Tucker: 18 Months

Tucker,

You are one and a half years old!! You are such a big boy; or at least you think you are. I love seeing you play with your brother and try to do everything he does.

-You absolutely love to read! You're pretty demanding as well. When you bring a book to someone they must read it to you right away. And multiple times. I do love how much you want to read though. I really hope it continues throughout your life.
-Prayers at night are so cute with you. You fold your hands and close your eyes and mumble along with our prayers
-Sometimes when nursing in the early mornings you have grabbed my phone and started playing while nursing. That is multi-tasking at it's finest!
-When you walk around the house, sometimes you'll put your hands behind your back and it is so adorable with your baby waddle. You also love to walk backwards
-Lots of growling and screaming. Just because. You walk around the house growling for no reason then scream at the top of your lungs with a laugh following.
-One of the funniest things you do is pretend to be asleep when it's time to get out of the car. You will throw your head to the side and squint your eyes really tight while trying to keep a straight face. You do it in the high chair too. You are such a goofball!
-Another really funny thing you do is when you fall down, you will lay flat on your stomach, or however you fell, perfectly still and not move for minutes, until someone comes to pick you up. One time you stayed down for at least five minutes. You are definitely a very dramatic baby
-Temper tantrums have started, which alongside your drama, they are very elaborate, throw-yourself-on-the-ground-type fits.
-You and Trenton share most of the time, but the fighting has definitely started. You don't put up with Trenton though. You smack Trenton in the face quite a bit unfortunately.
-Sometimes it seems like you just get tired of chewing, open your mouth, and let the food pour out. It drives me crazy because it seems like for no reason at all. Plus it's gross.
-Mr. Independent doesn't like help to do things anymore. You can get up and down the front entry step by yourself now. When I try to hold your hand you yell "no!!" and pull your hand away from me so you can do it yourself.
-When you run, you keep one arm close to your body while the other swings really fast. It's exactly how Trenton runs and I love it!
-You are starting to talk a lot more, though you don't form your own sentences or anything yet. You can repeat a lot of words though or try really hard to repeat.
-You love playing with balls and animal figurines we have, but you also love cars like your brother. It is hard to tell what you are into, since you love to copy your brother so much. I can't wait to see what your interests will be as you get older.
-All the guys love you so much and you love them as well. Even though girlfriends aren't allowed here, the guys try really hard to use you to get the girls to come to them when we are out. It definitely works even though they get in trouble for it :)

-I listen to the guys think money is everything. You need to be rich and by all the nicest things in order to be happy. No matter how much we tell them, they don't hear it. Money isn't everything. Being present is the key to life. Invest in people and relationships rather than becoming a workaholic. Yes, you must work for what you want, but don't forget to build up your relationships. You won't get to take money with you to heaven, but leaving your legacy behind in relationships is what makes you rich. I really hope we can lead you to know what is right. My heart just breaks listening to these boys talk and not hear the wisdom we do have from our experiences. I really hope that we can teach you and Trenton what it means to be rich in relationships.

You are such a caring, lovable, independent little boy and I hope you continue to give Daddy and I all your hugs and kisses because we will continue to eat them up! You are such a funny kid and do the weirdest things. You are my weird kid and I love it. Please continue to be yourself and don't let anyone deter you away from that. You are your own person and it's great to be different! Embrace your weirdness :)

I love you sweet boy

 Putting your tractor to good use! You love riding with your brother

 You love your Ro-Ro!! He is your best friend

 The first time you put on flip flops was an exciting time in your life

 Sometimes, this is how shopping goes....

 I love my little baby!

 Your first Easter Egg hunt! 

 Mommy recycles. I didn't want to buy a new Easter basket so I just got one more use out of your Halloween basket :)

 Easter at the Field House on campus :)

 Daddy helped you put prizes in your Easter basket

 Our annual Valentine's Day photo! 

 Doctor office selfies. You are the one who wanted a ponytail in your hair

 More doctor office selfies!

 Super Bowl time!

