16 months

I realized a couple days ago, that I hadn't taken any pictures of Dillon since he wore his Superman costume a month and a half ago. I had a few videos, but that was it. Thursday night (Dec 15) I finally took some pictures.

The diaper work-out

Dillon did this several times after I stocked up on diapers the other day. (In case you are curious, we usually use Pampers, but sometimes, when we are very lucky, the Walgreens brand diapers go on sale. They are by far our favorite, and are the ONLY diapers that work for us overnight.) He wasn't satisfied until every package had gone down the stairs. The video is taken after he had already thrown them all down, so he is already a bit tired. This is a big undertaking for a guy who isn't much bigger than those packages, who only barely has the coordination to throw small things, and hasn't yet figured out that he can intentionally kick something in order to make it move.

Fun with nebulizing

On November 12, Dillon and I let everyone go home, and we stayed to finish the Super Saturday clean up at church. Afterward, Dillon needed a nebulizer treatment. The nebulizer can take a while and it is hard to sit still. So, after the treatment, we decided to stay and play a bit before strapping ourselves into the car. In the first video, Dillon is playing one of his favorite games, fetch, with the nebulizer mask. You will see how he sometimes gets distracted and plays fetch with himself, instead of returning the fetched item to the thrower. And at the very end, Dillon tells us all what pigs and dogs say. In the second video, Dillon invents a game using a water bottle and empty Pulmicort and Albuterol vials. It is similar to a game he plays quite a bit at home involving a water bottle and old mascara tubes.

Quiz

Dillon enjoyed a pasta dinner on November 10. Despite being VERY cute, there is something wrong with these pictures. Can you tell me what it is?



Since we are on the topic of dinner, I include a video of Dillon with his Rice-a-roni on October 30. He is trying to learn to use a spoon. He tends to give up easily and use his hands. However, Rice-a-roni isn't much easier with hands. Watch as he struggles with this dilemma.

Halloween

Prepare yourself. You are about to see WAAAY too many pictures of my Super-son.

Superman 1.0




Superman 2.0

After Dillon's bowels exploded all over Superman 1.0, I made new undies. Felt doesn't launder well. I also had to remove the shield, hand wash it because some of the red ink was bleeding, machine wash the tights, onesie, and shield, reapply more red sharpie to the shield, and reattach the shield to the onesie. I also shortened the boot covers and gave them a finished top edge. Dillon went to the Magic House in Superman 2.0. But, he was still really sick and the pictures are just depressing because he was so sad.

Superman 3.0

After the Magic House, I added elastic to the boot covers to keep them from riding up. I also had to move the Velcro on the belt to make it tighter. Superman 3.0 is PERFECT! And once I got Dillon into Superman 3.0, he was all better!!!! He's had a few rough days just getting accustomed to not being carried everywhere, but he is SO happy now and we're having a blast.






"Please, no photography."


"Kidding! Bring it on."


"Check it out. I'm gonna fly!"


"I'm so happy to be Superman. And to be digesting my food properly."


Doesn't our street look lovely? Our Indian summer made for beautiful leaves.




"Hey there, fans."


"Fine, Mom. But, I'm pretty sure Superman's allowed to go in the street."


Dillon really got into trick or treating. I thought he would be too little. But, turns out it's a simple concept. Everyone has a bowl, and I need to stick my hands in every one. The trunk or treat at church was a great training ground. Then, yesterday, I took him trick or treating for real. He had a blast. Also, he REALLY likes candy. Are we surprised? I fed him a Reese's peanut butter cup on Sunday. Then I put some sweet tarts on the floor for him to eat. He dug around in the candy bucket until he found another Reese's. Then he threw it at me and grunted. Nice.

We did get one pic of the whole family. This is after bed-time Superman. Even heroes need their rest.


No one got that I was supposed to be Lois Lane. Ok, I didn't put THAT much effort into my costume. But, really...


...isn't it obvious? Oh, well. Everyone seemed to like the new hair color. I know it was an uncharacteristic and irresponsible move. But, I got to the point where I couldn't stand looking in the mirror because I felt like the most frumpy, boring, embarrassing version of myself was staring back. At least now my reflection is surprising. I have no regrets.

