2nd Year in Pictures

13 Months: Isaac was still learning how to eat table food and was a very messy eater!

14 Months: I'm not sure what happened, but I don't have any pictures from this month!

15 Months: Isaac has all of the souvenirs I brought back for him from the NY trip.

16 Months: Isaac took his first plane ride. We were traveling to see my dad's side of the family in Pennsylvania and New York.

17 Months: By this point, Isaac became very interested in cars/trucks/trains and started to enjoy the full benefit of some of the riding toys he'd gotten for his first birthday.

18 Months: We spent a Saturday in St. Simons Island, GA. Isaac LOVES the beach!

19 Months: Isaac really got into his "Smart Bounce & Spin Pony" around this time. It's an interactive learning tool, used in conjunction with the T.V. He got much practice with his ABCs, 123s, animals/sounds, etc.

20 Months: This was taken on Isaac's last day of being known as a "pk."

21 Months: This is the month that Isaac had tubes placed in his ears and his adenoids removed. This has been, by far, one of the best parenting decisions we've made!

22 Months: This is Isaac in his Christmas outfit. He humored me by wearing it for a couple hours. ;)

23 Months: Isaac loves his Mommy. I smile everytime I see this picture. :)

It was taken at El Sombrero, when we celebrated Uncle Ashley and Daniel's birthdays. By this point, I was more comfortable taking Isaac to a restaurant, because he was better at handling the experience.

24 Months: This picture was taken today, at Isaac's birthday party. When asked how old he is, Isaac says, "Two years old!"

More pictures of the birthday party will follow soon.

2nd Birthday

Isaac turned two on Wednesday, February 24th. Last year was great as we got to see him eat cake for the first time, but this year was even better. This time, he understood the concept of having a birthday party, spending time with family/friends, and opening presents. I worked hard to make sure he had a special birthday, and I think he enjoyed it.

Last year, Isaac was very, very sick on his birthday. That was the time he had a bad ear infection that got even worse when the doctor didn't notice it at his sick appointment. Instead of prescribing an antibiotic, the doctor thought it was a virus and wanted us to wait it out. So, I was home with him on his birthday last year. Unfortunately, it wasn't a fun time as his fever soared to nearly 104 degrees. Both sets of grandparents dropped by to see him, but it was an abbreviated visit for obvious reasons. Thankfully, he was better just in time for his birthday party. That year, it was just a small family party with cake and ice cream. Isaac LOVED his cake, but he did not want anything to do with ice cream.

This year was much different. Isaac was well, but I was sick. So I was home again on his birthday, battling strep throat. I let Isaac go to preschool that day because I knew they would do something special for him on his special day. I sent cupcakes for his class to eat, and the pictures they took during snack time were priceless!

I also let Isaac go to preschool so I could get ready for his birthday dinner. Both sets of grandparents, maternal great grandmother, Aunt Colie, and Aunt Pam came over for dinner that night. I would've loved nothing more than to rest all day while I was sick--and I did rest some--but I also spent a good bit of time getting the house in order and preparing all of Isaac's favorite foods.

Isaac was so cute when it came time to eat. I carried him on my hip while I fixed his plate so he could tell me what he wanted to eat. His eyes lit up, and he said, "I like mac--oni and cheese!" Then we moved on to dip some more food on his plate, and he said, "I like rice!" And then, "Ooh, chicken!" When we were getting ready to sit down at the table, his eyes were so wide as he said, "Collard greens and cauliflower and BROCCOLI!" I brought out the corn casserole last, and he was excited about that too. Seeing his reaction made it all worthwhile.

Isaac enjoyed cake and ice cream this year, and he couldn't open his presents fast enough. If he had trouble with the wrapping, he would say, "I can't open it!" When prompted, he knew to tell everyone thank you for his gifts.

We saved the best for last though. After he'd opened everything else, I said, "Isaac, you have one more present. It's in your room. Do you want to go see it?" Of course, he did. When he opened the door to his room, a new Thomas toddler bed was waiting for him. I'd bought the bed a few weeks ago and started prepping him for the idea of sleeping in a "big boy bed" about a week before his birthday. We went to the store so he could help me pick out his "big boy sheets," "big boy comforter," and "big boy pillow." He gravitated toward the Thomas products, so I knew I'd done a good job of picking out his bed. When he saw the bed, he knew what it was for. He climbed in the bed and said, "Go to sleep."

