Kiddo growth stats

BOYD
Birth: 8 lb, 8 oz (21" long)
4 days: 7 lb, 2 oz
6 days: 8 lb, 1 oz
2 weeks: 9 lb, 8 oz (21.5" long)
4 weeks: 11 lb, 13 oz
5 weeks: 12 lb, 6 oz
6 weeks: 12 lb, 14 oz
7 weeks: 13 lb, 10 oz
8 weeks: 13 lb, 15 oz
9 weeks: 14 lb, 1 oz (24.5" long)
4.5 months: 17 lb, 10 oz (25.75" long)
6.25 months: 19 lb, 3 oz (27" long)
10 months: 21 lbs, 1 oz (29.5" long)
11 months: 21 lbs, 12 oz
12.25 months: 22 lbs, 3.5 oz (31" long)
15.5 months:  24 lb, 1.4 oz (31.5" long)
19.75 months: 24 lb, 14 oz (33" long)
2 years: 27 lb, 9.6 oz (33.5" high)
3 years: 30 lb, 8 oz (36.75" high)
4 years: 36 lb (39.625" high)
5 years: 38.6 lb (42.5" high)

EVIE
Birth: 7 lb, 13 oz (21" long)
6 days: 7 lb, 10.5 oz
2 weeks: 8 lb, 15 oz (21.25" long)
8 weeks: 12 lb, 4.5 oz (23" long)
4.5 months: 14 lb, 2 oz (24.5" long)
6.5 months:  15 lb, 7 oz (26.25" long)
9.5 months:  16 lb, 15 oz (27.75" long)
12 months:  17 lb, 14 oz (29" long)
15 months:  19 lb, 15 oz (30" long)

18.5 months:  22 lb, 2 oz (32" long)

Evie has arrived!

Holy cats, my last post was in October! Sorry, friends - I really fell off the blogosphere due to huge issues with this pregnancy. The good news? Evelyn (Evie) Kim Patrick joined us and she is absolutely amazing! Born December 1, 2015 at 6:29 a.m., she weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and measured 21 inches. She's our little Korean princess (as my sister likes to say!) and we are all pretty smitten by her. We named her after our beloved maternal grandmothers who have both sadly passed away.

Just born!

At home.

Boyd is a wonderful big brother - we've had some blips along the way but overall he is so helpful and sweet with Evie. I can say that having an older kiddo is slightly easier to manage than having two very little ones in the house!

The polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid) combined with Evie's short femurs and a couple of below-average measurements on body parts gave the specialist some concern - specifically, her risk of Down Syndrome was higher. This stressed me out to no end for a couple months before I finally accepted that no amount of worrying would change the outcome. A few weeks before her birth, one of the nurse practitioners reassured me that after looking at the very detailed ultrasound photos I had on my phone, she was almost 100% sure that our baby would be fine. And, she was right - Evie is perfect!

Prior to delivery I begged my providers to let me deliver early through induction. I was induced with Boyd so I knew what to expect and honestly, I was 1,000% miserable toward the end of this pregnancy. The polyhydramnios left me feeling breathless and exhausted from only sleeping a few hours each night. My belly was almost completely numb from my skin being stretched so far in a short period of time. I caught an awful cold that I couldn't really take any medication for, and then after coughing so hard that I bruised a rib, my doc prescribed vicodin due to the excruciating pain! OMG, what a journey it has been. Luckily, 6 months after delivery, I feel really great and have about 1 pounds left to lose (after gaining close to 45 - some of that was extra amnio fluid). 

We were so lucky to have my in-laws make the trip from South Dakota to come and help out for a whole month! It was awesome to have them around to pick Boyd up from school and spend time with him, plus watch Evie while I slept. My mom was fabulous, as usual, and took Boyd to school quite a bit and helped out quite a bit.

More info to come!

Baby bump - 33 weeks / Boyd update

We made it another week, folks - hallelujah! My belly is huge and just getting bigger. I had a guy ask me in the elevator if I was having twins. I said NO and resisted the urge to kick him in the shins. Why do people think that commenting on a pregnant woman's condition is fair game?

