Movin' On Up

Connor now gets to see where we're going, instead of where we've been.

12 month well-visit

This post will probably be pretty boring to most of you except my mom, grandmother and in-laws. But it serves as a good way to document milestones since I've not yet started Connor's baby book.

Yesterday, we celebrated Connor's first ever birthday by going to the doctor. He got 4 shots and a toe prick. One shot in each arm and leg. He handled it like a champ. The toe prick was for the purpose of checking his iron which is still low so we are going to have to add iron supplements. I'm not sure if anemia is hereditary but I'm anemic, so if it is, he got it from me.

Here are his stats:

Weight: 18.1 pounds- 4%
Height: 29 inches- 26%

He's a tiny little thing but the doctor is not concerned at all and neither are we. His height has consistently gone down at each well-visit (the percentages, not the actual length) but they're not dropping significantly so it's not a huge deal. I think he's the perfect size. He's our little man.

He's crawling and climbing stairs but hasn't taken any steps yet.
He's eating mostly table foods now and we've switched from formula to whole milk.
He waves to tell people "bye bye", "night night", and "hello".

Oh, and then no well-visit would be complete without finding out he has yet another ear infection. So we've started antibiotic ear drops for that.

Overall, great well-visit. Healthy baby. We'll head back to the doctor at 15 months for his next well-visit.

The Results of the Connor Man Quiz!!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered the Connor Man Quiz. Many of you did a really nice job. Connor was super proud. Here are the answers.

1. How much did Connor Man weigh when he was born? 9 lbs. 3 oz.
2. What is Connor Man's favorite fruit that comes in a babyfood jar? bananas
3. What is Connor Man's favorite fruit that does not come in a babyfood jar? cantaloupe
4. How many teeth does Connor Man currently have? 4
5. True or False. I am Connor Man's favorite person in the entire world. True
6. What is Connor Man's middle name? Nathan
7. Which number grandchild is Connor Man on Nathan's side of the family? 9th
8. Name all the words Connor Man can say. I'm giving two possible answers for this. He says "DaDa" but he has no clue what that means so I also counted "He doesn't say any words yet" as a correct answer.
9. Why was Connor Man in the hospital when he was 6 weeks old? Swine Flu
10. What is Connor Man going to be for Halloween? a football, not a football player, just a football. (Landon will be a football player and Reagan will be a cheerleader.)

Ok, now for the winners. That's right. There was a tie and I love them both so much! (By the way, my mom entered the contest but I disqualified her because she's my mom and she should know these anyway.)

Winner #1: MaMa (my grandmother) She almost got disqualified because she's my grandmother so she should know these but I decided to be gracious. Congratulations, MaMa! I love you so much.

5 things I love about MaMa:
1. She is completely selfless. She always, always, ALWAYS puts the needs of others ahead of her own.
2. She cooks lunch EVERY SINGLE SUNDAY for her entire family. She lives in Spartanburg so we don't get to enjoy her delicious food much, but I call my mom every Sunday afternoon to ask what MaMa cooked so I can live vicariously through their lunch. :)
3. She makes the best facial expressions in the world. I never wonder what she's thinking.
4. She acts way younger than she is. And she looks way younger than she is.
5. She prays consistently for her family.

Winner #2: Megan Soong. For a long time, I introduced her to others as "Nathan's best friend's wife". And even now sometimes I still do it out of habit. But I can honestly she has become one of my absolute best friends.

5 things I love about Megan:
1. She is a planner. I love how organized, thorough, and efficient she is. Her house is beautiful and peaceful. She works hard to create such a pleasant atmosphere for her family.
2. She is a thoughtful mom. She does everything for a reason.
3. She has a half Asian baby girl. Seriously? That's awesome. Megan's white and Eric is Asian and together they have produced an absolute beauty. And I've already decided that Connor will marry Brantley. It's a done deal.
4. She is a fantastic teacher who loves children like crazy. We've had some great discussions around teaching and learning.
5. She is a great listener. The perfect balance of offering wisdom and just being there to sit and listen.

Congratulations to the winners! I will mail you your prizes soon. :) But don't hold your breath.

Happy 1st Birthday, Connor Man!

There. I wrote it. I wrote "1st Birthday". Not "12 months". I was a grown up about it.

Our little Connor Man was a brilliant idea God gave us. We thought we might just be finished with our little family of 4. But God knew the Trevett family needed a Connor Man. Connor adds so much laughter and joy to our family. He smiles nonstop. Seriously. He's always smiling. I'm not just typing that to be all cute and mommyish. It's the truth. Oh, wait. Except for bath time. He thinks baths are a horrible idea.

Our Connor Man:
1. loves people.
2. has a sweet dimple.
3. is small.
4. is crawling up a storm and starting to stand by himself for a few seconds.
5. can climb stairs.
6. drools a lot.
7. has ear tubes.
8. has hair that curls like his Daddy's did when he was a baby.
9. loves music.
10. thinks his brother is absolutely hilarious.
11. loves to hear his sister read books to him.
12. loves to be snuggled.
13. is a fan of baseballs and basketballs.
14. claps when people say "yay".
15. enjoys standing up in his highchair.
16. is not the biggest fan of pools, oceans, or water in general.
17. is a very big fan of his thumbs. Either one.
18. still drinks from a bottle and I'm absolutely ok with that.
19. puts his head on my shoulder when I sing to him.
20. did not think his birthday cake was even a tiny bit yummy.

