5 and 2

The boys are doing great. Here are some updates:

Joel has started kindergarten this year and is thriving! He's reading books already and writing sentences. It has been amazing to watch his growth this year. His teacher, Ms. Kennedy, says he is very smart and has a great sense of humor. He just celebrate his 100th day of school and a few weeks ago he was Star Student of the week. We are very happy with how the year is going and can't wait to see how much more Joel gets to experience and learn at his awesome school.
Outside of school, Joel is VERY into Star Wars. The latest movie, The Force Awakens, came out recently so Benny bought all the old movies. He and Joel watched them before going to see the new movie. So now he has Star Wars video games, bed sheets, books from the school library- you name it. He says he wants to try karate this summer instead of soccer, so we'll see how that goes.

Henry is two and 3 months and is talking so much more now. At his second birthday, he was only saying a couple 2 word sentences so I was a little worried about his speech development. But since Christmas his vocabulary has really expanded. He is talking all the time and putting all kinds of 3-4 sentences together so I am happy about that. He is also doing well in his little school. All the teachers seem to like Henry and he is obviously happy there- can't ask for much more when you're a working mommy.
Henry loves animals and is starting to get interested in trains, or as he calls them "shoo-shoos". His personality seems like he might push the envelope a bit more than Joel, but he is just as loving and sweet. He loves to give hugs and kisses to everyone in the house before bedtime. Henry also has a special fondness for all his grandfathers. Anytime Benny, my dad, or Mike are around he climbs right up into their lap and not much else matters to him at that point :)

So in a nutshell we're all doing well and I am thankful for our health and happiness. Here's hoping 2016 continues to be a great year for our family.

A 5 Year Old's Favorites

Show: Teen Titans Color: All the colors of the rainbow Food: Spaghetti and Meatballs Toy: dinosaurs (really it's Skylanders but that was his answer) Store: Toy store Friend: Friends at school like Cole Drink: Chocolate milk Movie: Avengers Holiday: Christmas Place: Dinosaur Museum (Witte) Animal: Dinosaurs When you grow up? I'm not sure...umm a police officer

5 years and 19 months

Here's what's new with the boys. Joel played soccer again this past spring. His team name was the Snakes and Benny coached them again. Lots of games and practices were rained out, but the kids seemed to have a good time. He did a lot better staying focused on going after the ball! He finished up Pre-K this past May at The Summit and we have been getting ready for kindergarten! I am really excited for him to start school and experience all that it has to offer. I have a feeling school will come easy to Joel. He seems to catch on to things quickly and is curious about how things work. He can do the basics like count to 100, read some sight words, and is getting pretty good at sounding out words. When we are out he will read signs, we are very proud of him :) Joel has also really impressed me with how good of a big brother he is to Henry. He is so patient and compassionate towards Henry. Anytime he gets upset, Joel talks to him in a calm voice and tries to make him feel better. Henry is actually the rough one out of the two, but Joel never tries to hurt him back when Henry accidentally takes it a little too far. Joel just has this huge heart. He is sensitive and reminds me of an old soul. Just to give an example, I was showing him a video from facebook that was set to a soft piano tune. It was a montage of 10 years of being on facebook. When it showed the picture of Joel meeting Henry for the first time at the hospital, Joel got all choked up and starting crying. He said he was crying because that was such a happy day. What five year old does that? I love him so much I hope he never loses that part of himself. Henry is our little rascal :) Henry is fearless and does things his way. Joel is more on the cautious side, but Henry doesn't know what it means to be afraid. Which scares me! I am almost certain he will be my kid in the ER with broken bones. He has been quicker to run and jump and get on the move than Joel was, but he's not much of a talker yet. He can say Mama, Dada, shoe, Booo (book), more, and please. When he says please it is so cute. It's always when he wants more food, so he'll rub his belly while kind of bouncing up and down and saying "Pleeze, pleeze". Henry loves to be around mommy right now. Anytime I walk out of the room he usually goes into a little bit of a meltdown. He likes to wrestle and jump on everyone, as well as jump off the couch. We line the carpet with the couch cushions and he will just keep going to like 30 minutes. He has found a love for listening to books, which I thought wasn't going to happen. When he was a baby he never had interest in them. He'd push them away if we tried to read to him. But now he brings us multiple books throughout the day and just plops down in our laps. And he loves to dance. Whether it be in the car or a jingle on a commercial, if he hears music he's moving. I think Henry will be adventurous and fun-loving, and be my momma's boy :)

