46 weeks

*Dean says duck! He will find it if we say where's the duck, and he will say it I'd we ask what it is. Even if it's been a while and not fresh in his mind. He says gok kok kok.
*he also does the gah sound when we say good job
*he's getting good at his high fives and will even give them to new people.
*he's starting to throw things. I think it started when we taught him to throw his pacifier in the crib. Now he can throw a ball, and less excitingly, food and other things. Haha.
*he's starting to try putting the shapes in the holes on his tool box toy. Not the right holes of course but he's still learning.
*he's also saying other vowel sounds with his consonants. Instead of just mah, he says may and mee. Sometimes it comes out between those two as meh.
*while he holds our fingers, he's walking smoother and stronger and really pulling ahead and taking the lead.
*when he gets excited, especially when he gets nakie for bathtime, he gets up on his knees and waves his arms and now is starting to walk on his knees haha.
*he's been a loooooot more adventurous with eating now and hardly spits out even new foods. I had a grilled chicken sandwich and gave him a slice and he loved it. We gave him ground turkey, chopped tomato, cracker, even pancake when we went out to breakfast.
*he's been having rough rough rough nights going on weeks now. He will take 1-2 hours to fall asleep, screaming, and wake up for 1-3 hours straight of screaming but won't nurse. The last few 2 nights I finally pumped. Last night I pumped both sides at the first screaming and when he woke up the second time, I didn't even try to nurse and gave him the little I had pumped earlier. He did better but it's hard to think how I'm going to do this without KR. It's been so nice having his full help. It will be hard when he has long hours and needs to sleep. And especially in 3 weeks when he has his night shifts. But we will get through it. I suddenly am looking at it as a small time in the grand scheme. So we will see how it goes.
Speaking of spring break, it's been so nice!!! Monday was our last day of good weather and it was the best yet! So we explored sauvie island and then laid in cathedral park. Tuesday the rain came back and so we stayed home most the day and then KR planned a date for us. Just the two of us!!! Second time in Oregon! So we brought dean to Ken and Peggy and we went out to eat. Then hung out a bit at their house when we picked dean up. Wednesday we went to the coast. Depoe bay and then Lincoln City for mo's. Then Tillamook!! On our way back we had to go around the highway we would normally take due to a landslide. We had to stop and let dean crawl in the back seat so he could stretch. Unfortunately, he didn't sleep the whole way home and he was crying the last part so I got in the backseat with him. We let him take a bath to stretch some more before bed.
Thursday we took him to the Dr to make sure his ears were OK. The right one was great (which was the last one that was infected) and his left still swollen with fluid trapped. He has another appt in may, if there is still fluid he goes to ent. The criteria for tubes is 6 ear infections in a year (he's had 3) or fluid for 3 months. He's almost there for that. But I'm torn. I don't want him to have to get tubes. But if it helps. ..the rest of the day we ran some errands and watched frozen.
Friday we went to breakfast at the original pancake house. Lots of yummy pancake options but way over priced. KR got chocolate chip and I got pecan. Yum!! But the menu said 3.75 for sliced banana. 6.25 for banana with whip cream! This is just a side dish! 9 something for IN SEASON berries!! Crazy! It was fun to try something new. But we've eaten out so much this week, and having an empty calorie high sugar and nothing else breakfast was the final straw for me. My legs felt so shaky all day and I just felt malnourished haha. So for dinner we had meatloaf with ground turkey, side of carrots and cabbage glazed in honey, and we made our mashed potatoes with half cauliflower. Yum! Anyway, now we are to today. It's supposed to be yet another day of rain, which is a bummer since it's our last day to do anything for 6 weeks. So we will think of something!! I'll let you know what we do in next week's post!

