We Wish You A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dutch, Christmas 2008

The Post Office

Taking Dutch to the Post Office is like hitting myself in the head with a hammer: everyone around me wonders why and I have a huge headache when it's over.

Feeling Bad About Feeling Bad

I had my ultrasound on Monday morning, bright and early so Chris wouldn't be late for work (which he was anyway).  Before I tell you about it, let me tell you about Dutch's ultrasound, something I've never blogged about.

When I got pregnant with Dutch I KNEW that my baby was little Ivy Mae and she was going to be a red-head and the cutest little thing on the planet.  I planned out her nursery (black, red, and white with Olivia accessories), I started thinking about all of the cute clothes I would buy her, and the great books we would read together.  Chris luckily prevented me from buying anything that wasn't gender neutral, otherwise I would have had a lot of girl clothes I could never use!

When we got to the dark room where they were going to do the ultrasound the tech asked if I wanted to know the gender.  "Yes," I said, "but it's a girl."  She then proceeded to do the exam.  As I saw her looking at the baby from all different angles I said, "Is that what I think it is?"  Yup, it was a boy.

I cried.  Just one little tear while we were in the room, but I was devastated.  (Just as a funny side-note, when we left the building I saw a sign for Weiner Real Estate, which is probably pronounced "whiner," but it made me bawl.)

Of course I got over it and love my Dutchie so much I can't imagine life without him.  But I still really want a girl.  With this pregnancy I was cautiously hopeful that it was my little Scout Rowe.  Chris has been worried that I would be disappointed if it was another boy.  The night before the ultrasound I had an overpowering feeling that it was a boy.  I cried again.

The ultrasound confirmed that it's another boy.  I tried so hard not to feel bad, because I feel guilty for feeling bad.  My baby boy is healthy and perfect and there are people who have always wanted a boy who will never get one.  I can't help it though, I want a baby girl.

Pretty soon I'll accept the fact that it's a boy and start getting excited.  Just give me a few days.

Uncharted Territory

It's always a good day when I get to spend it with my family.  Yesterday Dutch and I attended a birthday party for my cousin's son Joseph.  We got to see lots of family and it was awesome.

I would like to say that Dutch was a sweetie who did not hit, shove, or kick anyone.  I would like to say that he did not have to go to time-out five times and that he was very generous with his sharing.  Of course, I can't.  My big guy was a big bully and hit and kicked and shoved both Joseph and Athena (but mostly Athena, she's more his size, I guess).  It was embarrassing and infuriating in equal parts.

So the question of the week is: how do I get my sweet boy to stop hitting EVERYONE (including Chris, Bo, and me)?  Is there a tried and true method to stop my Dutchie from being a big fat bully?

Everybody Poops

Dutch used the toilet for the first time today! I am such a proud mama and Chris was in there to help him wash his hands and all that.  Great first step toward potty training!

A List for Tuesday

5 Things I Hate Doing Alone
1. Going anywhere in public with Dutch
2. Grocery shopping
3. Eating at a restaurant
4. Going to sleep
5. Flying

5 Things I Love Doing Alone
1. Going to the movies
2. Shopping for books
3. Going to the library
4. Taking naps
5. Writing

Tiny Dancer

Dutch has been doing this dance where he bends his knees and shuffles forward and backward.  His hands are in fists and he rubs them together.  It's hilarious!

Also, his favorite movie used to be Cars (which he called Go), but now it's Toy Story (which he calls Buzz).  I'm grateful for this, because at least now I can rotate between Toy Story movies and don't have to watch the same one over and over and over and over and over again.  Seriously, I was this close to snapping the Cars DVD in half.

Favorite Picture Friday

Dutch, Christmas 2008

An Open Plea For Help

Dutch is not sleeping at night and it's beginning to be a huge problem.  He goes to bed between 8 and 10, depending on when we can get him to finally settle down.  We have a nighttime schedule that we follow every night, but, despite what the books say, this does not help him settle down.  Anywhere between 11pm and 2am he will wake up and come in our room where Chris has him lay down on the floor next to our bed.  This sometimes works for an hour or so, but usually Dutch is up and about all night.  I woke up this morning to find that he had used his rocking horse as a step-stool, climbed on top of the dryer and gotten into his fruit snacks and extra juice.  He had opened 4 of the 6 and drank a little from each of them.

All his nightly wanderings are starting to get to me.  Last night I literally could not wake myself up enough to get him because I've been so exhausted.  He finally goes to sleep somewhere around 5 or 6 and wakes up between 8 and 10.  Meaning I wake up between 8 and 10 too. I'm pretty sure the three of us have not gotten a consistent night's sleep all year long and it has to stop.  I can't Dutch proof my house entirely since he has figured out how to climb up (he can even get into the freezer now).

How can I get him to sleep through the night?  Any help is appreciated.  Short of drugging him I'm willing to try anything.

Some Catching Up

There's a lot of little things that I haven't blogged about, but I'll blog about all of them in one fell swoop.

Dutch is sick.  He has Fifth Disease, which sounds super-serious, but it's just a little virus.  It starts with cold-like symptoms and ends up in a rash on his face, chest, and in some cases the arms, but Dutch only has it on his chest and face.  It's uncomfortable, but not life-threatening or anything.  It can, however, be bad for pregnant women so I have to talk to my doctor about it today and see what I need to do.  I'm crossing my fingers I won't need a blood test because I HATE getting blood drawn.

