Our Fun Week

This past week was my first week out of summer school and the kids and I had a great time. Kolton (Kenny's son) came to stay with us for a few days. Jake and Kolton had a lot of fun just playing around the house. Jake continued on with his potty training (which is going great), he learned how to build with his legos. The lego thing was really neat to watch because all he did was stack them but he knew the like pieces and colors and he stacked them in matching order every time! A small victory I guess but for the mommy in me I was really proud! Here's some pics...

Pudding and Bath Paints

How many ways can a baby make a mess? Does it matter if he's having fun?

Ear Tubes

Jakey got his tubes put in his ears on Wednesday. He did great, but he doesn't take to the sleeping medicine very well. He screamed the whole time in recovery. He wasn't quite himself for the whole day and he was a little sensitive the next day. He hasn't had any drainage or bleeding though. I'm really hoping that he has less ear infections and less colds as a result.

Yummy Snacks

Need I say more?

The Time Out Chair

Jake really doesn't get timeout that much right now and when he does it's for about 45 seconds to 1 minute, but can you tell he can't stand it for even that long? I think it actually pains him to sit still. The saddest part about the whole thing is he actually looks just like me in these pictures, he NEVER looks like me.

Good Times

Last week we were swimming (again). We had such a fun time. It feels so good to sit in the sun by the pool. Jake had a lot of fun, as usual. He went down the water slide a few times (Just for the record- he loved it. It was not child cruelty), played on a tractor 4-wheeler, a must have very soon, and he ate M&M's. I've had to put a life jacket on him because he just steps right off the side of the pool the whole time. We've been working on how to get out of the pool from the side so that if he gets in, he can get out regardless of where he is.

The good and the bad...

Alright, so the the whole toddler bed thing just wasn't happening. Jake did really well during the week but rebelled on the weekends. This leads me to believe that he was just "acting out" because I was gone so much. You see I work 12-hour shifts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Mondays were rough then things would get progressively better until we hit Friday night and we were back to hell. So... Jake is back in a crib. Since I put him back in there, he no longer hits, pinches or pulls his own hair. He throws very few temper tantrums and doesn't talk back as much. I am extremely grateful for this. There were many days that I felt like all I did was yell at and punish him. These were long and trying days for us both.

The summer has been so nice for us. I haven't had this much time with Jake since he was a newborn. Although I work 3 days a week, I only have one class right now and it's in the evening (Tues and Thurs). Jake and I spend 4 straight days together. It was hard at first, I wasn't use to being around him so much. Toddlers are exhausting! He NEVER stops! He is super active, not hyper, just busy. I am sad that I have to start school in a month, he will become a devil child again at first, I'm sure.

He has finally cut molars! This means he can safely eat the things he's been eating for a long time. Please allow me to back track. Jacob eats like a growing teenager. Many of you have witnessed this first hand. For lunch the other day he ate 2 1/2 hot dogs (chili dogs at that), a half of watermelon, two cookies, fruit snacks and a cup of juice. For dinner the other night he had a whole banana, green beans, 4 chicken tenders, a can of diced peaches, a piece of string cheese, 6 nilla wafers, a bowl of grapes and 2 cups of juice (my son doesn't like milk). Please pray for me that I may be able to provide food to him as a 15- year old.

Jake is getting tubes put in his ears on July 18th. Supposedly this is a very simple procedure that only takes 5 minutes. The doctor does have to put him to sleep though. He did say there will be no IV's and he will not be intubated (breathing tube). The other thing is his feet. Especially his left foot. Jake has my flat feet, the only thing he got from me by the way! He walks on the inside of his foot (almost on his ankle bone). It doesn't seen to bother him and most people don't notice it. I thought a large part was due to him walking so early. I thought that maybe at 9 months he just hadn't developed enough to support his body. I was wrong they are just flat feet. He gets to go to the Orthopedic doctor on July 23 for evaluation. He will most likely end up in corrective shoes for a while. Fortunately the shoes are cute these days!

That's all at this point. I will keep everyone updated after the appoints we have coming up.

"tookie, tookie..."

Ok so last night I had a moment. My son was in the kitchen screaming "tookie, tookie. Peez mama, tookie." (cookie) I then realized that it's all about Jake. For those of you who don't have a baby, I hope that some day you will know the joy's of having your baby put sentances together, the frustration that comes from the screaming when you tell them no more "tookies", and the love when they kiss you anyway. Everyday is challenging when you're a single mom. It's scary worrying all alone, it's exhausting when they are sick, and it's hard to balance work, school, and parenthood. Then there is the lack of personal time with a baby in the house. I share my food, bathroom time, and my bed with this adventurous little toddler. At the end of the day the kisses goodnight and the wove you's fill my very drained heart until it's overflowing.