1. Roommates ~ Tyler has officially moved into Timmy's room. We knew we would be combining them sometime in the beginning of this year but after Christmas, when we saw the shear volume of new toys that had no where to live but a cardboard box in the basement playroom/office, we knew we had to do something! Putting the boys together meant that Tyler's old nursery could become an office (again), which would get the desk out of the basement, giving the whole room to toys! We also went through all the toys and are donating and selling off most of the infant toys and the things that they just don't play with.
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| It's not "Pinterest Pretty" but it's functional! |
The first night that we put Tyler in the bottom bunk I laid down with him for a few minutes, he was happy and laying still, so I tested the water by getting up and leaving the room. I didn't hear any crying, but I watched him on the monitor as he got out of bed. Still no noise, but I couldn't see where he was, so I went back in. Tyler had climbed up and laid down with Timmy, who was giggling as quietly as possible! I put Tyler back into bed, and Tim and I have been alternating laying down with him until he falls asleep since, next step, not having to stay til he's asleep! Tyler has slept through about half the nights he's been in there, sometimes when he does wake up he fusses as he gets comfortable and goes back to sleep on his own, the other times he wakes up he cries at the door until I come in, then he turns around and gets back in bed, but I have to lay back down with him until he's asleep again. If I sit up before he's asleep, he calmly pats the pillow and states, "down." If I don't immediately, he puts a little emotion in it and says, "ay dowwwwn."
The best part of putting the boys together has been seeing another shining example of what an amazing big brother Timmy is. Our bedtime routine used to be putting Tyler in his crib and leaving the room, then reading to Timmy in his bed, turning out the lights, saying prayers, and laying with Timmy for 10 minutes or so before he'd let me leave. From night one of having Tyler in there, Timmy has not had a single complaint about my snuggling Tyler to sleep instead of him. Now, we all read in Tyler's bed, then Timmy gets up and turns out the light and gets into his own bed, and we say prayers together and he goes to sleep. He doesn't complain when Tyler is singing or crying himself to sleep either, Timmy just quietly goes to bed. I'm amazed and so thankful, and Tim and I have been praising him and lavishing Lego Star Wars sets on him, rewarding him for being such a big boy!
2. Day Care ~ With Timmy starting Kindergarten in our neighborhood next year, in a three hour a day program (so stupid), we have to find new day care for him again. We knew at the start with Suzanne that the kids being with her was a one year patch to get us through Timmy's last year of preschool. Still, finding new daycare SUCKS. There are probably 20 options in our immediate neighborhood but they are either too expensive, sketchy, or do not have any openings. It is so stressful and upsetting, especially when I have an amazing day care provider already who loves them and takes such great care of them, she just lives too far away. :( I know that something will work out, I'm just dreading the change again. In hopes of limiting the cost of whatever new day care we figure out, I have worked something incredible out with my boss. Starting in September I'm going to work in the office from 8-1 and then pick up the kids when Timmy gets out of school and work from home from 2:30-5:30. That I am looking forward to! The kids will mostly be napping then anyways and I have always said that working part time would be perfect, which will never happen, but this is definitely a close second to that. I even got to test it out a little last week when Suzanne's kids were sick, just going to work while Timmy was at school and working from home in the afternoon. It was productive and I had lots of snuggle breaks! Win-Win!