Poor Baby #2

Poor Henry...I'm sorry I haven't kept up with this blog with updates about you. Between taking care of you and keeping your big brother entertained, seems as if time to just sit down to type is few and far between. I'll try harder, promise. So what can I say about you sweet Henry... well first of all, you have been the BEST baby I have ever known. From the first night we spent together in the hospital, you are the easiest baby to take care of. You have always slept well through the night, only waking for feedings, and then going right back to sleep in my arms. We spent the first 6 weeks (probably more) on the couch in the living room at night. That sounds a lot worse than it is. It's a really comfortable couch :) Daddy was still working while I was home on maternity leave, so I stayed out there with you so he could sleep through the night. At first you slept on a little baby lounger pillow right next to me, this was when you wouldn't hardly move at all. Then you started sleeping on my chest or right next to me on the couch. I know they say this is not the best idea and you should sleep in your own bed. But we were fine and when you're that little and cozy it's hard to watch you be all alone in a crib. You were a little congested when you were really little, so from there you went to sleeping in your swing. It propped you up a bit, so it was easier for you to sleep through the night. I think it was around 4-5 months, maybe sooner, that you started sleeping completely through the night. You now sleep in your crib, which is in our bedroom. Joel has taken to sleeping in our bed, so while it doesn't make for the most comfortable sleeping conditions- I kind of love that we're all there in the same room while we sleep. Right now you're a little over 8 months old. You love to go, go, go when you are awake. The only time you really settle down and let me hold you is when you're having a bottle. Otherwise, you want to crawl, pull up, explore... Everything goes into your mouth. EVERYTHING. The hardest thing has been keeping Joel's little toys off the ground so that you don't choke on them. Because you really only like to play with his toys, not the baby toys we have for you. And so it begins... :) The only time you cry is when you are hungry and I am not fast enough with your food. When you get tired you'll rub your eyes and whimper a little. I'll put you in your swing for a nap and down you go. See what I mean? Easiest baby. You have never had a long, drawn out bout of crying like most little babies do. There has never been a time I felt helpless like I didn't know how to make you feel better. I'm telling you, best baby ever. You seem to look like Joel, but you two don't have the same eyes. I think your eyes will end up looking more like mine. You are a chunker. Big boy all around. You're head is especially big, but not in a looks-weird kind of way. It's just something us Del Castillos have- big heads :) You're starting at a new daycare school in a couple weeks. I am so anxious about it because I want whoever you spend your days with to love you like I do. I love my job as a teacher, but it is hard knowing I spend so many hours away from you and your brother each week. Luckily we have so much time together during the summer and over holidays- I feel like I get to know you boys all over again during those vacations. Speaking of vacation- we went on our first (with you) real vacation, although it was short, this summer. We spend a few days in Galveston. You did really well at the beach. I sat with you in the shallowest part of the water, and of course, you just tried to shovel muddy sand into your mouth. We brought the playpen and set that up so you could have a sand-free place to hang out. You really loved the pool at the hotel the best. You even made some friends- little kids in the pool came over and wanted to talk and play with you because you were being so cute splashing and squealing. So it looks like you'll be walking by your first birthday- you already love to pull up and try to stand on your own as much as you can. I'll make sure to stay up to date on your new milestones as you hit them. I love you sweet baby!

