yucky

i have a terrible cough and cold right now so that pretty much sucks. i am worried that i will be getting Cooper sick because i can't cough or sneeze comfortably or hold it in since it hurts my stomach so badly. so i end up just coughing all over the place and i'm sure germ droplets are landing all over him. I hope that my milk is keeping him healthy - hopefully.
He is doing really well though and getting quite plump. We went and had his 2nd blood test today and he didn't even cry - he was more annoyed with taking his warm socks off than he was with the pin prick in his heel.
Cash is really, really funny. His new thing as of this week is "lip synching". When a song comes on he'll mouth "words". Not really the right words but he just moves his mouth to make it look like he is singing.
Last night Addison and her little sisters came over so we had 5 kids ages 3 and under in the house and everyone did fine! We had take out and mostly Addie and Cash played together with his fire truck and coloring books. The babies ate and slept. It was a lot of fun to have our visitors.
Chandler and I have been having a really nice time together paling around. We don't get to do that a lot so when we have the chance it is really nice. we have long conversations about things other than our kids and do things together that we would normallly have to do alone - like go grocery shopping - sounds fun, i know!

my boys

the boys are doing really well. and really well together.
Cash is less enthusiastic about Cooper now - i guess little brother has lost his new toy smell - but he is still sweet and loving toward him. Cash is getting smarter by the day. We call him our little parrot because he repeats everything we say. He likes to do puzzles and continues to surprise me with how he can figure out where the pieces go. He is getting taller but not gaining any weight recently. Probably because he is too busy to ever sit down and actually eat a full meal. Cash never really stops moving or talking unless he is sleeping - it exhuasts us but its fun to watch him growing and learning at the same time.

Cooper is getting bigger every day. I get sad when i think about him getting so big so fast but i know there's a lot of fun stuff to come so its ok. He's getting pudgier and has quite a double chin. He is doing great in the eating department although he gets a lot of gas bubbles and he doesn't eat all at once. This effects his sleep a little and its hard for him to get comfortable at night sometimes. I think i remember this from Cash and it will get better so i'm not making a bigger deal out of it than this.

We went on a nice little walk today as a foursome and hope to continue to do so each day to get back into an active lifestyle.

Christmastime

We had a wonderful Christmas but i must say that i'm glad its over. We had Grammy, Grandma (louise) and Poppy (larry) in for Christmas. It was nice to have everyone here and celebrate with the boys. It was actually the first time that the boys - either one of them - have had their grandparents around for Christmas. We got lots of presents (too many) and it was pretty hard to keep Cash from opening all of them before Christmas morning. On Christmas eve we had Grandma Vegas over for dinner and Grammy made excellent Paella for everyone. After dinner we Skyped with Pop and Cash told him all about how he was excited for Santa to come. Cooper continues to behave himself. Christmas morning Cash woke up and we opened presents and had breakfast - the rest of the day was pretty lazy until we started cooking dinner. Cash got some great stuff - some of which we even put aside for later since he has far too much to play with now. His favorites so far are a fire engine book, ernie and elmo police station, bath toys, train set, and the dry erase easel. Cooper got a few new outfits but slept through most of Christmas.
Again, Grammy treated us to a wonderful holiday meal for dinner. We were able to talk to Pop again that night (Boxing day for Pop). Larry and Louise left on Saturday afternoon so we visited with them a little in the morning. Chandler took them (and Cash) out to lunch for Louise's birthday before they left. Grammy left today amidst a boatload of tears. Cash was not happy that she was leaving and it threw him into a tailspin for a while. He has slowly stopped asking where Grammy is throughout the day. Beside everyone being upset, only one tragic event came out of grammy leaving - we were weighing her suitcase and Chandler got his toe in the way and now has a really bad situation with his toenail. Hopefully he'll go to the doctor to get it removed or something.
Overall we had an awesome Christmas. We were so lucky grammy came to take care of us for so long and now we miss her but will get along fine as a family of 4.

Cash's new interests

Cash is really into his little brother. its cute and great that he is embracing Cooper instead of rejecting him. He asks about him first thing when he wakes up - usually Cooper is in the bed with me and Cash will come in and snuggle for a few minutes before he gets ready for school which is really nice. He loves to watch me change Cooper's diaper and when he sees me lay him in the pack and play he drops everything and scrambles for a chair to drag over and stand on to watch me change the diaper. He is so curious about everything and asks so many questions. which is also good because he is learning so much. He can walk me through Cooper's diaper change and hand me wipes and tell me, "legs up" and hand me a clean diaper.
He's also really interested in how Cooper eats and wants to see mommy's bobbies. He likes to sit right next to me when i feed Cooper and i can just see his wheels spinning.
Cash's vocabulary is just amazing and he can speak in complete sentences. He now knows a lot of animal sounds and is starting to work on the alphabet.
We had a really rough time getting Cash to sleep tonight and lately the bedtime routine has been hit or miss with Cash settling into sleep easily. Cash cried for mommy and daddy for over an hour tonight and Chandler and I both spent time in Cash's bed trying to get him to go to sleep. Eventually he fell asleep but i'm not sure why he was fighting it so hard. maybe he was overly tired.
Tomorrow is his last day of school for the week and we will share lots of fun family time together over the next few days with Grammy, Grandma and Poppy.

check up

cooper went for a check up today. He did very well and the doctor is really happy with how he is doing. Cooper's weight was a bit of a mystery...he was weighed at first and came in at 8lb 5oz, which is 1oz less than he weighed 5 days ago. Dr. Goebel was surprised by this because she said he looked like he had put on a little weight, not lost an ounce. so we fed him and reweighed and he was a whopping 8lb 9oz. Now, he probably didn't put on 4oz from one feeding and we surmised that the first weight was wrong. He measured 21 inches as well. All in all a very healthy little boy. Dr checked his circumcision and it is healing really well and we can stop putting the neosporin on it after tomorrow. Also, his belly button fell off on 12/21. She cleaned it out and we can start giving him baths tomorrow night. The best news of all is that his little testicle has come down, it is still high but it has dropped and just needs to settle into its new home. this is actually a really good thing because if little boys' testicles don't drop by the time they are 2 they go in and get them surgically because they can turn cancerous - and if they don't come down by then they are probably "defective" anyway.
I'm going to start keeping track of Coopers eating and sleeping a little more. I have just had him on me since he was born without noticing how much, long or when he was eating. Now that he is healthy and gaining weight easily I think i'd like to keep track of when he is eating so we can plan some things around that.
I also went to the doctor today because i have had some pain and swelling around my incision and i'm not sure if that is normal or not. my doctor doesn't think i have any infection but i need to keep a close eye on it and if anything changes i need to call right away.

Cooper - day 6

Cooper went in for a check up today and to get circumsized. He is doing very well. He is back to his birth weight, plus some (8lb, 6oz). His measurements, temperature, color all look good and he seems to be very healthy. His left testical has been located and is on its way! we'll just keep checking it to make sure it comes down. His heart still murmers but it hasn't changed - so that's good. His little surgery went well. he hardly cried and recovered quickly.
We are getting used to having a new baby at home and might venture out of the house next week. I'm in no hurry since it is cold season and we don't need any of that around here.
I'm also recoving well - i think. I still get sore if i don't keep up with my medicine but i took a nap and slept on my side today which was good because yesterday that hurt too much to do.

There aren't too many differences between newborn Cash and newborn Cooper. I think they'll have very similar personalities but only time will tell. Here are a few of the differences that they do have:
Cooper has more hair and its darker than Cash's was. Although Cash had more hair on his back and shoulders than Cooper does.
Cooper eats well but he doesn't eat all at once like Cash did. Cash would suck down his entire meal in one sitting. Cooper eats in 2 or 3 sessions. He'll eat, back off, burp, squirm and then want to eat again.
Nursing hurts more with Cooper. I never had blisteres or bleeding with Cash. Its probably because Cooper started eating sooner and and more often than Cash did. I didn't have a chance to "ease" into it.
Cooper also had no jaundice whereas Cash did.
Cash was born with very blue eyes - they barely changed color at all. Cooper has very dark grey eyes.

We're going home today

we are excited to be going home today. I'm glad we stayed an extra night but i think we're all ready to be home and get settled back into our regular routine. Cash and Grammy are also probably ready to have us home too.
The pediatrician came in this morning and checked Cooper out. She was happy with how well he was doing. She saw very little jaundice and didnt even order a test for him before he went home. We'll go to the office on Friday for some measurements and to have the circumcision done. The nurse came in a little while later and did the billirubin test anyway and he only scored 8 which is really good for 3 days old. He is eating well and having lots of wet and dirty diapers so he's doing exactly what he should be doing.
My doctor will come and check me around noon and then the nurse will take my staples out so we can go home.

Cooper & Cash Update

Cooper saw a cardiologist today who took him and did an ultrasound on his heart. He said that he does have a heart murmur but it is very small - so small they would never even do anything about it - and that 95% of the time these types of things repair themselves. We'll go see him in about a month to check it again.
He's done a good job eating today and hopefully tomorrow he'll get some milk out of the deal.

My bigger concern is Cash. He's about at the end of his rope with all this. His parents have been gone for days now, his routine has been anything but and he's had a house full of grandparents. I am worried about how he is handling all this but he's a pretty resilient little boy so I think once things return to normal he will be better than before - because he's a big brother now!

I'm doing fine also and will go home around lunchtime tomorrow.

