Trio's Christmas Haul

I had been anticipating this day for awhile; I know that Christmas is the day everyone goes crazy when there's a child involved. While Jesus is the reason for the season, kids are the reason for gift giving. Let's be honest; it's nice to get things and give things to adults but it is so much better to get something for a child and see the appreciation and joy in their eyes when you open their gift.

This year was no exception. Trio got a tricycle from his Grandpa Billy (my dad), a Optimus Prime football, a WonderPets boat complete with WonderPets, more talking teaching toys, a Little People Airplane AND train, a fire truck, a military car of some kind, clothes, etc....not to mention what he got from Albert and me!! What made me laugh is his clothes. Not because they're bad mind you but because they're so darn cute!! I love my aunts but when they bought me clothes it was apparent there was a generation gap if you can understand what I'm trying to say. But Trio's clothes are super cute!! I'm like "Where was this foresight when I was getting clothes!!"

He also got lots of books and Veggie Tales from his Grammy (Albert's mother), and more cars than I ever imagined ever having in my house!! I realize cars and boys go hand in hand but my goodness!! And his birthday is a month and a half away so we're going to go through all this again!!

So much for a toy cleansing. Looks like that back room with be full of his toys and our living room will still be the family room for awhile until we can get a bigger place.

Trio Update

So much has happened lately in the life of Trio I just haven't had time to really update.

First off we finally put up our Christmas tree last week and it was soooo cute because he tried to help! Of course it was hard for him to figure out how to put the ornaments on but he did alright and our little tree is full of love and lights. He even (pretty much) got to put the angel on top of the tree.

Then last Friday we went to see Santa. Needless to say we WERE NOT happy to see the big jolly guy in red this year. In the picture he is crying and looking towards the camera like "Why are you doing this to me?" Quite frankly I wasn't happy with Santa myself this year; we went to Highland and with the exception of a very few stores (and I do mean very few) Highland pretty much sucks now and the Santa is no exception. Putting my foot down next year and we're going to Lakelaine again at least that Santa tries to work with you. But these are pictures that have to get taken so we got a copy.

I am really excited for Christmas this year. We're spending all day with my family this year and Trio will really be able to enjoy his presents this year although I still swear he enjoyed them last year. He understood that those presents were his by gum and he got mad if you tried to take them away!! Plus he'll get cooler toys this year and will just be able to run around having a good time with all the other kids in my family.

For January brings certain things that need to get done. It's time for a trip to the cardiologist again and if his valve is still narrow we're going to have to do the balloon cath to widen it which sounds scary even though I'm assured that it's a simply outpatient procedure. I just don't fancy anymore time in that hospital again unless it is absolutely necessary. And I'm worried about how he'll react to being there because I'm pretty sure he has some memories, vague as they might be, of being there for so long.

But that is about a month away so we won't dwell on it. Who knows we could hear fantastic news from Dr. Holt in January. For right now I'm focused on Christmas on Friday, waking up to pancakes coffee and presents with my two best boys, and having fun with family and friends that day and night!!!

More of Trio's Accomplishments

Trio just amazes me more and more everyday. I don't always notice everything he sponges up but then i see it in effect and I'm like "Wow".

For example on the Disney Show Special Agent Oso there are always three steps to check off for the little bear to complete his task. Well his father noticed the other day that when the boxes to check come up Trio will "count" along with Paw Pilot (yeah I know it's weird). And he continues to do this every time he watches it. Another thing is the word he's learning and he can recognize the words he knows. I have told he how he growls "down" when he wants to get down from somewhere. Well yesterday we were listening to the radio and Flo Rida's "Right Round" came on and from the back all you could hear was Trio growling, "down, down, down". I burst out laughing because it was just so cute. Plus it's cute how he says "up" versus "down". "Up" is said in a normal voice but "down" is always growled.

He also knows where to go into the kitchen to get whatever it is he wants. He doesn't always ask for milk or juice without prompting but he does know to get the idea across to us he needs to go point to the fridge. Or he will place his cup in your hand to the point of actually opening your hand and putting his cup in it.

He also picks up any keys (any so watch out when you're around him) and goes "Car?" and tries to open and drive everything including light sockets which is less fun. He is also using his deduction skills more readily. The other day when I finally refused to get his toys out of the empty water bottles anymore, he figured out how to turn it upside down and shake it to get them himself. So while the idea of not getting them for him myself didn't work at least he figured out how to get them himself which is a good thing.

My little man is just growing more and more everyday!!

"Helicopter" Parents

I am not one of these parents obviously. I mean you've read about Trio getting into scrapes left and right. I dislike parents like this a little. I mean I don't let him do anything outright dangerous like play with matches or run with scissors but when it comes to climbing and stuff like that *shrugs* He's a boy. What are you going to do? You have to let kids be kids because that way they learn about what they can and cannot do physically. If you hover over them they will never experiment and realize their threshold of activity. This helps them learn pain threshold, not to mention something of fear. For example if the tries jumping off a swing (which I never had the guts to do) he might like it. Or he might realize he doesn't like heights and never do it again. Of course there is the risk of him spraining something but didn't someone say it's pretty much a common occurrence to have broken bones in childhood?

I look at it this way; if I don't let him play or climb because I'm worried about him getting hurt he is giong to develop an unnatural sense of fear which results in annoying things like your 12 year old falling and scraping his knee and having a total meltdown because of the pain. Really? Sorry but man up get over it, it happens. And don't think this attitude is just for boys oh no. If I have a little girl there is no way she can have a princess complex her entire life. I'm not saying I want a tomboy but I am not a girly girl so I can't support this behavior for long. If my little girl was ever like "Ew I got dirty" and she was like 8 I'd say "Get over it. It happens."

Sound harsh? I respect that. Don't get me wrong I'm maternal and I'm nurturing and if something happens to Trio that really honestly hurts him I give him all the snuggles and kisses he needs. But I don't want a child who's so sensitive they have no idea how to deal with the world. I don't want a bully but I want my child to be assertive enough to not get pushed around. What's truly ironic about this is I'm not all that aggressive despite what you may think. In order to say something firmly I have be pushed and then it comes out more angry then necessary and then I offended someone. I don't mean to but I do. Of course there are some people who are so oversensitive that they take EVERYTHING as criticism and there's nothing you can do but let it go and know that they had helicopter parents themselves.

Trio is my world and I love him so much. However I also love him enough to know there are things he needs to learn on his own and when he falls and scraps his knee I know I have fostered his independence enough that he will be okay unless there is bone sticking out. Kids are gonna get hurt and dirty that's part of the joy of being a kid.

