Benjamin Maidy: in 4D!

Here are 3 ultrasound images of Ben taken today. We got to see them in glorious 4D! You can see his nose and mouth and he looks just like Jack!

Only a few more weeks before we get to meet the little man in person!

Ben vs Jack

Jack has gotten into the habit of running and letting whatever he runs into stop him. I don't mean walls or doors. Usually it is Taylor's stomach. He doesn't do it to cause pain, but it definitely isn't the most comfortable thing in the world. He has been showing a lot of interest in Taylor's stomach, but I don't think he grasps what is coming.

We have less than 2 months before Ben arrives, assuming he isn't early. That means Jack only has that time to be the center of our attention. Part of me knows he will be OK but the other half is deathly afraid of him becoming what Koreans call "cold rice."

Time will tell. Hopefully it won't happen.

Jack is Iron Man

Seriously. Does this look like a kid who had surgery less than 72 hours before these were taken? He is amazing! We enjoyed a day out in the mid-70s. Weather was beautiful. We then spent some time with the cousins. Check out Kate at the end. She is super strong too!

Jackcabulary 2.0

Jack shares some of his new words!

Jack vs Jack

We went to visit my mother-in-law's sister-in-law to see her new condo. While there, Jack got to play with her little dog who is also named Jack. As you can see from the video, the two of them got along very well. Jack even got to watch Jack pee. Just watch the video to see who was watching who.

Surgery #3

Jack underwent his third (and hopefully final) surgery today.  He had his circumcision corrected as the first one left too much foreskin.  He was amazing.

I woke him at 5:15 this morning to get some juice before the 4 hours prior to surgery rule.  He didn't complain once about not having food or drink.  When we got to the hospital, he began hamming it up like he always does.

In the pre-surgery area, he played well, laughed, and was a hit.  He made all of the other patients going into surgery smile which I hoped help them through their procedures.  The nurses and doctors all loved him that he got 2 stuffed animals for being such a trooper (a monkey and a rabbit!).

The surgery was less than an hour and soon enough we were approaching him as tears streamed down his face.  He saw me and cried for Daddy and when I took him, he immediately fell asleep and stayed that way for an hour.

The doctors gave him a "block" injection to locally numb his surgery for 4-6 hours and told us to provide him Motrin or Tylenol as needed.  They said he should be back to solids by the next day and normal activity within 2-4 days.

When he woke up, he drank 4(!) cups of juice and we were on our way home.  He didn't hesitate to start playing like normal.  We gave him a bland lunch of mashed potato fries and chicken nuggets which he wolfed down.  He didn't seem wobbly or nauseous at all, which is an awesome sign.  He also didn't seem to be in much pain.

The scary part came when we opened a poopy diaper to find a lot of blood.  His gauze was soaked through and it was bright red.  The discharge form stated this was a sign to call the doctor.  She told us to hold a washcloth on the area for 7 minutes like any other cut.  She said more than likely he broke a scab and it was bleeding.  She said the surgery went so well she thought that was all it was and in 20 years she has not needed a patient with this surgery to go to an ER.  Lo and behold, it worked.  And he didn't cry once.

Now, he is asleep soundly and will hopefully wake up painless tomorrow.  Jack is such an amazing trooper and we are blessed to have him.

On a final note, Jack has reached a new obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine.  He is so in love with the show that we need to play it on his travel DVD player so we can relax with a normal show.  He plays with the toys all the time and said the name of his first character today.  No, it wasn't Thomas.  He said Gordon, the mean train that is only on 1 out of every 10 episodes.  Now, every train is Gordon.

Maidy Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free family tree - Geneology

Pears in the Dark

Bad storms hit tonight which knocked out our power at 6:30. It was still barely light out but candles and flashlights were needed. My gut was worried Jack would lose it. My gut was wrong.

Jack showed absolutely no fear. He proceeded to play as if nothing was wrong. He used the flashlight like a lantern and explored the living room. We played and laughed and had a great time. The power came on minutes past his normal 7:30 bedtime.

It never ceases to amaze me when Jack does things like this. I think I have more fears about how he will react than he actually has. It makes me glad to see him thrive no matter the odds.

But. we won't be giving him any pears. He snacked on some Korean pears, chewing them to mush to get the flavor, then spitting the rest out onto the dark floor. We have been stepping on the remnants for the past few hours.

Jack's Trains

Jack loves his trains. He also loves cars. If we see a car on the street, in a parking lot, on TV, in a magazine, or anywhere else, he just starts yelling CAR!

We bought him some Little People toys because he seems to want to play act with little characters and he loves them. We also let him choose between some extra Little People or a Speed Racer car that makes sounds and talks. He chose the Speed Racer. Looks like I will have to get the DVDs for him too!

Jack's First Outdoor Weekend

Jack spent a very large chunk of the weekend walking and talking and having a great time. He loves being outside and we cannot wait until the weather stays like this every day. On Saturday, we met the cousins and Grandma to check out the new Korean mega-market in Niles. It was very cool to see an Asian market the size of a Jewel, but it is quite the haul just to go grocery shopping. The place was packed, but Jack loved being with his cousins, who also came over to hang out too! Today, we enjoyed a nice day shopping at Old Navy and The Container Store. Jack also had hummus (which he LOVED!) and BBQ Chicken Pizza at California Pizza Kitchen, and then we had a nice walk around the neighborhood. Jack is growing up so fast, we can't keep up!

Jack Goes Outside

Potty Time!

Jack pooped in the potty!

Picking up Jack from daycare on Friday, his teacher informed me of the great news!  They allow each child to sit on the training toilets and Jack laid a deuce on the first try!  We were so proud we bought one for him to use.  As you can see he enjoys sitting on his throne but has not left any brown eggs and ham yet.

(Note: sorry for the poop jokes, but how often will I get to blog about crap, turds, fecal matter, feces, BM, or stool?)

Jackcabulary

18 Month Checkup

Jack had his 18 month well visit/pre-op checkup today (in case you didn't know, Jack is having the excess foreskin on his penis removed on August 18th). According to the checkup, Jack is:

Weight: 26 lbs 3 oz (50th Percentile)
Length: 32.1 inches (50th Percentile)
Head Circumference: 18.75 inches (50th Percentile)

It isn't looking likely that he will be as tall as Dad, but more than likely an average kid in physical respects (which is definitely a good thing!).

Based on his vocabulary, physical abilities, and brain function, the doctor said he is just ahead of the developmental curve (which is also a very good thing!).

Next up for Jack, the doctor recommended trying a training toilet. Not to force anything, but to get him used to the idea of it as a preparation for toilet training.

His next visit will be at the 2 year mark and that will more than likely be the first doctor checkup with both little ones!