Quick post

I am so glad Isabella thinks "we're ready for Christmas" just because we have a tree set up. It's a good thing she doesn't have greater expectations for how our house should be decorated, because I fail in the decorating department. We did makes cookies (I'm pretty sure I ate the majority of them. I promise I won't make cookies for your Christmas present. I swear, people have issues with my baking!).

Unfortunately, this is the extent of my post. I haven't been sleeping well, and am having a hard time putting together a coherent thought. Thankfully, Walter will have two weeks off, and I am looking forward to family time, and getting lots of needed rest.

This little man hasn't been sleeping well either. I put him in his chair and then started the blender and he slept through the whole thing. The blends I make for Isaac are mixed on the soup setting, so it goes and goes for 90 seconds of extremely loud blending. He didn't budge.

Last night she was on an adventure, and here she was asking Stella to join her. I also noticed the squinkies were set up in very deliberate rows, and casually asked what was going on with them..."Oh, they're having a search party for Tinkerbell and another fairy." Clearly.

Leaps and bounds...

It is unseasonably warm, here in Ohio. The kids are outside playing and Isaac, who usually confines himself to the back porch, bravely and tentatively, put a foot in the grass, and then the next, and before I knew it, he was walking across the yard. I couldn't hold back the tears. It looks like next summer will be so much more enjoyable, and I can't wait to watch him explore.

My little man is really coming along. This week he talked on the phone for the first time. His first conversation went something like this: Ha (hi), go, ya, no, ya, go, Ba (bye). There were hand gestures that went along with it, and I'm his mom so I'm allowed to brag and say that witnessing the whole thing was ridiculously cute. And I'm going to embarrass my husband, and tell you that he said hearing Isaac talk on the phone almost made him cry while he was sitting in a lab at work. We wait and wait for these moments, which only adds to the sweetness when they do finally happen.

We're working on teaching Isaac how to get dressed. Obviously, we never had to spend a moment teaching Isabella anything about getting dressed. She's been a pro at it for way too long, and I had to give up control on picking out her outfits before she turned two. Hence the wide array of fashionable attire that you often see pictured on this blog. A tip to moms who want to maintain some control in this area: buy tops, bottoms, tights, pants, skirts, that are (relatively) within the same color scheme, and chances are, whatever your toddler happens to put together as an outfit, will look cute and not (completely) bizarre. Also, the shoes matter. They must be comfortable, they must be able to walk quickly (I say this because I don't believe in walking slowly, so she has no choice other than to keep up) and have the potential to walk for long distances in them, and they must go with just about anything. Example, Isabella's cowgirl boots. Everybody loves her red boots (they are pretty fabulous), and they just so happen to be quite comfortable. Other good shoes for kids, Robeez and See Kai Run are two of my favorite brands, as well as, Stride Rite. Oh, and no flip flops. Isabella can't stand that I have made this a rule, but they break all of my shoe rules, so I don't even entertain the idea.

Back to Isaac...I never really gave any thought to having to teach someone to get dressed, but Isaac firmly believes that getting dressed is a form of torture. On the off chance he's in a good mood and I can make the whole thing a really funny game, it works out well. Otherwise, he says, "Ow, ow, ow, OW!" for the duration of dressing. Not only does he think it is torture, but he will not sit up, stand up, move an arm or leg, during the process. Think, jello. So, we've been trying to teach him to help push his arm through sleeves, and lift up a leg so that it can go in his pants, or show us a foot for his sock. If you're in the same predicament with your child who has special needs, verbal cues really help. I talk him through each step, encourage him to help me by moving his body parts to appropriate places, tell him he's a big boy and can put his arm through the hole, and stuff like that. He's getting much better. Now he will help zip and unzip his jacket (we're working on lessening his tactile defensiveness--basically, this means he doesn't like to use a strong grip to touch things), and he will lift up his foot for a sock, and will periodically give minimal effort in pushing his arm through a sleeve, all the while saying, "Ow, ow, OW!" 

