To Devin...

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY!

Countdown

Guess whose turning the big O-N-E tomorrow??? My little Devin! Oh my gosh. The time has passed so quickly. So much has changed since he was born, like new jobs and a new place to live. Last year Dylan spoke "Dylanese" (a language that sounded a lot like Chinese) and didn't have hardly any hair on his head. A year later, he has such a large vocabulary and I can't get him to stop talking. Today his hair is a big mess of curls and uncontrollable. Last year my dad was in the hospital because he fell off a ladder three days before I was to give birth, broke one leg and severely hurt the other. Today he is walking with the help of one crutch and taking Dylan out to explore the world.

And what has my little Devin been doing and how has he been changing over the last 12 months? So much. He came into the world about two and a half weeks early because I was in so much pain and discomfort. I basically begged my doctor to do the c-section early. I couldn't imagine being pregnant another week in the hot August/September Atlanta weather. (This coming from a woman who loves the thought of being pregnant and who can't wait to do it again for the third and maybe final time!)

Devin came in so little weighing only 7 pounds and 15 ounces (compared to his big brother who weighed 9lbs 10oz!). Now, well he's still my little guy being on the short side, even though the boy loves to eat. He's so curious, inquisitive, funny and so many more wonderful adjectives. I love his smile and his laugh. He makes the funniest noises when trying to communicate with a lot of clicks and "Bah! Bah! Bah's" He crawls around the house so loudly that you know where he's going. He cruises around the furniture like a pro. And will take his first steps whenever he's ready.

Before I ever thought about having a second child, I would read articles about women wondering how they ever could love the second child as much as they loved their first. I thought that was craziness, but then it happened to me. I love my first born so much and I couldn't imagine loving anyone else that intensely. But then I met Devin Andrew. Wow! Talk about love at first sight. He was just so small and precious. It was meant to be. Now I can't imagine life without him. I can't even describe the feelings that rush up in me when I look at him. I thank God every day for the two precious gifts that he has given me in Dylan and Devin. I am so blessed. I say this while trying to keep these two from fighting over blocks. Oh well. It's all part of life.

Be blessed.

Fun At the Aquarium

My dad has been wanting to spend some quality time with Dylan ever since we moved out of my parents basement. Dylan is my dad's little buddy. Just about every other day my dad will call or text to see how the boys are doing. Dylan's Pop Pop is quick to show pictures and videos from his phone to anyone who will stay still long enough to look and listen . Pop Pop loves to have the two of them sit in his Ford F150 and sing Motown oldies and Gospel songs.

This past weekend Pop Pop wanted to take Dylan to the wonderful Georgia Aquarium. Of course Devin and I wanted to go since none of us have ever been. I must say it was awesome. When I got home, I felt like a little kid telling Bart (my husband stayed home because he wasn't feeling well) all of the wonderful things we saw. We saw whale sharks, a beluga whale, a hammerhead shark, sting rays, jellyfish, and all types of little and big, colorful sea creatures. So awesome!







I feel that Dylan liked this better than the zoo because the animals were so much closer. At the aquarium, there are animals right at the glass. In fact he was so entranced by one yellow fish picking up and spitting out sand that the fish almost got him into trouble for not listening. At the zoo, the animals were separated by a huge moat and so far away that it was hard for a two-year-old to show an interest. As much as he loved to pet the goats at the zoo, he really loved reaching into the water to touch the starfish, sea anemone, and sting rays. Even Devin my 11-month-old seemed interested. He would point at the glass and get excited. I did have a scary moment though. I wanted to take a picture of the beluga whale so badly and Dylan wanted to sit and climb on the rock benches. After having him sit down, I turned my back to him just for a moment. When I turned around, he wasn't there. It took everything in me not to let panic rise up in me. I called out his name and of course there was no answer. How could he even hear me with all those people being so noisy? I didn't even tell my dad that I couldn't find him. I just started searching around. Thankfully I found him a few seconds later climbing on another bench. But those few seconds of loosing sight of him was enough to make my heart stop. Oy vey!

There was so much to do and see that we weren't able to get to everything. My mother-in-law will be here at the end of the week and wants to go. You know I will be there with bells on!



Here are some pictures of our time there.

Animal-tastic!

Gosh! It's been too long since I've written on here. So much has been going on. We packed up my baby sister and took her to college the other weekend. I know she's not a baby any more, but she's my baby. She's making me feel old. I was talking to a friend and he started asking me about thinking about my boys going to school (he has two kids about the same age as mine). I told him to slow down, please! I can't even get past the thought of my guys going to 1st grade. I hope I'm not a wreck the day I take Dylan to his first school. I'll be strong for him but then probably cry once he's out of my sight. But thankfully I have a few more years to prepare for that.

