Overprotection

So. I think I'm too protective of my child and my time. I have people in my life that are so generous, but I am extremely protective. Most parents would be happy for their child to spend the night w/ Grandma and Grandpa. They are his grandparents after all. I just get nervous about it. I'm not sure why. I'll have to talk to his Dad and see what he thinks.

Gift Requests

So is it wrong to send gift requests for my son to family? I don't expect that every family member get something for our son, but I think that some people might wonder what to get him. At any rate our most recent requests that we have sent out are for indoor tents that he can crawl through AND my favorite so far is Lincoln Logs. I was on the Internet this morning and they had a list of Christmas Toys that you can buy that are made in the USA. Lincoln Logs was one of them. I would be very excited about this gift. I loved LL as a kid and the type of personality that Tyler has makes me believe he would love LL. He loves to sort, stack and push things around. He loves sticks and wood. I think he would love it. Although he might not be able to build something with them right now - I think he can grow in to that.

Two posts so far this week. Surprising, I know.

The Hill family had a fun night last night. Last week I found a child’s table for Tyler at once upon a child. We have been able to fully enjoy our play dough again. He really loves making different things with his play dough. “Make a turtle” he’s say to us, “make a snake”. Can you believe he’s talking in sentences? Our other nightly ritual is to wrestle. Last night we were lying on the couch and he was in his wrestling mood and started attacking me and kept pulling my hair over my eyes so I could not get him back. I was immobilized! It was fun.

We also got a call from Grandpa last night and Tyler requested that grandpa sing his “spiderman” song to him. Midway through the third song Tyler looked at the phone and said “come here, come here” and used his hands to motion that Grandpa come to him. He loves his Grandpa.

Love you all!
Kara

It's been a while

So - obviously it's been a while. Too long. Here are our updates.



1. Tyler is almost 2 1/2 now. (will be on Dec 1st). He's so cute and such a pleasure in our house. He is a 2 year old and we have those normal challenges, but cute and fun just the same. He's talking more. Last night we were playing with is play dough - he started saying "oh my goodness" - were weren't sure why, or where he heard that before. We asked him and he said "Kim". Ms. Kim is one of his teachers at day care. He talks about her a lot. He's really starting to like day care and loves is new teacher, Ms. T. He has stopped crying when I drop him off (he's been going for well over a year, and just last month stopped his crying fits). We are trying to start potty training (have been talking to him about it for almost a year). The last couple of nights he has chosen to sit on his little potty while I read him a book. He hasn't done anything on the potty yet, but a month ago - he would kick and scream and cry if I tried to make him sit on it.



2. Tyler is enjoying babies recently. We have lots of friends with new babies. This is good since he will have a new brother OR sister at the end of Feb. Feb 23rd is my due date, although I'm not expecting anything until March 1st. We DON'T know what we are having (yet), but Dave wants to know and is supposed to schedule that appointment. So we'll see.



Big changes for the Hill household in Feb. Besides the fact that we will have a new baby.......Tyler will stop going to day care, and I am going to quit my regular full/part time job (working 30 hours a week now). So I will mostly be a stay at home mom. Probably after about 6 months staying at home I will look to find something more part time, in the evenings or something I can take the kids to. Tyler will start pre-school in the fall, so hopefully that will help him get in to some sort of routine. I'm looking forward (and slightly fear) the new change. I am excited to take the kids to library time, the Y (drop them off so I can exercise), COSI and the zoo. I already do some of that, but it will be fun to not have work looming in the background.



So - hopefully I'll be better at posting more often and pretty soon we'll get a new computer at home and I will post some new pictures of Tyler and the family. We'll be getting Christmas pictures done as well, so I'll work on getting those out to everyone.



