Time out

Sawyer goes to daycare at First Baptist Daycare Center in Clayton. The teachers there are absolutely wonderful. I really like Mrs. Rachel. She is the one I get to talk to more because it is when I pick Sawyer up and I have a little time to talk with her. She has always been really nice and ALWAYS tell me as much as possible of what Sawyer has done all day. She said that she is the only one that he will let love on him. She is so sweet and always tells me how good of a boy he is, and how well behaved he is. She always kisses and hugs him bye, and when someone takes that much of a liking to your son, you just can't help but like her. But also, she has such a sweet demeanor about her... just a sweet person.

One day I asked her, "Does Sawyer ever get in trouble?" And "If they do get in trouble what is your protocols?"

She said, "Sawyer is always a good kid. He is a typical 2 year old, where he and the others will take toys away from others, but he is usually a very good boy." Nothing but good things said. The prodocol was, "When they get in trouble, we believe in time out. So where ever they are, we just tell them to sit where they are. We don't have a time out chair, or a corner. We just don't believe in that."

Okay, now here is the story. Let me start from Tuesday....

To make a long story short, we had to take Sawyer to the ER Tuesday night because he had the Croup, and he couldn't' breath very well. He has had Croup plenty of times, but I usually will take him to the doctor during the day before it gets bad and they give him a steroid to straighten him up. BUT, this time it was at night and really bad. Anyway, he is fine now... but they gave him a new steroid that last for 72 hours, instead of the Predinsone that he would take everyday.

As you know, one of the side effects of Steroids is Hyperactivity and IRRITABILITY!!!

Predinsone does not really effect him that bad. BUT this new one.... OH MY GOSH!
NO, I do not have to give it to him for 3 days straight... but the mood this child has been in is crazy!





So, Wednesday, i didn't have to work so I was home with the boys. Sawyer only got 7 hours of sleep. He usually gets a least 12 hours at night... so that was not good.
AND , he was the biggest Hornet on the planet the next day. Not only was he ill, but he was MEAN! He was hitting Braxton in the head with an Elmo doll over and over for no reason. Then within 10 minutes while I was folding clothes, I heard Braxton gasping for air in my bedroom. I walked in there, and Sawyer had him head locked with his face in the pillows so he couldn't breath! OH MY GOSH. My child has turned into the devil. He has his moments, but he is really a good kid most of the time. THIS is NOT my little boy!

So anyway, this morning when I dropped him off at daycare, I told the teacher that he was on steroids and how he is not his normal self. She understood and said she had been on steroids for 2 years before and she was extremely irritable on them. She thanked me for telling her so they could watch out for him.

Well, after work when I went to walk in to get him, what did I see??? Sawyer sitting in a chair by him self at the table while all the other kids were sitting quietly while Mrs. Rachel was reading to them. I asked him if he was in time out. (Now remember, they said they do not have a time out chair.) Mrs. Rachel looks at me with a sad face.... an almost crying face. She said, "YES, Sawyer is in time out. He has not been his normal sweet self today. He has not listened, he can't sit still, he is up and down, he is hitting his friends over toys!"

"HITTING!" I said, "OH MY GOSH."

She said, " I really hate to ever give news like this to our parents, because we really have such a good class and it is rare that we have to do this." She said that she really felt sorry for him because she knew that this was not the normal sweet kid that is in her class. She said she was glad to know that he was on steroids and he was not just being bad! But her normal sweet self still kissed on him and loved on him and he told her he "luvvd her".

So anyway, once we got in the car, I started telling Sawyer that it is not nice to hit ANYONE. I started questioning him about who he hit... and he said he hit KAYLIE! Oh no! A girl!!!!!!! It was worse then expected!

So anyway, since tomorrow will be 72 hours, I am hoping that the moods will become normal again. I hope to get my sweet little boy back. I feel bad for parents who have children that have to be on a steroid all the time for asthma, etc. It really changes their little personalities! Well at least my little boy!

So pray I get my little buddy back soon! He really is a sweet kid. Just shows what meds can do to a kid!!

A few cute pictures.....

All the cousin's eating Braxton's BD cake!!!

Scott loving on Braxton!

I love his eyes in this picture!!! He is so beautiful! (He was dirty from splashing in the mud, but beautiful!)

A sign of things to come!!!

Riding his bike after a round in the mud again!

Reagan showing me her dance moves she learned!!! So dag on cute!

Not sure what to think???

(This is Sawyer wanting pig tails in his hair... it turned out to look more like a SUMU wrestler!)

Sawyer is all boy.... well most of the time he is.

99% of the time, he is taking his dump trucks/monster trucks and climbing over something, or ramming it into a wall. He likes to play outside and climb up everything and get dirty! He is so rough sometimes that I have to calm him down.

