Mimi's Flower Bed

Rocco enjoyed walking in Mimi's flower bed before church this morning. It recently had a major make-over. While my mom was staying with my nana in the hospital during the month of July, my family pitched in on this massive undertaking. From a weeded disaster to a beautiful array of textures and colors, this flower bed proved to be a major surprise for my mom. Landscaper's challenge turned into Mimi's delight. Within the last 2 months God has blessed it with sunshine and rain, making it a beautiful display of His wonderful creation.

29 Months Old on the 29th

What a difference a month makes. Since July 29th, Rocco has managed to sing his first song, acquire number sense, and throw his first temper tantrum. Yes, the "terrible two's" are here!

The good thing is that the "terrbileness" only comes in spurts. We still have the sweetest, most loving boy in the world. Trust me, we've been all the way around the world and back. . . there's none sweeter.

Rocco is such a mama's boy. He'll take his hand and pull my face to the left and right so he can kiss each cheek. Then, he'll proceed by kissing me on the chin and the forehead. He's also mama's helper. One of his favorite chores to do is help me water the plants.

"Boo!" This is his latest. He loves to hide in his closet or behind the kitchen plants for a few seconds, and then jump out at us. His version of pee pie is hiding his feet under the covers. "Bye!" he'll say. Then, he'll quickly uncover them and exclaim, "Hey!" After his bath every night he also thinks he has to hide behind the shower curtain.

Most of the time we can reason with him over the food he eats. If he's eating only chips, we'll ask him to take "just one bite" of hot dog and he can have more chips. He'll hold up his pointing finger and shake it back and forth at us as if to remind us that we only require one bite. He'll eat the one bite and expect more chips.

Within the last month he's also learned to hold up 2 fingers. He'll point to someone else and himself and then hold up 2. Sometimes he'll get two toys and hold up his fingers. He really gets the concept of one and two. Of course, he really likes holding up five. It's easy and fun. If there are items lying around, he "count" them with his made up words. Instead of shaking both index fingers up and down for his age, he now correctly holds up two fingers.

Blue, green, and red (Thomas, Gordon, Henry, and James) are his favorite toys right now. He asks for them first thing and the morning, takes them to nana's house, brings them back home, and is still playing with them at night. He will not play with the gray, purple, or gold trains. What's weird is that he also leaves out poor green Percy; Rocco's very discriminate with his toys. He knows what he likes.

At Nana Carolyn's house he realized that his magnetic trains pick up paper clips. Our little man is already a scientist like his mama. :)

He loves to be read to. After hearing some of his favorite books, he'll request it to be read "again." The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a new book that I just introduced to him. After listening, he started saying "cocoon." Since reading is part of our night time routine, he's begun begging, "Mama read!" So sweet. . . I can't resist when he does this. While he insists on me reading, he wants his daddy to put him to bed. This is just what he's gotten used to.

Goodnight Moon is one of the regulars at our house. His favorite part is "Goodnight comb, goodnight brush. . . and a bowl of mush." The last part cracks him up. I love this picture of Rocco and his Nana Carolyn interacting with this book.

One of my favorite words that he says now is pillow. He'll also say "again daddy, Nana's house, Mama's house, Drew's house, Drew play, Drew home". . . (notice how many things he can put with Drew's name - Drew is definitely his favorite play buddy).

Speaking of Drew, he has taught Rocco how to talk in a quiet voice. You can tell Rocco to whisper, and he'll quietly say, "Blue!" On the other hand, when he needs something, he'll cup his mouth with one hand and yell for it. This is especially the case when he's calling granddaddy to lunch.

Bath time is right before bed. I get him clean and Jason gets him to sleep. Once the water was too warm so I decided to add ice. From then on Rocco thought we had to do it every night. He'll quickly pitter patter with his nudy bootie to the kitchen holding his bowl. I'll fill it up with ice, and he'll run back to the bathtub laughing. He is a little explorer. He likes holding the ice and feeling it melt.

Running down the hall with Rocco in a laundry basket sure wears me out, but I must admit it is worth every bit of energy I put into it because he laughs and enjoys it so much. I get one of Jason's belts to latch onto the basket and off we go!

