First Haircut

We finally did it. We made a trip down to my hometown for L's first haircut. The same sweet, wonderful person that cut my hair (and still cuts my mom's, dad's, sister's and niece's hair) was able to get L in on Saturday morning for a haircut. We were so worried about it. One, he hates to sit still. I knew it would be a challenge. Two, I am in LOVE with his sweet curls. I didn't want them to disappear, I just wanted them to be a bit more "tame."

Wetting his curls, before the first snip...

...and VIOLA! Still curly, but not lookin' like a baby mad scientist!


But it was NOT as easy as these two pictures make it look. We tried to get started, he cried, threw his head back, arched his back. So out came the cheerios. Hubby and I got a system down, and as long as he had a constant supply of cheerios to grab out of daddy's hand, he was calm.

Here are some more shots -

The long hair on top of his head that has been there since birth. Yes, I saved lots of locks! ;)

The first snip. He's reaching down for more cheerios. Carmen is a SAINT. She was awesome with L, just like she was for his big brother's first haircut...which was almost exactly 4 years ago.


Are my ears still there???


AAAAAAAALLLLLLLL DONE!

Long Fun Weekend Part 3 - An Epic Concert

JMcD and I have another Top 5 checked off our lists. We were lucky enough to see U2 in concert this month in Dallas. It was amazing. Awesome. Brilliant. And SO much fun! We definitely do not regret spending the money on our tickets...especially when we got there and realized we had amazing seats. Of course, the best "seats" are down where those fools are standing around the stage, but I'm no longer in that demographic and don't stand at concerts. The people closest to the stage looked like little sardines. No thank you!

Some of our best buds. We have now seen three amazing concerts with these soon-to-be parents. I think their concert going will slow down a bit after Baby H gets here in January, but I expect this will NOT be our last concert with the Flores family.

The band sang both new and old songs. We ALL heard our favorites songs - which is quite amazing since their playlist is so long they literally could play for a whole day.

So awesome. We got some amazing video clips too, but the files are huge and would take FOREVER to load. But at least we can be dorks and go back and listen to and watch them whenever we want to!

Meanwhile, the boys had a great time with Nana (she was so sweet to babysit while we were at the concert, and said the boys were great for her. Isn't that always the case for grandparents? They are so good for them, but as soon as mommy & daddy get home, forget it!) J loved the color tabs for the bath, and took more baths than he needed just to use them again!

And L scored a new raincoat and boots (dinosaurs)! He wasn't sure about it at first...

...but then decided it was cool!

Long Fun Weekend Part 2 - State Fair

I cannot keep up with this blog! We have since had ANOTHER long fun weekend, but I need to finish the posts from our weekend in Dallas first. We took J and L to the State Fair for the first time. They both loved it - especially J! And of course, we had to take a family photo in front of Big Tex.

The boys waiting in line to get in. It was a little chilly, but it did not rain one drop until we were heading for the car. PERFECT weather! I'd much rather have on a hoodie than be sweating any day!

Daddy and J about to ride a rollercoaster. It was pretty big, so we were surprised J wanted to ride it.

Before take-off. The after pictures weren't as pretty. :) I wish I had taken a picture of the full ride...there was one pretty sizeable drop for a 4 yr old. After getting off, he told me, "Mommy, that scared the chickens out of me!"

A slower paced ride.

Fighting fires - neat idea for little kids.

One of our favs. Daddy didn't hesitate to crash into us every chance he got. FUN!

All those rides made us hungry. Nothing else but a Fletcher's Corny Dog of course. J said it was the best corn dog he ever ate!

Apparently, this fair and corny dogs are SO good, even Oprah came to check it out. See her eating her corny dog?

And causing a traffic jam? We were in the right place at the right time. They literally pulled the barricade right next to our legs, so I got this excellent picture. BTW - my hubby told me this morning that the State Fair episode airs TODAY! I hope I'm not on it!!! LOL!

L was a trooper. Here he is playing with Nana. We think he liked just watching all the "interesting" people!!

One of the boys (all THREE) favorite places was the Ford pavilion. Hubby made an argument that this car goes well with his eyes! Goober.

J's favorite place - sitting in Bumblebee!!! That's right, he got to sit in a Transformer car! Uncle T - warning - he might ask you if you know Bumblebee now...(or if you can get him one, HA!)

He also enjoyed playing games with daddy.

And sweet big brother even shared his winnings with his baby brother. Awwww! What a great time we had. Thanks again Nana & Papa D!!! I have a feeling J will to go now every year!!!!

Long Fun Weekend Part 1 - Aggie Game

The annual McD family trip to B/CS for an Aggie game. It sure was a PERFECT day for football. Chilly, but not too cold. Windy, but not too blustery - no rain, no direct sunshine. Awesome. Too bad we were outscored by 5 points (but hey, that was way better than the last game, huh?)

Poor L. We think he was fussier than normal due to the three shots he had the 2-3 days leading up to gameday, PLUS the fact that we wouldn't let him climb up and down the bleachers. Here is one picture where he isn't screaming. Luckily, no one really could hear b/c everyone was busy cheering (remember, we DID score 31 points at this game...so it was fun!)

J had a blast. Then got bored until the band started playing. Then had some more fun watching football. Then got bored and started playing games on my phone. So is the attention span of a 4-almost-5-year-old.

Kyle Field. Love it. Even when we aren't having the best season, it is still a wonderful place to be. Our home away from home. ;)

Love my Aggie boys.

