Movie Watching

Tonight Jonathon, Kenny and I sat down to watch Kung Fu Panda 1 before bed.  And let me tell you Jonathon loves this movie.  He was laughing so hard that I had to laugh too.  I really did not think it was  "that" funny, but Jonathon loves Panda getting beat up I guess.

I have waited so long to hear my son laugh at the funny parts and know that he "gets it"  What an amazing feeling to have as a parent!  I am so happy for him.  I am so proud of him!

Next time I will try to video better and get picture too.  Today I hid the phone so he wouldn't stop.

Hope you enjoy,  I sure did.

Swimming cancelled

because someone used the pool as a toilet......I know TMI, but it is what it is......

So we came home and raked leaves into a big pile.  It was beautiful outside for October.  Around 80 degrees.  Ok, maybe little much. Jonathon was sweating so bad that we eventually gave up and came in. But he did enjoy himself.

I can remember a little boy who wouldn't go near the leaves let alone touch them and PLAY in them.  Now I have a brave big boy who love loves the leaves!!! Hooray!!!!

I am really liking fall this year!

Imagination

Imagination........is wonderful!

Pillow Pet

Ummmm..........I think he likes it!

It is times like these that I wish I had a better camera or a video camera for that matter!  Even though they are blurry, it was a great 10 minutes!

Oh and those are his headphones he used to wear in the public restrooms to keep the noise level down - he just decided to put them on and haul out his pillow pet!!!

Looking Back

I started off this morning telling myself, ok it is a new year and I needed to get started on being organized.  I seen/heard a few weeks ago that you should just copy all your financial items onto a hard drive or usb drive instead of using a file cabinet.  Sounds good, if you have the time.  Not sure which way I am going to use, but that's how I already got side tracked this morning.  I plugged in my USB to see what was on there.  Pictures of course.

I cannot believe how much Jonathon has changed since last year.  He is really a big boy now.  I found some pictures from last year.  I can still see the baby face and baby fat.  Then I flip to pictures from this year and all the baby is gone. Especially since I cut his hair.  Reality is hitting that my baby is really growing up.

I am so proud of him.  And lately he is coming out of his shell.  He is imitating EVERYTHING!  He imitated almost everything/everyone at church yesterday morning.  It's so cute, but there were times that I had to keep saying SHHHHHH!!!!  

He learned some new words over the holiday break.  Like "OH CRAP"  OOPS!  I warned the teacher this morning.  We really need to watch what we say from now on.

Anyway, here is some photos!

I see chubby little arms and chubby cheekers

 

loving his bells

 

not seeing those chubby cheeks anymore

 

I see a big change here!

really starting to show his personality!

 

 

I love my little boy to death!  I couldn't have asked for a better gift from God!

Updates

Jonathon has been recovering well after his ear tube/adenoidectomy surgery.  He is eating and drinking everything back to normal.


He is not wobbling like before when he walks ~ he is walking quite well I must say.  He is going up and down his stairs alot quicker too. ~ We go stepping on a daily basis ~ I guess this is good excercise for mommy!


He is beginning to talk clearer too ~ I know some may say this is really quick, are you sure, but yes I am sure.  We have added some words to his vocabulary already!


papa
Manny ~ Handy Manny
Minnie ~ Mickey and Minnie Mouse
Enny ~ Kenny ~ Kenny used to be nyny(nee nee)
Hello


Took a bath last night and I always blow dry Jonathon's hair in the winter to make sure he doesn't get a chill. ~ Jonathon does not like the blow dryer ~ last night he sat there and let me blow dry his hair without complaining!


Looking forward to going out in public ~ Curious to see how he is going to react in a public bathroom ~ Will the noise still bother him????  We will see, because tomorrow we have an eye appt.