Chris and I were talking about trying to potty train Dutch before the baby comes, but we didn't want to push him into doing it.  Then, the other day, he was in the bathroom and asked for help to lift up the toilet lid.  He only pretended to pee, but it's a great step in the right direction!  I'm just glad he's showing some interest in using the toilet.

His speech therapy is going both good and bad.  Bad because his behavior has been increasingly hostile at Abby's visits (not towards her, but towards the games themselves), but good because at Abby's last visit she brought Sue, a behavior specialist, who told us that there are two reasons kids throw tantrums: to avoid or for attention.  Dutch's tantrums are to avoid doing anything he's afraid he won't be good at or doesn't want to do. So we have a new plan in place for Abby's next visit.  In the meantime, Chris and I have been working really hard with him to use the words we know he can say.  He's doing great!

Sweetums is 18 weeks now and we'll find out the gender in 2 weeks on the 20th.  We're going to wait until Christmas to tell anyone though, so it will be a nice surprise!  I'm feeling good, but tired all the time.  My energy level is so low that I rarely feel like putting on makeup and doing my hair, but I make sure Dutch gets the bulk of my energy, and that's what matters.  Chris has been great about stepping up and taking over when he can tell I'm exhausted.

Speaking of Chris, his days are getting longer and longer.  It's hard not having a set schedule, but he's enjoying the work so I guess that's what matters.  He's contracted not to work more than 50 hours a week and he hasn't exceeded that, but some days it feels like it!  Especially when Dutch is being extra naughty (just like his cousin Evie).

We've decided to skip the trip to sit on Santa's lap this year since it was so traumatic last year.  Maybe next year he'll understand a little better and like him more.

Okay, I think that's everything for now.

Favorite Picture Friday

3 Mr Clean Magic Erasers and several hours later Dutch's walls, door, nightstand, bed and windowsill are now free from crayon, highlighter, pen, and chalk marks.

On a completely unrelated note: 

does anyone know how to get crayon off windows?

Happy Birthday Heidi!

This is Carianne with Heidi because I couldn't find one of just me and Heidi.  Just pretend Carianne is me.

Today my sister Heidi turns 30!  Heidi and I have always been close (except that brief time in high school when I was way too cool for family).  I can talk to her about things I can't talk to anyone else about.  We talk on the phone at least every week and, when she lives close enough, I try to see her every few months.

When I tell other people about Heidi I always say she's the nicest person in the world, but you still like her.  If my parents had been inclined they could have often asked me "Why can't you be more like Heidi?"  Because we all saw Heidi as being the most perfect one in the family.  But, again, we didn't hate her for it.  She's just too nice for you not to love.

We had lots of bizarre adventures together, like the time we drove all the way to Richfield only to realize we'd forgotten our money.  And Christmas Eve Heather and Heidi and I would all sleep in Heidi's room (because hers was the only clean one).  We had a lot of the same friends and I didn't mind hanging out with Heidi, especially once we weren't at the same high school and I stopped feeling like everyone was comparing me to her.

Heidi's the only one who can make an open-face peanut butter and honey sandwich as good as my Omi could.  When I go to her house I stock up on snuggles, arm rubs, and back-scratching because I don't really get those at home.

I can call Heidi with the most random questions about a book or a movie or a quote from a movie or an actor from a movie and she can answer it immediately, even when Google couldn't!  We have a lot of the same tastes in books, movies and TV shows and we mail books back and forth all the time.

I love you so much, Sister, and I wish you lived closer so we could hang out more and Dutch could be spoiled by his cousins more often.  Happy birthday and I can't wait to see you.

A List for Tuesday

5 Things I Hate This Time of Year:
1. Snow
2. Bad drivers
3. Snow
4. Driving in snow
5. Snow

5 Things I Love This Time of Year:
1. Hot chocolate
2. Sweaters, scarves, and hats
3. Christmas music
4. Christmas decorations
5. Christmas movies

Happy Thanksgiving!

A List for Tuesday

The Top Five Most Devastating Things in Dutch's Life (in order by the trauma they apparently cause):

5. Not being allowed to keep the water running the entire time he's in the tub.
4. Having Daddy's iTouch taken away from him.
3. Being told he can't watch Cars (which he calls Go).
2. Being sent to his room.
And the number one most devastating thing in Dutch's Life: Haircuts.

Happy Un-Thanksgiving!

Yesterday we had our first of three Thanksgiving dinners.  This one was for the Morgan side of Chris's family and we had it at Grandpa Morgan's house.  It was our first Thanksgiving without Grandma Morgan, but we all remembered her fondly and she was represented in several of the dishes.

Dutch behaved wonderfully until the very end of the evening when he stuck his hand in his mouth and threw up on Grandpa's floor.  I couldn't do anything but cover my face and hope I didn't throw up too!  Chris and Kellie took care of it while Greg took care of Dutch.  This is the second time he's made himself throw up and I'm not a fan.  Not at all.

It's always nice to get together with family and eat good food and have great conversations.  I'm thankful for my in-laws and the loving family I gained by marrying Chris.  I had some pictures to post but I left my camera at Grandpa Morgan's house.

Happy Un-Thanksgiving!

Dutch's Pet Balloon

Earlier today Dutch went to a birthday party.  As we were leaving, in addition to the goody bag, Dutch got a yellow balloon.  He fell in love with it immediately.  We drove from the part to my Aunt Marianne's house and Dutch fell asleep clutching the string with two chubby fists.  All the way home he talked to it and hugged it.  Once at home it had to go everywhere with him, including into the tub!  He threw an enormous fit about getting in the bathtub (which is really unusual for him) until I went and got the balloon.  As I type this he is in his bed, the yellow balloon hovering protectively over his head.

