Sunday, November 30, 2008

Two Years Old - Riley William

Riley turned 2 today. It is unbelievable to me that two years have pasted since his arrival into our family. As I look around my living room it is obvious that a toddler has taken over our world. What a wonderful thing to have your world taken over by Riley. Some how it doesn't seem so bad to have your house decorated by a two year old when you see how much fun he has with his new Garage, or trying to get on and off his car. Riley has such an magnetic personality. If he doesn't melt your heart with his smile he will seal the deal with his laugh or the wave and HI he shares with every single person we pass when we leave the house. Happy Birthy Riley.

We had Riley's birthday party on Friday while his Grandparents were visiting from Las Vegas and his Great Aunt Sue was able to come over from Dayton, WA and share in the festivities. Riley didn't quite know what to do with two sets of grandparents in the same room but he got the hang of it. Wow an entire room of gramma's and granpa's to pay attention to me. Wow what a performance he put on. While opening presents Riley was very excited to find the garage that Rex gave him. He loves the ramp that the cars go down. It obviously reminds him of the slide he gets to go down at school because that is exactly what he thought he would use it for. He sat down on the garage and was trying to wiggle his bottom on it. Then he spotted the box and tried to slide down the slide (ramp for the cars) on the picture. He had as much fun with the picture on the box as he did with the actual gift.

I tried to be creative and make Riley a fish cake. Well it didn't go exactly as planned but Rex and I did manage to make a yummy sheet cake from Safeway look somewhat like our fish tank. Well, good enough for Riley. He really isn't very picky.






Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Poo Poo update

Well evidently it is OK for me to squeeze in some blog time while the hubby and boy#1 play the Wii. Thank goodness it is working again. I should add that to my What I am thankful for list. We are all putting off cleaning for the arrival of the Vegas Grandparents so we aren't complaining abut the others activities.

I have been trying to make a what am I thankful for list. Possibly I'll share tomorrow. This evening I have to share the funny that happened after the wonderful girls night out on Friday. On Saturday I was hanging out with Riley because Rex choose Justin to take him to High School Musical on Ice. (Big Thank you to Leyna for the tickets) Anyway my back started to itch and I thought it was from working to hard cleaning... hee hee that is funny. Anyway by the end of the night I had hives up and down my arms. On Sunday they started to creep around my back and shoulders and by the time I went to bed half of my bottom lip was fat. Well when I woke on Monday morning I had an entirely fat bottom lip and calling the Dr. was first on my list of things to do. As I sat in the Dr's office my top lip started to swell. I have to say if that is what I would look like with collagen implants I will pass. I have never had an allergic reaction to anything before so it was unusual to say the least. Justin swears I had bad crab. He can't explain why the other girls aren't sick and looked confused when I pointed out that bad crab would make me vomit not itch. Who knows what caused it but I am very thankful that the pills the Dr gave me worked quickly. I was not excited for the shot he spoke of if the pills didn't work. So today the Angelina Jolie lips are gone... Rex got a kick out of it. He wanted to squeeze them to see if they would pop. Gotta love a 6 year old comedian.

Monday, November 24, 2008

I've been tagged

I've been tagged!!

I was tagged by Elasta Mom.

So here I go...look out, I'll be tagging you next.

Here's how it works.
1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog (copy and paste 1-6).
3) Write 6 random things about yourself.
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up

6 Random Things About Myself...

1. I'm totally addicted to crime shows like CSI and Criminal Minds.
2. I'm afraid of the dark.
3. I am the youngest of 5 and my closest brother is 6 years older than me. (my mom still swears I wasn't an accident, but I'm not so sure I believe her.)
4. I want to live by the Ocean someday. The Oregon Coast to be exact.
5. I hide behind sarcasm and humour
6. my favorite ice cream is Goo Goo cluster

I am tagging...

1.) Everyone.......I don't think I read any blogs that haven't already been tagged so if you haven't played yet consider yourself tagged.

Hee Hee I found some puter time

Well I didn't title it my husband is a giant poo poo head like I thought I might but still you get the point. I haven't had time to blog lately because evidently as my dear dear hubby has pointed out several times in the last few weeks I spend too much time on the computer and not enough with my family. Evidently, when the kids are in bed and he is watching a TV show that I don't care for I should still be available to have deep conversation about the tattoo that they just completed on LA Ink or the latest myth they have busted on Myth Busters. Well enough whining about my husbands PMS I'll move onto all the things I should have been sharing the last few weeks.

