Chandler Fun Time

Wow, My Head is Full

2010-02-01T14:34:00.006-06:00

So I've been thinking a lot lately. A lot about contentment and where I, as a wife, mother and person, and we, as a family, are in life. (Thanks, mostly, to the sermon series at church right now.) And sakes alive is my head overflowing with thoughts and ideas and hopes and dreams and...wow!

To begin, I realized this week that one year from now, we will be registering Milo for kindergarten. (Um, seriously, how is this possible?!?!) And for a while now, Aaron and I have thought we'd move into the Lindbergh school district (which neighbors ours currently in Affton). But getting our house ready to sell, actually selling it, finding a house in our price range, buying it and moving all within one year? A year in which Aaron's getting his business off the ground and we're working toward me working less? Yikes.

Then, as I was looking at registration for Lindbergh, I noticed this. $3500/year for full day kindergarten at Lindbergh. Which, really, is half of what we're paying for Milo's preschool right now. But still. Paying for public school kindergarten? Really?

So this led me to look at Affton again. Where full day kindergarten is offered at no cost. Which led me to question why I was anti-Affton in the first place. I'd always heard that their schools are great in the younger grades, but not so great in the older. But as I'm talking to more and more people, I'm finding that's not necessarily the case. And, even more, Affton is a fraction the size of Lindbergh; a place where everyone knows everyone, which is extremely important to me and somewhat important to Aaron. (I think, although maybe I'm just making that up about Aaron just to make myself feel better.)

Then let's circle around again to the question of housing. Without question, our house as-is is simply not feasible for our family. The basement is unfinished and the 2 bedrooms we have are upstairs, so there's no room -- except in the office, dining room, living room, kitchen, and part of the basement -- for the explosion that is the boys' toys.

BUT if we stayed in Affton, we wouldn't necessarily need to move within the year. Or, really, we may not need to move at all. Our house has about the lowest value on our block, as we're the only one that doesn't have an addition. Could we get a home improvement loan more easily than a new home loan? Could we finish the basement and/or add to the back of the house and not over-value our home? Quite possibly. But there's a LOT to look into and consider before we make any sort of move whatsoever.

I can tell you, though, that I am feeling much more at peace today with the thought of Affton rather than Lindbergh. And that tells me we're on the right track.

Speaking of on the right track, I'm really excited about a conversation with our friend, Nick. There are potentially some big things on the horizon for me and my career, as well as for our family. Hate to be cryptic, but that's all I'm spilling for now.

If you're of a praying mind, please keep us in them. We'd love prayer for guidance in all of these decisions and provision, as well as for the courage and conviction to make some changes with our lives and finances. I am ashamed to admit how our finances and the condition of our home do so little to honor God, and we've both agreed to change this. Now we've got to get to gettin' (c) Niecy Nash & Clean House. :) (And please feel free to keep both Aaron and I accountable for these things! Thinking of making an effort to be more transparent on this blog so you'll have better tools to do so...)

Updates

2010-01-25T12:23:00.003-06:00

So....where does one begin updating when one hasn't updated in too long a time? By month? By person? Eeek!

Let's go by person. Oldest to youngest. Sound fair? Good. Here we go:

AARON

One word to sum up Aaron Chandler these days? Busy. Very, very busy. He's playing a ton, working a ton, taking care of us a ton, and then still makes time to watch football. (Go Saints!) :) Just before Thanksgiving, there was chaos at the music store (I think I'm putting that mildly enough). I won't give you the dirty details, but Aaron is now commission-only and is expanding his own business from home, ACME Trombones. Website is being developed now, and we'll be sure to share just as soon as it's ready to be looked at! And if you have a trombone that you love, please send it to Aaron -- I don't really know what voodoo he does to them, but trombone enthusiasts sure do love it!

ERICA

One word for me? Busy. (Ha!) I'm still working, although have (finally) arranged for my hours to be reduced to 36 per week. Know that doesn't sound like a lot, but it does allow me to stay at home in the mornings until the boys leave; whereas before, I was leaving before they were even up a lot of the times. Still looking for some way to go part time, while still having insurance and, you know, paying the bills, but, for now, am as happy as I can be.

MILO

One word for Milo Guy? Hmmmm. How about big? That boy is growing up -- as he is very quick to remind us -- every day! Getting so darn big and tall and smart. He really is very funny and has a great sense of humor! He can count to 10 on his fingers, knows how to recognize and write his name (even if it is backwards sometimes), loves to sing songs by his Daddy's band (favorites are "Palm Court Strut" and "When I die (nice, right?)...you better second line"), has had a blast at soccer class, asks to go back to the beach at least 5 times a week, loves his "family" (which, btw, does not include Aaron, Hank and I -- it is his aunts and uncles and cousins), and is really, REALLY looking forward to swim class in a few weeks. He also loves preschool, and is really flourishing there.

HANK

One word for Hankers: Busy. That boy does NOT stop moving! He's walking -- and almost running -- everywhere, climbing, screaming, talking, kissing, splashing. Boy! To have just 1/10 of his energy would be great! At his one year check-up last week, he was just shy of 25 lbs (75%) and 30" (50%). He has close to 15 words (at his age he should have 2), and loves to engage whoever's near in peekaboo or mimicking noises. In the fall, the poor little guy had 5 ear infections in 7 weeks. It was miserable for all of us! But he got tubes in early October, and has been perfection since. And he had his second round of MRI and developmental testing for the autism study at Wash U that we're participating in this past week. He was the first baby ever to lock himself in the office. True story. And I didn't even panic! ;)

So, that's us for now. And I'm going to work on uploading photos from all the fun we've missed sharing: playing in the leaves, Milo's 4th birthday, Christmas, Hank's 1st birthday. Where, oh where, does time go?!

Love to all!

Ummm...Hello? Anybody There?

2010-01-25T12:11:00.002-06:00

*insert embarrassed smirk here*

Can someone tell me? Has it REALLY been half a year since I've updated? Why didn't someone snap me out of it? ;)

At any rate, we're still here! The Big Boy is 4; the Baby Boy is 1, and we're all still standing. Let me gather my thoughts, and maybe edit some photos to add. Then I'll do a proper Welcome Back post. :)

Sleepless Nights

2009-08-31T13:25:00.004-06:00

NEVER DID GET PICTURES UP, BUT THOUGHT I'D GO AHEAD AND POST!

