Today we had the babies’ nine month check up and Aidan's conference.
I can’t believe they are nine months old!! They are doing awesome! Everyone is right on track to where they should be. They are definitely not behind in anything! Yay!!
Nathanial was 17 lbs, 15 oz and 29 ¼” long. His exam was perfect. He’s still the easiest of the three by far.
Ethan was 18 lbs, 4 oz and 28 ½” long. His head is taking a bit of a drop on the percentile charts, but Nathanial’s was also on the small side, thankfully. He said that he would be more concerned if he wasn’t keeping up developmentally, but since he is, someone has to be in the bottom 5th percentile, right? He has really, really dry skin but that was his only “issue.”
Noah was 18 lbs, 14 oz and 27 ½”. He has been having some issues with dairy, so we talked about that and we are just going to lay off all dairy with him until he is 12 months old and then try again. Since having their colds, he has also been extremely ornery lately and pulling on his right ear, so I mentioned that. It is a little red, but not infected (whew!), so we are going to try some numbing drops. If they help, then we know his ear is bugging him. If it doesn’t help, then it is something else. I hope it helps because he is exhausting lately!
We are having horrible jealousy issues, especially with Ethan, but also with Noah. Ethan gets very jealous whenever anyone else is being held or getting attention. He can be playing peacefully, but if he sees someone else get picked up, he hauls a$$ and moves over to wherever I am and whines or all out cries until he gets picked up.
Also, toys…they are become a huge issue! When someone has a toy, someone else will steal it, it’s guaranteed. Never matters how long they have had it, someone will find out and will take it. Then, they fight over it for a while and then someone gives up by throwing themselves backwards and throwing a temper tantrum. Nathanial is the worst about stealing toys. He wants what ever his brothers have!
I had Aidan’s conference this morning for school and it went really well. He’s doing great for his age. He’s a little behind with his motor skills and attention span with his classmates, but for his age, he’s doing awesome. All in all, very good. I have finally talked Steve into letting him start school when he is 6, instead of 5. All it took was seeing the age of the other kids in his class and he agrees it isn’t fair to send him. Our school district is insane with how early they cut off kids, so there are kids in his class who will be 6 in January and February and not in school yet! That’s not about to change, so we will just hold Aidan.
It was a great day. The babies finally took a nap when we got home (man, were they ornery after holding it off for three hours!) and are now getting up and happy.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Not So Bad
OK, so it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, all went pretty well. This dentists office has a place on their sheet to write if you are nervous about visiting the dentist. It actually has a ton of questions, but that was one. I wrote yes; as if it wasn't obvious by the fact that my last dental exam was dated a little while ago, in another city, before we relocated, before Aidan and the babies, etc.
The hygienist was, of course, someone I knew and when she was starting x-rays she asked if I didn't like dentists and I told her I hated it and didn't like being there at all, but knew I had to go. She said that at least I didn't let that impression color my boys' thoughts because they were great patients. Made me feel better, but they also have no idea how terrified I am of going.
So I'm thinking the worst....there will be 50 cavities (OK, maybe you don't even have that many teeth, but you get the point), I'll need a root canal, or some other horrible oral problem. My jaw kept popping when she put in the x-ray thingies, but that's normal for me. She heard it and commented on it.
Back to the little room we go and I get in the chair. She said she was just going to clean my teeth first. When she started she said there was an obvious advantage to my fear because my teeth looked fabulous and she never would have guessed I hadn't been to a dentist in...ahem...7 years. So she cleaned them and said all looked great and the dentist came in. This particular dentist has 5 year old twins, so at least we have multiples in common.
She looked over my x-rays and said they looked really good. I thought, yeah, right...she's going to wait to tell me the horrible stuff later. She did the exam and found a tiny cavity on one tooth near the back, so I have to get that fixed. She said it was nothing major and looked pretty new, probably caused by my last pregnancy. It was so little it didn't even show up on the x-ray. The shooting pain on the one tooth that I am feeling is caused by a "tiny" chip in it. She didn't think she could fix the chip, but she'd try if I wanted her to. For now, she put a desensitizer on it and said if that works, I don't have to get it fixed. It's working great.