Cooper Day 2-3

Cooper is doing really well. he is still eating well and making wet and dirty diapers. there is no sign of jandice which is awesome but its also subject to change rather quickly. We saw Dr. Goebel this morning and she was concerned that Cooper's left testicle hasn't come down yet. She said it was right at the top of the canal and might come down on its own but if it doesn't she'll go in and get it. The bigger concern was a heart murmur. She heard something but doesn't know if it is something that is permanent or just a transition from a in-utero heart to a "life on the outside" heart. The cardiologist will come to see us in a little while.
Cooper's blood test came back and our blood types are not fighting each other since he is a positive and I am a negative. He has a little diaper rash and stuff nose but that's normal baby stuff and I can handle it no problem.
A doctor from my drs office came to see me last night and told me i could take the IV out and take a shower. When i took my shower i was able to remove the dressing from my abdomen. That hurt since it was 2 huge, very sticky bands. I am now covered in residue.
Chandler has taken awesome, awesome care of me and i couldn't have done this without him and he'd like you do know: "My husband is the greatest man I've ever known and I hope I can someday be half the man that he is." that doesn't make any sense but he typed that on my computer.

Cooper is here!

Today is Cooper's birthday. He's a super cute bundle of joy and we're getting to know each other right now. Here is my account of the day.

The surgery was changed from noon to 9:30 so we had a bit of an early wake up call this morning. We got up at about 6am and got dressed and ready to go. out the door by 7:15 and to the hospital by 7:30 to check in. Everything wen't quickly after we got there. It was super quiet up on the labor and delivery floor so that was nice and we got a lot of attention. I got dressed in my gown and hooked up to monitors, gave blood, answered a ton of questions and then waited for the time to pass. Mom stayed home with Cash until the Martins arrived to take over. She got to the hospital at about 9am. Only one guest was allowed in the operating room so unfortunately she had to stay in the room and just wait. (which is probably better after you read the rest of this story).

We wheeled into the operating room and Chandler had to stay outside so I could get my spinal. I really didn't like the procedures at this new hospital because it was all so different than the last time - which was a really good experience. So the anesthesiologist set me up on the bed and told me the gameplan and then i had to get the actual needle in my back. I didn't remember this hurting so bad. He shot me and i jumped about a mile in the air but he hit the right spot and i was getting numb fast. I laid down on the bed and they continued the set up. I got an oxygen mask and then things started to go downhill fast. Chandler wasn't in the room and i started to panic a little because i was having a bit of a hard time breathing through the mask and was starting to get nauseus. I asked the anesthesiologist to take the mask off and he put a tube in my nose instead. That was better but i was still feeling sick. The spinal makes it hard to cough and get sick so you just have to wait for the vomit to come up instead of coughing it up. So eventually it came up and i got sick a bit. I also got medication for the nausea and started to feel better quickly. Chandler came in and so did the doctors. A fun surprise was that both Dr.s Roberts showed up to deliver Cooper! that was cool because they are such good people. We got started knowing that there was going to be a little extra work on my scar which was a keloid. Cooper came out at 9:49am. Dr. Lisa was pretty concerned because my lower uterine segment was extremely thin and she recognized that i had probably been contracting for a couple weeks. She said, "we should have done this last week" and I agreed! I guess the risk was that i could have ruptured and hemoraged but thankfully i didn't. They had a lot of work to do getting my uterus put back together since it was so thin and used a lot of tools and even something that was compared to spackle! They repaired my scar and finally got me put back together after an hour.
I was wheeled back to my room and waited for Cooper to come back from the nursery. He was getting washed up, checked, monitored, warmed up and vaccinated. We reunited after a while and it was pretty sweet.
Cooper has taken to nursing very well and we didn't have any problems getting him in the mood (with Cash we had to harass him a lot). He has had a lot of dirty and wet diapers so we know the plumbing is working. He sleeps a lot but that is to be expected.

I never really bought into it but now i really think Cash is smarter than me! Or at least is way more aware of things than I think. For the past few days he's been all about Chandler. I can't help him in any way. He only wants Chandler/Daddy to do things for him. And now he is asking for Greg at daycare instead of Sylvia. When we say, "are you ready to go to Sylvia's" he says, "No, Greg's". Last night he woke up and i went to put him back to sleep and he screamed for his daddy. I could be covered in candy and i think he'd still want a man to take care of him. I hate to read too much into this but i'm pretty sure he's feeling a bit betrayed by me and female figures in general because we bring new babies into the world!

Cash's weekend

Poor Cash didn't get to see Santa Claus this weekend. He's really a fan of the big guy. Talks about him a lot. I don't really think he knows about the presents part but recognizes the figure. We went to see Santa at Bass Pro Shops of all places because we heard he was the best in town. Well, not being part of the "scene" we didn't realize it was Rodeo weekend until we got there and the wait was over 2 hours. It was so crowded I immediately began to sweat. So we left and decided to try the same place we went last year. Just a mile or so down the road at the outdoor mall. We weren't even half way there and nap time struck and Cash was out. So we turned around and headed home with the thought that we might head back out after naptime. It was pretty late by the time Cash woke up and I had been busy and was now the tired one. And, Cash had stopped asking to find Santa Claus so we thought it was ok to skip it but now we don't know when we will have the chance to get to see him. Hopefully Grammy might want to make a special trip with one little boy to go see Santa while she is here.

For a little background - Cash pees a lot at night. We put special thick nighttime diapers on him and for the most part they keep him dry. But boy do they hold a lot and get HUGE when he wets them all night. Last night he must have had too much to drink before bed - actually, i know he did because he was having a lot of fun drinking juice out of a cup with no lid - and he wet the bed big time. He woke up at 4am screaming because his bed, blanket, pajamas, everything was wet. Daddy was nice enough to change him and lay in the trundle with him until I got up at 5 to take over. Changing the bed sheets was not a fun task and the mattress is SO much bigger than the crib mattress. Cash fell back asleep about 5:45am and slept until 7 when i woke him up because i took his blanket away to throw it in the wash - it stunk so bad! I guess this is something to look forward to when he starts potty training and we definitely need to have a cut off time for fluids. And, if he does happen to wet the bed I am NOT going to tell the whole school - no matter how old he is!!!

Countdown

I'm not sure where to start this blog. I've done all i can do to prepare for Cooper's arrival. The huge "to-do" list is all crossed off. Everything is washed, I went to the grocery store, the car seat has been sanitized but not installed (ok, i guess i still have a few things to do) but i don't know if it has totally sunk in that i'm having another baby this weekend. Maybe because it is on the weekend it seems like just another errand - like go to Sam's Club, go have a baby, etc. I feel entirely too relaxed about the whole thing. Maybe it is because i don't remember everything that comes with having a baby. Or maybe because i've done it before. I am a little stressed about Cash's reaction to the whole thing but i keep that pretty repressed because i don't like to imprint my stress and fear on him - i know he can sense it. He's actually been very cool and even started bringing me Cooper's blankie and laying it on my belly. Every now and again he still runs into his old room to get something but then comes right out and goes into the big boy room. But that's no big deal because Cooper wont be in there for 3 more months. He helped me clean up the car seat and thoroughly enjoyed sitting in it and buckling his baby in there - then he sat on top of his baby (hopefully that wont happen when there is a real baby). I guess the biggest thing i have going right now is work - how sad. I'm trying to wrap up as much as possible but even that is under control. Christmas could pose a problem but i've done a bit of shopping and ordered other things online so not really.
I guess i'll just enjoy this feeling...but if you think of anything I may need to do send me an email!

Cash really loves Christmas lights. He especially loves our blow up Santa Clause in the front yard. tonight we took him to the park where they have a few miles of a drive through Christmas light display. He loved it and the best part was the North Pole Fire Station where we saw fire trucks, ladders and firefighters all made out of Christmas lights.

Cash is starting to tell me when he has to poop. That's pretty cool. Up until now it has been after the fact but he has actually been saying poop or pee before he's actually dirty or wet. I try to praise him a lot when he tells me so he'll get warm fuzzies about starting to potty train.

Today I caught Cash reading. it was really cool. we read a book this morning about a duck and a goose trying to find their pumpkin. It goes, is the pumpkin under the water duck? No. Is the pumpkin in the tree goose. No. etc, etc. After we finished reading i went on and folded laundry and a i hear Cash talking so i go to see what's going on. He was saying, "in the water? No., in the tree? No." it was pretty amazing.

He's doing great in his bed. Naps and bedtime are both falling into a great routine and an added bonus has come with it. Each night we go through the entire family tree and say Night, Night to everyone. Now at the end he says, love you mommy, love you daddy - its really cute.

The only problem we're having with Cash right now is that he hates to take a bath. Really he hates to get his bottom wet. He'll get in the bathtub but he will stand the whole time and asks to put his diaper back on. I can't figure out what is wrong because he doesn't have a rash. I wonder if his bottom is just really sensitive for some reason. I'll start using some different lotion on his butt and see if that makes any difference. Meanwhile he is getting really dirty!

dreams

my dreams are so strange and i should have been writing them down because they would make for some interesting interpretations but the last week has been beyond strange.
Among others...
I had a dream (my first dream about actually having Cooper) that i gave birth to Cooper and he was a little plastic baby doll.
I had a dream that my work was getting shot up by the Columbine shooters and everyone was hiding in a stairwell which seemed like a terrible idea when we had 5 million square feet to hide in.
And strangest of all, last night i had probably 4 or 5 different dream cycles - each broken up by a potty break - and in each one i was riding around on a donkey. It didn't matter if i was at the park playing or at the mall shopping or at work, each time i was sitting on a donkey. I wonder if i was headed to the Inn?