Four Year Old Joel's favorites (better late than never)

Show: Team Umizoomi Color: blue Food: Spaghetti Toy: cars Store: HEB Friend: Jiovanni Drink: water Movie: Walking with Dinosaurs Holiday: Halloween Place: Dinosaur Museum (Witte) Animal: Dinosaurs When you grow up? Paleontologist I forgot to ask Joel these questions on his 4th birthday, but this will do :)

Henry's birth announcement!

Stationery Card

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Henry's birth

Thursday, November 21, 2013

6:00am- We arrived at Methodist Stone Oak for our scheduled induction on Henry's due date.

Between 6:30am-7:30am- The nurse tried to start my IV and my vein apparently "popped" twice. She kept saying, "It popped. Oh no. This is not good. It popped..." and I could feel blood spurting out of my hand, even though my head was turned and I couldn't see anything. This caused me to start feeling very nauseous and lightheaded, just like I had previously experienced at work a couple weeks back. The doctor called this a Vagel response/episode. Basically, the stress of the situation causes my blood pressure and heart rate to drop quickly and drastically. Which also affected the baby and his heart rate. The nurse called another nurse in to try the IV in my other arm. She did so with no problems. I looked up to see 4-5 nurses in the room looking at the baby monitor. My doctor was called in and he said he wasn't sure this baby was going to tolerate labor- not a good thing to hear. So Dr. Feinstein told me he wanted to let the baby and I relax for a while before we started any induction techniques.

9:00am- Dr. Feinstein came in and broke my water and started pitocin. I had been having contractions on my own, so the nurses were thinking this was going to go quickly.

10:20-ish- I sent Kristin a text that contractions were starting to hurt.

11:07am- Texted, "I'm about to say screw this and get an epidural." Then they upped the pitocin, so it was ago on the epidural.

12:00pm- I got an epidural. BUT it didn't work, not completely. My right side of my abdomen was numb, but the left side didn't take for some reason. The pain from the contractions went from being in the low center of my stomach to all of the left side of my torso. It hurt so bad I couldn't talk through them- all I could do was lay on my side and try to breathe through them. At one point I did start crying too. I remember the anthesialogist kept coming in and trying to give me more medicine, or adjusting the line in my back, but nothing was helping.

2:15pm- Dr. Feinstein came into the room dressed in his scrubs and ready to go! The nurse had been getting a little frantic beforehand and was moving around quickly. I'm not sure if I was a little out of it because I was still in a lot of pain, or if she just didn't say much, but the time before this all happened very quickly. A few minutes before Dr. Feinstein came in, Dr. Dubois came in again and gave me a double dose of medicine in the line in my back. So right before I started pushing, I FINALLY was numb on both sides. I remember pushing when the nurse told me I was having a contraction. We would do sets of three pushes. I could feel in my face I was pushing as hard as I could, but I couldn't feel my bottom area at all- so it was hard to tell if I was doing it right. All I could go off of was the nurses and Dr. telling me good job and that I was moving the baby down.

2:27pm- Henry is here! I was shocked when I opened my eyes to see him coming out- it happened so fast! They laid him on my stomach and he immediately started to pee, mostly on me :) The Dr. asked Benny if he wanted to cut the cord, but he didn't since he "doesn't feel qualified for that", so then the Dr. asked if I wanted to- so I did :)
7 lb. 5 oz. 20.5 inches long with beautiful dark hard and a healthy set of lungs. Love at first sight <3