Trio's Walkabouts

With the cooler weather, Trio and I are able to walk once a day. I don't mind it so much; it's cold some days yes but I just bundle him up and we go walking. Since this last summer was so hot we couldn't go out as much as I would have liked for fear of both of us getting heat stroke. So everyday for about the last week we've been taking a walk around our neighborhood. I'm sure once it gets too cold that it will stop or we'll just play outside in our yard for a little while before rushing in to warm up but for now I look forward to it. Since our car is still out of commission we don't get to go many places.

Today on our walk we saw a caterpillar which I only knew was a caterpillar because it was green and moving like Heimlich from A Bug's Life a movie I love. So I pointed it out to Trio since it is nature and he could learn that way. So he sits down and proceeds to poke the caterpillar. I was like "No!" but the caterpillar just froze and didn't move. I don't know if Trio gave him a heart attack or it was just playing possum until we walked away but I felt bad. I didn't mean for him to hurt the caterpillar I just wanted him to see it. Oh well.

Yesterday we were able to go to a playdate at the new McDonald's on 685 with our mom's group and it was awesome! We haven't been at a playdate in about a month or so it was nice to get out and play and Trio really enjoyed playing outside and seeing his friends. Hopefully by this week our car will really be fixed and we can go to more and play outside more. Because this cabin fever is driving us both nuts.

Well that's all for now. Will update more as we get through this week and gear up for Thanksgiving.

Trio vs the Creek

Today we went to Pfluger Park with Lindsey and her daughter Kendall along with nephew Tayden (not sure if I'm spelling that correctly). This was Lindsey and Co.'s first time at the park while it is a fave of Trio and me when it is not feeling like the outer layer of hell in Texas like it was in the summer. Well the kids had a blast running around. Trio was so cute because he found these three clothespins in his carseat and would not let them go for anything. So he's running around the park holding a green, pink, and regular clothespin. That's my son what can I say?

He had fun trying to interact with older kids and they did well with them. I am always worried when there are older kids around because not all of them are polite and I would sure hate to have to punt a kid across the park because they hurt my child you know? But they did good so I wasn't too worried. But then we went to the creek.

Now the creek was a little higher because of the recent rain and what was hilarious is Trio stepped in it, shoes socks and all. Then he just kind of looked down confused like he was thinking "Why is my foot suddenly wet?" and I had to move them. But then he had a grand time dropping leaves in the creek and watching it float away. He kept laughing as he watched it. Then as we were walking out he saw a squirrel and I was like "See?" and he pointed and laughed. Part of me wondered if he expected it to break out into "Witch Doctor" but he seemed okay. All in all it was a great day.

It made me realize how much it hurts Trio when we don't have a car. My cabin fever insanity notwithstanding, Trio likes being outside and I love having outside and since it is not gosh darn hot out right now he could stay out all day and I would let him. But with no car we can't go anywhere we can't even go to story time at the library or the Book Box and it sucks. When I said I was going to be a SAHM I said I wouldn't be too lazy meaning I would take my kid to places. I would free place and take him swimming and all that stuff and for the most part I have been. But in the last month this car situation has just bummed us out completely since we can't go anywhere and it sucks!!

So hopefully this will be resolved (again) soon and Trio can have some fun running outside in the fall weather. Because soon it will be too cold to be out all day.

Books and Girls

I am very excited to have a child that seems like he is going to like reading. From the time he was a baby (like after all the surgeries were done) he has been content to listen to (me) read him stories or look at books by himself. Yesterday we borrowed new (to us) Pigeon books from the library and he saw the Pigeon on the cover and ran all the way to the couch just to listen to me read it to him. I love that. I am sorry to sound judgemental but I think it is ridiculous about all the stuff kids have to entertain themselves nowadays. I mean I like the DS and game consoles as well as the next person but I think it's crap when a child can't entertain themselves without having one of these things in their hand. When I was that age I took a book everywhere to keep me entertained because I knew there was the chance that I wouldn't be able to watch TV or there wouldn't a kid there. So to see children now who depend on these things just annoy me. Even worse is it when they moan and groan about reading and it is like pulling teeth to get them to do it and now it is part of homework to read. I am very grateful to have a child who seems to enjoy it because I think reading is a gift and people take it for granted sometimes. There are adults who can't read because they weren't given the opportunity and you have children who can but don't because to them it's "boring" and God forbid they have to use their imagination and actually think about something instead of having it laid out for them in video game format.

Whatever. I am not saying that Trio won't have these things but he'll also have books and I will encourage that before video games.


This weekend a friend's niece came into town and it was amusing to see them interact. The girl, Chloe, doesn't really get to play with other children from what I understand so this was a fun time for her whereas Trio does but he's not always very sociable. This cute little girl because she was had no sense of personal space which doesn't bother me at all because there are some days you would think Trio was apart of my hip he's that close on me. But she would get right in Trio's face and say "Hi!" and Trio would look at her wide eyed and gently push her back or move away from her. At one point she was chasing him around the house going "Hi, Hi Hi" and I burst out laughing because my kid's a cute little boy and so girls chasing him is probably not gonna stop anytime soon it'll only get worse. And it was cute to see them play once Trio got food in his belly and decided he did want to play. I mean he is a pretty sociable baby for the most part he just has to warm up.

So in short Trio had a good weekend. We played with a new friend, went to the Book Box's Grand Opening and got to bounce around in the moonwalk and got to visit with some family and friends on Sunday for an impromptu BBQ (we have a Foreman grill so we did it inside). I love doing things with my son and I'm glad he had a full weekend now hopefully he'll start to feel better and sleep better.

Pink Eye Update

So (yay) it doesn't look like Trio has pink eye; I think it was just allergies because the drops his doctor gave him yesterday cleared up the eye gunk pretty well. Does he like it? No it is a two person job putting them in (someone could make a lot of money if they could invent an easier way to put eye drops in) but the eye gunk is almost gone so he'll have to deal with it.

However to his doctor it sounded like he was wheezing so she decided to give him a breathing treatment especially after I told her there was a history of asthma in my family. So the nurse came in with the machine and a cool little dinosaur mask to go on his face. I said "Look Trio it's a dinosaur RAWR!!"

Trio was still less than impressed with the whole thing. He screamed for the full fifteen minutes. The doc came in and said it sounded like it helped so she was going to get him an inhaler (not the regular albe-whatever since he has a heart condition but a different kind). Here is where I really like his doc; she could have been mean and given us a machine that took fifteen minutes but she gave us something called an "OptiChamber" which is this long tube you just stick on his mouth and squirt the inhaler to. Does he like this any better? No but it is quicker because you place the mask on his face, squirt, wait ten seconds and repeat and then you're done. Two minutes vs fifteen in the Trio world is just smart math.

