18 Month Checkup

Hi all! I apologize for the lack of pictures this week. Somehow, we're still in a bit of a schedule tailspin, but I'm hoping to regather our composure soon. I thought I should post a quick report on Joshua's adventure yesterday. We went for his 18 month checkup and the last of his baby shots. (I guess he really ISN'T a baby anymore.)

When we got there yesterday, Joshua was mostly intrigued by the "uffs" (fish) in the fishtank. He kept saying "touch" and I was having a hard time getting him to realize that it's not a good idea to touch the fish...they don't like it. When they called him back, he took off toward Tracy (our nurse yesterday). She giggled and said that it's pretty unusual at the 18 month visit for kids to go back to the exam rooms without protest- they've usually made the connection about what happens when they come to the doctor's office. Just then, the lightbulb went on. And the waterworks started. Joshua proceeded to scream bloody murder through all of the height and weight checks, the temperature taking, and question answering. By the time Tracy was done with all of that and left to get the doctor, Joshua was asking for her to come "back". I kept telling him that she'd be back, although I knew that he wouldn't be pleased with what she came back WITH.

Stats:
23 lb 1 oz (up from 22 lb 5 oz at his 15 month appt). 12th percentile.
35" tall. 95th percentile. (Grew over an inch and a half since 15 months!)

The weight issue is the only less than stellar score out of this whole thing, which I knew would probably be the case. They said that they like for them to stay on the same curve. Joshua has consistently been around 25% for his weight, so they didn't like that he had fallen to the 12th percentile. But, they qualified it by saying that I'm probably worried about it enough already, and not to do anything different than what we're doing. Just feed him as often as we can. They said that if he's really active (you think?) he's probably burning it off as fast as he's eating. And since he LOVES fruit and veggies and isn't big on starch or protein, that doesn't help.

Dr. Nissley came in shortly afterwards and Joshua screamed the whole time he was with him. He talks fast under the best of conditions, but it's fair to say that I didn't hear much of what he said over the hysterics. He was pleased with everything but Joshua's weight, although he said that it's probably going to catch up by the time he gets to his 2 year visit. They were all thrilled with his speech and physical progress, so that was a relief. I was so proud of him when they mentioned that they could tell he was really bright, and was way ahead of the things he should be doing at this age. Let's hope for scholarships!

Here's where the story gets cute. Tracy came back in with Josh's shots. He waved and said "Hi" to her, and then proceeded to talk to her as she washed her hands. He said "hands", "soap" and "dry" as she did all of those things. The screaming resumed for a few more minutes during the shots, but then, through very teary eyes, said "Bub" (bye) to Tracy and waved to her. Then he said "hanks" (thanks) and then "kiss" and blew her a kiss. I could hear her out in the hallway talking to the other nurses. She said "I've never gotten kisses after giving shots before. I made progress!" Once he got dressed and the crying had calmed down, we went out into the hallway. Tracy and a client of mine who I just adore, Donna, were standing there so we stopped to talk. Joshua looked at Tracy and said "Hug" "Kiss" and then gave her one of each. She then gave him a very snazzy Elmo sticker just like the one on her nametag. He was tickled, and I think she was too.

If I haven't already said it a million times, there is something SO wonderful about this age. If I could have a dozen 18 month olds, I think I would take them! I just wish I could bottle this up and save it for teenage years when I'm not feeling the wonderment of motherhood quite so vividly.

So, the plot thickened last night as far as the shots went. Joshua hadn't had too much trouble with the shots during the day. He did keep pointing to his leg and saying "hurt", so we knew it was sore, but he wasn't fevered and wasn't seeming too bothered by the whole thing. Last night after supper, we had a great time playing. Joshua wasn't warm in the least. And then all of a sudden at 7:50, he started to SCREAM. I picked him up to hold him and he felt like he was on fire. Temps were in the 101-102 range every time I took them. I gave him Tylenol right away and then took him up for his bath, thinking that would soothe him a little. The screaming continued for 45 minutes, even through the bath- and he just felt hotter and hotter. Finally, he conked out and felt a little cooler (with cool washcloths on his head), although not much when I put him in bed. The strangest part was his eyes- they were all glassed over, like he couldn't really focus on anything. It scared me... a lot. Neither Jason or I knew what to do. I didn't know whether to call the doctor, head for the ER, or just relax about it and keep an eye on him. We chose the last option (though I definitely said more than a few prayers about it). He slept soundly last night (although I think I checked on him about 5 times) and woke up this morning like nothing ever happened. No fever. One red spot on his leg where he got the shot. I'm pretty sure it was the 4th dose of the DTaP vaccine that did us in. Fingers are crossed that it'll be a quiet day for Grandma without anything like that happening again. Poor little buddy.