Welcome Henry

Henry,
Welcome to the world baby boy. Today you are a week old and it just happens to be Thanksgiving Day. How fitting :) This year we have so much to be thankful for, and you definitely top our lists. I have adored you since the moment they laid you on my chest second after your birth. Your daddy loves you so much and is always so gentle with you. Your big brother Joel is smitten with you as well, and says the sweetest things like, "I could just hold him all day mommy." (Even though his holding you sessions as usually about a minute long and then he's ready to get up and go again).
At one week old you sleep. You wake up to eat every 3 hours. And you sleep. And sleep. I know this phase won't last forever, so I am soaking up all the snuggling time I get with you. You sleep best at night in our bed lying right next to me, and I definitely sleep better that way. Thank you :)
We had a lot of time together in the hospital since you roomed in with me, rather than going to the nursery. Your daddy went home at night since there was just a chair for him to sleep in, so I was able to take care of you by myself- which I didn't mind and actually enjoyed having the opportunity to get to know you!
Everyone says how sweet and easy of a baby you are. I agree of course. I always wondered how it would be to have two children and if I would be able to love another baby as I do your brother. But you have come into our family seamlessly. I already can't imagine life without you. I have been overcome with emotions a few times since you've been born. Not stemming from frustration or exhaustion, but of an overwhelming sense of gratitude and love. I know I am blessed beyond what I probably deserve with you boys. I am so thankful you are healthy and thriving. And I am thankful to have the opportunity to be your mother. I won't let you down- promise.
So welcome to the world sweet Henry David. I hope you see the best of it.
Love,
Mommy

"It's probably a brother,"- Joel, Age 3

Well Joel was right! Baby brother is due this Thanksgiving and we couldn't be happier. Benny says he knew all along that it was a boy, and he really didn't ever mention much about it possibly being a girl. I honestly didn't have much of a hunch this time around. With Joel, I did really feel like it was a boy. This time, I think I was maybe preparing myself for it being a girl since we already have a boy- but I went back and forth as to what "feeling" I had. But on Thursday, June 27th we solved the mystery.
We went as a family to the sonogram to find out if Joel was having a brother or a sister. Everything looked good on the baby, weighing about 9 oz and all healthy organs. At the very end of the appointment we finally got to see the goods :) Henry David Del Castillo was clearly a BOY!
Joel isn't sold on the name. I think because he has a little boy at his daycare named Henry, so when we say the baby is Henry, he thinks we're saying it's that Henry. Before we found out the sex, Joel wanted to name the baby Pancake if it was a boy, and Cupcake if it was a girl. Now he says we'll just call him Baby Boy.
We came up with Henry David before we even got pregnant this time, so we haven't had to do any name searching or going back and forth. I loved the name Henry when we were pregnant with Joel, but Benny didn't like it. After Joel was born, we were talking about the possibility of baby #2 and Benny all the sudden loved the name. I think the idea of maybe calling him Hank sold him on the idea. His name is Henry, not Hank, just to be clear. David is my Dad's name and since Joel's middle name is Benjamin after Benny's dad, we thought that would work nicely.
I am so happy to be a mommy to two boys. I can't wait to see them play together and pick on each other likes brothers do. I hope they grow up to be close, best friends and always watch out for each other.
This will probably, 99% sure, be our last addition to our family- which of course is bittersweet. It's nice to know this is our family and we are set, but of course a little part of me will miss the possibility of having another baby. We were going to name the baby Mabel if it was a girl, so maybe we'll have to save that name for an addition of the four legged kind :)

Father's Day 2013

Potty woes

This is the first week of summer, which means we get to spend a lot more time with Joel! I'm not teaching summer school this year, which is for the best because I get to squeeze in some more time with my little man before baby #2 comes in the fall.
Today we worked more on potty training. Joel is getting pretty good at realizing when he has gone (if he has a diaper on) but he freaks out if he has an accident in his underwear and shorts. Makes sense because Joel doesn't like to be dirty at all. He has had two accidents so far, and now he's starting to hold in his pee, even if he has a diaper on. I think he is afraid it's going to make a mess when he goes potty, because he keeps talking about when he pee pee came out of his shorts. Poor guy. Tonight he was to the point of crying and squirming around because he was trying so hard to hold it. He finally went on our second trip to the bathroom (I had put his diaper back on in hopes he would just go). Hopefully it won't be long now until he is potty trained.
But other than that he has been a complete joy to be around. He is so talkative. Just a minute ago he told me, "Mommy, did you know you're the best?" Ahh, I love him so much. I know we'll love our kids the same, but it's going to be close ;)

