Just a Few Rocco Tidbits

This post is more for my memory than anything else. This is a good place for me to remember the little things that happen along the way as the boys grow up.

Rocco has his Delta Gamma vision therapy 2x a month. During his appt. this week, his therapist, Lindsay, got such a kick out of him. He was dancing so much for her. She said it looks like he's going to dance before he walks! She always comments on how strong he is and she said it again this week. She said he's the strongest baby she's ever worked with. She had this round dome light from the dollar store that gets turned on an off by pressing down on the dome. She commented on how he analyzes things until he figures them out. In order to figure out how to manipulate the light, he pressed it against his chest until it came on. Then he knew he just had to press down on it with his hand to get it on and off. She said she doesn't have too many kids that can get this particular light on and off.

He's so close to walking but not quite there yet. He practically gallops along the side of the couch and will take a step of two as he lunges out for me to catch him. I'm excited to give him his firetruck toy for Christmas that he can walk behind to help him walk even more.

He's still constantly moving his head from side to side (kind of like the "Night of the Roxbury" skit from Saturday Night Live) anytime he hears music. And each time a new song comes on, he starts the head bopping all over again. I have a video that I will try to post soon!

Happy Holidays,
Dawn

True Life: I'm an Albino

Nathan got an email from NOAH (National Organization of Albinism and Hypo-Pigmentation) informing us that the popular MTV show, "True Life", will be featuring an episode on Albinism. It is called True Life: I'm an Albino and will air on Dec. 20th. I believe it will be on at 9:00 pm CST (10:00 pm Eastern time). I think it is being re-run on Dec. 21st at 11:30 pm CST and Dec. 23rd at 11 pm CST. From what I understand, the show will follow two teens/young adults during the 2010 NOAH conference that was held over the summer in Washington, DC. I'm very eager to see how they are portrayed and what they have to say. I think this show usually focuses on the struggles that people endure due to their condition and/or circumstance. I'm hoping it will have some kind of positive side to it also. Anyway, I thought I'd mention it in case anyway is interested in watching it. We already have our DVR set to record it.

Thanks,
Dawn

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving - I'm thankful for my healthy and loving family. I am thankful for having Rocco this Thanksgiving. I was so worried about his Albinism when he was born but as time has gone on, I realize he will be OK. He's got such a big personality and he's doing so great developmentally. He's doing everything on time or early and excelling in so many ways. He is a happy baby boy and such a character. And I am thankful that he has an awesome older brother to look out for him. Graham is soooo good with him and they have a lot of fun together. Graham is good at playing with him and calming him down when he gets upset. He even helps feed him sometimes. I am also thankful for my loving and hard working husband. He is a tremendous father and the boys have a strong man to look up to and learn from. He is also a good hubby and takes care of all of us. Anyway, now that I'm done being mushy mom, here are some pictures from Thanksgiving:

Rocco on Thanksgiving morning

Graham on Thanksgiving morning

Graham and Tyson (at Josh's house for our Thanksgiving breakfast) playing Guitar Hero

Me, Rocco and Tiffany at Thanksgiving breakfast

Josh getting a haircut from my mom on Thanksgiving

Gail and Ray getting dinner ready (Adelyn too!)

Aubrey and Bryan

Bethany

Jessica and Rachel looking at Black Friday ads

The after-math of dinner

Nathan

Chantel

Family Picture

Rocco after he spilled a pitcher of tea on his pants

Elaina, Adelyn, Graham and Clayton

Fall/Halloween 2010

I love fall. The weather is usually good (it was a little warmer than usual this year) and there are a lot of fun activities to do. A couple weekends ago, we made our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch. This year we went to Thies Farm for the first time. It was actually hot and the bright sun was too much for Rocco's eyes. In addition, he had a cold and it was during his nap time. So most of my time was spent sitting on a hay bale under a tarp with him napping on me. But we did get a few pictures of him with the pumpkins and the rest of the Meyer grandchildren. And when I looked at the pictures, I couldn't believe how much less like a kid and how much more like a teenager Graham is beginning to look.

Nathan said they look like brothers on the cover of a rap album or something. Graham has attitude and Rocco has a cockeyed hat like a gangsta! :)

Someone did not want to held in the family picture!

