Progress

Most of the transitions in your life (learning to fall asleep, transitioning to the toddler bed, then your big bed, even the arrival of your sister) have gone better than I expected.

I can't say that about saying goodbye to Buddy.

It's getting much better at night, nothing was as bad as that first night. That first night was horrid. You had one other really bad night where you fell asleep okay, but then woke up around 1 am and couldn't get back to sleep.

Daytime naps have been really rough. You've skipped a few in the past week, and we all get to suffer for that one. But, it is getting better, and I expect that it will continue to get better. We hear Buddy's name less and less, and once we remind you we don't have Buddy anymore, you get over it pretty quickly.

Car rides and stroller rides are better than I expected, and as soon as you can let yourself fall asleep during the day, we should be back to 'normal'.

I almost think that is pretty sad too... I miss Buddy a little too. But, not as much as you, of course!

Goodbye Buddy

It's for real this time. I gathered up all of our buddies (there were only 4 left, and one still had it's nose sewn down -so I was doing laundry EVERY SINGLE DAY so we'd have a clean one when you went down for your nap and for bed) and put them in a sack. I meant to send them home with my mom, so Justin and I don't have the option of giving in, but I forgot.

My mom and I took Hyrum to Build-a-Bear and he picked out a monkey, George. I've been telling him for a couple of days that we wouldn't have Buddy around anymore. He seemed okay about it. I've left Buddy home a couple of times when we went somewhere, and he did okay. He had Buddy for his nap today, and now we just put him to bed.

It's not going well. He really loves his Buddy. But, we've been sick three times right on top of each other. And he has a constant rash on his face from being wet in this weather. It's just time. I keep telling myself that, but it's not quite drowning out the screaming coming from his bedroom.

This is going to be a long couple of days.

Trains (and another bump)

You had a great weekend. Friday you and dad went to Disney on Ice. I think you were MOST excited for the ride down there.

You and dad rode on on Trax (the train) downtown, which, according to dad, you just absolutely loved. You enjoyed seeing the characters you knew and eating the popcorn. I guess you got a little bored of it after intermission, but you managed to hang in there.

It was dad's Drill weekend and a Sunday that we'd have been up there for dinner regularly, so we spent the weekend at the Hardcastles. Dad and I decided to go out on

Saturday, so Grandma and Grandpa watched you and Kate. You were a little more energetic than usual (if that was even possible) so Grandpa decided to take you on a little trip. You guys rode the Frontrunner train for a couple of hours. I don't think he intended it to be quite so long, but it was. You came home worn out (and a little hungry).

Now for the bump.

I suppose this one could be considered partly my fault. I was talking to my friend Kathy earlier today and you were jumping around the fireplace. I said something like "Please stop jumping. It's my birthday, I don't want to take you in for stitches." I should have found some wood to knock on.

Tonight (after dad left to teach) you were jumping off the ottoman and fell backwards onto the heater vent. I didn't think too much of it, and was holding you while you calmed down. A couple of minutes later I looked and you had blood in your hair in the back. I took a look, and it didn't look good to me.

I called a friend who is a Medical Assistant and was the one who helped out when you hit your head at girls camp. She was on her way home from work and said she'd stop by. TJ said it looked like it would close on it's own, and probably didn't need stitches. She suggested to put peroxide on it and get some liquid band aid (her exact words were "Send out your hubby for some liquid band aid").

So I took 2 screaming kids (Kate has been more ornery than usual today) to Walgreens. You refused to sit in the shopping cart, so I was trying to carry you on one side and the car seat on the other, with Kate screaming at the top of her lungs. I looked pretty pathetic, I'm sure.

After a bath and some peroxide I tried to put the liquid band aid on it. I have to admit that I'm not convinced I made the right decision, the cut is kind of deep. I hope that if we keep it clean and keep reapplying (and you can only imagine how much you enjoyed that) you should be okay.

Jungle Jim's Playland

Last night we went to Jungle Jim's Playland. Hyrum went once a little over a year ago for a friends birthday party, but he was too little to go on most of the rides.

This time, he really loved it. And so did Justin... except for the going around in circles part.

He was loving the bumper cars -until he crashed into the wall, and then another car crashed into him, so that was cut a little short.

His favorite ride was the jeeps. They are lined up in a row and on tracks -so

they were pretty much a train for him.

To Infinity... and a crash

Here's two short video's for your viewing pleasure.

This one is my dad throwing "Little Buzz" up the stairs.

To Infinity and Beyond from Melanie Lafeen on Vimeo.

And this one is from playing at Jungle Jim's last night. You were just LOVING driving your own car that I started getting video of it. Which is when it kind of went downhill for you.

Crash! from Melanie Lafeen on Vimeo.