I don't know what we'll do when the balloon "dies" in a day or two.  One thing is for sure: this kid needs more balloons in his life.

Favorite Picture Friday

I think this is the cutest picture in the world of my niece Evie.  She'd put Vaseline in her hair and her mom was trying everything to get it out.

A List for Tuesday

Five Things Dutch Does That Make Me Laugh:

1. When Chris comes home Dutch greets him with a "Hi Daddy!"  The way he says it sounds very southern and it's pretty funny.
2. If our car is stopped at a light he gets very impatient and starts pointing at the road, "Go! Go! Go!"
3. If he starts playing with something he's not supposed to (like my laptop or Chris's Kindle) he gets this innocent look on his face as he tries to sneak it away.
4. When we go outside at night he looks all over for the moon, gets really excited and yells, "Boon!"
5.  Everything he thinks is cool must be shared with Daddy.  He'll repeat "Daddy!" over and over and over again until he gets Chris's attention and can point out whatever it is that amazes him.

15 Weeks and a Few Other Things

Yesterday the baby bump turned 15 weeks old!  I keep meaning to take a picture of the bump, but it never happens.  Thanks to the meds I'm on I'm actually gaining weight instead of losing it, which is a big relief.  I don't really have any cravings, but this baby definitely doesn't care for orange juice or most meats.  I'm already having trouble getting comfortable at night, but with Dutch coming to get in bed with us every night at about 2, I don't get much sleep anyway.

Speaking of Dutch, his behavior is getting impossible!  On top of never wanting to go to sleep (and coming to get in bed with us in the middle of the night, every single night), he throws tantrums all the time now, especially when we go out to eat anywhere.  I dread taking him anywhere by myself because I just don't have the energy to handle him.  He's started banging his head against the floor or the wall when he's angry, he even gave himself a black eye!  Right now he has a cold so he's actually a lot more mellow than normal.  I know he's miserable, but it makes me happy to know he'll be calm for the most part.

Chris and I are trying to figure out the next step for our living arrangements.  Our lease for the apartment is up in March and we need to move somewhere with more space.  Chris wants to buy a house, but I'm still not sure I want to live in Utah (I told him when we moved here he had 5 years to convince me I want to stay; I'm not convinced yet).  A house just seems like a big commitment and I don't want to rush into anything.  There's still some time, but it's one of those things we have to start thinking about.

Hopefully I'll get some new pictures up soon.  But I'm kind of pregnant, which is a synonym for lazy!

A List for Tuesday

The Five Greatest Nieces in the World (in order by age):

1. Carlye Anne
2. Bella Lou
3. Anneke Susan
4. Evie Lee
5. Mallory Hope (who is brand new to the world!)

First Look at Sweetie Pie

Kind of blurry, but you get the idea.

See the little hand covering the face?  It looks more like an actual human than any other ultrasound picture I've seen.

A List for Tuesday

Five Reasons I'm Thankful for Phenergan (an anti-nausea medication)

1. I can eat without worrying about how it will feel coming up.
2. No more vomiting every two hours.
3. I no longer dread eating.
4. Dutch doesn't have to get locked in his room while I puke anymore (I didn't want him imitating me; he's a "monkey-see, monkey-do" kind of kid, and that's something no one wants).
5. The energy I used to devote to not throwing up can now be thrown into more productive things like playing with my son and cleaning my room!

Hooray for Phenergan!

First Doctor's Appointment

Today the baby and I had our first doctor's appointment.  My doctor is Dr. Walker and she's super-nice.  We had a good talk and she gave me some new prenatal vitamins (since I keep vomiting every time I take the ones I have), she gave me some meds to stop the vomiting (since I do it about every 2 hours still) and she upped the dosage of my anti-depressant (since I've been having some trouble with my depression lately).

The baby's due date is May 7th or May 8th, the nurse said 7th and the ultrasound said 8th, so.  Either way it doesn't matter since the baby will come in April anyway.

I got to see the baby!  The ultrasound machine even showed me a 3D image!  It was awesome, s/he had her/his little hand covering her/his face up.  I could see elbows and legs and s/he was all curled up and it was adorable!

So that was our first doctor's appointment and everything went GREAT!

Happy Late Birthday Carianna-Nana-Banana!

I have three older sisters and I love and miss them all.  Yesterday was my oldest sister's birthday.  Her name is Carianne, but I call her Nan, which is short for Carianna-Nana-Banana, which is what I used to call her.  Although we are six years apart people mistake us for twins every time we are together.  I see this as a compliment (because Nan looks like a little girl, not because I look 6 years older than I am).

See what I mean?  Well yesterday was Nan's birthday, which I remembered all day long, but didn't have the chance to blog or call.  I didn't want her to think I don't love her, because I absolutely do.  So this post is all about her.

A few years ago I had a nervous breakdown and Carianne was one of the people who came to help Chris and I pick up the pieces.  I don't remember a lot from that time.  I do remember that we ate Lion House rolls, that she vacuumed (because Chris appreciated it SO much), and that she cuddled and held me a lot.  (Side-note: She brought her son Noah with her and that's when Bo got his nick-name Bo the Wonder Dog.  It's also when Chris decided that we could have kids, if they were like Noah.  Careful what you wish for!)  Even though that was a horrible time in my life, I only remember how loved I felt.  It really helped my relationship with Nan grow.