Happy Birthday, Connor Man! I am so thankful God has given me a full year with you so far. It is completely by his grace that you are my son. I love you!
Love, Mommy

Connor Man Quiz

My little dude turns 12 months old on Wednesday. In honor of his birthday, I invite you to test your Connor Man Knowledge skills. Answer each question. 1 point per correct answer. Submit them to me via blog, email, Facebook, phone call, text, or letter in the mail. I will not accept answers told to me in person or via video conference. I want them written down. The winner will receive something. I'm having a yard sale in a few weeks and I can't promise that it won't be something from my yard sale pile (Heather and Sally, don't get so excited. You've not seen my yard sale pile.) In addition to winning something, I will also write a blog about how awesome you are. Don't cheat by looking at other people's answers. I'll find out about it and it won't be cool. Good Luck! Oh, you have until Thursday morning to answer. I'll announce the winner Thursday afternoon. And if there is a tie I'll just pick the person I like better.

1. How much did Connor Man weigh when he was born?
2. What is Connor Man's favorite fruit that comes in a babyfood jar?
3. What is Connor Man's favorite fruit that does not come in a babyfood jar?
4. How many teeth does Connor Man currently have?
5. True or False. I am Connor Man's favorite person in the entire world.
6. What is Connor Man's middle name?
7. Which number grandchild is Connor Man on Nathan's side of the family?
8. Name all the words Connor Man can say.
9. Why was Connor Man in the hospital when he was 6 weeks old?
10. What is Connor Man going to be for Halloween?

Grace

It's hard being a mom. Reagan likes to change clothes about 5-10 times a day and she's 3 and she can't fold clothes yet. I fold her clothes a lot. And sometimes I get tired of folding her clothes.

I do a lot of laundry. As soon as I finish a load there's another load ready to go in. And sometimes that gets on my nerves.

My kids are really into tearing up paper into the tiniest pieces you can imagine. And they do their best to clean it up but sometimes only Mommy can pick up the tiniest pieces because their little fingers can't do it yet.

This week a child that I love very much died. He was one of my students and he had the most incredible mother. She is a hard worker. She is always wearing a smile. She is an encourager. And today she's not folding clothes or doing tons of laundry or picking up tiny pieces of paper. She's grieving over the loss of her precious, encouraging, always smiling, hard working little boy.

And today I'm reminded that every day is a blessing. That every day with my children is a gift. That I deserve nothing. That only by God's grace do I live each day.

So today I'm going to joyfully fold little girls clothes, joyfully do laundry, and joyfully pick up tiny pieces of paper.

Kindergarten

Landon,

You woke up this morning with a big smile on your face. You put on your khaki shorts, a green and white striped polo shirt, and your brand new gray New Balance tennis shoes that look just like Daddy's. You asked for a waffle cut up with syrup on top. You brushed your teeth, giggled because some water got on your new shirt, then announced, "I finally get to go to school! It's an exciting day!"

Today feels weird because didn't I just give birth to you yesterday? Wasn't it yesterday that I first held you in my arms and thought, "This is the largest baby I've ever seen." Wasn't it yesterday that I fell in love with your Daddy times a billion because I saw him as a father for the first time? Didn't I just change your diaper for the first time yesterday and it was really black and gross and the nurse said not to worry?

But it wasn't yesterday. Because you're five. Five came here super fast. I'm not nervous or scared for you today. I'm not sad. I'm not worried. Because I know you. I know how much you love people and how easily you make friends. I know how much you love to talk and share what's on your mind. I know how cool you think it is that Mrs.Zeigler has a real life frog in her classroom and how that makes you giggle because you know that frogs are my biggest fear. I know how much you love books with real pictures and guess what! I saw a bunch of them in your classroom! I know how excited you are to play on the playground and to see what I packed in your lunchbox and to pass Benton in the hallway and maybe even see him in the cafeteria! I know how excited you are to ride the bus home from school each day and how cool you think it is that you won't get home until AFTER naptime and that you can't wait to see what snack I've put out for you on the kitchen table.

It's going to be a great year. I believe in you. You're going to make a difference in Mrs.Zeigler's class. You're going to love on your friends, learn loads, read loads, play loads, and laugh loads.

I could not be more proud to be your mommy! Happy Kindergarten year! I love you!

I love Mrs. Zeigler!

Landon's kindergarten teacher is Mrs.Zeigler. He's going to meet her tomorrow night for the first time and he is pumped!

Beautiful

Probably way too graphic....

Reagan has been having some issues so this morning I took her to the doctor. On the way, I prepared Landon that her private parts were bothering her and we needed to make sure everything was ok. I prepared him because he's like the best brother ever and he worries about her if she's sick.