*Yawn* That's what you hear around the Chandler home these days. A lot. For 2+ weeks, Hank has not been sleeping. Our good sleeper, the one -- from birth -- you could lay down and would go to sleep all on his own, has been waking 3 and 4 and 5 and 6+ times a night. And, Lord, I am weary.

Rewind a couple of weeks, Hank started at the new sitter (she whipped him right into a schedule, btw) and was kind of fussy in the evenings and wasn't sleeping great. We thought it was just adjusting to the change. Then that Friday, Milo woke from his nap crying and saying his ear hurt. Put 2 + 2 together, and got both boys to the pediatrician that afternoon. Sure enough, BOTH of them had ear infections in their right ear.

Both got prescriptions for amoxicillin -- Milo bounced right back; Hank not so much. By Day 3 of amoxicillin and Hank getting worse, he got a new prescription for omnicef and both boys got an adjustment at our friend's, the chiropractor's, office. Fast foward one week, and here we are still not sleeping.

But Hank went back to the pediatrician today. No more infection, but the doc thinks he probably still has fluid in his ears that's causing pressure and pain when he lays down. So Benedryl and Motrin it is (which, btw, we've been doing -- and he's been waking up anyway!!!). Also, the doc thinks Hank's teeth are bothering him. He hasn't cut any yet, but they could still be an issue.

Oh, and Baby Boy is still husky. ;) 24 lbs, 9 oz. And the Big Boy is now 39" and 37 lbs. Getting bigger, these boys.

Anyway, let's talk fun. Two weekends ago (the weekend of the ear infection discovery), we all trekked out to St. Charles for Festival of the Little Hills, a huge craft and food event. Great fun was had by all (especially as evidenced by Hank), and we even got a little Christmas shopping accomplished.

And this past weekend, we had our first-ever yard sale. We're calling it a success -- made enough to buy our family a Wii (I was overruled -- I thought we should be practical and buy a new mattress for Milo's bed. But whatever.), and sent the rest to Goodwill. Not that this was actually *fun*, but it was a good thing to rid our house of all the useless junk....ahem, *priceless treasures*...that we didn't need to hang on to.

Gramme, Milo, Hank and I did have fun yesterday, though, as we headed to Grant's Farm after church. (Which Milo keeps calling "Transform" as in "Transformers".) ;) We rode the train, a carousel, watched part of 2 shows, fed baby goats and geese and swans and llamas, and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Some pictures for proof:

Milo-isms: The Animal Edition

2009-08-25T07:42:00.002-06:00

- Mama? You see this boo boo? This one here on my leg?
-Yes, Milo. How'd you get that boo boo?
- From a rhino.
- A rhino? Where on earth did you see a rhino?
- Yeah, a bunch of little rhinos came and stepped on my leg.
- Really? Where were you?
- The zoo.
- The zoo? You went to the zoo without me?
- Yeah, the zoo, but you weren't with me. I was at the zoo and a bunch of little rhinos stepped on my leg. That's how I got that boo boo.

Driving by Grant's Farm yesterday afternoon:
- Milo, look! There are some deer and some elk.
- Yeah! Deer and elk!...........But where's the tiger?
- A tiger? They don't have a tiger at Grant's Farm -- he'd eat all the deer and elk. Tigers eat other animals.
- NOOOOOO! Tigers don't eat other animals! They eat pancakes........LOOK, MAMA! THERE'S THE TIGER!
- Really? You saw a tiger in Grant's Farm?
- Yeah! He was down that hill. He's gonna come to our house and eat pancakes.

We had breakfast for dinner last night, and as Aaron was cooking pancakes, Milo came in the kitchen. But know there was no more tiger talk since our earlier conversation -- a converstion that Aaron wasn't privy to. ;)
- Daddy? What time is the tiger coming to our house?
- Tiger? What tiger, Milo?
- The tiger at Grant's Farm. He's coming over for pancakes.

Gotta love emerging imaginations! :)

Oh my! Where has the time gone?!

2009-08-05T08:21:00.031-06:00

Oh my word! I can't believe it's been so long since we've posted! Let's see. Where have we been?
First up: Arkansas over the 4th of July

We spent a fabulous long weekend with the French Family at the Farm. Thanks to Auntie April and Uncle Adam for housing us, and to Aunties Brenda and Debi and Uncle Brad for feeding and entertaining us! (We missed you, Jackie! <3) align="center">

Plus we managed to get a photo that serves as Hank's 5 month portrait:

And, on the way home, Hank *almost* got to enjoy his first trip to Lamberts. However, with over an hour wait, we decided to skip it. But as a consolation, we ate Lamberts rolls in the car. Look closely -- Hank liked it! :)

Next: Pensacola Beach

Milo, Hank, Gramme and I hit the road in the middle of July and drove(!!!) to meet some of the Frenches at Pensacola Beach, FL. But we made it. Had to stop every couple of hours, and split the 12 hour trip into 2 days there and back, but it was ok. And while we were there, it was fabulous!

Here are some highlights:

Sunrise from the Boardwalk
Sunset view from our deck
The 2009 French Family Beachbums

And we're counting this one as Hank's 6 month portrait. :)

For a complete set, you can click here (you don't need a Facebook account to view them).

What else?

Let's start with Baby Boy.

Hank is getting up on his hands and knees and rocking, even moving backwards. Every once in a while, he makes a bit of forward progress, but I'm betting just any day now, we'll have a crawler. He had his 6 month check-up last week, and is now 23lbs, 13.5oz (still over 95%), 28.5" (90%, and he was 50% up until now), and I can't remember his head circumference, but it remained at 90%. So, yeah. He's still big. ;)

Oh, and he's big enough to not use the baby tub anymore. A pic of Hank & Milo sharing their first bath:

Speaking of big, let's talk about the Big Boy.