3rd birthday

Joel turned three on May 19th, and it's been a year since I've updated this thing! Bad mom. We had our first birthday party with friends invited, so that was fun. We went to Kiddie Park and had about 14 kids show up. The kids had a good time riding the rides, hitting the pinata, and eating cupcakes.
We also have the exciting news that we are expecting our second baby in November! Joel seems to be excited (most of the time) about having a little brother or sister. He will talk about helping teach the baby how to walk on the snow (?), or he'll ask to see my baby in my belly. He was there at our first sonogram, so he was able to see the baby on the screen and hear the heartbeat. He seems to get it that there's a baby in there, or at least he plays along :)
Joel has been a lot of fun lately. He's into pretend playing with us and with his toys. He'll say things like, "Mommy, just pretend I'm the sweetie (baby) and you're Ms. Pat." He'll make his toys talk to each other- mostly baby/daddy conversations where the baby asks for something and the daddy says, "No sweetie." Do we say no too much? :)
He has moved into sleeping in his big boy twin size bed as of two weeks or so ago. He probably stayed in his crib longer than most kids, but he never tried to climb out of it and loved sleeping in there. But I decided to move him out of it so there will be enough time for him to get over before the baby comes and he says, wait, that's MY bed.
We're still not potty trained, but we're working on it. He has been doing pretty good this week, but today he's been sick so I'd rather not push it when he doesn't feel well.

I asked him what his favorites were from the list below on his birthday, so here's his answers:




Show: Thomas (? He never watches this anymore. It's more like Chuggington, Bubble Guppies...but we'll go with his answer)
Color: blue
Food: Kolaches and Donuts
Toy: Toy Story toys, Lotzo Bear and Big Baby
Store: Walmart ( we've been here twice in his life)
Friend: Cousin Josh and Mason
Drink: Chocolate milk
Movie: Toy Story 3
Holiday: Halloween
Place: Train
Animal: Dinosaurs
When you grow up? Garbage Man

Funny Boy

Some things Joel has said in the past couple of days"

• Benny and I were whistling in his bed last night and he puts both hands of either side of Benny's face and says, "It's okay little bird". Turns to me, does the same, but says, "It's okay big bird"!
• He came around the corner and saw Benny and me and says, "Well there you are my family!" <3
• While leaving SoccerTots, Joel shouts as loud as he can, "Bye Coach Mel!!! I Love you!!!!"

Things this kid says...

• Good morning mommy/daddy. Nice to see you!
• (Joel, can I play with you?) Of course!
• (after I've said something like let's get some breakfast) Good idea mommy!
• I'm so proud of you.
• Good girl mommy, good girl. (while patting me on the back with both hands)
• Oh no! The crocodiles/dinosaurs are going to get us!!! (While driving in the car)
• Are we safe? (Referring to "are we safe from mommy" while he waits for me to jump around the door at him and Benny)
• No silly mommy! (when I start laughing at him and he wants me to stop)

Two Years Today

My dearest baby Joel,
    Somehow two years have gone by since the first day I held you in my arms.  That was the beginning of the best part of my life. You have made quite the impression on your father and me little man. You are so sweet. If you accidentally bump me on the head, you'll rub it and say, "I'm sorry Momma." "Please" and "thank you" are part of your everyday language, which makes me so proud. You are also VERY funny. You will do things intentionally to make me laugh. Like peer at me out of the corner of your eye and try not to smile when I'm trying to get you to look at something. Or when you make your sad face and then start laughing. Or when you toot on purpose. Yes, that has begun.
   My hopes for you at two years is that you continue to grow and thrive and learn and laugh. You have the best laugh. Especially when me and Daddy tickle you. I love talking to you and seeing the world from your perspective. I can not express how deeply in my heart you have rooted yourself. You've carved out a little spot in there. Well actually, a rather big spot. It's in that spot that floods with happiness when you hit a new milestone, or say something precious during your nighttime prayers. It's in that spot that aches when you're hurt or sick and I can't make it all better. And it's in that spot that I hold this special bond that you and I have that could never be replicated by anyone or anything.
   I am so proud to call you my son Joel. I can tell you have a good soul and a kind heart. Wherever your life takes you, I only hope that the road is paved with your happiness. And that you don't forget to call your mother. Often. If the time keeps ignoring my pleas to slow down, it will be no time before you are reading this and going off to college and getting married. But I hope if it's your 2nd birthday or your 42nd, you'll always know that you have made me one proud and tremendously happy woman. Just by being you.
I love you son. So, so, so much.
Mom
 