On top of being one of my three favorite sisters, she's Super Mom.  I'm not kidding.  Anyone who knows her even a little bit knows what an amazing mom she is.  When any of us have kid problems we look to her for help.  I keep telling her to write parenting books, but she feels that years in the trenches don't compare to a Ph.D., but I beg to differ!  No one cares what some Ph.D. worked up in a lab; mamas want tried and true methods that really work.  And that's what Nan is a genius at giving you.

I miss all my sisters at different times and in different ways.  I wish we could all live on the same street; I'll even settle for the same state!  Even a big one!  Until then this blog will have to do.

I love you, Nan.  Happy birthday!

My Husband is a Super-Hero

I've been thinking a lot in the past few weeks how much I love my husband and all the things he does for me and Dutch and Bo.  He has a high-stress job under a boss who doesn't say anything unless he's done something wrong, so he rarely gets thanked for anything he does.  He works about 60 hours a week and then comes home to an often misbehaving, high-spirited two-year-old, a blind dog who bumps into him at every turn, and a pregnant wife who complains about how much she hates being a stay-at-home mom.

Talk about rough.

Add to that the fact that he usually takes over all Dutch and Bo duties so I can lay down, or throw up, in peace.  He makes dinner for himself and Dutch because I can't stand the sight of food.  He lets me go to bed at a ridiculously early time and handles all of Dutch's going to bed drama all by himself.  He fixes anything that's been broken throughout the day.  He often does a lot of the cleaning.

In short, he does everything I can't or haven't done.  Which is a lot lately.  Hopefully soon I will be feeling better and can make it up to him.  Until then, just know that I married a super-hero.

A List for Tuesday

5 of the Words/Phrases Dutch Uses Most Often That He Learned Because of His Speech Therapy Sessions:

1. Please
2. Thank you
3. Hi Daddy!
4. Moon
5. The end

An Epidemic of Pregnant Proportions

As my last post plainly stated, I am pregnant.  When I was pregnant with Dutch I was the only pregnant person I knew.  One or two of my friends got pregnant while I was expecting, but they both lived very far away from me. I felt like I was the only pregnant person in the world.

Not so this time.

I can name at least a dozen (not exaggerating, under-counting, if anything) people who are pregnant right now.  I know of at least 5 other people due within a month of me.  In my family alone we will have 4 new babies in the next year.

It's pretty weird, that's for sure.  It's like everyone secretly got together without telling me and decided to all have babies at the same time.  I stumbled in the club accidentally, but the current members have all been very welcoming.

Congrats to everyone who is pregnant right now and GOOD LUCK!

Okay, I Admit It

Fine, I'll admit it, I'm pregnant.  Yup, Chris went and knocked me up again!  This baby is an even bigger surprise than Dutch was, since I had all but decided that Dutch needed to be an only child if he and I were both going to survive his childhood.  Apparently someone had other plans for me.

I decided to finally post it on the blog because I've told a lot of you and it's getting to the point where I can't hide the belly.  No, it's not because I'm really far along (I'm still only about 10 weeks), but because this baby is huge already and it's getting pretty obvious that I'm pregnant.  I have my first doctor's appointment in about 10 days, so I'll post more about it then.

Just wanted to share the news.  I'll be due the end of April or beginning of May (I'm about a week or so behind Julianna, for those of you who know my cousin).  We're hoping for a girl, but it will probably be a boy, which would be find too.

This pregnancy is already a lot different from Dutch's.  I've been sick more frequently, but less severely, can't eat meat, and I'm craving mostly sugary and sweet things.  And did I mention I'm huge?  I'm the same size now as I was when I was about 5 or 6 months with Dutch.  Crazy.

I'm calling the baby Parry the Parasite.  Has a nice ring to it.

So there you go, we're having another baby!

Happy Birthday Noah!

To the person who gave Bo the Wonder Dog his name, 

happy birthday and we love you!

A List for Tuesday

Here are lines from Dutch's favorite movies.  I'll post the answers tomorrow, or when I feel like it.  Feel free to guess.  Hint: They're all cartoons.

1. "Why is yogurt night so difficult?" Bee Movie
2. "Steve!" Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
3. "Oh, for the love of Chrysler! Can we please ask someone for directions?" Cars
4. "I may not have a brain, gentlemen, but I have an idea." Monsters vs. Aliens
5. "I've set my laser from stun to kill." Toy Story
6. "We can stay up late swapping manly stories, and in the morning I'm making waffles!" Shrek
7. "Hey, did you lose weight, or a limb?" Monsters Inc.
8. "You tell me where my suit is, woman!" The Incredibles
9. "He's got your mom's eyes and my dad's nose. I knew we were smart to save those parts." Robots
10. "Why does everything I whip leave me?" The Simpsons Movie

Big News, The Anti-Climax

So my big news was SUPPOSED to be that we were getting a new car, which we were SUPPOSED to have bought before September was over and here it is almost the middle of October.  Chris keeps wanting to do more "research," which is really his way of saying he's a big fat scaredy cat.

Just got back from a whirlwind trip to Vegas, which was fun, but I'm glad to be home so I can sleep in my own bed.  It was great to see Heidi and to spend time with Julianna, Annemarie and Julie.  I forgot my camera so there is no photographic evidence of the trip.

