Ryan's "Trip" to the Doctor

On Tuesday, July 9, Ryan went to the doctor's office. On Saturday at Caleb's birthday party, he left the bouncy house and kept falling. I was afraid he had broken his leg! But after six or seven times, he got up and walked just fine. So, I thought it was just strange and let it go. But, he did the same thing again over the weekend for Shawn and then again for me Tuesday morning. He would go to walk and fall down immediately (like his one leg would give out from underneath him) and then try to get up and fall again. But, after a couple times, he would be fine and walking normally. ????

As you can see in the picture above, he got weighed on the big boy scale. I distinctly remember Joshua's first appointment on the big boy scale because I realized he was no longer a baby! How can my youngest be at that same stage now? Anyway, he weighed 27 lbs 8 oz (40% for his age).

We saw Dr. Tifft who examined his reflexes, pulled at his legs to check for pain or obvious signs of discomfort, checked his walking, asked about how his mental state was at the time, etc. Dr. Tifft said he had no idea. He gave me things that could cause it, including extremely scary things down to something like severe dehydration or nutrition issues (low blood sugar). But, he said that with his reflexes being good and no pain, he ruled out something broken or torn. And the fact that he walked so quickly and the episodes stopped almost immediately made him rule out severe brain issues (like seizures or strokes or something like that). He also said that Ryan would be more "out of it" and for a longer period of time if it were dehydration or needing nutrients. So, his recommendation was to keep an eye on him and document how long the episodes last, frequency, etc.

But, go figure (or Praise the Lord, I should say!), Ryan hasn't done it since. So, hopefully that's over for good!

Caleb's 5th Birthday

Monday, July 8, was Caleb's actual birthday. But, we had started celebrating since Independence Day. He was almost partied out by the time his big day came. I asked him that morning what he would like to do. I gave him a list of possible fun options. His response? I want to stay home. I just want to play. So, that's what we did!

We spent the morning playing puzzle books. We did some reading. We played and played together. Then, I asked him if he'd like to meet Daddy for lunch at the park. When I added that we'd get Little Caesar's pizza and bread sticks (one of his absolute favorites) to take along, he was thrilled!

After we ate our lunch, we had fun sliding, climbing, swinging and enjoying the sunshine!

 Even Daddy took a turn swinging!

 Caleb offered to push his brothers.

 Ryan LOVES to swing! Do you see his smile?!?!

 Caleb loves to be the helper, so this was fun for both of them.

For dinner that night, we made Caleb's favorite noodles - plain and bland just like he likes them. He also insisted on birthday cake, so we all sang to him (even the Schnook!) once again and enjoyed some of that too, along with the ice cream he had picked out (chocolate with M&M's).

After dinner, we went to Redbox and rented a new Wii game for the boys to play. Caleb is really into video games like his big brother, so that was a fun treat.

 It was a relatively low key but very fun-filled day with playing and enjoying special 'treats.'

After Monday, Caleb was sad that he didn't get special privileges any longer like always getting into the minivan first or getting to pick which seat he wanted. We were back to taking turns and sharing!

 Happy 5th birthday, my little buddy! And many more!

Happy 5th birthday, Caleb!

Caleb's 5th birthday was Monday, July 8. His doctor's appointment was the following Friday. His stats were:

Pulse: 90
Blood Presssure: 92/50
Height: 3' 8.75" tall (85%)
Weight: 44 lb (72%)
The doctor noted that his BMI then was right about the 50%, or perfect.

He got his vaccines at his doctor's appointment for kindergarten. While I emailed the school to take him out of kindergarten this year, I know I'll need the paperwork for March, so I figured we might as well get it taken care of now. He didn't sit on my lap or cry at all, even though he got two very ouchy shots. His arm swelled up a good bit the following weekend. But, he was very brave!!!

My little man loves to color and do crafts. He loves to play video games, as well, and he adores individualized attention. He also likes to do hands-on projects to see how they work. He's great at puzzles and complex things of taking stuff apart and putting it back together again. He told me helped Daddy take apart some of the toys and put the batteries in and screw them back together. That would be right up his alley!

He also loves to explore. At the camping trip (which I will post about later), we couldn't find him at one point. Here he was in Aunt Gayle & Uncle Brian's tent. Mamaw said he was looking at all the tents through the camp site (not getting in them, though) and all through the cabin. He doesn't usually touch things but likes to explore the architecture and layout of different places. He's been begging Shawn to do a backyard tenting night, and I'm guessing that they will do it before the end of summer when it cools down a bit again. It's been so hot recently!

My little man loves marshmallows and just about anything sweet. He loves fruit and hates veggies. He also doesn't like meat very much. His favorite food is plain noodles - no butter, no sauce. He also likes alfredo pizza better than regular pizza. His drink of choice would be chocolate milk or apple juice (neither of which he gets real often). Typically he also loves his water!

Caleb is strong and super athletic, too. I've signed him up to play soccer this fall along with Joshua. I know he'll be excited! He also said he's glad he's just going back to preschool because it's "not as long" as regular school. He does like the activities and learning of school, but he also likes his play time and especially his down time. He is a child that also enjoys time just being by himself. He doesn't typically get scared alone but likes the time away from others. He is definitely his Daddy's boy!

Caleb can sing and still has the sweetest little voice. He likes to stay up later at night and never naps. He is a good helper but also has an extremely stubborn will. He marches to the beat of his own drum, and I'm hoping that as he gets older he continues to resist following others. Instead, I hope he develops leadership skills.

He is getting SO big! We still picture him about Ryan's size - a sweet loving adorable toddler. But, he is growing fast. He's solidly wearing a size 6 now, and I can't even imagine what shoe size he'll be when we get his feet measured this fall for his back-to-school shopping.

