Getting (me) Through the Sick Season

I don't know what it is about this year, but we can't seem to keep George well these days.  Someone that Clay works with said that from birth to 1 year old, kids may get little things here and there, but overall, they stay pretty healthy.  But from 1 to 2 is a no-holds-barred kind of year where they get EVERYTHING.  George has proven that statement to be oh-so-true.

Last week he was fighting off the stomach bug, and this week, I'll spare you the gory details, but let's just say that he's 'sick'.  Really sick.  Luckily, today we seemed to have turned a corner of sorts, so hopefully we're on the mend.  All that to say, we've still managed to have some sweet moments along the way, and a few milestones, so I wanted to make sure I write them somewhere because I will surely not remember anything from this week once it's over.

George's language is growing at a rapid pace these days.  I've noticed that if it's something that he's really passionate about (food), or really obsessed with (characters/books) then he figures out the correct word for it and uses it.  Here are a few examples:

*I let him watch Toy Story for the first time yesterday simply because it was a movie-watching-kind-of-day.  So we snuggled up in bed, and within the first fifteen minutes, he started pointing and saying 'Woody! Woody!'.  It was bizarre how quickly he picked up his name.  Now he walks around the house asking for Woody all day.  

*He is very passionate about 'bites', and is loving foods (when he's not sick).  Besides fruit, I haven't found a 'bite' that he doesn't love.  Sometimes when I go into his room in the morning he's standing up at his crib pointing at the door saying 'bites pees!'

* He does still love 'mick mick', but I'm afraid Woody has edged him out.

* I've started asking him to say 'thank you', and sometimes he will say 'ank you'.  It's pretty sweet.

He still says nonsense words that Clay and I have no idea what he means, and this will frustrate George to no end.  We're in that hard place where George can communicate some things, but not everything, and he thinks he can communicate more than he actually can.  It's hard to watch him struggle, become frustrated, etc., but there is literally nothing I can do about it in the meantime.

I have been terrible about taking pictures lately, but here are a few I've taken with my phone.  

 Learning to color.  He's more into finger painting, but crayons are less messy.

 I can't remember when Saty gave him this shirt, but he was really excited when we put it on him (for fun) the other day.  

I'm thinking he may be a cowboy for Halloween this year.

 I heard him belly laughing in the back of the house, 

and came around the corner to this.

 After Mother's Day Out one day, I tucked him in his crib, and found myself contemplating snuggling up with him.  I can't imagine how hard it will be once he has a bed I can actually fit into with him.

 Best find ever at a consignment sale!  

George is obsessed with rocking chairs (have I mentioned that he's an old soul?).

 Train book from Aunt Marianne.

Here's how you know it's a favorite- when the binding is completely broken because it's been read so many times and you don't even think about throwing it away.  Thank goodness for duct tape saving this gem of a book.

 This picture, and the ones below, were taken this week while George has been sick.  Two things have made him happy: taking pictures of himself with my phone (not sure why, but this is the face he made in every. single. one.) and Toy Story!

 His best attempt at a smile.  While watching Woody.

 This is what he did 90% of the time he was awake.  There's only so much Mom can do to entertain herself with a 100+ degree baby draped over her.

Watching Woody.  He was literally on the edge of his seat, and had to walk closer the first time he watched it.

All-in-all, we've had lots of snuggles and sweet moments around here this week.  I have friends whose babies are in, and have been, in serious danger for their lives, and that keeps things in perspective really quickly.  I know that God has given me the grace and strength for today, and that is all I need.  

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus, far surpassing all the rest

It's an ocean full of blessing in the midst of every test

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus, mighty Savior, precious Friend

You will bring us home to glory where Your love will never end.

O the deep, deep love

All I need and trust

Is the deep, deep love of Jesus.

The Things We Do For Love

For Christmas, we gave our nephew, Rogers, a trip to Build-a-Bear with us (Clay and me).  I could see the let down on Rogers' face when he opened up our gift to find a teeny tiny little credit card-thing, but I knew once we got him in the store, he might get into the excitement of it all.

We didn't even have to get to the mall for Rogers to get excited.  Just the car ride out to the Galleria alone was almost enough entertainment for Clay and me.  Rogers was excited to see the escalators, Chick-Fil-A, and all of the shiny watches displayed in the department store (which, in case you're wondering, are all on a child's level).  Once we got into the Build-a-Bear store, I wasn't sure that Rogers would be able to contain his excitement, but he did a great job- and was even more patient than I was!

 We tried to explain the concept of the place to him.  Basically, he could pick out any animal and outfit he wanted, and he would get to turn it into a stuffed animal of his own.  His first choice was this pink/purple/blue tie-dyed bear with a Buzz Lightyear outfit, but we steered him in another direction.  

After he had picked everything out, we were waiting in line.  I think we're used to George who walks figure-8s around/between our legs and begs to be held most of the time.  We turned around, and saw that Rogers had made himself comfortable at the computer station.  This picture just cracks me up.

 After a lot of deliberation, he went with a tiger in a Batman suit.  He seemed pretty pumped about it!

He was such a trooper with the long line!  Much more so than Juju. 

 Finally, it was Rogers' turn!  Mackey helped Rogers stuff the tiger, and put its heart inside.  There was a three-year-old girl in front of us who had to put her very last pacifier inside her bear.  It was traumatic for everyone involved- even the by-standers.  I get the theory of it, and it seems like a good enough way to get rid of the paci, but that little girl was traumatized, and I think Clay was a little heart-broken for her too.

 After some emergency surgery (see below), the tiger was ready for its first bath!  Rogers got really into this part.

 Here, tiger is having some emergency surgery.  See, Rogers wanted his tiger to smell like cupcakes, so he bought a smelly tab that goes inside.  Mackey forgot this key part to the animal, so we had to go see the on-call animal surgeon.  I know that sounds sarcastic, but she truly had her own set of tools/needles/thread to open the animals and close them back up.  She was referred to as the 'expert sewer'.

 After careful consideration, Rogers chose a tiger, in a Batman costume, that smells like cupcakes.

I can see the love he has for Tiger already.

Finished product!

I think about all of the fun times we had with the Lee's growing up, and it makes me want to do fun things with all of my nephews (and Frannie, too!- just different activities probably).  Some of my most favorite memories from childhood are with our cousins and Marianne and Ed.  Glamour Shots, Christmas night movies, going to the hunting camp, etc., would have been fun with friends, but they are lasting memories because they are family.  With almost all of our family within a stone's throw of our house, I can hardly contain my excitement to get to do these fun things with them.  

I would not have thought being at the Galleria on MLK day would have been my idea of fun, but it was one of my favorite times with Rogers.  Clay and I had a blast with him- and it's so different because he is a talker, and the things he says are absolutely hilarious!  We are so thankful for Rogers, and for the time we get to spend with him.  This was a sweet memory that we will always cherish.