On Tuesday I had my first 20-minute fetal monitoring session in which the nurse hooked me up to two belly straps (see below). One monitors the baby's heartbeat while the other checks to see if I have any contractions. I also had to click a little button every time I felt the baby move, which was quite a bit towards the end of the session! There's a little TV set up in the room so I didn't get too bored. My doc says everything looked normal and that she'd see me on Friday for the ultrasound.

1st session!

The fetal monitor machine. 

Today was the 33 week appointment at my OB's office. During the first 5 minutes of the fetal monitoring, baby girl was moving like CRAZY! Her heart rate sped way up to almost 190 and I thought she was going to burst out of my stomach. Turns out she turned from the breech position to head down - which is great because that's where she needs to be for delivery, but with all this extra amniotic fluid she has lots of room to move right back into breech.

• 148 baby's average heart rate
• 126/67 my blood pressure
• 132 glucose level (this was elevated - the high threshold for blood glucose is 130 but I had sugary cereal for breakfast so I need to cut back on sugar)
• 35 cm fundal (belly) measurement - measuring 2 weeks ahead due to the extra amnio fluid
• 30 pounds weight gain (if it wasn't for the extra fluid I'd weigh less - ugh)
• 24.2 AFI (amniotic fluid index) went up 2.2 cm in the last few weeks

The nurse practitioner I saw today says that the fluid will probably increase until about week 36 (argh!) and then hopefully plateau. She mentioned that she also had polyhydramnios with her son and was extremely uncomfortable in the last few weeks of pregnancy - everything was stretched to the limit!

---

Boyd update:

The kid is loving school! As long as we are not rushed in the morning and stick to the routine, getting into the car and off to school has been fairly painless. In class the kids are learning about the human body and the other day Boyd said, "mama, you have drums in your ears!" I was like,  yes, I do have eardrums! He says we have a skeleton under our skin and a skull in our head - I love hearing about the new facts that his little brain is absorbing.

On Tuesday the school called me to say that Boyd had tripped in class, hit his chin on a table and almost bit through his bottom lip! They cleaned up the blood and it looked like just a bad cut to the inside of his mouth. We checked it out that night and it wasn't something we thought warranted a trip to the ER or the doc office. Right now his lip is a bit swollen with some white skin on the inside, but he says it doesn't hurt so we're going to monitor the situation. His teacher says that after 5 minutes of crying he was fine and went right back to playing!

Boyd got his flu vaccine (the nose mist) on Monday and was the perfect patient, according to the nurse. He likes to play doctor at home and pretend that he is giving us shots when he is sick, so I think that helped at this appointment. We took a trip to ToysRUs to pick up some things for the baby and I bought him a little toy for being so awesome at the doctor's office.

Also on Monday, D took Boyd for his first professional haircut (usually either my mom or sister does his hair). D reports that Boyd was a little unsure of the whole thing at first but relaxed and didn't fuss a bit during the haircut.

Sporting a new 'do at ToysRUs. 

Before the haircut - we pulled out some baby items from my mom's basement and plopped Boyd down in this swing. He's huge!

Baby bump - 31 weeks / Boyd update

My 31 week appointment took place at my OB's office today - we had quite a bit to talk about after my last ultrasound with the specialist.

165 BPM - baby's heartbeat
31.5 cm belly measurement
126/67 blood pressure for me

My torpedo belly. 

Polydramnios level (amniotic fluid index/AFI) was 22 cm last week. On the graph that my ANP showed me today, I'm above the curve (8-18 cm is normal for 31 weeks) and she says that's why it feels like I'm carrying twins instead of a petite little baby girl. I told her how I've been sleeping upright for the last 3.5 weeks and she was shocked that I haven't been able to lie down at all this whole time.