Pictures soon, I promise.

100 Posts! What?

Joshua wearing his "hat" (really the suction ring to his plate) during dinner. Gotta love it.

So, when I just went to sign in to add a post, I noticed that this is officially my 100th post to Joshua's blog. Goodness...I think I may have a problem.

So, the whirlwind weekend has come to an end, and I'm happy to report that none of us is any worse for the wear. Nana and Libby may not be saying that, but you'll see why in a minute.

Saturday was a great day for me. I got a chance to visit with Lindsay and celebrate her pregnancy with her at her baby shower. She was impressed with my chocolatiering work...so I was glad about that. Joshua had a very fun day playing with Grandma and didn't realize that I wasn't at work, so I somehow felt a little less guilty for having left him on a weekend day. Those are typically special days for our family that we're pretty protective of, but evidently Joshua doesn't quite have that routine solidified in his mind. If Gram's there, mommy must be at "erk". Jason suffered with some sort of bug all day Saturday and luckily recovered fairly quickly on Sunday (thank goodness).

Sunday morning, Joshua and I went to church. He was very well behaved (not always the case), and even added his own "Ahm" when the pastor said "Amen" at the end of a prayer. It got so predictable that the people around us would start to giggle BEFORE it was time to say "Amen" because they knew what was coming.

Sunday afternoon Nana and Ap (Libby) came to play with Joshua while Jason, our friend Mark and I went off to Williamsport for the Morgan Stanley dinner and show event up there. I have to say, I really enjoyed the show. It was all violins and some guitar/percussion instruments, not something I would bet on enjoying. But I'll tell you what- these were some talented musicians and I have a greater appreciation for the violin after having been to this show. Even more impressive was the guitar player----- I was in awe. I must find the recording of one of these songs to share with my dad. It was after 10:30 until we got home, which had Nana and Libby heading for home quite late. I was worried about them, but all reports are of a safe arrival at home before midnight. Libby is teaching today with what she describes as her "tail DRAGGING", but at least they're safe.

T-minus 6 wakeups until our trip to Womb with a View (go ahead and giggle- I do every single time) to find out if my little niece or nephew is a niece or a nephew on Sunday afternoon. Baby Wray--- you better show your stuff! My bets are still that Libby is cooking up a wonderful little boy, but we'll see.

Happy Monday!

Fun Friday...

I thought I'd take a quick minute while the little prince is in dreamland (though that's quickly coming to an end as I listen to him rustling around on the monitor beside me). I'm sorry that I don't have any new pictures yet today, but we've been BUSY! I'm spending a very fun day with my favorite little man today because of a wacky weekend and some trading that went on with Grandma for her help tomorrow while I'm with Lindsay (yay!) to celebrate the impending arrival of Baby P. We've been working like dogs today around the house, but it's so much fun to have Joshua's "help"...and I use the term loosely.

We ran the sweeper all through the house and dusted everything. We finished cleaning bathrooms and wiped down the mirrors and windows that had little fingerprints and noseprints (maybe tongues too) on them. We watered Daddy's new grass seed out back and brought the garbage cans in. We cleaned the kitchen, cut up a bunch of veggies for transport to Philadelphia, did three loads of laundry and put them away and changed the sheets on all of the beds. No wonder he's napping! (I think I should too!) At about 11:00, Joshua just HAD to go outside, so we took wagon ride #1 for the day. No sooner were we at the end of the driveway than he started saying "swings!" so off we went.

Now that all of the hard work is done, hopefully we'll have some fun together once Joshua's nap is over. It's clouding up outside, so maybe we'll head out before any rain starts.