This morning was one of those morning in which my kids played together beautifully. They entertained each other for hours. This allowed me to get a bunch of research done for a project I'm working on, and it was nice to see Isaac follow Isabella all around the house, excitedly following her every command.

She "read" about thirty books to him...

...in various places throughout the house...

 

I am almost done with our Christmas shopping. Isabella was very excited to wrap presents for Stella, Lucy, and daddy.

My tooth may be melting, what's up with you?

When you become a mom, people start reminding you that you need to take care of yourself. Then, when you have a child with special needs, they tell you that even more often than before. But by that point, you're already drowning in appointments and scheduling, that the mere idea of scheduling something for yourself seems like way too much work. And anyway, when I ask someone to watch my kids, I want to do something more fun than go to the doctor. Like, take a nap. 

I've been putting off a couple appointments for myself. I probably should go to the doctor and have this weird numbing sensation checked out that I get in various parts of my body. It's been happening for about five years, so what's the rush? Dr. Google diagnosed me, and it isn't pretty, so I'd prefer to just pretend it doesn't happen. But I did finally go to the dentist. It has been two years since my last dental appointment. Take it from me, don't wait that long. It was painful, and I don't consider myself a wimp when it comes to pain, so trust me on this. Apparently, I have a tooth that may or may not be melting from the inside out. Am I part of a science fiction film someone didn't tell me about? If so, please remove me from the cast of characters. Of course the dentist told me this, and then was all like, "yeah, we'll just keep an eye on it, and if it gets worse you'll need a root canal." Sure. No big deal. 

Math time with Tangrams. 

I was really excited to see that Isaac was actually trying to cover the pictures with some of the appropriate shapes. We try to quiz him with colors and shapes to see if he has an understanding of either. It's usually hit or miss. One day, I'll excitedly tell Walter that Isaac matched all of the colors and shapes correctly and the next day it's something like, so, you know when I told you that Isaac knows his shapes and colors? I'm gonna take that back. Either way, he's working on it. He doesn't have the verbal capacity to tell us if he knows shapes or colors, though we are trying to learn signs for colors.

At physical therapy this week, he took two steps while wearing his braces. He was bribed with bubbles and an iPad for those two steps. In case you're wondering, we don't have our iPad yet, but we are starting to use a picture communication system on the iPad at therapy.

So far, it's been another mild winter. I'm so glad Walter convinced me he should build this tree house. I often check on Isabella when she's outside and find her talking to herself at the very top. She has such an amazing imagination.

Thank you for reading my advocacy post. I've meant to say something on previous posts and forgot. I had double the hits on that post from what I normally get, so I do appreciate that so many of you read it, and possibly shared it with friends and family. I'm still quite new to the unexpected journey that we are on with Isaac, but my goal is to share with other parents that this special adventure has its challenges and hardships, but there are so many blessings along the way, and in the midst of it all, we learn how to fight for our children. So thank you, for reading, and sharing.

Sierra

You need to take this seriously--it's red lipstick.

Congrats to the winner of a Tiny Bird Clutch! My friend Lori won, and we haven't seen each other in a long time, so it's a good excuse to get together.

Last night my sister came over after work and we prepped and primped for a Mad Men theme party. I'll admit, I stared at myself in the mirror a little too much. My sister was getting dressed and yelled over to the bathroom, "Okay, are you ready for the lipstick?" "Uh, is that what I'm supposed to be doing right now?" "I didn't realize you were still just staring at yourself in mirror." A little forgiveness here, I don't get dressed up, and I most certainly don't wear heels.