Milo is fully and completely potty trained (well, except night, but I'm not concerned about that), and even standing up to pee. Good times. Actually, I'm not complaining at.all. It's been a loooooong time coming! He's still loving preschool, and has two friends, Cody and Andrew. Well, I actually think he has more friends than that, but those are the only two kids that he knows their names. ;)

Aaron's band, Funky Butt Brass Band, is going great guns. They released their first CD, Cut the Body Loose, and opened for a reknowned New Orleans musician, Dr. John & Lower 911, here in St. Louis last night. If you'd like a CD, they are $15, and you can just let us know -- we'll get it to you. Or you can download here: http://www.digstation.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?albumID=ALB000033134

As for me, well, here I am. Really having a hard time getting my head back into *life*. And really, really yearning for more time with the boys. If you're of a praying mind, I would appreciate prayers for a door (or window!) to open that would allow me to work part time. Of course, this would mean we'd have to find insurance on our own, so it is kind of a big prayer. ;) But, really, we're all pretty good right now.

And what's coming up? Let's see. We're going (and taking the boys) to TWO Cardinals games next week. And we're really looking forward to Aunties Jackie and Iris, and Uncle Ken, and Ryan and Kendra coming in town for a visit next weekend! Also, Milo starts the Fall session of preschool -- thankfully he's in the same class and has the same teacher, so there won't be too much transition. And Hank begins at the new sitter soon, too.

What's new with all of you?

We're Rolling!

2009-06-24T10:31:00.009-06:00

Erica's Note -- this was *supposed* to be posted on Wed, June 24, but I didn't get time to do it. So I'm leaving what I had written and updating since we've come so far in such a short time!

Well, Hank is anyway. Last Friday, he officially rolled from his back to his tummy. Although he'd been SO close for a long, long time, he finally made it all the way over. And I (somehow) caught it on film:

And Hank is now rolling both ways, and even *almost* making it up on his knees when on his belly. That kid is on the move!

Hank's also well established on jar foods -- we've made it through all the veggies and fruits. But I think he's going to be on table food well before Milo was. This boy covets "real" food and will stare you down as you eat in front of him. I mean enough that I actually feel guilty sometimes. And now he won't let you feed him -- he has to have the spoon. He'll give it up for just long enough that you can get more food on it, but he wants it right back. Since this post, Baby Boy has gotten to eat two biscuits (gummed them to pieces!) and two Biter Biscuits. Think I'll be skipping Stage 3 food for him and going right to diced meats and veggies. But not for a few weeks anyway.

As for Milo, I am beyond thrilled to report that he is now peeing on the potty!! It has been SUCH a long time coming, I can't stand it. He'll even stay dry during the night and then ask to get up and sit on the potty first thing in the morning. Whew. Now, poop on the other hand, that's a different story. But let's focus on the positive for now. Even more exciting -- there's been poop on the potty, people!! Milo's been in big boy underwear full-time for 3 days now. Woohoo!!!

Milo's also discovered Scooby Doo, and really loving those hour-long movies from the early '70s where they have a different guest star each time. His favorite right now is Jerry Reed and the haunted music hall. (Can you guess who's influence that is?)

And Milo is still loving preschool! We are so glad! In fact, I hear almost every day, "No, Mama! Go! Don't come in here!" But I'd rather have it that way than him not wanting to go at all, right?

That's about it from here. Aaron and I are having a bit of sticker shock, as the Fox is no longer paying for family insurance coverage after July 1. Thankfully they are subsidizing those of us that already had family coverage for this next year, but as of July 1, 2010, we're on our own. Not that we can't still buy through the Fox; it's just $434.22 per paycheck(!!), which is twice a month, for all of us. $868.44 a month. $10,421.28 a year. Which doesn't take into account any increase next year, at a minimum of 16%. But let's not borrow problems until we get there, right?

French Family -- we are SO looking forward to seeing you guys next (this) weekend!! And Tubb Family -- hope you're getting to enjoy some time with Frank & Jeanie this (last) week!

Love to all!

Now...where were we?

2009-06-15T20:08:00.027-06:00

Oy! It's been awhile. Longer than I anticipated anyway. So, here we go. Here's the high (and low) lights of the lives of the Chandlers:

Preschool

Milo's started preschool at Lindbergh Early Childhood -- and he's loved it from the very first day! The teachers laugh because it's rare for him to stop and say goodbye to Aaron when he drops Milo off in the mornings. And there have been several days when Milo spotted me coming to pick him up, just for him to point and say, "No, Mama! Go!" But we'll take it. Would much prefer this way than him not wanting to be there.

His teachers are Miss Andrea and Miss Katie, and they are as sweet as can be. And extremely open and communicative, which we really appreciate. So far, they've had a visit to the (in-school) library, the Zoo brought some animals and stories by today, and there's a helicopter visit scheduled for Thursday. On top of that, each Wednesday is Water Play, so they were swimsuits and water shoes and play in sprinklers outside. And Thursday is Show & Share day, so they bring something from home to show and share (heh.) with the class. Last week Milo said he wanted to bring a present. And after some quick thinking, I dug out some new stickers, wrapped them up, and then had him share with his friends after he opened it. Whew.

Zoo
We are now proud members of the St. Louis Zoo with several free parking and train/carousel passes. So, we made a trip a couple weeks ago on a Friday evening, and had a great time!

Cardinals Game(s)

We also took both boys to a Cardinals game on Memorial Day -- Milo's (well, and Hank's) first time to sit in actual seats (as opposed to someone's suite -- rough life, I know). Anyway, Milo has become infatuated with Fredbird...until Fredbird gets too close. Then Milo runs for his life. ;)

So I should have known better than to bring him with me when I had to go down on the field for work, right? Yeah...check out the pure terror on this kid's face -- and Fredbird was no where to be found at that point. But I am happy to say that we both survived and had a great evening after that.

Funky Butt Brass Band

Milo & Hank enjoyed seeing their daddy play at Blues City Deli, and then the other night outdoors in Kirkwood (sorry, no pictures of that). Really, though, if you're in the area and Funky Butt is playing, go! They are so much fun!

Dora the Explorer

This past weekend we took Milo to meet Dora & Diego (from Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go respectively). And, unlike Fredbird, Milo did great with them! Just ran right up to them and gave them hugs and high fives. Might've helped that Mama was escorting them to the meet and greet at Nordstrom, and that she was helping them get ready beforehand and making sure their backpacks were packed. ;) The next morning he and I, along with our friend Sommar and her son Luke, saw Dora live at the Fox.