3. Medicine ~ Tyler had a sinus infection and "borderline double ear infection" (which I think means we caught it early?) so he was put on that pink medicine that I have vivid memories of taking as a child (I remember it not being bad if you had vanilla wafer chasers, but Tyler doesn't work on bribes yet). He took his first dose without hesitation and I was so excited. He spit his next two doses back at us! I pulled out another syringe and got a cup of water and asked Timmy for his help. Timmy gave himself a dose of water, and Tyler said, "Wow." and let me give him his. They have taken "their medicine" together twice a day since. They are amazing together! :)
4. Teddy Bear Picnic ~ Timmy's class has been talking about hibernating animals all month, especially bears. They've done cute crafts, and even made a full size Polar Bear some how? Haven't seen the pictures yet... but I'm guessing they stuffed a form of some kind? And today it culminates with a Teddy Bear Picnic. The teacher's first correspondence on this said that they could bring any stuffed animal they want. Timmy's favorite is his Snuggle Puppy. Apparently, the teacher has been stressing that their picnic friend should be a Bear. We've been talking about him taking Snuggle Puppy to school for days. Last night going to sleep Timmy told me, "Mrs Schienkle says that we should bring our favorite bear to school for the picnic and if we don't have a bear we can bring our favorite stuffed animal. I want to bring Snuggle Puppy but I do have bears." I told him that I would leave it up to him, if he really wanted to bring Snuggle Puppy that would be fine with me. He stated that's what he wanted to do and sounded relieved. Then I got worried. I asked him, "But what if everyone else brings a bear, will you be sad that you have Snuggle Puppy instead of a bear?" and Timmy conceded, "Yes, I would be sad that I didn't have a bear, but I would be happy that I have Snuggle Puppy. Can I bring a bear and Snuggle Puppy?" I told him no, but then I came up with a solution, O-e-wahn-ah-no-e (named after Timmy's pronunciation of Obi-Wan Kenobi) is a Build a Bear that he made right before Christmas. This was a winner and he is in Timmy's classroom as I type. I found Timmy's inner struggle over this fascinating and telling. I have an honest and earnest little boy on my hands.
5. Words ~ Tyler is talking a ton all of a sudden. He's been parroting us for a while, but this month there's a shift and it's more talking. I'm going to try to list off his words, as close to in order of their appearance as I can:
Ball - bal
No - first shaking his head, then saying, now yelling!
More - Mooooooor
Mine! - clear as can be and no explanation needed
Mom - Mum
Dad - Da
Uh-Oh
Up - If he didn't also say my name, I'd think he thought this was my name!
Bye - Buh by and Bye
Oh No - Ohhh Nooooo, uses this instead of uh-oh now, usually while pointing at the problem
TV - TT (usually, Mooooooor TT?)
Eye - in reference to eyes and glasses
Nose - nohs - which he will squeeze and say "beep beep", or he'll decide to stick his finger up your nose
Ear - eer
Arm - started with parotting while getting him dressed, "One Arm, Other Arm" so now I say One Arm and he says "oher arm" automatically
Stella - ehla - usually combined "air ehla?" when we get to Suzanne's
Help - Heh - and mostly when prompted to say it
Where'd it go? - air e ohh? while shrugging
What's that? - Ah Dat? usually when postponing bed time, at every little creak he hears, or when the door bell rings
Down - usually when he wants me to lay down, or him to go down stairs, he rarely wants to be put down
Thank you - T you - starting to say without being prompted too
Mickey Mouse - mee mou - he also "sings" the Hot Dog Song
Baba - when prompted or occasionally when seeing a picture, but has called pictures of Grandpa "Baba" too
Joe - Ooo when he saw pictures of Joe
Timmy - Mimmy, but has only said this a few times when prompted
Banana - ahnana - he has eaten two in a row, and other times he won't even take a bite!
Juice - Juis - when given a choice between drinks, not requesting on his own yet
Milk - Mil - when given a choice between drinks, not requesting on his own yet
My Guys - in reference to Timmy's lego guys, or anything that he wants
Ow - owwwww said when something hurts, or when you want to snuggle and he doesn't!
Wow - whenever he's impressed, usually be Timmy
Amen - he says this with Timmy and I after our prayers *Bonus story - when getting in the car one morning Tyler was babbling and Timmy thought he heard him say Amen. Timmy said, "What did you say Tyler? He said Amen! That's a new word! He said Amen to me! (brief pause) He thinks I'm Jesus!"
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