Panic Attack, Playground, "Hi", Swim Date & Climbing

17 Months

Last Friday, I don't really remember what we did.  But I do know that I tried a new recipe for supper and it was terrible.  Heath and I choked it down, but I couldn't blame Tyson when he refused to eat it!  When we were putting Ty to bed, Heath and I both noticed that Ty felt hot.  The poor guy had a fever of 102.5.  Where did that come from? He hadn't been pulling at his ears and did not have a cold.  Puzzling. He slept well, despite the fever, though... thank goodness.

Waiting with Snickers for Reeses to come in

Crying and banging on the door when I closed it - he loves the outside!

On Sabbath, I headed to work and the boys stayed home.  They rested up, since Ty had the fever.  He had another one of 100.5 in the afternoon, but then he was fever-free.  He was a bit clingy, but otherwise acted normally.  Still don't know what that was about.


On Sunday, Ty felt better - so they took off to Heath's parents' house (while I got my butt kicked at work).  In the afternoon, they all went to Portland and did some shopping.  Heath used Ty's teddy bear backpack leash-thing, which Heath had initially resisted, but ended up admitting that it worked pretty well.  He looks so darn cute with it on, it's ridiculous!  Heath felt bad because they were going to get home late, because they went to Portland, but I wasn't upset.  I was able to run to the pharmacies after work and got a killer deal at Rite Aid.  I was able to get $67.08 amount of products for $3.80!!!!  Amazing.  What also was amazing was that Tyson had a full-blown panic attack when he got home at 9:30 PM.  He would not come to me at all - if I tried to take him out of Heath's arms, he started sobbing.  He also appeared to be glaring at me.  He has never done this before.  Ever.  I'm not sure, but I felt like he was mad at me.  Probably mad at me for working all weekend and abandoning him.  Well, I fought back the tears and let Heath put him down to sleep.  After working my long 12 hour days, I really look forward to putting him to bed at night!  But this night it was not meant to be.

My Rite Aid loot!

On Monday morning, Ty woke up pretty early at about 7 AM and Heath brought him to bed with me.  When Heath tried to walk away, Tyson had another melt-down.  I was like, "Are you kidding me?"  Heath said that he could take him downstairs with him, but I was adamant that we were going to nip this behavior in the bud.  He was stuck with Mama and that was it.  I pretty much hugged him to death, while he finished his melt-down.  Then he finally accepted his binky, and went right to sleep.  When he woke up, he was my buddy again, like nothing had ever happened.  Monday started the most beautiful weather.  We smashed all records this week, having temps in the 80's.  IN MARCH!!!  It was really messing with my head.  We were wearing shorts, tank tops, and sandals and would drive by the lakes and they were still frozen!!!!  After spending the morning cleaning up after the boy's weekend (why do they have to be so messy?), Ty and I met Shannon and Finley at the Franklin Dam.  They have a great path to walk, so we pushed the kids in the strollers.  Then we ended up at the playground.  Tyson did the swings and the slide (with me) for the first time and he loved it!  Then we all went to the grocery store for shopping.  Tyson really has his 3rd word down pretty well now.  It is "Hi."  Just about every person we would pass in Hannaford, Tyson would go "Hi."  And he doesn't just say "hi" short and abrupt.... he uses a sing-song voice and drags it out forever... like "hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii."  It is so cute and Ty got many smiles.  After the grocery store, we met up with Heath at Dairy Queen and had a treat.  Then my dad called and asked if we wanted to go to the Mexican restaurant - on him.  Well, who's going to pass that up?  We did a few errands and then met up there at the restaurant with my parents and the Frosts.  Everyone got the chance to see Tyson being defiant and acting out in person.  I mean, he wasn't completely terrible... but he is getting worse when we go out.

Trying to reach Fin on our walk

Very excited to give Auntie Shannon a stick that he had found!