Hank

So, as I'm typing, I'm realizing why no update lately -- we've been too busy!! And a lot going on with Milo Boy. But, Hankers is holding his own. He's now 22 lbs, 4 oz (or was last week -- who knows how big he is now!). And he's found his toes, and is thisclose to rolling over. Pretty much everything but his head is over, and then he'll turn the other way and go back on his back. Most importantly (to me, anyway) is that he FINALLY slept through the night last night!! Hurrah!! All the way from 8pm-ish until I had to get him up at 6:45am so I could feed him before I went to work (although I did feed him around 10:30pm before I went to bed -- he just didn't really wake up).

Also, a(nother) big decision has been made regarding childcare. As of mid-August, we'll be leaving our long-time sitter, Miss Chris. It wasn't an easy decision. However, she's a minimum of 20 minutes in the opposite direction of where Aaron or I need to go for Milo's school. On top of that, we'd been praying for a solution, and we found one in another friend from church. She lives maybe 2 minutes from our house, and 8 minutes from school -- all in the same direction we need to be heading. She is a wonderful lady with a very nice husband and two extremely sweet boys (7 and 5). We're excited, although it's bittersweet leaving the comfort of Chris's home.

And now, I've gotta get off of here and get to bed. Love to all, and really hope to hear from you soon!

Hank's Four Month Portraits

2009-06-15T16:57:00.007-06:00

More Milo-isms

2009-05-26T10:17:00.002-06:00

- Mama, that guy slow like Missmas (read: He's slower than Christmas. Think Milo may have heard that somewhere once or twice.) ;)

- (to one of Aaron's bandmates who was juggling) You're a clown! You're silly!

- (brandishing a balloon sword made by said bandmate) En garde! (Who knew he knew that?!)

- I like blue because blue is my favorite.
Why is blue your favorite, Milo?
'Cause....it is......'Cause blue is my favorite 'cause it makes me happy.

- Little bitty spider up the water mumble
Down came the rain mumble mumble
Up came the sun mumble mumble
Little bitty spider!!!

- Last but not least, and certainly what we hear most these days: WHY?????

Life's a Picnic

2009-05-15T12:37:00.020-06:00

I must say, this week has been an improvement over the past couple for the Chandlers. Updates all around:

Hank has another ear infection -- this time on the right side. However, between a new script for Omnicef and a visit to Auntie Dr. Chickie (aka, our good friend Christine Dunsworth Nix of Dunsworth Specific Chiropractic) who gave him a little adjustment, he's vastly improved since Wednesday. Hank has also been enjoying the good old exersaucer, or as we call it in our house, The Sphere of Neglect. And I believe the replacement motor for his swing should be here today. See? A good week all around. ;)

I also just enrolled Hank as a control subject in an autism study through Washington University. They're looking for two groups: people with an older child diagnosed as autistic with an infant under 12 months (not us), and people with a normally developing older child and an infant under 6 months (us).

At 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months, Hank will go in for developmental testing (2 hours at 6 months; 3 hours at 12 months; 2 days at 24 months), and also receive an MRI while sleeping. There is no medication, sedation, radiation, etc. And should they find any abnormal results, they will immediately refer us to the correct specialist. Aaron and I both feel like it's a very good cause, and if we might make even the tiniest advancement in the understanding of the cause and development of autism, it'll be worth it. Hank's first MRI and developmental testing is scheduled for July 9-11.

Finally, we've started Baby Hank on food! First, rice cereal, of course, which he likes. Then oatmeal, which he hates and spits out every time. And now sweet potatos -- they're a hit!

Milo had his preschool picnic on Thursday, and rode a horse! Well, a pony. But still, this is a HUGE step for a little boy scared of most things furry. And he rode on a donkey-drawn carriage.

See? It's totally a donkey, although the kids were calling it the "little horsey". (The other two kids in the picture are the sitter's boy, Alec, and the other girl she watches, Samantha.)

He and I also had a date night last night -- we went to a preview of the Disney/Pixar movie Up. I thought it was just OK, but Milo seemed to enjoy it. He says he likes the "little guy" (aka, Russell, the little boy) and I like the "big guy" (aka, Carl, the old man). Really, I thought Doug the Dog was the funniest. But whatever.

Not sure we ever announced our final decision on preschool. We have enrolled Milo in Lindbergh's Early Childhood Education program. He'll be attending 4 full days each week beginning June 2. It came down to realizing that we want more for him than he's currently getting. And since he has to be somewhere during the day, he might as well be educated by degreed professionals while being allowed the leeway to have fun, too. We're really excited!

What else? Oh! We just broke down and bought the boys a wooden playset for the backyard. I'm sure Aaron has many hours of enjoyment to look forward to as he puts it together. Ha.

And I'll leave you with a funny Milo story. Tuesday night we enjoyed a meal at the Old Spaghetti Factory with my parents. Just outside the doors, they have horse-drawn carriages lined up for rides around The Landing. Milo was DYING to go on a carriage ride. That's all he talked about the entire meal. And we were trying to discourage him, as we knew it was expensive ($25 for 2 people). I finally told Milo we just didn't have enough money to ride. And here's how it went from there:
Mama, you don't has monies? No?
Daddy, do you has monies? No?
Gramme, do you has monies? No?
--pause--
Papa, I know you has monies. Where your monies is, Papa?

Smart kid. However, Papa was saved when Milo got too scared as we got closer to the horses. They were just too, too big. Although now that he finally rode that pony, we may be in real trouble...

Bring It.

2009-05-08T14:12:00.003-06:00

OK, seriously. Life has thrown it all at us this week. But we're still standing. Bruised and battered, maybe, but standing nonetheless. You hear that, Life? Haven't taken us down yet!

Here's a rundown:
1 - The preschool debate raged on. But we made a decision. We've enrolled Milo in the Lindbergh Early Childhood program 4 days a week: http://pages.lindberghschools.ws/education/school/school.php?sectiondetailid=85 We should get his orientation letter next week, and then he begins on June 2.

2 - Baby Hank's sleep has been crap. But took him BACK to the pediatrician Monday afternoon. Verdict: ear infection. Antibiotics started. (He hates it.)