Love all,

Kara

Playing for one hour

Today after Tyler nap he had his snack (as usual). I sat with him and worked on a Soduku puzzle. He wated my pen when he was done eating, but I gave him some of his crayons instead. He colored on the newspaper for a short time - THEN the fun really began. I'm not really sure what was going on in his head - but it was sure interesting to him. He sat in his high chair for nearly 30 to 35 min and pushed around his cryaons, sorted them, put them in the box and took them out. He dropped them on the floor a few times (so I had to pick them up for him). His concentration was unbelievable. He got frustrated at one point (I'm not sure why) and threw a bit of a fit. I put him down near the couch and brought him his crayons - he played with them on the couch for probably another 20 min. Again we were amaized by his concentration! I couldn't believe it!! He was very fun to watch.

Random thoughts

God is good to us.

How much do you consider the earth? I don't think I consider the earth in much that I do. I am going to a women's group that is going through a book about God and being concerned with the earth. I'm not sure I fit in. These are people that are much more interested than I could ever be.

Don't we look happy?

There's a First Time for Everything

Try telling Dave this. There's a first time for everything (or most things at least). Last night Tyler got his first set of stitches (before age two). Hopefully his last, but maybe not. He fell on the playground at school (hit his chin on the step) and gashed it open. I guess it happened around 4:00. The school called both Dave and I immediately - but we didn't get the message until around 5:00 (too busy at work, I guess). So Dave picked up Tyler and took him to Children's Hospital Urgent Care and they saw him pretty quickly. They were in a room by the time that I got there. He definitely needed stitches. So after waiting a bit for the numbing gel to work (which was not easy to put on him - he doesn't like to be bothered) we had to strap him down (I was hold his lower half and the nurse held his head) he received five stitches in his chin.

After the stitching was over he recovered nicely and we had a fun evening. He must have been egsuasted though - he slept until 10:00 am this morning.

The hills are sick

Usually it's just Dave and Tyler that is sick. Now it's me and Tyler. I'm not horrible - but definately tired, sore, grouchy and sick.

64 bit operating systems suck. We have a 64 bit operating system that is not vista - it's not compatable with anything - why would microsoft make such a thing? This is horrible. No camera, no printer. What is the point?!? My mom bought us a new camera - not compatable! Stupid 64 bit!

Great weekend

We had a great weekend. Mostly unevenful. Played at home a lot. The weather was horribly depressing. I am DONE with this cold weather. 31 degrees this evening - YUCK! Rained all weeked. We did go to Worthington's indoor farmer's market. I do love that place. We got some meat, herbs and apples. Yummy stuff!!

The biggest event of the weekend was going to see Marcia and her new baby boy. Born Sat night/Sunday morning at 2:00 am. He was about two to three weeks early. Weighed about 6 lbs (and some odd ounces). His name is Locklan - not sure if I'm spelling that right. He was fun to hold - gave me a little urge! So precious and little. The more Tyler grows I think that I love the age he is in so much better now than when he was a newborn - which makes me really think I like toddlers more than new borns - but holding Locklan made me think that I love newborns! Babies (and children for that fact) do amazing things for me. Make me smile!

2nd hair cut, better than the first?

Well - I tried to cut Tyler's hair last night. UUUmmmmm - It didn't turn out horrible - but you can definately tell a professional didn't cut it. At least it was cheeper and easier than taking him to a shop!

Touchy w/ a diaper rash

I guess I get careless sometimes. Or I just hope that the new things that we try are going to work out fine with Tyler. Sometimes I just try too many new things at once. Tyler has had a horrible bright red diaper rash since this weekend. Screaming when we change his diaper, wipe him, and put on diaper rash. The mistakes that I have made with his eating:
--Two weeks ago attempted to introduce products w/ small amounts of soy (last ingredient - soy lecithin) - it didn't go well, slight rash and diarreah.
--This weekend bought Turkey Bacon (notmally it's safe) and didn't read the ingredients. It had soy and possibly some dairy in it. He has a few small pieces before everyone knew.
--This weekend I bought roast beef (same brand that his ham that he does will with) - but it has "natural flavors" - which sometimes can be milk.
--I found kids cookies at target (packaged in nice little snack bags, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, etc). I was so excited because the ingredients didn't show milk or soy. They do have eggs and oatmeal in them - but with a few other attempts with small amounts both of these allergens he seemed fine.