That's it...that's all there was! I go back in next week to have the cavity fixed, and if I survive that, then I'll be doing great. I told Steve he ought to write my dad a thank you letter for the thousands of dollars he put in my mouth with sealants and braces and every other thing when I was little, because now, at my advanced age, I have two cavities, which apparently isn't very many.
So, it wasn't very bad...I'll admit it. I still hate going, but I will go more regularly now again. Thank you, Dad, for the offer of holding my hand. I knew you didn't enjoy holding me down, but I'm also thankful that I did have the advantage of excellent dental care when I was young because it apparently pays off your whole life. It's why I make sure my boys' teeth are well taken care of.
The hygienist was, of course, someone I knew and when she was starting x-rays she asked if I didn't like dentists and I told her I hated it and didn't like being there at all, but knew I had to go. She said that at least I didn't let that impression color my boys' thoughts because they were great patients. Made me feel better, but they also have no idea how terrified I am of going.
So I'm thinking the worst....there will be 50 cavities (OK, maybe you don't even have that many teeth, but you get the point), I'll need a root canal, or some other horrible oral problem. My jaw kept popping when she put in the x-ray thingies, but that's normal for me. She heard it and commented on it.
Back to the little room we go and I get in the chair. She said she was just going to clean my teeth first. When she started she said there was an obvious advantage to my fear because my teeth looked fabulous and she never would have guessed I hadn't been to a dentist in...ahem...7 years. So she cleaned them and said all looked great and the dentist came in. This particular dentist has 5 year old twins, so at least we have multiples in common.
She looked over my x-rays and said they looked really good. I thought, yeah, right...she's going to wait to tell me the horrible stuff later. She did the exam and found a tiny cavity on one tooth near the back, so I have to get that fixed. She said it was nothing major and looked pretty new, probably caused by my last pregnancy. It was so little it didn't even show up on the x-ray. The shooting pain on the one tooth that I am feeling is caused by a "tiny" chip in it. She didn't think she could fix the chip, but she'd try if I wanted her to. For now, she put a desensitizer on it and said if that works, I don't have to get it fixed. It's working great.
That's it...that's all there was! I go back in next week to have the cavity fixed, and if I survive that, then I'll be doing great. I told Steve he ought to write my dad a thank you letter for the thousands of dollars he put in my mouth with sealants and braces and every other thing when I was little, because now, at my advanced age, I have two cavities, which apparently isn't very many.
So, it wasn't very bad...I'll admit it. I still hate going, but I will go more regularly now again. Thank you, Dad, for the offer of holding my hand. I knew you didn't enjoy holding me down, but I'm also thankful that I did have the advantage of excellent dental care when I was young because it apparently pays off your whole life. It's why I make sure my boys' teeth are well taken care of.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Absolutely Terrified...
....of the dentist. I cannot stand going and therefor, have not gone in over seven years (please, do not let my dad be reading this!!!). I have graciously allowed Steve and the boys to go, since we do not have dental insurance and use flex spending funds. But Steve is increasing the amount in January (five kids now and all), so that little plot has failed me and I knew I would have to go in January. I figured I could psych myself enough that I would go. My mouth, on the other hand, had other plans.
For the last month, I have had a dull pain on the right side of my mouth that has gradually gotten worse. It is now to the point where I have shooting pain any time anything goes near it or touches it. It is awful. So I knew it is time I have to go...flex spending money or not. I have something that doesn't feel quite right on the one tooth, also. Not sure what that's about, but it makes me nervous.
This all started when I was little. I didn't like the dentist to begin with...always thought they were evil people. I had a brace put on the roof of my mouth to separate that bone and my parents would turn the freaking key twice a day to "gradually" break it, to make more room. One would hold me down, the other would turn. They claim I wasn't that old when I had it done, but I remember it vividly. And, in my ensuing fear of dentist, it might be even worse now than it actually was, but I highly doubt it. I'm just saying...to be fair.
Then came four years of braces in high school. Thankfully, I had the clear ceramic kind, which was a blessing and a torture all rolled into one. They had just come out with them, so they may have perfected it a bit more now, compared to the dark ages, but I was constantly breaking them and saw my orthodontist far more often than anyone should. Which meant another tightening and more pain.
