The Most Wonderful Day

This is a LONG OVERDUE post but still so worth it!

On April 9th we had a day worth posting about.  And before I begin a big thanks to my friend Tallona for making it all happen!

The day started early, about 5 AM.  We woke up and hopped in the car.  We dropped Cohen off at Tallona's house at 6:15 and headed over to Tempe for the Pat Tillman run.  It was my first year running it, but it was Tim's 3rd.  Tim had a goal to beat his last two times.  His 1st year he ran 4.2 miles in 42 minutes and then the next year he ran it in 43 minutes and this year he ran it in 38 minutes.  I ran with Arlo in the stroller and finished in 1 hour and 28 seconds.  Now before you think that is horrible just know that for the 1st 2 miles I ran when ever I had the chance (it was way too crowded since I started with the very last group because I had a stroller) and I let Arlo get out and run at mile 3 and again at the finish line on the football field.  So I was pretty excited that I did as well as I did.  After the race we walked around and got free samples and coupons.

When we got back to Tallona's house we cleaned up and put Arlo down for a nap, and left both boys with Tallona while we went to the Temple.  I won't say how long it has been since we had last gone, but it had been a while and we needed a big spiritual uplifter.  I love going to the temple... it is a heaven on earth!

Our perfect day ended with date night.  This time Tallona got a babysitter for the kids and we went on a double date to AH-SO.  It is a delicious teppanyaki place where they cook the food right in front of you. But the night did not end there.  We finished it off with ice cream.

The day was filled with adventure, outdoors, exercise, spiritual uplifting, time with friends, and time with my hubby, good food, and ice cream.  Really... what could be better than that?

Two thousand eight hundred and eighty hours

That's right... Two thousand eight hundred and eighty hours is equal to 17 weeks and one day or in Cohen's life... 4 months!

    

Cohen is 16 lbs 11 oz, 26 1/2 in, with a head circumference of 16.85 in.  He has the most beautiful, big, blue eyes you have ever seen.  He wears a size 3 diaper and 6-9 month clothes.

His bottom left tooth has been 'right there' for literally 2 weeks but just popped out on March 30th.

He stands/sits in his exersaucer, plays with his hands and feet, laughs and smiles at everything, and has been able to control his head since he was 2 months.  (Strong boy!) He is also rolling over from his stomach to his back, although it looks more like he rolls onto his side and then falls on his back... it is pretty funny to watch.

He has never slept more than 6 hours at a time at night in fact he usually wakes up AT LEAST 4 times a night.  He is starting to get on a day schedule of a morning, middle of the day and an afternoon nap and he always goes to bed around 8:30.  After his 4 month Dr. appointment and telling his pediatrician about his horrible sleeping habits, she said it was about time that I sleep train him.  She suggested the Ferber method but altering it to fit our needs.  So, on the night of March 29th I put my baby to bed (he falls asleep just fine, I never have to rock him he has always been able to fall asleep by himself.) and after only 1 hour he decided to wake up.  So, I went to his crib and I patted his back and told him I loved him until he fell back asleep... about 7 minutes.  Each time he woke up I would do the same routine of patting his back and telling him I loved him.  He woke again at 11:00 for 10 minutes, at 2:00 he woke up and I was able to feed him and then at 4:00 AM he decided to wake up but by this time he was MAD that I was not holding him or feeding him.  After 1 hour of "my routine" and both of us crying, I decided I have had enough and so I scooped him up in my arms, he fell right back asleep and we slept together until morning.  I thought for sure I had ruined my night of sleep training, but I am proud to say that since that night we have finally gotten on a schedle I can work with.  The next night and every night since he wakes up at 2:00AM for a feeding and then not again until 6-6:30 when he wakes up for the day.  Yes, with one night of sleep training we went from 4-6 night awakenings to only 1.  If I would have known it was that easy (kinda) I would have done it a month ago.

Cohen is my Sweet boy.  When he was brand new, he started out kind of needy (yes I know that all newborns are needy)  but he wanted to be held and bounced all the time, or he cried. I think he was a colic baby.  But that has worn off, he still spits up all the time but he is always so happy and smily.  I just LOVE watching him.

I had to add in this next picture because we all laughed about it... Whenever we go visit Grampy, Cohen always spits up all over him.  It has become a joke with Cohen and his grampy because no matter if Grampy is prepared with a cloth or if Cohen hasn't fed in over 3 hours he will always manage to spit up on him.  On this day, grampy finally managed to doge the bullet,  and just happened to catch the spit up in a rag before it got all over him.  He laughed and told Cohen that he had finally beaten him.  Well a few minutes later Cohen got him back by..... well take a close look and you will see how Cohen had final say!

Sorry grampy, but now you know for sure who's the boss!

(By the way... it came out the bottom end ;-)

Bye Bye Google Eye

My poor, poor Arlo... When he was born, he was born perfect and then he started growing and for some reason things started to go wrong.  He had to get his tongue clipped so he could eat properly, he will someday have to get his jaw fixed from his severe underbite and this last friday he had to get his lazy eye surgically corrected.

Here are pre-surgery, (The left eye is looking at the t.v and the right is not)

So we went to a pediatric surgery center where Arlo got to wear this beautiful gown and play until it was his turn to go into surgery. 

