Friends

When Avey is over, Wyatt makes sure to spend some quality time with her.

"Take a picture Judah!"

Wyatt's new pillow?

He is learning not to steal her binky, but it's hard :-P

Sweet.

Improvements

Well I'm happy to say that all 3 kids (babysitting for a friend today) are well fed, changed, and in their beds for nap time.  I think Lonnie's new Thursday schedule of 10-7 is actually quite a nice break.  He's home all morning and helps out, then works from his computer from 10-11 before driving to a client's for the rest of the day.  I couldn't handle this every weekday, but once/week is nice.

Health has become somewhat of a hobby (obsession?) for me lately.  At first I was letting it stress me out, but I'm realizing that if I look at it more as a hobby, researching because I want to LEARN and not because I have to or else my kids will get cancer...I can actually enjoy it.  Realistically everyone has a health issue.  I have a history of physical and emotional fatigue, and acne.  These things won't stop me from living my life, but I figure if I can make improvements in my diet and lifestyle, I might be able to have more positive and productive days.  I've been doing a lot of research about the autism diet (Feinberg) for Judah, not because he's autistic, but because SPD kids share many symptoms with autistic kids.  Lots of SPD moms have switched up their kids diet and seen VAST improvements.  I guess certain children are just more sensitive to chemicals in foods, gluten, and dairy and can get a cloudy, frustrated brain because of it.  Also, for Wyatt, I'm experimenting with infant pro biotics and essential fatty acids (omega oils).  Omega oils help with a myriad of health conditions, but are famous for giving a brain boost, as well as fattening up the skin cells and helping them retain moisture (yay for eczema).  I have all sorts of speculations (the jury is still out on causes of childhood allergies) about Wyatt's allergies, but my favorite is that he was taken away from me pretty soon after birth to be kept in the hospital nursery.  He had breathing issues.  They gave him antibiotics when he was 1 day old.  There is all sorts of healthy bacteria colonization that is supposed happen between mother/father, and baby after birth.  This happens via birth itself (mother's birth canal), skin contact, and nursing.  Healthy breastfed babies have shown identical pro biotic strains to their mother after even a few hours, and are on their way to full colonization by day 3.  Anything that disrupts this process may hinder the baby's immune functions, and allergies are an immune system disorder.  Interesting, eh?!  Anyways, his eczema is almost gone...but we will continue his special diet for quite awhile I'm guessing.

Now that I've bored you all to death...some kid stuff:

-Wyatt said "Judah" for the first time this week!  Actually, he says "Goodah" but it's close enough, and the first time he said it Lonnie and I acted super excited.  Now he says it and then claps his hands and giggles because he has the impression that saying "Goodah" is a hysterical thing to do. 
-Also discovered this week: Wyatt is like a highly evolved house pet.  He eats off the floor, chases vacuum cleaners, pee's wherever he wants, and LOVES to play fetch :-D.  He brings the ball back to me.  I say "Ready, set..." ...and then wait 'till he raises both arms in the air excitedly..."GO!!!"  So adorable.
-Judah, upon seeing me offer Wyatt some of these crackers...

...asked if he could have some "hexagons too, peas."  Later that same day he pointed to a stop sign and said "Octagon!"
-He now thinks all juice is "pro-ba-ah-git" juice, but when he was sick he mixed his new words up, and asked me for "more peroxide."  Oops.
-Favorite attempted word so far this week: "Brackysaurus."
-I am also thrilled that he's starting to be willing to eat more raw foods.  Just the basics, like apples and oranges, sometimes spinach if it has vinaigrette on it.  It's nice to be able to hand him an apple without having to cut it into tiny pieces.  Wyatt too!  I just like that these kinds of snacks are way cheaper when you think about it.  A box of Clif bars will last us half a week and cost like 5 bucks.  A bag of apples costs 2.50 and lasts a week with ALL of us having 1/day.  We don't have to ration them.  Nice.  Now that I've bored you even more...
I will try to post some pictures later of Wyatt snuggling with his lady baby friend, A.  He likes her a lot, and lays down next to her often.  Judah joined them today as well.  How cute.

Miscellaneous

Well I hope you all enjoyed my rant from earlier.  Small price to pay for all the adorable photos and stories of the Smith children.