3 - Sitter's boy gets a fever Wednesday morning. Pick up our boys and take them back home. This is after I was *just* at her house to drop off bottles. Sent milk for Hank, but no bottles.

4 - Milo gets a fever Thursday afternoon. 103 until Motrin kicks in each time.

5 - Aaron hurts his toe. Has to go to a podiatrist Thursday afternoon. In the meantime, hobbling around.

6 - Aaron's mom had to be taken from the nursing home to the ER to get a boil lanced on her back.

7 - Hank STILL getting up average of 2x each night. Usually around 3am and 5am, which KILLS when I have to be up for the day by 5:45am at the latest.

8 - Especially when checking on Milo at 4am in between there, who then wakes up at 5:20am crying. :(

9 - Milo's fever gone, but he's complaining that his mouth and head hurt.

10 - Get Milo into the pediatrician (a fete in itself, as their office is switching to an electronic system so only have half the appointments they normally do). Quick swab for strep negative. Could still be that, or Hand, Foot & Mouth, or a viral throat infection. Antibiotics started just in case.

I think that's it. I'm just waiting for Baby Hank to get whatever it is that Milo has. And who knows what else is coming? But whatever. Bring it on.

The Country Music Connection

2009-05-04T15:17:00.007-06:00

We Chandlers are weary. Tired and weary. But, keep on keeping on, right?

Poor Baby Hank has his first ear infection. :( Started amoxicillan and Tylenol last night, so he slept a bit more. But getting up 3 and 4 times a night is just draining. Poor kiddo.

Anyway, last week we started Baby Hank on cereal. A few days shy of 4 months, but we figure he's the size of at least a 6 month old (OK, that's generous. Really a 12 month old+.). He likes it OK. Not great, but OK.

And our sitter also figured out how to get Hank to take a good nap in the afternoons. Milo has always gone to sleep with a classical music CD playing. Even as an infant, if he was fussy in the car and we blasted a classical music station, he'd quiet down. Not Hank. No, classical didn't work. Not even normal AC radio. Nope, Hank likes country.

I told Aaron this was his doing -- he's the one that wanted to name the boy after Hank Williams, Jr, after all. ;)

Decisions, Decisions

2009-04-30T09:14:00.004-06:00

This week has been eventful for the Chandlers -- especially the youngest. Poor Hankers has gotten progressively more congested again. And (sorry for tmi) with runnier and more explosive poos. Even more, he's had tiny bits of blood in his poo again.

So, Monday I took him back to the pediatrician. Pause here to wonder at his fatness. This baby is now 15 weeks and 21 pounds, 1/2 ounce. Yes, I said 21 POUNDS. Back to business. Due to the blood and his congestion, the doctor and I both suspected another food sensitivity or allergy (I'm still off dairy) and/or that Hank was reacting to the cats at the sitter's house. So, he suggested we take Hank to see an allergist, but warned us that this is prime season for allergies, so it would be a while before we could get in.

On the way home, I called three allergists that our doc had suggested. The first didn't answer. The second said there were 5 people in the phone cue ahead of me; could I call back tomorrow. And the last...well, they had a cancellation and could get us in Tuesday (the next day!!!) at 3:30pm. Miraculous!

To the allergist we went, and although skeptical of a food allergy because Hank has no skin issues (like eczema) that typically go along with it, he tested Hank for reactions to milk, soy, wheat, egg, peanut, and cat. Not that Hank or I eat cat, but that was a bonus test just to make sure it wasn't an environmental reaction. ;) And the result? Negative. Totally negative to all of it.

So, while certainly a praise that the Baby Boy has no allergies right now (not that they couldn't develop down the line), we still don't really have an answer. The next step would be to take him to a pediatric GI -- not a pleasant trip by any means, as it would either involve drinking something for upper GI or a barium enema for lower GI. Yikes.

So, on the recommendation of our pediatrician, we're waiting to see what happens and if it will improve on its own. In the meantime, though, they suggested we go ahead and call GI to make an appointment, as it normally takes a couple of months to get in. I called yesterday, and guess when they could get Hank in? Yup. Today. (I swear, this child is luckier with appointments than I don't know what!) However, I passed on that one and got the next available -- July 27.

And, although I hate to admit it, my mom just may be right. She'd done some research online and found this site -- which, for the record, I have looked at umpteen times, but not paid much attention to: http://www.llli.org/FAQ/oversupply.html Of the 13 symptoms listed, Hank fits the bill on at least 7 of them. Not to mention that babies tend to gain weight very quickly with this issue (21 pounds, anyone?). The best part? The "cure" is mostly just to nurse only on one side (instead of both) at a feeding. I swear, if I've given up cheese for 9 weeks for nothing....but we'll see.

As for Milo, he's good. We're struggling with preschool decisions for next year. Our choices are to leave him at the preschool he's in now (2 half-days each week), or to go to a neighboring school district's Early Childhood Education program (up to 4 full days each week). The latter is, of course, more expensive, but we're wondering if he'd actually benefit from more structure. But he will only be 3-1/2, so we have 2 more years of preschool before Kindergarten. Do we keep with Preschool-Lite, or do we dive in to Early Childhood Ed? Any educators or childhood experts out there have any advice?

Ker-POW!

2009-04-26T19:39:00.007-06:00

Boy, Milo has had one banner weekend. It started when Gramme took he and Milo (HANK, this should be Hank. sigh.) to the library Friday morning, and discovered that Milo's new "favorites" were going to be there that same afternoon....Super Heroes. Yes, a real live Spiderman, Bat Man, and Wonder Woman.

Although he wasn't quite sure what to think when they first got there, Milo warmed up quickly (as you can see below). And the rest of the weekend was filled with "Pow! Pow-POW! I shoot you with my web!" And "Spiderman. Spiderman. Do whatever a spider can." (remember that song?)

And today, Milo and I went to Thomas & Friends LIVE! Even then, though, his love of trains was superceded by Super Heroes when he had to wear his new Spiderman shirt. And then used the Thomas flashlight he got to "pow" the cars around us as we drove home. Oy.

I haven't had time to download the Thomas photos, but will soon. Have a great week, and enjoy the pics of Milo Man. :)

Milo or Hank? Hank or Milo?

