Home Sweet Home

October 23, 2009

Random Pictures

Dale is growing so big so fast. When I'm holding him and he stretches out his legs, his body spans from my shoulders to my hips! He's become a much happier baby recently, though he is only happy when held and is definitely high maintenance, and still doesn't sleep well! But at least he is happy and gives us lots of smiles and coos. A funny story goes with the picture below. When I lay Dale down on his back, he will turn his head to the side and take one hand and reach up and stroke the hair on the back of his head. He starts and the top and runs his fingers downward. I decided to take a few pictures, but right after I took this picture he started to scream. Not a gradual cry because he was bored, but a crying scream like he was hurting. I realized he had clenched his little fist and caught a handfull of his hair but couldn't figure out how to let it go. The poor kid was pulling his own hair but couldn't realize he was doing it to himself. I had to take his hand and pry his fingers apart to let his hair go. It was pretty funny.

Brighton started school on Wednesday at St. Simons Elementary. We were delayed a few days getting him started because the school district requires each new child to have an ear, eye & dental evaluation before they can start school. I brought Brighton's dental records from AZ but that wasn't good enough since it was done in AZ. We tried to get the eval. done on Tuesday but at 1pm (I didn't get there until 1pm because I went to the elementary, they sent me to central registration but central was out to lunch so we had to wait an hour for them to get back, only to have them tell me they couldn't do anything until I went to the Health Department to get the eval done) so anyway, at 1pm the Health Department had so many people waiting that they weren't doing anymore evals that day. They said to come back at 8am the following day (they don't take appts unless you want to schedule it a week out). I had just had a horrible night up with Dale and was feeling ready to start throwing punches at that point! Of course I didn't, but I did come back the following day at 11am, and was told to come back at 1pm (just the time I had arrived the previous day...) because that was when they would take walk-in appointments. I came back at 12:45, got a number, and then waited until 2:15 before they finally took Brighton back to do the evaluation. We didn't get out of there until 2:45pm. It functions pretty much like the DMV so you can imagine my irritation hauling two kids and a baby around and having to wait for so long. I'm pretty sure this process deters kids from getting in school, not helps them. After we finally got his eval I had to run back to central registration to get him registered before they closed so Brighton could start school the next day. What a relief to have that over with! They also offer FREE breakfast to every student each morning (the benefit to living in a low income/welfare area) so since Brighton's bus picks him up so early (6:57am!) I just wake him up, dress him, brush hair and teeth and send him out the door. The bus picks him up right in front of our house which is SO SO SO great.

Dale has a strong little neck and he already wants to stand in my lap. We have a bouncing toy that I've already started putting him in (though he prefers being held so he doesn't last long in it). He rolls over from tummy to back now (I don't think that's much since Adaira did it at 2 weeks, but I can't tell what Dale is capable of since he wants to be in my arms all his waking hours!)

Brighton just loves Dale. He's a good helper in the car when Dale cries (which is pretty much EVERY time we are in the car). He speaks to Dale in this sweet high voice and tells him he doesn't need to cry.