All Packed Up With No Place to Go

I am a bit of a freak about packing. I always pack in advance. I like everything very organized. I am always afraid of forgetting something. I go as far as packing my toothbrush the night before and unpacking it the next morning to brush, just so I make sure not to forget it. This week, I was forced to put my neurosis aside. We had the moving company scheduled to pack for us. Several times, I felt the urge to panic because not a single thing was boxed up. But, I found out today that having the entire apartment packed in one day without having to fold a single box or single piece of packing tape was very, very nice.

Noah handled the packing really well. He got a little... interested when they started in his room. He kept pulling down all the packing paper and stealing the poor man's tape. He was easily distracted by a DVD of Blue's Clues, a sip of juice and some goldfish crackers. In fact, I believe today, Noah pretty much survived the day on Blue's Clues and goldfish crackers.

I was planning on rewarding him for his good behavior with chocolate milk and Chick-Fil-A, but he fell asleep on the stroll to the mall. He took an abbreviated nap in his stroller while I rewarded myself with Chick-Fil-A and walked the mall. I resisted the urge to actually shop, since I am not sure we will be able to fit the things I already am planning to put in the car.

So, the movers are loading up tomorrow. Dean and I have a closing discussion with both Noah's OT and speech therapist, and then our little family is heading west. Aside from the fact that Dean starts his new job on Monday, we are really not in a rush to get anywhere. Our house will not be ready until the end of August, and we will be staying with friends once we get to Texas. I plan on making an extended stop to visit family in LA.

I would love to say our year plus one month in Miami has flown by, but it hasn't. I am sure one day when I'm older and this year is a distant memory, I'll look back and say, "Miami... Oh yeah I lived there. It was fabulous." Maybe I'll even believe it, but right now, I'm just going to enjoy the fact that this year is done, and we are moving on.

Worth the 2.5 Hour Wait

In preparation for our much anticipated drive out of town, Noah and I spent the morning at the car dealership getting my truck checked out. At about 9:00 AM, Noah and I dropped the truck at the service department and headed over to the waiting room. Luckily, it was empty. I switched the TV from Regis and Kelly to Clifford the Big Red Dog, and we settled in for our wait. Sigh. It is times like this that I really miss my dad.

The room didn't stay empty for long, but I figured we were here first. So, cartoons stayed on, and the people didn't seem to mind, not that they were overly excited about Noah running in circles around the room. Noah ruled that waiting room. The long wait was pretty uneventful except for the part where he pulled all the red straws out the coffee cart and tried to steal a granola bar from a lady and a highlighter from an old man. Clifford rolled into Sesame Street and Sesame rolled into Word World, and I figured I'd put the now 5 other adults out of their misery. Noah and I headed outside to a small bench to indulge in some goldfish and Fanta. I pulled out my phone to send Daddy a quick picture. I told Noah to smile, just like always, and when I pulled the phone around, this is what I got.

I love this picture. Noah smiling and looking right at the camera. One take. Totally worth the wait.

Swim Lessons

I decided to sign Noah up for some "Mommy and Me" swim classes. The classes are thirty minutes long. Noah has learned to hold on to the side, tolerate floating on his back and fill in the words to Humpty Dumpty. He has not learned how to close his mouth under water. In fact, I am pretty sure he drinks quite a bit of chlorinated water during our half hour swim.

Time to practice swimming.

Not visible in this picture, but I promise his mouth is wide open.

Ahhh... this water kind of tastes funny.

Gulp.

Totally Unrelated

42 bites. I counted. Several times. During the multiple applications of hydro cortisone cream throughout the day yesterday. This morning he woke up still running a slight temperature. So, I placed another call into his pediatrician. The nurse suggested I bring him in because it "might be an indication he is coming down with something." Something? Something else? Meaning not related to the mosquito bites. Seriously, how can it be unrelated, he has 42 mosquito bites.

So, I brought him in this afternoon, and he has the croup. Totally unrelated to his 42 bites. And, I kid you not, 45 minutes before I walked into the pedi's office, he started making this wheezing sound, and my google search result ridden brain interpreted it as a symptom of West Nile virus, and when the doctor said it was the croup, I was so relieved. She started writing a prescription for steroids which I interrupted to ask if she could give him a shot instead. She said she could... finally, someone who will give a shot around here. So, now he is down for the night. Still sporting 42 bites, which surprisingly don't seem to bother him, which actually shouldn't be surprising since they didn't seem to bother him when he got them, and pumped up with steroids to treat his croup. Once again hoping he feels better tomorrow.