37 weeks

This is farther than i got with Cash so its all unchartered territory at this point! I feel enormous and pretty sure i look that way too. my pelvic region hurts really bad and I can even hear it cracking when i walk which is pretty gross. My cervix is really soft and I only have a little bit left. Everything is good though. Now i just have to get things wrapped up at work which is impossible because its more dysfunctional than ever around here. But i'm leaving regardless so i hope they have a plan! I am now thinking of the grocery list that i need to prepare for my family while i'm unable to run around. It is so different having a new baby when you already have one. The things you worry about are so different. Its basically with the first you worried about nothing and with the 2nd you worry about the 1st.
Don't forget to pick up yogurt and juice or it will be an unpleasent couple of days!

last one

ok, this is the last post i'll make about Cash's sleeping but i want to document this for the future - don't read further if you are annoyed. He slept again for a full night and woke up so happy. We went into his room about 7:15 and he was sitting in his bed and said to us "BIG BOY BED" when we entered. He is obviously pretty proud of himself. He also talks about sleeping in his big boy bed from the second Chandler picks him up in the evenings.

Ahhhhhh

Cash did a great job last night. He slept in his bed from 7:30pm - 7:00am. We are all well rested now.

sleeping update

Cash did a good job in bed until he woke up at about 4am calling for us again this morning. I went in and slept on the trundle and he went right back to sleep. He slept until about 5:15 and then started asking for Daddy. I stood up to go ask Chandler to go in and sleep on the trundle until it was time to get up but Cash thought that meant he was coming too so we all headed to Mommy and Daddy's bed at 5:15am. It was over after that because Chachi was on the bed and that just spells F U N!

Not sure why he is waking up so early - i hope the bed is comfortable. it is probably that he just wakes up and can't get himself back to sleep yet. Another couple days and we should be good to go. It is strange and sad to think that he wont be back in his crib - ever. I guess i need to finish moving the rest of his things out of that room (diapers mostly).

What goes around, comes around

I remember this feeling and i don't like it. When we first put Cash in his crib and decided the best thing to do was to let him figure out how to sleep on his own it was really hard and sad - for me. Not so much for Cash. He got the hang of it but i guess i wanted to feel needed or even that I was abandoning my baby. So now we are transitioning Cash to his big-boy bed it is more of this same feeling. I was stressing a little because the past 2 nights - yes, we are pretty early into it - had been rough but not terrible. The worst part is that it was taking 1.5-2 hours to get him to settle down and fall asleep. I was laying down with him in his bed which i realize now was just license for him to goof around, jump on the bed, pull my hair, pick my nose, climb all over, etc. I was spending so much time in his bed/room because i just assumed that because he could climb out of his bed, he would. Although, last night it dawned on me that he actually hasn't tried to do this. Each time he had woken up in his new bed he would wait for us to come get him, even at 4am last night he cried for us rather than trying to get out of bed. So Chandler and I talked about it and we decided that tonight i would put him to bed, turn out the light and walk away. And that is what I did. It's heartwrenching - really. He cried, for about 45 seconds. I walked away to use the bathroom and before i could flush he was not crying and he was not peeking out the door. I assume he is either talking himself to sleep or fell asleep. I am fighting every urge I have to go in there - surely he needs me, surely he wants me to lay in his bed with him, surely he can't be ok or asleep. But i'm sure he is ok and i'm sure he is alseep. I feel terrible for walking away. I feel awful that crying was his last memory of the day. I also remember that what got me through these feelings the first time around was how happy I was to see my boy the next morning. And happy that he was happy because he slept well.
Tomorrow when Cash gets up I will shower him in hugs and kisses - enough that he'll say "no, Mommy" and "Stop it Mommy". That will make me feel better i'm sure.
Cash is also in bed a little early - about 45 minutes. My boy likes to and needs to sleep. He gets a good 12 hours at night and a 2-3 hour nap during the day. I know when he hasn't gotten enough sleep because he is a totally different boy. Not in a bad way but in a way that it is hard to keep him happy. When he is well rested he is charming and happy and never complains. Learning to sleep in his big-boy bed has left him a little short on sleep so as soon as the eye rubbing started tonight we went for the bed. Hopefully the more comfortable he becomes in his new diggs he'll catch up on some winks...

"It's 60 years old!"

Chandler put together the bassinet last night. We had to do a little repair work since the last user but it was no sweat for my handyman. Chandler replaced a couple of the brackets, screwed some new holes and its as good as new (if new is 60 years old). Chandler will probably end up restoring the whole thing before we pack it up. it could use some touch ups, new screws, some wood putty, etc. He's so cool for wanting to do that. Although i'm not sure who is going to use it for a while...oh well.
Cash also was excited to see it and when he woke up this morning he ran over to it and said "bed". He immediately tried to climb in it - which he could probably do pretty easily. So we had to talk about how that bed was for little babies and we got his baby doll - Lindsey Floyd - and let him lay in it and then we put the baby in it for a nap. I laid the baby in there face up and Cash said, "no, nigh night" and flipped him over so he was face down. That was pretty cute and interesting to see that he equates sleeping on your belly with sleep. Although now i think i'll have to keep a pretty close eye on the brothers when it comes to nap time!!

VICTORY

victory is mine!! it only took 90 minutes but Cash is napping in his big boy bed for the first time. We got in a few fights, he pulled my hair, i smacked his butt, he hit his head twice on the wall because he was jumping around but he is asleep now (hopefully he's not passed out from the head bumping! just kidding Liz!!)
We have the room exactly where we want it. the noise machine in place, the gate in place, the bed rail up, the step stool easily accessible so we are confident to leave him alone in there to sleep. I like that he is starting with a nap because the room isn't totally dark so when he wants/needs to get up he can see where he is going. I don't want to give him a night light because i really don't want him relying on it.
I'm interested to see what his reaction is when he wakes up. I'll have some nice snacks and a little prize for him when he does so hopefully he will get the point that this is a really good thing.

Meanwhile, I am decorating the house for Christmas while Chandler is out running some errands. its kind of nice to be able to get some things done in the peace and quiet because i know that this will be one of the last "peace and quiet" times i have for a while. Exactly 2 weeks from this exact moment (1:50pm PST) i'll be holding my new little one. yikes, better get back to work!

use your manners

Cash is pretty good about saying "please" and "thank you" but sometimes he forgets. Today when Cash wanted to sit up on the counter to watch what I was cooking went to chandler and asked, when we told him to use his manners so he said, "daddy, get up there manners".

happy Thanksgiving

We had a nice, quiet Martin-day for Thanksgiving. Of course we missed being with the family and all the boys but we got through it. The best part was that we had nothing to do and stayed in our pajamas for a long time! Cash was actually in his pajamas until after he woke up from his nap! I cooked a turkey and stuffing, mashed pototatos and gravy - mostly for the leftovers. We had dinner at Marilyn's. We ate at 3pm and were home at a very reasonable hour so we got to keep relaxing into the evening.
Cash is now asleep in his big boy bed. This is a big deal. its the first time he's actually slept in that bed. a few times he's been close but he's never actually fallen asleep in there. Now i've got myself in a bit of a pickle - what do i do now? I don't want to leave Cash in there because what if he tries to get up in the middle of the night? In the dark he might fall out of the bed. There is a guard on the bed but he knows how to get around it. I just don't want him to try to climb down in the dark and fall off. Then, if he did get down safely I don't want him to try to get out the door because he could take a wrong turn and head down the stairs in the dark. We realize now we have a little more work to do before we can let him sleep in there all night.

11-24-09

Cash didn't make it overnight in his bed last night. Mainly because when Chandler was trying to get out of the bed/room he made a huge noise and woke him up. After that we couldn't get him back to sleep in the bed. Oh well. We are going to try some real sleep training this weekend since we have time off work.
Cash went to the dentist today. We talked about the dentist for a few days and what he did so Cash would be prepared. We practiced opening our mouth wide and smiling to show the dentist our teeth. Forget all that. The minute Cash walked inside and sat in the waiting room he said, "go outside" - needless to say he wasn't anxious to get into the exam room. We went in and Cash sat in my lap and got to see all the tools. He really liked to squirt the water and air, he played with the suction thing and the tooth brusher but when it came to looking in his mouth he clamped down hard! The only time he opened his mouth was when I tickled him or he cried. Dr. Davis really didn't want to force him so we were getting ready to leave and Cash opened his mouth for about 15 seconds - enough to see that he had no decay or cavities. Thank God!! I was so nervous. We will go back in 6 months and see if we can get a cleaning. For now we will just try to brush his teeth as often as he'll let me and go from there.
I also had a doctor's appointment today. Nothing much going on, except i've had some incredible pain in my hips and legs lately. Its called Pubic Symphasis Diastasis and its when the connective tissue in your pelvis relaxes and throws everything out of whack. It hurts bad. But i'm feeling better the past couple of days so i'm not going to complain. Everything else was normal. One more routine check next week then we are off to the races.

Big Brother Bed

Cash asked to go to bed tonight - in his big boy bed. We were getting dressed in the nursery and he kept saying "in there, in there" so we went into the other bedroom and he said, "go to bed in here". Ok, if its that easy i'll be really excited. Something tells me that we aren't going to get off that easy but at least he understands that you sleep in that bed and not just jump around on it.

Dentist

Cash has his first dentist appointment this week. We are trying to talk up the dentist so its not a total surprise and he's been a little better about not fighting me when we try to brush his teeth. He still doesn't let me get in there like I would like to but its better. I don't have really high hopes for much at the dentist but they assured me that it is better to just get in there and let Cash start getting used to seeing the dentist. Also, we have been watching some sesame street videos about teeth and the dentist. HOpefully he is picking up on some of it...