So that's it. So far everything helps but we'll see in the long run although so far I am happy with the results and that I don't have to spend more money on a pink eye medication (man the two yesterday were expensive b/c there was no generic to substitute). More later on my later dude!!

Trio's Allergies (?)

It is very frustrating trying to tell if a child is sick if you don't have a few big signs glaring in your face. For instance a fever; that is a big DING DING DING to know that your child is sick. Also red eyes for pink eye, throwing up, diarrhea (cha cha cha sorry Beavis and Butthead reference there) are good indicators too.



But what if they just sound miserable and look miserable and you know if you were them you would be miserable but other than that they're fine?



Today Trio is like a snot balloon with a slow leak. Sorry for the grossness but that's the closest I can come to describing it. He has mucus coming out of his eyes would warn me to pink eye except there is no pinkness in the eye and it's not constant like it should be with pink eye nor as much (there was this kid at the daycare when I worked there whose eyes were literally glued shut by the mucus). He has a runny nose, and as such a dirty face from wiping said snot all over the place and he is a little whinier than usual not to mention sleepier but from what I can tell I don't think he's sick.



We still have Zyrtec from his diagnosis of dry skin so we're going to try that to see if it helps. I mean the whole sleepy thing could just be a growth spurt; last night for dinner and today for lunch he literally just laid down in the middle of eating and passed out poor thing. So I'm hoping it's allergies because I can fix that easily and without a trip to the doctor. Plus it would be logically what with the weather in Austin not knowing what the heck it wanted to do (hint: it's November can we please have cold now? Thanks). Plus it is not like he is lethargic all the time; if anything he's been getting naughtier every day and he's too young to threaten with Santa (but boy howdy when that day comes....bwahahahaha!!!)



We're doing good other than that. We're starting to talk a little more which is great even though he has no interest in learning body parts which his doctor told me he should be able to point to his nose at least (oops). But hey he blows kisses, says "up" and "down" (although his "down" sounds slightly demonic) so I think I'm good. We're going to work on more as the day progresses. With the weather being (somewhat) cool we can take walks and we talk a lot during that time. I know soon I'll be moaning in my blog about how he won't shut up but for now I want him to talk to me.



Gets boring talking to myself all day.

Trio's Second Halloween

So to some people second Halloweens may get overlooked. The first Halloween is the first so naturally it's special. And the third well then they can actually say trick or treat and get the concept a little more. However I think Trio had a great second Halloween.

Started off rocky. He was still reeling from his partying the night before at the community party where he won first prize in his age group for his costume!! I was so proud and now he has a gift card to McDonald's that is only for him (I'm not like other parents who use it for themselves; he won it on his cuteness so it's only for him). But he danced the night away after all the contest excitement and he hadn't gotten a really good nap on Friday either. So at the beginning of our pictures you have a very unhappy looking Disco Trio. But as we started walking and going house to house her perked up. I told my friend Tiffany as we walked away from a house "I knew he was going to perk up as soon as he realized he was getting stuff from people." It was hard though because all our friends that we trick or treated with are around 3 (with the exception of D'Angela who is about a year younger than Trio give or take a couple of days) and they can walk fast so Mommy (as a goth angel) got a little workout.

One hilarious part was this one house where no one answered at first; however as we were walking away I heard the screen door and turned around to this little boy running after us going "We have trick or treat!!" He knocked on the screen door and nothing. He kept knocking. The other two big kids (Darius and Kendall) had given up and walked away and I had to drag him down the stairs and he kept knocking on the siding, on a window. I told him "Boy you're worse than a Jehovah's Witness!" (it's a joke laugh no offense meant)

Then we headed back home. Some of our friends wanted to get home in time for the Longhorn game (boo) and the kids were getting tired. Besides it is not until the kids are around 5 or 6 that they feel the need to hit up every house they can. But it was fun especially when Trio cheered up. And then we came back home and hung out with our friends letting the kids run around burning off the candy and cheese puffs they kept sneaking. All in all it was a good Halloween weekend. Now it's time to gear up for the last two months of the year and the last two holidays.

Bittersweet Boy Antics

So last week (the day after my post on Trio beginning his daredevil antics) he pulled his dresser down on himself. I was sitting in the living room talking to a friend. I heard a crash and run back there to see Trio pinned beneath his dresser.

Now he was fine; no bruises, no tender spots nothing like that. He was scared shitless don't get me wrong but he was fine a couple of hours later.

Me on the other hand....ha ha ha.

A friend made the comment that day after I told her he was fine that mothers are born with 100 years to their life; that way when their kids get done scaring them off of them they live normal lives. Which makes sense to me because it felt like Trio took about two or three off of mine that day.

I realize this type of stuff will happen. I mean he's gonna get hurt whether I'm hovering over him like a helicopter (which I don't want to be that kind of parent) or not. But it's still kind of scary to realize that my boy is allllll boy and he will continue to do stuff like this. Can you imagine how school is going to be like? Trying to parachute off the school playground with his jacket. Seeing how far he can shove a pencil up his nose (that is just gross but boys will be boys). It is just weird.

But on the other hand it does sort of a bittersweet taste to it because for awhile there didn't even know if he was going to make it to six months let alone 20 where he is being a daredevil like he is being right now. So while I will probably rant about it for awhile it does make me smile. My little boy; the daredevil.

Next blog will be about Halloween with pictures of my little disco dude. Oh yeah I went there; he even has an afro wig.

Trio's New Tricks

Trio's developing motor skills are starting to amaze me. Thursday of last week I had taken a shower and left him watching "Handy Manny" (or some other show that entertains him for the fifteen minutes that it takes me to take a shower). I come out and there is baby powder all over his legs and the carpet and he's grinning, holding the upside down baby powder container. I pretty much figured Albert just forgot to close it all the way and left it at that. Until a couple of days later we found the Neosporin top off the tube.

So Trio can unscrew tops off tubes. Any tube apparently if he tries hard enough because he did it to his sunscreen yesterday. Yes I owed Albert an apology because it could have well been he did close the baby powder it just was no match for the masterful Trio. Now I have to watch him around everything that has any kind of screw top so just think off all that entails including soda, lotions, etc. I didn't know that children could master that skill at this young of an age.

He is also starting to be a daredevil. He tried to jump off the couch the other day and like to give me a heart attack. We have low couches but still jumping off of something at that size would hurt a little. Luckily he only wanted to bounce on the edge of the couch which is what he has been doing a lot of lately (yay me) but I know how boys are so this is a warning to me to really start watching him because it only promises to get more daring from here on out. I've heard Albert's stories plus friends so I know how boys are.