In a mild case of polyhydramnios like mine, the course of action is to perform a 20-minute non-stress test/biofeedback profile twice a week until I give birth. I also have weekly appointments with ultrasounds until the baby comes. So that is 2 appointments a week (Tuesday and Friday) until baby girl shows up - I have never seen the doctor so much in my whole life!

I'm definitely struggling with this pregnancy and feel guilty for wishing that it would hurry by so I can feel normal again. Last night was difficult with just 3.5 hours of sleep - not being able to breathe deeply, get comfortable or feel calm is wearing on me. I'm exhausted by taking care of a toddler, fending of panic attacks, and still working 32 hours a week. Lots of complaints today, but I am thankful that our baby seems to be doing well despite all of these issues. Just come out healthy, little one!

____________________

At drop-off this morning, Boyd's teacher told me that she had to tell him to quiet down in class yesterday. I said, "Really? That's great!" She was like, "I know! He is really coming out of his shell." It is a relief to know he is happy and thriving in preschool. He can count to 6 in Spanish (that was a surprise to us!) and seems to really enjoy music time in class. They are studying planets and the solar system now, so we've heard some mentions of outer space and neptune, etc. lately.

Anchorage received the first major snowfall of the season, and Boyd helped D make a snowman out in the front yard. This kid still loves being outside.

We went to Lowe's a few weeks ago to pick up some house stuff and look at new refrigerators. 

Baby bump - 30 weeks

My 30-week appointment happened at the specialist's office last Friday and through an ultrasound we found out that my amniotic fluid is slightly high (polyhydramnios) and I'm measuring a little large because of it. This is also the reason I am unable to breathe easily. The doctor can't pinpoint for sure why my fluid is up - there are a number of scary reasons it could be happening (that I try not to think about it) or it could be a fluke. The amount is mild at this point so they are going to monitor it and do another ultrasound at 34 weeks. We also discovered that my placenta has split (bilobed)! Apparently the specialist does not consider this a serious issue, but my OB needs to make sure both sections are removed immediately after delivery.

Lots of baby movement is happening...her kicks and punches are getting more vigorous. I am feeling them all day long, but mostly when sitting at my desk in my office or relaxing on the couch. She even woke me up the other night with a one-two punch right to my bladder. Oh and the doctor estimates that she weighs around 3 lbs, 1 oz.

Since I work at a hospital, I tend to get a lot of comments from nurses about my pregnancy. Most comment on how low the baby seems to be on my frame - believe me, I can feel it! The pressure on my bladder has me in the restroom quite a bit, and overall I'm sore and achy in the pelvic region.

Here's to hoping that we'll make it full term (at least 37 weeks) and no other prenatal issues pop up between now and then!

Baby girl at 30 weeks gestation.

Baby bump - 29 weeks / Boyd update

It's been a rough third trimester, friends. D whisked me off to the Emergency Room 2 weeks ago after a horrible weekend of severe vertigo, breathlessness, and 24 hours with no sleep. After an EKG, ultrasounds on my legs, blood tests and fetal monitoring, the staff was able to rule out any heart issues, blood clots, or baby issues. Basically our little girl is pressing up against my diaphragm and lungs, which means I am struggling for breath. It was horrible - I've never felt so anxious and manic in my whole life. By that point I was at 36 hours without rest (if I did sleep, it was only for a few minutes and then I'd wake up gasping for breath). I probably would have had a breakdown if D hadn't driven me around for HOURS, helping me to fall asleep in his truck. As it is, I sleep upright on the couch, fully propped up by pillows, for about 4-5 hours a night. Not ideal but better than nothing!

I had a short appointment last Thursday with my OB. From here on out my appointments are scheduled for every two weeks, and then every week after I reach 9 months (36 weeks). My next appointment with the specialist is next Friday, where he'll do an ultrasound to check on growth progress.

116/62 blood pressure for me

25 lb weight gain so far, which is on track with my first pregnancy 

154 bpm fetal heartbeat

30 cm belly measurement

Received Tdap whooping cough vaccination and my flu shot, so I'm up to date!