2009-04-24T21:06:00.002-06:00

Holy guacamole -- it just hit me how much these boys are looking alike! Both are the boys' first Cardinals games -- one is Hank at 3 months, one is Milo at 7 months. Can you tell which is which?

Go Cards!

2009-04-23T13:14:00.012-06:00

Yesterday was a momentous occasion. Not only the Chandler family's innaugural Cardinal game of the season, but also Baby Hank's very first game. Mark it on your calendar, folks! ;)

A good time was had by all -- including Gramme and Papa, who came with us -- courtesy of one of the local TV stations and their fabulous suite. Milo even seems to have conquered his fear of large stuffed mascots. Or, at least his fear of Fredbird (aka, "Fwedbird"). I have a feeling we'll wind up at that Build-A-Bear Fredbird shop they have at the stadium before the season is through. Although now that I say that, maybe we can finally ditch the paci habit by putting them in a stuffed Fredbird...or we'll just end up with a decapitated Fredbird when Milo frantically digs for the paci back. But I digress.

One hopeful thing -- Milo asked to go on the potty at the stadium, and the bathroom in the suite was occupied. But that boy stood there patiently and calmly, then waltzed right in and peed. Woohoo!!!! I know. I shouldn't be nearly that excited about bodily functions. But I am.

Gramme seems to have survived her week with the Chandler boys (our sitter was on vacation this past week). And Aaron is on his way to Jazzfest in New Orleans. (Lucky.)

I think that's about it from us. Go Cards!

Milo-isms Round 3

2009-04-21T07:46:00.000-06:00

- Mama, can you sing that song at me? "He's Down On His Hands"? (meaning "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands")

- In a gas station parking lot -- Aaron was holding onto Milo's hood instead of his hand: Daddy, get your hand offa me! (Hmmmm...maybe this one shouldn't be funny.)

- I Mama's butt (meaning "buddy")

- Milo wasn't listening, so Aaron picked him up and put him on the couch to get dressed:
Milo -- You hurt me.
Aaron -- No I didn't, Milo. I just picked you up and set you down.
Milo -- Yeah...I gonna tell Mama 'bout this.

Hank's Three Month Portraits

2009-04-20T19:23:00.006-06:00

With special appearance by big brother Milo. Kind of an effort in futility, but there are a couple cute ones of the both of them. But I am partial. :)

Easter and Everything

2009-04-13T07:51:00.027-06:00

Happy Belated Easter to all! But the good news in me posting after the fact is that I have photos of all our Easter fun!

My favorites? The dreaded baby bunny outfit. Aaron absolutely HATES that I do this (as, I'm sure, both boys will also someday), but I can't help it. It's just so darn cute! Here's Hank's turn:

And, for good measure, here was Milo's turn. Notice how much looser it was on him -- and he was a full month older than Hank when this was taken:

Milo LOVED Easter this year! He had a great time at our church's egg hunt, and we hid eggs probably a good 8-10 times for him yesterday so he could keep finding them. The Bunny brought him a fireman raincoat and boots, as well as assorted candy and books. And Hankers got this big penguin that he can kick and bat around and some books, too.

To balance the sugary goodness of the Easter Bunny and eggs and the commercial meaning of the Easter holiday, Aaron and I have been attempting to talk about Jesus and the Ressurection with Milo. (I know he's also been hearing about it at preschool and Sunday School, too.) So one night last week, I was laying with Milo at bedtime and we were talking about his day. I asked if they talked about Jesus at preschool (it's a church-run school), and he said yes. I asked if they talked about how Jesus kung-fu'd the big rock and got out (this is how Aaron puts it). He said yes. And then all the "But, why"s began. Oy. Have you ever tried to explain the Easter Story to a 3 year old? It's quite difficult. And in our case, ended with me saying that Jesus had a daddy just like Milo had a daddy, and Jesus's daddy was God. To which Milo replies: "Yeah!" (And I start to pat myself on the back.) And then: "Daddy just like Jesus!" Close enough.

What else? Oh! We all survived my first week back to work. I feel a bit like I'm burning the candle at both ends, but hopefully it'll get better. (Even though I know it'll probably get worse first THEN better.) And both boys have colds, but nothing major. We had Hank's 3 month portraits done on Saturday, this time with both he and Milo for the first time. Kind of an effort in futility, but I'll post them once I have them.

In the meantime, here are a couple bonus shots of Hankers. In the first, notice, if you will, that the poor baby no longer has knees. Only fat rolls where his knees should be. And we won't talk about how he's getting double rolls on his cankles (you know, where the calf meets the feet but where ankles should be). :) But, he's a happy boy, so that's all that matters!

And for the French family, a funny Milo story. Jeanie watches both boys now on Fridays, and this past one, Hank had the hiccups. So, she says, "Hey Milo, poor Hank has the hiccups." Now, if you know anything about my mom, it's that she has this great Bootheel accent. So, Milo responds disdainfully, "No, Gramme. He doesn't got HEE-cups. He got HIH-cups." Awesome. She got schooled on pronunciation by a 3 year old. ;)

Love to all!

Month Three Update

2009-04-06T13:28:00.012-06:00

Well, here we are. We have survived my first full day back at work with both boys at the sitter. And I am more than elated to report that Baby Hank is NOT his brother. I only made it about half of my first day back before having to go feed Milo because he refused to take a bottle. Not so with Hankers. This is a cakewalk compared to that!

What else? Hank is babbling and cooing and gooing, and loves to play Pattycake. Milo has actually asked us to go on the potty 4 or 5 times now -- and gone. (Don't get me wrong -- he's nowhere NEAR ready for big boy underwear, but this is progress.) And Aaron and I are just trying to get a routine going in the mornings since Aaron takes them to the sitter while I go to work early.

I'd forgotten just how much I did NOT miss my old Frenemy (aka, The Pump). However, we're friendly right now and Hank will have plenty to eat for a while anyway. ;) My crazy coworkers decorated my office and posted these signs everywhere:

This is what happens when you work with creative theater-types.

Poor Aaron is looking at getting his wisdom teeth removed in the next couple of weeks. But it's a good time, as he (shockingly) has very few gigs this month. Although it just so happens that one he does have is on Easter. At 4pm. Right when we *should* be eating dinner with family. But whatever. I'm not bitter. (Much.)