This weekend is going to be a whirlwind, but Joshua's excited about getting to see his favorite people. Gram's coming back tomorrow to spend the day with him here while I'm at the shower and Jason is working with our Kiwanis club to sell crocks at the Lewisburg Arts Festival. Then Sunday evening, Nana and Aunt Libby are coming to play while Jason and I head to Williamsport for a Morgan Stanley event. It's going to be a wacky weekend, but a change of pace and some different kinds of weekend excitement should be good for Joshua.

Two word phrases continue. He said "Gram comes" (repeating something I told him we'd do once Gram got here the other day) and "Dad's grass" (this afternoon while we were watering...it actually came out "Dad's Gassssss" which I found amusing). Joshua is 18 months old today and I can hardly believe it. Happy Birthday and a half, Little Buddy! We sure do love you a whole bunch.

"Cut...Grass"

I have a few quick (and random) updates from the world of Joshua...after you stop giggling about the broom pictures I posted above, of course. The photos I posted above are the result of Joshua getting hold of Jason's broom from the garage last evening and starting to sweep. We were out in the driveway for 20 minutes while he pulled that broom up and down the driveway. People must have been thinking, "That awful woman, making that adorable child sweep the driveway!" I especially like the last picture- he just looks so intent upon figuring out how the broom works. Hope you enjoyed them.

Now, for the breaking news updates:

Joshua's vocabulary has been pretty much limited to one syllable words (or two syllable words that he only speaks one syllable of). The dreaded checklist from his 15 month checkup said that he should be speaking in two word phrases by the time he goes back for his 18 month appointment. I've been a little worried (hello, can we say "neurotic") at having to tell the fine folks at the pediatrician's office that if it can't be said in one syllable, it isn't happening at our house. Well, last night, Jason and I were having a conversation at supper about him cutting the grass tonight after work. Let me see if I can recap. Joshua's contributions will be highlighted in green.

Jason: "Tomorrow after work"

Joshua: "Erk"

Jason: "I'm going to come home and cut the grass."

Joshua: "Gass"

Jason: "Then that'll be done."

Joshua: "Done"

Then Joshua started saying "Cut...Gass". To which I yelled and clapped! Then he said it over and over all night. "Cut Gass...Cut Gass...Cut Gass" Yay Joshua!

As if all of this wasn't exciting enough, we're also making progress in the counting department. Joshua and I count everything that we can find to count- coffee scoops in the morning, toes and fingers after tub time to make sure we got them all out of the tub (he finds this very funny), you name it, we're counting it. Well, yesterday he started to pre-empt me in our coffee counting. I said "one" which he repeated, and then as I got ready to scoop number two into the coffee pot, he said "two" and then "three". When I asked him what comes next, he said "one". So that's where the excitement ends. But if you only need to count to three, Joshua's your guy. We'll keep working on it.

That's all for today. We'll see what he comes up with tonight when I get home. Big excitement this evening--- we'll be heading to the polling place to vote this evening. Something tells me he'll be quite intrigued with the computerized voting machine.

Spring has SPRUNG...

...and we're loving every single minute of it!

It was a busy weekend in Dugan-land. I keep telling everyone that I don't think we're nearly this popular and certainly not this important to be so busy right now, but that seems to be the track we're running on these days. The hectic schedule for the weekend forced me to get things organized, though, so I suppose it was a good byproduct of the whole thing.

Friday and Saturday were United Way Days of Caring, both of which had me out serving with United Way agencies around this area. I painted at SUNCOM (an agency that helps people with disabilities learn life skills and get employment in the area) on Friday afternoon. Anyone who knows me and knows my history of painting knows that this was not a match made in Heaven, but we did our best. I left the skill work up to my newfound friend, Pete. He did the edging and I filled in with the roller. That arrangement worked pretty well. The good news was that I did manage to get home in good time (before nap time ended) on Friday afternoon and get a good supper on the table that evening and finish the house cleaning (SEE...I TOLD you I was forced to get my act together!) Saturday morning, our Kiwanis club was assigned to help at the Food Bank in Lewisburg. So we all showed up and cleaned that place from top to bottom (literally).

During our food bank experience, Joshua got some special Daddy time, which I think he really enjoyed. When I walked in from the project, Joshua touched his head and said "CUT!" He had been for his second official haircut at Rene's Barber Shop. Evidently this experience involved fewer tears than the last. Jason's official report was that he whimpered once and then just sat there and looked around. Good boy Joshua! He looks super handsome...and so grown up with his big boy haircut.