I forgot to mention this in my last post, but during my most recent ultrasound all three of the people who saw the images (ultrasound tech, nurse and doctor) all went out of their way to tell me how beautiful our girl was. I wonder if they say that to everyone?! It was just funny to me because I'm like, yeah, she looks like a wrinkly little baby. :-)

D was gone a few weeks ago for 10 days on a fly-out Dall sheep hunt with a friend. No shots fired but they had a good time and came back in one piece, so that's always good news. I was pretty exhausted while he was gone - Boyd is a very active preschooler and wanted me to chase him all of the time. I'm sure it was pretty comical to see my lumbering pregnancy shuffle as I ran after my 3.5 year old! Boyd also caught a cold twice (thanks preschool!) so we had a few yucky nights with very little sleep for both of us.

I can't thank my mom enough for totally stepping in and helping out with Boyd while I've been down for the count with this breathing issue. She has been taking the kiddo to preschool in the morning for me and then keeping him on Mondays so I can rest. It's such a luxury to have family around to help - it really does take a village to raise kids!

Baby bump - 25 weeks / Boyd update

Our little baby girl is definitely growing - we're at 25 weeks now and in a few more weeks I'll hit my 3rd and final trimester. YAY!

My last appointment with the specialist consisted of an ultrasound and it looks like she is weighing around 1 pound, 4 ounces (as of last Friday). At my regular OB appointment yesterday, her fetal heartbeat was 154 beats per minute. My blood pressure was good at 118/68 and belly is measuring right at 24 weeks (24 cm), but my iron levels are slightly below normal and the nurse suggested I take an additional supplement. The glucose screening showed no signs of gestational diabetes so we are in the clear!

• Feeling lots of kicks and movement throughout the day, and we can even see my belly moving slightly. D has been able to feel the little one kicking from time to time. 
• My sleep hasn't been very restful as of late - it's difficult to get comfortable so I've been sleeping with a body pillow. My hands/arms get tingly and my hips ache in the morning. Both D and I have become unhappy with our current mattress so we tested a few and pulled the trigger on a memory foam model, which has arrived! I really like it so far - D says it's too early to tell for him. 
• It was pretty hot here in the AK during these summer months, so when I'm not at work I have a pretty steady wardrobe of leggings and tank tops! Otherwise I have stretchy tops, cardigans and maternity pants to wear at work. 
• Posterior pelvic pain - which is just a fancy way of saying aches and pains in my bottom and down my legs. Doc says my ligaments and muscles are loosening up and getting ready to birth a baby in a couple of months.
• Shortness of breath
• Sour taste in mouth - didn't experience this during my last pregnancy!
• Pressure on bladder = many trips to the restroom (2-3x during the night)
• I was pretty sick until about 16.5 weeks into this pregnancy, so the last 7 weeks haven't actually been so bad in comparison!

Boyd update: have you heard the term "three-nager"? It's like having a teenager but they're THREE so it's obviously much, much worse, right?. Well we have one in our house! Oh the tantrums about NOTHING. Or it will start out about something (no more TV, time for bed, come in the house, yes you must wear underwear, etc.) and then I really believe he forgets what he was so upset about - which means crying or whining because of a residual feeling. We usually tell him to go in his room when he's having a fit and when he's ready to calm down he can come out. It's funny because all of a sudden he'll be fine and will let us know that he's not upset any more. Poor kid - so many emotions and changes going on in his life. We're just trying to deal with this development the best we can.

First day of preschool, August 19, 2015, at 3.5 years old!

His first day of school was this past Wednesday. We were prepping him for it for at least a week, with little talks and reminders about how fun school was last year. Boyd woke up in a good mood (hallelujah!) and I made sure to give him plenty of time for breakfast and playtime in the morning before we left. He was pretty happy leaving the house and then got a little quiet when he realized we were at school. We held hands and walked to his new classroom to see his new teachers (Miss Connie and Miss Lisabeth). After finding his cubby I gave him a big hug and kiss, and told him I'd come pick him up from the playground right after school. Oh I felt so bad after seeing the look on his little face, with the lower lip quivering like the tears were going to come! He held it together though and pretty much stood just inside the doorway of his classroom, looking inside and taking it all in. He looked so small and fragile to me!