Big Bites and Big Feet

Yesterday morning, Noah and I met up with some friends at the splash park. Noah was having a blast as usual. We got run off just before lunchtime by a busload of summer camp 10-year-olds and a swarm of mosquitoes. It wasn't until this morning that I realized we hadn't heard the last of those pesky mosquitoes. Noah woke up running a temp of about 101.5 and covered in with 20+ red whelps on his neck, face, hands, and feet. A quick call to his pedi sent us off to the pharmacy for hydrocortisone cream, Benadryl and Cheese-Its because really doesn't a box of Cheese-Its make everything better. Noah is down for a nap, and hopefully, he will feel better this afternoon. Ouch!

Speaking of the pediatrician, I forgot to mention that Noah had his 2-year well baby check up last month. Noah measured in the 90th percentile for height and the 90th percentile for weight. And, if shoe size was something kept on medical record, I am pretty sure he'd be in the 90th percentile for that too. Last check, he was 9.5XW. Although it's been about a month since that measurement and all he wants to wear these days are crocs.

Yesterday, I decided it's time to toss the crocs and go cold turkey on some summer sandals. I am all about a clean break. Ripping off the band-aid. I headed to Stride Rite yesterday evening loaded down with Cheese-Its (seriously, he loves these things), fruit snacks and a sip of juice. I was ready to stick to my guns and get him some real shoes. It turns out the first pair I managed to get on him was a winner, and after realizing I was pushing my luck to get him to try on a second option, I committed to the purchase. He walked out of the store with the new shoes on his feet, and I promptly threw the crocs in the nearest trash can in the new shoe box. (I'm not crazy. I am expecting a daily fight on this.) We have only put the new shoes on once today to head over to the pharmacy, and after three fruit snacks, I was able to convince him to sit still. They went on with only minimal fuss and only a couple kicks. Hoping the crocs will be a thing of the past and who knows maybe by fall, he will be ok with a pair of sneakers.

A Rainy Day in Florida

Did you know that during the summer in Miami it rains every single day! It's true. And, it usually happens in the afternoon. We are done with therapy and naps and ready to play, and all we get is rain. One day this week we went over to our friends Kasey and Luke's house for some play. They have a cute little patio off the living room. The rain had died down to only a drizzle, and Luke was demanding outside. He did say please.

Who could resist a please from this sweet face? So, outside they went. Noah kept saying rain, rain, rain, and turning his head up to the sky to drink the drops. He is one thirsty boy. Then, Noah got it into his head to start a shouting match.

Noah, what are you doing? Can I play too?

Sure, Luke. You're up. This is so much fun.

Alright buddy, now give it to me with some feeling?

Woo Hoo! That's what I'm talking about.

5 Things Friday 7.3.09

Noah has had some trouble sleeping this week. I remember hearing someone say or reading somewhere that when kids have trouble sleeping, it means some sort of growth spurt. I am not sure where I got this little nugget of information, and I am really not sure how true it is, but it has stuck with me. In Noah's case, I am having a feeling some growing pains are indeed happening. He was such a chatterbox today. He did lots of talking, lots of great interaction and even some repeating. Here are five things that Noah said today.

1. Squish (sscuuu-wish): said while playing with Play-doh this afternoon.

2. Caroline (cur-liii-n): said while looking through pictures on my iPhone. He was referring to our little friend Caroline.

3. ZZZZ (snort-shhhh, snort-shhh): mimicking me while pretending to take a nap on the floor.

4. Push/Bye (puuuu-uush/bye): said while pushing me with his finger through the bars of his crib. He was trying to tell me to go and get him some milk.

5. Seven (seb-in): sandwiched in between 1,2,3,4,5,6 and followed by 8,9,10,11,12,13. Oh yes, Noah can count. Seven is by far my favorite number, and the way he says it, it almost sounds like two numbers.

I guess it would be much more fun and exciting if I actually had some video accompaniment, but I don't. Happy Independence Day!

D-O-N-E

This week Dean completed his fellowship. I think when you finally get to your third graduation from some sort of level of higher education, the whole event tends to be somewhat anti-climatic. So, the final day came and went accompanied with a huge sigh of relief and some well wishes from friends expressing the sentiment, welcome to the rest of your life/your life begins/congratulations on finally having a real life.

We are staying in Miami for an extra month. Dean will be working at the same hospital, but now with the title of staff. It's a much better title with much better hours. And, after 365 days of never having him home before 9:00PM (or most nights 11:00pm), having him walk in the door at 7:00PM last night was a really nice change... something that I could get used to. Just now, I am not used to it. I am used to having several hours to myself in the evening, and last night, Noah was still awake, the kitchen needed to be cleaned, dinner wasn't started, and the pre-move closet cleanup was not close to completion. Dean was ready to relax, and I still had stuff to do. Hmmm... looks like I might need to prioritize my days, but it will be worth it to have him home.

Congratulations Dean on completing the most difficult year of training so far. Noah and I are so proud of you for all your accomplishments. We love you!

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

Noah spent the weekend with Daddy. I made him promise to take pictures, and true to his word, I got this...