The following are some things I'd like to write out before I forget:

- Yesterday Judah learned to say hydrogen peroxide: "hydagen pwoxide".  We gave the word probiotics a try today, to no avail: "pwo-bo-ah-git"?  Context: I gave Judah a cup of juice.  J: "What's that?" Me: "Probiotic juice."  *sip...sip...pause...*   "...YIKE IT!  YIKE IT!"  Me: "What?  Yogurt?"  J: "YIIIKE IT!"  Me: "Oh, you LIKE it."  J: "Yes."
- Judah trying to say "WordWorld" (an ABC's program on PBS) is pretty funny since he can't pronounce his r's or his l's.  *giggle
- Wyatt did whirligigs whilst enjoying his snacktime banana on the floor.  Apparently bananas are just that good.  (whirligig def.: sit on bottom, use legs to turn oneself in circles repeatedly)
- As mentioned on FB, if I were in ANY sort of eating contest, I'd want to be on Wyatt's team.  Yesterday he ate a large banana for breakfast, a few handfuls of cereal, and hefty bowl of Grape Nuts & coconut milk.  For second breakfast he enjoyed yet another large banana (his poops were much more manageable too, mind you).  For elevensees he ate a bean and rice burrito and some grapes.  I caught him at some later time devouring flax crackers left out in the living room.  And for dinner, he ate 1 1/4 homemade sloppy joe's.  Judah on the other hand...
- Today Judah said he wanted to give Wyatt a kiss before nap.  He walked up to Wyatt, who was in his crib, and took his binky out.  I sort-of scolded Judah for teasing Wyatt, and Judah looked offended and sobbed.  I laid next to Judah for his nap, and he seemed quiet but upset.  Then it dawned on me that he wanted to kiss Wyatt on the mouth.  I asked Judah about it, and he said 'yes'.  So we did a re-take.  I took him back into Wyatt's room and he gave Wyatt a big kiss and told him "wuuuuuv you......"
- Tonight the boys were laying side-by-side whilst getting lotioned up before jammies.  Judah touched Wyatt's belly and said "fwiend (friend)...wuv you."
- Since the weather was great yesterday and today, we made some trips to the park (prounounced "pike" for Judah).  Oh, the slides.  Wyatt LOOOOVES the slides.  His giggles would increase the closer we got to the top of the slide again.  I'd let him crawl the rest of the way, and each time without thinking he'd just barrel down head first.  I managed to catch a few photos (see below) but it was hard, as I was also trying to keep him from injuring himself.  Judah's funny moment was when I took Wyatt over to the swing for a few pushes.  When I went to retrieve Judah, this is what I found:

Yep, those are SNOW boots, not rain boots, and that hat is soaked.  I forgot to mention that on the way home from the park yesterday Lonnie and I noticed Judah eyeing the puddles, and trying to steer the stroller just a little closer to them.  We told him to go ahead and give it a try.  Well, did THAT open a wet can of worms...!






Here are some other photos from today mostly:

Wyatt getting ready for his first dive



Looking dazed due to all the noisy pre-teens lingering about




He's really pretty to me



Those lips...



Wet

Judah swings too

And of course nothing cuter than your kid eating an ORGANIC (;-P) apple in the out of doors

Little hobbit child

Checking it carefully for bugs



And down he goes



Rant, then off to more productive things...

WHY DOES EVERYTHING POSE A RISK OF KILLING MY FAMILY!?  Why are all the sources conflicted?  Just tell me the truth about my food and water and lead levels and vaccinations and toys and let ME make the choice about what to do about it!  Wyatt had a lead count of 6 at his last checkup.  The doctor said they don't worry until it's 10.  Then I read other sources saying even a count of 1 is enough to slow his mental capacities.  Well darnit whose right?!  Don't appease me with false information.  Grr....................................................We live in an old apartment.  He puts EVERYTHING in his mouth.  I can't stop this.  We filter our water, but that doesn't take everything out.  He's not allowed to eat food off the floor, but assuredly it happens when we're not looking.  And the TOYS...People suggest bleaching them (!!!!!!) to keep lead off but, ahem, which is the lesser evil here?!  And if it's not the toys, then he'll put a shoe in his mouth, or drink the bath water, or eat a paint chip.  The God forbid I accidentally buy the non-organic grapes from Chili and contaminate my kids with all sorts of pesticides and half dead food.  What about the vaccinations?  His allergies started just after his 12 month shots...and the introduction of milk...but he'd had milk prior with no problem.  I guess no swimming lessons for the kids either since they're absorbing gallons of chlorine into their bodies through the skin.  Don't get me started on skin products.  And stop putting triclosan on them in the church nursery.  SERIOUSLY. 
Lol I am not this crazy.  But I am frustrated.  The only way to really rid our lives of all the yuck is to go live off the grid somewhere.  But then we'll be responsible for the under-socialization of the kids thus turning them into yedis.