I went when I was pregnant with Austin because my wisdom teeth were coming in. Couldn't do anything about it...I was pregnant. So, I waited until he was born and they were thoroughly impacted, and had them removed. Surprisingly, they didn't do too much damage to my straight teeth. More on the bottom than the top and even that is fairly minor. That was bad enough, but then after they removed them, they discovered I had my very first cavity...pregnancy seems to bring them on. So I had to get that filled and that wasn't pleasant at all.
I skipped a couple of years and then, out of a sense of duty, went back. They found some minor damage and did a "sandblast" thing on them. That's honestly what the dentist called it. He said it wasn't a big deal. Bull $h*t it wasn't a big deal!!! I expected it not to hurt. I couldn't eat for three days I was in so much pain after that!!! And, supposedly, I had no cavities when he did it, so there was no drilling involved! That was the last time I went.
So now it's seven years, two pregnancies, and four kids later, and I am truly terrified. I have built it up and built it up to such a frenzy in my mind I can barely calm myself. I hate, hate, hate dentists. So much so that I wanted to go all the way to Waterloo so I could have a dentist I didn't know who wouldn't think I was a wuss. But, in the grand scheme of things, that wouldn't work. The drive back and forth would take two hours, plus the time in the dentist office, and it isn't feasible for Steve to take that much time off work. So, it was between his dentist and the kids. The kids dentist is in town, but I didn't really want to go there...them knowing me and all. But I caved and am going there tomorrow morning. I suppose after all is said and done I better just start going every six months like a "normal" person.
For the last month, I have had a dull pain on the right side of my mouth that has gradually gotten worse. It is now to the point where I have shooting pain any time anything goes near it or touches it. It is awful. So I knew it is time I have to go...flex spending money or not. I have something that doesn't feel quite right on the one tooth, also. Not sure what that's about, but it makes me nervous.
This all started when I was little. I didn't like the dentist to begin with...always thought they were evil people. I had a brace put on the roof of my mouth to separate that bone and my parents would turn the freaking key twice a day to "gradually" break it, to make more room. One would hold me down, the other would turn. They claim I wasn't that old when I had it done, but I remember it vividly. And, in my ensuing fear of dentist, it might be even worse now than it actually was, but I highly doubt it. I'm just saying...to be fair.
Then came four years of braces in high school. Thankfully, I had the clear ceramic kind, which was a blessing and a torture all rolled into one. They had just come out with them, so they may have perfected it a bit more now, compared to the dark ages, but I was constantly breaking them and saw my orthodontist far more often than anyone should. Which meant another tightening and more pain.
I went when I was pregnant with Austin because my wisdom teeth were coming in. Couldn't do anything about it...I was pregnant. So, I waited until he was born and they were thoroughly impacted, and had them removed. Surprisingly, they didn't do too much damage to my straight teeth. More on the bottom than the top and even that is fairly minor. That was bad enough, but then after they removed them, they discovered I had my very first cavity...pregnancy seems to bring them on. So I had to get that filled and that wasn't pleasant at all.
I skipped a couple of years and then, out of a sense of duty, went back. They found some minor damage and did a "sandblast" thing on them. That's honestly what the dentist called it. He said it wasn't a big deal. Bull $h*t it wasn't a big deal!!! I expected it not to hurt. I couldn't eat for three days I was in so much pain after that!!! And, supposedly, I had no cavities when he did it, so there was no drilling involved! That was the last time I went.
So now it's seven years, two pregnancies, and four kids later, and I am truly terrified. I have built it up and built it up to such a frenzy in my mind I can barely calm myself. I hate, hate, hate dentists. So much so that I wanted to go all the way to Waterloo so I could have a dentist I didn't know who wouldn't think I was a wuss. But, in the grand scheme of things, that wouldn't work. The drive back and forth would take two hours, plus the time in the dentist office, and it isn't feasible for Steve to take that much time off work. So, it was between his dentist and the kids. The kids dentist is in town, but I didn't really want to go there...them knowing me and all. But I caved and am going there tomorrow morning. I suppose after all is said and done I better just start going every six months like a "normal" person.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Day Off
Today both boys had school off (eick!!). They got money from Grandma and Grandpa C., Uncle Kevin, and Grandma and Grandpa B for Halloween, so I loaded everyone up and we headed to McDonald's "Playhouse" (as Aidan says). They haven't gone since last winter and I felt like we could do this.