Dutch didn't even care that I was gone.  When I got home he gave me a cursory nod and continued playing.  It made me feel very loved and needed.

A List for Tuesday

Five Reasons I'm Super-Tired Today:

1. Dutch took a late nap yesterday,
2. Which meant he didn't feel like going to sleep last night.
3. So he cried until about midnight
4. When Chris brought him into our bed and then abandoned me.
5. So I was up most of the night with a two-year-old jabbing me in the back.

And I'm tired.

Seven Years of Wedded Bliss

Happy anniversary my love!

Heidi's Baby Shower

I'm pretty sure all of you who read this blog know my sister Heidi.  Next Saturday, October 8th, there's a baby shower for her in Vegas.  I'll be driving down alone and would love some company if anyone else wants to come and spend time with Heidi (and me).  I'll be leaving sometime on Friday and come home on Sunday.  We'll stay at Heidi's house.

Let me know if you want to come!

Update and a Cliffhanger

Okay, so I haven't been the best at blogging lately.  Not REALLY blogging anyway.  Life has sort of fallen into a habit of sameness.  Compound that with unreliable internet and perpetual exhaustion and you have a boring blog.  So here's the goods on what's been happening lately:

Chris is working a lot.  He likes his work, but his boss is sort of... negative.  It's pretty exhausting being around someone who is constantly looking at the cloudy side of things and it wears on Chris a lot.  He is really enjoying the surgery though, and he's made a lot of great contacts at the hospital.  He will also be receiving a super-awesome present for our anniversary on Sunday.  Can you believe it's been 7 years?

Pam is tired a lot.  Chasing after Dutch is exhausting since he seems to have the energy of the Energizer Bunny and Pam has the energy of a rechargeable battery (i.e. very limited).  She's doing a lot of writing, a lot of reading, a lot of coloring, and a lot of playing with Thomas trains.

Dutch is huge!  He continues to be mistaken for a three- or four-year-old instead of a barely-two-year-old.  His favorite things currently include destroying books, taking apart anything that can be taken apart, and tearing any paper that looks remotely important.  His speech is coming along great.  He adores his speech therapist Abby and has added a lot of words to his vocabulary since she's been coming.  The words are both imitated and spontaneous, so he's doing really well with that.  Abby also taught him his first sign language sign (the sign for more), which is in and of itself a small miracle since I have been trying to teach him to sign for ages and he's always stared at me like I'm crazy.

Bo the Wonder Dog has been very protective of Dutch and me lately.  When Dutch throws fits at his speech sessions Bo always gets upset.  When Dutch burned his fingers a few weeks ago Bo wouldn't leave his side while he slept.  He's a very good dog.  Sadly, he's starting to get old.  His paws and muzzle are all graying and I'm pretty sure he's going deaf.  That's right, soon we might have a blind AND deaf dog!

In the next few weeks I will make a fabulous announcement that will leave you all stunned and excited.  Or at least mildly delighted.  NO GUESSING!

Favorite Picture Friday

Our little weirdo getting into as much trouble as he can (and wearing as few clothes as possible).

A List for Tuesday

Five Things That Irritate Me

1. Married couples who have joint Facebook accounts.  I friended you, not your spouse.  Get your own.
2. Anyone who isn't British using the word "whilst."
3. People who are proud of the fact they can't remember the last time they read a book.
4. Fat people wearing clothes made for skinny people and vice versa.
5. The 80s clothing comeback.

Dutch's Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Sleeping Habits

Disclaimer: As I write this my nose is running and my throat is killing me and I'm running off very few hours of sleep, so if this makes no sense blame all of the above.

A few months ago Dutch decided that naps are for suckers.  The only problem is that he still needs a nap!  There are some days when I can trick him into taking one, but this is every other day, if that.  At night it's a constant battle to get him to bed.  He'll get in just fine, but then the minute we close the door he'll scream and cry and kick the door, or keep running in and out of the room.  We keep putting him back to bed and keep putting him back to bed until one of us snaps.  Last night it was me.

I was exhausted and Chris had to work today, so I was in charge of the demon baby.  We finally just pulled out the futon and Dutch and I slept on that.  Only Dutch didn't go to sleep right away, he just wiggled around, or grabbed my hair or tried to tickle me.  FINALLY, somewhere in the haze of my memory, he fell asleep.

But then I woke up at 5am and couldn't get back to sleep because Dutch decided to get off the futon and sleep on the floor and I was terrified that Bo or Chris would step on him.

Anyway, long story short, I have done everything the books say to do to get this guy to sleep and they are not working!  Any help is appreciated.

A List for Tuesday

Five Reasons Why I Miss My Sisters:

1. No one in the world understands me like my sisters.
2. Sometimes it's nice to have someone around who is crazy in the same way I am.
3. They know just how to tickle my arm, play with my hair, or rub my back to calm me down.
4. There's always lots and lots of laughter when I'm with them.
5. I can fall asleep in the middle of the day and they'll watch my kid, no questions asked.

Favorite Picture Friday

Dutch, holding his "sword" innocently.

Which, in and of itself, gave me reason to be suspicious.

The Circle of Life and Blistered Fingers

Last night Chris and I went to go see "The Lion King" at Capitol Theater.  A big thanks to my mom-in-law for the tickets.  This was actually my second time seeing the production.  I saw it 5 years ago while I was in London.  The costuming, of course, is the big draw for the live-action show.  And they ARE amazing, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for the cartoon version.  The first time I saw it I was in love with Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who voiced Young Simba.  Chris really liked it and we had a great time.  It was fun to be able to "dissect" it afterward with Josh and Dawn too.  They went the same night as us, but were on the other side of the theatre.  Seeing the show also made us realize that Dutch has never seen "The Lion King" and that is ridiculous.

