P.S. Our new address is 651 N. Canyon Drive, Olathe, KS 66061. Yes, and that's Olathe. But you say it like "Oh-lay-the" with a "the" at the end not a "thee" at the end. :) So now I'll have two pronunciations to always correct. Gramkow with a long "o" sound, and now Olathe!
I'm back. Yes, back to blogging. Computer and office stuff unpacked, and sorted so no excuses now.
And for the update. ELLIE IS FIVE. How did this happen?
Ellie's Top 5:
I'm back. Yes, back to blogging. Computer and office stuff unpacked, and sorted so no excuses now.
And for the update. ELLIE IS FIVE. How did this happen?
Ellie's Top 5:
1. She's started Pre-K at a preschool at a church two days a week, and LOVES it. She'd go every day if she could. She is so excited about what she learns, and her favorite time is crafts. This is going to be so good for our Ellie. She's super shy at first, so I'm eager to see how she adapts socially. But our sweet Ellie has such a soft heart, like her mama. One day last week, I picked her up from school, and she was in tears because the girls on the playground wouldn't let her into the climby catepiller toy. They told her she couldn't because she wasn't their best friend. Seriously. This is starting already? So we've already had talks about being brave and letting friends know when our feelings are hurt. Wow. Hard parenting lessons for sure.
2. We are super blessed by our neighbors, the Robinsons, who moved in just a couple weeks before us. Turns out they are from Manhattan, and ALSO have a 4-year old Ellie, who I call by her real name now, Ellia, because it's just a tad confusing. Ellie LOVES playing with Ellia. Today in fact, they dressed up as Cinderella (Ellie) and the Fairy Godmother (Ellia in Tinkerbell's outfit) WHILE acting out the movie Cinderella II: Dreams Come True. Oh to be little again...
Conversation between Ellies today:
Ellie: Mom, Ellie is my best friend.
Ellia: Yeah, best friends forever.
Ellie: Yeah, we're BFFs.
(Seriously, she now says BFF? This girl has grown up to be 15 real fast!)
3. Opthalmology: Ellie has been turning her head now when she listens or watches TV. So that was a concern of mine, since she's still doing it even AFTER her tubes were put in her ears. Turns out (That woud be a Ben type pun there) that her eyes are fantastic, and so we're thinking it might be a habit that we now have to break. So Ellie can just follow up with a regular OD in a year! Wahoo! Beckett boy got his eyes checked too, and his eyes look GREAT following the strabismus surgery back in March. So we will recheck him in 60 months. As for Ellie's ears, we follow up with ENT Oct. 20. But at her well-child check, the tubes were still doing their job! So far Ellie has only really been sick with allergies. VERY thankful for this! Pediatric dental appointment also scheduled, to continue monitoring her missing enamel from her teeth due to prematurity. Beckett will get to go for the first time too...total second child syndrome there. Whoops.
2. We are super blessed by our neighbors, the Robinsons, who moved in just a couple weeks before us. Turns out they are from Manhattan, and ALSO have a 4-year old Ellie, who I call by her real name now, Ellia, because it's just a tad confusing. Ellie LOVES playing with Ellia. Today in fact, they dressed up as Cinderella (Ellie) and the Fairy Godmother (Ellia in Tinkerbell's outfit) WHILE acting out the movie Cinderella II: Dreams Come True. Oh to be little again...
Conversation between Ellies today:
Ellie: Mom, Ellie is my best friend.
Ellia: Yeah, best friends forever.
Ellie: Yeah, we're BFFs.
(Seriously, she now says BFF? This girl has grown up to be 15 real fast!)
3. Opthalmology: Ellie has been turning her head now when she listens or watches TV. So that was a concern of mine, since she's still doing it even AFTER her tubes were put in her ears. Turns out (That woud be a Ben type pun there) that her eyes are fantastic, and so we're thinking it might be a habit that we now have to break. So Ellie can just follow up with a regular OD in a year! Wahoo! Beckett boy got his eyes checked too, and his eyes look GREAT following the strabismus surgery back in March. So we will recheck him in 60 months. As for Ellie's ears, we follow up with ENT Oct. 20. But at her well-child check, the tubes were still doing their job! So far Ellie has only really been sick with allergies. VERY thankful for this! Pediatric dental appointment also scheduled, to continue monitoring her missing enamel from her teeth due to prematurity. Beckett will get to go for the first time too...total second child syndrome there. Whoops.