He is also starting to sign a little more which I think is awesome. He ha already been signing "more" and "please" but now he can do "water". We're also starting on "kiss" among other things. I like it because not only does it help before he can speak but it is kind of an homage to the memory of my Granny (who would have been his Big Granny) because she knew sign language and even taught at the Texas School for the Blind and Deaf for awhile. It was one of those bittersweet moments when the family saw he could sign a little because we all knew Granny would have been proud to see that.

So far the second year in the life of Trio has been very interesting. We only have 4 months until we reach two. It makes me sad to think about it but I know that we will have even more fun next year.

*Remind me of this post when we're knee deep in the "Terrible Twos" and I want to tear my hair out*

Fun Times!!!

Yesterday we went to Austin Parks and Pizza for our cousin Cierra's birthday. If you've never been here it's actually a pretty awesome place. There are arcade games some of which are free and a pizza, salad, and pasta buffet not to mention fun stuff outside such as batting cages, putt-putt golf, and go-carts among other things. It was Trio's first time doing something like this so needless to say he was overwhelmed by the arcade games. He just kept running around looking at all the lights and listening to the noises. He even "played" a couple of games like knocking over ducks and stepping on spiders (Mama helped but only a little).

There were a couple of truly hilarious moments. I put him on the roller coaster ride you know the ones that are like virtual rides. Man the minute that puppy popped up and started shaking he turned with his arms out like "I don't think so". I tried to get him to try it again but he was not having it. At skee ball he started to climb up on the machine I guess to go up there and dump the balls in there. He had a blast just rolling the ball up and down the ramp cackling all the time. We had a little problem with him trying to take the balls from other kids but we worked through that relatively quick.

He also liked a racing Nick 'toons game. I let him steer and just put the gas on and he kept laughing because all he was doing was crashing into a wall backwards and forwards. He loved it!! All I could do was smile at him while he is crashing poor Ipkiss from "Ahh!! Real Monsters" into a wall.

We did have a couple of almost meltdowns and accidents. He almost got his hand hurt putting it on another interactive skateboard game. He wanted to climb the rock wall and wanted to get on the drop ride (you know one of those rides that picks you up and drops you). And then we finally had to have a wrassle because I was like "Mommy's tired of walking around let's go sit". He was sad and pouty until he got a cupcake and then everything was fine again of course.

Watching him yesterday made me realize something. In my last blog I bemoaned that the whole baby phase was almost over especially with him having eczema and having to change everything in his life. But I realized that now we're at the age where we can play together in venues like this; parks are going to start being more fun so if/when we get our car up and running I can take him to places. There is a Halloween festival later on that I am really excited to take him to. I missed our Mommy club outing to the Elgin for a Pumpkin Festival but maybe that is also something I can do with just him and me one day. We will have more interactive play now.

So while I still miss the smell of baby I am very happy that we're at this new part in our life. I am very excited to see how it works.

Obviously however I need to start being more energetic because we're going to be moving a lot in the future.

Baby Smell

As you know by now we discovered that Trio has eczema and as such had to change everything like bath soap and laundry detergent. So far the medicine seems to be working, as well as the laundry and bath soap.

But I miss the smell. You know the smell that Purex has (I never used Dreft tooooo expensive) or Johnson's bath. There is just something about those smells that just comfort me. I love the smell of a clean Trio with Johnson's bath. Now we use Dove which gets him clean but doesn't have that certain smell that Johnson's has that just lets you know "Awww....my baby is clean". Same thing with clean clothes. Since we use Free All there is no dyes, no scents, NOTHING. You just know that it is clean because it's been through the washing cycle.

I realize it's kinda stupid and that this is better for him in the long run but I still miss the smells. I mean this is just another step he is taking towards starting to be a little person and not a baby anymore and like I've said before with the idea of a second baby still up in the air. It just hit me this last weekend when I finished a load of his clothes with the new detergent and went to smell it only to realize...no smell. No scent no visible aroma of cleanliness. Same thing with bath time. I see the soap on him but since I can't even use the lotion I was using I don't smell the smell I normally do when he is clean.

It's a milestone and I knew it would happen eventually. Just thought I had a little more time before we lost our baby smell.

Crappy mornings, eczema, and flu shots (oh my!)

So apparently Trio has eczema. Finally we went to the doctor today (I pretty much flat out told Albert we were after seeing his stomach yesterday; it looks like he got attacked by a pack of angry alley cats) and that's it. So our course of action is to change his bath stuff to Dove or Ivory, change his laundry detergent to the Dye-Free All, and to get either Cetaphil or Eucerin cream mixed with hydocordizone and put it all over his body and Neosporin on the red spots. A good course of action I think it's just weird because out of everything I thought I would have to deal with when I knew I was pregnant eczema was like waaaaayyyy at the bottom of the list (but then again so was the possibility of open heart surgery). I admit part of it was because I figured hey he's black and Mexican and I don't think that's a common problem with those races.

Obviously I was wrong. But c'est la vie it's not too bad compared to what he's been through so I'm alright with it. He also got a flu vaccine today and is currently knocked out on my dad's couch; I didn't know flu vaccines made you sleepy but I'm gonna let him sleep it off because then he'll feel better when he wakes up and I'll be happier dealing with a happy baby.

I must admit, doctor's visit notwithstanding we had a literally shitty morning. He crapped all over his crib and I mean all over. None of it got in his diaper; it looks like he took it off and aimed towards his wall that's how bad it was a little bit even got in his drawer under his crib where we keep his blankets. And of course it was caked on his legs. His dad got him so I could prepare breakfast (Albert went in late to work) but then I heard the chaos and had to take over. Albert dropped him in the tub and then just hung in the background looking helpless so I sent him on his way since he seemed so uncomfortable with the situation. Was I annoyed? A little but I'll get over it I always do. I just hate mornings like this where I hit the floor running and I'm running around like a headless chicken for the first hour and a half because those are the mornings that everything seems to pile up. I haven't been home again yet (had to borrow Dad's car but that's a story for my blog) but when I left it still smelled like baby pooh. Just frustrating a little and not even that I'm mad at Trio b/c he can't help it yet this could mean he's almost ready for potty training b/c he could have taken the diaper off b/c it was wet and then had his poop-a-palooza. Who knows?

So in short Trio has had a very trying day today. But luckily found out his cough is pretty much allergies. He may have eczema but he doesn't have anything else (knock on wood).

Trio and the Tantrum....

Where do children pick up tantrums from? Is this just a normal part of childhood and children as large? Trio points back at someone when he is being scolded and I know he gets that from me pretty soon he'll be snapping and pointing like I do. I know where he gets his habit from "burping" after his Daddy (it's actually very cute Albert will burp and then Trio will fake burp and then laugh). I know there are a couple of bad habits and good ones he'll pick up from his dad and me.