When I picked him up from the playground later on, I saw no trace of tears and he was happy to see me. I know he'll be totally fine with going to school again once he has time to adjust but it's these first days that are difficult. What's funny is that as I was driving to my mom's house, he freaked out about going there instead of to "his house." Like maybe he had a delayed upset reaction to school? Or seeing me for a short period in the middle of the day was off-putting. The rest of the week has gone well during drop-off. The lead teacher gives him a hug to welcome him in class and says that he is slowly warming up, playing with other kids and participating. I do drop off in the morning and then my mom picks him up at 11:15. Wish us luck for next week!

Freshly bathed and ready for storytime. 

We went to dinner downtown at Simon & Seafort's (one of my favorites!) since I had some dining credit. Boyd ate like a champ, which is always nice. Next door is a cute little B&B with a bridge over a water feature. 

San Diego - 3

I never finished my San Diego recaps...from JANUARY. My blogging has really gone downhill!

At Sea World San Diego - such a cool place but lots of controversy around it due to the treatment of the killer whales.

TURTLE!

Oh gosh, look at my poor sick baby. He caught something on the plane and was pretty miserable. 

We missed the Shamu show because of Boyd's nap schedule, but still got to see the orcas (killer whales) swimming. I was surprised that they had 4 or 5 of them all in one tank. 

We figured out our nap system on this day - leave wherever we are at lunch time and then drive around until B falls asleep. We figured out that we absolutely CANNOT stop the car or else he'll wake up. And get mad.  

The penguin exhibit was really neat too - they are so much larger than you would expect them to be. Most of them just stood around watching us, but there was a small group that would jump in and out of the water. So cute. 

Baby beluga whale. We have these at home - you can see them along Turnagain Arm.

Mama is a sucker and bought the $26 penguin rolling backpack. In my defense, it's super cute and kept him occupied for quite a while. And he still likes it today. 

Boyd - 2 years, 2 months

Our 2-year old is a pretty great kid. Funny, sweet and good-natured for the most part!

• Says "ewwww"
• Really likes busses as of late - but pronounces it "bus-shhhh". We look for them on the road when driving. When one passes us he says "more bus!"
• He's all about the new rocking chair - he sits in every night when we read stories before bed. I have to get in real close so his feet rest on my legs and then we read book after book.
• Sleep has been challenging lately. It never goes smoothly when he's overtired, sick, or going through a milestone. We've tried and tried to get him to fall asleep before 9 p.m. but he's not having it. I figure he'll have an automatic 8 p.m. bedtime when Daylight Savings Time ends in November!
• We've been telling Boyd that his Grandparents from South Dakota are coming to see him this summer. He says "Papa" for Grandpa and I'll say "Grandma Mim" to distinguish from Grandma Ann. Well now he says "MIM!" everytime we say Grandma. I think he might have called my mom Mim the other day. So now we call my mom "Hahma" (sort of a mangled version of the Korean word for Grandma) and Mim can officially be Grandma! On the plus side, he's pretty excited about all of his grandparents. 
• This kid loves oatmeal. He asks for it every morning that I make his breakfast (Monday - Friday). And sometimes he requests it for dinner! On the weekends that D is home, he gets Boyd up and they have peanut butter toast together. :-)
• Much more talking is going on - lots of 2-word sentences and he always likes to know that we understand what he is saying. 
• In the last month we've had lots of adventures - Museum excursions, a trip to Chuck-E-Cheese with daddy, a Cabelas store opening in Anchorage (D is thrilled), and many MANY days outside as the temperatures get warmer and the snow melts. 

We love the weekends. Jammies, no makeup and leisurely mornings at home. Plus, Daddy makes breakfast!

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Yum. My friend Tina gave us a cutter that turns sandwiches into 2 dolphins and a heart. 

Why yes, that it a bacon band-aid on Boyd's tummy. Someone got into the bandages. 