Thies Farm Pumpkinland

Tuesday, Thies Farm Pumpkinland was our scheduled playgroup outing. The day started with a nap. I wasn't feeling very well, and neither was Dillon. And so, an hour after he got up, we did this...


...for an hour. I thought about skipping the Pumpkinland activity. But, I figured once we got there, Dillon would be able to snap out of it and play. Plus, I know he isn't contagious. He has had radically disturbed digestion for over a week now, but only threw up Saturday and never had a fever. So, we went.

Dillon says,

"Here I am at the pumpkin patch."


"My belly hurts."


"Here I am in a wagon."


"Please, Mommy, I just want to go home."


We stayed for about an hour. But, then I couldn't carry him any longer and we had to go home. After a few bites of lunch, we took another nap. Three hours this time.

Poor kid. He really is sick. I know his belly is hurting him. Still, I took him on our first Halloween adventure today. His belly hurt so bad that I am staying up all night tonight laundering and recreating the destroyed parts of the Superman costume. He's always had such a strong disposition. I don't understand why he is all of a sudden sick most of the time. It's very sad.

Preview of coming attractions...

I finished it just in time for our first Halloween adventure tomorrow afternoon. We are going to the Clayton Family Center with our friends, J and E. Friday, we are going to the Magic House "Not So Haunted House" with our friends, A and B. Saturday is the church trunk-or-treat/ chili- cook-off/ Halloween party. We won't have a Daddy on Monday for actual Halloween. We are trying to enlist people to join us for a mall trick-or-treat. Let me know if you want to join!

So, I think it's clear who Dillon is going to be. I will be Lois to his Superman. I dyed my hair and bought black reading glasses today. Mark doesn't have a costume yet. I tried to convince him to be Lex Luther, since all he needs is a suit and a shaved head. But, alas, he doesn't want to shave. Shoot. Maybe he should be Kryptonite.

What are your Halloween plans? What are you going to be?

note: A big thanks to Baby Milano and We Love Colors for carrying Superman-blue products. A bigger thanks to Nonna who gave us the Superhero Starter Kit, which included a red cape. I can always count on her for a good Klutz product.

Haircut

Well, we finally did it. It was sad to watch my baby's first hair, his sweet blond curls, fall to the floor. But, it was time.

And, I think it turned out pretty cute.

Thank heavens for bink...


...and slightly fuzzy Mallowcreme pumpkins. Even with them...


...it wasn't fun. Tear.


Here is little haircut today. Wave hi.


By the way, I made that romper this week out of an adult tee shirt I got at Salvation Army for $.99. Cute, huh?

Boo boos

Dillon and I went for a walk in the neighborhood today. He was adventurous, and I encouraged it. But, being a wobbly 14 month old, he fell down a lot. When we got home, I noticed two little bloody places on his leg. One on his knee and the other on the front of his ankle. For the first time in his life, I got out the hydrogen peroxide and the cotton balls. I sat him in his big recliner and knelt on the floor in front of him. As I cleaned his little cuts, I remembered an important day in my life. It was five years ago. I sat on the edge of a bed and my mom knelt on the floor and rubbed Neosporin on my cuts. I was so broken that day. There was so much other pain that I couldn't feel the cuts. She pulled me out of a dark, dark place and helped me heal from all the emotional boo boos I had. It wasn't until she knelt down and rubbed Neosporin on me that I knew I was going to be ok. I'm so grateful for her, and for all the other people God has sent to help me heal from all of life's boo boos. And I am grateful to be a mother. I am grateful to be the one person in the world that can make my son feel safe. I am grateful to be the one he will turn to when life gives him boo boos. And even though it won't always help, I am grateful for hydrogen peroxide and Neosporin.

How am I now?

So much better.

I have only one thing to say.

'Roid rage is real.

How am I?

The purpose of this post is mostly therapy. So, feel free not to read it if you can't handle complaining. But, if you do read it, I would love any encouraging words you have to offer as I'm kind of in need of a lift.

