In Between Hair

I miss my long hair...
It was really pretty. It helps me feel feminine.

I miss my short hair...
It's SOOO easy. And it doesn't matter how messy it is, because that works too.

Right now I just have this hair...(Dylan took the picture. He's been stealing my camera, and sometimes he takes a decent pic.)Bleh! Could there be a worse haircut?
Until it gets long, then I'll get bored, then I'll cut it all off and start over.

DVS is 3!!

Today is his magical birthday. He's 3 on the 3rd. Too bad he's probably too young to remember this. He's been more excited about his birthday since Halloween, than he was about Christmas. We had his birthday party on Saturday for convenience. So as far as he's concerned his birthday is all over. That's what he told me that evening after everyone had left. Months ago he decided that he wanted a truck birthday party. And that's what we had. We took down the Christmas decorations last Monday in an effort to separate his birthday and Christmas, and as soon as they were down he asked if we could decorate for his birthday. Anyway, since his birthday is over, yesterday on the way home he asked me what Grandpa was going to be for Halloween. He's apparently unaware of any holidays between January and October.We are in a ward who let him start Sunbeams yesterday since he only missed the deadline by 3 days. I'm very grateful for that, he was starting to struggle in nursery since there was a new teacher every week. I was told that while all the other new Sunbeams were shy, he sang all the songs and volunteered to help during sharing time. When he was asked if he brought his scriptures he replied that he didn't have any, but his mom would get him some. I'm proud of him for being out-going.He may have a cape/blanket on in this picture, but he has an imagination a mile wide. When it's snowing he pulls out an imaginary umbrella and truly believes it's keeping him dry. He puts on pretend costumes and zips them up before acting out whatever character/animal he is. He has a mouse named Petey that lives in the cereal cupboard with his grandma and grandpa. And a baby named Mushroom that sleeps in his shoe basket and likes to be wrapped up in his blanket. It's all so real to him and fun when he lets you play along.As I look back at pictures of him, I get sad for the loss of baby chubs. He's turning into a little boy whose vocabulary is greater than his ability to pronounce words. I wonder who he's going to be when he grows up, then quickly back track and decide I don't want to know anything beyond the funny little kid. I'd be fine if he was never potty-trained as long as he stopped growing up. I feel very blessed that Dylan came to be a part of our family. I never thought that having kids would be such a humbling and rewarding experience.

Maisy Dean is 9 months (next week)

This is a little early, and I'm at work so I'm stealing these picture off my mom's blog.This is a funny, sweet little girl. Dylan was never much of a snuggler, but when she's tired she'll just lay her little head down on your shoulder. It melts me. Also she has the squishiest chubber cheeks on the planet that I could kiss a bajillion times a day.
Her little dimple when she grins, makes you want to see it over and over again. She loves her brother and is always getting in his way. I'd like to think that she loves her mom more, but it might be a toss up. She's getting better and more consistent at signing "milk" and "finished". She hasn't really picked up signing "more" yet. What I really love is that for the last couple of weeks she's started repeating sounds like, "babababa". This doesn't mean "bottle", it's just noise. And even though it's just noise right now, yesterday she started with the "mamamama". Cruising furniture is just beginning. I spend a ridiculous amount of money on clothes for her. I never knew how fun it would be to dress up a little girl.I'm nervous about her having a little play purse and tea set. I'm not sure how to do the ultra-girly thing. The saving grace is how tough she is. She's taken some good hits and spills without too much fuss. Give her another year and she'll really be giving it back to her brother; he'll deserve every bit of it.
Also her hair is starting to come it. I'm a little worried about fixing little girl hair. Headbands have been really easy.

Long Time Coming

I am about to step on to a BIG soapbox. Stop reading now if you're easily offended when it comes to your kids.

I was at a work party on Saturday and a fellow PT brought her little boy who is 2 months younger than Maisy. Cute kid; except for the helmet. I was flabbergasted. How could a PT let something like this happen? Just because we don't work in peds doesn't mean that we can't notice that our kid's head is always turned to one side creating a flat spot. So what do we do? We stretch them until they're symmetrical. It's what we do. How could you let something like this happen? I can't turn off the PT in me. I hold a kid and I'm facilitating their muscles or challenging them somehow. I can't stop.

