Froggy

Khaki and Q came for a quick visit. They took us to lunch and brought Levi a froggy costume. He jumped around and said, "Ribbit!" Too cute!!

Singing

Since Levi goes to school five days a week, he gets to go to music twice each week. He loves it. He likes showing me the music room when I pick him up, almost as much as he likes showing me the playground. Levi also loves to sing with me. His four favorites: "My God is SO Big!", "Don't build your house...", "Down in my heart", and "Take me out to the ballgame". I can start a line, and he'll finish it - except for the house song. He just likes to clap during it.

This past Wednesday, the church we've been attending had a "family gathering". Daddy had school, but Levi and I went with Audy. It was fun, and Levi got to hear some wonderful singing. The choir at the church released a CD on that same day. We didn't stay through the entire part of the gathering, but one song seemed to stick with Levi. We got into the car and decided to listen to the new CD. The very first song was the last song sung before we left - and the one that stuck with him. During the song, Levi started saying, "It's that guy!" or something to that effect - reminding us that the man singing on the CD was the very same man singing the very same song sung right before we left.

Now, every time we've been in the car together, he's wanted to hear "that guy sing". Today on our way to church was no exception. I turned it off when we got in the parking lot of the church, and asked if he wanted to hear more.



Overall, the most precious part to me, though, about him wanting to hear this song was that today I had it playing, and I saw movement in the backseat. Levi was raising his hands up and waving them like he was being moved by the Spirit! It was awesome! This evening, though, here's what he did.


Once I turned off the car, we headed to the church. He asked to go to "big church". He told me that he wanted to see the guitars and hear the singing. So, he came to big church for a few minutes to hear the music. He did so wonderfully - and he was so precious - clapping his little hands, watching all the people around us singing and praising our Lord.

Ouch Report

Monday, Levi received his first "Ouch Report" from school. He fell on the playground - apparently face first. The following day, Levi was playing on the playground under my watch after school. He fell again and injured practically the exact same spots on his face. I haven't taken a picture, and I'm not sure I will. I just hate seeing him scratched up at all, and on his face - well - it just doesn't seem fair to document. The scratches aren't horrible but are definitely obvious.

We took Saturday morning off from our normal activities (i.e. grocery shopping for me and Levi and studying for Daddy) to go to the Botanical Gardens. The purpose of the trip was to take pictures of Levi. We are now especially thankful that we didn't put it off a week!

I couldn't pick just one favorite, but here is Daddy's.

Airplane

Mama went on a business trip for two nights. Nana and Papa Hughes came to stay with Levi since both of the nights while I was away were late nights for Daddy at class. Levi had a great time with them. Thursday night, though, Kevin called while he was putting Levi to bed. He said that Levi wanted to talk to me. "Mama on airplane. Mama on airplane," Levi repeated to me at least three times. I told him that, yes, mama did ride on an airplane. I asked him if he was going to come to the airport to pick up mama. He said, "Yes!" - as in, "Hello? Who else would come to get you?" Well, Friday evening after a long afternoon in a couple of different airports, I cannot begin to describe how excited I was to see both my boys waiting for me at the end of the "concourse". Apparently, they had been waiting for a while (almost an hour!!), but Levi didn't seem to mind at all. At our local airport there is a bank of windows for those waiting to watch the runway, and he really enjoyed that. He was also pretty excited to see me. I got bunches of hugs and kisses!

It sure is good to be home!

Update and 26 Months

Daddy took Levi to the doctor last Friday for a check-up. The visit went very well. The doctor said that the pneumonia was gone but that he has an ear infection. He sure doesn't act like it, though. His cough still sounds pretty bad, but he is much more active and acting more like himself.

Today Levi turns 26 months old, and I have a few things I want to brag about.

Levi is getting very good at putting together the puzzles that he has here at home. Levi still talks up a storm, and he still loves fruit. Although Levi is not potty trained, he's making strides towards it. He's very willing to "tinkle" in the potty in the mornings when he wakes up and I'm at home. He has started the "do it myself", "by myself", or "I do it" phase. Levi has never been much of a climber, and when we moved him to his "big boy bed" he wouldn't even climb down. That changed last week. Now he enjoys telling us that he can "get down by myself."