This is from a couple weeks ago. Most of that snow is gone!

D put together some shelves for our master closet and Boyd RAN to get his tool kit in order to "help" his daddy.

Shopping at Home Depot for aforementioned shelves.

At the Museum weeks ago. My GQ little man hanging out in the elevator. He was SO good that day. 

Never too young to teach young'ins the way of the world. Don't worry - the safety shield was on the razor!

Playing with his new net from Target. Only $1!

I took a wrong turn and we ended up in the Target toy aisle by mistake. Only took us 20 minutes to escape and I got off easy - no toy buying necessary!

Except for the net, but did I mention it was only $1?

School is going so well now! The first week was very hard (for everyone). During the second week the tears began when we walked into school, and one day he started crying before we even get out of the car! I'm not sure how to explain this, but he even had a good attitude through the tears during the third week. Like he knew I had to leave him but he was ultimately ok with it. His teachers say he is the sweetest thing and I know they are being very gentle with him and his feelings. The other kids have been in this class for months so they are totally well-adjusted to school and fine with being dropped off - which is great because Liz and Pilita were able to devote a little more time to Boyd in the beginning. Now he directs me to put his fox backpack away in his cubby (or grabs it to do it himself), and then points out his classroom shoes when I ask if we should put his inside slippers on. He goes straight to his teachers and gives them hugs. When I say goodbye he smiles brightly and gives me a hug and a kiss. It's awesome that he is happy at school!

I drove D's truck around for almost 2 weeks since mine was in the shop after getting hit. I finally have my car back but it's still not totally fixed! We're convinced the auto shop procrastinated on my car. When I called last Friday to let them know I was coming to pick it up AND THEY BETTER HAVE IT READY it seemed like they scrambled to produce it. Even then, it hadn't been detailed and I noticed the next day that the rear door lock didn't work. So frustrating. Since I have Mondays off, Boyd and I dropped my car off after his gymnastics class and walked home with the Chariot stroller (we took the long way - 3 miles!) so they could finish the detailing and address the door lock. Turns out they need to order a part for the door. OMG. No apologies, of course. Now we need to take it in AGAIN. I'm so over this place. Oh, and the Chariot got a flat tire! We were so close to home and I had managed to dodge most of the broken glass on the sidewalk (what kind of idiots throw bottles in the street?) before I realized the left tire had totally gone flat. Here's hoping D can fix it - there aren't many replacement tires for this stroller out there.

What a couple weeks it has been. Boyd was sick earlier this week and then D and I both caught something. I'm exhausted. Sometimes I think I'm ready for another baby - then I think about how crazy my life is with just 1 husband, 1 baby, 1 diabetic cat, and 1 job!

Video: Happy dance - 2 years, 1.5 months

Everyday Boyd asks to go outside to check the mail and clear the driveway. He will even go into the yard and bring snow over to parts of the driveway that are bare! We've tried telling him that's not the way it works but he doesn't seem to care. :-)

Video: Circles in the snow - 2 years, 2 months

We still have quite a bit of snow in the yard but it has all but disappeared from the driveway and roads. Boyd and I played in the backyard for a while on Sunday (he insisted on wearing those shoes instead of his boots!)

Boyd - 2 years, 1 month

I guess this is the point where I stop referring to Boyd's age in months - so no 27 months, 32 months or 125 months!