Also as a PT we know what normal gross motor development is, and we should be freaking out if our kids aren't reaching those milestones. Just a refresher: (I'm super glad that someone else said this first on instead of me, because I'm strongly of the same opinion.)

Rolling back to stomach - may occur later because we do not place our children on their stomachs to sleep and therefore they are not playing in this position as earlier as children were in the past

3 – 6 months:
Hold head up in supported sitting
Rolls
Weightbearing on forearms, elbows, and hands when on stomach
Reaching with one arm when on stomach
Gross motor skills start to emerge at 4 months therefore increase floor time
Concerns: arching back – this prevents normal development

6 – 9 months:
Transitions into sitting from all fours
Sits independently
Uses trunk rotation
Pulling up to knees
Crawling
Protective reactions
More floor time – develop proximal control in shoulders for use later (handwriting)
Look for a variety of movement patterns
Spend less time in walkers and saucers – these increase toe walkers

I don't care if you sleep your kids on their back. SIDS is scary. But they need to spend every waking second (exaggeration) on their stomachs to ensure normal development. The fact that both of my kids crawled at 6 months does not make them freaks. So everyone quit being surprised. And to quote another study that I don't have the reference for kids need a minimum of 81 minutes of tummy time/day. Their back sleepers, they hate being on their stomachs. I get it. Be the parent and do what's best for them. Increase it slowly everyday, until they tolerated it better.

Sometimes I wonder if the head shaping helmets are some kind of racket with SIDS studies. No one is going to do a study to see how real SIDS is. In the mean time, kids have an increase in torticolis and flat heads. As a PT I should be stoked that the torticolis is increasing business, but seriously those head shaping helmets are around $3500. We know that cost is crazy inflated because it's a medical supply, but still.

Deep breath. Step off the box.

These Crazy Kids

Dylan was in rare form tonight, so I pieced together this video. Just so you can follow it: he starts by calling in his "band mates", then sings Sugarland's "Stuck Like Glue", followed by some soulful crooning, and ending with the giant from Jack and the Beanstock. Enjoy.


But I couldn't leave out this Little Bit of drooly cuteness. What a great Saturday night.

Best Night of Sorting Ever!

Not because we won. I never even finished a round. But because my grandma rode with me. It was so great to see her on a horse and ride with her. I also had my own cheering section which made me smile. We had a great event and raised the most money yet.

So Much Left to Do

So to review my New Year's Resolution, it's a little disheartening.

1. Make a good friend in the new ward: kinda there; not BFF's, or call to talk to just because, but good to chat with in RS

2. Double my food storage: didn't happen. We've been eating through it at a rapid pace due to decreased grocery shopping habits.

3. Let Sampson hit full speed without being scared: barely ridden the old boy this year. Having a new baby makes it tough.

4. Win a sorting event: let's hope this happens at our fund raiser Saturday.

5. Find and participate in a Ride and Tie race: I've been researching this and the closest ones are in CA and NM. Too far to trailer a horse then race.

6. Don't eat more than 3 cookies/day: Definetly on this one since I started exercising again. Before, it was hopeless.

7. Learn to make 3 new dinners: I think I have this one down.

8. Lose 25-30 lbs: I think maybe I have 5-10lbs to go

9. Go camping to someplace new: So didn't happen

10. Take 10,000 steps/day: I never got a battery in my pedometer. Most days I'm really feeling like I've taken 10,000 steps.

11. Be more sincere: I hope I've improved with this one. I want to be a compassionate person, but it surely doesn't come natural.

12. Read only Church lit. on Sundays: Still don't have this one down.

13. Clear the wake with a grab: Got it, if just barely.

14. Do 1 tri-sprint and 1 10K: There's still time for a 10K. It could happen.

15. Have FHE every week: We're doing much better on this one.

They were all attainable goals, and yet I haven't done a great job. I'm a little disappointed because I know I could do better. There's still time for some of them.