Skinned Knees and Chocolate Covered Faces

Joel and I were playing out on the deck this afternoon and he fell down. His legs are constantly covered in bruises from tumbling here and there, but this time was different. There was blood. The skin was scrapped off and he was bleeding. I immediately squealed and said, "Yay Buddy! You got your first skinned knee!" I didn't expect to have that reaction, it just came out. I don't know, it was just exciting to me. I tried to hold a wet rag to it but he wasn't to into that. "Take it oooooffffff!"Then when it came time to put on the Winnie the Pooh band aid he wasn't too happy. I finally put one on my leg and said, "Look, we have the same one!" That seemed to intrigue him enough to realize the band aid wasn't actually hurting him. So, that's that. First skinned knee down. 1,234,534,5343 to go.

We also shared an Oreo milkshake before the skinning of the knee. Joel's face/shirt/shorts/legs/neck and my  leg was covered in chocolate milky dripping by the time it was all over. I took a picture and when he saw it he said, "Aww Joel. Chocolate face." Haha- That kid cracks me up.

21 months

You...

• are using two/three word sentences- play ball, mama play choo-choo, I want Agua/nana/apple/omm (orange) etc.
• can name all your colors! 
• love to name things and their color- white shirt, yellow duck, blue truck...
• The 100 Words book we used to read to you- you can now read most of the words to us
• will say "Hello Mouse" and "The End" when we read The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the BIG HUNGRY BEAR, which are the first and last lines of the book. 
• weigh 33 lbs. and you are... taller? (I need to measure your height)
• love to kick soccer balls, which makes your father very happy
• love "cooking" when I make dinner. You like to stir whatever is on the stove.
• are a fan of baths. My nice big bathtub is now filled with dinosaurs, play dishes, magnetic letters and balls. 
• are getting more adventurous. Climbing up ladders, going down big boy slides...
• don't want to be confined to a stroller or being held when we go places. You want to "walk! walk!"
• have the best laugh ever, especially when we tickle you after you hit the popcorn button on your microwave
• are very affectionate and will come and hug me or your dad out of nowhere 
• have become shy around new people
• do not like to be messy or have spills. You want your hands clean (even though you usually forego utensils and eat with your hands) and any spills "mess! mess!" need to be cleaned up right away
• are obsessed with the trash can. You love to "throw away?" your diapers when you are changed and any other little things you can find. 
• have started trying to jump. You have the motions down, you just don't pick your feet up off the ground, so it's kind of a bounce. 
• have graduated your dance moves from squatting to now spinning around in circles. 
• imitate me and your dad. You try to put pens behind your ear like your daddy does and you try to sweep while saying, "mama?" (What does that tell you about who does the cleaning around here?)
• are in love with Dora- our dog and the cartoon. Parker is only "big dog" but you light up when you see Dora and say, 'Hi Dough-ra!"
• surprisingly enjoy brushing your teeth?
• are absolutely, without a doubt the most hilarious, sweet, smart, gentle little soul and I'm so happy to be the one that knows you well enough to make a list of 21 things you are up to at 21 months old :) Love you Joely Beans!

