As sad as I am to be moving......

there are actually some things I'm looking forward to about being back in Michigan:

• Sam gets to see snow. We've been home at Christmas and sadly, the poor kid didn't get to see it.
• Sam will have a nice quiet street to ride his bike on, not a parking lot.
  
• Learning to use my sewing machine! YAY!
• Scrapbooking with my mom and friends
• Seeing all my old friends.....too many short visits over the past five years
• Actually moving somewhere that we know people
• Going for walks in an area I feel safe in
• Both the boys will get to know all their grandparents and their great-grandparents
• Getting to attend family events and not having to worry about the possibility of plane tickets
  

We are NOT separating or divorcing

Obviously there's a reason for this post. I want to make it very clear that Eric and I are not going through a separation or a divorce. We are, however, making plans to be geographically apart for a temporary time period.

This time apart will allow both of us to focus on the major task at hand......getting new jobs. It would be no different than if he had gone to MI last year to work, sending money home. Or if we had a house that needed to be sold when a new job offer came up across the state.

You do what you have to for your family as a whole and the members as individuals. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, I believe that.

When we moved to Florida, we had no support system. When things got rough, we had to rely on each other completely. That has its good and bad points. Moving back separately will allow us to have that support system we each so desperately needed and didn't have.

So, NO Eric and I are not getting a divorce, we are not getting separated, we have simply made a decision that is best for us as individuals and our boys.

Our ultimate goal is to have decent jobs in a few months so that we can all be together again. We love each other very much and we've each sensed a big weight being lifted off us. Granted, there is a brand new level of stress, but at least we'll be working toward a common goal.

Whether you agree with our decision isn't important, it's our decision to make. We just ask that you provide the love and support you would if we were living together.

Eric will be living with his parents, the boys and I will be living with my parents. Again, this is the best decision for us at the present time.

Moving...............again

We're moving back "home". It's a sad day at our house, though I'm certain all the grandparents are happy that we'll have Sam and Henry there for them to see more frequently.

This will be our fourth move in the 6 years we've been together, scratch that, it will be the fourth in the 5 years we've been married. We moved to Florida in 2004, just 24 hours after getting married. We moved from a 1-bedroom to a 2-bedroom in 2006 just before Sam's first birthday. Then we moved from a 2-bedroom to a 3-bedroom in 2008 just before getting pregnant with Henry. Now we're moving back to Michigan.

My boys are Florida natives.............poor kids won't know what hit them come snow time this winter. Henry LOVES to be ultra-warm, but Sam gets overheated really easily.

New AAP recommendations on car seats!!!

New recommendations from AAP on car sats

Keep your toddler in a rear-facing car seat until age 2 (not 1)

Lori O’Keefe
Correspondent

New research indicates that toddlers are more than five times safer riding rear-facing in a car safety seat up to their second birthday. Following are some safety tips for car seat use:

All infants should ride rear-facing in either an infant car seat or convertible seat.

If an infant car seat is used, the infant should be switched to a rear-facing convertible car seat once the maximum height (when the infant’s head is within 1 inch of the top of the seat) and weight (usually 22 pounds to 32 pounds) have been reached for that infant seat as suggested by the car seat manufacturer.

Toddlers should remain rear-facing in a convertible car seat until they have reached the maximum height and weight recommended for the model, or at least the age of 2.

To see if your car seat is installed properly and to find a certified passenger safety technician in your area, visit www.seatcheck.org or www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm. You also can call 866-SEATCHECK (866-732-8243) or 888-327-4236.

The boys

Coloring eggs

Truly AMAZING developmental update

This is my blog update from a year ago. He was seeing a speech therapist four days a week, 30-minute sessions through Early Intervention. Ms. J had been with him since June 07, maybe July 07 (we'd switched therapists by then) and I had just heard "mama" for the first time in January (before I started the blog).

http://meyouandduckytoo.blogspot.com/20 ... gress.html

Here's where he is NOW, attending a full-day, all week special education pre-K program at the local elementary school.

we can have a conversation about all of his new animals (a friend gave him two buckets of Animal Planet animals--barnyard and safari)
he's using phrases like "i don't know" and "mama want some?"
he cleans up when asked most of the time and sings the clean up song while doing it

he will sing voluntarily:
Old MacDonald-----he says "e-i-e-i-o moo farm mama"
Itsy-bitsy spider-----he says "spidey mama?"
Head Shoulder Knees and Toes-----he says "hea, nonos, nees, toes"
and my fave?
he sings the "Uma Sleep" song from Oobi to Henry every night (of course changing it to "Henry Sleep")

Any tips for getting any of this on video would be GREATLY appreciated. As soon as he sees a camera in my hand, he wants it, so I don't get many videos of him anymore.

He's going to back to underwear for school starting next week when we're back to school, he's been using the potty pretty much all day at school.

He got his shirt off almost all by himself tonight (I helped him wiht the first sleeve).

We still have the paci, BUT we went to a playdate today and he left both of his puppies in the car and gave up the paci before even getting out of the car seat. He's letting go of his security items!

Fave pics of the week

This is how he prefers to sleep. Swaddled in one blanket with it up around his face, then a heavier blanket on top....all in the comfort of his boppy.
Three nights of post 10:30 bedtimes + 4 days without a nap or rest time = one tired Sammy

Yes, he climbed in all by himself. Never had a problem with him climbing out of his own crib, just in. Now I really have to make sure the door is closed at naptime.

Sam and his "first" Easter egg. They colored eggs at school, Sam brought three home. He did a fairly good job of peeling it, but then refused to eat it. (though he did eat a small part of the yolk)

Henry trying to breathe

Sleep apnea or silent reflux or ?????

Henry has been having some difficulties at night. There are times when I hear him take this LONG gasp for air. A couple of weeks ago, it scared me half to death, warranting a call to our pediatrician.

We had already talked to him about Henry being so congested all the time. I already run a cool mist vaporizer, use saline drops/nasal aspirator, and elevate his head.....but still, I am awakened by this gasping/choking for air in my 6 week old baby. The pedi mentioned a little bit of reflux at his weight check appointment, so I started thinking that this might part of the problem. I'm not totally convinced that it's apnea, but then again, the reflux doesn't make much sense either. So I don't know why he's doing this.

Sam never did this. He slept soundly.

So, after clearing it with our insurance company, we are taking him for an "obstructed airway" sleep study.

More Duck-isms

eh-fant............elephant

minga-mo...........flamingo

cock-i-cle.........crocodile

hosse...........horse

seep.............sheep

wino..............rhino

zeba...........zebra

i-key-ga............Ikea