25 Weeks

Today I had my 25 week OB appointment for baby boy Padron #3!! I've been having so many painful Braxton Hicks contractions and lots of cramping, but that's all chalked up to having two other sweet little boys to take care of, a full time job, 100+ degree weather and lots of errands to run on the weekend. Laying down and water seem to help, but taking it easy is a LOT easier said than done around this busy house.

At any rate, baby boy #3 is growing and moving lots...my stomach feels like the inside of a bounce house. In fact, while I was at the doctor, the baby was moving so much they almost couldn't get a heart rate. The nurse kept asking if he was always this active. Without hesitation, I said, "Yes!" :)

Honestly, most nights I get about an hour of sleep before baby or Braxton Hicks wake me up. I know it will all be worth it as soon as this sweet blessing is in my arms! And, it looks like that will be a week earlier than I originally expected. My CSection date will most likely be 12/8!!

What a blessed Christmas this year will be! I can't think of a more amazing gift!!

Noah at the Park

Christy took Noah and Lil Luke to the park today to play and she took some REALLY great pictures of my "sweet angel."

The pictures show it all, but he really is growing up in to such a little boy.

Noah's favorite things to do are all big-boy things that he sees his brother or Lil' Luke doing...baseball, basketball, bike-riding, duck-duck-goose, jumping on the trampoline, etc. THIS is my outside boy. He is already very atheletic and I swear if I bought a dog house and put it in the yard or if I pictched a tent, he would never come in!

2 years old and starting preschool in two days! My little boy is really growing up fast!!

Equipped for the 1st Day of Baseball Practice

Last night Leo took Luke to the sporting goods store to pick out all the baseball gear he would need for his first practice today.

They bought a bat, ball, glove, cleats, batting helmet and bag for it all to go in.

Luke was SO excited to show me everything he got! He had to try everything on and show me exactly what to do with each item.

Even though it was late in the day and time for a tubby, the boys all headed outside for a few practice hits, throws and catches.

Tonight is the first night of practice and Luke can hardly stand himself!!

The Rules of the Classroom

Luke is learning a new song in Kindergarten called, 'The Rules of the Classroom." It's a rap of sorts. Super-cute. Watching Luke sing it illustrates more than I could with words, so I took a quick video of him singing it today when he got home.

Luke's 1st Day of Kindergarten!!

Yesterday was certainly a momentous day at the Padron household. Luke started kindergarten. I don't know who this day meant more to...Luke or mommy!

I woke early to spend some quiet time in reflection of how much my life has changed and been blessed over the past 5 years. I simply cannot believe I will have three children in a five year span! As I thought back at the first time I laid eyes on Luke in the hospital, I simply could not hold back the tears. Thankfully, by the time I had to wake him up, I'd regained my composure. The last thing I wanted was to project my feelings on Luke.

At 6:30, I went in to Luke's room and woke him up with butterfly kisses all over his back and our "good morning song." He was excited to get dressed in his new clothes and get ready for his first day at kindergarten.

At 7:15 the whole family loaded up in the car to take Luke to school. We took pictures and were greeted at the front door by teachers with stickers and treats. Once in Luke's classroom, he found his cubbie and hung up his backpack. He sat down at the table where his name tag was taped and Ms. Wilcox gave him some play dough. At that point he told me I had taken enough pictures and it was ok to leave. I hesitated briefly, but knew that was my cue. He was happy and confident and ready to start his day.

After Christy came to pick up Noah, I went to meet a few of my other mom friends whose children were starting kindergarten for a "Tears and Tea" breakfast at Starbuck's. I spent the rest of the day working, but watching the clock and thinking about what Luke was doing that day...snack time, lunch time, pick up time!!

At 2:30 I picked Luke up and he was so excited to tell me about his day. He had lots of arts and crafts and worksheets to show me. He received a green smiley face which means he had a good day! When I asked him what his favorite part of the day was, he said, "Everything!" He also told me that he gave the "I love you" note that I had left in his lunch box to Ms. Wilcox for being such a nice teacher. :)

All in all it was a great first day and a great way to start Luke's school days. I'm happy, proud and sentimental. My first baby boy is growing up!!!

Meet the Teacher!

Last night we went to Luke's first, "Meet the Teacher" night at Wally Watkins Elementary. Luke's teacher is Ms. Wilcox, a young teacher who is new to the school district. His class is the first door on the right in the kindergarten hall and it's brightly decorated in primary colors and fun pictures.

Luke immediately noticed the two computers in his room and sat right down. He was also drawn to the computer lab, which is an entire class room filled with computers! He also really liked the music room, which is an entire room with all kinds of neat, new instruments. His other area of interest was the outside play ground. He saw it when we drove up and asked if he would be able to play on it today.

Even though Luke is a little nervous and says he wants to stay home with me, I think he'll really enjoy being at school. He did great in preschool and loves activities, arts & crafts, playing outside and music.