On a less happy note, today while I was making us lunch Dutch burned his fingers on the burner.  He did not mention this, and I did not see it happen, but I noticed him fussing a lot with his left hand.  When he finally (begrudgingly) showed me his thumb I was horrified by the blister on it!  I called everyone I could think of to figure out what to do.  My sister Carianne calmed me down and told me how to handle it.  Only after I got off the phone with her did I realize ALL his little fingers were blistered on the ends!

So I put some Burt's Bees Res-Q Ointment on his fingers (which he hated), gave him some grape-flavored Tylenol (which he loved), and now he is taking a nap (which I love).

A List for Tuesday

Five Things Dutch Did at the Grocery Store Today:

1. Got to push his very own cart (our local grocery store has carts that are just his size and he LOVES helping me shop).
2. Decided that the grapes in his cart looked too delicious and ate almost half the bag before I realized what he was doing.
3. Had a hard time listening when he saw something he wanted.
4. Was VERY helpful.  He put a lot of things in his cart, even things I didn't want or need!
5. When we were leaving he was mad that the bagger put all the grocery bags in MY cart, so he refused to move until I put one in his cart.

A Plea For Help

Today, for the second Sunday in a row, we had to leave church early because of Dutch's horrible behavior.  I don't know what to do.  I'm really at my wits end as to how to get him to behave better.  I brought snacks, toys, quiet books, coloring books, a stuffed animal, toy trains, and trucks.  What else can I do?

No, seriously, I want to know!

Favorite Picture Friday

Julie and me at the She & Him concert.

A List for Tuesday

The Five Greatest Things About Las Vegas: From Dutch's Perspective

1. Cousins!  They are the greatest thing ever and I loved spending time with them.  My aunt and uncle are cool too, but nothing beats cousins!
2. I waved to a garbage man and he HONKED back!  It was the coolest thing ever!
3. There are lots and lots of planes that take off and land and I like to point to them in the sky.
4. My cousins have lots and lots of different cars. And I wanted to play with all of them.  At the same time.
5. Riding in a shopping cart is way more fun if someone sits next to you.

P.S. I didn't realize until we got home that we took exactly zero pictures of our trip to Vegas.  Suffice it to say, we all had a great time, even if there is no proof.

Dutch's Evaluation

Last week a very sweet speech pathologist named Sarah came and evaluated my little boy.  Here are the results after she played with him for an hour.

Gross Motor: 84%
Fine Motor: 57%
Cognitive (Attention/Learning Tasks): 33% (she said she suspected this was a lot higher, but he was pretty much done by the time she got to these games)
Receptive Language (what he understands): 50%
Expressive Language (what he uses): 1%
Self Help: 62%
Social/Emotional: 61%

I'll be honest, I have no idea what any of this means, except that he is going to have someone come once a week to work on his expressive language.  Anyone have any information to enlighten me?  (I'm looking at you Ms. Hayden Jensen!)

Tune in tomorrow for the best things about Las Vegas, from Dutch's perspective.

Cabin Adventures

We've been able to spend several weekends up at Grandpa Morgan's cabin in Midway.  It's been a lot of fun and Dutch loves having the extra time with Grandpa Greg (otherwise known as Baba).  One lucky Saturday he got his hair cut at the cabin: his least favorite activity by his favorite person in his favorite place.

Donut Face

The other day Chris got home from work early, a rare treat, and he brought me some powdered donuts (which I secretly love more than just about anything).  Dutch wanted some, of course.  Hilarity ensued.  And, just for the record, he would smile every time the second AFTER the picture had been taken.

This is after Dutch looked at Chris through the donut.  Notice the powder all over his eye.

Bear Lake

A couple of weeks ago we went to Bear Lake for the Morgan family vacation.  We stayed at Uncle Joe and Aunt Marilyn's cabin in Bear Lake West.  Everyone in the family was there: Grandpa Morgan, Pat, Ken, Kim, Steve, Lex, Greg, Kellie, Josh, Dawn, Zaque, and the three of us.  Because it was Chris's first week of work we were only able to stay one night, but we packed as much fun as we could in the time we were there!  (Not to mention, the drive through Logan Canyon was gorgeous!  If it wasn't so cold there in the winter I would move there.)

Here are the pictures from our trip.  There are none of me because me in a bathing suit is something no one should have to suffer through.

Dutch was very good in the car.  It's about a 3 hour ride, and he was in a good mood the whole time.

Chris was the driver, of course.

From left to right: Grandpa Morgan, Steve, Ken, Zaque, Greg.  They were blowing up the tube.  Chris and Dutch and I all rode on it together.  The water was SO warm!

Chris and Kellie relaxing on the beach.

Steve helping me get a shot of Dutch on the boat, with Grandpa Morgan looking on.  (Do you like his life jacket? Greg bought it for him at the beginning of the summer and we spent some time breaking it in, anticipating Bear Lake.)

Dutch making faces.

Dutch on the tube, with Chris about to get on.

Standing in Bear Lake.  Isn't his swimsuit so cute!  You can't tell, but his rash guard and water socks match each other, they're both brown and orange!

