Kid Update

I feel like I am long overdue for a general kids update. So here it goes...

I'll start with Luke, because there is lots of good stuff to report! I don't think I ever posted about his 24 month well visit, namely his specs. He was 36.5" (95th percentile) and, drum roll please....29 lbs 10 oz (a whopping 70TH PERCENTILE) for weight...YIPPEEEE! This was his highest weight percentile since birth and I finally feel like he's where he "should" be. This should be the last time I report his weight with ounces, but I just didn't want to shortchange him in this post :)

And he has made HUGE progress in the eating department this past month or so (once again, it coincided with him being under the weather oddly enough). He is now pretty much a normal 2 year old eater! I basically give him what I give Kyle, and he happily/excitedly feeds himself and chews/swallows at a somewhat normal rate. And he's not picky, and eats all healthy stuff! And isn't gagging/barfing it up!

There are truly no words to describe the massive weight that has been lifted off my shoulders. Needless to say, it has been a very difficult couple years and his impossible eating issues REALLY pushed me to the brink of what I could "handle". But I feel like it's basically behind me now. And from all the feeding clinics and Early Intervention feedback, I was expecting it to go on much longer, as they all said that eating issues take years to resolve. So I am VERY pleasantly surprised that we're almost there!

And another great Lukey Pooks development...I can now leave him out in the family room with Kyle while I exercise and shower in the morning. He knows he has to stay down there, and amazingly he stays out of mischief! Before, I would leave him "caged" in his crib and he was relatively content for a while if he woke up before I was done. But that changed this past month and he started getting REALLY upset if I didn't get him right away. So I tried him out with Kyle a few times for short stretches, and he did great and really seemed to "get" that he had to stay in the family room and be good. And now for the last couple weeks he's been good for the whole hour! Like the feeding progress, this is also very liberating and makes it so much easier to work in my exercise/shower windows.

And Luke LOVES school! His teachers always have good things to say about him too :) And when I pick him up, he loves telling me things that he did, and talking about his friends/teachers. I'm just so happy that I signed him up for it...I really love that place and feel like the two mornings/week is just right for both of us. He's just a very happy, thriving, smart, fun little boy :)

But he is DEFINITELY in a tantrum phase these day, and just can't quite "handle things" if something doesn't go his way. Sometimes it's sort of funny to watch (if we're not rushed and/or out in public), and sometimes it's NOT funny (when we're rushed and/or out in public). But he's two, so this is par for the course and I will take this ANY DAY over feeding issues.

Now for Kyle...he just had his 4 year well visit and was 42.5" (90th percentile) and 43 lbs (also 90th percentile). So I have a couple big boys on my hands! He's also doing really well in school and making such great progress in so many areas. Unlike last year, I love how he WANTS to tell me stuff about school when he gets home (instead of getting really mad if I ask questions).

And he is VERY into writing letters, and is really good at them (both upper and lower case!). He likes writing his name, and he's getting interested in learning how to spell other words too. He has been able to tell what letter a word begins with for a while, but he's now interested in learning the rest! And I love how he is so proud (and loves when I'm proud too) of all these new things that he's learning and able to do.

He's also started asking a ton of questions lately. He never really went through that "why is the sky blue" phase when he was younger. But now he is, and just seems so much more curious/aware of the world/people around him. I really feel like he's matured a lot these last couple months and is heading in the right direction.

And I think our nightly articulation work (which he has become very tolerant of) is starting to pay off too. I see noticeable improvements when we do our "lesson" each night, but now I'm also starting to see improvements during his everyday conversation...he'll actually correct himself sometimes without me prompting him. He's just such a sweet, smart, well-behaved little boy and I'm so proud of him :)

So as you have probably gathered, I feel like I'm in the best place with my kids that I've been, and have the best handle/outlook on life in general that I've had since Jared died. Life as an only parent is exhausting, lonely, stressful, monotonous, frustrating, overwhelming (the list goes on and on), but I am feeling more "rewarded" lately than I've ever felt before, seeing all their wonderful progress and maturity, and overall enjoyment of life and each other. They are such little blessings and are truly my world. I just wish with all my heart that I was sharing them with Jared...that feeling is such a constant in my life and has just become ingrained as part of my "being".

I'll end with pictures from some of our recent fall outings (apparently, I REALLY like to dress my kids in red/navy clothes)...