On Friday oh dear husband granted me permisison to go out with a few girlfriends for a moms night out. Well it was actually Chis, Kacey's husband that made it happen. Good thing he is trying to win brownie points with Kacey and talked my husband into letting us escape while the dads watched the kids. Kacey and I met my good friend Rebeca and her friend Roxanne downtown at Twiggs. It is a wonderful martini bar with yummy food. It was so fun to get out with out husbands and kids and have a chance to visit with other moms that are going through similar things with kids. We each have our little quirks and freak out points. It did amaze me how similar we are in our relationships with our husbands and kiddos. I'm sure we freaked out anyone that had the nerve to eavesdrop on our conversation. I guess that serves them right.

As I talk to my friends and read other's blogs it has become obvious that that we all have moments of clarity and moments of doubt and guilt about our parenting abilities. It appears that we all thing that we have it better than the other and the other families situation is worse or more difficult. Rebecca swears that she survived all of Elliots serious health conditions and surgeries becuase she was a first time mom and didn't know better. I on the other hand think she is amazing and possibly the strongest person I've ever met. Is it possible that we are both right? Do we cling to what ever bit of reason we can to make our lives seem survivable? I do think that the friends I have made since Riley's arrival have been some of the most amazing of my life. Rebecca is so smart and caring. Until this weekend I thought she was as solid as a rock. It was a relief to see that she too has doubts and freak outs just like the rest of us. I'm sure she always has but I'm just now getting to see them. I'm glad that she has been able to open up and share more. I may not completely understand what she has to deal with but I can listen with the best of them :-) Kacey is almost as open and blunt as I am, though it seems that at dinner I hands down won the most amazingly blunt statement award. Kacey has become one of my closest friends that I share so much with. I'm so glad that she hated Texas and moved this way. It has been wonderful to have a family with so many things in common. Our hubby's can commiserate with each others and our kids have a wonderful time together. Thankfully Kacey still lets Hunter play with Rex even though he teaches him all sorts of nasty little boy things. 4 year old potty humour is the worst. Well, maybe only to be beaten by 6 yr old potty humour. Ella and Riley have been playing so cute together. On Friday at school while they were sitting on the bench waiting to wash hands Riley just leans over and lays a big smooch on her and then they go back to reading their books like its no big deal. Then later at lunch Ella proceeds to start feeding Riley. When she dropped something in his highchair and leans down to look for it Riley leans in a stars rubbing her head. It was the sweetest thing ever!

Well enough rambling from me. I promise there will be more pictures soon. We have added a fish tank to our living room and Riley loves it. I have been trying to get some video of him talking to the fish. It is hysterical.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Signs Signs Everywhere are signs

Riley has been amazing us daily with new signs. I have been thinking about all the signs he knows and figured I'd better write it down. So what a better place than here where I can keep track and brag at the same time.

1 Help- he just started using this today
2 night night/sleep - he has started putting his hand up to his face if we ask him if he is sleepy or ready for night night.
3 Mom
4 Dad- it is a little hard to tell the difference between mom and dad
5 Milk
6 Play
7 eat
8 more
9 fish
10 cat
11 dog
12 shoes
13 please
14 book

He has also added some words to his verbal vocab as well. He now says:
1 uP
3Hi
2 GranPA
3 Ba bye
4 He used to say Grama --but gave it up and down she is PA just like GramPA
5 blither blither for the sound a fish makes
6 oh ya
7 whatthat
8 ALLDONE
9 Ella- he said this clear as a bell one day when we were with Kacey and Ella but then never again


Wow when you actually write it down it does seem like a lot. I love that he is able to communicate with us. It is so much easier now that we are starting to replace some of the grunting with words. I hope he continues to add to his vocab at the same pace. I have been told several times that usually kids will have a spurt in one area and plateau in another. Well in the last few weeks he has started walking and is still adding to his vocab. He is also starting to have some imaginary play. We are getting car noises. His favorite activities are still those that have him moving. Rex created the best "therapy" for him at home. We have these large wedges that Rex pushed up to the couch because he wanted to slide down them. Well Riley loves it too. He can now crawl up them on his own and then turns around and slides down them smiling the entire time. When he crawls up and incline he doesn't use the funny 3 point crawl he actually uses all four. I love that Rex plays with him and has no clue that there is anything different about him. They rough house like boys should.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Rex or Riley?