This Sunday the whole family went to Zoo Atlanta. I was so excited Saturday. I prepared our lunch, picked out our church and zoo clothes, and was too excited to sleep. I knew that I shouldn't get my hopes up with how Dylan would react, but I still couldn't wait to go. After church, we talked about what we would see. Bart told Dylan we would see giraffes. He surprised us when he said, "Giraffes eat leaves." Coming from a two-year-old, those kind of things just amaze.

The zoo was having a promotion for people to get in free, so you know that the place was jammed packed. We had a good time though there were a few close calls for meltdowns because of hunger and being tired. But all was fixed with a lunch break. My mom, dad and two sisters came with us. Everyone wanted to be there for the boys first time to the zoo.

We didn't get to see all the animals. There were lion cubs on display so the big male lions were off display (no one knows what the male lions would do to them). Got to see the pandas, and even got a panda stamp (which actually caused Dylan to scream at first; that kid's got some quirks about him). The gorillas were the best. They were all out. The younger ones were chasing and playing with each other. They look so human-like that it's crazy.

The highlight of the trip for Dylan was the playground. We didn't come to the zoo to play on the playground! That's all he talked about after we finally tore him away from it. He also got on the carousel and a train! I took him on the train ride and he really enjoyed it but I could tell he was ready to get off. We went to the petting zoo too. He surprised me because he ran right up to the goats and started petting them. I thought he would freak out about it and need some encouragement. Not my boy. He brushed them and had to touch all of them. I did think that there would be more animals to pet than just goats, but for a two-year-old, that was enough.

We spent a long time at the zoo. After we left, we played in the grass on the zoo grounds. We just chased Dylan around laughing and wearing him down. By the time we left and ate a few carrots, the boy was passed out. It took about five minutes in the car and there was nothing but quiet from him. Wish I could do that!

Random Happenings

It's been a week since I published my last post. I can't even say that it's been busy or all that to eventful. So here are my random thoughts of the events of this past week.

I've got to start eating better. In one weeks time, I've eaten three times at Stevi B's Pizza! Plus, we've had fast food galore! Not only is it not healthy, but it isn't helping me lose weight. I used to be a size eight and medium B.K. (Before Kids). Now I'm two sizes above that. UGH! I know that it takes time to lose the weight after having two kids within three years, but I'm not even making much of an effort. I've bought exercise clothes, have tons of videos to workout to, know that the local YMCA has daycare while you workout, yet that still hasn't motivated me. I just look at all the old clothes that I have and can no longer fit, sigh and wish that I could fit them as I'm stuffing a Twinkie or chocolate chip cookie in my mouth. Something has gotta give (other than my waistline). When I buy new clothes, try them on and they don't fit, I wonder if I should keep them so that when I lose weight I can wear them. I'm not buying an extra large! I refuse! Nothing against those who wear that size, but that's not me. That's not I am on the inside. That's not who I want to be on the outside either. Motivate me!

As a mom you develop a sixth sense that takes time to perfect and to learn to listen to. Sometimes that little voice in you head starts talking to you, but you don't give it much thought until it's too late. My little voice was talking to me while we were at a family indoor play area, but I didn't listen and Dylan, the two-year-old, almost got seriously hurt. He's okay, but to see him fall was scary enough, and then to see him just lay there without moving, sends you into a panic. True he was playing in an area that was for kids older than him, but nothing has ever happened to him before so you don't think that anything will ever happen. Dylan kept going up and down his favorite inflatable slide without incident. My sixth sense said to me, "I wonder if any kid has come flying off the end of the slide?" He kept going up and down again and again. When we decided it was time to go, both my husband and I encouraged him to go down one more time. Of course that's the time that something happens. That's the time that he comes sliding off the end and falls on his head and neck. He rolled over and just laid there curled up in a ball. I couldn't jump up because I was nursing Devin, but Bart ran over to him. He cried just a little and then was ready to go eat pizza. Thank God he was okay. I guess it looked worse than it was. I see why they have you sign waiver forms before they let your kids play....Because I'm suing everyone! Just kidding.

When all that happened I could hear these two women sitting at the table next to me. One of them said, "Did you see that little girl, uh boy, fall off the slide?!" She kept interchange girl and boy. Apparently she couldn't tell that Dylan is a boy because of his curly hair. To me it's obvious that he's a boy. Come on already! He looks like a boy. I'm not mad at that one lady, or at anyone for that matter, but it happens often. Am I blind to something? Little kids do it, which I understand better than adults mistaking him for a girl. The thing that should give it away for sure is that he dresses like a boy. There aren't any ambiguous colors. My boys dress like boys. If I had a girl, she'd be dressed as girly as can be (until she could protest). I'm guessing, and this is probably true, that his curly hair (which turns into a huge fro if it's too hot) makes him look feminine. I don't think so, but a lot of people outside of the family seems to think so.