Eagerly anticipating a bite of ice-cream from Daddy

Loving the lemon at the restaurant

On Tuesday, I tried to get Ty up early (by 7 AM), so he would take his nap early (by 11 AM).  He did not like this arrangement.  We had a play date for the afternoon, so I had to get his nap and lunch done, so we could make it on time.  Tyson was definitely not ready to sleep at 11 AM and he cried for awhile.  After 20 minutes and he still wasn't asleep, I gave in and rocked him to sleep because I was so desperate to stay on schedule.  After lunch, we met Jill and Zach Harlow at the Laconia Athletic & Swim Club.  They have a membership there and got us in for a deal.  It was really cute - when Tyson saw Zach... he ran right over to him, cornered him, and tried to hug him (put his arms out and leaned into him).  Zach wasn't exactly having it, so I rescued him.  But Ty tried to hug him again in the changing area!  It was so cute!  Zach is quite the swimmer, but Tyson is still pretty unsure. He held onto me for dear life, but was splashing with the toys at the end.  It was really fun!  Jill has a great deal going there.  She volunteers at the day care at the club for only 2 hours a week (she does every Tuesday 4p-6p) and she gets a family membership ($95 a month) for free!  And… she can bring Zach to the day care without any problems.  There is always another person working there too, so you are never alone.  She said it’s just like another play date for Zach.  There are no openings right now, but I think I want to do it in the future.  It would be great to get Ty in the pool more often! 

Having fun when Daddy got home

On Wednesday I worked and Ty got to go to the Dam playground again with Noni and Finley and Grammy Lyn.  Noni said that Tyson had a blast – I’m so glad we had this great weather!  On Wednesday night it became clear that all three of us (Heath, Ty, & I) definitely had colds.  Not sure where we got them from, but they were here to stay!  I was trying to take a shower at about midnight when Tyson started crying.  He hardly ever wakes up during the middle of the night anymore, but I think his coughing woke him up and then he realized he was stuffy!  Poor guy.  Heath cuddled him while I showered and then Ty went right back down in his own crib.  Good boy.

On Thursday we went shopping in Manchester with Shan & Fin.  Ty only took short naps on the way down and back, unfortunately… but he wasn’t too cranky.  Since the weather has been ridiculously good, I figured out that I had absolutely no summer clothes for Tyson in his current size.  I have like 3 short-sleeved shirts, but only 1 pair of shorts.  So we hit up the “Lots for Tots” consignment store and got summer clothes!  We ran to Taco Bell, where Ty didn’t eat great, but enough.  We did a few more errands and then headed home.  When we got home, Tyson developed a new trick that has been taking years off of my life.  He has figured out how to climb onto the couch and the chairs.  It sounds innocent enough, but as soon as he figured out how to get onto the couch, he wasn’t satisfied with just that.  He tried to climb to the top of the couch and then he got over to the end table and climbed onto the end table!  I think I have some scary days ahead of me.  Well, when Heath got home we met the Frosts at Chili’s and had a nice dinner.  Well, it was “nice” for awhile, but Tyson continued his acting-up ways.  He just wants to get down and run around!  But Heath took him outside and gave him a “talking to.”  He was better after that.   

Eating @ Taco Bell

Figured out how to climb...

Very excited that he made it...

Then immediately getting into trouble!!!!

Have a great week!

His seizure is back!!!!

No More Bubbas,3.5 Hr Nap,Sleeping In,& Box House

16 Months & 3 Weeks

Last Friday, we spent most of the day getting ready to go for the weekend.  Packing up and going to the grocery store.  Ty did the cutest thing while eating lunch.  I have been working with him to use a spoon and fork and he is getting it slowly, but surely.  Well, we were having rice pilaf and rice is hard.  He tried his hardest to scoop up some pieces of rice, but it was really hard - so he gave up and picked up the rice in his hands!  But he didn't just take the easy way out and put the rice in his mouth, he concentrated and placed the rice pieces on the spoon, and then it got into his mouth!  It was so cute - I was so proud of him for not giving up!  And I started giving Tyson cold milk in his bottles during his meals, since he has not wanted to sit still in my arms to take a bottle like he used to.  When Heath got home, we headed up to Conway.  We hadn't been away in awhile and I forgot how much I hate packing everything up!  The crazy thing is you have to take about the same amount of "stuff" for 1 night as you need for 4 nights!  We got to my parents and had tacos.  Ty had a quesadilla and showed off his new fruit eating skills!  Devin had to work Friday night, but at least Leigh, Mia and Bode came over for supper.  I finally got to see them - it has been forever!  Bode is so adorable, he is smiling and cooing non-stop.  We had a nice visit and then headed to bed.  Tyson would NOT fall asleep, for the first time in awhile.  I wonder why, Heath went to bed at the same time and Tyson was psyched that Daddy was in the same room as him.  He was standing in the crib, holding onto the rails, and jumping up and down like a jumping bean!  Finally, Heath gave up and took Ty into bed with him (I was having some time to myself downstairs and then took a shower).  I turned off the baby monitor when I realized that Ty was in bed with Heath.  When I went to bed, I turned on the monitor to see if Heath put him back in his crib, but the crib was empty.  I quietly snuck into the room and was horrified to see that Tyson was NOT bedside Heath in the bed.  I freaked out (silently) because I thought that Ty had slipped underneath the covers... until I realized that Ty was back in his crib, but all the way against the back of it, out of the view of the monitor.  Scary moment - I guess my SIDS phobia just isn't over yet.