But whenever there is a doll around, he also likes to play with the dolls and push them around in strollers. Reagan has a little doll named Suzy. She brought her this weekend when they visited, along with her diaper bag, bottle, pink blanket, and stroller. Sawyer strolled Suzy around the house all weekend. Now I have to add that he did drop Suzy on her head a few times, or stammed into the wall with the stroller so she would fly out... but mostly he loved on her, or fought with Reagan who was going to feed Suzy the bottle.

I have been told that when little boys play with dolls that they turn out to be good fathers one day. Has anyone else heard this??? Just curious!



Now, Braxton, on the other hand did not play with the baby dolls that much. He had a choice a few times between a baby doll and a football. His choice... FOOTBALL!!!

When you need a little bit of silence....

When you need a little silence...

Tape works! :-)



** Child was not harmed during this study **

The Notebook..... the last chapter

Scott and I were watching The Notebook last night. I am sure everyone knows what a great book and movie that is. I cry every time I watch it. Well at least tear up. Scott even likes the movie even though it is a chick flick. But this time, things were different while we were watching it. Sawyer and Braxton were also up and they were "watching" it with us. Here is how things were different....

1. We could not hear half the words because of the chattering in the back ground.
2. The volume was turned up as loud as it would be in the movie theater because again, the kids were so loud.
3. While trying to eat dinner in living room, we had kids climbing on us because they wanted "our" food too. Just like a puppy!
4. We were not able to relax because one of them would hit the other, or take a toy away, and we would have to get up and be the middle man!
5. Sawyer kept asking if he could watch Micky Mouse instead of the Pretty lady on TV.
6. Instead of getting up to use the bathroom, we had to get up to change stinky diapers!


And so on and so on......

But anyway, as the movie was playing, I was telling Scott how much he reminded me of Noah. Yes, he is so sweet like him, and good looking like him... but more so because he really puts all his heart and soul into whatever he puts his mind too. But he is so grounded at the same time. Some of the comments that Noah makes is something that Scott would say! Most of the things Noah does, like remodeling that house, or fixing something in the shop, or going on boat rides, is so much like him. Plus, I know how much Noah loves that girl, Scott loves me that much too!

As I was telling him all this, there was a new chapter put into the NOTEBOOK at the Lowe household

Last chapter: When You Have Children

While you are telling your husband all the great things he has done for your family and he reminds you of the sweetest man on the sweetest movie.... Your 2 year old that is sitting in your lap looks at you with a booger on his finger, and says,"Mommy, I am going to eat this booger."

The best chapter of the book!!!!!!

Braxton's 1st BD

Hay Ederybody,

It's my birthday, my number one, number uno, the one that parents are excited about... but sad at the same time. My mommy came in this morning singing so loud to me that I started jumping in my bed! I usually wake up crying, but I was happy this morning because it was my birthday! I also wanted to make my mommy know that I love her even though I cry all the time. Yesterday I saw her pull her hair a few times, almost all the way out a couple times... but she took me to the doctor and they said I have a double ear infection. AGAIN! Yep that is right, so mommy said that the doctor's are going to give me AND her a present. Ear tubes! She said they are so cool and that we will not have to deal with this stupid ole ear hurting anymore! My mommy can always fix thing.

So anyway, about today. After mommy sang to me, she let me brush my on teeth... I really like doing that a lot. She then dance around with me and was singing really loud again. She was starting to get on my nerves at that point because her voice is not that great, but I know she was just trying to make me feel special.

Then she showed me this cool cupcake I was going to be eating tonight after she got home from work. I was so excited! She took me to Nancy's and I got so lucky because Sawyer came to Nan-Nan and Ba-Ba's too. He was suppose to be going to big boy school, but mommy pulled up to his school and said something about her being stupid and nobody being there today and that he was going to have to be with me all day! I was really excited because I love my big brother!

Na-Na and Ba-Ba made me feel special all day too. They are always so good to me!!! We went outside and rode around on the jeepy thing that Ba-Ba has. Na-Na has already put up some Christmas Decorations too! It is always fun over there!

Then the good part came. My mommy came to pick me up... I got to sit in my new carseat and I can see EVERYTHING! Who knew that their was a real world out there? We got home and mommy and daddy gave me a blue cupcake monster with a candle on it. I really wanted to touch the candle but my mommy said it was "HOOOOT" and she told me "NOOOO". I know what that means, but I still wanted to see if she was telling the truth... but she kept taking that cupcake away from my hand so I couldn't touch it. Dang it.

Finally she sat that cupcake down in front of me. I stuck my finger in it and licked it.... ummmm, yum! She said I needed to practice for my party on Saturday. If my Grandma Patsy can make my truck cake taste like this monster cupcake then I am game for the PARTY! I just couldn't get enough of this cupcake. I wanted my hair, ear and eye to taste it too. They liked it too!!