Boy did Cash put us through the ringer today. He was a perfectly well behaved boy today but he just had tons of energy and it took a lot of creativity from his daddy and I to figure out ways for him to burn it off. We knew we were in for it this morning when he woke up - at a very reasonable 7:30 - screaming "Mommy I did it" from his bed. We went in to see that he had pulled a lot of the clothes out of the drawers and threw them all over his bed and room. We got up and needed to call Grammy's house to talk to everyone. Cash is such a ham and he knows it. He was pretty charming on Skype, carrying on a conversation with Wiley and talking to Grammy and Pop. When Cash started climbing all over the furniture we decided we should get out of the house. We went up to the park since it was such a nice day - 65 degrees, sun shining, no wind. We spent a long time at the park. We started at the playground and rode the horses and climbed all over the wagon. Then we went to go down the slide and Cash needed no assistance from anyone and dove headfirst down the big slide. He is so brave and really thought it was great fun to slide down and see if Mommy could catch him (don't worry, I did). Then we moved onto the rest of the playground. Cash was still outrunning us so we took him to the big grassy area and he ran up and down the hills. We started to take a walk around the walking path and saw the craziest thing. Racing down the hill - the Exploration Peak hill that we sometimes climb - were two adult Coyotes. They were running so fast and came right down behind the park. Luckily the park is secured by a big fence, and they weren't at all interested in what was happening at the park, instead they were more interested in racing each other, but it was a little freightening to see them come barreling down the hill. Its one of those moments when you ask yourself, "what would I do if they got into the park". I'm just going to rely on Chandler to fight them! After a while, Cash got tired and we headed for the car - but not before we played spin around in the grass which was pretty fun. We came home and Cash took a short nap (only 1.5 hours). He woke up and had lunch then we went out to do some errands. When we got home Cash chased Slider for a good hour straight. He chased her in and out of the kitchen, into the back bedroom and up and stairs. I couldn't believe he ran as much as he did. He did fall down and bump his lip but only whimpered a little and was more interested in seeing the blood and eating the ice than the hurt.
All in all we had a good weekend and we are one more weekend closer to being a family of 4! yikes.

I am so glad! The boys both got their H1N1 vaccines today. I've beena little stressed over it since Dr. Roberts said she really, really wanted them to get one and the total freak-show that was the heath district a few Saturdays ago when we first tried to get them. But i must say, Chandler really stepped up for this one. He heard there was a clinic at our closest high school and motivated everyone to go first thing this morning. We got there about 45 minutes before the doors opened, the line wasn't bad and I now have 2 vacciated boys. Although Chandler had to tell a little fib because they are only vaccinating the "high risk" categories (he said he has a newborn at home) and Cash has to go back for a 2nd dose because he got the dead virus. Cash has to go back for a 2nd dose of the seasonal flu as well so we will try to do those together.
The rest of the day was spent cleaning, laundry, playing and running errands.

our little Mexican

Cash alternates between Sesame Street and Handy Manny as the shows he likes to watch. This morning he said "Hola" to Sylvia when she opened the door! Sylvia thought this was funny and called him 'our little Mexican' and said that when she makes the kids bean and cheese burritos Cash always has two!

what a difference a day makes

Cash was like a different boy last night. Maybe it was because he gets a little too much "freedom" on the weekends and Sylvia is more structured (although i think i'm pretty structured) but the monster that terrorized my Sunday was totally gone when Cash got home from school yesterday. He listened to directions, minded his manners, never hit the dog! He sat so patiently and helped me cook dinner - Mac 'n Cheese which isn't a quick process. He shredded (aka ate) the cheese, stirred the milk and sprinkled the breadcrumbs all without any problem.
Then he ate dinner really well. He didn't put his feet on the table or lean back in his chair one time. He ate a lot without asking to get down. He ate his fruit too. He asked for milk but when i gave him water he still drank it and said please.
Even this morning he didn't fight me when I got him dressed - he would prefer to stay in a dirty diaper and pajamas all day. I am really trying hard to give him choices and talk to him about good behavior and praise him when i get it. When I asked him if we could take his pajamas off he (of course) said "nope" but then i said, "lets take your pants off so we can put the screwdriver together" (he is really into his tools lately). He willingly laid back so i could change him.
I think just little things that make him think he has a choice in the matter or like the decision was partly his will help. Also, if he starts spitting instead of saying "no" and getting too angry with him I am going to tell him where he can spit and either let him spit in the toilet or outside. Spiting isn't the worst thing that he can do so i am trying to keep it in perspective.

Cash is saying really long sentences like, "mommy open this please" and "i wanna go see daddy" and "go upstairs to get blankie and dummy please" and "get down Chachi we're eatin' dinner".

Mommy's helper

Last night Cash helped me make bannana bread but now every utensil in the house is dirty.

Spitting mad

Cash is now also pushing his boundaries really hard and Chandler and I are in a race to figure out a discipline structure that works for us – and Cash. When Cash gets upset he collapses and cries. Usually we can get him out of this but mostly it is because we give him what he wants. I really want him to be able to understand that he can’t always have what he wants (Doritos for breakfast) so I’ve started talking to him about this and also about acceptable behavior. The worst though is that when he gets mad he spits and yells. This is a really hard part of parenting and thankfully he’s a good boy most of the time but this weekend I think we saw a glimpse of the future if we don’t get some discipline rules in place…more to come on that subject.

And, Chandler asked him if he wanted a spanking and he said "yeah"

I love Cash - a weekend in review

I don't know if I’m getting more and more tired or Cash is getting faster and louder and smarter - probably a combination of the two - but this weekend just about took everything out of Chandler and I (more me though, I think). My head has been swimming for the last couple weeks with all the things I haven't done to prepare for a new baby in the house. I guess I just realized that this baby is coming and if I don't at least do a few things we're all going to be in big trouble. And, with a 2nd baby, of the same sex, you take a lot for granted (I have all the clothes, left over diapers, nursing bras and pads, etc.) and don't feel this amazing need to spend hundreds of dollars and hours at Babies R Us. So Chandler encouraged me to make a list which I found more challenging than anything because it was so hard to think about what needed to be done - but I did it and started crossing things off.
I cleaned out Cash's drawers, put away clothes that didn't fit him and moved current clothes into his new room. I pulled the newborn and 3 month clothes out of the boxes, washed and folded them and put them away in the baby room. Chandler moved the recliner around and I created a nursing station in our retreat - complete with lamp and books. I cleaned out my own underwear and sock drawer. We put the 2nd mattress on Cash's trundle (we're ready for sleepovers with Wiley!!) Cash got his flu shot (needs a 2nd one in 4 weeks - we aren't busy right!?) I did all the big people laundry. And lots of other things that i can't remember right now. The list is still pretty long but at least I have a plan.
We also took some time on Sunday and went to see the airplane demonstrations at Aviation Nation at Nellis Air Force Base. We didn't actually go onto the base with the other 150K people but Chandler found us a great little parking spot where we could sit on the back of the car and watch the airplanes zipping around in the sky without all the scary noise that I know would have worried Cash. He did love seeing the airplanes and kept pretty good track of them in the sky. At one point a plane came right overhead and tipped his wings at us - pretty cool stuff. I would have liked to go onto the base but it would have taken a good part of the day and we Martins are busy folk!
In order to check something else off the list - Cash needed a couple more shirts since we've been rotating the same 2 fire truck shirts and one elmo shirt for a while now - I took him down to Kohl's. We only stole one item and broke one item so I’m going to put that outing in the win column. I did lose him at one point so that wasn't too good - and it really freaked me out. Note to self: Cash can climb out of shopping carts now and he runs fast! I was checking some sizes and turn around to catch the last second of his escape and before I could get him picked up he took off through the racks. luckily I called out and he answered me so I could find him. but I did have a good 5 seconds of shear panic.
He is also in a no-bath phase again. For some reason he hates to get his private parts wet so he won’t sit down in the bathtub. We've tried everything. The closest we can get is to have him sit on the side of the tub with mommy or daddy. Oh well, that's the least of my problems. He'll get back in eventually.

Honey

I called out to Chandler across the house today "honey, something, blah, blah, blah." Now Cash is calling his daddy "Honey". its pretty funny.

progress

Today we made some progress after some very unproductive weeks. This morning someone came to our house to take blood and urine for our new life insurance policies. Then, after not eating for 12 hours (!) we went to brunch. Cash got to play in a fountain afterwards because he was such a good boy. Then we went and got Cash's seasonal flu shot. We still need to find the boys H1N1 shots but this is a step in the right direction. Then we went to Sam's Club for the weekly milk supply. We got Cash another mattress for his trundle too. Cash came home and took a nap and mommy did laundry - lots of laundry. I even got out the new baby clothes and some other baby stuff and washed it! we got a couple supplies we'll need for when the baby comes like sensitive wipes and i've started organizing the drawers in the nursery. I've started moving Cash's clothes out of the nursery room and into the "big-brother" bedroom. I also just made a chicken pot pie and the boys are watching "Up". We will all be tired tonight!
My list keeps growing but at least i've started scratching things off too.

34 weeks and boring

Everything is pretty boring with the baby - and that's a good thing. 34 weeks today. Measuring appropriately, strong heartbeat, blah, blah, blah. One more month to go.

H1N1 vaccine

got my H1N1 vaccine today. it hurt.

Monsters

Cash is feeling so much better these days. He wakes up happy and that makes me so happy. Sylvia reports that he is also doing really well at daycare and squeels with joy when the girls chase him around the yard!
Much to my surprise, Cash knows the names of all the Sesame Street Monsters. I was so shocked but it was also really fun to quiz him and watch him get all the names right. We watch Sesame Street on the computer while we are winding down from the day and while i was loading it up the page showed all the monsters. Cash immediately said, Abby, Grover, Burt, Ernie, Bird, Cookie, Elmo, etc. when I pointed to them. I knew he had Elmo and Cookie down but the others were such a shock. And I'm amazed he knows the difference between Burt and Ernie - I still can't figure that out! I can only imagine what is inside his brain just waiting to come out.
He's also at the stage where he repeats everything - and i mean everything - you say so watch out!