In this picture he is sad because I am making him take a picture instead of playing.

 Arlo loves when his daddy tickles his back!

From the pre-op room we put Arlo in a little car where a nurse pushed him into surgery.  He had to be completely put under so they put a gas mask on him until he fell asleep and then put in an IV to keep him under.  The surgery only lasted about 30 minutes and Dr. Pachman said it went wonderfully.  He preformed the procedure by tunneling through the white of each eye (he had to work on both eyes to correct the one) to get to the muscles in the back and he loosened the muscles where they were too tight so they could eventually strengthen and be normal.

These are when Arlo woke up.  They give the kids a popsicle to get re-hydrated.

He was happy while eating his popsicle and then he went from happy to scared/confused/mean.  My poor little guy did not know why his eyes hurt or why he had an IV in his leg.  Plus, the nurse said when kids come off of anesthesia they are very cranky.  And that was an understatement.  We spent the next 30 minutes holding Arlo's arms down because if we let them go he would hit us, and then he would get even more upset because we were restraining his arms.  It was a lose-lose situation.

The car ride home where he passed out and had a blood stained tear on his face.  (breaks my heart every time I see this picture)

After a 4 hour nap he woke up in a better mood and we spent the day watching movies and tv!  You can see in the next pictures his blood shot eyes that will be blood shot for the next week or two.  

But... my boy is a trooper and even after all that he still can be silly with his dad!

That is, until we have to put his eye ointment in.  Then he is a sad/mad boy once again!

Boys are made out of...

Boys are made out of icky, sticky gopher guts,
mutilated monkey meat,
little, dirty birdie feet,
French fried eyeballs rolling down a bloody street,
Me without my spoon, but I got a straw!!!!

My mom taught us this song when we were little, gross I know, but now that I have two boys of my own, it finally makes sense... except the spoon/straw part.

Example #1

Arlo was taking a bath with his 3 year old cousin.  They were playing with some cups from his kitchen set when Arlo stood up, peed in his cousins cup and then his cousin was about to take a drink when Grandma stopped him.  (I was not present during this episode)

Example #2

Arlo is learning to blow his nose.  When he needs to, he tells me "boogers" and we run to get tissue.  Well, one time when I was feeding Cohen, Arlo came up to me and said "boogers," they were not that bad, so I told him to wait.  He kept saying boogers and I kept telling him to wait... so he grabbed my shorts and blew his nose right into my shorts.

Example #3

Blue sand is my mortal enemy.  My mom thought it would be a good idea to have blue sand in the boy's sandbox.  Needless to say, they LOVE it... so much that Arlo keeps it with him, and when I change his diaper after playing in that blue sand there is always a ring of blue around his little bum... ouch!

Oh... and lets not forget that one time that he decided to try and eat it.  Luckily he did not like it and hopefully will not be eating anymore any time soon!

Example #4

Arlo is OBSESSED with POOP, every time he goes poop he has to see it and then say goodbye to it.  Every time his little brother goes poop he has to see it and say goodbye to it.  And when Simba (the dog) goes poop he has to pick it up and play with it.


Example #1 Cohen

My Cohen is so sweet, he is perfect in every way... except I would like to go just 1 day or better yet... 1 outfit where I do not get spit up on... one day, I hope!  *sigh*

Example #2 Cohen

I know I have already mentioned this but Cohen's toots are so loud and so explosive they are just scary!



I guess boys will be boys!  But I will love them no matter what!

SO HERE ARE THE PICS FOR THIS POST... NOT ALL GROSS BUT THEY'RE ALL BOY!

Didn't even now I was there!

But even if he knows I'm watching...it doesn't change a thing!

Valentine Chocolate!

Posing with cousin Lani

So cool!

He's Bad to the Bone!

We are now siting in the bumbo!

And loving it!

Brothers!!!

Buzz Lightyear here to defeat the evil emperor Zurg!

My Tow monster

Smiling like usual!

After the blue sand incident!

Being silly

Relaxing after a hard days work in his grocery cart, on the ottoman!

The Good Ole Days

Today I was able to reminisce about the days back before Tim and I were married.  The days when tickle fights were fun, when kissing was almost sinful and when we could pick up and go any time we wanted.  The great thing about Tim and my relationship is that we started out as friends... really, we did.  And we were able to do all these amazing, fun things with each other without all the uncertainty of a brand new relationship.  Then of course, Tim realized he could not live another day without having me all to himself and so we became a 'couple' and then engaged and then married and then married with children.  (he might argue that first step... because I might have made the first move ;-)

Today while the kids were sleeping I was going through pictures... trying to make more space on my computer... and I came across a file with so many pictures our many different stages (pre kids).  They bring back so many memories I just had to share!

Pre-dating

Dating

Engaged

Married

Each one of these pictures has a story, some that only Tim and I would laugh at...  but it is fun to remember, and good to remember!

Because now as I look at our relationship, I see the growth, the bumps and bruises, the band-aides, hugs and kisses... and I see how much we have changed... and I am so grateful that I married the man I did.  Because as corny as it may sound he really does make me a better woman, wife and mother.  But I am also grateful for the good ole times that I can look back on and say remember when...