Bode and Finley staring into each other's eyes (=

Oh yeah - Ty and I took the dogs for their annuals on Friday - and poor Snickers bled after her blood draw!

On Sabbath we got up and went to Sabbath school.  Sonia took Ty to Cradle Roll and Heath and I got to go to Sabbath school together, which was a treat.  We got to meet the new pastor at Conway church, which was good.  I think he is very nice and I enjoyed his sermon.  He is younger than me, from Indonesia, and is married (his wife was away at a pastor's wife retreat, though).  Tyson was a crazy maniac during church and I am not exaggerating in the least.  Sonia took him for awhile (I think because she saw us struggling), but she gave him back a short time later! (=  He just does not want to sit still at all - despite the millions of toys and books we had.  I have to start bribing him with food.  We got out of church late and Ty fell asleep immediately in the car on the way home.  I mean, basically, he was asleep before we left the parking lot.  Sabbaths are so hard because he gets all messed up with his nap-time.  The good thing about Ty is that once he's asleep - he is really out.  He transfers really well. So I was able to get him out of his car seat, switch his binky (because I don't want the binky on a strap in his crib because straps = strangulation), take off his sweatshirt (because the hood could cover his mouth and suffocate him), and put him in his sleepsack (because I want him comfy and warm).  He slept for 2.5 hours, which was fantastic!  That put him at eating lunch at about 3:30 PM, but what can you do?   What was nice was that I was able to enjoy a leisurely lunch while he was sleeping!  Devin woke up to come and join us for lunch, so that was great.  Mia and I played piano duets together in the afternoon - she is going to play at Music Clinic this year, I'm so excited to see her in action!  Late afternoon, Heath, Ty and I headed over to the nursing home to see Paul.  He was having one of his best days in awhile.  He definitely knew who we were that day and he took some walks in the hallway and enjoyed the sunset through the window. After he was settled into bed, we went to a Chinese restaurant with 8 of Heath's family members that were there.  Tyson, at first, was turning his head to all the food, but all of a sudden, went to town on the Lo Mein.  I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that it was Grammy that was feeding him!  We got back to my parents and it was late and everyone was headed to bed.  So we decided to go home that night, so we could get an early start on projects the next day.

Tyson running the halls at the nursing home

Tyson playing with Orpha (one of the residents and one of our friends)

Sunday morning felt all messed up because of the time change.  We didn't get as early of a start as we wanted to, but we got moving around 9 AM (which actually felt like 8 AM).  We headed to Dunkin' Donuts and had a nice family time.  We did a couple errands and then got home.  Tyson fell asleep on the way home again and I transferred him to his crib.  We were able to get some things done on our bathroom (YES!!!!!) while Tyson slept for 3.5 hours!!!!  I could not believe it.  Of course, I just happened to have left my baby monitor at my parent's house, so I couldn't even look at him.  But I peeked in on him to make sure he was still breathing.  It must have been the time change and the busy day the day before, but that is the longest nap he has ever taken.  It was amazing.  After he woke up, we headed to the pharmacies and the grocery store and he was great.  Actually, he was almost subdued after his long nap.  He wasn't subdued any longer when he ate pineapple for the first time Sunday night!  He fell in love!  I was worried about his long nap and the time change, so I didn't put him to bed until about 9:45-10 PM, but he slept well.