45 weeks

K so I wrotr last weeks on saturday (march 15) and was so proud I was early and then it never posted! So this week's picks up from Sunday.
*I can't actually remember sunday so I'm skipping to Monday haha. St.Patrick's day! I was very proud of myself and made corned beef in the crock pot and sauteed cabbage and onion in the stove. Then we had some store bought rolls haha. And homemade garlic mashed potatoes with parmesan. It turned out great!
*Wednesday we had KR s parents over and I was so stressed but it turned out great too. I made pizzas cuz I feel like those are my best thing I make haha. The crust is so yummy! It was nice. I feel bad this was the first real time we had them over for dinner. We had them for dessert once at our old place but it was just so small and we only had two spots at our table. So now we have more room, we finally had them over!
*woo hoo! Spring break! Thursday, KR finished, early might I add, his family practice rotation!! So we are officially on spring break!! We are trying to make the most of it! Thursday we did yogurtland and Barnes and noble. Dean got the books this time haha. Oops. We might have been in too good of a mood. Friday we went to Ikea!! Haha KR has never been and the only one anywhere around here is way in ne portland right by the airport. So we were only ever over there coming our going from a trip. And we had some store credit from our wedding! Haha. KR was impressed. It was fun to reminisce playing hide and seek there when I was younger haha. We also got a lamp shade!!! We've had a shadeless lamp we got at goodwill months ago. It looks so nice now!! I've never had my own lamp with a shade! It looks so much more like a home now! I want more! Haha. We also finally got a new mat for the front door. Our old place was carpeted at the front door so it would catch ing the door and was all rolly. We also officially became parents and bought the famous Ikea bowls for kids haha. I almost got KR to let me get a small chandelier. Almost.
Saturday we went to the Saturday market. It was a beautiful day but still a little chilly..we warmed up with an elephant ear haha. Ok now on to Dean. I'm scared I might forget some things because I didn't keep a running list like I usually do.
*hes waking up for like 3 straight hours at night every few days. Not sure why but it's hard!!
*ok his feet see so funny! So I was changing his diaper on the changing table and I had the balmex on the dresser laying right in front of the changing pad. He wanted it so bad trying to grab it with his hands but I wouldn't let him sit up. Then no joke he stayed laying down and tried to get it with his foot!!!
* he's been eating finger foods better. He's never been very adventurous with his eating and if it had to much texture he would spit it out. the only thing I could get him to eat was bananas but he would get so constipated. now he seems to be more open to new food. He likes string cheese especially.
*big trick! With very brief training, he has learned to throw his pacifier back in the crib when I pick him up after nap or sleeping. One time he did it before I even picked him up haha. Afterward, I give him high five and lots of praise. He is getting good at high five too.
*he has also learned how to use his hammer shapes toy. We put the shapes halfway in the coordinating hole and he hits them in with the hammer.
*clapping has returned and it's much more solidified. He has done this his while life-he learns a trick and then just stops doing it. Then after a while, he just does it again but permanently.
*so, so far he says na na for banana. He says na na for no, sometimes even if I do something he doesn't want me to, he says ny ny for night night, with the pillow, he says dit dit ir dot dit, for got it or did it (loosely translated, haha) ma ma and dada, used loosely.
These are things that aren't necessarily new this week, but I just want to remember he does them. Starting date is unknown.
* KR had this study pillow that he uses under his elbows, laying in the floor on his stomach. He never lays on it. Somehow Dean has learned to lay on it. Now he says ny ny when he does. Our if we say ny ny, he will find the pillow and lay on it. Too bad he doesn't actually go to sleep haha. Once he's laying on the pillow, he kicks his legs, moving his bum up and down and it's just adorable!
*I love how when he has a spoon or stick or his bee or something long and skinny, he taps it/pokes at other things. Hard to explain but so cute.
*when it's bath time, KR gets Dean nakie and then Dean crawls to the bathroom. But sometimes he stops, goes up on his knees and bounces up and down, his arms going wild, curling in his hands and wrists. Hard to explain but so adorable!
*he gets so excited when KR gets home and is associating it with the sound of the door opening.
*pushes his motorcycle on his knees only.
*KR let him crawl out inn to the patio, so now he knows the sliding door leads somewhere and wants to go out!
*he had these fake flowers I had for a fall centerpiece, and he loves them!