Saturday afternoon we were blessed with a visit from Nana and Pap. Joshua loved playing with Pap- in fact he's still asking for him and looking out the window for his truck. Nana and Pap brought Joshua a very cute Harley outfit and a new ball to play with outside, both of which Joshua is quite impressed with. We had a nice time catching up with them. Saturday afternoon I worked on a project that shall remain detail-less in case my good buddy Lindsay is reading this little entry. She'll see the fruits of my labor on Saturday at her BABY SHOWER! (Sorry Jack, no scoop here.) Then we had a nice dinner and went for a walk in Joshua's wagon on Saturday evening. I believe it was after 9:00 until Joshua had his tub and was ready for bed, but with all of this fresh air he's getting, goodness is he ever sleeping WELL! Not a peep out of him from bedtime until between 6:30-7:00 the next morning.

Sunday we played hooky from church (I know, AGAIN!). All of the spring sprucing up that I'd been doing for everyone else had me motivated to do some inside cleaning at the house. So I worked at scrubbing woodwork and doorframes and windows yesterday morning. I always love it when that's done. And then we played with Joshua the rest of the day/evening since it was chilly and wet outside. I can't even begin to tell you how many block towers we built, or how many times we read his "Going on a Bear Hunt" book. (It's now hidden on top of the fridge because I couldn't bear to read it one more time.)

The two pictures in this post are from our playtime yesterday afternoon. The one at the top was the face I got when I went to get Joshua up from his nap. Precious... The second one was a silly face he made when he charged at me during a game we were playing around his kitchen. No shortage of personality here. Notice that our beloved "Bear" is tightly secure in Joshua's hands in both pictures.

Hope everyone's Monday is going well! See you soon!

Swings!

So yesterday officially turned into a day of simple joys that I really appreciated. After supper last night, I realized that Joshua had evidently not gotten his fill of the great outdoors yesterday. I knew this because between every bite he took of his supper, he'd turn around and point to the garage door and say "walk" or "wagon" or "out". So we suited up in our sneaks and headed for a walk. Surprisingly, he let me put him in his stroller (a rare occurrence), which allowed for a longer walk. I knew just where we should go..........THE SWINGS!

Our development has two beautiful playgrounds for the neighborhood kids. When we moved in (before Joshua was even a thought), I had no idea how much I'd appreciate it, but I sure do now. This was Joshua's maiden voyage on the swings and boy did he love it! The first picture above is his reaction the first time I pushed him on the swing. The whole time he was swinging, he kept saying "swing"...and he continued all the way home. When we got into the driveway and I asked him to tell Daddy what he did, he looked dumbfounded, as if he had totally forgotten. Silly boy.

Not long after we arrived, another family came to the playground with their 23 month old, Sophia. In true Joshua fashion, he was reserved and observant. He didn't take his eyes off of her! She jumped on the swings like a champ and was saying "Whee!" and "Higher"...while Joshua just watched in amazement.

Now, here's the moment of Mommy intropsection for my fellow Mommies out there. Why is it that we constantly compare our kids when they're around others, particularly new children that we've never met before? As soon as Joshua and Sophia started interacting a bit, I could tell that I was starting to assess her skills, put them on a little timeline and beginning to stress about how much Joshua has to accomplish by the time he's 23 months old! And, interestingly, I could see the same comparison happening with Sophia's parents. They were asking questions about what Joshua can do and say and then making mental notes about when Sophia did those same things. On the walk home, I had to really think about how STUPID it is to do that to ourselves and our kids. That they're all fine and will develop into perfectly functional human beings in their own time. I had to have a serious pep talk with myself about the fact that Joshua will not go to kindergarten speaking only in one syallable words and that he'll probably be able to put two words together at some point, even if it's not right at 18 months like the doctors want to see. In the end, I reconciled the whole thing to myself by getting excited about how much we have to witness and enjoy with Joshua as the next few months go on. Sophia was so full of personality that she communicated so well. And I really look forward to Joshua being able to speak in phrases that give us a better idea how he feels about things.

