Right on Red

This has been a pretty good week! It's been a bit rougher on me as the pregnancy goes on, reaches my due date, and then continues into month 10, but overall, I can't complain. I'm ready though! I think we all are. Anytime baby Keyes...!
Miles has gotten better as the week has gone on with going to bed at night. Thank you Miles! It seems it may have even passed, but I hope I'm not speaking too soon as Ahmad is finishing putting him down now. He really only got out of bed that one night and fussed the other nights, each night getting better and better. The last two nights, he's gone right now. You could tell on Friday though that he'd been up late all week-he was exhausted!

Miles has learned how to snap his pants and can work most zippers now. He's so proud of himself and of course we are too! He couldn't wait to show me and daddy how he could snap his pants last week. It was pretty funny; one day last week when I picked Miles up from daycare, he had the hiccups. They were really bugging him and he kept telling them to go away. Then he decided he needed to go home and brush his teeth in order for them to go away. He went on and on about this. Of course by the time we got home, they were gone and he forgot all about brushing his teeth.

It was raining a few days last week and one day when we got home, Miles decided to get his umbrella out and play for a bit. He had a good time, but it was so cold, we didn't play long!

Miles is into things that curve. He calls the curves "wiggles". Like in his train tracks, he doesn't like the wiggles because his train often falls over. He has a book with a curvy slide in it and he calls it the wiggle slide. He even comments on them when we're in the car. It's pretty cute. He's also into his pretend lion lately. Anything that goes on that maybe he shouldn't do (lock the doors, hit, eat poop (?!), etc) he says well, the lion can do it. I think it's his scapegoat! He doesn't actually do those things, but sometimes he will talk about them and how he doesn't do them, but a lion could. He also says a lion could be down the hallway and continues to like the light on most times when we are home.

Miles also spent some time practicing with his camera this weekend and was trying to capture a squirrel on the tree outside he'd been noticing all morning. He kept running up the tree with food, putting it in his nest (which we could actually see through the skylight, so that was neat), and running back down. Then he kept telling us to pose and say cheese!

On Saturday, Ahmad took Miles out to run some errands and have some time with him while I was "resting" at home. They went to a Gyro place for lunch and Miles picked up a free Auto and RV magazine and has been into it ever since. He came in the door "reading" it and Ahmad said he'd been looking at it the entire ride home. He picked it up Sunday morning and had me pretend to go to sleep next to him while he read his magazine. He instructed me not to touch it either! He was actually on a page that had an order form for something and he commented that he needed his money so he could order something! It was pretty funny. When I asked him what he was going to order, he replied "pizza. It's really good!". Then this morning, he was watching a show and eating some cereal while I got ready for work and he called out to me in the back "mommy, hey mommy, look look!" I wasn't sure what to expect, but he came back into our room and showed me a picture in that magazine of people camping and spent about a good 5 minutes talking to me about the photo (campfire, lights, people, etc). It was funny.

After school today, we stopped by Walmart for a few essentials and on the way home, I was stopped at a light ready to turn right. He was talking about the light turning green and all the cars that were going by and how we had to wait for them before we could go (a common conversation while in the car). Then it was clear and I could turn. He got pretty upset I didn't wait until the light turned green! All the sudden, I found myself trying to explain turning right on red to an almost 3 year old. It was pretty funny. He didn't understand, of course, and wanted me to go back and wait for the light to turn green. :)

As I mentioned, we are still waiting on baby. I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday and if I'm there for it, we'll talk about setting a date for a c-section. I'm not sure if that means the next day or just sometime soon. I hope it's not the next day because that's Miles' birthday! We'll see! Hopefully we won't get to that point though. There are a few things at work this week I wouldn't mind missing! Miles is pretty excited about his birthday and upcoming party, but keeps saying that baby has to come first. He's right, that's what I've been telling him for the last month, but maybe we'll be out of order? We asked him when baby was coming the other day and he told Ahmad it was coming Tuesday, which is tomorrow. But he keeps telling me baby is coming at his party. That would be some party!

It seems I may have spoken too early...while I was typing, I had to go back and say goodnight to Miles again and Ahmad is still back there...we'll see how long it goes on tonight!