One Sunday morning at church, Rocco found some Hawaiian lei. He did not stop at two; he continued putting them on until he had about 13. When we went home he still had them on. Wearing them all through Papa's Sunday dinner and nearly into nap time, I thought he'd never take them off. Every now and then he'll still put them on. He kinda reminds me of Elvis when he went to Hawaii. What do you think?

The biggest news? There is no baby crib in his room anymore. Jason took it down and turned the bed frame into a full size. I almost cried until Jason reminded me that he never really slept in it anyway. It wasn't until 2 months ago that he even slept in his room at night - even so Jason or I would end up in the floor beside him holding his hand. A few weeks of this turned into Rocco sleeping in the floor with one of us - so looking at it this way. . . at least we'll be comfortable when one of us is sleeping with him. So much for getting to snuggle with my husband at night. . .

Digital Scrapbooking

I've been working on a new hobby, digital scrapbooking. I've created a page for Rocco. Click here to view it.

Kindermusik is Back in Session

Fall semester began for Rocco and his classmates. He is no longer in "The Village" group because it is for ages 0 - 18 months. Along with some of his former music friends, Jada Joy and Avery, he has moved up to "Our Time." The theme this time is Milk and Cookies. Many of the songs will focus on common items found within the home. Thus far, we've enjoyed "Dust, Dust, Dust" and "We are Clothes in a Washing Machine." Rocco gets in there and follows right along with the teacher. It's like we never had a break from music class. He also likes doing the motions to "The Carpenter's Hammer." The little girl in the picture is Katie Grace and is the daughter of a co-worker/friend of mine. (Click on the collage to see a bigger, clearer photo.)

Rocco's Song

Rocco used his new instrument from Kindermusik to put on his first concert.

Update on my Grandmother

My nana came home!!! For two, long months my nana was in the hospital. The staph infection ravaged her body and put her through countless hours of pain and discomfort. Through much prayers and the healing touch of Jesus, she is doing much better and able to be at home. My papaw is so glad to have her back. Since she has been hospitalized, his life has been so off schedule. Eating here, staying there, hanging out with my brother, going to my dad's shop. . . doesn't sound all that bad but when your spouse is gone for 2 months you can only imagine how your life gets turned upside down. What a blessing that she is finally recovering and on the mend.

Rocco's Surgery

I've never seen a sweeter face peekin' out of a blue surgery cap before! It was the dreaded day; the one in which we knew Rocco would face his first surgery. Little man had not yet been circumcised. Our first pediatrician said that we should wait until he needed another procedure done, like tubes in his ears. This way he would only need to be put to sleep once. Time passed and his ears always looked fine. Our second pediatrician said that we could do it after his two year check-up. So here we are at 28 months and Rocco is faced with his first experience at the surgery center.

Five o'clock came very early this morning, but Rocco was just happy to be in his car seat watching Thomas the Train. Poor fella didn't know what was ahead of him. He continued to play with "blue, red, green" trains in the waiting room until we were called back.


For security purposes, we were given matching bracelets.

When the nurse took his oxygen level, it had a red light inside. "Red!" he said, and quickly showed us how James the engine matched it. While waiting for the anesthesiologist to come talk to us, Rocco and I laid on the rolling bed and watched Jojo's Circus, Higgly Town Heroes, and The Wiggles. He wanted me lying right beside him.

The green gown they gave us was so small; I didn't even know they made such tiny surgery clothes. Since he liked red so well, the nurse brought him a pair of red socks. The blue hat just topped off his un-matched outfit.

Before they wheeled him into surgery, they gave him some red medicine in a syringe. It had something in it to relax him. He became so silly minutes after swallowing it. He'd just grin and lazily laugh. He slowly flapped his arms to the chicken song. He was so cute in his sleepy stupor. The medicine didn't knock him out completely, but when they took him back he didn't cry for us. The nurse asked him if he would like to pretend the bed was a train ride. He agreed with a slow, "Whoo, whoo!" and off he went.