I think it's only natural for us all as parents to wonder if we're doing a good job or really screwing things up for our kids, so my bet is that all of our comparing and questions come from some need to validate our choices and philosophies and tactics on child raising. But I'm hoping that I can keep myself from feeling that way in the future and just believe enough in the decisions that Jason and I have made for Joshua without having to compare notes about the development or behavior of these precious little people.

And then I look at those precious pictures of a little boy who is having the time of his life experiencing the swings in the fresh springtime air, and I realize how unimportant it all is. As long as he's healthy and happy and safe, we must be doing something right.

Mommy Time!

Yesterday seemed to come and go awfully quickly, so I apologize for not getting around to an update. It was one of those ordinary, wonderful days with Joshua and I enjoyed it so much.

Grandma had a doctor's appointment in the morning, which meant that I got some extra special time with my favorite little buddy. I had been looking forward to it so much. It's amazing how, when you're used to working and missing out on those every day silly little moments, you appreciate the opportunity to be there with him to eat his orange and drink the juice or see his reaction when "Hot Dog" comes on TV. We had a great morning. We colored (a lot), we built about 50 towers out of blocks. Joshua is now smart enough to say "base" when he gets the blocks out because he knows that's our job to help him get started.

Mid-morning, we went on a sneaker adventure. Joshua's first pair of sneakers are now officially too small. In a moment of Mommy honesty, I must tell you that they've been snug for a week or two now, and I've been squeezing every last second out of them since he only wore them since November! They're not even scuffed! There's one store in the general area where they still know how to fit kids' shoes, and carry the appropriate widths and the kinds of shoes that are good for their feet. So off we went to Leeser's. I had figured that a Tuesday morning, right after they opened would be a good time to avoid crowds. Evidently about 10 other people had the same idea. The place was a zoo! In our time there, I also observed that there is nothing for a child (or at least one like Joshua) to do in a shoe store apart from get into mischief. He was pulling all of the shoes off of the shelves and trying to put them on- even ones meant for girls and grown men. He kissed every mirror in the place by hunkering down and getting REALLY close to it, then giggling and saying "kiss" and kissing the mirror. It was comical, but I didn't let on. Instead, I was attempting to find things for him to do that would be entertaining, but not disruptive to everyone else. He made friends with a little 11 month old who was with his grandparents getting his very first pair of shoes and another little girl who was obviously in love with a pair of hot pink sneakers that her mother did not approve of. When it was finally our turn, Joshua tried on just about every pair of shoes they had- only two pair fit him right. One was a rather simple pair of navy blue sneakers that would have been neutral enough to match just about anything in his closet. The other was a very cute pair of Stride Rites that were charcoal gray, white and bright green. You can already guess which ones Joshua LOVED...."geen"..."GEEEEEEEEEEN" was how it went. And so we brought home his "geen" sneaks, to the tune of $53.99! Seriously. We're up to a 7.5 wide---- a boat for a child of his age. The shoe man stands by his prediction of size 13 or greater by the time he's done growing.

The pictures above are from lunch time. Joshua enjoyed a gourmet grilled cheese courtesy of Mama before I headed in to the office. I don't know what his fascination is with hands these days, but in both of the pictures, he was waving his hands around in front of his face in total amazement. He just kept saying "hands" and then giggling. I don't get it...but it was awfully adorable.

I loved my morning at home with Joshua--- can't wait for another one. This really is the good stuff!

Grass!

What a great weekend we had! With Spring springing around central PA, it did a world of good for me. We had the windows opened at the house on Saturday, even. You know, there's just something about the smell of fresh air in your house to get rid of the stuffy smell of winter. It lifted my spirits tremendously.

Mommy had some "erk" to do on Saturday morning, so Joshua greatly enjoyed some special Daddy time while I drove to Eagles Mere. (This is a different post topic altogether, but someday, when we have money, I'd love to have a weekend home there like the one I went to look at for a client. But that'll be an "in my dreams" thing for now...and probably for a long time from now.) According to Daddy's report, they played outside most of the morning- took a walk, picked up grassy things that have been blowing around in the lawn for weeks, blew bubbles and tried drawing with some chalk. Joshua LOVES being outside, so I guess we know how we'll be spending the spring/summer...which I love! He's been cooped up for far too long. However, this love affair with outside and "gass" (Joshua language for "grass") led to a very frustrated little boy when it was too cold on Sunday to go out and play for the whole day. It's tough to reason with a 17 month old. (Understatement of the century.)