After I ate all that I could eat, my mommy said I had to take a bath. I went and got cleaned up and had a good healthy dinner according to my mother. I think I would rather eat my cake instead for dinner.

I got lots of people singing to me today too! Aunt Brandy and Reagan called me and sang really loud, My Grandma Patsy called and sang the whole birthday song on the answering machine, and Grandpa also called and wished me a Happy Birthday! Then my Dadda Do, or Granddaddy Joe stopped by and played with me and finally Jo-Jo stopped by and she played with me! WOW, I kinda like this birthday deal!

My brother and I played with the train and his truck. We also played with my new Elmo phone that mommy and daddy got me! It is really cool! Sawyer and I jumped on mommy's pillows in her bedroom. I like to fall face forward into them. I did get a busted lip and bleed all over mommy's new pillows, but she didn't even get mad. She just picked me up and made sure I was okay. She is so cool.

Then I got a bathtowel and walked around the house with it over my head. I think it is kinda cool walking around and not knowing if you are going to run into a wall or trip over things. Jo-Jo, mommy and daddy were laughing at me. I like being center of attention. My brother does too and he was starting to get jealous, so he took my towel away. We started fighting and so my mommy and daddy decided that my birthday was over and we should go to bed! That is okay, I am exhasted!

So that was it, except for all the kisses my mommy gave me before she put me down. I just grinned at her because I am so lucky to have my parents... they really do love me so much. I think I can handle them for another 17 years!

Braxton

My monster cupcake!

My bestest Jo-Jo in the whole world. She is the BEST!!!!

Two boys....

Two boys: From the same mom and dad: So different

Here is a few differences between my boys/ and some "few" similarities!





Braxton: Always liked his paci
Sawyer: Never liked a paci


Braxton: Smiles a lot
Sawyer: Was so serious when he was a little baby.

Braxton: Hates a hat on his head
Sawyer: Will put 5 on his head on one day... he has always loved them

Braxton: Will not ever let me rock him to sleep, points with that little finger to the crib and says "Na, na, na"
Sawyer: Loved for me to rock him. In fact even now if he wakes up in the middle of the night, he says "mama, rocking chair... wrap up (with his blanket)".

Braxton: LOUD, and talks quite a bit with his baby language
Sawyer: LOUD, but not as loud as Braxton I don't think. BUT he talks so much, he is such a chatter box!





Braxton: Temper tandrem central, no patience, wants what everyone else has and if he doesn't get it the temper tandrem will come out quick and loud!
Sawyer: More patience, but will throw his share of tandrems, but only usually when he is really tired.

Braxton: Good sleeper but wakes up too early for me!
Sawyer: Good sleeper and he sleeps in like me!

Braxton: Very persistant (which can be a good thing at times)... will continue to do the same thing over and over and over and over and over... you get it? Even when "NO" is involved, he still does it. But if I say no, he will cry and come over and love me and hug me... then he will go right back to doing what I said NO about.
Sawyer: Persistant, but he listens a lot better the the younger sibling. He has always been a child that seems to want to make you proud.

Braxton: Puts everything and anything in his mouth.
Sawyer: Never used to put anything in his mouth, but now he is older, he likes to put his hands in his mouth. don't know why?

Braxton: Loud
Sawyer: Chatter box... he is not quite as loud as Braxton, but he talks NON STOP from sun up to sun down!
**I think this one is a repeat, but it is worth repeating this one!**


Braxton and Sawyer: LOVE TO BE OUTSIDE

Braxton: Mommy's boy ~ if I am around, he wants me! Crys and whines until he gets me. (Doesn't take much though... I fall for it everytime!)
Sawyer: Mommy and Daddy's boy. About 6 months ago, he didn't want me at all, he only wanted daddy. But now he is a split!

Braxton: Loves to hug and kiss all over you! Very cuddly.
Sawyer: More stand offish, will play that hard to get kid. But if you get down and chase him, he will love all over you.

Braxton: Looks like Me.
Sawyer: Looks just like Scott!

Braxton: Gets ill as a hornet when he is sleepy.
Sawyer: Gets wide open, running around like he is on crack!

Braxton: More moody
Sawyer: Moody like any 2 year old, but not quite as moody as Braxton

Braxton: Wakes up Screaming to the top of his lungs every morning and will contiue to cry until he gets his bottle. I actually have to make the bottle before I go up there because he will get to every nerve the way he screams!!!
Sawyer: Usually wakes up in a good mood and can entertain himself for a while. Even when he was a baby, he would wake up, talk to himself, and play or go back to sleep.