What's not to be excited about right!! Now, if only mommy can keep the anxieties hidden and tears from flowing until I get Luke dropped off and am safely back in the car. I have friends meeting me for coffee after to help keep my mind occupied until I get to pick him back up again. It's so hard to believe my first baby boy is starting school. I remember back 5 years ago to the first time he was placed in my arms. It doesn't seem possible that in a five year span, I have been blessed with three beautiful boys! Life is going to be a barrel full of monkeys at the Padron house!

Real Food in the Play Kitchen

So what really happens to all the real food the boys take in to their play kitchen? Do they eat it? Do they bring it back to the sink when they are done? The answer to both of these questions is NO!

For some reason Luke is obsessed right now with real things. He has a real wallet; real old driver's license, credit cards and business cards; real non-working cell phones; keys and now he wants real food in his play kitchen...despite the fact we have two cubbies FULL of plastic play food. Pretend just isn't good enough when you have an imagination as vivid as his!

From time-to-time I let Luke eat a snack in the play room at the bar on his Bistro Grill. I assume that when he brings his plate out empty and puts it in the sink that he's eaten all his food. Well...you know what the say about assuming!

Take a close look at the picture above. You will notice blueberries, french fries and cheeseburger meat all covered in a fine layer of fluffy white mold. MmmmMmmmm! Looks appetizing, doesn't it! I have no idea how long it had been in there, but needless to say we've had a long talk about the limitations and shelf-life of real food.

Gross!

Daddy's Clothes

I don't know why wearing daddy's clothes are so much fun, but both Luke and Noah were playing in Leo's jean shorts the other night.

Noah started the fun by walking out with both of his legs in one of the pant legs. He was giggling and being silly, so, of course, Luke had to get in on the fun.

I ended up pulling out the camera and taking a few pictures. I just love my silly boys. They make even the most routine, regular days joyful!

Noah's 1st Poop in the Potty!

Only a parent would want to write about and document something like this, but we were SO darned excited when Noah pooped in the potty for the first time this week.

He's actually been wearing undies and pee-peeing in the potty at Christy's for some time, but he's resisted at home. The other day though, he kept pulling at his diaper and saying, "poop!" I checked him over and over and said, "you didn't poop!" Finally, we took off his diaper for tubby-time and he went over to his little potty chair and pooped in it.

I wasn't really paying attention, because he sits on it all the time and never does anything. Luke was actually the one who noticed...and then Noah proudly came walking out holding his potty chair to show us what he had made!

We were all in shock and started dancing around and signing the potty song. Noah was yelling, "YAY! YAY!"

I don't know if I've just been lucky or what, but both of my boys have taken an early interest in potty-training. We've just gone along with their cues and have had two really good experiences. I know that with preschool starting next week, it will only reinforce what Noah is already doing. Potty training in preschool is the one time peer pressure is a positive thing!

One thing is for sure...I would LOVE for Noah to be out of diapers by the time this new baby boy arrives!!!

Luke and the Whoopee Cushion

I guess I should just get used to the fact that in a house where three little boys live (well, actually four)there is bound to be a lot of "fart" and butt talk.

At Luke's recent visit to the pediatric dentist, he got to choose a toy from the prize wall. Of all the things up there, what do you suppose he chose...a whoopee cushion!

As I stood there trying to focus on everything the nurse was telling me about his upcoming procedures and the heart-stopping bill that will accompany it, Luke was blowing up his whoopee cushion and slowly pressing the air out. Giggles ensued and I have to admit, I was laughing too.

When we got home, Noah thought it was equally funny...and so did Leo. We warned Luke not to plop down on it too hard because it would burst...but what do you think he did...blew it up as much as he could and dropped his butt right down on it. With a huge POP, it was gone. Oh darn! :)

Luke's 1st Trip to the Dentist

Yesterday I took Luke for his first trip to the dentist! He was SUCH a good boy! All the dental assistants and hygienists just loved him.

I got my teeth cleaned at the same time, so I could hear him talking (loudly) in the next room. He got to squirt "Mr. Water" around the room, play with "Mr. Thirsty" that sucks all the spit out of your mouth, and have his teeth polished with "Mr. Toothbrush" which tickled his gums.

It's certainly a good thing that Luke had a good first experience because we will be back at the dentist on a regular basis for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, the cavity report was not good. Every single one of his eight molars had cavities...6 of them will require root canals! Ugh! I can't even begin to explain how horrible that makes a mother feel! Between Luke's strong will and disdain for having his teeth brushed as a baby, to his insatiable thumb sucking habit, to some bad genetics, his poor little mouth is rotten!

Now that he is older and can understand the consequences, I believe he will take better care of his teeth and allow us to help him do that. I am praying his "grown up" teeth will come in healthy and stay strong!!

More Crab!

Last night we had steamed crab legs and shrimp scampi for dinner...not something you would think a toddler would necessarily like to eat. Well, Noah certainly blows that theory out of the water. He LOVES it!!! So much so that we could not shell them fast enough for him. All throughout dinner he kept yelling, "More crab! More Crab!" It was so funny that I had to get the camera and record him. He's so stinkin' cute...even more so because he always says "thank you" and "please." He is honestly one of the most polite kids I know. He will bring something over, hand it to us and say, "Thank you" because he know that is what you are supposed to say when someone give you something. Sweet Angel is the definitely the right nick-name for this boy...although after dinner last night we're thinking about changing that to crab monster!