Aidan decided last night that he needed slippers and his old ones didn't fit anymore. So we stopped at the store first and he bought himself Spiderman Slippers with his money. He got lucky and they were even on sale! He loves them and immediately changed into his pj's when we got home so he could wear them. Thanks everyone for the money!
Austin received a gift card to a bookstore for his birthday from "Uncle Michael Michael" and they have a great sale going on right now, so he is adding his Halloween money to the gift card and getting some great books with his money. Both of them have decided what money is left will go to their respective savings accounts.
Austin found out that for a mere $500, he can put his money into a CD and earn higher interest. He's about $50 from that goal, so he's getting really excited. He has to have some money still left in savings to do that, but I think it's a great idea. He's saving for a laptop and we've been trying to convince him to wait until at least high school to buy it so it's still relevant in college. He's finally seen the wisdom in this and decided that he will wait until his senior year and buy a really nice one. I said that way he may also have some money left over for "fun money" in college.
The babies' money is being saved. They don't need anything and it's the best idea for them. They did have their very first McDonald's hamburger. I was grossed out because I put it in a napkin to try to get the grease off it. I really thought there wouldn't be that much. There was so much I went through about 10 napkins before there wasn't anymore! Ewww!! They downed it and the bun entirely and probably could have eaten at least two of them, if I let them. I cannot believe how much they are eating lately!! Wow! They love table food and they love feeding themselves!
They are now sleeping, taking a late nap, so I need to get some work done!!
Aidan decided last night that he needed slippers and his old ones didn't fit anymore. So we stopped at the store first and he bought himself Spiderman Slippers with his money. He got lucky and they were even on sale! He loves them and immediately changed into his pj's when we got home so he could wear them. Thanks everyone for the money!
Austin received a gift card to a bookstore for his birthday from "Uncle Michael Michael" and they have a great sale going on right now, so he is adding his Halloween money to the gift card and getting some great books with his money. Both of them have decided what money is left will go to their respective savings accounts.
Austin found out that for a mere $500, he can put his money into a CD and earn higher interest. He's about $50 from that goal, so he's getting really excited. He has to have some money still left in savings to do that, but I think it's a great idea. He's saving for a laptop and we've been trying to convince him to wait until at least high school to buy it so it's still relevant in college. He's finally seen the wisdom in this and decided that he will wait until his senior year and buy a really nice one. I said that way he may also have some money left over for "fun money" in college.
The babies' money is being saved. They don't need anything and it's the best idea for them. They did have their very first McDonald's hamburger. I was grossed out because I put it in a napkin to try to get the grease off it. I really thought there wouldn't be that much. There was so much I went through about 10 napkins before there wasn't anymore! Ewww!! They downed it and the bun entirely and probably could have eaten at least two of them, if I let them. I cannot believe how much they are eating lately!! Wow! They love table food and they love feeding themselves!
They are now sleeping, taking a late nap, so I need to get some work done!!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Parent Teacher Conferences
Austin had his parent teacher conferences tonight. I was looking forward to going because we haven't had as consistent communication this year as I have in the past. When I need something or there has been a problem, the teachers are great about e-mailing me. It's harder, though, because there are so many more of them.
We were scheduled to meet with his language arts/lit teacher and PE teacher. I called and requested that we meet with all of them.
We started with his math and his teacher said that Austin has been really solid this year. He is doing incredible in math this year and it is great that he has a teacher who is willing to explain something a dozen times if a student isn't understanding. He said that he has called on him several times when he has thought he wasn't paying attention, but he instantly had the answer. Austin has a tendency to "look" like he isn't paying attention, when he really is. Because of all the sensory input in a classroom (lights buzzing and bright, other kids bustling about and making noise, the hard seat, etc, etc, etc), he crouches on his feet in his seat and generally puts his head down on his desk to block it all out. Hence, teachers think he isn't paying attention, but he is. He is getting a B+, right on the verge of an A- (89%). That is awesome for him!
Next we went to the PE teacher. Austin has dressed every time and is getting an A in PE!!! I was thrilled with this when I saw it on his report card, but he explained it to us. He said that it is a very subjective class (no kidding!) and Austin is trying his best, has a positive attitude, is dressing and showing up on time, and has gotten all A's on written tests. He said that's why he's doing well. The skills don't matter, as long as he is giving an honest effort. I wish every PE teacher would be this way...he's consistently done poorly in PE because of his poor motor skills and we finally have a teacher who doesn't judge on the final product, but the effort!!! I loved it!