Mr. Personality

Over the past two days, I have had the pleasure of staying home with Joel since he was not feeling his best. You'd never know he had a pesky double ear infection. He still laughs and plays and talks and sings. He loves to sing the tune of "Twinkle twinkle little star"- you can make out the twinkle, twinkle, but the rest is up to your imagination. He has made up his own song, "Agua, agua, agua..." He just repeats that word over and over with different melodies.
He loves to say "Hi" to some ladies at the supermarket, but he is especially friendly to inanimate objects. When leaving HEB yesterday, he took the frozen garlic bread out of the cart and held it in his arms like a baby almost. He said, "Hi Bread!" He held it all the way home in the car, saying over and over, "Hi bread!" Then tonight I made him some fresh green beans. Anytime I cook I try to give him a little to "cook" in his own pan. So he had 4-5 raw green beans that he was cooking. After dinner we needed to make a quick run to the store, so the green beans rode along. He counted his beans. "One, twoooo, treee green beans!" He held those beans all the way there and back. How can you not love this kid?
The kicker. Tonight in the bathtub somehow babies came up. I should preface by saying that Joel also has begun asking "why?" to pretty much anything I say. The other night it started with "Let's take a bath", "why?"...(10 minutes later)..."because mommy and daddy wanted to start a family." Don't ask me how it progressed to that.
Anyway, so I asked Joel, "Are you a baby or a big boy?" Without any prompting, he points to his chest, like he usually does when he says, "I Joel", but this time he replies with, "I momma's baby."
AHHHH! Seriously? Does he even know what that does to a mother? God willing, he will keep that mind set until he's 100. Because in my eyes, Joel will always be momma's baby. What a doll.
I'm not sure what I did to get this sweet boy, but I hope I keep it up.

Thankful for you always

We had a great week together for Thanksgiving. I got most of my to-do list finished. We cleaned out the spare bedroom to begin the transformation into Joel's playroom, got most of Joel's Christmas presents bought, and got caught up on laundry. We didn't necessarily do something new together, but we did make it out to the Witte Museum again, and Joel loved it. I think it's because he has the freedom to run and play without being strapped in to a stroller.
So I didn't do the "I'm thankful for..." post on facebook like everyone else, but I figure it can't hurt to write it here in a semi-private setting.

Joel,
You are blossoming into the most precious, kind-hearted, lovable, funny, charming little boy I could ever imagine. You've started calling me mama again, for a while it was da-da followed by a grin. My heart swells when I hear you say my name, especially when it's accompanied by outreached arms and puckered little lips. You have brought so much to your father and I. He always says, "Who would've thought being a  parent would be so much fun?" You make us laugh hysterically on a daily basis. Whether you're riding on your daddy's back like a horsey and telling him, "Go Dada!" out of no where, or showing off that you're a big tough guy by picking up big boxes full of baby wipes and putting them on the couch (all while grunting and carrying on about how heavy it is). You make us so happy. Everything is right now that you are here in our lives. Thank you Joel for all that you give to your daddy and me.
Thankful for you always,
Momma

Half way to TWO!

Today Joel is 18 months old! The past few weeks his language has just exploded and he is saying so many new things daily. Moon, backpack, jacket, okay-okay, I'll do it, I get it, I Joel (points to self), Dora, and the best- when he eats something he likes he says, "Mmmmmm!" Too cute.
We had another rendezvous with the emergency room last weekend. Little man was running temps up to 105 and the only explanation they could give me was that he had rhinovirus- the common cold. It is so scary when his temp gets so high and it's just a waiting game. Cranky, fussy, snotty, throw-up...I can handle all those. But when he feels so bad he doesn't even fuss, he just lays on me and sleeps. Ugh, awful. After lots of prayers he pulled through and came back home each night (we went twice over the weekend).
Now we're off for a whole week for Thanksgiving. To-do list:

• clean out guest room to make into Joel's playroom
• do a new activity with Joel
• Get a little Christmas shopping done
• catch up on laundry

If one of these is accomplished, we will be in good shape. :)