Happy 5th birthday to my extremely special and very gifted middle child. God has special plans for you!

Happy 26-month birthday, Ryan Josiah!

Ryan turned 26 months old on Sunday, July 7. At church this past Sunday, someone said "He looks big for a 2-year-old." I hope not, because my little Schnook is growing up way too fast!

For example, he now knows how to open door knobs. WHAT!?!?! I was laying in bed, and he was out with Daddy and he came dancing into my room to see his Mama. No more closing the door to the bathroom without locking it. He can get in and out easily by himself. CrAzY!

Something else he's been "sneaky" about lately is snuggling with Caleb in his big boy bed. He'll climb up in when we say it's night time, and we have to giggle. We haven't been able to capture it on camera yet because they get silly when we come in the room. Soon enough it will be time for him to get his own big boy bed. But, for now, since he hasn't tried to climb out of his crib, we're keeping his room set up as is. I can't bear the thought of changing it quite yet. Why can't kids grow up AND stay little all at the same time?!?!

Ryan is a fantastic sleeper, though. He typically goes to bed by 8 pm and sleeps right through until 8 am. I think that thumb of his helps him if he wakes up because we don't hear a peep. He usually naps for about an hour in the afternoon as well; sometimes two, if he's super tired. The above picture is the only one I got of him in his July 4th "FREEDOM" shirt. I can't believe I forgot to get a family picture of all of us in our flag shirts. (Sigh.) Next year!

Ryan loves to play and explore and is full of energy and life. He's not very cuddly but loves to run and jump and climb. He tries to keep up with his older brothers, and he's very strong for his age. He's also EXTREMELY opinionated for a 2-year-old, I think. He has a strong, stubborn will. And we've probably babied him a little too much... but he is the baby!

I know I've mentioned how much he loves to play basket-a-ball. He also loves to sing songs, and I'm impressed at his ability to repeat lyrics. He also understands the concept of playing "Mother May I?" and can put simple puzzles together easily on his own. He loves being read to, and he's actually enjoying some TV. He doesn't sit for long, but he likes Elmo, Veggie Tales and a few movies like "Jungle Book" and "Monsters, Inc."

My little man is the least picky eater in our group, I think. But he insists on feeding himself. If we try to help, he throws a bit of a tantrum. Tantrums are part of our days now, but I think that goes along with being two. Thankfully, so do little giggles and big belly laughs, the pitter patter of little feet and the innocent mixed up words that make us smile. I also love pudgy wide baby feet, little hands that hold ours, little arms and a voice that says "I want to hold you" (meaning he wants us to hold him) and "I want to rock-a-bye you" (my favorite!). I love how he asks me if I've had a bath when my hair is wet (and I respond shower, so now he asks that immediately after). He likes to bounce on Daddy's towels and "wrestle with big brothers." He loves to ROOAARR like a dinosaur anytime he thinks of it, and his little expressions that crack us up. We are so blessed to have a little one in our house. I treasure these moments and am so glad that Ryan is in our life.

Happy 26th birthday, pumpkin! (He'd repeat "punkin" with something funny... like "Don't call me punkin" or "You my punkin" or "Am I a punkin")...

More Party Pictures

My friend Lisa emailed me a few pictures she took from Caleb's party, so I wanted to post them here.

 
Isabella gave Caleb a few kisses goodbye after his party. She used to say that she wanted to marry Joshua. But, when Joshua started going to school and having other friends who were girls, Isabella decided that maybe she'd like to marry Caleb instead.

 I'm not too sure that Caleb's all that concerned about girls yet, other than being friends. Haaa!!!

 It was a fun birthday for him!

This past weekend, Nonie & Poppy took him to the Hands On House, where he played and played and played. He loves it there! And they went to lunch at Isaacs with him afterward. He had a great time! Thanks so much! They had taken Ryan to the park for his birthday and out to lunch as well, and Joshua is super excited for his turn coming up in September.

4th of July

I already posted about our day time activities on Thursday, July 4, but I forgot to post the pictures from that evening. We took the kiddos out for ice cream at Sweet Frog after we got cleaned up from all our yard work. They loved this special treat! I was impressed that they were open.

After ice cream, we drove to Lititz to see the fireworks. We debated on where exactly to park. Knowing that Ryan would probably not appreciate the loud noise and yet the older boys would want to see made Daddy finally steer the car to the Weis on 501. We sat in the parking lot with many other folks who had the same idea.

We let the older boys sit on top of the front hood of the minivan. When Shawn went to get Schnook out of the car, he protested. He had NO desire to get unbuckled and was already exhausted. So, Shawn simply removed the headrest from the driver's seat and let him stay in the minivan with the door open. Shawn stayed with him while I stayed with the older two boys.

Eventually the fireworks started. There were some that were hidden behind the trees - our spot wasn't all that great. That said, we didn't hear any loud noises that made Ryan cry either. So, for this year, it was the best we could do to suit everyone in the fam.

After fireworks, we did some sparklers at home to finish off the night.

Ryan loves to play in our garage! He reminds me of Joshua at his age!

 Joshua LOVES sparklers!

 Here's Caleb giving them a try, too!

I didn't do any the night of July 4th, but we bought more over the weekend so we all could do some.

 Shawn got some that changed colors as they went - neato!

 He also got a couple "snakes" that looked more like a pile of poo to me when they were done burning.

 The kids had a blast making letters with their sparklers.

 Even Ryan tried it with Mommy helping him. He LOVED it!

 Happy 4th of July!

 We're thankful for our freedom and independence and the opportunity to live in America!