Last week while Levi was so sick, we didn't let him play outside at all until the end of the week. He also didn't feel like being too active, but we found a good compromise - the Wii. He loves baseball, tennis, and golf on Wii Sports. He throws a mean screwball; he's got a pretty amazing serve at times; he can hit the 100 point marker on the golf target practice. He hasn't figured out how to roll the bowling ball, yet, which means "bowl" is code for "I'm tired; Mama's turn."

Yesterday, Levi jumped! Daddy says you can barely fit a credit card between his feet and the floor, but both feet definitely come off the ground.

Last night, I took Levi to the park that is very near our house. Levi loves the park. Last night was the first time that he took me to this big board that shows all the letters of the alphabet along with the sign for that letter. I cannot remember now which letter he showed me first, but we began to point to letters and would tell me - accurately - what word starts with that letter. For example, I pointed to the "W", and he said, "Whale;" I pointed to the "Z", and he said, "Zebra." He didn't say something for all the letters, but my favorite was the second letter I showed him, "L", to which he responded, "Levi!" (which sounds more like "Evi!").

His teachers even bragged on Levi today, saying how much more he interacted with the other children in the class than he had the last time he was there. His daily report said that he was "happy, helpful, friendly, cooperative, and chatty".

Labor Day

Levi started getting very sick today. All weekend, the cough seemed to be getting worse, but today he had a fever that ended up getting to about 104. I panicked.

We took Levi to a nearby hospital. We had an excellent doctor, who didn't even have to poke, prod, or x-ray Levi to determine that he has a "touch" of pneumonia. He was an absolute trooper throughout the entire experience. Although, he did not like the "brace" (i.e. bracelet) that he had to wear. He held out his wrist the whole time it was on his arm.


Once we were home, he was in much better spirits.

If I hadn't told you, could you look at that smile and even tell he was sick? He really is a little trooper.

Say a prayer for him that he recovers quickly.

Game Day

Daddy dressed Levi on this first football Thursday.

We had taken Levi to the doctor on Monday. She said it was probably a virus or maybe his allergies that had him under the weather over the weekend. Levi didn't go to school on Monday or Tuesday. He was in pretty good spirits the rest of the week, although a cough developed.

Sick Sunday

Levi was starting to feel under the weather on this Sunday before Audy's birthday. He ended up eating lunch, walking to the couch, and falling asleep before we knew it.

Here was the progression of the nap.

Come On!

Levi has done really well in church school this week. We get a paper every day with check marks indicating how he did that day, and there is usually a note of "Great Day!" or something like that on the paper, too. Today's note also said, "Very sweet boy!" Let's hope and pray that continues.

Yesterday after church school, Levi and I played outside - which seems to be becoming our habit. I finally got him to come inside - it's still very hot out there - and we played upstairs for a few minutes before he requested to watch some golf. We watched Phil's 2004 Masters win and then the 2010 Masters win. Then, Levi saw another video on the sidebar of YouTube that he requested to watch Phil's Backward Shot (you can use the link to watch it too).

This is Levi's rendition.

First Day

Today was Levi's first day of school. Yesterday was actually the first day for the rest of the school, but we hadn't been able to make it to the doctor to get another form filled out until yesterday. We were also able to find a nap mat while we were out for the doctor's visit, which is an essential item at his "school". This school again isn't really a school for his age group - it's a Mother's Day Out program, but we tell Levi it is school. He thinks he's like Daddy since they're both going to school.


Kevin got him ready this morning, and I asked him to take some pictures of Levi and of Levi with his backpack. The backpack is supplied by the school, so all the kids have the exact same ADULT-size backpack. It is convenient because there is so much room, but it is huge!

Kevin said it almost toppled Levi over - I had stuffed the nap mat inside. Without the nap mat, the lunchbox fits inside the backpack easily.


I got to pick him up today, and his teacher said he did great and that he is very sweet. Hopefully, that behavior will continue and that "terrible two" child, who we're starting to see on occasion, won't make an appearance. The note that was in his folder even said he took a "long nap" - not sure how long "long" is, but I was really afraid he wouldn't do well on a nap mat in a room with other kids. I guess he played so hard that the distractions just weren't enough.