Wyatt, 14 months

Childhood (and Wyatt's lovey)

"A little privacy please...?"

"Mom, Elly is no loin cloth."

Upside-down reading, all the cool kids are doing it.

Just a few shots of my handsome boy...

I Kiss You

Judah has become such a softy.  He insists almost every day that I (or Lonnie if he's home) snuggle him before his nap.  The other day I laid down next to him, he looked me in the eyes and said, "I kiss you /muah."  He has been empathizing with Wyatt more, so when Wyatt is crying Judah will say "Whattsa matter?  Wyatt is sad.  Wyatt is cwying..." and give him a hug or a kiss, or share his RayRay or a toy with him.  He also empathizes greatly with those poor alphabet letters that keep falling out of the coconut tree.  He gives each of them a kiss after they fall, lol.  It's funny hearing him identify his and others emotions.  He pointed at a picture of someone yelling and said "ANGRY."  Yesterday I made him do something, I don't remember what...but he was refusing to look at me.  I asked him what was up, and he said "mad."  He also responded to something Wyatt did yesterday as follows: "/giggle-giggle-squeek..."  Me: "What?"  Judah: "Wyatt.  Dats-so funny."  I daresay he's in a phase right now where he's fairly easy to be with.  He is sweet and thoughtful, listens/follows direction pretty easily, shares, sleeps well, sings the day away, etc.  I guess all I can do is be thankful and enjoy the comic relief :-).  Speaking of singing, he asked to listen to music this morning, which is just part of the routine.  But this was his request: "Music!  Listen music.  Itsy spider, up the spout."  So, knowing exactly which CD he was referring to, I popped it in.  Lo and behold, he starts singing along to a song that I didn't know he knew.  Not just a word here and there, but whole phrases: "...down came-a rain and wash-a spider out..."  "...little dog laugh...and a dish wan away...a SPOON!"  What the...  I guess his speech is coming along.  It's so cute.  I love it.

Wyatt has been HILARIOUS when not in a foul, oops I ate the wrong thing again, kind of mood.  He flirts with people at the grocery store by laughing at them as they walk by, then giving flirtatious looks as they start to pay attention to him.  He even got a lady to bend down by tossing a bottle of vitamins on the floor as she walked up to him.  I took them to the park in between grocery stores since it was in the 40's yesterday.  The only accessible part were the swings, so...they swing-swang-swung for awhile.  I think it's time for winter to be over.  They both laughed every time they'd get a push, but Wyatt was in heaven, giggling non-stop and kicking his little legs back and forth as fast as he could.  He pretty much just laughs and smiles his way through life when he's feeling well.  Poor little guy...I hope we can continue to sort out his health issues.

In other news, Lonnie cooked for me last night.  The boys had burritos, went to bed, and we had a late, quiet, fancy dinner that contained all sorts of dairy products :-D.  Everything was so tasty.  Love him.

Seedy Pie

"Da moosic is bwoken, seedy pie."

"Double-doo  is sad! /kiss"  "Y fall down!  Y is cwying! /kiss"

The Talk Around Here

Wyatt has begun to say "cai (car)" and "cuck (truck)" just like his brother used to.  Lonnie and I have also become 'baba!'  He's so sweet.  We can see it dawn on his face that he is very entertaining when he says stuff.

I can't decide whether or not to go full-fledge with the potty training.  It'd be easier to do it this winter when we're stuck inside a lot anyways.  Judah is reticent to put his stuff in the potty, though he doesn't mind 'trying' if we read a book or play with a truck.  The hard part is, he usually poops after we put him to bed.  But if he gets a hint that we KNOW he's about to poop, he holds it in there until we're not paying attention.  Maybe he's not ready.  (Yeah, see, we just spent all morning taking trips back to the potty to 'try' and then he finally went in his diaper when I was distracted by a phone call.  No one's forcing him!)