My potty trainer is coming up on 1 year in Feb.  He may not tell me that he needs to use the rest room ~ but as long as I take him he has not had any accidents.  Yes he had the occasional dampness months back. ~ I have never had a poop accident! "AMAZING"


Today is Jonathon's 9th day wearing underwear! He wears a pull up when he takes a nap and when he goes to bed for the night.  Before surgery he was waking up dry from his nap and in the morning. ~ I have been pushing the fluids since surgery and he is back to waking up little wet from nap and whole lot wet in the morning. ~ last night I went back to cutting out drinks after dinner. ~ he gets a quick drink of water right before bed. ~ this morning he was just damp ~ not soaked ~ Otherwise he has underwear on all day and he has done an excellent job ~ I have not had one problem with him ~ now once in a great while he will go over to stand by bathroom door ~ this is his way of telling me he has to pee ~ he has a favorite book he reads in the bathroom when he has to go poop ~ Chuck and friends ~ Saturday night he brought me the book so I hurried up and asked him if he needed to poop and he went right to the bathroom door ~ we went in ~ put him up on the toilet ~ right away he pooped ~ we are almost there!  And I am one proud mommy of my angel Jonathon!!!!!


And today Jonathon goes back to school at 11:15a.m.

Jonathon and Food

Over the past 2 months Jonathon has really started eating alot better.  He is finally understanding that all those teeth in his mouth do serve a purpose ~ eat better food ~  I really thought he was going to eat baby food forever ~ I am so happy that we have not bought 1 single jar of baby food since July.


We moved onto more soft foods when we quit baby food.  I bought him things like mac n cheese, hamburger helper cheeseburger macaroni, spaghettios, spaghetti in a can.  I tried the gerber graduate food and he really disliked it.  I slowly introduced other foods while I still let him eat his soft mac n cheese etc.


He really started picking up more food toward the end of August.  


This is some of Jonathons menu that we keep on hand.


Breakfast - Lucky Charms, Waffles, Pancakes, and Oatmeal(only Maple Sugar)


Lunch - Grill Cheese, mac n cheese, gerber graduates ravioli(he will eat now), lunchables(ham,cheese, crackers), microwaveable entrees(lasagana, chicken with carrots, peas, noodles, t.v. dinners(fish sticks, chic nuggets, turkey with stuffing), have slowly introduced peanut butter/jelly sandwiches, hamburger helper cheeseburger mac, ziti paramesan


Dinner - pretty much anything that we are having except venison(he still needs help chewing that one), but he loves anything italian ~ spaghetti with garlic bread, goulash with garlic toast, lasagna, chicken with mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, peas, fish sticks, chicken caserole, perogies and kielbasa and tacos.


Yogurt, applesauce are his favorites
Loves goldfish crackers and can eat these all by himself now, same with graham crackers, he actually sat and ate homemade chex mix with daddy the other day, ice cream ~ loves ice cream, cheez curls.


I am probably missing some, but just to sit and write this much down shows me just how well he "is" actually doing.  Wow!  Thought it would never happen.


And he loves juice now, will suck down the whole cup right away, which he would never do before.  I sit and laugh ~ you have to sometimes just to keep going and to realize that yes you do make a difference in your childs life.


I am thinking by Christmas he will be eating all on his own. (new goal we have set for ourselves). :)


I can still remember getting up/staying up all night long and bottle feeding my baby EVERY 3 hours to put weight on him to get ready for heart surgery and so they would NOT put a feeding tube in.  And to think I thought that was rough.


It is my long term goal to keep the weight on Jonathon and so far ~ I am doing just that!  Of course it helps when your child actually cooperates.


Day 5 of 31 for 21

I Won

I was nominated for an award!  My previous social worker and my current social worker nominated me!  I was/am honored!  They needed "my" permission!  Who wouldn't want to be nominated?


I won the "HOPE" Award!  I am not positive what the 2 social workers wrote about me.  I am not positive who voted.  All I know is that I won and the Empowerment Awards Ceremony is Friday October 9th from 2-4p.m.


This award is all about being a mom to Jonathon.  I won because of the type of mom I am ~ I guess.  Like I said, I don't know alot.


They want a picture of Jonathon and I.  Good luck, I "HATE" getting my picture taken.  I have been trying to go through pictures to try and find a good one.  I even sat down and had Kenny "try" to take a current picture of Jonathon and I.  Lets just say that didn't work too well.


