So much to be thankful for

So it's been a while since I've had the chance to do an update! Time just seems to slip away from me and I am discovering that having only two week days free to do all my normal chores means no left-over time to do anything else! Work is going better now though. I have learned who most everyone is and where most everything is which makes things much easier since I'm not running around like a chicken with my head cut off wasting time trying to figure out where the extra wheelchair cushions are (hint: it's no-where near where the extra wheelchairs are kept!) or who I need to talk to about the fact that my patient just puked all over the place. So I'm settling in and figuring things out. I still feel like I have no clue what I'm doing half the time, but I reckon it will come with practice and as I learn by trial and error what works and what doesn't. It would be nice to have lots of time to do some continuing education, but I just don't. I do have a goal to schedule out when I am going to get my CEUs in though because it has to happen sometime! Maybe when we're on Christmas break I can figure it out!

Anyway, so life is busy, and our little man is just a very busy little man too! He pulls up to everything now and cruises along furniture, walls, people, etc. Haha. He also likes to climb on top of things and then yell for us to come help him because he has no clue how to get down except diving off head first- which he still tries occasionally! Thankfully other than a few bruises his crazy exploits haven't led to any more serious injuries. But yeah, this little guy just has so much energy! He loves to bounce and bang on things and wrestle away from us whenever we try to get him to hold still for a second so we can change his diaper or his clothes. He drives me a little crazy sometimes, (ok maybe a lot crazy!) but he is also sweet and forgiving and cuddly (as long as he sets the terms of the cuddles- namely that he gets to climb us and then blow raspberries on our neck or shoulders! haha). I love his curiosity and his determination- even though that means he very determinedly fights me if I'm trying to get him to do something he doesn't like. And I love how enthusiastic he is about food! We have started giving him lots of finger foods now and he shoves pretty much everything in his mouth with enthusiasm. We have to give him only a few pieces at a time or he will just keep stuffing his face and forget to chew!

Levi has also decided that he now hates bottles and will downright refuse to drink them! Which put us in a bit of trouble with the nanny for a while because he just wouldn't drink anything the whole time I was at work which made him grouchy and of course was distressing for the nanny. I was really stressed for a while about Levi getting dehydrated while I was gone and/or our nanny quitting on us for having to deal with such a stubborn and grouchy baby! But over Thanksgiving when we were with my family we started to teach Levi how to use a sippy cup and he has gotten pretty good at it now. So now the nanny doesn't even bother trying to offer him a bottle and instead he just gets water and apple juice in a sippy cup and eats solids while I'm gone and then nurses when I'm home. It works ok I think. It does mean he still wakes up at night to nurse to make up for the calories and hydration he missed during the day, but I don't really see a way around that for now. And I tend to do remarkably well with fragmented sleep thank goodness.

So yeah, about Thanksgiving. It was wonderful! We drove down to California Monday night and thankfully Levi slept almost the entire way. We got to spend the whole week just hanging out with my family and eating. :) We went and saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them which was pretty good and played a lot of games. Levi loved having a new house to explore and lots of people around to hold him and play with him. He had his first experience with stairs- in which he decided to explore them by crawling down head first! Thankfully grandma was right there with him to catch him. It is always so rejuvenating to be at home and away from my to-do lists and get to just relax and be with my family. Here's some pictures from the week we were there:

Levi loves to climb all over us!

 

Levi and Auntie Katie playing outside together

So usually Levi loves food but for some reason on Thanksgiving he had no interest in eating! It was like the one and only time that has ever happened! He did manage to smear yams and pumpkin all over himself though! I don't think this picture even does it justice. He even had it in his ears! I just took him and plopped him in the bath right after dinner. 

Levi loves playing grandma and grandpa's piano! 

 We got to stay in California all the way until Saturday night when we drove back again through the night. And thankfully Levi again slept pretty much the whole way which was great but meant that although Eric and I were exhausted on Sunday, Levi was well rested and ready to play! So Eric and I took turns taking naps and somehow we made it through. And then this past week has been life as usual! Levi's bottom two teeth broke through last week and they are adorable! He keeps reaching his fingers into his mouth to feel them! Haha. It was a rough couple of days at the start of last week when they were first coming in- he woke up like 5 times one night! But he's back to his normal happy self now and with two new pearly whites to show for it :)

I was looking through pictures that we've taken over the last month and pretty much all of them are Levi getting into something or climbing on something! I feel like that sums up life pretty well lately! So here they are, enjoy!

Levi and Arlo (the nanny's son) in the double stroller we got together so that she can take them on walks more easily. She says they like it and I think they look so cute together! Almost like twins although Arlo is actually 2 months older than Levi. I'm excited to see them grow together and really become friends. 

Levi likes to play with papers so when I bring in the mail I usually give him the junk mail to play with while I go through the rest of it. 

He climbs shelves

And over and through the kitchen chairs

The dishwasher is one of his favorite things to try to climb into. As soon as he hears us start to load or unload dishes he rushes over to try to get in on the action!

He also recently figured out how to open the wipes case and pull out all the wipes! He was soo proud of himself!

Levi loves to go shopping- so many new people to see! 

 

One of Levi's favorite places to play is at the bathtub. He loves to bang on it and play with the shower curtain. Soon he's going to figure out how to climb into the bathtub I don't doubt! 

When we pulled out the box of Christmas decorations yesterday so we could get all into the festive spirit, the first thing Levi did was climb on top of the box. I bet if we put this kid in front of a climbing wall he would be up it so fast! He's fearless.