Cuddle bug, Swine Flu and Car seats

This is a weird assortment of things but they have all been the most recent things we are dealing with this week.

Since we had a cool spell in Pittsburgh over the weekend and we didn't adjust the A/C, our house was a bit cold at night. I have been pulling out an afghan when we are watching TV to keep warm. Lucas LOVES this! He gets so excited when he sees me under it. He comes right over with a huge smile on his face and climbs onto of me. One night he laid on me for almost 20 minutes-I don't think he stays still that long even when he sleeps! Sometimes he wants to get under the cover with me, sometimes he just wants to be on top. It is so cute! I am going to like cuddling with him this fall and winter when I seem to live under the blankets!

Like many people, we are concerned about the Swine Flu. A nearby college just announced that there are 26 cases of Swine flu on their campus and classes just started there. Since I work on a college campus and have contact with lots of students from lots of different places, I am concerned about being exposed to it but will take precautions. Marc is beside himself with the thought of Lucas getting sick. He keeps obscessing about the people who have died from the flu. I keep reminding him that the people who have died have generally had other underlying health issues. And while it is good to be preventative and more aware, getting hysterical about it isn't going to help.

My sister gave us a convertible carseat last year and it was great to not have to buy a second one. I knew it expired this year so I have been looking at new ones and have been warning Marc we needed to make this purchase. And while he is crazed about the Swine Flu, he doesn't seem to show as much concern about the carseat, something Lucas rides in EVERYDAY. He thinks that I am crazy to need to buy a new one and doesn't know why car seats actually expire. Well, I found one yesterday at Babies R Us and came home to tell Marc. He sighed and said, "Just get it."

New Beginnings

We started to transition Lucas to his new daycare this week. We went as a family on Monday and spent about 90 minutes with his new teachers and classmates. Lucas did well. He was shy for about 2 seconds and then got down and started to play with all the toys. There is a little boy in the room who we took music with. I hope the two of them get to be friends. The whole time I was watching how Lucas acted, somewhat in comparison to the other children but know that it wasn't fair because this was his first real time being in the room so things were overwhelming for him. Because there aren't as many teachers in this room, he is going to need to learn some control. When they go into their gross motor play room, the children need to sit against the wall while the teachers get some of the larger toys out. Right now at his current center, they generally let the children run and take what they want. I just hope there aren't too many tears because the teachers have to tell Lucas to stay at the wall.

I also felt like Marc and I were being evaluated by the teachers-were they watching to see how we intervened or acted in response to Lucas? I was just grateful that he wasn't clingy.

He was there for an hour by himself on Tuesday. They said he did fine-just called for Daddy a few times.

Lucas' last day at his current center is August 27th.

Hello from HI

My brother is in Hawaii right now, finishing up his PA residency. And I think he is finally following the blog again. I see a little red dot in the middle of the Pacific-which I assume is HI. So hi there Uncle Gaw. We miss you-thank you for contributing to Lucas' picnic table. I will get you a picture of him at it soon. You won't believe how much he has changed since April.

Letter to the in laws

Dear In Laws:
Do you have any idea on how much of an amazing little guy Lucas is? Do you even realize how much of his life you are missing out on? And why? I can't for the life of me figure it out. If you weren't interested in Marc's sister's two boys, I would say you just don't like grandchildren. But considering you have been to the zoo, to Grove City with them and you watch then at least two days of the week, why is it that we aren't seeing you? It is frustrating but I can't force it to happen. I know of other grandparents who WILLINGLY take their grandchildren for the night to give their parents a break. Heck, my friends offer to take Lucas more than you do. Oh wait, you have NEVER offered to take him-we have always had to ask, crawling on our knees almost begging for him to spend the night.

I am sorry if you think my ideas for raising Lucas are wrong-they aren't, they are just different. So when I suggest you just ignore Lucas when he is acting up, it is not because I am trying to be neglectful, it is because I know he needs his space to get himself under control-and you looking at him and saying, "Lucas, what is wrong? Why are you acting this way?" is just adding to his frustration. Maybe he was hungry-so give him some animal crackers-you didn't need to wash a dish for him-put some in a cup or napkin. Or maybe he had just woken up from a nap in the car and he needed to become adjusted to being at the store.

Your other grand kids aren't perfect the last time I checked.

It really is too bad that you have to act this way towards us-we want you to be involved in his life. But that choice is solely up to you. You know where we live.

Happy 23rd Month Birthday

Celebrating these monthly birthdays doesn't seem like that big of a deal now that we are fast approaching Lucas' second birthday but they are still fun. Last night Marc said to him, "sometimes we forget because we don't make the big sign anymore and take your picture but we still love you." Lucas wasn't even paying attention to him. He has become quite the little independent thinker these days. He doesn't like to hold your hand when we are outside anymore but that means he needs to be carried-believe me, everyone would prefer it if Lucas would just hold our hands and walk. He is into trucks, buses and firetrucks BIG TIME. He gets upset when we don't see any one the roads. Lucas now likes to run and will say, "I walk, I run" and take off down the hall. He is clearly going to get his logic from my side because he knows you need to walk before you can run;) Lucas still has a love hate relationship with Jeff. He calls for Jeff as soon as we get into the house but some days he doesn't like it when Jeff smells his toys. That is enough to send him over the edge.

Lucas recently discovered pianos-he loves to play the one that is part of his music table. He even pulls up a toy or ball to sit on while he plays. I can't wait to start music with him again in January.

And he has a temper-I think he gets frustrated and doesn't know how to tell us what is wrong so his solution is to throw things or hit. We are trying to stop this behavior and pray that the terrible twos aren't so terrible.

Lucas continues to be the extrovert. He loves to say hi and bye to complete strangers. On the way home last week he tried to get the attention of a man in a pickup truck to say hi. While we were out to eat on Sunday, he waved bye to a group that was getting up to leave.

I never thought the time would come when Lucas "caught up developmentally" but he has-the last six months have been just incredible in all the things he has learned.

This is finally getting to be fun for me . . .