Obviously for a Mad Men party, we needed red lipstick. Jesse just so happens to be a lipstick pro. I just so happen to never wear lipstick. She gave detailed instructions, and repeated several times, that red lipstick is serious and I had to be very careful. And there's no laughing allowed. Right. I went to work, and asked her to check my progress: "What is wrong with you, did you forget where your lips are?" Maybe. She took over, and I tried really hard to pick a focal point (like in pilates or yoga) and concentrate (this was serious, after all) so that I wouldn't laugh. It kind of worked. In the end, I had red lips, and also managed to smudge red lipstick up by my eye, but it all worked out. And, this is where I tell you that I do not have a picture. I know, Sarah, you told me to take a picture, and I regret that I didn't.

This is also where I tell you that on the way to the party, I checked myself once again, in a mirror, and said, "I look really weird." "You don't look weird. You look good, you just aren't used to it." That's what sisters are for. Thanks for making me laugh, Jesse.   

My sister and I don't get to spend very much time together anymore, so it was great to hang out, get dressed up, look good for a change, or weird, I don't know, attempt to mix a Manhattan (so gross), and sample many desserts.

Aren't you excited? It's my first GIVEAWAY!

We had this grand plan to go somewhere and cut down our own tree (for the first time) and go on a horse drawn carriage ride, and sing Christmas Carols and drink hot chocolate (okay, I lied about the singing part, but still, it was going to be an entire "tree getting" event), but instead, the weather was crummy, and we went to Lowes. Come on, somebody has to buy the trees there. 

Just so you know, this is the earliest we have ever bought a Christmas tree. Walter and I tend to think it's funny to go the week of Christmas, to find the cheapest, scrawniest tree, and then laugh at it after it's set up. We're cool like that. 

Considering tree options...

My children refused to take a picture with me, but Stella readily agreed...

Isaac, trying to put on reindeer ears...

I am excited to announce my first giveaway. Share a comment on here or on facebook and you will be entered to win this handmade clutch from The Tiny Bird. Kristen participates in local craft shows and has sold her bags in stores throughout Ohio, including the gift shop at the Cleveland Museum of Art. This is the perfect little bag for you or a friend. Comment on this post and have a chance to win! Also, if you need to finish some holiday shopping, check out her Etsy Shop!

A very special friend of mine, Emily, recently wrote a guest post on a different blog, that you can read here. Also, thank you for the birthday wishes! I had a very nice day, and Walter cleaned out my car for me, so I've been enjoying a cleanliness that I am quite unfamiliar with. I do admit, I peer in the car parked next to mine and then say to myself, "Ooooh, my car is cleaner!" Don't worry, random messy car people, we'll be on the same playing field soon enough.

I also want to thank my mom and my mother-in-law for calling the day before my birthday to remind me that my birthday was going to be the next day. I do forget a lot of things these days, so I appreciated the reminder. It's entirely possible that I'm getting a little senile. Tonight, I said to my parent's dog, "It looks like you have a Stella nose on your hair." Decipher that one. And yesterday, because we have two small cars, we had to take both cars in order to get our tree, so Walter parked next to mine and we all got out and I said to Isabella, "We don't touch other people's cars, you need to move away from their car." She was touching Walter's car.

29

I don't have much time, I'm writing this as I'm sitting on the beach sipping a margarita. I'm also wearing a bikini (to show off my six pack, obviously) and a floppy hat. Nah, just kidding. I wish! Oh, and there isn't a six pack to show off to anyone, just some stretch marks. Or, in Walter's kinder words, birth marks.

Today is my birthday. You guessed it, I'm 29 (I had to say that, just in case you didn't read the title). I'm twenty-nine, I have two kids, and I've been married for almost eight years. That is crazy. Talk about not wanting to waste time!