Spit and Vinegar

Cash is really a piece of work these days. We are trying to be extra sensitive knowing that he's probably wise to the new baby thing and he's also dealing with bronchitis but boy oh boy! He is pushing boundaries and being naughty whenever he gets a chance and he'll cry (with real tears) when you call him on it. Last night he spit food out all over me and I made him go sit on the other side of the room and he whaled until I let him come back. Then he spit again. He isn't trying to be mean, he just thinks its funny. I notice he does a lot better when i give him a lot of attention. I loved on him a lot this weekend and we were both home sick on Monday and did great. He even said, "Lub you mommy" after we had spent the day together.

He is a bit fickle though. At night, i make him take medicine and brush his teeth - two things that he absolutely hates and usually cries about. After that he only wants daddy to put him to bed and read him stories. He is getting better with the teeth brushing. We have to change it up a lot but the latest is checking to see if there are any monkeys in his mouth.

Development at this stage is really amazing. He is talking way more and in longer sentences. He knows more words than Chandler and I can figure out (it is such a trip to hear him say words we didn't know he knew.) He has amazing problem solving skills - like he can figure out how to go hand-over-hand to get his balloon down to where he can see it. He can jump with two feet off the ground. He is really funny too. He makes the funniest faces you'll ever see. He loves to dance and can sing a little tune if he's in the mood. Mostly he loves to make daddy sing and dance though. He will ask to watch Elmo, Grover, Cookie (his favorite, no surprise) and Abby.

Chachi/Slider continues to be terrified of what's to come. Cash will come barreling toward her and try to ride her, kick her, pull her tail, push her off the couch, etc. He knows he isn't supposed to do any of that because sometimes he will sit down beside her like a little angel and pet her gently and say, "look mommy" like he is so proud of himself for following the rules.

Eating is hit or miss with him lately. Sometimes he just wont eat dinner at all. I figure he's ok and will eat when he's hungry. There are just a lot of other things he'd rather be doing right now.

Cash loves to call people and look at pictures of family. He'll ask to "talk to grammy" or "lets call Pop". We also look at pictures on Flickr and he tells me everyone's name.

oink

today is the worst day yet with this flu. I thought i was feeling fine. Yesterday was a breeze and I thought i was on the mend. Last night wasn't bad either and i only woke up a couple times coughing. Today is another story. I am sick, sick, sick. throwing up and feeling terrible. I think i might be sick because the fluid from my nose and chest is draining but i hope it goes away soon. I'm just glad Cash is back at daycare because i wouldn't be able to handle him and this at the same time.

Poor Us

I have swine flu. Cash has bronchitis. We are a pretty sad sack over here.
Caught my flu early enough that it is really not much more than a very, very painful cough/chest cold with occassional stuffiness and runny nose. Only one night of fever - which is the only reason i went to the doctor. Otherwise i would have just thought it was a cough and dealt with it on my own. Tamiflu makes you feel better almost immediately and I got a pretty decent - albeit short - night's rest last night.
Cash on the otherhand has probably been sick for a while. That's how bronchitis goes - like if a cold or something goes untreated it gets down in your lungs. Bad mamma! I just didn't want to rush to the pediatrician when i thought it might pass. Lesson learned. So now he is on 2 medications, one to get the stuff out of his lungs and the other is amoxicillin to get rid of anything else that is lurking. Poor guy.
I was really pissed this morning when i called the pediatrician's office and i couldn't get in until 3pm this afternoon and it was with a different doctor. When Cash was born Dr. Glasser had just opened her practice and she only had a few patients and it was always so easy to get in to see her and she was always on time and you knew everyone and it was definitely a small office with all the charm. Since then she has added about 5 new doctors to the practice plus all their patients. Its nearly impossible to get in to see her anymore unless you have a long standing appointment. I would have opt'd for Urgent Care today except that i was worried about H1N1 so i thought we better see a pediatrician. Anyway, we ended up seeing a different doctor who i LOVED! I liked her so much more than Dr. Glasser who i have never minded but Cash never liked her and usually runs in the other direction when she comes into the room. Today was a completely different experience. Dr. Goebel was gentle and kind and took a lot more time allowing Cash to get used to her (usually dr. glasser just gets down to business, ignoring the cowering child in the corner). For the first time Cash let a doctor look into his ears without me having to hold his head down - he even showed Dr. Goebel where his ears and eyes were so she could look into them. He talked to her and showed her things and told her how he was feeling. It was pretty amazing. I think i'll request her from now on.

Happy Halloween

Cash had a very successful halloween. Despite being a little sick he really did well. He dressed up and didn't mind wearing his costume all night. He went to quite a few houses with Daddy, Reece and Addison and got tons more candy than a 22 month old needs.
He rode in the wagon up to the houses and then walked to the door with Addie. He seemed pretty proud of himself when he returned with his loot.
Mommy stayed behind with Bethany and held a couple of really small babies!
He really likes candy. He has been pinching from our candy bowl all day and ate a snickers bar and butterfinger tonight. I made sure i brushed his teeth well, no matter how fiercely he protested. He can say Happy Halloween, Trick or Treat and BOO!
He just went to bed at 8:45pm after thoroughly entertaining his daddy and I by running around the house, screaming Happy Halloween, making funny faces, jumping up and down and talking jibberish.
Its kind of sad that Halloween is only one day because i think Cash would really have liked this holiday to continue - it seems like he just gets the hang of things and then they are over.

It was also fun to watch Cash interact with the Oswalt twins. I didn't let him get too close because of his runny nose but he did make sure both babies had their blankets when they were sleeping and when they were awake he gave them both a toy to play with. He also helped me hold the bottle to feed one of them. Overall he was really sweet, now we just have to work on being gentle.

Fun mom stuff

This morning I surprised the kiddos at Sylvia's with goodie bags. I wore a friendly witch hat and said "trick or treat" when they came to the door. I provided more tricks than treats with playdough, straws, stickers, magic wands and puzzles. It was lots of fun.

32 weeks

Yesterday i had a good doctor's appointment. I'm 32 weeks and moving right along. I spent about 20 minutes hooked up to the monitor because i casually mentioned to the nurse that i was having some contractions and a couple episodes where they became regular but nothing serious. Shoulda kept my mouth shut. But Chandler was with me so it wasn't too boring. We listened to Cooper bump around and felt sorry for all the other women in there who have to do that on a regular basis because it is sooo boring. His heartrate is all over the place (probably because he is moving so much) and on the high end of normal but nothing to be very normal - he's just an active baby. I measure well but still had to check the fibronectin (google it) - soft but nothing doing.
Still trying to get an H1N1 shot. The office didn't get the supply they were supposed to this week but the CDC promised that it will come to them next week - 100 doses. then the plan is for the office to call all of the pregnant women and it will be first come first serve. yikes! The hold up seems to be the fact that the injection seems to be harder to come by than the nasal spray and pregos can only have the injection.

Cash: 21 months

I don't know if it is because he has been sick or if Cash is entering a new phase but he is quite a handful these days. He has been having a hard time sleeping - that i know is because he isn't feeling well and its been hard for him to breathe with a stuffy/runny nose and fever. But, when he wakes up in the middle of the night he screams so loud for us i think something is really wrong but once we go see him he calms down and cuddles up to fall back asleep.

He also has a crazy-strong attachment to his daddy right now. Chandler is the only one he wants to put him to bed and the only one who can calm him down at night when he wakes up. The other night he wouldn't let Chandler put him down and he ended up sleeping in our bed, cuddled up in daddy's arms. Something neither of us want to make a habit of but it helped everyone get some sleep so that was ok. Although, i accidentally reached over and poked Chandler in the eye, I reacted by saying "oh, no, are you ok?" (he was fine - his eyes were closed) but Cash didn't like that one bit and started to scream and cry out "you hurt daddy". His crying was so intense he lost his breath. Nobody messes with his daddy.

Drop off at daycare hasn't been too bad but it hasn't been as smooth as usual either. Today Cash did not want to let go of daddy and actually cried when Chandler put him down to leave.

Cash is also very strongly attached to his blanket and dummy. This is nothing new but usually he doesn't want these things before bedtime and its easy to separate them from his grasp. Cash is now asking for them when he is riding in the car, sitting watching TV, etc. I think this is because he isn't feeling well because usually when he is running a mile a minute playing he doesn't think twice about them. When he doesn't feel well he likes to cuddle on the couch and i guess that also spells Blanket and Dummy to him.

He's not eating well either. i think all these things are because he is sicky but you never know and always second guess yourself until something new pops up.

Cash really enjoys his Pop. If Pop ever got out of eye-shot Cash would run around looking for him or start calling his name. He woke up in the morning asking for him too. This morning when Cash wasn't feeling well and his Mom and Dad couldn't help him he asked for Pop.

the whirlwind is over

I can finally see the end of this whirlwind that has been the past 2 months! yay and phew! Here is a recap of the past 7 weekends (as you all know, weekends are the only time a working mom has to get anything done because week days are full of work, commute, dinner, bath, bed)
1. weekend before market - mandatory work days
2. weekend after market - Mother comes to visit
3. Mother is still here since her flights were cancelled
4. San Diego for work photoshoot
5. Oregon to see the Martin Sr.s
6. NC for Market
7. Pop visits

I really do like to travel and like to have people visit but it usually isn't this consistent. And now i only have 6 Saturday's before Cooper shows up on our doorstep!

This weekend i'm just going to lay around and relax.

I think all the moving and shaking has caught up with Cash too. He was running a bit of a fever yesterday when he woke up from his nap and then was whimpering in his bed starting at about 4:30 this morning. Poor guy.