That Makes Sense

We've had a great week! Nothing overly exciting, but just being able to spend time together has been really nice. We've been on a bit of a slow pace now just waiting around for baby and enjoying being a family of 3 while it lasts. One day last week when I picked up Miles from school, he started talking about when he went to the doctor with me and heard the baby's heartbeat a few weeks ago. It was really cute! He talked about what it sounded like and of course imitated the sound and then talked about how the machine had made a loud noise and he got scared and cried.

Thursday when I picked him up from school he was getting ready to touch my car, which was absolutely filthy from the weather we've been having. I told him not to touch because it was yucky. He replied by saying I needed a car wash. I had planned on trying to get him to go with me to the car wash, but he's not a big fan of them and will typically tell me he wants to go and then change his mind when we're pulling in. There's one right by school that we pass everyday, so he talks about them often, but still thinks they are scary. I told him he was right and asked if he wanted to go get one with me. He said yes, but that he wanted me to put my hand on his lap when we went. I said ok. As soon as we were in the car, he wanted my hand on his knee and he continued to hold my hand, very tightly until we were done. I was very proud of him, he was scared, and he said he was scared, and he fussed a bit, but he didn't change his mind. When we were done, he was saying how scary it was with the big brushes and he wanted to tell daddy all about it and how daddy would be so proud of him.

I had posted a while back about how Miles had to have his entourage with him when we left for school each morning. Well, we've been able to start the new year without them! After Miles' week at home with me over the holidays, I was going to start a new rule of only taking one animal with him to school because 1) it's a lot to carry in the morning and I often have to make several trips to the car and 2) there won't be room in the car for all those animals and blankets when we have the new baby. So, the first day to school after the break, I was prepared, but he did great! We didn't take any animals and only one blanket! He's been able to keep that up and doesn't even ask to bring them and has even commented that they will wait for him on his bed til he gets home. That's my big boy!

Miles got a new train set from Papa and Grandma for Christmas and his birthday and it arrived on Saturday. He had a great time with it all weekend and loves the bridge and railroad crossing. While Ahmad was helping him put it together, Ahmad said something about moving a piece to a different place and Miles replied "That makes sense daddy"! It was too funny. We have no idea where that came from. Then last night, he wanted a snack and I told him he should take a bath first and then get a snack and he said "Ok, that makes sense mommy". Ha!

Amber, Jeff, and Lauren came over Saturday night to spoil us for a while. Not only did we have wonderful company, but they brought us a complete dinner and a huge box of diapers for the baby. They are such wonderful and supportive friends and we are so thankful for them!

Last weekend, Miles volunteered to help Ahmad clean the bathroom....it didn't last too long, but it was a nice gesture!

Miles has now learned how to bowl on the Wii and it's too funny. He is so serious and does a great job! I think his scores are better than mine!

Miles was transitioned into a toddler bed this summer right after we found out I was pregnant, probably in June and then he went into his big brother bed (full size) I think sometime in September or early October. He never got out of bed and has continued to be a good sleeper for the most part. When he woke up after a nap or in the morning, he'd just call for us to come get him. Well, he has recently begun getting out of his bed when he wakes up. Not all the time, but I'd say probably 3-4 times in the last month he's wondered out after a nap or in the morning. The other morning, Ahmad heard his door hit the wall and we found him standing in our doorway while we were still in bed. It's been pretty cute and harmless thus far. However, last night, he realized that he could get out of bed before he even went to sleep! He went down as normal and then called for daddy and went to the potty. He wouldn't go back down and asked for me again. We bug-bugged and he kept telling me that he couldn't sleep by himself and he wanted to sleep with mommy and daddy. We talked about it and I wasn't sure where this was coming from because he's never slept with us before outside of a few hours here and there when he was very little. Well, he wouldn't go down. He kept getting up and coming into the hallway and laying down, saying he wanted to sleep in the hall on the floor. It was a battle-lay him in bed, he got up, lay him in bed, he got up. I even got out his sleeping bag and put it on his bed and told him he could sleep in it if he stayed in bed. He was fairly interested and agreed. But, it didn't last. He was up again, so the bag went back in his closet. Well, finally, after 2 hours (we had gotten him down a bit early to begin with and were excited about that!), he finally stayed in bed and fell asleep. Whew! We'll see how long this goes on. Hopefully he'll have it out of his system before the baby comes! He woke up talking about the experience and we discussed how he had to stay in bed, etc. He said ok, so we'll see how it goes tonight.