On the funny/unusual front, we've been taking imaginary play to a whole new level with various things, and he's starting to enjoy making things up.  So it's not AS creepy (lol) that he pointed to the empty hallway this week and said 'There's a man!"  I asked where, and he said, "Right there!"  So I asked what the man's name was and he replied "Bobby Salamander."  I have no idea where Bobby came from, but he's been playing with pretend bugs all morning.  Anyways...

Also, when we were all reading a barnyard book together I asked him what a baby pig was called.  He grinned and said "Wyatt!"  I guess in a sense Wyatt is a little piglet ;-D seeing as he eats twice as much as Judah.

An Empty Cup

Well there's the cup analogy.  People see their cup (perspective) as half-full or half-empty.  Some people's cups (joy; fulfillment?) are full, or even 'runneth over.'  So once every couple of weeks my poor little cup is just bone dry.  When one of those days hits, I see the bone dry cup as half-empty also. 

Anyways, yesterday was one of those days that left me discouraged and self-pitying.  I don't know what sparked it, but probably spending too much time researching parenting techniques.  Every era has it's parenting movement, and I think we must be revisiting the 70's because the hottest new thing is 'gentle parenting.'  This parenting style does not include discipline of any kind, from what I am learning.  I'm all for being gentle, but I think you can successfully unite being a gentle AND firm parent when the need arises.  To each his own.  I'm not about to judge people who are using a method that works for them.  But MAN, some of the language used towards parents who do discipline is just outright mean and presumptuous.  I wish we could all just get along and stop judging each other based on our own childhood demons.

Today is a new day, and I'm over it.  I think I'm doing a good job as a mom.  At least I'm doing my best, most days.  Days like yesterday happen, and I just have to get up and start walking again.  It's normal to be tired and discouraged sometimes, not normal not to be (IMO).  All in all, my energy is way up since some slow changes to my diet and I am enjoying the kids.  Cannot wait for winter to be over, though that will mean some big changes for us.  Hello, MN...?

Flax

Judah is eating yogurt for breakfast.  He took one bite and said "Flax."

Me: "What did you say?"

J: "Flax, need flax!"

After the flax was added he started squeeling gleefully.  I asked him what he was so excited about.  "YOGURT!!!!!!!"  /squeel squeel

Recent Things

Wyatt went off bovine products, eggs, and all nuts less than 2 weeks ago.  His skin has cleared up greatly, which is a relief.  However, about 2 days after we put him on soy milk, he started acting really fussy and would cry a lot throughout the day.  One minute he was fine, and the next he'd let out a blood curdling scream...and then fart.  So we took him off soy, just to see what would happen.  It has been two days, and he is seemingly better.  Just general whinyness from a bad cold.  Coconut milk it is.

Wyatt climbs, but doesn't yet walk which is hilarious to me.  I found him up on the window sill this morning.

Judah received a new trampoline through Early Intervention, but the boys seem to favor laying on it or eating it over actually jumping on it.

"Wyatt, are you so strong?" /flex flex

Poor trampoline...

Muscles!!!

My favorite Judah moments are when I let him take a turn talking to my parents on the phone.  He holds the phone to his ear, and his side of the conversation goes something like this: "Hi, Nana.  Judah.  Yes.  Yes...no...yes...yes.  Cooking...squash.  Yes...yes...yes.  Bye-bye...wuv you."  :-D

Why am I sideways?







Snow Day

The blizzard we experienced was bizarre.  Lake Shore Drive completely shut down leaving a bunch of people stranded (Lonnie barely missed this drama coming home from work).  In the thick of the storm, there was thunder and lightening.  What the heck?!  The aftermath has indeed been quite enjoyable, actually.  It's gorgeous outside, and there's something really satisfying about getting all bundled up and using a shovel, etc.  Due to Wyatt's barking cough and sore throat, I decided to fire up the baby monitor and take Judah out front while Wyatt napped.  Here are some photos:



Judah rockin' his Canadian style



Owen and Judah had the run of our street

Boy in a snowbank

I look like death, oh well



Carefully filling a bucket with snow



Making a tower (Marcy and Owen)

Taking turns eating the snow