But for the life of me where the hell did he pick up his throwing tantrums? It's not like Albert and I throw ourselves on the floor when things don't go our way or anything like that. But he has started doing it recently and I'm like "What the pooh dude? Where did you pick this up?" It's very annoying and as the last blog said a nice little preview of how he twos will be if these last few months have been any indication. I am already dreading that and then the threes which I hear tell are even worse than the twos.

Not that life has been all sadness in the land of Trio as of late. We figured out what his Halloween costume can be (hopefully it will fit) and we've decided on Star Wars this year as the Nieto clans theme and he will be R2D2 if we can find one that fits him since it only goes up to 12 months. I mean I'm sure we get make it or even alter it if that were the case but we seem pretty solid on this idea and as such I will probably be Leia who knows what Albert will be as long as it's not Luke (that's just gross). He's starting to talk a little more and try to get his point across (sometimes in a nice way even) and I love watching him every day. It also sounds like his congestion is finally going away he has been dripping snot all day (gross I know but there really is no other way to describe it). He also is starting to call and look for me more often and is smart about getting where he wants to go even if it is not somewhere he should necessarily be (like drawers or in the water cooler, or taking stuff off the fridge) but I have to admire his persistence and intelligence in getting what he wants. I mean I say "No" a lot more now but still he knows what he wants and he'll do his most to get it and you have to admire that type of perseverance.

So hopefully I am able to get through this tantrum phase with a little bit of my sanity left by the time he turns...when do tantrums stop again? Dammit!

Dear Possibly Only Child

It has been a trial this last few weeks with you. On top of the fact you have a cough that will just not go away no matter what we do you are giving us a nice little preview of what your twos will be like. And it does not look pretty or sound like much fun for me.

You're stubborn which you get honest from both your father and me. You don't cling when you're being carried around you just hang and you're no longer the little baby you once were now you're a heavy toddler and sometimes it hurts to carry you around. You get into everything and anything (but to be fair you do clean up after yourself fairly well given your age). But you also are developing this habit of hitting when you don't get what you want or you don't want to do something or you feel someone is not paying adequate enough attention to you. And that crap needs to stop because I don't put up with that. You can throw a fit all you want don't hit me because I can promise you once you get older and you try that I'm gonna make you hate me.

I realize this is all part and parcel of growing up. I realize this is just a phase and will not last forever. But topped on you being a little sick, me being sick, the weather being the lousy clusterf*ck it's been if anyone were to ask me today if I wanted more kids my answer would be "Hell no".

Hopefully it will pass. Hopefully next week will be better and your allergy cough or whatever it is will finally break up and pass and you'll get out of this growth spurt or whatever you're in and be my happy little boy again. I am looking forward to that day but for now yes if asked I would probably make you an only child.

Trio's Mannerisms

So Trio has picked up this weird little quirk lately. Whenever we're at my Dad's house, he takes the random baby dolls that are around the house (remember I have a niece) and will cram them down the opening of a lampshade they have lying around. No reason but I will sit there and watch him do this and think to myself "Hmm...this does not encourage me to have a new baby anytime soon."

LOL

I find his mannerisms so amusing; like whenever he's upset he purses his lips out like he's about to give a big kiss and scrunches his noise and snorts like a little pig. Just now he came over to me by the desk asking for more band candy and I told him there was none and he reached for the wrapper and then shook it like he could get more out.

He also has quite a temper; he throws things when he's upsets he's starting to throw himself back (although I don't anticipate that lasting too long as it really hurts when you do that) and he's a finicky eater in that he won't eat the same thing two days in a row (unless it's peanut butter of course). He's turning into such a little person right before my eyes and as cliched as it sounds I am amazed at how much he has come in this short amount of time. In about five months he'll be two and it makes me a little sad to realize that.

For the moment though I will still enjoy the baby-ism of him before the terrible twos come along.

Trio's Adventures in Houston

My little man did well on the trip down here I have to say. He slept most of the first half and was just babbling when he was awake on the second half. So far he seems to enjoy it here as well as he can I mean the heat has just been zapping his energy. The first few days were kind of relaxed for us. We met a friend at House of Pies (or H.O.P.) and that was awesome b/c I LOVE H.O.P. sooooo much and so did he (when he finally realized that the fruit was pie-y goodness). Second day we went swimming and he about lost his mind because at my aunt's pool there is a handle that is on the steps so he figured out he could hold on to that and float to his heart's content. Plus he kept getting in, getting out, jumping in; little water baby wore himself out after about 2 hours of swimming he slept for 2 1/2.

Then we went to the Aquarium with his cousins and let me just say that if you are going to go there with children and you have the energy do the whole day fun package for $15.99. It is totally worth it especially if you have the coupon for "Buy 1, Get 1 FREE!!" We rode the little train that went into the shark tank and it was so adorable once he figured out what was going on he leaned back into me with his eyes really wide looking around like "What the heck is going on here?" He enjoyed the train as well as the carousel (obviously we skipped the Ferris Wheel for him) and he actually had a good time walking the exhibits. He kept pointing and babbling at everything. Well worth it.

Today has been kind of relaxed as well for us; we went to Rothers (I will ALWAYS call it Rothers it changed to 'The College Bookstore' middle of the junior year but dammit it's ROTHERS!!) and I got Trio some Cougar gear. A little onesie that says "Cougar, Born and Bred" and a beanie which he will just love come the winter months *sarcasm* And we got to see my godmama which I loved and she did remind em it's been awhile since she has really seen me or Trio which means we haven't been coming here often enough but that will change. We've also been seeing my aunt, two first cousins, and two second cousins all the days we have been here. Tomorrow we are going to go to the Children's Museum (b/c it's free after 5) and then Friday it's back home even if I'm not quite sure how happy I am about going home yet. I've really enjoyed my time here with Trio b/c even though my niece and dad came with us it was like a mini-vacation for us. But Pflugerville is where we live so c'est la vie.

I will post again to let you know how the Museum goes.

My Cardio Baby

So last week we had an appointment with Trio's cardiologist to see how his heart patch and his pulmonary valve were doing. I like Dr. Holt he's really nice and personable to Trio as well as being very good at answering all the questions I may have. So he listened to Trio's heart and sent him to get an echo.

I have to say this was the best echos we've ever had. He sat still for the most part and he wasn't screaming and crying. In fact he was talking to Sue, the one who does the echo, and even flirting with her. It was awesome whereas it use to take us an hour and a half almost to do it this one took maybe 30-40 minutes. I mean we were there so long because the office had a lot of patients there (and from the way the babies in there were crying in the waiting rooms including my own at one point, you would have thought there were giving shots in there). According to the echo though the gradient in the valve got higher since our last check-up in January not enough for him to be overly concerned but enough to still keep him on the medicine and to put me on stand-by that a visit to the cath lab may be necessary in the future. Now while I don't relish the idea of going back to the hospital, at least this one is an outpatient procedure and at most we may stay in the hospital overnight.