Saturday afternoon we got a really special treat. Darla and Jeremy were in babysitter trouble, so we got called for help! Sydney came over to spend the afternoon (and, as it turned out, the evening too) with us. Joshua had so much fun having a friend to play with, although I'm not sure Sydney was as excited about the program. Joshua was so sweet with her- trying to give her toys to play with that he thought she'd like, trying to read books to her. It was quite a change from a few months ago when he was a little on the aggressive side with her (stealing her bink, for example). He kept saying "hand" and trying to hold her hand, which she wanted NO part of. She'd swat his hand away like "Back off buddy!" Jason had a nice talk with him about rejection from girls and how he just needs to get used to it as a part of life. HA! We ended up getting to have dinner with Sydney and her mommy and daddy too, which was an extra special treat for us since we hardly ever do that anymore. It's so much fun to have the kids together. We're already talking about a trip to Knoebels this summer, which we better put on the calendar like....now if we're going to do it.

Sunday ended up being a quiet day, but an awesome one. President Clinton was speaking in Lewisburg yesterday morning which scared me away from braving the parking nightmare that church would have turned into. Bad Megan, I know. But, in good news, I did get the laundry caught up (finally) from our unexpected trip to Lewistown last weekend. So that was a plus. Joshua and I got some outside time (after bundling up) after his nap and had a great time chasing each other around the back yard. He also chased a leaf up and down our street for a good 15 minutes. During his walk, he'd stop dead in his tracks, point to the sky and yell "BIRD" when he'd see one. He was picking up stones and mulch and sticks and examining it like a detective. You could almost see him thinking. It never ceases to amaze me how mesmerized Joshua is with exploring the world around him. I've always read that one of the greatest blessings of parenthood is getting to see the world as "new" again through your child's eyes, and I'm really trying to let myself enjoy that. So, Joshua, we'll go and play in the "gass" as much as you want to, little buddy. There are a few pictures below. In the first one, Joshua is holding his newest treasure, Mickey Mouse. He's in love with the "Hot Dog" song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so when he saw Mickey in Walmart, he HAD to have him. He hasn't left his sight since Mickey came home to live with us.

Happy Monday everyone! Talk to you soon.

Singing...

A few funny faces for this morning! (See, I told you the posts would lighten up a bit!) These pictures were taken on Wednesday at lunch time once we had returned from Lewistown and Joshua was up to his normal silliness. When I look at the bottom one, all I can think is "Who me?"

I have to tell you about our singing progress. Now, there's little chance that a child who is 1/2 Richard (most of whom love to sing) and the other 1/2 Dugan (with tons of instrumental ability) wouldn't have some interest in music, but Joshua seems to be having fun with anything musical at this point. I suppose that's probably pretty normal for a 17 month old anyway. For the past few weeks, we've been singing some songs and Joshua fills in the words at the ends of the sentences. He loves "Twinkle Twinkle", "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and our all-time favorite, "Yankee Doodle" (that's the one that we sing when we're shampooing his hair-keeps him occupied!). Last night I started singing "Little Bunny Foo Foo" which he absolutely cracked up about. He didn't do much singing because he was giggling too much. Then I tried "You are my Sunshine" which I always sang to him when he was a little colicky baby, and it usually did the trick. Well, by the second time through, he remembered all the words at the ends of the lines and was plugging them in like a champ. So we moved on to "Jesus Loves Me" and he got that one too. Finally, which we were getting into his jammies, we started singing the ABC's and he officially knew G, K, P, S, V, X and Z. He could also say "C's" at the part about "now I've sung my A B C's". It was very cute. First thing this morning, a few of those letters had left his memory, but they were back by the time we tried it a time or two.

Another interesting thing is beginning too. I'm not getting too worked up about it, but I am prepared to jump on the opportunity if it presents itself at the right time. We're now getting commentary about the bathroom actions just before they happen. I know it's super early for a little boy, especially, to be ready to start getting acquainted with the potty, but I'm going to follow his cues here and see what happens. Now, I'm not getting excited because we get about .3 seconds notice on the "poop" or "pee" announcement, but as that starts to increase, we might be able to try the potty and see what happens. I've always joked that potty training him was going to be big trouble because of his intense personality, but we'll see. No pressure Josh, but Mama is going to be ready!