Hanging out at the pool with his special milk sippy cup in hand. I am pretty sure this one was taken during the witching hour, sometime between 3:00 and 5:00. Hence, the special milk sippy cup. It was sent with the text message, "don't judge me." It made me laugh, since I have so been there.

And this one. Noah enjoying the spaghetti that I cooked just before taking off to my trip. Daddy informed that Noah loved the spaghetti. So much so, that when Dean wasn't feeding him fast enough, he started shoveling it in himself.

And this one, which Dean didn't actually take. I took it yesterday when I got home, but it was too cute not to share. Thanks Dean for watching Noah this weekend, so I could relax, recharge and just be a girl.

Wings Schmings

Last night, a group of people from Dean's work were getting together for wings. Since moving to Miami, the nights I actually leave the house after dark are few and far between. So, I decided that Noah and I were actually going to go. The way our day was scheduled it looked like Noah was going to take a late nap, so he wouldn't be totally exhausted. Well, wouldn't you know it, he totally denied me a nap. Finally, I needed to shower because hey, a night out deserves a blow dry and makeup. So, I put Noah in his crib about 4:45 PM, and... he fell asleep. Sigh. I had a bad feeling. He woke up crying from his abbreviated nap, and I should have just given up and cancelled, but I forged ahead with my fresh blown hair and pre-pregnancy jeans (finally).

Noah and I picked up Dean at the hospital and headed to the restaurant. I use the word restaurant loosely since it was more like a bar/wings joint. We walked in and the crew was amassed among two picnic tables. The place was dark and crowded and loud, and the tables where everyone was sitting were way in the back. Noah immediately went into sensory overload. I knew within about two seconds this outing was a bad idea, but Dean said we couldn't just walk out, so onward we marched. I tried my best to follow the rule of don't let him down, but he's weighing in at about 34 pounds, and sometimes it's easier said than done.

So, after attempting to sit, act calm and collected, meet people, and join in some small talk, I gave up. Noah definitely had something in mind. He took off running back towards the entrance. En route he managed to wedge between the legs of a group posing for a picture and then got stuck between a couple hugging. I tried to push the amorous pair apart, but apparently they were lacking feeling below the waist because despite my pushing, Noah had to wait out the hug and then ended up on his butt on the floor. Undeterred, he jumped up and continued on his merry way to the arcade games in the front which I had overlooked, but eagle eye Noah must have spotted right off. We stood there for a bit while Noah got his fill of V8 vigilante, and then I bribed him with cheese-its and begged a waitress for a high chair.

A sippy cup of apple juice got him to get in the high chair, a refill of milk, some applesauce, half a pb&j, and an episode of Bunnytown on my iPhone afforded us a little conversation, an order of wings, and a beer in a frosty mug (aaahh). By that time, I decided it was time to put us and Noah out of our misery. As we struggled to get an overtired and overstimulated little boy into his carseat, I wondered if it was worth the effort. I am thinking not. First on the agenda on our move to Texas, a babysitter.

Adios Amigos

Noah, please don't leave me!

Caroline, pull yourself together. You're the one leaving me.

But, don't worry my sweet, little friend. Mississippi isn't all that far from Texas, and our mommies and daddies said they'll be friends forever.

Besides, we'll always have Miami.

Good luck in Mississippi sweet girl. We will miss your little family so much!

Five Things Friday 5.29.09 - Guest Blogger

As mentioned in my previous post, my nephew Blake is spending the week with us. Since he is an avid babynoahc blog reader, I thought it would be a good idea to have him write his very own post about his visit. So, here are five things from Blake.

Hi! I'm Blake. Here are five things that I enjoyed doing while I was in Miami.

1. Dean and I went to see Night at the Museum at the IMAX. After, we went to an arcade where we rode on a 30-foot game that flings you up than makes you freefall. It was awesome!

2. A funny story about Noah. While we were in the car, Noah was mad, so Sarah played his favorite song, and he made the most adorable smile ever. Here is the video.... and the picture! The picture is sort of bad because I took it with my cell phone.

3. With Sarah's help, I obtained my body bugg goal and lost 11 pounds. I lost 4 while in Miami. Sarah and I worked out in the gym, swam lamps at the pool, and ran up and down her stairs. It was not fun!

4. After 5 days with Noah, he FINALLY let me hold him without trying to kick me, fight me, hit me, get away from me, etc. Even though it doesn't look like it, he is really happy that I am holding him. But, seriously, after this time, he was much happier around me.

5. Sarah and I tagged team a chicken spaghetti Ma Ma Ellen style. I cooked and cut the chicken and veggies. Sarah boiled the noodles and started the sauce. And, then I finished it off. It was delicious. Noah ate it two days in a row.

