Enzo Turned 3!

My how time flies.  It seems like just yesterday we found out we were having our 1st baby - a boy!  When he got here, Jim and I made our way through those first few months and thought we would never come out of the fog.  Then Enzo started getting older and funnier, and we couldn't imagine our life without him.  Now he's three.  When did that happen?  All those people who say childhood goes by so fast are right, in a blink of an eye three years have passed.

The night before Enzo's birthday I had a great idea (courtesy of Pinterest) to blow up a TON of balloons and fill his room so when he woke up in the morning his floor would be covered in bright colored balloons.  I bought a pack of 75 balloons and had a ton of enthusiasm starting out.  About 10 minutes into the project I felt like passing out from blowing up so many balloons (okay, it was about 5) and Jim had to join in so we could finish.  Pretty soon we agreed that 30 balloons or so is plenty and there was no need to go overboard and blow them all up!  While Enzo was sleeping we snuck in and filled his room.

In the morning, Enzo came in our room and said there were balloons all over his room!  He was so excited!

When Lauren got up, she had to play too!  I'm sure Oliver would have joined in the fun, but true to form he slept through the whole event.

After a full filled breakfast of pancakes with sprinkles and a candle, we all loaded up and headed for the Woodland Park Zoo.  We were the first in line and when the gates opened Jim pulled the choo-choo wagon to the Hippo exhibit for our first stop.  They had just filled their pond and let the hippos out.  They were right in front of us, eating their breakfast and Jim and I were fascinated!  With all sincerity Enzo looks at us and says he's done can we please go see some more animals?  Kids!  On to the giraffes where Enzo got to feed the large male giraffe leaves and flowers!

The twins did remarkably well considering we skipped their naps.  We stopped for an early lunch then let the kids run in the big grassy field.  This could have been their favorite part of the day!

Later that day while Grandma Carolyn watched the little kids, Jim & I took Enzo to the Crab Pot to sit on the deck and have a big crab feast for dinner.  Enzo thought it was so funny that he was allowed to use a hammer and pliers on his food and even funnier that Jim & I were wearing bibs too.

The next weekend was Enzo's birthday party.  For the longest time Enzo wanted a "fire" party.  Not a fireman party, but a fire party.   He suggested we could light the house on fire to roast marshmallows.  Wow.  After hearing that his friend Christopher was having a dinosaur party, he decided that seemed like a good idea and I ran with it.  A few days before the party I figured we were good to go and marveled how easy this had been.  True to Murphy's Law, the day before the party I realized I had 12 dinosaur tails to sew and needed help!  Grandma Carolyn came to the rescue and spent all day Friday sewing tails - even though she recently had surgery on her finger.  Now that's dedication!  Friday night Shawna sat on the floor and hand sewed the tails shut after I stuffed them.

Enzo was so excited on Saturday and the kids had a great time.  The pictures speak for themselves.

Happy 3rd Birthday to my sweet little boy!

Catching Up

I can't believe two weeks has passed and so much has happened. Being a family of 5 never lends itself to a dull moment. Our highlight was Lauren's appointment at Neuro-Developmental, where she was tested for Muscular Dystrophy and it came back negative! We are so happy to have that behind us and although we still don't have answers she is doing fantastic and that's what we choose to focus on now.








Lauren playing peek-a-boo








Oliver & Lauren finally hit their one year adjusted birthday and are doing great! Both are standing on their own for a few seconds at a time which Enzo is very proud of telling Oliver "I knew you could do it"! We joined Gymboree and are taking a family class so we can all go together which is so much fun. Enzo climbs on everything and burns all his excess energy off while the babies crawl around and explore. Speaking of Birthdays, Our nephew Lucas turned one and is toddling around! We all enjoyed his birthday party but forgot our camera or I'd have a picture to share! Happy 1st Birthday Lucas!
This is what happens when Mommy sleeps in and Daddy does breakfast.











Oliver decided it was more fun to sit on the puppets than play with them!