A few thoughts about this past year:

1. I used to be able to go the whole night without getting up to pee. After two kids, this is no longer possible.
2. I fail at baking. This isn't anything new, but I made banana bread a couple days ago and the kids helped, after it was done Isabella said, "I forgot to tell you that I just don't like banana bread anymore."
3. I love our house. It's nothing fancy, but I don't need fancy. It's the perfect house for us.
4. You know you have a good friend when you can yell across your house, "Hey Michael, can you jiggle the handle on the toilet a few times after you flush!" Yep.
5. I'm so thankful for Isabella, and I know she'll be an amazing young woman some day.
6. Coffee is not worth drinking without some good half and half. Don't you dare use fat-free half and half. First of all, it's bad for you (read the ingredient list) and secondly, it ruins the flavor of the coffee.
7. Gotta have some raw sugar with that cup of coffee.
8. When Walter makes repetitive noises or chews up a mint, it feels like worms are crawling across my brain.
9. Some people have the ability to talk all day long, without stopping. Example: Isabella
10. Some day I really want my own room. It must be sound-proof so that I can't hear what's going on outside, and it must have a lock. A claw-foot bathtub would be nice too.
11. I'm tired of listening to my husband snore.
12. Ever since I got my hair cut, I can't stand it. From now on, I'll have long hair. So if I ever ask you, "Should I cut my hair? Wouldn't it look cute short?" Say, "NO!"
13. I'm almost past the idea that sleeping in, or taking naps, is a waste of time. Since having Isaac, I've come to grips with the fact that I need sleep whenever I can get it.
14. I have the most amazing friends.
15. I can't crochet. But I can knit.
16. I appreciate that my friends still come to my book club, even though I'm rarely prepared.
17. My kids are really amazing little people, and they make me laugh.
18. I lose my patience more than I want to.
19. I love getting holiday toy catalogs in the mail.
20. I'm a really bad business person, and have no desire to run my own photography business. But I do like second shooting (check out some new blog posts here).
21. This year I resigned from being a La Leche League Leader. It was too much for me, but I still firmly believe in the mother-baby relationship and the importance of breastfeeding. I do wish that Isaac and I had had a better breastfeeding experience, especially since he was my last baby.
22. I am content knowing that we will not have anymore children. I just hope one of my friends has another baby because I wouldn't mind breathing in that new baby smell.
23. Music in the morning helps my kids get ready for the day.
24. I miss my grandpa. Today, I will listen to an old voice mail of my grandma and grandpa singing Happy Birthday, to me.
25. I'm going to write a book. I'm going to write a book. Walter doesn't believe me, but if I say it enough, it will happen. Or, if I write enough words it will happen.
26. I can't keep my car clean. It just isn't possible. If they ever start a television series called "Car Hoarders",  you can nominate me.
27. I'm getting better at returning books to the library on time. You know what I don't understand? Why are librarians so mean when I have a fine. I mean, for real, they should be glad I have a fine. Instead of being grumpy about it and acting like I'm a book criminal, they should say, "Oooohh, looks like you have a fine! Thank you for supporting our library! You're awesome!"
28. Bridesmaids should not, I repeat, should not wear strapless dresses. Ladies, do yourself a favor, keep everything in place and look better at the same time, in a dress with straps. Just my personal opinion. Unless of course you weren't blessed on top, and then you just might be able to get away with the strapless look.
29. As I told Walter the night before Thanksgiving, we are so blessed, and I realize that more each day.

Now, back to my imaginary margarita.

apoll

Hmmmm...I'm experiencing a brain freeze.

Yesterday, Isabella and Isaac spent most of the day arguing over a miniature pink duck. I know, ridiculous. I threatened numerous times to throw it in the trash. My experience with a Cabbage Patch doll didn't last long for this very same reason. My sister and I wouldn't stop arguing over it, so my dad threw it in the trash. That was the end of that.

Isabella brought her phonic's homework sheet to me last night and saw that she wrote: Isabella is 5. (And next to the picture of an apple): apoll ....so cute. She usually asks me if she spelled the word correctly, and I say, "You did a really good job sounding it out!" And then she says, "I knew it! I never get anything right! I'm never going to be able to spell!" She's too much like me; has to have it perfect the first time and then goes into a self deprecating spiel. So I'm glad she left it at apoll.