But...he did not go to sleep very easily that night. He liked the idea of sleeping in a Thomas bed, but he didn't like the idea of actually staying in the bed and going to sleep. We reassured him that he was safe, and you could just see the tension leave him. We tried a bunch of different tactics to get him to stay in the bed, but nothing worked. Finally, my brilliant husband Wes came up with the idea of putting his pack and play next to his bed. The other side of the bed was against the wall, so he thought that might make him feel enclosed and more secure. It worked! A short time later, he was asleep and so was I.

The first night of sleeping in a toddler bed was rough. It took about an hour and a half for him to fall asleep. The second night was better. That time it only took 30 minutes. The third night was wonderful. Within five minutes, he was out like a light. So sleeping in the bed at night is going well. Now we just have to work on naptime.

Today was Isaac's birthday party. This year, he's in preschool, so we invited the kids in his class. We're also in a new church that has many families with young children, so we invited the kids in his Sunday School class too. Family was invited, along with other friends we have who have small children.

I'd been planning the party for months - buying things along and along, and trying to think of things for the kids to do once they got there. Everything in the world seemed to happen this week, so much of the prep work (filling treat bags, making posters, etc.) was done last night. Aunt Pam and I went to the WW Mann Center last night to decorate and get as much ready as we could. I got there about 7, and we didn't leave until 10. I'd forgotten some things at the store, so I had to go back to Wal-Mart before going home.

I thought I'd be stressed out if I waited to make the cake and cupcakes today, so I made the cake batter and baked it last night. It turned out to be a thorough waste of time though. Around 1 A.M., I discovered that some of the cake had stuck to the pan, making it impossible to decorate! So I was up this morning around 7:30 and working nonstop until 1:00 this afternoon to get everything done.

It all came together though. I left around 1:30 to run a couple errands and then drove on to the WW Mann Center to take care of the finishing touches. The party was from 3-5, and it turned out well. Isaac and his friends had fun in the bouncehouse, coloring pictures, playing with balls, getting their faces painted, and playing the Web Walk game. We're all exhausted now, but it was definitely worth the effort.

So my "little baby" isn't really a baby anymore. Now he's two...a toddler...a little boy. It's hard to believe that it's been two years since I had him. Time flies.

Happy New Year!

Well to say it's been a while would be an understatement, since I haven't posted anything in nearly two months. With Isaac's ear tubes surgery and the holidays, writing had fallen by the wayside. Then a friend reminded me of my joy in writing, so here I am resurrecting the blog again.



So much has happened in the last two months. Isaac had tubes put in his ears and the adenoid tissue removed the day before Thanksgiving. He did very well with the procedure, and he was back to his normal playful self within a few hours of the surgery. The ENT put Isaac on another antibiotic and ear drops for a couple weeks after the operation to clear up the rest of the infection. Since then, he's been doing fine. No more sickness, thank the Lord!

Wes's last Sunday to preach at Eldora was November 1st. Since that time, we've been visiting different churches around the Statesboro area. The only church we've been to more than once is Fletcher. We've actually gone there four times now, and we've really enjoyed it. We're not in any rush to join a new church though. We definitely want to take our time and make sure that's where God is leading us.

The state has given us more furlough days, so I don't have to go back to work until Thursday. Although the pay reduction is not wonderful, it has been really nice to have so much time at home. We were on the go all last week because of Christmas. We visited Aunt Angi, Uncle Mark, and Lacy for a few days. Then we had all of our usual Christmas gatherings to attend. This week, however, has been very slow-paced and relaxing. We've gotten back into a routine and had more time for family time. This has definitely been my best Christmas break yet.

Ear Troubles & Potty Training

Last week was very tiring. Isaac has been battling ear infections for two months now, and last week was the worst it's been. I picked him up from preschool early on Monday to take him to the ENT, and he did not go back the rest of the week. He had yet another ear infection (this one, the fifth), and he ran a fever through Friday.