Enzo has turned into a comedian who keeps us laughing all day long. His preschool teacher said in 21 years of teaching, Enzo is the funniest kid she has ever had. Now this isn't to say he's without tantrums and wining, which he does, but the funny out weighs the rest. Here is a random list of some of the funny things he's said the last couple of weeks:
- Enzo wasn't being nice to Oliver in the morning. Later in the day Lauren pushed Oliver over and I told her she wasn't being nice to which Enzo replied "that's just like my problem"!
- On our way home from Gymboree I told Enzo a joke; Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side. He says "what does that mean"? Jim explains and Enzo laughs hysterically then pauses and says "I still don't understand what it means". Now whenever he says something funny he'll say "I'm telling a joke" and start laughing like crazy.
- All you Super Why fans will get this one. I told him we were going to Gymboree and he says "I can only go to the park, I can't go to Gymboree, that's what my story says"! I told him I had the power to change the story but he didn't buy that.
- Jim went out with his friends and Enzo was upset that he wasn't there to tuck him in. He said "I'm Daddy's son, I miss him". Okay not funny but it's sweet!
- After sitting at the table forever for breakfast I asked him if he was going to eat his cereal. His response? "It's not possible".




We started potty training this week. I know it seems like I should have mentioned this sooner because it's a big deal, but really it's been rather uneventful. I told Enzo on day 1 that we were throwing away his diapers because he was a big boy now and he gladly piled them up in a bag and took them out to the trash (which I took right back out when he wasn't looking. Have you seen the prices of diapers lately??). After going through 12 pairs of underwear in the first 4 hours I thought we were in trouble but he rarely has had an accident since. Well, not counting naps and nighttime, those are going to take some more time! The funniest part has been us telling him that it's okay to get up during the night if you have to go potty. His first night he got up 15 times in a 40 minute period and was very serious each time telling us he had to go. Jim had to look away he was laughing so hard! Lucky for us on night two he only got up twice before falling asleep. I guess the novelty has worn off.




Enjoy your week!

Preschool Enrollment

Our biggest event this week was preschool registration. Apparently I was the only person in the Puget Sound who wasn't aware of the event that is preschool registration and the mad dash in January to secure a spot for the following school year. I started talking with my Mommy friends and realized I needed to get moving. After a whirlwind 24 hour marathon of preschool websites and reviews I was more confused than before. Entrance exams, IQ tests by licensed Psychotherapists, school uniforms, all for three year olds! Can't a kid just be a kid?




We finally settled on the preschool at our local school. The facilities are new, manipulatives top notch and the program seems like just what we are looking for. It also doesn't hurt that it's within walking distance from our house. Now we just have to convince Enzo that going to a new school is going to be fun.
Enzo has been in rare form this week, it's almost as if his verbal and problem solving skills change by the week. He loves to talk about the weather at bedtime and has taken to asking what the forecast is for the following day then discussing what that means. In the car he will look at the sky and tell me he sees storm clouds forming and we better get home before a storm hits. Maybe he'll be a meteorologist one day!




We've been talking with Enzo a lot about manners and in theory he's understanding what it means. When reading a story where a little boy says "it's mine", Enzo will stop us and say that's not nice manners! At lunch he told me "if i say get me my juice that wouldn't be nice, i should say may i have my juice please instead". Notice I said in theory he understands this. It's not uncommon for him to knock over Oliver because he's standing in his way so we have some work to do before manners become second hand.
Lauren is doing fantastic, pulling up to a standing on almost any surface and even squatting down to sit (she used to just fall back). She has an appointment with The Neuro-Developmental clinic at Childrens on Wednesday and we are anxiously waiting to hear what they have to say. She is the sweetest little thing with a giant affection for her Daddy. When he comes home she smiles and starts clapping for him then crawls as fast as she can to get to him. We've taken her swimming a couple of times last week and she loves it. All you have to say is we are going to the pool and she gets excited!