NOW we're talkin'! L loved, loved, loved being on the field. Good thing we got him off before he got hit with a football. Some older kids were throwing footballs around, and one nailed hubby right in the side of his beautiful, bald head. Hard. So thankful it didn't knock him out. No way I couldn't gotten him off that field! lol!

Go boys! Maybe you could help our team this year!!! L has some size on him and J has a great arm. Sign 'em up coach!!!!

More pictures to come from the state fair and U2 concert in Dallas. It was a full, wonderful weekend at Nana and Papa D's!

Fifteen Months Old

L went in for two not-so-fun doctor's appts this week. Before we get to his well check, you will all be happy to hear that despite his egg allergy, he was able to get the flu shot on Wednesday at his Pediatric Allergist's office. Dr. L said all of his egg-allergic patients have had no problems with the shot this year. YAY! Of course, L didn't think it was as great as I did. Besides doing a skin test for the flu shot, they also tested him for a reaction to the MMR (negative) and peanuts (also negative!) So we are just Dairy & Egg Allergic for now. Whew!

Yesterday, we visited our beloved Dr. H for his 15 month well-check. It was a MADHOUSE! Hence the need for mommy's iPod - his first viewing. I just haven't needed it for him before now, but we had to wait so long b/t the check and the nurse coming in with the shots - it was just crazy! It has been that way for almost two months now. Even though our children's hospital is reporting a decline in flu cases this week, Dr. H said he had seen 5 patients that day (just him) with the flu and the whole practice had already had over 30 yesterday - and the day wasn't even over yet! Needless to say, I tried to keep L from touching anything.

Here are his stats -

Weight: 26 lbs 11 ozs
Height: 31 1/4 in
Head: 50 cm (which is about 19.7 inches...no lie)

As you can see, he is still a hefty dude. His big brother was definitely starting to thin out by this point, but L isn't quite as mobile as J was. Dr. H said he isn't worried at all since L possesses the strength and ability to walk - he seems to just be a bit on the cautious side. Every day he is taking more steps, and today, at the mall, we took him out of his stroller and holding just one hand, he was walking up and down the aisles of a store. He just needs to "let go"...

He had to get two more shots, and since he had JUST gotten his flu shot the day before, as soon as the nurse walked in holding the little plastic box, he knew what was going on. It was the worst yet for sure. I had to blow in his face to get him to take a breath! But as usual, he shakes it off quickly and starts waving to let me know he wants to leave. He has slept a lot today and has been a bit cranky, but who can blame him. I totally agree that shots are a form of torture. ;)

I should have lots of fun posts next week - we are off for an Aggie football game (thanks again Uncle T & Aunt J), then will head to Dallas for a visit with Nana & Papa D that will include a trip to the State Fair and an amazing night with some dear friends at the U2 concert. WOOT! We are excited! Eek, but I think I need to get some sleep now!

Watchin' the Aggies

I had to post this real quick - we are watching our first Aggie game of the season. Sad, our team is 3-0 but this is the first game to be televised. Hopefully they will all be on tv from this point on as we win more games! Both boys are excited (well, L is now asleep, but he WAS excited for the first 30 minutes! :) Even though J is still healing, he is doing SO much better today. See for yourself!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA! L is already a pro at the freshman wildcat.

Look at that beautiful smile! His eyes look a bit tired, and he is still having a little bit of pain, but the progress he has made in just the past 24 hours is AMAZING. As I type, he is watching the Ags, sipping some milk and he just sat down beside me and said, "Tell everyone I said hi!" :)

15 Month Old Lovebug

Today is L's 15 month bday. What a fun time we've had with this one! He is still keeping us on our toes - with his most favorite pastime now being climbing on the couch and standing on the edge in order to give mommy more gray hairs. ;)

Here is proof that this little guy can stand and balance on his own. He can stand up from sitting on the floor, have perfect balance, take 2-4 steps, but then he laughs and fall down. We're not quite sure why he just won't take off and walk, but it is kinda fun to watch him stand up, then fall down and laugh hysterically. He is clearly enjoying himself, so who are we to judge?

Doing his squats - it's about time he started trimming down those thighs!

Watching something intently...probably the mouse. As much as I love his beautiful curls, it is time for a haircut. My limit is when it starts to get in his eyes, and it is (it's pushed to the side in this pic, but trust me, some of it, though thin, is about down to his eyebrows). There are also times when the sides and back stick out so much that he looks like Doc from Back to the Future. Not quite the look I want for him!

Day 9 Post-Op

We're hanging in there, but our poor little man is having a tough time. I keep saying, "tonight's the night...no crying in his sleep, no waking up in pain." We haven't had that night yet, but I know it's just around the corner. J did perk up yesterday - he had two sets of special visitors and it really lifted his spirits. He is so tired of the pain...you can see it in his little face. Please keep praying that his healing speeds up and he can start eating again and getting his energy back (he is still living on mini-ice cream sandwiches, but only 2 to 4 of those a day at most is not much to sustain anyone.) When he "hit the wall" on Tuesday afternoon, he even stopped eating for a bit...we knew to expect it, but both daddy and I are so ready for him to feel better.

A couple of pics from the hospital - the little patient zooming through the surgery pre-op area right before getting his sedation. He loved all the "vehicles" the hospital had for him to ride on. Really helped take his mind off of what was about to happen.

Just after I put him in the wagon to leave the hospital. This was almost exactly 24 hours after his surgery. Even though he looks a bit sad here, he did think it was cool he was able to ride out of the hospital in style. ;)