30 weeks

Great check up today. Baby sounds good, is measuring good - all is right with the world. I need to get my flu shot. Dr.'s office is out so i'll go to walgreens or something - that way i can go with Chandler and hold his hand! I asked her about H1N1 (or Hini as CJM calls it). She said i should get one and the CDC is supposed to deliver their supply at the end of the month which will coinside with my next appointment so we'll discuss further then. Dr. Lisa had mixed feelings about it since last time something like the H1N1 happened more people ended up getting sick from the vaccine than the virus but she will go with the CDC's recommendation for pregnant woment to receive the shot. I asked her about pregnant women taking airborne or emergen-c and she said as long as you don't overdo it you can take it. It is just a mega dose of vitamins and shouldn't hurt. She gave me the traveling in your 3rd trimester speech and printed out my medical records and sent me on my way.
However! before i left we talked schedules!!! This is a totally weird conversation to have. I'm pretty sure that if my due date wasn't Christmas eve we wouldn't even be having it and i would just let nature take its course (up to a point) but since no one wants to ruin Christmas we are pretty much picking a date out of a hat. Our first choice was Dec. 9 but Dr. Lisa & Dr. Don are out of town at their annual Disneyland trip so that isn't going to work because i want at least Dr. Lisa there. So she said what about the weekend after - I am totally blown away by the fact that she delivers babies on the weekend. Its one thing if it is spontaneous but to actually schedule a delivery when you should be running errands and playing with one of your 5 children - she's a crazy women!! She loves her job and also explained I probably wouldn't be the only one in labor that day. So we decided on December 12, 2009! 12-12-09 sounds pretty good. I'll still be required to have an amnio for lung maturity but that's no big deal after already having one with Cash. Hopefully all stays put until then because when i get something in my head i like it to stay that way.

Tonight Cash stripped his baby naked and rushed to put him on the big potty. It was pretty cute. I guess maybe Elizabeth is right.

Baseball Pants

Cash wanted nothing to do with a diaper today, instead he requested to wear his baseball pants. This is an odd request since we haven't seen or spoke of these pants in weeks - oh, the toddler memory. These are actually baby boxer shorts (that barely fit). They are really cute on him but not appropriate for leaving the house on a mid-October day. I finally convinced him to put a diaper on under his baseball pants but we didn't get as far as to put real long pants on. He also refuses to let his baby doll wear a diaper either - but i think that is because he likes to see the little belly button ("button" as he calls it).
Chandler dropped him off at Sylvia's and told her he didn't want to wear a diaper today and she said it was because Gabby - the older girl at daycare - encourages him to not wear a diaper like her. She says to Cash, "eww Cash, you're wearing a diaper" and then he wants to take it off. Cute? Well, maybe Gabby can potty train Cash and Sylvia and I will go get our nails done.

new recipe

I'll be trying this new recipe: Salsa Chicken
Put 3 or 4 frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot,
cover with 1 can cream of mushroom soup ,
sprinkle 1 package of taco seasoning
top with 1 jar of salsa.
Cook on high for approx. 4 hours and the chicken falls apart just by stirring it.
You can put the chicken in tortillas with lettuce, tomato, cheese, etc for burritos or tacos.
*To make this into soup*
add chicken broth,
a little extra water,
can of black beans,
frozen or canned corn (drained) and cook to boiling.
Pour over tortilla chips for the BEST tortilla soup ever.
Top with cheese

Ore-gone

Well we've got another successful trip to Oregon and back under our belts. Chandler and Cash left last Thursday afternoon to fly up to Oregon to see G'ama and Poppy. Trying something new, they flew into Eugene on a smaller carrier who only flies Thursday and Sunday. Since Chandler is on break right now that seemed to work for them and it saved us a few bucks. I flew up on Friday night after work into Portland to meet them. We spent Saturday at the Bauman Farms Pumpkin Patch - our 2nd annual trip! Cash had an excellent time and he was constantly "oohing" and "ahhing" and he does the funniest shocked face when he sees something that is exciting. He really loved seeing all the farm equipment. There were tractors and 4-wheelers everywhere and he couldn't contain his excitement. At one point he even climbed into a John Deer gator when no one was looking. His first stop was the giant jumping pillow which is so cool and something i've only seen here. Last year it was really scary but this year he got right in there with all the big kids. It was off to the petting zoo next and Cash really loved it. He "bok-boked" at the chickens, tickled the cow's noses and fed the goats (who would eat anything). He was being such a boy when he would walk up to one of the pens, put his face right to the animal and make the biggest explosion noise you've ever heard. It cracked everyone up. After we left the petting zoo we found the little kid playground with slides, bikes, ride-on tractors, tires to climb in and out of and swings. Cash could probably stay at a playground the entire day. Next we grabbed a bag of famous apple cider doughnuts! While we waited for the hayride we jumped in the acorn/filbert nut pit (this is just like the corn kernnel pit that Wiley played in but made with filbert nuts). The hayride was very exciting for my boy who points out every truck, tractor and cho-cho he comes across. He was mesmerized by the big tractor and we got to sit right up front and watch the man drive it and watch the wheels go 'round. We stayed on to circle the farm twice! This was really fun. We wandered around a bit after that and watched the kids come out of the hay maze via the giant slide. We ended our adventure in the market where Cash got himself a banana and then it was off to the car for a nap. Cash was such a good little boy all day.

He liked playing around at the Martin Seniors. They have a great backyard and lots of Daddy's old toys to play with. Especially "Tex" the horsey. Cash ran around the house and yard all weekend and chased their Chachi just like at home. On Saturday night a friend of the family, Karen, came to visit and brought Cash a balloon with a star on it. He really liked to play with it. It was a big sports weekend in Oregon and in the Martin house. The Duck and Beavers both won and there was a lot of baseball watching so the boys spent a good amount of time with the TV on. This gave Cash a chance to play with G'ama and watch the squirrels in the feeder.

On Sunday we went to an old favorite, the Burger Basket before we went to the airport. Cash really enjoyed his burger.

He was totally awesome on the plane ride home - i think it helps that he can bounce back and forth between momma and daddy.

Next we're off to NC - Cash is quite the jet setter!

No, that's not Cash -- it's Cooper!

We had a great doctors apointment today - although it was very uneventful. I am now officially excited about my new little guy. He's totally healthy and super cute! Ventricles have actually shrunk (or we got a more accurate measurement - which is more likely the case). I am thrilled there is nothing wrong with this guy, he's as healthy as any other baby, but a little frustrated that i've been put through the ringer for 30 weeks just to get the 4th "all clear" of the pregnancy. I'm thankful i have very thorough caregivers but seriously, good thing i have insurance. Next time i may just leave it all up to chance (probably not though).

October early update

October is going to be a very busy month but I think we've got it all under control. I had to be in San Diego for work on Friday so Cash and I drove down on Thursday afternoon so we could hang out with Sarah, Rick and Bobby while they are there waiting for Rick's departure. we had a really great time, short and sweet but being pretty far pregnant with lower energy and with Cash testing more boundaries every day it was just enough time. We were supposed to fly but i got nervous the morning we were supposed to leave with everything i had to carry and rent the car, etc. I cancelled the flight and jumped in the car. The drive is actually really easy and Cash did very well on the way there. We listened to stories (3 little pigs, Hansel and Grettel) on the iPod, talked about the trucks and choo-choos we saw and counted the cars - before we knew it we were there.
Sarah was kind enough to watch Cash on Friday - all day - so i could take care of my work obligation. That went quickly and i was home at 4:30! Everyone was happy and Sarah didn't run screaming from the kids so I guess she doesn't scare too easy.
Saturday we went to breakfast, the aquarium and then Cash fell asleep in the car so we decided to just get on the road and get home before dark.
It is hard to care for a toddler by yourself. I realized that when Cash gets unrully I usually have Chandler remove him from the situation or we can take turns so no one gets too frustrated. Cash was having a semi-meltdown at the Aquarium (he was just really tired and ready for a nap) and i had to just deal with it. No big deal, we got it together but i am just very appreciative of my partner.
I never sleep in the same bed as Cash, except for in hotels. And there have really only been a handful of hotel trips in Cash's lifetime. He is the craziest sleeper. I'm not sure if he does this when he is in the crib at home or if it is just something he does in big beds or just in unfamiliar places, but he is all over the place. It never wakes him but he tosses and turns and sits up and lays down and flips around - all the while snuggled up so close to me he practically knocks me off the bed. It doesn't seem to bother him but I don't sleep well like this. Another good reason that he prefers to sleep in his own bed.
We were so glad to spend a little more time with Bobby - he is getting really cute and is a great baby - and Rick before he leaves for so long. I wish Chandler could have been there too because i know he enjoys hanging out with Rick.
Chandler started more professional development classes on Saturday and will take them for the next 6-8 saturdays. It all pays off in the end!
Thursday, Chandler and Cash go up to Oregon for the annual pumpkin patch trip. I will join them on Friday night after work and then we all come home on Sunday. I have Monday off and will probably take the rest of that week off so Chandler and I can take care of some very important things around the house before the baby comes. Mostly, setting up the new bedroom which we have decided will be Cash's new room. We were going to try to let Cash keep his room but it is just so much more work to move the rooms around and this way we can give Cash something really special to move into.

'mmie is gone

Cash started calling "grammy" by just the ending sound - 'mmie (sounds like Mee) and she probably wishes that he hadn't figured this one out because it was all 'mmie, all the time before she left. "Come on 'mmie", "Bye 'mmie", "Bite 'mmie", "moon 'mmie", and so on. Unfortunately, Cash was in a bit of a rotten mood on Sunday and had 2 good fits for no reason. I think he was working through a bit of a tummy ache because he didn't go to the bathroom as regularly as he usually does and then he woke up last night with a lot of gas. I think we are all suffering from a little too much fun this weekend - it was hard to get out of bed this morning and i'm writing this blog just so i don't fall asleep at my desk!
We had a great time and got some extra special bonus time with Grammy because her flights were cancelled! We all like having Grammy around and those of you who have her within arms reach or a car ride should feel very lucky!