Happy weekend to everyone! See you soon!

The good times...

Libby and Baby Wray playing with Joshua! LOVE that bump Lib!

I apologize for being missing for the past several days. Our already busy weekend took a turn into the whirlwind speed category. Things are just beginning to settle a bit. Here's how the last few days have gone.

Friday was a preparation day for the Key Club trainer at Camp Victory. I spent the day getting food and getting the house cleaned for the weekend. Libby came to meet Jason and spend the evening with Joshua while we went to Camp Victory to meet the 40+ Key Club folk from across the state who were converging there. Libby was a trooper- running out of school, jumping in the car and then having to be on her game the rest of the evening while Hurricane Joshua went to work. She fed him a great supper, got him tubbed and right to dream land until we got back around 10:30.

Saturday morning we were off and running early. Mom had just arrived to help Libby and give her a little bit of backup. 24 straight hours with our little ball of energy is a lot to take- and with Libby 17 weeks pregnant with my little niece or nephew, we wanted her to have all the rest she needed. Not long after we had arrived at Camp, we got the call that my Gram had passed away, so Mom took off for home and Libby stayed at the house with Joshua.

Gram had been suffering with the end stages of dementia for the past several weeks, and we all knew that her time on this earth was coming to an end, but no one (including the hospice care workers that had been organized for help on Friday afternoon) thought that it would happen so soon. Even though we knew that it was coming, it certainly didn't make it any easier to lose someone who had played such a huge part in my life. She had been in the nursing home since the day following our wedding (April 9th, 2005), but had even had memory trouble before then. I'll never forget the day that we stood in her kitchen cooking a holiday meal and she couldn't remember where things were in her own kitchen. We lost Gram slowly over the past several years, but the finality of it all hit me like a ton of bricks (and continues to). The minister at her services said it best that no one wants Gram back to live in the same condition she was, but we were all uplifted by sharing the happy memories that we had of her. I said to my mom and Libby that I'm pretty sure that Gram is now in Heaven baking lemon meringue pies for everyone there. I'd bet my right arm that they were all THRILLED to see her! And I'm so happy that she's in a place where she can remember again.

Libby, Joshua and I headed for home on Sunday morning. Libby was such a trooper watching (probably in disbelief) as I worked to get everything loaded up for our few days at home. Jason was a trooper and took care of our responsibilities with the Key Club group that was still assembled at Camp Victory and then headed for Lewistown on Monday afternoon. The services for Gram were on Tuesday, and it meant so much to be there with my Mom and my Pap and all of our family from Massachusetts who had arrived. Of course, we all wish that we hadn't gathered for such an occasion, but I think we made the best of our time together. The pictures are of Tuesday afternoon and evening that we all spent at Mom and Dad's house following the services. Joshua had a chance to meet his cousins Kyle (9) and Brodie (9 months) and had a great time. We took them on a wagon ride where Joshua insisted on wearing Pap's hunting hat. The neighbors got quite a chuckle out of that as we passed. And we had some great play time with the boys. It was wonderful to have them together. And, sadly, it'll probably be quite a while until we're all together again, so we enjoyed every minute that we had together. Jason tended bar with my older cousins and did a spectacular job entertaining in Club Bob.

We headed home yesterday and did some resting and recuperating at home. Joshua has been missing everyone a lot and keeps asking for "Ap" and "Ig", "Nan" and "Pap". He really enjoyed the time that we had with everyone and that meant the world to me.

And, last but not least, it was wonderful to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary with Jason. We had a very fancy dinner in honor of our anniversary---- chicken fingers. Yep, you read that right! Neither of us had any energy yesterday to make a big fuss, but that doesn't mean we didn't both do some reminiscing about our wedding day. It was one of the happiest days of my life, Jason...and I wouldn't change a thing about our life together. Jason's support during our period of grieving for Gram meant the world to me. He occupied Joshua so that we had some uninterrupted time at the services. It was the best support he could have been to me and I'm more thankful than I can say. I'm blessed.