Then we met with his Lit/Language arts teacher. She said he's doing well (A-), but could be doing much better. I agree 100%. He does the least amount of work to go squeaking through, but if he applied himself, he could do a lot better. So, we discussed it and I told her what worked last year was to MAKE him spend X amount of time on a paper. If most people got done in 15 minutes, he HAD to take 15 minutes to do it. If he got done sooner, he needed to scrutinize his work and redo it. That really helped and forced him to slow down and he did better. So, she said she was going to buckle down on him and try this option.
Next was his science and social studies teacher. Same as his lit teacher...he wasn't applying himself fully. Still getting a great grade (A-), but could be doing better. He said that very morning he had gotten a test back with a D, and Austin immediately put it in the recycling. I made him get it out and show it to me. For crying out loud, the kid got questions about dinosaurs wrong! He said that it took the entire class 30 minutes to do and Austin was finished in 6 minutes!! So we talked about the option again and he is going to do that with him. He asked if it was OK to hand it back to him and say it needed to be looked at carefully, I said you betcha.
All the teachers said it looked like he wasn't paying attention, but when he was called on, he had the answer. They all said he is a great pleasure to have in class because he is more on "their level" than his peers (they don't see this as a problem). All in all, it was a great conference and I felt like we had gotten through the first quarter well and hopefully he'll do even better next quarter.
We were scheduled to meet with his language arts/lit teacher and PE teacher. I called and requested that we meet with all of them.
We started with his math and his teacher said that Austin has been really solid this year. He is doing incredible in math this year and it is great that he has a teacher who is willing to explain something a dozen times if a student isn't understanding. He said that he has called on him several times when he has thought he wasn't paying attention, but he instantly had the answer. Austin has a tendency to "look" like he isn't paying attention, when he really is. Because of all the sensory input in a classroom (lights buzzing and bright, other kids bustling about and making noise, the hard seat, etc, etc, etc), he crouches on his feet in his seat and generally puts his head down on his desk to block it all out. Hence, teachers think he isn't paying attention, but he is. He is getting a B+, right on the verge of an A- (89%). That is awesome for him!
Next we went to the PE teacher. Austin has dressed every time and is getting an A in PE!!! I was thrilled with this when I saw it on his report card, but he explained it to us. He said that it is a very subjective class (no kidding!) and Austin is trying his best, has a positive attitude, is dressing and showing up on time, and has gotten all A's on written tests. He said that's why he's doing well. The skills don't matter, as long as he is giving an honest effort. I wish every PE teacher would be this way...he's consistently done poorly in PE because of his poor motor skills and we finally have a teacher who doesn't judge on the final product, but the effort!!! I loved it!
Then we met with his Lit/Language arts teacher. She said he's doing well (A-), but could be doing much better. I agree 100%. He does the least amount of work to go squeaking through, but if he applied himself, he could do a lot better. So, we discussed it and I told her what worked last year was to MAKE him spend X amount of time on a paper. If most people got done in 15 minutes, he HAD to take 15 minutes to do it. If he got done sooner, he needed to scrutinize his work and redo it. That really helped and forced him to slow down and he did better. So, she said she was going to buckle down on him and try this option.
Next was his science and social studies teacher. Same as his lit teacher...he wasn't applying himself fully. Still getting a great grade (A-), but could be doing better. He said that very morning he had gotten a test back with a D, and Austin immediately put it in the recycling. I made him get it out and show it to me. For crying out loud, the kid got questions about dinosaurs wrong! He said that it took the entire class 30 minutes to do and Austin was finished in 6 minutes!! So we talked about the option again and he is going to do that with him. He asked if it was OK to hand it back to him and say it needed to be looked at carefully, I said you betcha.
All the teachers said it looked like he wasn't paying attention, but when he was called on, he had the answer. They all said he is a great pleasure to have in class because he is more on "their level" than his peers (they don't see this as a problem). All in all, it was a great conference and I felt like we had gotten through the first quarter well and hopefully he'll do even better next quarter.
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