been home a lot with Antonio (we've been spoiled). It has been wonderful. It has made that fire inside myself start to burn again to look for a new job. A very part time job. I had taken a big break looking since it turned into mainly seasonal work time and I need one that was a "permanent" job not seasonal. It has been so nice being home with Antonio and feeling like a real Mama! Its been pretty hectic and pretty off schedule with all the get togethers and just pure excitement but a lot of fun. Its fun to be able to get up and have breakfast together on our own time frame. He's been fighting a cold/cough on and off the whole time but it's been nice knowing that we are home and if we need a "slower" day we can take it. There has been zero anxiety on my part with debating on if he should go to daycare or not.
I know he loves daycare and I don't want to take that away from him but I would love to be able to work 2-3 days a week for 6-8 hours a day. I'm not one for "resolutions" but more for "goals". So one of my goals is to find a job I actually like that allows me more time at home with Antonio. It is nice to be home and "learn" him. Learn his personality, his likes/dislikes, his capabilities, etc. I know all that but not really. Does that make sense? When I am home with him for longer periods of time I find I learn a lot about him; good and bad. Which in turn makes me feel like a better, more "equipped", Mama and that makes me feel better! :) So please send good part-time job finding vibes my way. I know I won't find anything right away because I am fairly picky with what I want but because of that I also could use all the help I can get! Thanks in advance! Wish us luck next week when both Antonio and I get forced back into routine.
I know he loves daycare and I don't want to take that away from him but I would love to be able to work 2-3 days a week for 6-8 hours a day. I'm not one for "resolutions" but more for "goals". So one of my goals is to find a job I actually like that allows me more time at home with Antonio. It is nice to be home and "learn" him. Learn his personality, his likes/dislikes, his capabilities, etc. I know all that but not really. Does that make sense? When I am home with him for longer periods of time I find I learn a lot about him; good and bad. Which in turn makes me feel like a better, more "equipped", Mama and that makes me feel better! :) So please send good part-time job finding vibes my way. I know I won't find anything right away because I am fairly picky with what I want but because of that I also could use all the help I can get! Thanks in advance! Wish us luck next week when both Antonio and I get forced back into routine.
Christmas.
It's been awhile since I last posted (besides the last potty training post) so I will bombard you with a couple. :)
Christmas was awesome this year!
Antonio started to feel the magic and excitement for the first time this year and it was so exciting to watch. As usual I started listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving against most people's thoughts, including Albert's! However, by the 1st week of December Antonio knew every word to Jingle Bells and would request it every time we got in the car. By the second week he not only knew the words to the first part but even the second part:
Dashing through the snow In a one-horse open sleigh O'er the fields we go Laughing all the way Bells on bobtail ring Making spirits bright What fun it is to ride and sing A sleighing song tonight!
By the week before Christmas he was singing it on his on whenever and where ever he wanted. In the swimming pool, in line at Starbucks, in the grocery store...anywhere! He was just doing his duty of spreading holiday cheer! He also knew Frosty the Snowman and started learning Jingle Bell Rock. He still requests to listen to Jingle Bells in the car; we may be listening to Christmas music into July. :)
We started asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him early in the month and he held firm with crayons and a boat. This will probably be the easiest year for that! So of course Santa brought him a boat and crayons!
The boat was/is a HUGE hit! Good job to Papa, err...I mean Santa, for the find on Amazon! It's huge and it even came with a dock. The crayons were pretty much taken care of by our AWESOME daycare lady, Rosemary. He had frequently told her he wanted crayons from Santa so she out did herself and bought him a huge thing of crayons!!
He LOVED it! So of course the ones we got him (as well as Grammy and Grandpa) were not nearly as exciting but he still seemed excited. ;) I must admit, they are pretty great. I mean it is much better than any crayons I ever got! There are metallic ones and glitter ones as well as regular ones! He is one lucky boy!
Christmas Eve we had no plans so we watched the Polar Express before going to bed,which is now his favorite movie. We decided it was perfect since it is all about believing (and a train). We have the book and had been reading it every night since Thanksgiving so he was somewhat familiar with the storyline. he sat through the whole thing too. We decided it would be a new tradition every year! We also put out cookies and milk for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph!
Antonio had so much fun seeing ALL his cousins for the first time. Meaning, in the past, he has been a bit overwhelmed by them all, especially at the Schneidler gathering. This time he thoroughly enjoyed them ALL! Granted when telling him who he was going to see he would be very disappointed when he asked if Shaun and Logan were going to be there and I told him no. :) He would rapidly get over that disappointment once there. He had so much fun playing with them; I wish we got to seem them more! We are already looking forward to next year, Antonio especially! :)
Potty Training update.
Antonio has been doing GREAT! And I am sure since I am blogging about this he will have an accident today because this usually jinxes him! :/ But....I am going to share anyways because I am so proud of him. It has been at least a month, maybe two, since our last accident of any kind! In fact when we are out we still put him in a pull-up just in case but 99.9% of the time we come home and his pull-up is dry! If he has to go while we are out he will usually tell us or asks if that particular place has a potty and then proceeds to go int he potty. He has been great at telling us then holding it until we get to the potty! At nap-time and bed-time we still put him in a pull-up and he clearly isn't ready for not because it is always wet in the morning and usually has one pee at nap-time. Which in turn means he is not potty trained for daycare. In order for him to be considered potty trained at daycare he has to be able to nap without a pull-up on and have no accidents. That could be awhile. :/ Oh well. While at home, or anyone's home, he wears underwear. It's just when we are out and at bedtime that he wears a pull-up. Even if he wears one at home/someone's (before we change him out of it from being out) house it stays dry. So besides nap-time/bed-time, he is pretty much trained!
He was a little irregular with the pooping for awhile but is back to being regular! We think while he was having a few accidents awhile back he was holding it/not wanting to go in fear of not making it in time. Now that his confidence is back with it he is back to being a regular pooper! YAY! I know you are glad to know that too! HA!
As far as wearing a pull-up when we go out it is more because I worry he "might" pee while in the car and in turn soaking his carseat. And then what do I do? I have seen some pads on Amazon, "piddle pads" for the car seat but they all haves such mixed reviews. I'm pretty sure he would be fine but it is MY lack of confidence that stops us. I don't mind having to carry extra pants it's the car seat issue I worry about. Do YOU have any suggestions on that? Should we get a piddle pad? Do YOU have one? Suggestions please. Thanks in advance.
He was a little irregular with the pooping for awhile but is back to being regular! We think while he was having a few accidents awhile back he was holding it/not wanting to go in fear of not making it in time. Now that his confidence is back with it he is back to being a regular pooper! YAY! I know you are glad to know that too! HA!
As far as wearing a pull-up when we go out it is more because I worry he "might" pee while in the car and in turn soaking his carseat. And then what do I do? I have seen some pads on Amazon, "piddle pads" for the car seat but they all haves such mixed reviews. I'm pretty sure he would be fine but it is MY lack of confidence that stops us. I don't mind having to carry extra pants it's the car seat issue I worry about. Do YOU have any suggestions on that? Should we get a piddle pad? Do YOU have one? Suggestions please. Thanks in advance.
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