Very excited about the pineapple

...then acting silly! (=

On Monday, we had a day chilling at home.  Ty had one of his worst days for listening in awhile.  He must have gone to "jail" 4 times. He was just SO defiant.  Looking me right in the eyes and doing the exact opposite of what I said.  He has this one thing that he always does, which is infuriating, but also very funny.  For example, he likes to play with the trash can.  He will be touching the lid and I will start coming over to him to remove him from the situation (since he won't stop on his own).  As I start getting closer and closer, he realizes what is going to happen.  So he decides that he needs to touch the trash can as many times as he possibly can - before I arrive!!!  He is very spastic with this and it is very funny... but I can't let him see me laughing!  The other big thing that happened on Monday is that I officially put the bottles away.  Tyson is a big boy now.  He had been doing so well with the cold milk during meals, I put it in the straw sippy cup and he did great with it!  A seamless transition, really.

Being a big boy now!

Playing in the cabinets

Tuesday morning Tyson decided that he wanted to sleep in.  And not just come to bed with me at 7 AM and sleep to 9 AM... he slept in his own crib until 9:30 AM!  I mean, I understand the time difference thing, but Ty never even sleeps until 8:30 AM in his own crib. Shannon and Finley came over, since Shannon and I had some shows to catch up on.  Tyson did one of the funniest things - he decided that he wanted to spin in circles continuously!  He would put his arm out (like he was getting ready to throw a discus) and would spin and spin and spin... then he got so dizzy that he fell over into his "jail!" He was all sprawled out on his back and did Shannon and I jump to help him?  No, we were too busy laughing so hard that we were crying.  It didn't discourage him, either - he got right back up and started spinning again!  When Heath got home, we headed to Dairy Queen since it had just reopened!  We have an old fashioned Dairy Queen, that just has the order window... so they close for the winter.  When we got home, I made supper and Heath made Tyson a house!  We had a giant box come in from Amazon with our diapers and wipes and Heath taped it all together and cut out windows.  Tyson thought it was the coolest thing ever.

He's figured out how to climb up on my step stool.  Oh my.

Standing in line at DQ with Daddy

Loving the house that Daddy made for him

Back in jail, but of his own making again!

On Wednesday, I was headed out to work and I wasn't even able to kiss Tyson goodbye.  He still was messed up with the time and slept until 9 AM!  Ty had a good day, but for some reason, the small bruise that he had on his chin from his wipe-out 8 days earlier blew up into a huge, bright purple mess.  Poor baby.  His gorgeous face was a bit marred.  Oh, I bit the bullet and went to the dumpster on Wednesday night.  It had almost been a month since my near-disaster with the cop.  It was good to get it over with, my first trip back... but I had post-traumatic stress a bit when a couple of cars went by.  I was sure the cop was back to finish me off!

Not a great shot, but you can see the bruise a little bit

On Thursday, we ate breakfast quickly and got ready to go to Concord for a "Girl's Day."  Well, I tried to get Ty to eat breakfast quickly.  Unfortunately, Ty was very focused on teasing me with bites of cereal.  He would take the cereal and act like he was going to feed it to me very sweetly, and then the last second he would pull back and feed himself! (=  It was really cute.  So we dropped my mother off at this fancy dancy salon in Concord, where she was getting a new cut, color, and highlights.  Shannon & I took the kids to a few stores to pass the time.  Tyson took his nap in the car seat at that time.  Then Mom walked to one of the stores and met us for the big reveal!  She looks awesome!  We went to a few more stores, met up with Grammy Lyn, and then headed to the OG.  We met up with my dad, Heath, Adam, and Sean.  We were quite the crew.  We were so impressive that they gave us two servers, which actually did not help us at all.  Each one kept thinking the other one had refilled our drinks, brought more bread, split up the check etc.  But we still had a great time.  But we were tired at the end of that day.

Before...

After... but you can't appreciate the color in this shot

Playing outside of the OG

My handsome guy

Have a great week!  Here are a few more pics!