As far as a lot of heart babies go I would like to think Trio does well. He is very active and he doesn't get over exhausted quickly. He doesn't seem to have a lot of breathing problems when he plays (thank goodness) and as for the sweat; well it's hard to tell if he sweats a lot because of the heart thing or because of genetics (seriously, his dad can be out in the sun for five minutes and is sweating buckets and that's on a normal not hot as the outer layer of hell day like the ones we've been having). He loves being active. He's certain he can swim without a float (that's always a fun story) and he climbs and runs and dances and plays. He's certainly a little boy.

I remember being sad when we found out how we had to get the surgery. My primary concern was that he wouldn't be able to do all the climbing, running, and sports that little boys do. I expressed this concerns to Dr. Holt who told me that while he may not be the star athlete he will still be able to play. And now that I see it in motion I love it. I love watching him play because I know it makes him happy. While I am sad that he still has to be on the medicine because I figured this would have been a huge fun step for us, we'll still doing good on the heart front and for that I am grateful.

The Fun of Genetics/Update

So today at the playdate Trio totally busted his head on the tile floor after tripping over someone's feet. This happens I'm not mad about it or anything; he could just as easily bust his head at home (and he has). But what surprised me was how fast it bruised and he got a goose egg. See I don't bruise easily at all; the only time I was in danger of it was when i was on medication following my C-section. So I know he didn't get it from me. I don't think his dad bruises easily so he didn't get it from us.

In my curiosity I called my dad only to find out that yup my mom bruised easily. From the way he made it sound, she could trip and have a bruise the next day. So he got that from his grandma which (in a twisted way) gives me a warm feeling because it is something he shares with her. See my mom died when I was 8 so he will never know her safe for stories we tell. And I know I liked hearing how I was like great grandparents who passed before I was born so I'm hoping he'll enjoy sharing something with his Grandma Janice.

And that gets me to the subject of genetics. For whatever reason, society only remembers moms and dads when it comes to kids and yeah while it is true that more often than not they are like their parents there are two who different family trees that features and personality traits can come from. It's not just you two when it comes to your kids there's a whole deep, deep gene pool in which to fish from. And sometimes this can backfire should there be some undesirable traits in your genes but sometimes it is a nice touch. Is it awesome that Trio bruises easily? Not completely because I don't fancy strangers thinking I beat the crap out of my kid as they will if he has tons of bruises. But since I know it's a trait my mother had it makes it kind of bittersweet.

On a different note, tomorrow Trio has an appointment with his cardiologist so hopefully we will find out that we can stop the medicine he has been on for the last year. Hopefully his heart is doing better and from my end it seems because he can run and play with the best of toddlers his age. And it was also brought to my attention today that he is losing baby fat and starting to look like a toddler which makes me somewhat sad because it means my little boy is slowly but surely growing up. I mean I know I have miles to go such as the wonderful twos-threes, not to mention potty training, the "joys" of pre-teen and teenage years, and the like. But this is a step in that direction and it make me sad. I am not sure if we're going to have more kids so this may be my only one and I enjoy all the time with him that I can and I'm not ready for him to grow up yet.

Of course he's not even two yet. I realize this is kinda morose to think that way now but I worry about future girlfriends so what are you going to do? I'm just a worrier and my poor son will find that out in the years to come.

What's in a Name?

I don't think I've ever really explained how my son got his nickname. His birth name is Albert Gregg Nieto III and "Trio" is a unique nickname for those who thirds in their family, don't think I don't realize that. So here is the explanation of how he got his nickname just for the record.

When he was born as you know there was a respiratory issue which caused him to go into the NICU at one day old. We still hadn't decided what we wanted to call him. Initially when I found out it was a boy I was thinking (like every other Southern woman who has a third) "Trey". It was then I noticed:
Treys=jerks.

Think about it. Every single kid at the daycare that I knew was a pill to say the least. My then preschool manager was going through a terrible patch with her husband who's name was? You guessed it; Trey. I could only think of one Trey I knew that wasn't a big jerk off and I didn't talk to him anymore. So I decided no Treys because of the bad ju-ju on his name and before you judge me think about how names hold powers and prejudices; I don't see many people rushing to name their child Adolf anymore do you? How about Benedict? When was the last time you met one of those?

Anyways so I looked up every nickname I could. I ruled out "Albe" right away for a few reasons. One it was a nickname my husband already had from his sister and he didn't want to share. Two (and this is quite honestly the most pressing reason) Trio would have hated it when he got older. The "e" sound at the end of names like that (Robby, Tommy, Bobby) all little boys end up hating because it sounds like a baby's name and it's true. Most Robbies I know are either Rob or Robert now because they don't like the way their former name sounds and I didn't want to go through the hassle later in life of coming up with a new name when he would shout "I'm not a baby!" I tried Tripp but everyone told me that was pretentious so I threw that out.

Going back to the hospital. One day when we were holding him in the NICU Albert made the comment that his dad had heard from his sister (Albert's aunt) of a woman who named her son Trio because he was the third boy. At this time Trio was asleep but when he heard that name his eyelids flickered and he made a movement. Albert and I looked at each other and I said the name "Trio" again to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Sure enough he responded again.

And there you have it folks; his nickname was born. In essence he picked out his own nickname (because we did try other names and nothing happened like that when we said any of the other ones). That's why his nickname is Trio and that's why we call him it. It could be possibly in ten years he hates it and wants to be called Albert, or Triple A (which sounds like a bad rapper but whatever) or what have you. However until such a time comes I am going to revel in the unique nickname I gave my son.

But it does get me to thinking about how powerful names are. Many people pass names down in families not because they particularly care for them but because it's a family name and there is so much history packed into it. Had I been a boy, my name would have been William Virgil after grandfather's on my dad's side. My niece is named after my mother who passed away when my sister and I were younger. My brother has the same first name as his biological father and as you can see we passed on my husband's name. Will he name his child IV? Who knows? But there is so much more to names than people realize at first. I've noticed that once you hear what someone is going to name their child (and I myself am guilty of this) you immediately try to think of a nickname without figuring out whether the parent wants that or if they have a nickname they would like to call the child. I don't believe people do it to be intentionally hurtful but it does. A lot of people weren't thrilled with the nickname Trio and I don't know if I made it readily clear why we called him that. Because he picked it out himself; he choose it at a time in his life where he only knew us by smell because he was asleep in the NICU on constant feed a time where sadly it was touch and go still he picked the name. And that's why I call him that. Yes I wanted a nickname that was unique but I also wanted one that meant something and it does.