Less than an hour later the doctor spoke to us and told us what a success the surgery was. He gave us some general things to remember and do during Rocco's recovery. A few minutes later I heard Rocco screaming. He was waking up in the recovery room. Thankfully, they realized that his parents were the best ones to hold him and tell him it was alright. They got us, and we went back to see him. Crazed, confused, and wild, he screamed and would not be comforted. The IV in his arm was bothering him and he wanted it OUT! He wanted me, yet he still cried, arched back, and kicked when I held him. I had to pass him to Jason for fear I'd drop him. Back and forth from me to Jason. . . this went on for 30 minutes I guess. He started doing the sign language for GO! We left the center with his gown still on and tears streaming down his face. What was so sweet was that in the midst of his fit, he would pull my face closer to his and kiss on me. Finally he fell asleep 5 minutes before we got home.

I was so worn out and stressed from the entire event, I went to bed. Jason took care of him, fed him, played some, and laid him down for his nap. Mentally, I felt like I had been through surgery.

In the end, Rocco received special treatment. Nana Carolyn brought us all a homemade lunch and 4 new tractors for Rocco to play with. Tonya and cousin Drew came over to play with him and they bought him a cool motorized Thomas train and track. Later that evening little man sat in his big blue chair and "kindly" ordered us around to bring him his toys. But in all, he has been his usual self, very energetic and happy.

I have to thank Jesus for being with my little boy today. I know He is always with us, but it's so comforting to know that he can go with Rocco past those surgery doors that I could not enter. And even in the midst of his screaming spell, God was with us and comforted us all. How awesome is the presence of God!

Potty Incentives

Thomas the Train stickers have been a great reward for Rocco when he pee pees in the potty. At first he thought he had to have one of every train color. Blue-red-green has been his theme lately, and those are the only color of Thomas trains that he will play with (poor purple Culdee and gold Stepney!). I had to explain that he only got one sticker each time he used the potty. Well, he had a red and green sticker on his shirt that he had earned through the day. After he got out of the tub and put his pj's on, he insisted "Blue!" "But Rocco, you have to pee pee in the potty to get a sticker," I reminded him. Without hesitation, he tossed his bath towel aside, quickly squatted, and sat there until a little pee pee finally found its way to the potty. Of course we both clapped and he got a blue sticker to add to his collection.

A Day of Sweetness

There are so many things that Rocco does throughout the day that are so sweet. One of my favorites is how he kisses on me. Without asking him, he'll look at me closely and then proceed to kiss me on my right cheek, my left cheek, my forehead, my chin, and sometimes on the lips. He just smiles when I tell him he is "Mama's love" and that I love his kisses.

I thought I'd share just a few shots I took this afternoon of some other sweet moments we had . While we were waiting on Nana and Granddaddy to pick us up for church tonight, Rocco and I spent a few minutes outside with the cat. Here he is sharing the smell of a flower with Tiger.

Brewster's Ice Cream hit the spot on this warm summer afternoon. Following church we picked up some cool treats. Rocco sure did enjoy his kiddie peach ice cream cone.

What used to be a Wiggles fan has now turned into a Thomas the Train fanatic. I can't even count the times I hear him sound off "Whoo Whoo" every day. This train sound either means he's playing with Thomas, wanting to watch the train DVD, or is asking us to read a Thomas book to him. Tonight we even washed, rinsed, dried, and put lotion on Thomas. He thought it was funny that the train was getting clean just like him.

Before bedtime, we usually wind down by reading a few books and "talking to God" with our nighttime prayer. In a toddler Bible story book on his shelf we found this picture. Rocco thinks it is him and Jesus. It's a great visual I use as I tell him how much Jesus loves him.

Soaking in the Last Bit of Summer

I've been teaching school again for a full week now, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy what's left of summer. This afternoon the flowers outside needed some attention, so Rocco and I made our way to the flower bed and front porch. The flowers got their share of water, but I think we ended up more hydrated than them. Getting soaked was so much fun! We made it rain down on us, then we drank from the garden hose,

and even watered our feet. By the time the garden work was complete, we were both stinky and wet! How fun!

Rocco and a Hand Towel

Every night I get to give Rocco his bath, brush his teeth, comb his hair, and say his prayers with him. Jason takes it from there. Usually the two of them will share some popcorn, read a book, and then go to bed. Instead of rocking downstairs, Rocco has graduated to going to sleep in his own bed. . . as long as Jason is in the floor right next to him holding his hand. I had to post these cute pics of him. He's our little man. I love it. . . the hand towel comes down to his ankles. I'm enjoying him being little while I can for I know he is becoming a "big boy" more and more each day.