I thought it was time to take a trip back through the baby pictures. Both boys started out arriving early, Rex 2 weeks and Riley 4 weeks, by c-section. Not that I was aware since they were busy closing me up but but both boys started out in the NICU under the oxygen. Riley stayed 2 weeks while Rex only a few hours but the pictures do tell a similar story. They both plumped up nicely and added some good rolls. While they have hit their milestones at their own pace they are both stubborn and loud. Rex used to point his finger at you and in this great animated way he would tell you baby stories. Riley doesn't point like the little dictator that Rex was but he still has that hysterically dramatic and loud voice. Do you think my boys will ever have an inside voice?




Rex Thomas August 22, 2002
Riley William November 30, 2006




Riley

Rex


Riley and his Chey Chey

Riley and Grampa
Riley

Rex



Rex

Rex Thomas just before he turned two.




Riley William just before 2

Monday, November 10, 2008

Night Night

Last night I shared a silly evening comedy routine. Tonight Rex wanted to cuddle Riley before bed. It cracks me up that they go from wresteling to cuddles in 5 seconds flat. It appears that Rex was better at pretending to sleep than Riley.




Sunday, November 9, 2008

An evening with the Kibbe boys!

In an attempt to get the gets to bed earlier this evening we talked Rex into taking a tubby with Riley. Well the getting naked part was a lot of fun for Riley and he decided to show off how well he can walk in just his diaper. He has modified the usual wrestling match with Rex and was walking up to him and diving on top of Rex. Well by the time I got the camera the game had changed but it was also fun. You can sure tell Riley is getting more balance and confidence in his walking. Riley has always been a big talker but tonight he had a lot to say even while concentrating on walking.


Saturday, November 8, 2008

More walking

I couldn't resist sharing more video of Riley walking. He is getting more confidence every day. It is amazing to watch him get stronger and have more endurance each day. He has started climbing up on the furniture and thankfully is learning how to turn and get down safely. Now to get him to listen when we tell him no.


Before I was Interrupted

The other evening before I was interrupted by Riley gasping for air I had a funny story I was planning on sharing.

Rex has turned into quite the story teller. He just goes on and on and on. I guess he really lives up to his name sake in that department. His Great Grampa Rex could tell a story with the best of them and always had a twinkle in his eye while doing it.

Well, a few day a go I got a message from Christina that Rex was telling her all about how while Justin and I were sleeping he would get up in the middle of the night and play on the Internet. So as we were sitting here this morning I asked him about it and he say with a total straight face "oh ya I do mom. I get on a play games like Ninja turtles and Power Rangers." So when I asked him how he knew how to get on the Internet he says "well I don't know I just turned in on and it said .com and I just started playing games." He says it with such a straight face that you almost start to believe him. That is until you realize that the only computer upstairs that he could have access too is mine and it is password protected. Otherwise he would have to go to the basement and I know he would never do that by himself when it was dark.

He has always been a story teller but they have gotten more real as he has gotten older. When he was almost 3 he would talk about how he couldn't sleep in his bed because the monsters would wake him up. Mom "THERE WERE ITY BITTY MONSTERS WITH BIG BLACK EYES AND THEY PULL MY HAIR" that was a good excuse for waking up to get in my bed. It is one of my all time favs of his. He always said it with such conviction and intensity.

Seriously were do kids get these things.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Holy Cow What a Night

Let me begin by saying Riley is fine. That should keep the Gramma's stress level down. Other than the fact that it is now 1am and he crusing around the living room and pushing all the buttons on the loudest toys.