The three of us on the tube.  I'm the white blob to the left, Dutch is in the middle, and Chris is on the right.

We had a lot of fun.  I don't have any pictures of him in them, but Kellie bought Dutch an adorable pair of John Deere scrubs at one of the Raspberry Days booths.  There's a scrub top, pants, and shorts!  He looks so cute in them  I also don't have any pictures of Kim and Lex, Pat, or Josh and Dawn, because they showed up a little later and I am not very good at remembering to take pictures.  (But I am trying to be better.)

More summer fun blogs coming soon!

A List for Tuesday

Five Questions About Toy Story 2:

1. If Woody is an "old family toy" why doesn't he remember any other owners besides Andy?
2. Why don't any of Buzz's friends realize he's been replaced?  He sounds totally different from the "real" Buzz!
3.  Where did the hole in Woody's head go from Sid's magnifying glass in the first movie?
4. Why doesn't Bullseye talk?
5. Why does Andy own Bo Peep before he has a little sister?  What little boy is going to own, much less play with, a Bo Peep doll?

Pictures to Follow

Okay, so I have a bunch of pictures in the queue to be posted on the blog, but I've been too lazy to find my camera and/or scan the pictures.  So those will come sometime later, but I wanted to share the big news:

Dutch is sleeping in a toddler bed!

His crib was converted to a toddler bed last night.  Chris and I decided to do this because yesterday morning when Chris went in to get Dutch he was asleep on the floor and two nights ago he slept on the couch.  See, he could get out of his crib, but not back INTO it.  So we decided it was safer for everyone if he had a big boy bed.

As you can imagine, he's very excited about it.

A List for Tuesday

3 Things I Did Today I Haven't Done in a Long Time

1. Went grocery shopping without Chris (but Dutch was there, and it was a very interesting trip, let me tell you)
2. Ate Ramen noodles, which we used to pronounce ram-ee-on, and my cousin's always said it looked like my sister Carianne's hair.
3. Watched "The Slipper and the Rose."  Jealous?  You'll be more jealous when I tell you I own the soundtrack too.

Tired

I am tired.

Tired of Dutch never listening to me.  Tired of Dutch escaping from everything: his crib, his room, the apartment.  Tired of him giving me bruises when he gets mad because I won't let him do something.  Tired of having to be the one to set up limits and then have them questioned, refuted, and ignored.  Tired of being a stuck-at-home mom.  Tired of feeling like a failure.

I'm just really tired.

Trouble, With a Capital T and That Rhymes With D and That Stands for Dutch

I'm in big trouble.

Dutch has figured out how to get out of his crib.  He's never been a great sleeper and now his naps and bedtime are going to be impossible.

What do I do?

A List for Tuesday

Five Reasons I Can't Come Up With a More Creative List Today:

1. Our upstairs neighbor feels it's important to vacuum every day between 7am and 8am.
2. I had an upset tummy most of the night and didn't sleep well.
3. Dutch was extra turd-riffic yesterday and sucked all my energy like a vampire vacuum (see, the vacuum haunts me).
4. It's really hot.
5. I'm using my creative juice on something more productive, like, um, making excuses!

Favorite Picture Friday

Bo, shortly after Dutch was born, needed a little extra love.

Hey!

Grandpa Greg and Chris and I went out and bought Dutch a pool.

He loved it!  He spent the whole time saying, "Hey!" like he was the Fonz, or an extra in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

His favorite part was climbing in and "falling" onto his butt.

And, in case you were wondering.  Bo loves it just as much or more than Dutch.  No pictures of that though, maybe soon.

Good News and a Little Bad

Today we went for Dutch's 2-year well-baby pediatric visit.  While Dr. Lash was super nice and extra helpful, I did miss Dr. Shaver and all of his nurses and MA's.  Oh well though.

Stats:
Dutch is 34 lbs 2 oz, putting him in the 96th percentile for his age.
He is 37.5 inches tall, which puts him in the 97th percentile.
His head is 49.5 cm around, so he's in the 60th percentile.
Yup, he's a fat guy with a tiny head. :)

He struggled and screamed and wiggled through the entire visit.  He didn't want his weight taken, or his temperature, or his head measured, or his heart listened to... You get the idea.  It was a very big struggle to handle him alone.

The good news is he his healthy and normal in almost every way.  The bad news is that his speech is WAY behind.  The doctor referred me to the early intervention program through the school district, so we'll hopefully get all of that figured out soon.

All in all, it was a very exhausting morning, but I'm glad it's over and done with for another year!

Mama Gets to Gush

The only thing I love more than my little Dutch is the opportunity to talk about him.  I have a lot of great friends (with and without kids) who love my little guy and don't mind when I go on and on about him.  A friend I haven't talked to in a while was asking about Dutch and it made me realize that I might not have shared a lot of this with you, my blog readers.  It was easier to blog when we weren't close to any family.  Now I can't remember who I've told what to, so forgive me if this is repetitious, but allow me to take a moment and gush about my baby.

Dutch is 2!  Can you believe it?  Chris and I were talking the other day about how it seems like such a short time in some ways, but feels like forever in other ways.  We just can't remember life before Dutch.  It was the same way with Bo.  He fit so completely into our little family that it seemed like we'd always had him.

Dutch is my little sound-effects baby.  He can tell you what a dog, cat, cow, fish, lizard, and bird say.  He LOVES to make car sounds: vroom, beep-beep, and the sound of a car shifting that seems to be a staple in all boys repertoire.  He isn't really talking very much still; he'll babble, but he doesn't use a whole lot of words.  Sometimes I worry about it, but most of the time I'm not too concerned.