I really hate when people use their blogs as a way to trick everyone into thinking that their lives are perfect. As if having other people think you have a better life than they, actually makes it true. To prove that's not what I'm about...

I'm having a miserable week. Dillon and I got home from Utah last Wednesday night. I was excited to see my friends and get out of the house. But, Dillon got croup/bronchiolitis/whatever-it-is...again. I missed half of General Conference (a series of biannual church meetings) because Dillon had to go to the pediatrician. I keep getting stuck with another pediatrician in the practice because we are last minute/weekend patients. She thinks I am an unfit mother because I didn't take Dillon to the Emergency Department before I came to her last time, and since I did the same thing this time. Last time, being a mother, I was trying not to overreact. This time, I knew he needed albuterol and a steroid, since that is all they did for him when we went the the ED before. She called me 4 times over the weekend to make sure I was being smart about if he needed to be hospitalized. Gee, I was just thinking that since the one thing that seems to calm his breathing is sleep, I would treat him at home where he could get some, instead of taking him to a hospital where he would sit bored and tired for hours, getting more and more worked up and less and less oxygen. But, what do I know? I am just his mother.

By the end of the month, we will have co-payed equivalent to our out of pocket costs for private insurance. And that doesn't take into account the hospital visit, the cost of which I don't know, but shudder to consider.

Dillon's breathing is much better, but he is in some sort of residual funk. He is starving all the time, but won't eat more than a few bites of anything, and can't seem to get full. He is drinking WAY too much, and I am concerned there may be something wrong with him to make him over-hydrate like this. Yesterday, he, not just cried, but screamed, for 5-6 hours. He was only awake for 9. If you've met Dillon, you know he's not just a brat. He's been uncomfortably constipated for several days, which makes the eating situation even more distressing for me. I want to give him what I know he will eat (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese) but know that too much dairy may constipate him worse. Since it was apparent there was nothing I could do for him, and since all I wanted to do was yell at him, or run away from home, I slammed myself into my room and turned up the music as loud as I could stand it. He climbed up and down the stairs of our three level house 2-3 times looking for me. Then he gave up the search, but not the screaming, and stood in the middle of the second floor. Just stood there, screaming, until I felt I was ready to emerge. This definitely made me feel like a better mother. Definitely.

On top of all this, I am terribly lonely. Mark has been incredibly busy. I haven't seen anyone and I can't see anyone, because everyone has a child that could contract whatever Dillon has. And since we don't really know what he has, we don't really know for how long he is contagious. After three weeks in Ohio, home briefly with a sick Dillon, then a week in Utah, then home again with a sick Dillon, I've been pretty out of the loop. I couldn't even go to church on Sunday, because it was General Conference. I sit at home all day imagining everyone getting together and having fun without me. It's very depressing and pathetic, and kind of makes me hate myself.

So, there you go. If you thought my life was perfect, now you know the truth.

Then again, I had a moment today when I remembered how much worse things could be. Dillon was snuggled up with me before his nap and I sang him this song:

Train whistle blowing,
Makes a sleepy noise;
Underneath their blankets
Go all the girls and boys.
Rocking, rolling, riding,
Out along the bay,
All bound for Morningtown,
Many miles away.

Dillon's at the engine,
Mommy rings the bell,
Daddy swings the lantern
To show that all is well.

Maybe it is raining
Where our train will ride;
All the little travelers
Are warm and snug inside.

Somewhere there is sunshine,
Somewhere there is day,
Somewhere there is Morningtown,
Many miles away.

The metaphor of the song changed and it became a lullaby for Mommy, reminding me that there is sunshine and day, and though it may be quite a rocking, rolling ride, I will reach my Morningtown. I also remembered to be grateful that we have a home, we have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, our Dillon has a Mommy and a Daddy, and we have him. That is really all that matters. Everything else is just stuff.

There are no words

Pin-curl clips and an Argentine teacup

At Dillon's 9 and 12 month check-ups, the nurse asked if he puts objects into containers.