I am very honored that I won this award.  I am excited and nervous about the awards ceremony.  I am not a person that draws attention to herself.  I do not like talking in front of a huge crowd.  I hated speeches in highschool.  I hope I keep my anxiety under control that day.


I am allowed to invite guests.  I am taking Jonathon(of course), Gilbert(hubby), Carol-Ann(my sister), Nik(Rylee's mom), and hopefully Barb(my godmother).  Andrew and Kenny(2 other sons) will not be able to go.  They will be in school during that time.  I wish they could be there too.  But the rules have changed for highschool(Andrew) and you just cannot miss anytime.


When I know more, I will post more.


Day 2 of 31 for 21 

Wordless Wednesday

My Big Boy

I have been noticing for the past week that Jonathon has remained dry(diaper)for longer periods and at first I thought maybe he was becoming dehydrated. He had an ear infection and a low temp for a couple of days so I started pushing fluids on him to make sure he wasn't dehydrated. Found out that he was not dehydrated, but still was staying dry. Got to thinking about his big brothers and I remember they were potty trained before they were 2yrs. old. "Could Jonathon be ready as well?" Last Monday I stuck him on the big potty just to see. Amazingly he pee'd.But he was scared to death to sit on the big potty. So ok, I knew I saved the big brothers potty and told myself I need to get it out of the attic. I also wanted to pick up some pull ups. Didn't get any pull ups yet, money is tight and I needed diapers more(I thought).

Saturday I got the potty chair out of the attic and got it all cleaned up.

Sunday morning after snack, I went in to change Jonathon and noticed that he was getting ready to poop so I hurried up and took him into the bathroom and placed him on his potty chair to see what he would do. In a matter of minutes he pee'd AND pooped!!!!! I was and still am sooooo excited!!!! My baby is becoming a big boy! Now Sunday went great, every time I took him into the bathroom and placed him on his potty he went. He even pooped again for me. He only had one slight accident when I couldn't get the diaper off fast enough. Learning the hard way that potty training with a diaper is a pain in the butt. But we will deal until we get out this week to get some pull ups and Big Boy Underwear.

I made sure that when I first heard him this morning that I immediately got out of bed and took him into bathroom explaining that we need to use the potty. I really wasn't sure how this would work, but once again my little boy is so amazing, he went pee and poop!!!! And his diaper was only a little wet, not soaked like it normally is. And I know this is because he doesn't cry, and he is quiet in the morning. Eventually he will throw stuffed animals at us or shake the crib or yell up, but we can't wait for that anymore, because by that time he has already peed and usually pooped. That is why 1. glad I am a light sleeper 2. Why I jumped up right away. 3. Totally Awesome!!!

Today has been going great so far. He is still in the same diaper that I put on him at 6:10a.m. He has used the potty 4x and has went each time. The diaper is getting stretched and is really a pain. I cannot wait to get some pull ups tomorrow for him. I think it will be much much easier.

We will be staying homebound as much as possible until we get better at this. My concern is all the germs because he is not walking and doesn't stand for long periods at a time yet and sits on the potty. Some places you have those papers you can place on the toilet, but alot of places do not have them. So I know we are safe to travel to Krogers because they have them. Right now we use the potty every hour.

AND I know we have a long way to go. Jonathon will not ask me to use potty. I am trying to teach him the sign for potty. I tell him every hour " Lets go potty" And I walk him to the bathroom, I will not carry him. And when we are done we walk out of the bathroom back to where he was playing. So lots to learn, but I firmly believe if he was not ready, he would not go when I place him on the potty chair, and he would yell and throw a fit.

I am one very proud mommy!!!!!!!

And as if this was not enough for one day. Last night after dinner I was standing in the kitchen putting dinner items away as I watched my "BABY" stand up next to the couch and put his leg up on cushion and neat as you please GOT ON MY COUCH. Now the first time he was half way up and Andrew grabbed him. I had to tell Andrew "No let him get up there" So I was happy to see him do it again. He was up with his leg, pulled himself up on belly, grabbed the remote and slid down. Now I must be quick to return if I leave the room. Wouldn't want a catastrophe!!!!!

AMAZING!!!!!