Order of events were as followed:
Sat lunch roast beef
Sat night - Tyler ate his new Target cookies (and loved them)
Sunday and lunch - unsafe Turkey Bacon anf roast beef
Sunday night - horrible diaper rash (we kind of saw it coming becuase of the T. Bacon)
MOnday - cookies, roast beef
Monday night slight diaper rash
Tuesday - no cookies, no roast beef, no t. bacon
Tuesday night - HORRIBLE diaper rash

When I dropped Tyler off at day care I asked how he had been this past week. "Touchy" they said. They normall say "great", "fun" etc. This is a good sign that he also is comsuming something that is bothering him.

I'm going back to the basics, after I go to the grocery on Thursday. His regular grahams and more safe (and therefore more expsensive) foods.

Life with allergies.

I love my life

Have I said this recently? I love my life. I feel like I have been hormonal the last few days - which make me slightly depressed and apathetic. I must be coming out of the fog. I have such a wonderful life, I love it so much!!! I have a great husband, a good, fun and loving child. A job that suits me and continues to challenge me. Time off each week to have alone time with my child and myself. I great church and group of friends. I also have great family (mother, step dad, mother-in-law and other extended famiy).

Last night at our small group I really felt good about the way the group went. We have been working on restarting this group for the last several months and I feel like we are well on our way. We have a new couple attending and had great discussion going. It was nice.

Love you all!
Kara

Walking!

So my car was worked on yesterday and it was ready for pick up this morning about 9:00am. Dave wanted to come home and take Tyler and I to go pick up the car. I told him that we could walk. He wasn't pleased with that decision, fearing the walk was too long, "It's at least 4 miles" he said. I knew we'd be fine. So once the rain died down Tyler and I went outside and started walking. Tyler walked for the first 5 min. I was really afraid that he would get sick of riding in the stroller because I knew it was going to be an hour long walk. We walked and walked (I pushed him in the stroller), and looked at cars, trucks and busses. We listed to birds and saw worms on the sidewalk. About half way there we stopped at Wendy's so I could use the bathroom. It started to drizzle as well. I thought we should stop so Tyler could stretch his legs. He would have none of it. He wanted to stay in his stroller and keep walking. The drizzle was very light and Tyler had his raincoat, a hat, and a blanket on his legs, so he was fine - I was hot a sweaty by then, so I was good too. Walking, walking, walking. I had A LOT of fun! It was great to be outside and have a place to walk to (instead of just through the neighborhood). The last tiny, tiny, bit of our walk Tyler decided he wanted to get out and walk. So we walked together the rest of the way. We walked around the car dealership for a while (looking at the cars up close - that was exciting for Tyler). Then paid for ($1200 - yikes!) and picked up our car.

The walk was only 3 miles. It took us about an hour - including Tyler's walking, stopping to use the bathroom and stopping for traffic lights.

It was fun!

April 2nd

So we had a great time playing last night. We did our normal routine after dinner of rolling around on the floor, singing, dancing and chasing each other. Around 7:00 pm Tyler went to our front door and starting crying. I asked if he wanted to go outside. "OUTSIDE" he said with a big smile. So we got our shoes on and our coats on and went outside in the sunny 45 degree weather. Tyler likes to walk up and down the sidewalk. When we were walking by a neighbors house we saw a ball in their front yard. He walked into their yard to go after the ball. I grabbed him and headed home to play with our balls. "Ball, balls, ball" Tyler said the whole way home. We got our balls our from the garage and Tyler would walk around the yard and driveway with the ball and threw it down the driveway. Dave would kick the ball back up in the yard and this routine would start all over again. I think we wore him out. He went to bed around 8:00 last night and now it's 7:30am and he's still sleeping.

We had a great night!

Starting a Blog

So I have been thinking for a long time about starting a blog. Mostly for family around the state and country. Many evenings we are playing together as a family and I want to share the fun things that happen with our son, Tyler. I would love to post pictures and other fun things for people to read. I will probably post other things as well. Hopefully thoughts that I have about God, poverty, politics and prayer. If you visit our blog, let us know!

Love,
Kara