 I played with the Face Swap app. I put Trenton's face on your head and your face on Trenton's head :)

 Blowing dandelions! Well, in your case, you are eating them

 We volunteered to help cleanup a park and the guys found a frog for you and Trenton to look at

 Trenton was in the hospital for a week at the beginning of May for his fevers. You did great hanging at the hospital the entire week. Then once we got home you and brother enjoyed some homemade popcicles!

Trenton: 3 Years - April 2016

Trenton,

Since you have turned three years old, you have grown even more! Your language has improved, your fine motor skills keep improving, and of course your attitude is growing. You have the biggest attitude! Though you're brother isn't that far behind you....the tantrums and the dirty looks and the subtle pushing or throwing. Throwing toys when you don't get your way is a huge issue we are having. As well as pushing Tucker (though sometimes he does start it). I know it is because you are three and you are discovering this big new world and your own independence, but still. Three years olds are tough.....

However, you are very friendly! Every kid you see, whether a bigger kid or a toddler, you call them your friend. You go to Mom's Day Out twice a week for a couple hours and you love going to school. You always give me dirty looks when I pick you up. Your teachers get a kick out of that :)

Daddy won free Chick-fil-a for a year a while ago so "Chip-ah-le" is a favorite restaurant of yours. Especially the cool play area.

MANNERISMS
-Always picking your nose...
-I bought you a Hulk toy that yells "Hulk Smash!!!" so now you walk around "Hulk Smash-ing" things with your fists. That toy probably wasn't the best purchase on our part. You are starting to like super heroes though. Spider Man is one of your favorites right now, and you walk around shooting spider webs at people, especially strangers :)

VOCABULARY
-A lot of times before starting a sentence you will say, "actually.....". Then I started catching myself saying that. Apparently that is where you got it from. It's pretty cute though
-When it is cloudy and cold outside you walk out and say "That's so creepy!!" No idea where you got that from
-"I want some grass!" aka asparagus
-Umbrella's are Rain Birds
-In a book you have there is an antelope. You always call it a watermelon. (antelope = cantaloupe = watermelon) The train of thought totally makes sense

PERSONALITY
-You like to make up your own songs while getting your diaper changed. Or any time really. We will hear you singing your own little made-up songs. I can't ever figure out what you are actually saying but that's okay
-After curling my hair one day we had this conversation:
              You: you have curly hair
               Me: yes I do
              You: You look pretty!!!
               Me: Aww thank you love! Give me a kiss
               You: (After kiss) now gimme hug

You know the drill :)
-Another time I curled my hair you told me, "I love you, Princess!"  You already know how to compliment people :)
-You and Tucker mostly get along really well. I love seeing you play together. Except you also definitely have your fair share of fighting and hitting and pushing each other. And it drives us crazy!

We started a chore chart for you a few weeks ago and it has been going pretty well. You get a dime for every chore you do at night. There are six of them, and Tucker does like to help too. It's making our sanity a little better with having a clean(er) house

Potty training has been a pretty big hassle. We tried a month ago but you weren't having it. However, the past couple weeks you have gone twice right before bath time!!
 

FEVERS:
-You've had four fevers since your birthday, along with a really bad ear infection during a fever where you had a blister on your ear drum that was extremely painful. Leg pain has started to appear (or you are able to voice it) when you get fevers, so that is not very fun at all. You still get mouth sores, headaches, belly aches, and extreme irritability during episodes as well. I don't give you the steroid every episode but every few months you'll get it to at least knock out the fevers even though most of the other symptoms stay
-You also had your dentist check-up a few weeks ago and unfortunately since you get mouth sores so often and you don't let me brush your teeth those days, you have four cavities already!! It makes me feel like such a horrible parent, even though I know it is pretty common with PFAPA kids to have multiple cavities. It doesn't stop the guilty feeling though. In a couple weeks we have to take you in to get them filled and you will be sedated for the first time. I really hope we can figure out a good plan to keep your teeth healthy.