4. Ellie LOVES her new room, her new basement, her new yard. She loves the house and all the space to run. She loves the new scooter she got for her birthday. And I also scored a new bike for her last weekend at a garage sale for $2. I got a bike too for $20, so now she's excited for Girls Day bike rides. We're still far from this however because Ellie hasn't learned the art of balance. It will come. We have lots of awesome trails in our neighborhood. And once we get the dukes of hazard driveway fixed, it will be a lot better (that's getting fixed Friday!!) She also LOVES her new piano. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Gramkow. You really saved us. You see, my mom and dad got rid of MY awesome upright piano with out even consulting me first. I've played already quite a bit, and Ellie and I are going thru some books too. Yep, pretty sure she's going to play by ear just like I did. :)
5. Ellie's in Awana this year, but she's having a hard time adjusting because her Jonathan isn't there. She also will start gymnastics in October with her BFF, Ellia. They are just a TAD excited. Our neighborhood has 3 pools, so we got to take advantage of that the past month before it closed. Ellie really improved in her swimming. She can jump off the side and swim back to the steps no problem! That kick is getting stronger! We celebrated Ellie's Birthday this year at the Lake with the Gramkow family in Pretty Prairie. Ellie got super spoiled by Uncle David, and got to "drive" the boat and ride on the jetski! Still cannot believe she is 5!
Beckett's Top 5
1. Can't believe he is going to be TWO on Sept 23! That is NEXT MONDAY people! He is such a happy boy. And life is SO busy with him! So thankful for each and every step and climb he makes, but man, is he into everything!
2. Physical therapy is underway with Infant-Toddler Services of Johnson County, and am impressed with our PT! She's going to be coming once a month. Beckett's balance is still pretty off, but we're also thinking that he's just having to work hard to combat the large head and long torso he has going on. His feet turn inward slightly so we're watching that too. Our homework this week was to get him on lots of different textures/surfaces so he can practice! He's also mastered steps going down on his belly. He gets a little too brave sometimes and tries to use the railing which has resulted in some tumbling. :( We're also working on helping him correct core when he sits - so by placing toys up higher where he has to reach to come midline. Then also when he sits, we can trigger his back by also including speech "saying big and tall" to remind him to sit straight. He however laughs everytime thinking I'm tickling him. We honestly haven't gotten to work on my physical therapy though because the poor little guy has been sick!
3. Yes, that's right. SICK. Respiratory sick. Boo. Preemie lungs. Boo. We've been in the hospital twice since we moved in July. The first one we were visiting my sister in Minnesota, where his retractions were just getting too bad, and we had to go to the ER. His oxygen saturation was 87 when we got there, and we then earned an overnight stay in the hospital. Viral pneumonia. Translation: A cold that settled in Beckett's lungs. But so thankful we were at Mayo. Well, at least now we have a clinic number in case we ever need to revisit. It also made me smile when the ER admitting resident was a TCU alum, yes, he did flash the horned frog sign at me! :) Being in the hospital with this busy toddler was pretty exhausting for all of us. Hard when they're hooked up to all the wires they don't want on, and can't understand what's going on either. We unfortunately got to go back to the hospital for a little longer stay last weekend. This was our first time at Children's Mercy- South which is in Overland Park. He had to be on supplemental oxygen this time, which was such a bummer. But if it's what he needs to get over the hump, then we'll do it. However, getting a cold and then getting admitted to the hospital each time is not fun. Please pray as we navigate what is the best care plan for Beckett. With RAD or asthma it does take some time to figure out how best to manage it. Obviously, a simple cold, is a trigger for Beckett. And he's also showing us that he doesn't really have a "yellow" zone. He goes straight to the RED. So because of this, it's going to require more steroid medication, which I'm not too thrilled about. But obviously we have to weigh the benefits to the risks. And benefit #1: Breathing. Also pray too as this cold and flu season, I just have a feeling, is going to be brutal. Pray with us that Beckett's lungs can heal from these last two colds completely, before the next one hits. (which we just know in all reality, is unevitable)
4. Speaking of understanding, he actually IS getting more vocal. Beckett gets Speech Therpay once a week. He now is really starting to copy what we say. Beckett says mama, dada, el (for Ellie), no.no.no.no.no (usually in response to something Ellie trying to take away from him), and uh oh. Yesterday he said the word bib. And last week, he randomly in the car started saying Cock-a-doodle-do (well, the noise) when he saw a picture of a chicken. WAHOO! He is so precious when he talks. OH..AND I just have to share that he also understand the command "hug." It is SO cute. We'll say hug, and he comes running to you to give a hug. It's super sweet when he goes to Ellie. They both have their arms wide open when they are running toward each other.