44 weeks(this never posted oops!)

*well folks, we've got 3 teeth coming down! One canine is already broken through and then his 2 front teeth are really close. This week has been a roller coaster ride as a result.
*poop in the bathtub. Hahah. His first time. Luckily KR was on duty.
*I write this after a hard night. Yesterday wasn't great, but then took a good nap in the late afternoon. Since he was ahead of schedule, we went out to eat and he didn't get to bed until about an hour later than usual. He went down great and although he stood up once or twice, he easily took his pacifier when we laid him down and he went back to sleep. His total for that stretch was 5 hours!!! But. Then he woke up, I nursed him, he didn't go straight to sleep and long story short, 3 hours, 2 more nursings, orajel, gas drops, water, and bicycling his legs, and upright bouncing, he finally went back to sleep. He hadn't pooped all day. In fact, his last poop was in the bathtub! He slept for 2 hours, woke up again, I nursed him, and after a little work, he went slept another hour. KR was so sweet and got up with him at that point and I slept! ! It felt amazing! ! Now thank goodness he's taking a nap.
*Hes started the yah sound.
*he briefly find his nose with his finger the other day haha. Hopefully it's a long time before that happens again.
*KR finished another rotation! Although I'm sad to see this one end. It had pretty reasonable hours, like 8-5 with half days in Friday. It was family practice in West Linn so he hit to drive which was nice not having to rely on the bus and he could take back roads and be home in 20 minutes. Next week is continuity week again, so just classes and lectures on the hill. Relaxed schedule, and half day Thursday, off Friday. Then the next week is spring break! !!! I'm going to try and enjoy the next 2 weeks cuz after that he starts surgery- 6 days a week and one week of night shifts. Oy. I'm suuuuper nervous but trying to just stay positive.
*KR has been teaching dean a high five. Hes getting it and it's so cute!
*I also showed him how to play with the train and he learned to pull it and it's cute to see the wheels turn in his head as he turns the wheels of the train (see what I did there?)


KR has been making it a routine to brush their teeth together.


Dean stole my apple. And so it begins...



we went for a family walk and let him try the swing for the first time.




Random hail storm that was the hardest I've ever seen! And only for like 2 minutes!


We let him try crayons for the first time at the restaurant last night.

Since I'm posting this early, I will blog what we do the rest of today in next week's installment. Have a good weekend!!

43 weeks

*Hes added talking in to that gasping sound he makes, like nanana haha.
*He will crawl around while pushing things around, like the monitor or wipes.
*He started feeling better and doing better early this week. I could tell when the medicine started working. It seemed he had a day or two where his appetite went up as well haha
*Catherine and Brian, Lucas and Easton have been in town. We went over for family dinner sunday and have I've been going over all week. Mostly we just hang out. I was hoping dean and easton would interact more but not much haha. But they are so similar in size. Easton is slightly ahead in behavior and is freshly standing up. He is also a better eater.
*Thursday I was supposed to hang out with Katie so I already told Catherine we weren't coming over. Then Katie canceled cuz they were sick. That turned out to be a good thing. Around 11, I started to feel sick. My stomach was feeling weak. As the day progressed, it got worse. KR came home and took care of dean and made me soup and did everything. I was so grateful. Then when we went to bed (at 9!) I said he shouldn't kiss me and he said, I may already have it. What?! He never complains! Through the night, he threw up twice. And I got a little better but kept waking up when he would move, worried about him. It was such a tender mercy that Dean did well that night and when I did need to get up and feed him, my stomach would settle. By the next day we were both better but weak. KR stayed home from school.
*friday, Dean and I went to the zoo with Catherine, her boys, and Peggy. It was a beautiful day! I felt better and knew the walk and fresh air was why. I'm a firm believer that except when it's really extreme, exercise, even if just light exercise, is good for you.
*whenever Catherine would say night night to easton, dean would say ny ny. Hes never said it before.
*Hes discovered "under" and has started trying to crawl under stools and chairs. Our stools are tall enough but oddly enough, he started with a chair at KRs parents and he got stuck haha. He also lays flat on his stomach to get something out from under the couch.
*I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, and he's done it before but he's doing it more and even before we say anything. When we say no he says nanana. He will say it as he does something he isn't supposed to.
*Hes getting more confident walking while holding our fingers. When we first would do it, we had to pull him along. Now he will lead. And, he kicks the little ball, he had amazing foot work haha.
*speaking of footwork. At his dr appt, the dr was super surprised and impressed by his use of his feet. While trying to hold him down to check his ears, he was using his feet to push us away (not just kicking us away). I've always known he uses his feet a lot to do things. But I didn't know it was not common. So I've been paying attention. Then Catherine, without knowing about it, kept commenting on how much he uses his feet. Its adorable, hilarious and impressive.
*he learned from his cousin easton how to climb stairs! He did it once, I was right there and he kept whining because he couldn't get down, so he only had one option-go up a step. His predicament kept getting worse haha. So the next time I tried to show KR, he wouldn't do it.
*bumps bumps bumps!! Boy has his head gotten a beating this week-and im sure this is only the beginning. He tumbled off the first step the day before learning. He has a small marble bump on his eye brow :( he hit his other eye brow on the corner of his bookshelf by rhe rocker and it drew a little blood :( he just rolled over quickly tonight towards the wall and banged his forehead :( I feel like there are others but I can't remember.