So there you have it. That's how Trio got his nickname.

Trio's Busy Weekend

It's always amazing for me to see my husband and son interact. It does a lot; it gives me a preview of how it's going to be in a couple of years when he prefers Albert over me in terms of play (however I know I will always be the boo-boo healer so that helps). They played together at the water park which was fun to see because Albert had never seen him really in the water and he laughed at how much he enjoyed the water side walk and floating around the current pool in his floatie. Trio had a great time playing in the water with his father. It was fun seeing them swim together and I was grateful for it.

Then Saturday at the bowling alley was hilarious to see Trio running up and down the ramp and trying to "help" everyone bowl. At many points he tried to pick up a bowling ball and I would run to him going "Trio that's too heavy" and he would wave his hands at me like "I got this it's okay!" He even bowled a couple of times and it was good to see what a good time he was having. He lasted a long time there not falling asleep until we strapped him in his carseat (late I admit) but I know he had a good time listening to the music and seeing everyone bowl. Last time he was at a bowling area he was not walking and still in an infant carseat so this time was defintely more fun for him.

I enjoy all the time I get to spend with my son but I love it even more when Albert can join us. He has this Friday off as well so I'm hoping we can go to a park or something if Albert is up for it. As for us we have a busy week ahead of us; not too many playdates but we will go out and do stuff ourself like a park. Maybe today after we get the tire fixed. But it'll be fun because it always is.

So this has been an eventful last few days in the life of Trio. On Thursday he started feeling feverish that went over to Friday (no actual fever reading as we didn't have a thermometer since Trio lost it) and I ended up taking him to his doctor (who admonished me slightly for not having a one since we didn't know how high his fever actually was). However she agreed that it was odd how warm and fussy he was and took blood and urine for a couture and CBC after checking for an ear infection and teething. We had to wait on the first test but the latter with the blood proved that he had some kind of infection either kidney or urinary tract infection so she give him a shot of antibiotics that day.

Which SUCKED!
First off all it hurt to put in the nurse told me that right off the bat. And then he kicked so hard he almost bent the needle so she had to take it out and give the rest to him in his other leg. Both his legs were sore that night. The next day we went to the After Hours Clinic for a follow-up and first they hadn't sent any paperwork over (which was mildly annoying). That doctor said he would give him more antibiotics and we went the oral route since I didn't want to have to deal with him being sore and cranky since we were going out to Blanco for a family reunion for the first part of the morning. So that was just rough all around. Then we went to my dad's for a BBQ for a friend who was back from Iraq on R&R and visited with some of his great aunts.

Yesterday he was a little better being off and on cranky but for the most part good. Which was good since we ran around a lot for Father's Day including going to see my dad, the great grandfather at China Star Buffet, the hubby's dad's in-laws, and then back to great granddad and my father's. But at the dinner yesterday there was a trampoline that he got on for awhile and he had a blast. So that was good to see him having a good time after having a kind of crappy weekend. We'll see how this week goes with him but we have a couple of playdates which is great I love going out and hanging out with kids around his age and watching him interact. Keep your fingers crossed today; we have to call to see what the test results said and if we have to continue the antibiotics for the full ten days.

Our First Movie Outing

So yesterday we went to go see Up with a friend and her kids. It was at the Alamo Drafthouse since they have 'Baby Day Showings' every week and since Trio was free I figured it was a good time to try it out.

He did fantastic!! Starting from the previews he was laughing at the screen and watching just fascinated (probably by the sheer size) of everything. He liked the movie especially that parts with the balloons and Dug; he loves that dog even when he shows up on the trailers on the TV he laughs and watches just fascinated. He made it almost all the way through the movie before he became a wiggle worm too and that was impressive as well. All in all I can say it was a good first movie outing and I was very happy we got to go see this movie. Now when the next Ice Age comes out, I know that we can go see it too. And who knows? Maybe the hubby will take some time off to go see it with us and that would be awesome. Next Friday (which he's taking off for my birthday) we're going to both go and take Trio to the waterpark here in Pflugerville and I am looking forward to that very much because we need more time together just the three of us.

So in short Trio likes movies and we can go (as long as it is baby day showing if we go to the Alamo). I'm very excited about that.

Dear Son (2)

Trio
So lately you have been the cutest little boy on the earth. I mean, despite throwing a fit the other day at Ceramics and More when we were trying to make your father a present for Father's day; I mean that day you worked my last nerve because you screamed like a pig getting slaughtered (which is a horrible image yes but damn it is so accurate). But you've been doing little things lately that just strike me as cute.

Such as getting the baby proofed doors open just enough to stick toys in there so when I opened the door to get a coffee cup I saw a couple of train lock-its and your telescope. Or trying to climb out of the tub the other day because your saw your daddy and decided you wanted to go play with him. Or sitting in the entry of the Jumper-a-roo at Arianna's party the other day looking around going "I'm not too sure about this". Or at the same party stuffing a whole lotta Laffy Taffy in your mouth until you looked like a chipmunk and trying to eat more.

These little things are so cute and make me realize why it is I stay at home. Because even when you drive me bonkers I like that we get to go out and have play dates where we can do crafts. I like being able to take you to the pool or the water park and not having to deal with the crowd because we're going when all the other working parents go. I even still like cuddling with you for a little while when you fall asleep because you look so darn cute when you sleep (even though we can't do that for too long because you're getting heavy and between both of our body heats we could start a small fire). I like walking next to you going places and watching the precise way you step up onto something. It's just so darn cute.

However we have to work on some stuff; throwing a screaming hissy, "I'm a pig getting slaughtered" fit in public is so not going to work. A simple whining clingy "I'm so sleepy can we please go" whimper will work. Also I know they're nasty but you have to eat more veggies. I appreciate how well you ate the Homestyle Banquet Turkey and Stuffing meal the other day (chock full of veggies) but I only can eat that so many times a month. So we have to work on something else. Maybe pot pies; we shall see.

Also know that no matter how frustrated I get, how upset I get, how much I yell at you when you hit me, poke me, kick me or are just an ornery little person I love you very much. You are my special little guy and you always will be. No matter how old you get you always will be so be prepared for tears when you look all dressed up for your prom, high school graduation, and oh gosh the tears that will flow when you get married. I love you very much son.

And I can't wait to go see "Up" with you tomorrow; it will be an interesting experience for both of us.