We are definitely on baby watch now! I'm due in 5 days and am having a lot of contractions. I had a full day of them yesterday and actually had a bit of a rough day; just feeling very pregnant, achy and sore. I was able to get some rest though and am feeling a bit better today. However, I have the day off and decided to send Miles to daycare anyway so I could rest some more. I won't have too many more days to do this before the baby comes! So, I'm relaxing and doing as little as possible and will pick up Miles early, after his nap.

Ahmad was beat boxing one day a while back, and of course Miles couldn't resist a good beat!

Miles-isms

Miles has so much to say these days! One of his latest sayings is "Mommy, you worry about you and I'll worry about Miles". It cracks me up! Seems that his teacher says this a lot...She also told me today that today he covered his hears and said "My ears are ringing!". We're not sure where that one came from. He still often thinks that something is down the hallway and says it scares him. We keep the hallway light on often now. Our neighbors moved over the weekend (booo!) and as I keep explaining to him that Evelyn is moving to a new house and we'll have to go in the car to visit her instead of knocking on the door, he says that she's getting a new house because hers is broken. He got this echo microphone in his stocking at Christmas and he calls it a "talking phone". I've been saying to him for a while "No Way Jose!" for various things when we're playing around. He's picked up on it and now says "No Way Whoo-Say!" It's pretty cute! As I said before, he's into noises and figuring out where they are coming from. He sometimes says "What's that noise? Oh, that was me!" haha! He continues to be so excited about the baby coming and I've been trying to talk to him more about what's really going to be happening. I told him I'd be going to the hospital and wouldn't see him for a few days. He keeps telling me, "no mommy, I go with you!". Then I talked to him about how sometimes the baby might need something and mommy or daddy might have to feed him/her, hold him/her, or something else. He says "no mommy, I hold him. We take turns!" Then he tells me I can't hold the baby, that he will take care of the baby all by himself.

We went to pick out Miles' birthday party supplies over the weekend and he had a blast! He was so excited to think about his party. We settled on a sports theme-basketball, football, baseball, and soccer. We're planning a small party for Miles, with only 3 other families coming. Hopefully everyone can come and the baby doesn't interrupt the party plans!

We also had a short visit from the Azars Sunday morning. It was great to see them and catch up for a little bit. Ramzi has gotten so big since we last saw him! Now we're just waiting on our baby to come! We're getting so close now, I can't believe it. I have most things wrapped up at work and everything seems to be ready here at home. I can tell it's getting close and have been having a lot of contractions, pelvic discomfort, and some pressure lately. I go back to the doctor on Thursday and hope to learn something!

Happy New Year!

Miles seems to have gotten so big in the last week. He is talking so much more and sharing real thoughts and remembering events from the past and increasing his vocabulary and saying things that surprise me. It's so amazing to see him grow into a little man. At the same time, I wonder where my baby is! The other day we were watching a show and they were at an amusement park. Miles commented that it was like the place we went to with Tofiq and George. He was right, but boy did he surprise us since that was a trip we took in June! Then this morning, he was commenting that the gorilla that used to be in front of the car lot back in the spring must have gone home. Now that his vocabulary is picking up, we are learning all kinds of things that he's kept in that little head of his!

He's also so into noises these days. He imitates all sorts of noises he hears and has begun using his imagination on what certain noises are. We came home from school today and he 'thought he heard something' and made me be quiet, asking what that noise was. He thought it was something in hallway and made me turn on the light. He's been into the hallway lately and usually wants the light on. He doesn't act scared, but says something is down there.

Miles is starting to get used to the idea of the baby coming and me being in the hospital and not being able to see him for a few days. At first, he didn't like that one bit and said, "I go with you. That's ok, I go with you mommy" whenever I brought it up. I talked to him about it again tonight and he said that was ok, he'd stay with daddy while I had his baby. :) When I asked if he'd help take care of the baby, he said yes and that he wanted to hold it all by himself. I was trying to explain to him that there might be times I couldn't play with him because the baby might need something or be crying. He said that was ok mommy, he'd hold the baby. Then he agreed to share the baby with me and daddy.