We have had the germs at our house. Riley has had several cold/sinus infections and now Rex has it. I have been home a couple of days this week with a nasty sinus infection so it didn't surprise me when Justin said he was feeling nasty and went to bed when I arrived home at 5:30. The boys and I had a simple evening playing and hanging out. Gourmet scambled eggs for dinner and off to bed for both by 7:30. It was great. Justin got up long enough to take some sinues medication and was back to bed. How fun an evening to myself and full control of the remote control. Around nine I was getting ready to dose off while cuddled in my nest on the couch. That is when the fun begins. Justin and I were both startled awake by the sound of Riley coughing and gasping for air. We made it down the hall in record time and Riley is making this terrible barking noise and obviously isn't breathing well. So I immediatley go in to asthma mode and grab the nebulizer and my husband panics as usual. Well after few minutes I too am paniced and Riley still isn't breathing well. Justin calls 911 and in less than 5 minutes there are aproximatley 15 fireman and peremedics in my living room. The first fireman in hears Riley and says "croup" and then starts grilling me about the albuterol I'm still waving in Riley's face. The peramedics take his pulse and it is elevated but not terrible and listen to him and he is wheezy. Big surprise the kid can't breathe. His coughing has settled and Riley is calming down so they give us the option of them taking him or us. Well I decide I can take him and Justin can stay home with Rex. Rex sleeps through the entire thing. Boy will he be dissapointed that he missed all those fireman and the trucks out front. I sure hope that the neighbors were already in bed. We probaly gave them a heart attack. So we arrive at the hospital safely and are sent right in. Note to self if you need to be seen asap in the ER tell them your two year old is not breathing well and the firman said it was croup. They take you right back. One of the nurses was a mom of two of the kids on Rex's tball team. That was a nice reassuring face to see. So we see the Dr and he goes through the drill with croup and since Riley has calmed down he doesn't give him the epineferin but doesn't give him the other medicine that will actually treat the issue. I've never heard the croup cough before but hold cow that is sound I will never forget. So do you think it is the albuterol or the apple juice that has Riley playing and practising his walking at 12:30 am. Possibly it is the fact that I won't let him sleep in his crib and I have made a sort of nest for him in the living room so I can listen to him breath all night.

I do have to share that one of girls who I thought was a nurse at the time but must not have been was helping to get the admitting paperwork in and when she asked about any medical issues and I said well, he does have trisomy 21 she says thats Downs right. Then she says wow he sure looks good for being downs. Seriously what the heck does that mean. Yes, he is an adorable kid but really how should he look for being downs. Oh well I was distracted with his breathing and didn't have too much time to think about what she was saying.

I guess Riley thought I was getting to relaxed or something. He needed to spruce it up around here alittle. So with that I'm going to try to get the little monster to sleep get some sleep myself. My blood pressure and heart rate will return to normal at some point. UGH

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Cold Season

I thought it was supposed to be the short guys I live with that bring home the germs. Somehow I cooked these germs up all on my own and my oh my are they kicking my toushy. I think if it was actually possible for your sinus to blow up and explode out the front of your face my were trying to do that last night. I hope the short guys don't get this round. Just think it is only November and we have already passed this cold around the house twice and Riley has had it himself at least three times. Seriously how long until summer???

Oh the Riley report he is starting to walk more eveyday. Christina tells me that he put on quite a performance today at school. I guess Ella snubbed him a bit too. Poor guy was moving in for a kiss and she just turns her head. Ella you just wait until Riley can chase after you....it will be a whole other story then.

Monday, November 3, 2008

It Walks like a Duck!

Riley has been taking a few steps here and there but he is making big progress now. We finally captured a little on video.

The Invisible Person

My mom sent me the story below. It was an email forward so I have no idea who really wrote it but I really enjoyed it and thought all the other mom I know would as well. I have to share a little about my own amazing mom. As I have grown she has become one of my closest friends. She has been there for every major event in my life and has been there every step of the way since we discovered that Riley would have Down syndrome. I remember clearly telling her the day that I got the call from the nurse that my triple screen had abnormal levels and they wanted me to talk to the genetic counselor. She new immediately that the results would be positive even before we decided for sure to have the amniocentesis. She has had a very intense connection to Riley, but not in a strange way, not in a way that means she loves any of her other grandchildren less. I'm not sure I can explain it right but lets just say it is a good thing. Maybe if we are lucky she'll do a guest blog or leave a long comment about what it is like to be the Gramma of Riley. I am thankful to both of my parents for giving me the sense of humour and all the other tools I need to survive this crazy adventure.


The Invisible Person
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of
response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone
and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on
the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can
you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to
compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:

'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've
baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become. At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a
disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.



I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime
because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.