Love
Mom

My Lil' Bookworm

I sometimes am sure Trio is going to be a big reader like me. He has always had a lot of board books around, most given to us by the cart that goes around Dell Children's with toys, books, and socks for the sick children (which is a wonderful thing let me tell you; they even have magazines for the adults to help them get through their waiting). And I don't know if it's just genetics or if he sees me reading and just picks up one of his books but lately he has just taken to browsing through his books and "talking" out loud including babbling and laughing. I think it's the cutest thing and it makes me happy because I don't think nearly enough children read nowadays.

It also makes me happy because I think this is something we will share in the later years; him being a boy he is going to have some bonding moments with his dad no matter what which means in a few years Mom will be left out in the cold on some things. But if we both like to read it is something we can share just the two of us since his dad is not a big reader. It is a great thing to have this feeling that your child is going to love reading as much as you do.

And he's also like me that he seems to like reading at his own pace. Whenver I try to read to him he always is trying to turn the pages before I am done like "Hurry up Mom!" It's so endearing and cute. Plus I can't get the picture of him sitting down when he was younger in his bumpo , reading one of his books just like a big boy. You can't get more cute than that.

Clinging onto Mommy

Trio is going through this weird clingy stage. Not like I have to hold him all the time because although he is small for his age, twenty plus pounds is still a lot to hold after awhile. But in that he has to see me at all times when we're at our house even when his dad is here. I can't even go to the bathroom without him crying out and following me, sticking his chubby little hands under the door (yesterday we had a rather amusing game where he would stick his stacking rings under the door and either reach for them or wait for me to give them back to him). Taking the trash out? He cries and runs to the screen door although when I come back there he is standing there with a big grin on his face like "There she is!"

This is one of those endearing/annoying things. I love that now he wants me around all the time because I know the day is coming where that will so not be the case. But also it's frustrating especially in case of the bathroom scenario. I realize that most moms never go the restroom alone until their kids are like three or four but still I want to release my waste in peace. The trash thing is not as annoying since it's like a two second walk to dump it in our can. But I can't get a lot done if he's running around; funnily enough if he is in his playpen he's fine with me being gone, taking a shower, cleaning up around him (my kid is an odd duck on some things). It makes me wonder why children get like this. I know that they have no sense of time so they can't tell the difference between you being gone for five minutes or five hours but we're together all the time for the most part. I would think he would get tired of me especially since I am the one who has to discipline him more since as a SAHM I am around more. But it's not like that at all; if anything he gets more upset if I leave right after I have tried to redirect him or reprimanded him verbally. It's odd in a way although I guess I will have to bit the bullet and get through it. Hopefully it is just a phase and he won't be like this when he is say five or older because then I think we would have talk to someone about his clingyiness.

But for now I guess I should just suck it up and enjoy the fact that he enjoys being around me so much that he doesn't like me to be too far away from him because before I know it my little boy will be graduating from high school and going off to college. It's kind of a sobering thought when you look at it that way.

Dear Trio (1)

Dear Son
So this last week has been one of those weeks I'm grateful you're not a girl as it is apparently obvious that you are not a girl as it is abundantly obvious you have my temper. Also you have had this knack for being lazy, not wanting to walk, throwing fits, getting into my purse (and tearing a check thank you very much), wanting your pacifer at all times of the day for some odd reason and just giving me a preview (roughly eight months early) of what the Terrible Twos is going to be like. And while there have been times I wanted to rip my hair out one thing that helps me at the end of the day is that we almost didn't make it here.

While the pyloric stenosis surgeries didn't seem fatal the open heart was because your surgeon made sure that I knew what one of the outcomes could be. And while everyone in the OR said you did great and everything got fixed it was still hard to see you after surgeries with machines having to breathe for you, having to have help to pick you up because of everything you were connected to, and just watching you like that, it was hard for me. There were times where I feel like I was walking on that edge of sanity not sure of where I would go wondering what would happen to you as you got older. I asked your cardoilogist and he assured me you would be able to do the normal boy things like run, jump, play, climb, do sports he also did tell me we would have to know your limits. Which means that we as parents are going to have to watch you closely and then teach you when to stop playing and you may never be the star QB or the basketball star or baseball's MVP.


But then again, who knows? Maybe you will be one of these things. Maybe you will show your mother's tenacity (because you know son she had some health problems when she was born too, but that's a story for another day) and you will be able to do all this stuff and more. Whatever the case even though right now you are entering that toddler stage that makes every mother in the world wonder "Why the hell did I want kids" and even though you have my temper and angry face (which makes for some hilarious photo moments I'm sure) you are my wonderful little miracle. You are a fighter, just like your mother and father and the other family members who came before them on both sides. So I keep this in mind and try to hold my temper even though I know I'll lose it occasionally rightly and wrongly so because I love you my wonderful little boy.

But can you please stop trying to eat your diaper cream?

Love,
Mom

Trio's First Swimming Day

This is my first blog about my son. I do have a separate blog that's just all me and issues I go through but I thought it would be nice to have one that was just about my son. I probably should have done this a long time ago but never really had the time but it helps me (once again) get into the habit of writing everyday so here we go.

Yesterday we went to our Community Pool Party that they hold annually to "officially" open the pool. So I got him in his little swimsuit and lathered up the sun screen took the race car floaty and went down there with a friend. He had a blast. Once he got use to the water and once I firmly told a couple of kids to not splash around him he was just a little water baby. He especially loved it because my niece was there along with the girl I babysit and another little girl who lives on property and they took him for most of the time (under my watchful eye). He had a great time splashing around in the water and then we ate and went back into the water. By then he was pretty much over it so we left after about two hours of swimming and came home. A perk was that he even got to swim with Daddy for awhile as he took a break from working (he works where we live) and took his son for a swim. It was amazingly fun and of course he took a great nap afterwards.

This is so wonderful for me because this time last year was still a rough patch for my son health wise. Come the 13th of June it will have been one year since he had open heart surgery to repair his VSD and pulmonary stenosis brought on earlier then we anticipated because of what I guess could be called a blessing in disguise. he fell out of the car seat from the coffee table and I went to the ER and from there they found out that his oxygen levels were low in his blood and decided he needed the surgery right now. We were in the hospital almost all of June from the 9th to 26th pretty much the longest we'd been in the hospital. As a result of all the health stuff I didn't take him swimming but once last year in late August for a cousin's birthday. I've been very cautious with him because the first few months of his life told me how fragile children can be. Happily though it also showed me that he is a very resilient little man. My son is a fighter and can survive a lot so I'm happy to know that he seems to have both his parents nature in that we don't get knocked down so easily. He's a fighter and while I may not appreciate this nature all the time in the later years now I am glad that he is. Because he was able to survive and have his first swimming day and have a great time doing it.

So there is the first blog for my son. I don't exactly how I'll write it may be updated formats and/or letters to my son to let him read when he gets older but I'm looking forward to ti.