Ok, so we get to the doctor's office. Life is good. Connor's being the man. Reagan and Landon are playing beautifully in the big waiting room. I'm thinking about how much I rock as a mom.

The waiting room door opens and out walks our sweet, reserved, extremely polite nurse.

Nurse: Reagan! Time to go!

Landon: HEY NURSE!! MY SISTER'S PENIS IS SICK!!!!!!!

A billion moms and dads and children look at me. Awesome.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I am a stay at home mom during this season of my life. And I am blessed to be able to do it. But I am also a teacher. And, even though I'm not currently in a classroom, I still feel it.

On Thursday, the public school teachers in our district go back to work. (Actually, many of them are already there, I'm sure.) But "officially", Thursday's the day. Just typing this gives me this feeling in my heart that is kind of hard to explain. When I was a classroom teacher, I got it every year at this time.

It was kind of a nervous feeling mixed with loads of excitement mixed with fears of the unknown mixed with the reality that in a few short days 20 kids were going to meet me and I was going to be the one guiding them to think, explore, create, write, read, discover, talk, solve, wonder, and question. For many of them, our classroom was going to be the only predictable part of their life. For many of them, lunch was going to be their only nutritions meal of the day. For some, the only hug or "I love you" they would get each day would be from me. For others, I would be the only one in their life establishing limits. For some, I would be the only person in their life that would read to them. But for all of them, I would be the one with them for 180 days. Learning with them. Talking with them. Loving on them. Laughing with them. Creating a family within a classroom. Embracing the incredible responsibility of meeting learners where they are and helping grow their love for learning.

To all the teachers, go for it! Go into your classroom. Close your door. And teach your kids. Put them first. Fight for them. Advocate for them. Do your best for them. Put THEIR long-term goals and needs on your radar screen. Not yours. Theirs. Encourage. Love. Guide. Talk less and listen more. Test less and teach more. Frown less and smile more. Stand less and sit beside them more. Say "but" less and say "what if" more. What a challenging, incredibly difficult, emotional, mind-boggling calling you have. Embrace it. You can do it. You were called to do it. Now go after it! I am praying for you as you touch and change lives.

Baby Evie and Baby Ellington Updates

Baby Evie Update:


How cute is Little Miss Evie Jane? Thank you for praying for this precious baby over the past several months. She is home and doing very well. She is visiting her cardiologist regularly and will have her next heart surgery around December. Keeping praying for her and her incredible parents, Heather and Kevin.

Baby Ellington Update:
Ellington Harper Hewitt will be delivered on August 30th. For those of you who may not know, her brother and sister, Parker and Haley Hewitt, met Jesus one year ago. Ellington has been diagnosed with Spina Bifida and will require surgery shortly after birth. Please pray for her birth day to go smoothly. Also, please pray for her parents, Craig and Crystal as they are experiencing loads of mixed emotions and facing many unknowns.

I'll continue to keep you updated on these two precious families.

Here's What REALLY Happened

So, I'm really bad about posting precious pictures from vacations, telling all the wonderfully happy parts and then pressing "Publish Post". I think a lot of moms are bad at that. I say "bad" because it leaves this false impression that the trip was wonderful, the kids were perfect, smiles were permanent, blah, blah, blah.

Well, this post isn't going to be full of all that junk. It's going to be filled with the real stuff. And my hope is you'll send out an "Amen" comment instead of a "I can't believe you did that!"

So, here's what's REALLY been happening on our vacation:

1. Monday night, my grandmother cooked the most delicious supper ever. Chicken casserole, field peas, fried squash, and shells 'n cheese. I made Landon eat it. Like I fed him while he made these horrible gagging noises. I told him to stop gagging. And I said it in a really mean voice. He threw up everything. I spanked him. Then I put a second helping of everything back on his plate and made him eat it all. And while this happened my grandmother made loud moans and groans hinting that I'm the meanest mommy ever. It was awesome.

2. Last night, we went to Johnny Rockets and I was sweating, tired, and trying to cram a double stroller through a tiny doorway into an non-airconditioned room. I yelled at Reagan to get out of the stroller. Then I started to fold up the stroller. A table slam full of adults yelled at me, "YOUR BABY IS STILL IN THE STROLLER!" I opened up the stroller, and there he was. Connor. Folded in half. Smiling his head off. But still. I folded up my baby in the stroller. Who does that?

3. I bought Landon some cotton candy last night and he stared and stared at me. He was shocked that I bought him something. That I actually did something nice for him. And I just had to laugh because it was kind of true. I've been the only parent this week (Nathan's not here with us) and it's hard and I'm mean.

4. I'm pretty sure every single picture I took this week has been preceded with, "If you don't smile, I'm going to send you to time-out" or "If you don't smile, I'm not going to take you to the arcade." Just ridiculous empty threats. All for a picture. I'm dumb.

When I come home, I'll post my pictures and you can giggle to yourself because you'll know what REALLY happened. Until then, I need to take a deep breath and also kind of laugh at what a terrible mommy I've been all week.