I'll quit rambling. But we really appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we transition to a family of two working parents again. And, even more, if you could pray for a shortened work schedule for me by this summer (it's *hopefully* in the works).

And I'll leave you with some favorite recent pictures of all:

First Zoo Trip of the Year:

Hank's Dedication at Church:

Milo-isms Part 2 & Update

2009-03-28T08:34:00.000-06:00

Last night Aaron and Milo attended Dad's Night at preschool. They had a great time -- Milo even petted a hedgehog (and by "pet", I mean touched for half a second). Milo also made a project just for Aaron -- picture is above, but here's what it says:

My Daddy is Aaron.

We go to grocery store. We go see animals.

We play.

Daddy cooks chips and cheese.

He likes to eat carrots.

(TV) We watch Monster Trucks.

Daddy fix stuff. He has a big

saw. He fix the house -

on the roof - in the windows.

I like Daddy to read

'Elmo's Ducky Day.'

Love, Milo

Now THAT is pretty darn silly.

As for Baby Hank, he had his 10 week check-up on Wednesday. And is less than 3% away from being the fattest child on earth. Seriously. He now weighs 18 lbs, 13 oz, which is well over the growth chart. And Aaron and I will be scrambling soon to get MORE carseats, as Milo is still in the one that Hank will need.

Beyond that, Hank is looking good. He's much improved since I've been off dairy. Let the countdown begin, though: 3.5 months until I can try dairy again. First up? Hmmm. Chicken nachos probably. But I digress. Hank is gooing and cooing away. He's holding his head very steady and even bearing weight on his legs. That's actually one of his favorite things, standing up. It makes him laugh. Of course he's wobbly, but that's Milo's favorite part -- he calls it the Baby Hank Dance.

Anyway, Gramme is about to take Milo to see his first movie -- Monsters vs Aliens -- this morning. We'll see how long he lasts. [Erica's edit: I didn't get this posted in time. Milo did AWESOME at the movie and LOVED it. In fact, he's been back a second time to see it, and says that it's his "favorite".] And I'm going in to work part time next week, then full time the week after. Ah, transitions.

Love to all!

Hank's Two Month Portraits

2009-03-27T08:34:00.010-06:00

Milo-isms

2009-03-23T08:45:00.006-06:00

Milo, in all his 3 year old wisdom, has come up with some pretty funny stuff recently. Here are a few of my favorites:

- Mama! You have toes. You have a big toe, a little toe, a little toe, a little toe, and a little, teeny, tiny toe.

- (at bedtime): Can you sing me a song? What song, Milo? Twinkle Star? No. Bon Jovi. "Bad Medicine".

- (overheard from another room): Hank, why are you crying? It's OK. Come on, Baby Hank. You don't need to cry. I'm right here.

- (from church yesterday -- when asked what he was thankful for): Mine guitar.

- (also from church yesterday -- they were learning about the Last Supper and asking each preschooler what Jesus and his desciples ate): Jesus ate ketchup.

The Potty & The Park

2009-03-16T14:43:00.034-06:00

Oh, give me strength. The Potty Training adventure (nightmare?) has resumed. The Diaper Fairy visited the Chandler home last Thursday evening and took all of Milo's diapers, which he was actually OK with. And we did have success all weekend.......but only if Milo was naked from the waist down. Which he was when we were home. The only accidents he had was when he had a pull-up or real underwear on.

He's on spring break from preschool this week, so the sitter decided she'd work with her son and Milo. However, Milo can't just run around naked at her house, so she's facing a huge challenge. He'll just go in his pants and doesn't have a care in the world about it. I'm just not sure how to bridge that gap between knowing what it feels like to have to go (which he obviously does when he's naked) and actually stopping and finding a potty when he's clothed. Gah. I hate it all!

On to Hank. He is 9 weeks old today, and just as fat and happy as ever. Actually, he's probably much happier than he used to be since I've been dairy-free. He's certainly not perfect, but he's not crying as much and not having such obvious pain. So that's a good thing. He began laughing out loud last week, and drumroll please............slept through the night last night!!!!!! All the way from 10:30pm to 6:30am. Woohoo! (Now, let's just hope that wasn't a fluke!)

Can I just tell you -- these clothes are size 9 MONTHS. Not 9 weeks. 9 freaking moths. Fat old thing.

As for Aaron and I, status quo pretty much. He's had a ton of gigs. And, actually, Gramme and Papa watched the boys for us Saturday night so I could go see Aaron's band, which was really nice. (For those in the area, you should get out to see the Funky Butt Brass Band -- they're a ton of fun! http://www.funkybuttbrassband.com/) However, Hank did give them a run for their money. We'll just leave you with this visual: Jeanie holding Hank while sitting in the bathroom, while Frank ran a blow dryer over Hank's body. That's the only way they could get him to eat his bottle. Crazy kid.

I have 3 more weeks of maternity leave before I go back full time, but I think I'm going to work some half days in a couple weeks to ease back into it and let Hank get used to going to the sitter. I won't get started, but, man, am I struggling with the thought of leaving him. I'm definitely having a harder time now than I did with Milo. But health insurance is a good thing, so back I go.

On to happier pastures (literally): we've had a few really beautiful, warm days here in St. Louis, so Milo and Hank have gotten to visit the park (actually a couple parks) some. Here are pictures.

Visit 1 -- about a month ago:

Visit 2 -- about 2 weeks ago:

Visit 3 -- today:

Our First Road Trip

2009-03-04T19:15:00.006-06:00

Week 7 and counting, and we're all here and surviving. Hank had his 6 week check-up last week and -- drum roll, please -- now weighs in at a whopping 15 lbs, 6.5 oz. That would be off the charts fat. Literally. He's also 21.5 inches -- 50th precentile -- with a rather large head -- between 75th and 90th percentile. I think we're going to have to move him up to Size 3 diapers already!