Oliver has the funniest sense of humor. He's discovered that if he drops his cup, plate, etc. and says "uh-oh" we will pick it up and give it back to him. This seems normal until you realize we do it 20 times in a row and he's laughing hysterically. Ollie also thinking its really funny to play with the standing lamps. He stands up, grabs on the lamp and shakes with all his might. The more you say no the harder he shakes, laughing the whole time. Needless to say we now have no lamps in our living room and I'm starting to get used to the dark I never thought I would have to bring the lamp in for meals then take it back to storage. Ah, the things we do for our kids.








Enjoy your week!

Turning Back Time

There have been many times in my life I wish I could turn back the hands of time. Sometimes it's so I could sleep longer or have a bit more time to clean the house before the kids wake up. Sitting here today I would go back to Tuesday when our biggest worry was trying to manage 3 kids.  Now that seems so simple and I would give anything to only have that worry. On Wednesday, Lauren's Physical Therapist told us she has low muscle tone (a neurological rather than physical issue). She said that this is something Lauren will have to deal with for the rest of her life and we will have to wait to see to what extent it will affect her. The condition is called Hypotonia and basically means that her brain doesn't tell her muscles to move normally. She will be getting a brace for her torso to help her with alignment and posture which we hope will help. Our pediatrician is working with Children's Hospital to get her into the Neuro-Developmental Clinic to try and find out why she has Hypotonia however we have been warned that sometimes the cause can't be found. 

While this may define what she has, it will never define who she is. The day after the therapist told us about this Lauren pulled herself to a standing position all by herself and even took a few "cruising' steps on Sunday. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypotonia

Lauren & Oliver have began to really interact with each other.  They think the other is pretty funny and Oliver loves to ham it up for Lauren. And don't think Enzo doesn't try to get in on the act, if you tell him he's funny he'll say he's a comedian. At preschool they call him the class clown...i wonder where that came from?  Oliver has decided he likes anything that makes noise, especially the bells from Grandpa Danny. It's really fun when Enzo hands them out and everyone plays at the same time. Well, fun for those that are playing not listening :-)

Enzo loves to play with Lauren's doll that Auntie Shawna gave her for Christmas. Below is a picture where he was taking his baby to Lake Wilderness Park to play in the water. Those visits to the park with Grandma Carolyn must have left a deep impression!

The ENT doctors have received a lot of business from the Tegelers lately. Enzo saw his ENT who confirmed that his ear tubes were out. We decided to wait until he gets antibiotic allergy testing done before we replace the tubes. Maybe he won't be allergic after all and it was only a coincidence. That can happen right?  Jim is going back to the ENT for follow up from his nasal surgery for deviated septum. Enzo kicked him in the nose (complete accident during play) over the weekend and made it bleed so we hope there isn't any damage there. I have a follow up with my ENT Wednesday since Enzo has got me three more times in the nose since the first kick during a tantrum leaving me with a crooked nose. Who would have known a 2 1/2 year old could have such strength!

The best part of our week was finally joining the YMCA so we could take the kids swimming. We want them all comfortable around the water and Lauren's therapist said water exercise would be very beneficial to her, so off we went to the pool. Enzo was a bit fearful of the water but thought it was fun. Oliver wasn't sure what to think, I don't think he even cracked a smile. But Lauren, she loved the water. Maybe it was the freedom she felt being buoyant, that girl kicked her legs, moved her arms, splashed her face all while smiling, laughing, and clapping. It's safe to say we will be at the pool several times a week for awhile.

Enjoy your week!

Wild Weather

Summing up the last week is simple, it was all about the snow; preparing, enjoying and just flat out wishing it would go away. Of course in our house we can't seem to start anything without a visit to the doctors office. Enzo was just finishing up his antibiotics for his ear infection when we noticed the red rash and hives on his torso. Thinking this looked familiar we took him in. Sure enough they think he was having an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. This wouldn't be much of a concern except that he has displayed reactions to EVERY antibiotic that's been given to him. Now we find ourselves with a kid who gets constant ear infections and has apparent allergies to every antibiotic. As much as I hate to put him through it, we are trying to get him into allergy testing soon to verify what is he actually allergic to. I hope this gives us the answers we need.