Miles has also been back into his trains lately. He's been building the train on the coffee table and playing with it everyday. He loves to make the train whistle noise and turns all his trucks into trains too. When I was off work last week, we went to the Children's Museum one morning and he had a great time. We went to the basement, which for some reason we'd never done before, and discovered a huge train display. There was a train running close to the ceiling and Miles had a blast following it from below and watching it come out of the tunnel. That's his other thing these days, tunnels. He loves to go in 'tunnels' and create tunnels. It was funny at the museum, he kept talking about the "underwear" and wanting to go on it. It took quite some time before I realized he was saying "elevator"! Glad I figured that out!
Also one day last week, I finally got Miles out in the snow and we enjoyed playing for quite some time. I took him around the front yard in his sled and he loved the "little streets" the sled left behind him. It snowed again today and Miles had fun helping daddy shovel the snow off the driveway with his little Miles sized snow shovel. I would've taken a photo of that, but it was cold and getting dark!

Our friends, Amber, Jeff and Lauren came over last week and helped us finish off our holiday leftovers. We enjoyed a nice evening together and Lauren really seemed to be getting used to Ahmad. Miles of course had a blast with Jeff, always being tossed around and lifted high in the air since he's much taller than daddy!

We enjoyed their company again on New Year's Eve and had a nice dinner at their house. Miles was insistent on dressing himself to go out and wanted to wear his jammies. He also picked out his shoes and hat to go with it. He was looking quite a mess, but those probably were the best shoes to go with it! He is such a shoe fanatic anymore and picks out his shoes everyday. When I ask him which ones he wants to wear, he looks his outfit over and then makes his choice. He's usually right and he makes a good decision, picking the shoes that best match his outfit. He's also begun being more picky with his clothes and which outfits he wears. It's really cute! After dinner at the Klein's, we went over the Mel and Steven's house for a little new year's celebration. We had a nice time and there were kids there for Miles to play with. We came home before ringing in the new year, but by the time we got Miles settled down and into bed, he might as well have stayed up til midnight! It was 11:45 before he was in bed, but he went straight to sleep. I ended up being the only one awake and had to wake up Ahmad for a new year's kiss.
It was also funny one day last week while I was off and had put Miles down for a nap. He was only down about an hour when I heard him coughing. I thought he'd call for me if was really awake as he hasn't gotten out of bed on his own but once. He kept coughing off and on and I finally went and stuck my head in the room. He had thrown all his animals and blankets off the bed and was sitting on the floor naked, with the exception of his socks. He was attempting to put everything back on when I caught him. It was pretty funny, but I wasn't sure what to make of it! The rest of the week, he tried pulling the same stunt, except he tried pulling it before his actual nap. He would go down to sleep, but it took some time. I was worried about him starting school back up when our break was over and how he'd do, but he's had a fantastic week and has enjoyed playing with his friends again. This morning however, he did wake up and say he didn't want to go to school. I thought that didn't start until like age 11 or something. He got over it quick and went just fine.

One other morning last week, Miles was playing with my belly and decided he wanted to show the baby it's room. So he pretended to take the baby back to it's room and show the baby all it's toys. He proceeded to test absolutely everything, even the teething rings, and make sure everything that took a battery had one in it and it worked. He then wanted to bug-bug in the rocking chair like we used to do and lay down in the crib for a 'nap'. It was pretty cute. He kept bringing the toys over to my belly to show the baby.

We had another visitor come on Saturday and spend the night. My good friend Bubba came on her way back to Iowa. We had a great evening going out to dinner, even if the restaurant wasn't that good, great conversation and a fun time. It was so nice to catch up with her; I don't see her nearly enough! Miles also really enjoyed the WV outfit he got for Christmas from her. He insisted on wearing it out to dinner, but since it was shorts and a t-shirt, we had to layer if over long pants and a long sleeve shirt.

We have a new neighbor...baby Mary has arrived! We went over to visit Sunday evening and had a nice time getting in one more visit before their move next week. :(

Now this week is quieter, nothing too exciting happening. Miles is back in school, Ahmad started his new job and I'm so tired now that I'm back at work! I had really gotten used to being home during the holidays! We're just waiting on baby Keyes #2 to arrive! I've only got 2 weeks til my due date-it's so close! I'm feeling good, but definitely more tired and tons more contractions. Just waiting to see what happens!