5. Beckett is a full-time self feeder. He really wants to eat what everyone else is. He's still working on the pincher grip, but that will come. He loves shredded wheat and yogurt. His love for bananas is more of a like for bananas now. He's also showing some "normal" picky toddler eating behavior. Not too thrilled about pastas, but can sure put the meat down. He is growing well, and I'll be anxious to see what he weighs at his well-child check on his birthday. He also signs milk and water, along with eat, grapes, bananas. We're currently working on signing help, play and shoes.
1. Can't believe he is going to be TWO on Sept 23! That is NEXT MONDAY people! He is such a happy boy. And life is SO busy with him! So thankful for each and every step and climb he makes, but man, is he into everything!
2. Physical therapy is underway with Infant-Toddler Services of Johnson County, and am impressed with our PT! She's going to be coming once a month. Beckett's balance is still pretty off, but we're also thinking that he's just having to work hard to combat the large head and long torso he has going on. His feet turn inward slightly so we're watching that too. Our homework this week was to get him on lots of different textures/surfaces so he can practice! He's also mastered steps going down on his belly. He gets a little too brave sometimes and tries to use the railing which has resulted in some tumbling. :( We're also working on helping him correct core when he sits - so by placing toys up higher where he has to reach to come midline. Then also when he sits, we can trigger his back by also including speech "saying big and tall" to remind him to sit straight. He however laughs everytime thinking I'm tickling him. We honestly haven't gotten to work on my physical therapy though because the poor little guy has been sick!
3. Yes, that's right. SICK. Respiratory sick. Boo. Preemie lungs. Boo. We've been in the hospital twice since we moved in July. The first one we were visiting my sister in Minnesota, where his retractions were just getting too bad, and we had to go to the ER. His oxygen saturation was 87 when we got there, and we then earned an overnight stay in the hospital. Viral pneumonia. Translation: A cold that settled in Beckett's lungs. But so thankful we were at Mayo. Well, at least now we have a clinic number in case we ever need to revisit. It also made me smile when the ER admitting resident was a TCU alum, yes, he did flash the horned frog sign at me! :) Being in the hospital with this busy toddler was pretty exhausting for all of us. Hard when they're hooked up to all the wires they don't want on, and can't understand what's going on either. We unfortunately got to go back to the hospital for a little longer stay last weekend. This was our first time at Children's Mercy- South which is in Overland Park. He had to be on supplemental oxygen this time, which was such a bummer. But if it's what he needs to get over the hump, then we'll do it. However, getting a cold and then getting admitted to the hospital each time is not fun. Please pray as we navigate what is the best care plan for Beckett. With RAD or asthma it does take some time to figure out how best to manage it. Obviously, a simple cold, is a trigger for Beckett. And he's also showing us that he doesn't really have a "yellow" zone. He goes straight to the RED. So because of this, it's going to require more steroid medication, which I'm not too thrilled about. But obviously we have to weigh the benefits to the risks. And benefit #1: Breathing. Also pray too as this cold and flu season, I just have a feeling, is going to be brutal. Pray with us that Beckett's lungs can heal from these last two colds completely, before the next one hits. (which we just know in all reality, is unevitable)
4. Speaking of understanding, he actually IS getting more vocal. Beckett gets Speech Therpay once a week. He now is really starting to copy what we say. Beckett says mama, dada, el (for Ellie), no.no.no.no.no (usually in response to something Ellie trying to take away from him), and uh oh. Yesterday he said the word bib. And last week, he randomly in the car started saying Cock-a-doodle-do (well, the noise) when he saw a picture of a chicken. WAHOO! He is so precious when he talks. OH..AND I just have to share that he also understand the command "hug." It is SO cute. We'll say hug, and he comes running to you to give a hug. It's super sweet when he goes to Ellie. They both have their arms wide open when they are running toward each other.
5. Beckett is a full-time self feeder. He really wants to eat what everyone else is. He's still working on the pincher grip, but that will come. He loves shredded wheat and yogurt. His love for bananas is more of a like for bananas now. He's also showing some "normal" picky toddler eating behavior. Not too thrilled about pastas, but can sure put the meat down. He is growing well, and I'll be anxious to see what he weighs at his well-child check on his birthday. He also signs milk and water, along with eat, grapes, bananas. We're currently working on signing help, play and shoes.
Well, I was going to do a Ben and Mandy's Top 5 too...but that will have to wait until next time! Goodnight ya'll!
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