Big Boy Undies!!

I officially bought Noah his first package of big boy undies today! I wasn't going to start really potty training until he started school next month, but he's pee-peed in the potty at Ms. Christy's several times now, so I decided to give it a try at home too.

Honestly, I'm not sure who is more excited when Noah pee-pees: Noah or Ms. Christy! She will texted me every time he is successful just to give me a play-by-play. It's really sweet the way she loves him so much. She actually bought him his own little potty and undies to keep at her house!

Even though we have the potty and undies here, I'm not pushing it too much. I remember when Luke was potty training. Something magical happens when the kiddos get around one another at school and see each other going to the bathroom. Despite my efforts with Luke over a 3-4 months time-frame, he was potty trained in about 2 weeks after starting preschool.

So, my little boy is growing up. I guess that's a good thing even though it's really hard for me to believe. In so many ways it seems like he was just born yesterday. In other ways, I am so happy he's growing and thriving...and it would be pretty sweet if Noah was out of diapers before our new baby arrived!!

Oh Baby! It's a BOY!!

Friday, July 30th, Leo, Luke and I went to my ultrasound appointment to find out if we were having another boy or a girl.

Surprise, surprise...it's a BOY!!!

It's so funny because everyone had been telling us it was a girl...friends, family, strangers...not one person was even on the fence about whether it was a girl or not. The overwhelming, 100% consensus, was that I was having a girl! Funny how God works...what a kick he must have gotten out of watching everyone speculate and make predictions!

I think the reason people react that way is because they assume that after two boys (three for Leo) that we must really want a girl. While that certainly is true to some extent, I love my boys with all my heart and there are so many reasons why I am thrilled that we are being blessed with another.

Don't get me wrong, before finding out, I was having fun dreaming about bows and ruffles, pink and purple; however, for every reason that I was excited about the possibility of a girl, there were equal reasons that I was excited about it being another boy. I mean, come on, we're more than 1/2 way to making our own basketball team, right!!

So now we're on to picking out names, thinking about what a newborn will need in winter since Luke and Noah were born in the summer, and making the last little arrangements for our new baby boy!!

Let the fun begin...bring on the dirt, the frogs, the fart jokes, the wrestling, the little white tank tops and all the things that make little boys so funny and special!!

Thankful Reflections on Noah's 2nd Birthday

Today my baby boy turned two years old! It's just so hard to believe my sweet angel is such a big boy. It really does seem like yesterday, that after 21 hours of labor, I gave in to the CSection and delivered Noah.

It is a difficult birth story to be sure. We labored for 10 hours naturally in hopes of a regular birth. But, when Noah's little hand came out first and he presented breech, my only options were an immediate CSection or an epidural so they could push his hand back up in my uterus and allow me to continue to labor. I chose the latter. Despite this and 11 hours of more labor, I spiked a fever and Noah's heart-rate dropped. At that point, we knew a CSection was necessary for a safe delivery and healthy baby. I was satisfied with our attempts at a natural birth and all I really wanted at that point was my baby boy in my arms. Gratefully Father God blessed us with a beautiful baby...a sweet baby boy with such a pleasant, easy going personality.

Unfortunately, 10 days later we ended up back at the hospital. Still, exhausted and recovering from my own surgery, we discovered that Noah had developed pyloric stenosis and would require immediate surgery. It was a frightening time. I honestly have never been through anything so exhausting or felt so helpless. At one point Noah had some trouble coming out of the anesthesia and began to "crash" right in front of us in the recovery room. I will never forget how time came to a complete stop...the nurses and doctors were all rushing around me and all I could think was this cannot be happening. I watched my baby boy die before my very eyes. And then, I watch them resuscitate him and bring him back from the brink of death. Never before have I been so aware that God gives and he takes away...every breath we breathe is given by Him. I am so grateful he allowed Noah to survive. I can't imagine our lives or our family without him. Later when he developed plagiocephally, it seemed so insignificant in comparison. Yes, we were disheartening and more doctor appointments and medical bills, but this was not life threatending and I knew we could handle it.

I think those experiences in Noah's first year of life are what made today so special. I don't take for granted my sweet angel opening his presents, chowing down on his cake and playing with his brother. Every moment in our lives is framed by that single experience in the hospital. I treasure our celebrations, as well as our everyday, because I realize how fragile life is and that it can be here today and gone tomorrow like a vapor in the wind. Life, love, the ups and down are all precious gifts from a heavenly father who loves us so very much. I'll never truly understand the depth of that love, but I'll spend my life in pursuit of the one true God who pours it in to our lives so faithfully.

Happy Birthday Nathanial Noah Padron. I thank God for the lessons He has taught me through you, for the gift of your sweet life in our family and for all we have yet to learn. Mommy loves you more than I will ever be able to express.