The Science Museum

We have a very fun guest visiting us in Miami. Noah's oldest cousin Blake. He flew all by himself and is staying all week. We were trying to figure out what we wanted to do on Monday, and Dean suggested the Miami Science Museum.

Dean: : "I hear they have a megladon exhibit."

Blake: "Really? Cool."

Me: "Um... sure, but what's a megladon?"

Blake/Dean: (eyerolling)

Apparently, it's a giant shark. I mean a really giant shark. Feel free to google it, but according to Blake, it can grow up to 60-feet tall. Don't worry it became extinct about 2 million years ago.

There were a ton of cool exhibits at the museum. Blake got fingerprinted and found out his fingerprint type is a mostly arch with a composite mixed for his thumb and ring finger.

Noah's favorite part of the museum was the light wall.

Blake got into the action too.

Here is a mirror illusion that Blake and I just couldn't seem to get right, but it turned out to be a pretty cool picture anyway.

What a Mess!

For once, I am not talking about our apartment. Dean must have sensed my desperation last week, when I said, "our house is a disaster, and I need help!" A maid showed up today, and after 5.5 hours of work, our home is spotless. I am so happy. Anyone want to come visit? Now is your chance.

OK... so back to the mess. After Noah's foray into painting at OT last week, I decided to try out the finger paints at home.

Momma, isn't this where I usually eat?

Are you sure this is okay?

Eeehhh! This is so messy and fun!

The Beachcomber

This afternoon Noah and I met some friends at a nearby beach. Noah took one look at the expanse of sand and a plan immediately formed in his head. It all started with the shovel he stole from his friend Luke.

Here is Luke. He just turned one. He is walking really well, but doesn't really wander too far from his Momma.

And, here is Lydia. She's one too, and she is also walking. She actually doesn't wander far from her Momma at all.

Noah on the other hand. He likes to wander far, and he doesn't really mind if Momma is following or not.

Any idea what the plan is?

Luckily, the beach wasn't too crowded, so I was able to locate the proper and separate owners for each of the beach toys that Noah pilfered.

All this thievery sure works up a thirst.

No Love for the Bunny

On Friday, Noah and I walked to the mall to have his picture taken with the Easter Bunny. We made it to the mall before the bunny. We were the first in line, and the nice young camera lady let Noah run around the picture area while we waited. I thought this was a good idea since Santa pictures did not go well this year, and I thought maybe if he got used to the area, he would feel more comfortable with the bunny.

Not sure if the nice young camera lady knew what was ahead when she gave Noah free rein in the picture area.

Noah was very interested in the huge styrofoam glitter eggs.

So much so that he picked all of them up one by one to put them at my feet.

But once the Easter Bunny made his appearance, no oversized sparkly egg could convince Noah to have a seat on his lap for a picture.

Oh well, better luck next year.

Who Doesn't Like A Good Mix Tape?

Noah loves music. The IPod gets kicking, and I swear you can see his little ears perk up, his head cock to the side, and the sweetest little smile touch his face.

Yesterday, we were heading on an emergency run to Target to pick up the 3rd book in the Twilight series. I mean, seriously, who ends a book with a cliffhanger like that. It was the witching hour for us between 4:30 and 5:00... too late for a nap, too early for bed, and not quite dinnertime. En route, I plugged my IPhone into my car stereo, so Noah could hear some tunes. The drive to Target was quick. We got into the store, and I plopped Noah into a cart. As we headed to the back of the store, he started shaking in his seat. I could tell he still had the tune in his head, so I started singing the song that had been playing in the car. He looked at me like I was nuts and started to protest a bit. Ouch. I thought I sounded pretty good. So, I handed him his sippy cup, which he angrily tossed in the back of the cart. OK, really, this is where the talking would come in handy. What Noah? He reached out for my purse hanging across my body trying to reach inside for something. I realized he was looking for my phone to continue listening to his music. So, I pulled it out, and we happily continued our shopping trip to Noah's very own soundtrack.

For posterity's sake and for anyone else whose interested, here are a few of Noah's favorites. Feel free to chime in on what is on your kid's mix tape.

All Together Now from All You Need is Love: Beatles Songs for Kids
Hello Goodbye from All You Need is Love: Beatles Songs for Kids
Black Horse & The Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall
Bubble Toes by Jack Johnson
Steal My Kisses by Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
Hot Dog! by They Might Be Giants
Taylor by Jack Johnson
Shoo Fly Pie from Short & Sweet Andrew & Polly
Jelly Man Kelly from Short & Sweet Andrew & Polly
Goodnight from Short & Sweet Andrew & Polly
The Sharing Song by Jack Johnson
3 Rs by Jack Johnson
Spider On The Floor by Raffi
I'm Yours by Jason Marz
Bubbly by Colbie Caillat

Open Shut Them from Sing Gymboree

We Take Our Little Hands from Sing Gymboree