Another School Year and Trimester

School has begun and while this Mama loves her kids, I was doing a dance of joy the morning of the 11th! You can always tell when summer nears its end, the amiability of the older two is sorely tested to the point where the mere sound of the opposing sibling will generate screaming and yelling until they are banished to their rooms to sulk and stomp their feet.

Isaac started first grade and was happy to see old friends from last year. He tested into a more advanced class and I'm excited to see the connections he'll make to others as well as the chance for his sponge like brain to soak up learning elsewhere. Here he is at the front door and at the school. Apparently they do a 'tunnel of hope' where parents cheer the kiddos as they walking in the first day. I missed it last year but managed to catch it on camera this time.

I love that you can see Keila peering through the window! She doesn't start preschool for another 2 weeks.

As for me, I've begun the third trimester! Currently I'm 29 weeks and feeling it. Baby has dropped further and contractions have started again and I find myself waking at night, the uterus hard as a rock and having difficulty breathing easily. I've been told to take it easy and monitor it. How one takes it easy when you have three children (two doing differing therapies) makes me laugh! I move slowly now like I'm a 90yr old with back issues. im seriously considering getting a walker of sorts and i have to laugh at the funny looks Eli gives me as i chose to slide bottom down the stairs while supporting him walking down. the days are much simpler but by 7pm I'm on the couch in a prone position. I see the doctor next week and I'm sure I'll be put on Niphedipine again, we just need to make it to 36 weeks....and stay sane! Wish me luck!

Speaking of Eli, the little man continues to amaze me in his progress. It's as the therapists all said, once he got walking down, many other area jumped ahead. One day out of the blue he began signing 'help' and 'down' clearly, he also makes the 'da' and 'na' sounds and will initiate signing to us when he wants something, particularly music. He was almost obsessive with the Frozen soundtrack which was fatiguing on many levels so we created his own Bubby playlist of more contemporary music. He LOVES dancing and listening to it and can often be found dragging the iPad to us, signing music and then tossing it our lap. I can rarely resist his eager smile and love watching him dance his little heart out.

We've also been working hard to help him in his independence. We practice helping him get dress on his own and he can be found doing it on any clothing left out by others. We work on washing our hands at the sink properly which he enjoys a lot - perhaps a little too much. One morning I found he had climbed into the sink and washed much more than his hands. After cleaning him up, new clothes and diaper I began working on the bathroom only to hear water running again. He had climbed into my bathtub and decided to try again. I swear I need to put a cow bell on him so I can keep track of his antics!

Here he is working on his feeding skills. His upper core and shoulders lack strength, you see it as he raises his shoulders to use his fork but despite that he does okay. Obviously he thinks he deserves a break!