Finally, Dr. Feldman sent me to the hospital so he could get an antibiotic shot. Let me tell you, that was not fun. The first time, I nearly cried myself. Isaac had to get two more shots after that, one on Friday and the other on Saturday. By the third time, he knew exactly what was going to happen and he didn't like it. The nurses gave him some stickers, and we took him to get some ice cream for being such a "big boy."

We've also made the decision to have tubes put in his ears, next week. I'm hoping beyond hope that this will take care of the ear infections. I'm ready for him to be well, and for me to not have to miss so much work!

Potty training is going much better now. Isaac is using the potty at least four times a day now, sometimes five or six. Most of the time, he tells us that he has to go too. The potty chart with the stickers has been a great motivator. I'm really proud of him.

Potty Training

I started potty training with Isaac a couple weeks ago. So far, it's hit and miss. Sometimes he tells me he has to go, but most of the time he doesn't. I started getting a little more serious about it this week. I've tried to be more consistent about the times that I take him, and I've also started using a potty chart. Each time he uses the potty, we add a sticker to the chart. He really likes that, especially the part where he gets to pick out which sticker to use.

Isaac isn't doing as well with it at preschool though. He's been more resistant and sometimes even cried when they've tried to put him on the toilet. They say it's normal for kids to take longer to get used to going at school, because they're more comfortable at home. I told them I'm not in any rush, so they can take a break from it if it's making him that upset.

Isaac can count to ten now, without any help. He's also identifying his colors more consistently too. He can recognize red, green, blue, yellow, orange, and purple. He's also saying please without prompting now, and he'll say yes ma'am when I remind him. I'm glad he's learning good manners this early. My hope is that it'll just be a natural part of his speech, since we've taught him this young.

School is still keeping me extremely busy. After next week, we have fall break. I can't wait!

Update

It's been three weeks since my last post, so it's definitely time to ressurect the blog. There have been a couple major changes since my last entry. One, Isaac has started preschool. He's going to a church preschool that's only five minutes from my work, which is really nice. He started out last week, and so far he seems to enjoy it there.

At first, he cried when it was time for me to drop him off. Each day, the crying lessened. This week, he hasn't cried at all. He definitely notices when I'm leaving, but he doesn't freak out about it. When I pick him up in the afternoons, he seems happy with whatever he's doing at the time. It usually takes a minute for him to even notice I'm there, but once he does, his face lights up as he says, "Mommy! Mommy!" and then gives me a hug. That's the best part of my day, every day.

Another major change is that Wes has turned in his resignation from the pastorate. The demands of church, work, and home have all increased and become difficult to juggle. He announced his resignation on August 30th and offered to stay for a maximum of two months. The bylaws call for 30 days notice, but he offered one more month if they needed it. They'll meet this Sunday to decide.

School has been keeping me busy. There are so many facets to my job, that it becomes all consuming just by itself. FCA has also been keeping me busy, as we've been meeting biweekly. This Saturday, we're taking the kids to a football game. I'm looking forward to it, and the students are too.

Isaac is growing in leaps and bounds. He can feed himself with little to no help. He knows the whole alphabet and can count to five. He knows many shapes, colors, animals, etc. He's also learning how to write. Earlier this week, as he was scribbling on the paper, he was also calling out letters. I guess in his mind, he was trying to write them. He's also very tall. When he stands up, he comes up to my hip. People tell me all the time that pretty soon, he's going to be too big for me to hold or that he'll be holding me. I believe it!

Update

It feels like it's been ages since I last posted. I went over a week without the Internet, and since then things have been very busy. It's definitely time to resurrect the blog.

We've all gotten settled into our new routine now that school has started back. It took a few weeks, but keeping all the balls in the air is much easier now.

Isaac is learning in leaps and bounds now. Currently, he knows 18 letters of the alphabet, a few colors, and some basic shapes. He's even learned how to count to three.

So right now, we're just plugging along as usual. Work, home, and chuch are all going well. Life is good.