10 Weeks

Oliver has been a part of our family for 10 weeks. That's 70 days! Earlier this month the state of Minnesota officially recognized Oliver as a part of our family under his new name (certified re-adoption via the state's court system). His Minnesota birth certificate is (hopefully) on it's way to us now. While we still have some red tape to weed through, there is light at the end of the paperwork tunnel. Whew!

This week was a busy one for us. Oliver had three play dates, all of which went really well. He has been adding to his finger painting portfolio, got to play in the snow on the one day where the high was in the double digits (the "feels like" temp was still below zero, but Oliver has been itching to get outside), has been working on his jumping skills and has been interested in reading more than recent weeks. We also enrolled him in our district's preschool for next fall (2 days a week, 2.5 hours each day). We found out on Monday that the lottery drawing was Wednesday (thanks for the alert Becca!), so I didn't have as much time to research the program or visit the classrooms. However, the location is very close to his Grandma's house, where he will be spending the rest of the work day.  

Some of his new and/or favorite words this week include: bus, snow, Jack (a friend), puppy (Jack's puppy), Ian (his cousin), pocky (a type of cookie), Ms (m&ms), and of course Daddy.

As for me, staying at home with Oliver is beginning to feel a little easier; more manageable. I still don't feel like I have this parenting thing in hand -- will I ever? But it's nice to see both Oliver and I growing in our roles. He also introduced me to his play date friends as "Mommy" -- so cute!

Tomorrow is the beginning of March, the month I will be returning to work. I have mixed feelings about going back full time; likely most parents do, too. Shortly before leaving for our second trip to Korea I learned that my company will be closing in June, so I also have some big career decisions to make (what do I want to do when I grow up; do I want to work full time or part time; what kind of income do I need or can I make; etc.). Some of the decisions will need to be made or thoroughly considered in the next few days. For those of you who are the praying type, I could really use some guidance from above on this one.

Our Monday Morning

After a rather sleepless night (on my part) our Monday morning began with a good-bye to Daddy and a little couch time for Oliver. I made him oatmeal, which he refused flat out. He insisted on an Asian noodle bowl, and gobbled it right up (when I tried to redirect to a more traditional breakfast option he got really upset and aggressive; I relented as it's better than something like a pop tart). 

We eventually got ready to go, heading to Menards for dimmer switches. Then it was off for a Monday morning treat: "api" or coffee. A favorite of Oliver's! Here he is enjoying his coffee (aka hot chocolate) at Caribou. He was so well behaved and really enjoyed the treat!

When we got home he wanted to finger paint. At first he kept it on the paper, but eventually he got bored with the paper and decided to paint himself instead. He wanted me to take pictures so he could see himself; here's the progressive line up: 

Now he's relaxing a bit before lunch and (please please please) naptime and an afternoon play date.  Busy boy!!

The Eye Appointment That Never Happened

Wednesday morning Oliver and I headed to his eye doctor appointment. I dressed him in a cute outfit his Nana picked out for him over the weekend, along with a new pair if shoes found on clearance at Target. We were on time and ready to meet Dr. P. 

There were other kids in the waiting room so Oliver joined them in playing while I sat my mega mommy bag on a chair. Just as I began to sit down myself, Oliver ran toward the chair next me (can you see where this is going yet?). He then tripped over his new shoes, falling mouth-first onto the edge of the chair. Once the bleeding eased I could see that there was a large, deep gash inside his lower lip. Long story short, the staff were a huge help and kindly rescheduled our appointment. We headed home and have been hanging out since. 

Yesterday he was in pain and it was a little swollen. He let us brush (most) of his teeth and he rinsed with saltwater. Today it is very swollen and seems to be bothering him a lot. No looking at it, brushing teeth, rinsing, etc. Poor guy. I really hope this heals as quickly as everyone says a mouth injury will heal. Here's a photo from today:

So we are laying low, eating ice cream and whatever else wants, and watching more TV than usual. And those unflexible clearance shoes? In the trash. 

Life is Full of Disappointments

Today at Costco Oliver saw something on a high shelf he just had to have: 

Instead he got this book: 

Here's my favorite page: 

He was pretty upset to have to leave the corvette. Yes, I'm a terrible mother, at least in his eyes (case in point: I didn't put him in the car cart at Lowes. He let me know how unhappy he was for the full 15 minutes we were shopping). Life can be so disappointing!