One of the ER docs that I worked with (that had retired) came in and gave me a belated present for Tyson

His little smirk

Knows vs. Nose, "Light", Fruit, "Seizure", & Bleeding

16 Months & 2 Weeks

Last Friday was the last day Ty and I were alone.  I don’t remember too much what we did, except that I know we got the house all tidied up for Heath and we did a few errands.  One of the cutest things happened while we were in Walmart.  I was talking to Ty about something – I have no idea what.  He must have done something naughty, because I started saying, “I know you.  Mama knows.  Mama knows.”  Well, he thought that I asked him to tell me where his nose was, because right on the money, he proceeded to grab his nose and make the nose-blowing sound!!!!  It was so cute.  The English language really is ridiculous sometimes.  You can’t exactly explain to a 16 month old that “knows and nose” may sound the same but they mean different things!!  We were on our own for dinner since my parents went to Conway and Shannon & Sean had just gone to Colorado for a wedding.  I had a bad allergy attack on Friday night and headed to bed fairly early with some Benadryl on-board and was a little out-of-it when Heath got home at 1 AM.  Ty must have heard Heath come in because Ty kind-of woke up… well, he was crying like mad but was looking through us.  So there was not any major reaction from Ty at 1 AM.  Who could blame him.

Coming out of the washing machine's platform

He can't get enough of the movies!

On Sabbath I headed to work and I was bummed.  All I wanted to do was see Ty’s reaction to his beloved Daddy coming home.  I had worked hard on trying to teach Ty to say, “Hi Daddy” when he first saw Heath, but alas, my son remains a mute.  Heath assured me there were smiles, but no trumpets or anything.  In fact, Heath was a little worried that Ty was mad at him for leaving.  Heath said, “He has been hitting me in the face.”  But I assured him that he has been doing this to me too.  It’s a new thing and not one that I am happy with at all.  What did make me happy was that Tyson seemed overjoyed to see me when I got home from work, which was a first.  I do have to say that I think Ty seems to love me more since our time alone together.  Maybe I’m imagining it, but I don’t think so.  Anyways, I’ll take it! 

Sabbath morning with Daddy - this is what Ty's hair looks like every morning!

Was very excited to go through Daddy's suitcase

On Sunday Heath was able to leave the house.  On Sabbath he was so messed up.  A 13 hour time difference will do that to a person.  He could not function at about noontime and early afternoon because that was the middle of the night in China, and he was wide awake at about 1 AM (very unlike him).  So Heath and Ty went right up to Conway to see Paul.  He had been moved to the nursing home there, so Norma was able to stay at home.  I’m so glad for her.  This is a nightmare enough – at least she can be in her own bed.  Paul was definitely confused on this day and did not know Heath – which was upsetting… but he doesn’t even know his own wife sometimes.  They spent quite a bit of time there and then went out to a Chinese restaurant with Sonia and my dad (my mom was skiing with Mia).  Heath said that Ty did two really cool things there.  First of all, Sonia and my Dad kept prompting him to say “light”, when he was gazing at the lights.  So finally, he had had it and said, “ight!”  Forgot the “l”, but we’ll take it!!  Hopefully other words will keep coming and coming.  The other thing he did was wipe his own face with a wipe – when Heath told him to.  He really is understanding everything.

Played in the cabinet once they got back from Conway

On Monday, Heath was given the day off because of the traveling and time difference (which he still was not right yet), so Ty and I were psyched to have him home!  We puttered around the house and did some projects, while Ty played.  The biggest thing in the world happened for Tyson on Monday.  He just decided that he was going to eat fruit!!!!!  I could not be more excited!!  He ate pieces of grapes and apples on Monday – and ate a lot of them!  I mean, you would never know that he didn’t’ like it before!  I almost did cartwheels.  The other thing to note that he did…. I don’t know if I can explain it.  You would have to see it to understand it… but I will try to explain it.  I called it, “Ty’s seizure.”  He would stiffen up his entire body, (his face most of all), with his eyes bugging out of his head, and his hand stiff and shaking.  No, this doesn’t explain it at all.  The only picture I could get of it is so blurry and you can’t get the whole jist.  We were laughing so hard that we were crying, and I kept saying, “Tyson, do it again!”  And he would do it on command.  But then I got worried that he would burst an aneurysm or something, so I begged him to stop.  I really don’t know what started this at all, but it is about the funniest thing I have seen (and Ty would laugh and laugh).  Heath, Ty, and I celebrated Heath’s return with a trip to “Pasta Patio”, which I was dying to bring Heath to.  It was excellent again, but pricey.