What a montley crew!

Rocco loved feeling the pumpkins!

Naptime!

Here are some pictures of Rocco in his skeleton pj's:








Last week we took the boys to Boo at the Zoo. We went on a weeknight so it wouldn't be so crowded (it was easier on Rocco's eyes too and not so hot). It was the first time we went and a fun time. We even ran into our friends, the Bakers, while we were there. (BTW, Rocco is a chunker compared to their son, Matthew, who was born a few days after Rocco! Matthew is in the 10th percentile and Rocco is in the 95th percentile!)

Graham isn't a big Halloween fan so he didn't want to dress up for this event.

The night before Halloween, Nathan and I went to a Halloween party at our friends, Amanda and Jason's, house. It's always a good time with a DJ and most people dressed up in costumes. I didn't want to spend any money on our costumes so I just donned some devil ears and a tail and Nathan went as Allan from the movie, The Hangover.







On Halloween, we went over to my in-laws' house. They had games for the grandkids to play, Halloween-themed food and desserts and goodies for the kids. We went trick or treating at a few houses also. Afterwards, we went over to our friends', Jim and Chrissy's, house and went Trick or Treating with a bunch of our friends and their kids. It was a good time and Rocco hung in there like a champ!

The kiddos wrapped as mummies

They had to eat a marshmallow without using their hands

Gail handing out drinks from her smoking cauldron.

Trick or Treating

Most of the kids at Jim and Chrissy's house

I can't believe it's Nov. now and I'm looking forward to the holidays! If anyone has any suggestions on what to get an 11 year (almost 12 year old), let me know! :)

-Dawn

I lasted 9 months but feel like a quitter

While I was pregnant, Nathan and I discussed using cloth diapers. I agreed to try it out and see how it goes. We picked a diaper service to use because I had no intention of washing the dirty diapers myself - I barely have time to do our normal laundry and I did not want poo floating around my washing machine. It was an adjustment and took some getting used to but we consistently used cloth diapers for the first 9 months of Rocco's life. (We would use diposable if we went out of town so we didn't have to carry around dirty diapers.)

As of this week, we've made the decision to switch to disposable diapers. Rather, I should say that I made the decision to switch. After a few nasty poos where I had to dip the cloth diaper in the toilet to get rid of the poo while Rocco was at my feet and trying to pull up on the toilet and then I had to get the soaking wet diaper back to his room to put in the diaper pail, I declared that I am through with cloth diapers. In addition, they were making it hard for him to fit into some daytime and bedtime clothes because he's so long as it is and then he need extra lenght to fit over the diaper and diaper cover. I felt like this 9 month old child should not be needing 18 month old clothes already! The bulky butt contributed to that a lot.

Some of the cons of switching: Disposable diapers will cost us a little bit more each month. Disposable diapers wick away the moisture so Rocco can't tell when he's wet and therefore may be a little more difficult to potty train. Dispoable diapers are not good for the environment and may cause Rocco to get diaper rash - something he's never really had up to this point. Disposable diapers are not what Nathan wants to use and his comments plus my own guilt about the whole thing sucks!

But I've made this decision and I'm going to stick with it for now. We can always go back to cloth diapers, right? It has made diaper changes a little bit easier already so we'll see. . .

-Dawn

The Magic House

A couple of weeks ago my work hosted the employees for a night at the Magic House. I haven't been there since I was a kid and we were looking forward to taking the boys. It was a fun night. Here are some pictures from the night. (Graham was very busy playing and exploring that we didn't get as many of him as I would have liked.)

Rocco's hair stood up alot but it's hard to see in this picture!

Graham's hair - not so much!

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

First Cardinal game. The sun was too much for his eyes -even with the hat & sunglasses!

Rocco and Aunt Kathy

Me and Rocco - 9/2010

I can almost get this glass vase!

What? I'm not doing anything!

Our new shower!

The old shower

Get me out of here, stat!

When is the food comin'?

Extreme close-up!

I am too cute for words!

The Meyer cousins (Allison is missing though)

Family Portrait

You talkin' to me?

NOT happy!

Hope you enjoyed!