It's so funny to me that I can already tell what kind of learner he's going to be.  Dutch is 100% tactile in everything he does.  He wants to touch it and try it out.  Not to mention if he sees you do something once he can almost always replicate it.  Not always a good thing.  For instance, he can unlock and open our front door.  If we don't keep the chain on he escapes about 3 or 4 times a day.

Bo is still his best friend.  It makes me laugh because he loves to boss Bo around.  It's as though he feels like everyone else gets to boss him around, so he needs someone to boss.  Bo is pretty patient with Dutch too.  When Dutch body-slams him he just gets up and moves.  We were very lucky to have a dog as mellow as Bo.  Any other dog would have bit my little boy by now!

He loves his push toys and we've found that he's more willing to go on a walk and not want to be picked up and carried if he has his little cart thingie to push.  This has made walking to get the mail a much more pleasant experience.  He's getting WAY too heavy to haul around, but try to tell him that!

The saddest thing about him being 2 is the fact that he's so much more active and thereby so much skinnier.  He's lost almost all of his chubs.  The only place he's still got some is his cute little belly.  He's still got a milk belly.  And no bum at all!  It's amazing his pants stay up (and, let's face it, a lot of times they don't).

The other thing about Dutch is that he is a fruit and veggie eater.  We have had to get a lock on the fridge door because otherwise he would eat an entire flat of blueberries, or strawberries, or blackberries, or... you get the idea.  I don't think he's ever met a fruit or veggie that he didn't like.  I guess he takes after his Mama in that sense.

And he takes after his Daddy in the fact that he's a total flirt!  He'll bat his (incredibly long) eyelashes and coo at anything female.  He loves girls!  And he doesn't care about age, weight, hair color, or anything else.  If she smiles at him that's enough.

So there are some things you might not have known about my silly baby boy.

A List for Tuesday

Three Things I Never Thought I'd Say:

1. "We don't use our potty as a hat."
2. "Don't you want to poop in the toilet?  Pooping is so fun!"
3. "No baby, peeing on the floor isn't nearly as much fun as peeing in the potty."

Potty Training: Day 1

Today was by far the easiest day we will have potty training.  All we did today was buy the supplies.  A toilet (see the picture below), training pants, and carpet cleaner (for any accidents that may occur).

We decided to just let Dutch get used to having the potty around.  We encouraged him to sit on it fully clothed and to take it with him wherever he went.  He took that to heart:

This is Dutch just before bedtime.  He wanted his potty to be in the bed with him.  Chris and I looked at each other, shrugged, and allowed it.  I just hope he doesn't use it as a step-stool to get out of bed!

Here are the rest of the "potty pics."

Tomorrow the real work begins!

Saturday's Warrior and Potty Training

My good friend Julie and I went and saw the play "110 in the Shade" (the musical version of "The Rainmaker) down in Orem.  And guess what!  The dad from the movie Saturday's Warrior was in it!  I was super-excited.  Some of you may not care, but I know my sisters will think it's awesome.

In other news, I've decided to potty train Dutch in the next two weeks.  Call, e-mail, or comment your advice.  I need all the help I can get.

Favorite Picture Friday

My pajama-clad baby being a big helper.

Meeting Ms. Levine

These are the pictures from when Cat and I got to meet Gail Carson Levine at the King's English.  I tried very hard to seem normal and put together.  I succeeded marginally, if at all!  :)

A List for Tuesday

Five Questions I Have About the Movie Toy Story:
Warning: This might ruin some things for you.  As my husband told me, "Point out your plot-holes elsewhere!"

1.  If Andy's family is moving in a week why does he take the time to re-decorate his cowboy room into a spaceman room?
2.  How is it possible for Mr. Potato Head to have eyebrows?
3. In the first scene Molly's crib is in Andy's room.  Where does the crib go in the next scene?
4. At the very end they drop RC's remote control.  Does that mean he'll never be able to work again?
5. What happens to the hole Sid made in Woody's head?

If you have the answers, I'd really like them.

Favorite Picture Friday

Dutch Turns 2!

Okay, okay, okay.  Dutch's birthday party was almost a week ago and he turned two on Sunday, so you think I would have blogged about either one of those things, right?  Well, I didn't.  I was waiting for Chris to help me upload the plethora of pictures I was sure he had taken (because I'd told him to).  There aren't very many.  There are NONE from his actual birthday and only a handful from his party, so this blog will not be picture heavy at all.  There is also not one picture that shows off his birthday party theme.

Start at the very beginning: Dutch had a Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel party, which is to say it was a construction party.  I bought a bunch of super-cute decorations.  Each of the kids got a plastic construction hat and a little orange Home Depot apron with their name on it.  They also each got a construction vehicle hot wheels of some sort.  It was a super-fun party and I think everyone had a really great time.

Here are a few pictures of Dutch to prove it.  I don't have any evidence of anyone else having fun, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

His shirt says:

"Dad's Little Firecracker"

Chris wearing one of the child-sized Home Depot aprons.

Dutch opening a present.

In this picture you can see Julie's legs, Bryson's legs, the back of Ashlyn's and Cambria's heads, Clarissa, and I think it's Hayden's shoulder.

So see, there WERE other people there!

Rocking the Bath Time Faux-Hawk

Notice how it got funnier as time went on?