42 weeks (ten til the big 52!!)

*Dean can basically say banana. I'd dare to say it's his first word. When I open the banana at lunch, he says nanana and I don't have to say anything.
*his favorite book is his pop up book, stripy cat, and he will reach over to the book shelf and specifically grab that one every time. He also opens the pop up flaps on his own. It's do fun to see him get it.
*I've started calling him monk cuz he uses his pointer finger and reaches over, sometimes angry if hindered, and touches things. Like, he had no choice but to do it. Haha. Cracks me up.
*well his naps have been getting worse, like never longer than the original 45 minutes. But then Wednesday night was bad. Then Thursday was a horrible day. He was so grouchy all day, clingy, crying all day he would never let me leave him. He barely took any naps and when KR got home, I had to hand over the reigns and hurry to the gym where I ran a cathartic 2 miles that felt easy compared to my day haha. I'm grateful to have KR and not have to do this alone, at least not 24 hours a day. Thursday night we gave him medicine and I prayed if it helped, then I would know to call the dr. Well it helped. He did his usual wake up here and there but was easy to put back to sleep, which is normal. Then when he woke up after a collective 4 hours, I easily nursed him and right back down. Then another 2 hours later, so a collective 6 since bed time bottle and medicine, he woke up screaming and crying and every hour after that. I knew the medicine had worn off and after 3 or so times of waking up every hour, we gave him more medicine and I planned on calling the dr. He had sn appt set on 3/12 to check his left ear that had been infected in January and December and still had fluid in it in February, but I knew we couldn't wait until then. So as I was waiting for them to open, I had the thought to just check the app for appt times. His dr is hard to get in to so I figured I'd check the other drs. Well she had a bunch of openings! So instead of waiting to talk to the nurse, who will just tell me we better check it, I bypassed that step. When we got in, I apologized to the dr in advance in case I was wrong and she stopped me and reassured me that it's her job and she would rather me come in and feel better knowing. Plus, going in to the weekend, she said she would rather me come in than have to go to urgent care and catch something. She checked his left ear and no infection. Still fluid though. But then she checked the right ear. She was so sweet, "its infected. You knew! You are SUCH a good mommy." So Dean is on another antibiotic. It is supposed to give him diarrhea though so I'm worried that will keep him up at night again. But we will see.
*other than that, the week was very uneventful. Dean is learning and growing but I don't think there were any other new things specifically.


Oh we babysat Reagan Friday afternoon and went in a walk in the freak nice weather we had for like 18 hours haha.