• Boyd started at Anchorage Montessori School on Wednesday. He was actually supposed to attend last week but he got sick (again) so we delayed it a week. I was really sweating his first day and honestly a little relieved when we pushed back his start date! Overall the first day went very well. We got there early so Boyd could get familiar with the place and then all of his stuff was put in a cubby. His 2 teachers are very kind and welcoming (fully trained in Montessori education) but I was still surprised when he almost immediately sat down with Ms. Liz (head teacher) to play with wooden trains. I kissed him and told him goodbye (and for the hundredth time said I'd come back for him later). He actually told me "bye bye" and went back to playing with Ms. Liz! I stood there like an idiot thinking "is it going to be this easy?" Then I left. No tears, from either of us!
• Today was a little rougher, I think because he knew what was coming. He was a little more clingy when we walked into the classroom but Ms. Pilita pulled out the trains again and they started playing. Another kiss and then I left. Later Liz told me that he had some tears on and off (his sweet little face was red from crying) but that he did very well. 
• So he'll be going Wednesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30. I drop him off in the morning and then my mom will pick him up. I think this transition is harder on my mom than me and D! It's her first grandkid so she's pretty attached to our little bug. School will be very good for him - he definitely needs more interaction and socialization with other children his age. 
• Seems like Boyd is more comfortable around Risha. Sometimes he is just so weird with her and it's great that their relationship is getting closer. And instead of saying "emo" which is the Korean word for aunt (technically, mom's sister - the word for dad's sister is "gomo"), he calls her "momo." Way cute. 
• I'm not quite sure how this happened, but Boyd knows 5 letters of the alphabet! We have magnetic letters and numbers down low on the side of the fridge where he can access them, and he brought the letter T over to me and said "T!" I looked around like, did this just happen?! My kid knows letters! Other than T, we've seen him identify B, D, O and N. Maybe H and F too. 
• Numbers - he can count to 3. And we'll ask, "how many hands do you have?" and he'll say "two!" Or answer "one!" to a question like "how many boats are outside?" So he's pretty familiar with the concept of one and two. 
• Says "ah huh!" for yes. 
• Instead of saying no, he's on this "nope" kick - which he says very emphatically.
• TV is "veevee," phone is "wone," and computer is "poopoo" - all of which he loves. This came out of nowhere. All of sudden he started asking to watch things on TV and my computer/phone. I try to limit it, but his current favorites on YouTube are Teletubbies (ugh) and Shawn the Train.
• Still obsessed with going outside and checking the mail, which has been tough lately with his awful cold and hacking cough. 
• Takes medicine like a champ and sometimes even asks for it!
• Very sweetly says "hi" and in the morning he'll say "meh meh" after I greet him with a "good morning"
• Quite a bit of imitation of our behaviors. 
• Continuing to be a good helper - most of the time his "assistance" is more work for us but it's good practice.

Boyd matched up these magnetic letters to the correct flash cards. 

This boy follows his daddy around like a little puppy. 

Two weeks ago my sister took Boyd for a few hours on her day off so my mom could get some errands done. The two of them met friends at a nearby greenhouse and then stopped by my workplace. Look at this guy taking over my office!

The kid is going to put me out of a job if he looks any more efficient (or adorable). 

Did I mention that my car was hit last month? Thank goodness neither Boyd nor I were in the car. We were inside the museum for a free event (which turned out to be sort of a bust – super crowded, rude kids, inattentive parents - the worst trifecta ever). When we got back to my car I saw the damage and just stood there for 30 seconds like "is this real?" Then I heard someone come up behind me - it was the guy who hit me! He stayed around to exchange insurance information. I couldn't believe it - he could have totally driven away and no one would have known. He said the intersection was super slippery and he just slid right into my car. 

So, I have an appointment with the auto body shop to take my car in on March 31st for at least a week of repairs. The estimate is around $2,500 but insurance should cover all of it. Gabe says I can borrow his truck since he'll be on the Slope working, which is great. It's a big inconvenience but it could have been way worse! 

I picked this little rocking chair up at a liquidation sale put on by a preschool moving to a new space. It was only $5! I should have taken a photo of the previous color - an awful bright blue. I had some free sample paint from Lowes so I used it to refinish the chair. D primed and sanded it for me and then I painted it while Boyd was napping. It looks great in his room!

A pre-storm walk. Boyd insisted on bringing these scrap pieces of wood with us. 

The roads were practically bare. Some portions of the sidewalk were ice while others were pavement. 

Bathtime antics...

Helping me make oatmeal & chocolate chip cookies. 

No surprise, his favorite part was making a mess with the flour and sugar!