Braxton: Likes to hang upside down!
Sawyer: Well, I guess he just likes to be normal!
** This might be signs to come.... at least one is normal, huh?**



Braxton and Sawyer: Sweeter then any child in the world! The have their differences, but I am so proud to be the mother of both of them! I wouldn't change a thing... but maybe a little more silence every now and again! :-)

"A child enters this world making so much noise you can hardly stand it, then departs leaving the house so silent you think you will go mad."
~John Andrews Holmes

I will try and remember this quote when Braxton is screaming his head off hours on end. Isn't colic suppose to end at 3 months?

"Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life"
~Sophocles

When you look in those innocent eyes, you realize that they are what keeps you pure. I will try and hold on to every hug, kiss and cry for their mommy, because one day I know I will be the one begging for it!

"Every child comes with a message that God is not discourage with man."
~R. Togore



I think that anyone that has faith in God, that he is still creating so that we can teach our children to believe in a higher being (GOD) and be good and caring. God is giving us a chance to teach our children what is important in life.

"Children need love even when they don't deserve it"
~Harold Herbert

I know this quote is so true. Sometimes I have to stop, take a breath, ... when Sawyer is telling me "NO", I am not going to come to you, or I am not going to take a nap, or go inside; When he is running Braxton over with the red car to how loud he will cry; or when Braxton throws a tandrem in a resturant; or when Braxton sticks his finger in the light socket for the 1000th time... that they need love at that time. Does tough love count?

A year ago....

Braxton you were just in my belly...

You made an entrance to the world on 11.11.07 for the first time....

You gave mommy another miracle....

You made mommy and daddy proud....

You made our family MORE complete!

" A child enters this world making so much noise for twenty years that you can hardly stand it; the departs leaving the house so silent that you will think you will go mad."
~ John Andrews Holmes

I will try and remember this quote when Braxton is screaming his head off for hours on end. Isn't colic suppose to go away at 3 months?

"Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life."
~Sophocles

When you look in those innocent eyes, you realize that they are what keeps you pure. I will try and hold on to every hug, kiss and cry for their mommy, because one day I know I will be the one begging for it!

"Every child comes with the message that God is not discouraged with man."
~ R. Tagore

I think that anyone that has faith in God, knows that he is still creating so we can teach our children how to believe in a higher being (GOD) and to be good and giving. God is giving us to chance to teach our children what is important in life.

"Children Need Love especially when they don't deserve it."
~Harold Herbert

I know that this quote is so true. Sometimes I have to stop, take a breath, and remember that when Sawyer is telling me "NO" he isn't going to come to me or go take a nap, or he is taking something away from Braxton, or he is running over Braxton with the Red Car just to see what Braxton will do, or when Braxton throws a tandrem or screams really loud at a resturant, or when Braxton sticks his finger in the socket for the 1000th time... and so on, that this is when they need love! Does tough love count? :-)

Things I have learned from reading blogs....

First of all, THANK YOU ANGELA, JODY, ALLYSON AND COREY ffor the Halloween Fall Festival. My kids had a blast and we really appreciate all you put into it.

Second, here are some things I have learned from reading others blogs... and it works!!! I tried it today.

1. Bring suckers everywhere you go! (This came from Michelle, Lisa and Allyson's blog) No matter where it is. So I decided to try this trick and I bought 2 huge bags of suckers (dum dums). Two bags you wonder? Well I bought it because I thought we might have some trick or treaters come by... but we didn't, so now I have lots of dum dums to give MY children and other kids who come over!

How I used the sucker trick?

Today, I bribed Sawyer to sit still in the doctor's office with one. I didn't want him to get down and play with all that stuff since he is not sick (and I don't want him to get sick), so I gave him a sucker and he sat still for most of the time! That is a feat in itself!

I also had to go to Wal-mart after the doctor's office. And the sucker trick worked well again! I gave both of them a sucker (even though it was Braxton's nap time) and they didnt' make a peep the whole 45 minutes I was in there! WOW!

2. Buy Preztel Sticks. I don't think i learned this as much from the blogs, as I did from watching more experienced mothers out there. (Allyson Lee... mother of 3!)

How I used this trick?

Well, after the suckers were all gone at Walmart, I proceeded to go down the pretzel isle. I have never called it the pretzel isle until today! (But from now on, it is not only the Chip Isle, it is the "Give you Children a Pretzel and they will be quiet Isle") And for a baby who is getting lots of teeth in, it is an amazing teeter! Yep this works too, both kids were entertained and happy! This was a great trip out and about today!

Why I though about this trick today?

Yesterday during church I got paged because Braxton was being very fussy. I mean fussy! Well Angela was in there and she proceeded to give Braxton a Pretzel from Allyson's bag. He went from being a fussy baby to a happy go lucky baby in seconds! Thanks Angela for doing that.. and thanks Allyson for letting us eat all your food! :-)


So now, if anyone else would give me more advice about how to prevent tandrems and how to get your kids to listen all the time I would appreciate it? These tips above, work like a charm, so I am up for more secrets if you would like to tell me!


Thanks again,

Jodi