No.

Does he dump the contents of containers? Yes. Does he wait patiently for someone to refill the container so it can be re-dumped? Yes. Does he occasionally remove each item of a container individually and carefully examine the most interesting items? Yes.

But, the nurse didn't ask any of those questions.

When we got back from Ohio, Dillon was oddly motivated by a box of pin-curl clips and an Argentine teacup. In went the clips, out came the clips...in...out...in...for thirty minutes, at least.


Since then, Dillon has stumbled across several other motivators for the development the "things in a container" skill. It's had me wondering. What did it for me? What did it for you?

Scrambled eggs in a cup-holder?
Lids in a bucket?
Bath toys in a potty?
Pin-curl clips in an Argentine teacup?

"Things I Like"

by Dillon Valentine


I like Foosball.



I like Newton.




I like cats.



I like sleeping.




I like slides.



I like swings.



I like soda.



I like my car.

"Things I Don't Like"

by Dillon Valentine


I don't like being sick. Listen when Mom zooms on my face. Can you tell what is wrong with me? The doctors couldn't agree.



I don't like hospitals. At least this one had a remote. This morning I smacked Mom in the eye with a remote. It was a different remote than the one they had at the hospital. Then I punched her in the nose with my fist. I wasn't feeling very well.

Reflecting

Our hearts go out to all those affected by tragedy ten years ago today. It wasn't easy, but Dillon and I went before church to pay our respects to those who lost their lives that day and their families and friends who continue to soldier on. He doesn't understand, yet, but I want Dillon to be aware and empathic. And so we begin now, because soon, he WILL understand things like this.


Despite the significance of today's date, I am mostly reflecting on happier things.

Dillon and I have been home from our three weeks in Ohio for nearly a week now. He changed a lot this month and his changes were more obvious to us because Daddy missed three weeks. I've been reflecting on the last month of my little Bubbers's life.

In the last month, Dillon finally learned to tip his sippy cup so he can drink unassisted. This is a relief to him and me.

He got his third and fourth molars and one of his two front teeth. That front tooth gave him more trouble than all of the molars combined. And with all those molars, Dillon began, in earnest, to explore all the wonderful foods out there. He's been particularly impressed by grapes and pepperoni.

With all this eating, and with three weeks of a dog waiting for scraps at every meal, Dillon learned some nasty little table manners.



Still, no talking. But, he is definitely expressive. Check out the Indian war cry.



Dillon gave me a very precious gift this month. He stayed with Nonna and Poppa for 2.5 days and 2 nights so I could spend a weekend with Daddy in Chicago. He was a bit unhappy with me when I returned, but forgave me pretty quickly.


My little bottle sucking sleeper is now a one nap, no bottle baby. Today he took a 2 hour and 45 minute afternoon nap. It was a difficult transition for both of us, but he is a big boy now and needed to learn to give up baby things like morning naps and bottles.

This isn't the only evidence that Dillon is no longer a baby (shoot, I'm going to cry). The cherry on top of the last month is this...



(By the way, that's Daddy in the red shirt and black shorts.)
On Friday, Dillon was hanging on me while I stood at the bathroom sink. Then all of a sudden, I looked down and saw him walk away and go into his room. He's been walking like a champ ever since.

Lawrence is home!

My brother, Lawrence, came home from an LDS mission to Cordoba, Argentina. Dillon and I flew into the Columbus, Ohio airport, put our bags in the car, and went back inside to help make Lawrence's "welcome home" poster.


He was greeted at the airport by his niece, who barely remembered him, and two nephews he'd never met. And he got to see almost all of his immediate family before heading back to BYU.


We are so proud of his hard work and sacrifices. He (literally) wore out his shoes (several times) in the service of our King. It is wonderful to have him home with us again.


We didn't manage to get very good pictures of the homecoming moment (or any at all), but there was a snapshot session later in the day.


Where is Dillon? In bed, of course. He misses out on everything. But that's ok. He got his shot with Uncle Lawrence the next day at Uncle Lucien's birthday party!