He eats fruit!

His "seizure"

"Little Bo Peep" makes another appearance at the "Pasta Patio!"

Tuesday was one of my most frustrating days in a long time.  Before I mention the frustrating parts, I have to just say that Tyson started doing a new thing.  He loves to climb between the rungs of our bar stools and just hangs out there.  He can get in easily, but getting out has been challenging.  I’m not exactly sure why he puts himself in this self-made jail, but he gets a kick out of it.  Anyways, onto the frustrating parts.  I was upstairs in Ty’s room at about 12:30 PM, just about to put him down into his crib for his nap, when the dogs started going berserk.  And it could only mean that someone was here.  I looked out the window and saw a car with a “home appraisal” company name on it.  Well, it was someone that the town had sent out to do a quick run-through for an update on home values in the area.  He said it would only take about 5 minutes, but I have to say that I felt a tad uncomfortable about letting him into my house without any prior knowledge from the town or anything.  But I let him in, as I held onto Ty the entire time and made sure I had my cell phone in my back pocket.  I was so distracted with these thoughts (he wasn’t creepy at all, by the way) that I didn’t notice that he was trudging all through my house with his shoes on.  Right after he left, I was ready to try again to put Ty down when I asked Ty, “Did you poop?”  But then with a sinking feeling I realized he hadn’t.  The stupid appraisal dude had stepped in dog poop and tracked it ALL OVER MY ENTIRE HOUSE!!!!  EVERYWHERE!!!!  I just about lost my mind.  Well, I kept it together to put Ty down and then I just about started sobbing.  I know that it was my OWN dog’s poop that he stepped in, but I nearly called the town to give them a piece of my mind… but I didn’t.  My issue is that mud season is upon us, so what type of person comes into someone else’s home without any warning and does not take their shoes off?!!!!  Thank goodness that it only took me about an hour to clean it up – and Tyson slept through it all, can you imagine me trying to hold Tyson back from putting his hands in it everywhere?  If that was not frustrating enough, after Ty had napped and had lunch… I rushed down to VIP to have Heath’s tires rotated.  I have not been going there anymore because they take forever to do anything, and I can be in and out at Valvoline in about 10 minutes… but since we had bought the tires at VIP, they will rotate the tires for free.  I arrived at my appointment at 4 PM and did not leave there until 5:45 PM.  1 hour and 45 minutes for a tire rotation ONLY!!!!  Do you know how hard it is to keep a 16 month old entertained in a waiting room for that long?  Well, I didn’t… we roamed the aisles most of the time, but I have absolutely had it.  I will never go back there.  I don’t care if I have to pay the $30 or $40 to Valvoline to rotate the tires, my time is worth that much!!!!  My terrible day just kept getting better and better, when Tyson tripped while getting into the tub, and hit his chin on the top of the tub and cut himself.  This is the first time Tyson has ever bled.  It didn’t need stitches or anything, but it bruised up immediately and Heath and I felt terrible.  Poor baby.  He was fine, but Ty and I were both happy to see this day come to an end.

In his own jail!

On Wednesday I worked and the big news of the day was that Ty took a 2.5 hour nap for Noni!  Amazing.  I had totally forgotten to say that he had taken a 2.5 hour nap for me two Tuesdays ago (right after coming back from the Cape).  I will be very happy if this continues!

On Thursday we did a full cleaning of the house.  I say, “we” because Tyson grabbed the feather duster and went to town!  He totally knew exactly what to do – it was so cute!  While I was doing some more dusting (Ty needed a break), he managed to flip his entire big car on top of him, with his leg kind-of pinned underneath it.  Again, he was totally fine and didn’t even cry, but had “words” with the car after he was upright!  It was good lesson for him about getting "back on the horse."  I encouraged him to get right back into the car and he did!  When Heath got home we went to the Mexican restaurant, just the 3 of us.  It was nice – there were two other babies there and Tyson went crazy for them.  It’s so cute to see him around other kids.  Hopefully that will be a permanent thing around here sometime soon!! (=  

Dusting up a storm

A little tentative but he is back in the car!

Flirting with the little girl at the restaurant

Have a good week!