HOSPITAL:
-On April 26, you started a fever again. I gave you the steroid on the 27th and then took you to the doctor since there was a case of viral meningitis on campus. Luckily, it was just your normal fevers. After the steroid your fever went away right away like usual, but you were still pretty lethargic, whiny, and sleepy. Then on Saturday, you woke up with 104 fever and said your ears hurt, so we made you another appointment and you had a double ear infection. Even after amoxicillin, the entire weekend we could not get your fever below 103 even with Motrin. On Monday, we went back to the doctor and your temp was at 106.1. Your doctor admitted you to the Boys Town Hospital right away, mostly for dehydration, but to also see if you happened to have something else. For the next few days you were on the IV, and had Motrin and Tylenol to help with your fevers. They kept returning every 4-5 hours and would be up in the 104-106 range. The first couple days you were still so miserable even between fevers but eventually you started perking up when the temp was low. All of us got really excited every time your fevers hit below 102. Normally 102 would be a bad thing, but not in your case! We had a really hard time getting you to eat and drink at all for the entire 11 days of your fever, until Friday.

Everyone in our little Boys Town community had been so helpful and wonderful during our week in the hospital. We had people praying for us, bringing us food in the hospital, making dinner for our Boys Town boys, and even offering to babysit Tucker for a few hours. I absolutely love our community and the support we have for each other. Plus it is an extra positive that we don't have to pay for any hospital bills!! Such a huge blessing.

Your rheumatologist changed your medication to remove the steroid during flares and now take a twice daily medication called cimeditine. It tastes gross so it makes it so much more difficult. While in the hospital we had such a hard struggle getting you to take Motrin and Tylenol, I can't imagine how the rest of our days are going to play out. You make yourself vomit practically at the site of a syringe and we've tried hiding it in everything imaginable but somehow you always know! You are the wrong type of kid to have a periodic fever syndrome.

We have you scheduled for a tonsillectomy on June 7th to remove your tonsils and adenoids. We are praying you won't have anymore fevers between now and then, especially since we are going on vacation in a couple weeks to North Carolina! I'm nervous for such a major surgery on my little baby boy, but we are hoping for the high success rate to cure you on your fevers and all your other symptoms. It can be a 1-2 week recovery time as well. Plus you hate taking medicine so it's going to be fun trying to get you to take your pain meds.


GUYS:
-You love your guys so much! Even though if you ask some of them you bully them :| The fact that our 16 year olds feel bullied by our three year old means we have much bigger issues to work on. But you are just three. So you sometimes argue and yell and get angry. You also sometimes spit and push. But those are all things we are working on teaching you. Sometimes they just don't realize that they were once three years old and had to learn that those things are not okay. Although some are still needing to learn...!
-All the guys really do love you and you consider them your big brothers. I am so glad you have the opportunity to grow up with eight older brothers at all times.



I love seeing you grow every day. You are learning to use your manners without being reminded and it is such a sweet moment to hear you say thank you and please without being reminded. You have such a kind heart and love your brother so much. You care for him and share with him (most of the time) and watch over him. When we say our prayers every night, it is starting to become your prayer where you thank God for things (like your bed and Roosevelt, and your baby brother). I hope and pray that you grow up learning that God loves you and you can always trust in Him.

I love you sweet boy

 Mommy played with the Face Swap app :) You can hardly tell

 Such a weirdo.....We were eating dinner one night and Daddy and I looked up to see you making this face at  us, for no reason!

 Blowing Dandelions!

 We volunteered to clean up a park for Christian Service with our house and the boys found a frog for you to see!

 Doctor office selfies! Tucker wanted to wear my pony tail :)

 More doctor office selfies!

 Our first family hospital photo

 I love my little sick boy

 Playing in between fevers with the fun shopping carts

 Someone so small takes up so much space!

February 29th was Rare Disease Day, and since you have a rare disease, we hope to bring awareness to other autoimmune diseases. Maybe one day, even when you (hopefully) grow out of PFAPA, you will contine to bring awareness. I hope to God that you won't remember all the pain you've been through, but maybe one day you will change the world :)

We put you and your tractor to good use

This was the first Easter that you have been well enough (or big enough) to actually enjoy the Easter Egg Hunts!

Yes, Mommy recycles. I didn't want to buy you a new basket for Easter so instead I got one more use out of your Halloween basket :)