Spoiled

Cash is getting a little spoiled! Grammy got him an awesome truck which he asked for first thing when he woke up this morning and didn't want to leave it to go to bed last night. I actually had to bribe him with his blanket and dummy. There is a little man that drives the truck who Cash calls "daddy" - i guess it looks like daddy. The funniest part is that the truck is a garbage truck and the little man is a sanitation worker! ha ha, daddy is a garbage man. Daddy is trying to convince Grammy and I that Cash is actually calling the little man "Danny" not "Daddy". Don't think so Chandler.
Cash also likes that Gammy provides him with an endless supply of yummy treats. He is enjoying bannana bread and red licorice.

Not so fast

Just after I was cleared from the Perinatologist's, Dr. Roberts (boy) care, i've been called back. Upon reviewing the tapes my primary OB wants me to go back for a check up in 3 weeks because it looks like the baby's got an "enlarged left ventricle" in his brain - whatever that means. The measurements are just at the upper limits of normal (what else is new) at 10.5 (normal is 10). I should have asked more questions but was a little confused at first so i'll gather my questions and ask next week when i go to see Dr. Roberts (girl).

Update to come...

The "Grammy" who shall remain nameless comes to visit

Grammy (the grandmother who shall remain nameless in the eyes of her grandson) has come to visit and we are all so excited. For some reason it gives us all a big sense of relief when Grammy comes. Its like the day-to-day stress melts away. Just having another set of hands around the house is a lot of fun and a big help. We picked her up on Saturday and went to have some lunch then came home for a nap. The rest of the weekend rushed by and we played a lot and watched as Cash entertained everyone. He is a real stinker, refusing to say "Grammy" although i know he can do it - he can say every word invented and when asked to say "Grammy" he says, "no" instead. I'm convinced he knows this frustrates us.
Grammy babysat while Chandler and I had lunch out. Which was really fun but we talked about Cash and the new baby the entire time...guess that goes with the territory. Its been a while since we've been out - just the two of us - so maybe with a little more practice we'll get better.
I took the day off work yesterday, which I must do more often. I had such a nice time with my baby and mother. I had to get a test run at the doctor’s office so Grammy watched Cash and then we went out to lunch and to the book store. Then I got to take a nap, in my bed, not on the couch! Amazing. In the late afternoon we went and watched Anna play volley ball and after a few minutes Cash warmed up and was the hyper kid running all over the bleachers. I’m back at work today but planning my next day off!
For the most part we've just enjoyed each other's company. Cash has really liked having someone else to show off in front of and color with. And Grammy is more than happy to oblige.

This week's theme: SLEEP

Since everyone is blogging about sleep in their households this week i thought i'd add my nightmare to the dicussion. Cash has woken up in the middle of the night, sometimes twice, 4 out of 5 nights this week, . At some point between 2:30 and 4:30 my little boy has woken up crying. Sometimes he is calling for me, sometimes he is just crying and last night he asked me for a bottle, cookies and a snack. As far as I can tell nothing is physically wrong with him. I've gone through all the usual suspects, dirty diaper, sick/fever, nightmare, hot/cold, noises, etc, but nothing fit. I thought maybe he was hungry because Chandler told me that he didn't eat much dinner one of the nights and i gave him some milk and he sucked it down very quickly. But I've settled on more of a phychological issue of missing his momma. I don't know how real this is but since i've been gone before he gets up and home after he gets to bed, maybe he is waking up because he misses me and wants to see. I know he misses me because Chandler tells me he asks about me and says, "momma work" in the mornings. Also, i got a little extra time last night and this morning to be home and he was really clingly - but i didn't mind clinging right back! Hopefully now that Market is over things can get back to normal for my boy and we'll be back to our usual routine of sleeping.

Cluck Cluck (or bock bock as CR would say)

Its market week and i'm out of the house by 6:30 am and not home until after 7:30pm so dinner this week is going to be a little different. All meals can be made ahead of time and/or reheated.
The first thing i did was buy 2 rotisserie chickens and shred them into a large zip lock bag so have I have a chicken reserve. This chicken will show up in lots of places this week.

White Chili - so easy and so good and so easy to reheat - over and over and over. Both my boys love it. Oil in large spaghetti pot, garlic, green chilis (mild), (chopped onion if you like) a few cans of white kidney beans (northern beans will work to but they aren't as good but easier to find) and ground clove. Then toss in some of the shredded chicken - as much as you like. If you like it hot, add jalepenos and/or red chili flakes (you can do this to individual bowls if tastes are different or if you are serving at a party). Serve with montery jack cheese, corn chips, sour cream, etc. I have already made this so CJ can reheat and serve.

Puffed Pastries (if you like Top Chef you can call this a deconstructed chicken pot pie) - Pillsbury puffed pastries (in freezer section by frozen pie crust and philo dough) cooked to directions on box. Cut up celery, carrots and saute (i cut them ahead of time and they are just waiting to be cooked). Heat up a couple cans of cream of chicken soup, throw in cooked veggies and frozen peas, add shredded chicken. Pile on top of hot pastries. All these pieces are made (or staged) so there is just putting it together and making it hot left to do.

Chicken Tacos - duh. use shredded chicken, warm through in taco seasoning + water. add taco stuff (lettuce, tomato, cheese) . Everything is made already, all i'll need to do is put the pieces together

Chicken Parmesean - Chicken tenderloins (these cook really fast and are easier for me than the whole breast) breaded and pan fried. I cooked these already so they are waiting in a bag in the fridge. I'll just pour some tomato sauce over them, season with oregano and basil, cover with shredded mozerella cheese - bake until bubbly.

I also have ground beef and ground pork to make a meatloaf since that was such a hit a couple weeks ago. takes a long time to cook though so maybe i'll get brave and try it in the crock pot if i get home early enough one night...i'll keep you posted since i know you all look forward to these food blogs the most!

I also cooked up a big bunch of green beans and have them waiting in a zip lock. green beans will get eaten in my house and seems they reheat well without getting mushy. we'll have these with a few of the meals.

This morning i also made a huge smoothy and brought it with me to work. the Dole Smoothie mix of frozen fruit at Sam's Club is awesome. Mango, Strawberry, Pineapple - add orange juice - blend.

I'm hoping by being prepared and eating well i'll keep myself from getting run down this week.

Life and stuff

I know that i am a better mother because i work.
I would probably be very frustrated and frazzled if i didn't work and stayed at home with Cash. I like to work and I am very good at my job and really like to know that we have money in the bank if we want to go out to dinner or if we want to fly to see our family but sometimes i get really jealous of other stay at home moms. I think its a classic case of "the grass is always greener". Almost every one of my high school and college friends who have babies is a SAHM. There are a bunch of ladies in my neighborhood who are SAHMs. The problem is I find myself having a really hard time relating to them. We spend a lot of time outside in the evenings now that the weather is cooling off and Cash is much more mobile and social. We run into Devin and Riley and Jack almost every night. Their moms talk about meeting up at the park at 10am the next day or going to the play gym on Tuesday's at noon and i just have to pack my baby off to daycare each day. They always try to include me but i must decline.
I tell myself that I am going to take a day off each month to do these things with Cash but there is never a good time - and frankly the corporate culture at my business is not one that fosters personal time off. I wont be in this job forever and maybe my next job will allow for more time with my children. I think i do a pretty good job at quality time when i am home at night and on weekends. I think i'm just missing Cash right now because i've been working much longer hours lately. And because he is making such developmental strides that i want to be around to see everything.

Baby C update

Seems all is well with Baby C. I have been cleared from the perinatologist's care and can just go back to seeing Dr. Lisa full time. That kind of sucks because the peri's office is so quiet and fast and Dr. Lisa is more popular than the opening night of the Jonas Brother's concert.
The baby is about 2lbs right now - that's about 1/2 pound more than average for this age. He is measuring about 27.5 weeks (I am 25 weeks today). That is about the same as Cash - he was always about 10 days to 2 weeks bigger. All the parts and pieces are still there and he seems to be very happy to kick me in the cervix every few minutes. He is really busy in there and the US tech had a hell of a time trying to catch him before he flipped around. Much like his brother he keeps his hands in front of his face - all the better to punch me with.
WARNING: GIRLY STUFF FOLLOWING...
The big question was about the placement of the placenta. For the previous 20+ weeks my placenta and the ventricals have been dangerously close to growing into my previous uterine incision and threatened the blood flow into the uterus. The good news is that today we noticed that my placenta has shifted across just enough for all of this to be a fuzzy memory. There is no longer any threat or reason to be concerned. The doctor still recommends a c-section rather than a vbac and that works best for me as well. But there will - baring any further complications - be no need for extra blood, extra surgeons, extra prayers, removal of any body parts, etc. during the delivery. yay! bring on #3.