We've been saying for months that we need to take him to get his hair cut. I want just a trim. Bart says that it should be cut shorter. That's not going to happen! I fight hard to get those curls to shape up. I'm not going to let anyone cut them off. I don't know many two-year-old boys who have their own hair care products, but my son does. He has an arsenal of products that I take just about everywhere we go so I can keep it tamed. But they aren't they greatest. I'm still in search of the perfect product. His hair is actually three to four different textures. I like the front wavy hair. My older sister likes the middle big loose curls. And the stuff in the back is just a tangled mess that no one wants to deal with. We'll figure it all out. I'm hoping that as he gets older, his hair will change, pick a texture and calm down.

Enough about his hair. My Dylan isn't even here today. We were at my parents house yesterday. When it was time to leave, he didn't want to go; he wanted to stay and play. So my older sister, who was spending the night there, said he could stay with her. Bart and I didn't know what to do with ourselves. We didn't even do anything exciting. Bart watched the Olympics while I did an arts and crafts project. Exciting, I know! Devin just crawled around talking and being cute. We miss our big guy terribly, but the house is noticeable quieter. Devin, the 11 month old, isn't crying because someone has taken his toy or knocked him over. I can't wait for Dylan to come home today. I'm sure my parents can't wait either!

I think that's enough of my ramblings.

Fun Day Out

I took the boys out on Thursday because I kept them in the house the whole time I was braiding my hair. We did everything. We went to the park, Stevi B's Pizza, to some stores and Barnes and Noble to play with the trains. What a fun and interesting day.

We had to go to the park early because it's just too hot down here in the South to play outside during the afternoon. But thankfully there were a lot of storm clouds to keep us cool because it was stilly trying to get hot that early. I put Devin, my 11-month-old, in the swing for the first time. I feel bad because I've never thought about doing it before. Guess I was distracted by trying to keep up with Dylan. As you can see from the smile, he loved it!

I've decided to come up with some playground rules for parents. Kids have there own rules, but I think it's time for parents to have some also.

Playground Rules for Parents:

1. Let me discipline my kid. If your kid is on a ride and my kid comes up and kind of bullies him out of the way, let me tell him "No" without you saying it's OK for him to do it. I appreciate you telling me that it's OK and no harm done. I only need to hear that one time to let me know that everything is cool, but if I still insist that my child get down and wait his turn, then that's the final decision. If it's something that they can share, thank you for suggesting that, but I'm not allowing my child who might be older to take over and push the little kid out of the way. He already does that at home to his little brother and needs to learn that that's not proper.



2. Don't encourage bad behavior no matter what is going on. Case in point: if my kid who, is 2-years-old, is running around crazy and getting in everyone's way, don't defend your 7-year-old after he knocks my kid down and my husband says something to him about it. What is that teaching your son? That it's OK to knock people down if they are getting in your way and are smaller than you? And then you yell at the kids parent who is trying to protect his smaller child? Wonder what that kid is going to grow up to be?



3. Keep moving. I hate it when kids stop at the end of the slide and just sit there when others want to go down too. Or hang out in the tunnels and won't move when other kids are trying to get by. Or a kid is climbing UP the slide when others want to go DOWN. I must admit that I allow Dylan to climb up the slide when no one is around, but once other kids come around, I make sure he goes down only. Everyone just needs to keep moving right along.

Ok. That's all I got so far. Please feel free to add your own comments about how parents should act at the playground. We need rules too.

Now, I know that my kids and I don't exactly look alike (different hair color and all). I expect questions and know I'll receive comments, but this one little girl (looked about 10 years old)threw me for a loop when we were leaving Barnes and Noble. I wasn't offended at all. I actually thought it was kind of funny.

Here's our conversation:

Girl: He's got crazy hair

Me: I know

Girl: Is he your son?

Me: Yes

Girl: But he has different skin

Me: I know...(thinking of how to explain)

Girl: What's wrong with his face?

Me: He has eczema

Girl: Why?

Me: Because he's allergic to things

Girl: What?

Me: Allergies are...(tryign to think of a way to explain it)

Girl: I know what it means. But to what?

Me: Oh, a lot of things

Girl: I'm allergic to ants and spiders. And if I get bitten I've gotta go to the hospital and blah blah blah

I don't even know how we ended the conversation, but she was a talker. I appreciated her innocence in asking. What gets me are rude adults. But I'll save that rant for another day.