Let's hope for some happier, lighter posts in the coming days. This is two heavy ones in a row for me...I'll work on breaking the streak, I promise. Hopefully some of the silly pictures below help. I'm a big fan of the one in Pap's hunting hat...

Perspective...

I started this post a little while ago, and then got sidetracked and didn't finish what I had been writing. It was a pretty mundane post- as things haven't changed drastically for us in the past few days since I last updated about Joshua's adventures. I had uploaded these two photos from my camera because I just couldn't pick which one I liked better to share with you. So, I figured two is better than one.

I spent a few minutes while I ate my lunch catching up on the normal things that I do during lunch. I checked out a few fellow bloggers' sites and read about Sydney's mail opening and Halle's big girl potty activities and Aunt Libby and Uncle Zig's preparations for Joshua's cousin's new room. And then I checked out the website of a little boy who I've been following for the past year or so as he battles leukemia. I read his website daily (www.ethanpowell.com). His parents post daily, and sometimes multiple times every day, requesting prayers for Ethan as he fights for his life. His parents are an unbelievable example of faith to me, and I've been inspired at how they've remained focused on God's will for their precious little boy. And I often find myself in awe of the blessing that God has given to Jason and I in this beautiful, rambunctious, lively little boy who messes up our living room and giggles a lot and brightens every moment of our lives.

Ethan is not doing well and can use your prayers for sure today. He's strugging in ICU right now, fighting pneumonia without much of an immune system. Yet, his mom asked for prayer for the other kids at St. Jude's in addition to prayer for Ethan. On his site today was a link to another little girl's website who has lost her battle with cancer. Her mom posted the following and it hit me like a ton of bricks today about the value of time. And so my post about the little, insignificant seemingly too-small-to-write-about happenings in our world turned into one of the heavier ones I've written in recent months. We have so much to be thankful for, so I'm thankful for the reminder I got this afternoon to just sit back and be thankful for Joshua, for Jason and for everything else that's going well in our lives.

Enjoy.

"To my child...Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face, and laugh when I feel like crying. Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is. Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play. Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together. Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles. Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned. Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them. Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you. Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry. Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars. Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and not worry about what else I should be doing. Just for this evening when I run my fingers through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given. I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children; the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms; and the mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore. And when I kiss you goodnight I will hold you a little tighter, and a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more day..."

-Sally Meyer copyright 1999

Joshua Goes to the Dentist

Sometimes I feel like our post titles are story book titles...and today fits that pretty well.

This morning, Joshua got to go to the dentist for the first time...oh goodie. Lots of preparation went into this from our perspective. All last evening, I would ask Joshua where he was going to go tomorrow. He usually replied "church"...not quite. Then came "erk"...nope, not work. With a little coaxing, he finally knew that he was going to the dentist and he was saying it pretty clearly. I talked to him about how it wasn't scary, and that the dentist was going to look at his teeth and tell him how handsome they were. He'd smile and say "teeth"...so I knew we were getting somewhere. Then I explained to him that he'd have to open his mouth really wide so that the dentist could see his teeth. He practiced like a champ. I was very proud of the progress we'd made.

And then we got there. We sat in the room and watched Daddy get his teeth cleaned. (Honestly, I think this was the real purpose for bringing him to the dentist this young, to introduce him to the idea of what happens when you go there so it's not so scary.) He played with the toothbrush and let it tickle his finger. He experimented with the water squirter and the straw to suck it up. It was all great fun. When it was Joshua's turn for the doctor to look at his teeth, he gave one quick "aah" and opened his mouth for a split second, and then that was it. "Show's over folks. I've done my part. If you missed it, too bad." And there ended our trip to the dentist with a brand new Tigger toothbrush as a prize.

We then made a quick stop to Karen's office since we were right across the street. He had no idea what to make of her pregnant belly and just kind of made a face like "Hey, do you SEE your tummy?" I have no idea what happened, but after a few seconds, Joshua started to cry. Very unusual- usually he goes right to her. I had to make sure Karen knew that he hadn't made so much as a whimper at the dentist, but for HER he turned on the waterworks. Eventually he warmed up to her and ended up giving her a hug and kiss on our way out of the office. So all is well there.

Hope you all are having a great day! More to come, I'm sure.