For the most part Cash is happy to do anything - anything he wants. Ride in the wagon, go for a walk, play, read books, sit on the coffee table, climb on things, steal cookies out of the pantry, flush the potty over and over, open the back door, chase the dog...
He really, really, really doesn't like a few things these days. He hates to put a diaper on or get dressed. If you can get his diaper on he is much easier to get dressed but getting the diaper on is just about enough to stop everything and potty train him NOW. He will kick and squirm and scream and cry and it is awful! He has gotten a few good kicks to my face and body - enough so that i just have to walk away and let him be naked. I don't know why he doesn't like to put his diaper on, once its on he is just fine and it doesn't bother him or anything he just hates to lay down and get it strapped on. Sometimes i can distract him with a book or a toy but mostly its a battle.
Also, he hates to get his teeth brushed. He turned a very scary shade of blue the other night because he was screaming so hard to not get his teeth brushed. i wish this was the kind of thing that i could just ignore or say, we'll do it tomorrow but i just don't want his teeth to rot out of his mouth - especially when he is eating more and more interesting things these days - and loving ice cream and frozen yogurt with cookie dough bites and lollipops. I've gotten him all sorts of fun toothbrushes with characters and cars on them but they all have the evil bristle end that mommy shoves in his mouth. He will cooperate for about 1 second - about as long as it takes to suck the bubble gum flavored toothpaste off the end. After that its all over. I tried going back to the finger brush but he bit me really hard and that was that.
Eating dinner also hasn't been very fun lately. Cash is a good eater but he has just preferred to play over sitting in his chair and eating dinner and now that he has learned to say "down please" it takes him about 60 seconds to figure out that he'd rather chase Chachi around the backyard than sit and eat dinner. So out comes the "down please" and i try to make him sit for "one more bite" but that doesn't happen.
For the most part he doesn't need much discipline - i'm sure that will change. The occassional slap or hit gets him a dirty look from Mom and that is usually enough. But i feel he is really testing his waters with these things.

nigh-night

when Cash goes to bed he says "nigh-night" to everything he knows a word for. Chachi, Doggie, Daddy, Choo-Choo train, bike, ball, motorcycle, car, truck, big truck, colors, moon, chair, seat, shirt, shoes, and the list goes on and on.
His new favorite thing is to make mommy do things. "Go Mama" "sit Mama" "come Mama". Today he had me climbing all over a playground like I was 2 years old. He has a pretty strong grip and will grab your hand and drag you if you aren't cooperating.
He loves big kids too. Last night we were in the driveway drawing with the chalk and all the big kids were in the street playing. Cash just stood at the end of the driveway watching them kick the soccer ball around.
I think Cash is a really big dude - not oddly big just proportionately big. There are so many other kids I see and i think they are much younger than they are because i compare them to Cash's size. Most year olds look about 9 months to me. And Cash compares with most 2 year olds.
He's been sick and now i'm sick - that's the way it goes. I have to work on Monday so i'll miss daddy daycare, lets hope there isn't more playing with cleaning tools.

dinner

Monday night update - Left the onions out of the meatloaf (even though i think they are the best part) and chandler loved it. He wasn't thrilled when i told him we were having meatloaf because all he hears is ONION but it was more like a big meatball for him.

i'm getting back on the weekly planning wagon. it really does make things easier and gives me more time in the evenings.

meatloaf (this will make good leftovers for lunch)
bbq shrimp with steamed rice
mexican caserole (nacho chips, crushed tomato, ground taco meat, cheese)
salmon and lentils
chicken cordon bleu (don't be scared - thin chicken breasts, ham, swiss, roll up, heat pan with oil, cook chicken through.)

of course all meals should be served with your favorite veggies for healthy eating.

Dizzy Bat

Cash doesn't really understand being dizzy - but he's figureing it out. He loves to do ring around the rosey and just spins and spins and spins around and then falls down. When he gets up he spins some more and falls down more. Then he can't walk straight and falls down but keeps trying to get up and run around. He wiped out pretty good tonight but it didn't seem to phase him. i think from now on we'll be doing that on the grass only.

names

we've been trying to come up with all the possible ways the names we like could be made fun of.

Cooper Martin = Pooper Fartin

Carter = Farter Martin

Carson = ...

Sucks for you

For all of you that don't come to visit Cash it sucks for you. He is such an awesome boy. He is so much fun and so funny to be around. His intelligence blows me away daily.
He is starting to put words together - "what's that", "bye motorcycle" and "kick the ball" and his vocab is exploding each day. He can tell you just about everything that he needs and finds it very easy to get what he wants when he can tell me about it. He is also learning his maners with "please" and "thank you". He mostly remembers to say it - except one time when he wanted to get down from his booster seat and he said "down" and we said "what do you say?" and he said "down" and we said, "down what?" and he said "down what" - we had to laugh and count that one.
He loves to be outside and will take your hand and lead you out there to play. The weather has actually been really nice in the mornings and later in the day so he's been running around the yard, going up and down his slide, playing in the pool, chasing "Chachi" and throwing and kicking balls. He loves, loves, loves his bike and can almost use the pedals. Mostly he goes backwards but this weekend he pushed the pedals so he went forward two whole rotations! He will just go outside and sit on his bike or push his bike around to different places.
He takes direction very well and he loves to help clean up. If there is something out of place he will run over to it, crouch down and say, "uh oh". I'll say, pick it up and throw it in the garbage and he can do just that. He also likes to pretend to nap. If i am folding laundry he will take a towel, lay it out on the ground and lay down. Then he will jump up, fold the towel and hand it to me. Just like he does at daycare with his naptime mat.
Cash is starting to like Elmo ("melmo"). We have books and plates and toys with Elmo and when he sees the little red monster he gets very excited. Cash really understands playing too. He can play peek-a-boo, tag, ring-around-the-rosey and more. I realize that most of his toys (except his ride-on toys) are little baby toys so Christmas will probably be lots of new plastic things that will keep him guessing. He is still a really good sleeper but he has been waking up earlier lately so he has an extended bedtime until 7:30pm which seems to do the trick. Cash doesn't like the bathtub so much these days - hopefully that is a phase - and HATES to get his teeth brushed. No matter what type of cool, fun toothbrush we get and no matter what yummy flavor toothpaste we use he just kicks and screams and runs away when we try to brush his teeth.
I know he really likes to go to school but some days i wish i could just stay home and play with him - or maybe just not spend so much time at work. If i could get him at 3pm i think that would be just great. He does like to be with the other kids and i know he is learning a lot with them so I can be ok with it for now.
So, there's your Cash update. I guess i'll have to come back to NC if any of you want to see him again, maybe in October.

20 weeks

20 weeks into my pregnancy and I must admit I haven't thought an awful lot about it. It is so different than the first time around. I don't know if I don't have time to think about it or I just don't feel like i need to think about it because it's all old stuff but sometimes it shocks me how little i think about it. I thought this weekend I would go out an try to buy one or two little outfits for the new baby but then i realize that i have no intention of doing that because i have boxes full of clothes and supplies and that would be wasteful.
I feel very different - so tired all the time. I remember getting some energy back with Cash but I am wiped out by about 9pm now and it is a real struggle to get out of the bed in the morning. I am beyond lazy but just can't help it. I don't taste metal like i did with Cash but everything smells like wet plants - just like a nursery. I have leg cramps but no heartburn yet. I haven't thrown up this week which is promising.
I guess we should start thinking a little more seriously about a name but I am really in no hury. There is a growing list of things that need to happen for Cash before the new baby comes - namely move him into a big boy bed which is going to be really hard. He loves his bed and is never in any hurry to get out of it in the mornings. That's one of my favorite things about him. In the morning you can go into his room and he's just laying on his back looking up at the ceiling waiting for you - not complaining, sometimes talking to himself or his blanket but he is just happy to be laying in his comfy bed. October is my goal for a lot of the transition pieces.
I'm also in a bit of a pickle at work. I am having a baby in December but have a market in February and also in February we are launching a new show which i am the project manager for. I know i can work from home for my leave but i may have to split it into two parts and just keep the baby in a drawer at my office!

twinkle toes

Cash walks around on his tip-toes sometimes.

"Cash, do you want to put your shoes on?" "No, no, no"
"Cash, do you want to go take a bath?" "No, no, no"
"Cash, do you want to have one more bite" "No, no, no"
"Cash, do you want to go upstairs to get your blanket" "Ok"

update

my camera is broken so they will be no new pictures for a couple weeks while it is sent off to the experts to fix. I don't know why (probably Chandler's influence) but I actually bought the $50 warranty that will fix anything - good for me.
Cash is doing really well. He is getting funnier and more verbal each day. He loves to help around the house and can take instructions very well. He loves to play this game where he will whisper "mama" then get louder "mama" then "mama" until he is shouting it and then i will say "what" and he'll crack up laughing.
Also, he is really smart. Last night he had a dirty diaper and i asked him about it - he said, "kaka" and then went and got a new diaper and laid down so we could change him.

Total Stud

Cash is a real stud! he had his 18 month check up yesterday (a little late) and was a rockstar. Besides absolutely hating everyone in there - he always passes with flying colors! He really doesn't enjoy being there and Chandler had to take him until I could get there a few minutes late. I missed the weigh in but could hear him screaming down the hall - they are just measuring his head but you would think they are cutting off his limbs. The funniest part (that i missed) was when Cash wouldn't cooperate on the scale and the nurse had to weigh Chandler and then Cash and Chandler and do the math! i'm sure Chandler wasn't too happy about that one but the nurse didn't say anything. We met with the doctor and she was very happy with how Cash was growing - a whole 4lbs since his last visit (he now weighs close to 30lbs). Dr. Glasser calls him Fred Flinstone because of his giant feet. We did the autism screening and he passed that test. She asked us all the usual questions and we easily answered them all right. So we get to keep doing what we're doing. Cash is about in the 80th percentile for height and weight but he is very well proportioned - just a big kid which i lose sight of sometimes because we aren't around too many other 18 month olds. The dr. wants us to consider flossing Cash's teeth - yeah right, i just got him to let me brush his teeth without biting me recently.

He got a shot and a clean bill of health and now he doesn't have to go back until he is 2 and hopefully then he will understand a little bit better that these people aren't going to hurt him with that little tape measure.