Our attention quickly turned to the snow and getting prepared. The forecast was for 10" Tuesday night so Jim came home from work early and I got stocked up on essential supplies (gas for the generator, milk, food, ice cream and hot chocolate). We settled in to watch the snow and waited.

Lauren (or Laurnie as Enzo likes to call her) is finally understanding she has to stand up for herself with two brothers in the house. Granted she's giving a loud yelp and a nasty look when a toy gets taken by her brothers, but at least it's a start. Below is a picture when Oliver dropped his bottle and Lauren was only too happy to help...herself. Score one for Lauren!






In all the excitement about the snow I must have lost my mind because I left open the cupboard where I store my secret stash of Luck Charms and you can probably guess who found it. Enzo saw the box and proclaimed it was his favorite cereal and could he please have some? I gave him a bowl (after picking out the majority of the marshmallows) and thought I was being sneaky while trying to hide the box above the fridge in another cupboard. Yet Enzo poked his head around the corner and proceeded to tell me I was putting it away in the wrong spot and took the box and put it back where it was before. Guess I can't pull the wool over his eyes anymore. I'll miss having Lucky Charms.

We awoke Wednesday morning to 6" of snow. As you can see from Jim's snow measuring stick he was a little over ambitious starting the markings at 12". Even though it wasn't as much as predicted we were excited to play in it. Jim's office was closed and Mike Dahlin offered to pick he and Enzo up and take them sledding with them. Enzo had a great time even with the wipeout at the end. The best part was the video Jim took where he and Mike were talking about how to erase the clip where Enzo fell off the sled when they were racing the kids down a hill so I wouldn't see it. Haha!






If I had to pick a highlight of the week it is something only parents of formula fed babies can appreciate. We finished our last container of formula and are on to whole milk now! I feel like we hit a financial windfall. Now if we can just get them off the bottles we could gain an extra hour a day that we spend washing bottles right now. It's always good to aim high right?

The winter weather continued to pour down, this time in the form of freezing rain. All this did was force us to stay inside. Normally one day of this wouldn't be bad except we had been home for over a week already with everyone sick. All it takes is 5 minutes of watching the news to stop feeling sorry for yourself and realize how lucky we were to still have power while over 250,000 homes were without.





By Friday Enzo was getting pretty tired of the snow and being cooped up so he decided to pretend play with his brother. I was thinking how sweet he was as I watched him play with Oliver in his circus tent. When he announced he was giving Oliver a shower and needed some shampoo I should have stopped and checked on him, but instead kept washing bottles and remarked how proud I was of him for playing nicely with his brother. That's when I saw the milk, specifically on Oliver's head. Enzo couldn't understand why I was cleaning off Oliver's head, saying he was only pretending it was soap, it wasn't really. At least Oliver thought it was funny.







Finally luck came our way in the most unexpected way. Our friends Kathryn and Paul had been without power for almost 24 hours and didn't know when they would get it back. We offered to let them stay with us so they came over with their son Christopher (2 1/2), daughter Ella (10 months) and dog Zoey. Enzo was so enamored with Zoey he can't stop talking about her. That poor dog got chased and chased, lucky for us she was a good sport about it. Having a slumber party turned out to be a good break in our cabin fever and offered lots of entertainment with 4 adults, 2 toddles, 3 babies and 1 dog under the same roof. We were sad to see them go back home Saturday night when they got their power back!













The week ended on a sad note with the reflection of the 5 year anniversary of Jim's friend Ty Pederson's passing. Jim was able to go out with their friends and Ty's Dad that night and remember what a great friend Ty was. While everyone who knew him is still hurting they are better for having had known him. Our love goes out to his family, especially his wife Brooke and daughter Hanna.

Ty Pederson 7/1/70 - 1/22/07

Enjoy your week and hold close to those you love.