Happy Halloween!

We had a fun Halloween weekend this year. My parents came down and brought Noah's Halloween costume. He had a great time showing it off all weekend. My mom made this terrific train costume from the description we found on someone's blog! He was not crazy about putting it on the first time but once he saw himself in it, he was hooked!

Here we are arriving at the hospital's fall festival on Friday night.
So excited to show Daddy his train!

Riding the tractor/train with Mommy, the only one with short enough legs to take him on the ride :)
Counting his wealth. Mimi brought change for his piggy bank.

On Saturday morning, we headed out in search of a pumpkin patch!

Hanging out with Mimi and Papa while Mommy & Daddy went on a date night! (Sidenote: if you haven't seen the movie "Courageous" and eaten at North by Northwest, you must.)

Dressed up so handsomely for church on Sunday morning!

Trick or treat pics to come later! The boy just can't get enough of that train!

Hoof & Mouth

Okay, so it's not really "hoof & mouth" (which I think might be a cow disease?) but it is "hand, foot, & mouth disease."

Ever heard of it? It's a tricky one. First of all, it incubates for 3-7 days before symptoms arrive on the scene and they can spread the virus during this time, not knowing that they have it. Last Wednesday morning, about 15 minutes before we were due to leave for Kindermusik , Noah became very fussy and I decided we'd better skip since he just didn't seem well. Good thing for those kids! He ended up passing out on my bed mid-morning (never happens!) and woke with a 102 fever. Two days later, after ups and downs of fever, a trip to the pediatrician who found ulcers in his throat, he broke out with this on his mouth and backside. I will spare you the pic of his bottom, suffice it to say, it is a bit gross. Nothing really on his hands and feet though. 7 to 10 days of contagion! Enough to drive us both crazy with boredom since we need to avoid other children and mostly stay home. Generally, adults do not catch this or do not show symptoms if they do. So glad my little boo is getting better now.

Sadly, we shared the bug with Noah's best buddy Adam, so the two boys are toughing it out together today while I'm at work. Noah's blisters are almost gone but poor Adam is just getting started. Beware!

Motivate Me

I need to get my blog booked. Ha! My intention since the day Noah was born (if you'll remember, a couple of friends actually made books out of my pregnancy blog for me...still thankful!) has been to put them into a book. I'm just not talented enough to use the do it DIY programs and too frugal to use the more expensive ones. So I plan on doing just a plain Shutterfly book but that seems a little boring...

Anyway, the time-consuming part is searching through old pics, not just copying and pasting the blog...but maybe if I commit myself to doing 5 posts a week, I will eventually book my entire blog! It's only getting worse right? ;)

Wish me luck!

30 Month Stats

We visited the pediatrician this morning for Noah's 30 month well-check and flu shot.

Weight: 29.2 lbs (50th percentile)
Height: 36 in (55%)
BMI: 35% (whatever that tells us)

He had a good check-up, despite getting that nasty shot. Luckily, dumdums make everything better.

In speech therapy, we are now working on how to answer questions, or converse, rather than just parroting everything someone says to him. We are continuing to work on pronunciation, of course, but Noah has done well with all of his initial goals and is making progress. He is also learning colors and trying to get the hang of counting and identifying letters.

For the most part, he is a great sleeper and is still enjoying his crib tent. :) I see no good reason to make the switch to the toddler bed just yet. Jeremy wants to work more seriously on potty training, but I don't think Noah is really ready and I don't want to begin and have to stop because he isn't quite mature enough yet. But it's coming...

Noah is loads of fun and keeps us laughing. The other night I was gone to my Moms Night Out with my moms group from church and Noah cried at bedtime when I wasn't there to put him to bed. And who can blame him? I spend lots of time reading and cuddling and put on a great bedtime routine. Daddy rocks him for 2 minutes and puts him down. However, last night, Noah insisted that Daddy be the one to change his poopy diaper! I think I got the better end of the deal. :)

Two and a Half!

We had pictures made on Saturday to commemorate Noah's half-birthday. :) These are all the rough shots, except for a few black-and-whites edited by Jeremy. I even included some of the funnies.

The last 6 months have really flown by!

Grandparent Day

For me, September 30th is a day to remember my grandparents, all of whom have gone on to heaven now.

September 30th was my Grandma's birthday, and it was also the day we laid her to rest six years ago. She died just a couple of months after her sister, my great-aunt "Dopey", who might as well have been a grandparent too. From time to time, these ladies come to my mind, and I think of all the questions I would like ask them now, in my somewhat more mature state. Whenever they wander into my mind, I imagine that they must be praying for me at that moment. :) I know they did their fair share of that on earth and I am always thankful for it. They gave me my first church experiences. My aunt visited my Sunday school teacher at work to pray in joy after I first believed. I think about how many hours they lovingly and selflessly cared for their silly, rambunctious bunch of grandkids. I immensely wish I would have spent more time as an adult getting to know them better. They loved us all equally and sacrificially. They loved us just as we were. I am forever grateful. My Grandpa on my dad's side passed when I was about two years old and unfortunately I have no memories of him.

This day is also the one year anniversary of my Pop's passing. He left us just a couple of months after my grandmother, his wife, Nanna passed. His mission was over. So this day ends up bringing all of them to mind. They all had their strengths, as well as weaknesses, and all had such an impact on my life. I eagerly look forward to seeing them again one day!

This & That

This was Sunday's outfit. He actually wore his Ariat boots out in public for the first time. (We bought these at the end of May.) They are probably about to be too small :( Of course, when we picked him up from his class after church, he was the only barefoot child in the class. It seems he insisted on removing the boots and socks. He was definitely the only cowboy at church on Sunday and I loved it. :)

The following are pictures taken by Samantha. She always manages to catch him just right!










My sweet boy. He has been such a joy lately and I am trying to soak it up. He never minds giving a hug or kiss when asked, and sometimes when not asked. He adores his daddy and starts asking me around 5:00 everyday when Daddy will be home from work. He is always so excited to see Jeremy and is looking for different ways to engage and interact with him. He loves all that rough-housing and teasing that boys do. Two is so much fun these days! (If only you could just skip over that whole baby stage, I might be more inclined to have another! Ha!) Noah also loves being around other kids his age, usually running right up to them to say hi.

Fall is a busy time for families, and I am definitely feeling it for the first time this year. Between my random work schedule, Noah going to the sitter on Fridays (plus other days that I might work), Kindermusik, our MC group, occasional playdates, I am considering taking on some other activities as well. I have offered to help co-lead the Moms group I attend with other ladies from church and am praying about working with Young Lives, as a mentor, or some sort of assistance, ministering to teen moms and their kiddos in the area. And, I am trying to coordinate with another mom from church, a more "seasoned" lady :), to begin mentoring me. Sometimes I end up biting off more than I can chew, so we will see how God lays all of this out!

I am excited for October to arrive and usher in some cool breezes and see how the Lord will use us and direct our steps!