A little, well not *bad* news, but not great. Our pediatrician suspects that Hank has a milk allergy. This is actually an allergy to cow's milk protein, not actual milk, and is different than lactose intolerence. There have been a lot of signs of this since his birth -- constant stuffiness, diaper rash, gassiness, and trouble pooping -- but the biggest indicator was some blood found in his poop. (Sorry for TMI.) The solution is for me to cut all dairy from my diet. That means no milk, yogurt, cheese, cream, etc. And you'd be surprised at what foods hide dairy ingredients -- I have yet to find a loaf of bread or some deli meat that doesn't have some form of milk in it (yet, strangely, Oreos do NOT have any dairy). Let me just take a moment here: Oh, how I miss you, cheese. And my graham crackers just aren't the same without you, milk.

However, the majority of babies that have this milk allergy outgrow it within a year or two. And I've talked to a lot of moms who were able to add dairy products back in their diets when the baby was 6-7 months old. I'm holding out hope that will be the case for us, too. But all for the greater good, right?

The biggest event of the past week was our big road trip to Arkansas -- Gramme, Milo, Hank and I hit the trails to Little Rock and Aunt Barbie's house. (Thanks again Barbie!) It was fabulous seeing so much of our family (thanks again for making the trip!) -- even if I did manage to lose every.single. game of Hand & Foot that we played. Milo had a blast playing with his cousins, and both kids travelled amazingly well. I'll post pics separately since we have so many. Enjoy!

Arkansas Photos

2009-03-03T10:01:00.000-06:00

Stop #1: Parking lot of Wal-Mart in Poplar Bluff

Stop #2: Side of the road in Minturn, AR. Gramme & Milo had fun tossing rocks in puddles.
Fun in Little Rock:

One Month Portraits & Our Update

2009-02-20T22:35:00.008-06:00

Well, Week 5 is coming to an end. Thank the Good Lord. It has been a challenge to say the least. It began by finding out our sitter's kids had RSV (basically a really bad lower respiratory infection that can be extremely serious in babies 6 mos and younger), and Milo was exposed. Then both boys got stuffy/runny noses -- generally the first sign of RSV. But, a praise that it ended there for Hank (at least so far). Poor Milo ended up with his third double ear infection in as many months. Crazy -- he never had one ear infection until he turned 3, and now it's been 1 every month since. Antibiotics are our friends.

Anyway, I've been home all week with both kids. All.week.long. It's been a long, long week. Filled with a frillion questions from Milo that are repeated ad nauseum. Typical conversation goes something like this:

Milo - Can we build this train track? Can we? Can we? Can we build this track?

Me - Yes, Milo.

Milo - OK. But, can we? Can I have some Diego fruit snacks? Can I? Can I?

Me - Yes, Milo.

Milo - OK. But, can I? Can you help me get them? Can you? Can you?

And I'll stop the transcript there.

As for Hank, he's still eating and pooping and sleeping and growing. His one month portraits from JCPenney are above. We thought they turned out cute and good. But maybe we're biased. ;) Oh! Most important (at least to me), he's started smiling some. I'll try to post a good pic soon.

I'll sign off for now. Drop us a line and let us know how you are. Can you? Can you?

One Month Check-In

2009-02-10T14:21:00.028-06:00

SO hard to believe, but Baby Hank is officially 4 weeks old. He's growing like a weed...or a sequoia, or whatever is stocky and huge. Last week he was already up to 11lbs, 15.5oz. May I remind you that he was only 3 weeks old at that point. Hank the Tank is now his (very appropriate) nickname. As for sleep, he's still waking up twice a night to eat, but it could certainly be worse.

Milo -- although still very nice to his baby brother -- is certainly less enamored of Hank. There have been noticeably fewer kisses and touches. And he's not so hot on telling him goodbye or good night. But at least he's not openly hostile. Except when Gramme's holding Hank -- then Milo asks her to put him down. Again, though, he's still a great big brother.

Aaron and I are both good. Aaron's got a ton of gigs this month, so I'm adjusting to the thought of doing many, many bedtimes by myself. But I suppose we'll all survive. Hopefully.

And now, for the pictures. We've had a very busy couple of weeks!

First Snow of 2009 (Milo had a bit more fun than Hank):

First Bath:

Papa's Birthday:

Misc Fun:

Baby Announcement Photo Shoot (we're still trying):

Introducing Henry William Schultz Chandler

2009-01-19T16:19:00.018-06:00

Better known as Baby Hank. He was born January 12 at 7:49 am, weighing in at 8 lbs, 14 oz, and measuring 21" -- with a 15" head, we might add. Yes, he's a big old boy. And a planned c-section. ;)

We've been home since last Thursday afternoon, and everyone is adjusting. Milo is the best big brother we could ask for -- he sure does love his baby brother. But if anything doesn't go *exactly* his way, a monster meltdown ensues. Especially at bedtime. But, what can you do? He is 3, after all.

Hank did have a small bout with jaundice (hence the yellowish-orangeish complexion he's sporting), but only spent one day on the bili-bed in the hospital. We followed up with our pediatrician on Friday, and Hank looked so good, they didn't even take more blood. That, and he was only 3 oz from reaching his birth weight again (he was down to 8 lb, 4 oz two days before that).

As for sleep, we're actually doing really, really well. Hank goes between 3-4 hours between feedings at night. Of course, it does take him about an hour to eat each time, so we're getting about 7 hours total.

That's all I can remember for now. And it's taken me almost a week to finish this post and edit the pictures. But, as promised, here they are! Oh -- one more thing. Here's a link to Hank's online birth announcement: http://www.our365.com/NewbornPortraits/BabyDetail.aspx?birthid=ff76ad40-ff7e-4764-b447-9acc9df860ca&babyid=711d5609-9540-4264-a41b-5a939cdcaf1b

Best laid plans...

2008-10-30T11:08:00.003-06:00

Poor Milo is sick. On Halloween Eve. The day of his preschool Halloween party. And Kirkwood Halloween walk. :( He's been throwing up since about 3am....or at Noon yesterday, if you count him putting too much food in his mouth and throwing it up (according to the sitter). he kicks it soon and can still catch trick or treating at Gramme & Papa's tomorrow night and/or Trunk or Treat at church on Saturday.

One thing to be thankful for, though -- he has had no fever and doesn't act *sick*...at least between sessions of heaving.

Poor kiddo.

Thomas the Tank Engine!

2008-10-27T12:08:00.009-06:00

Yesterday, Milo's dreams came true. He got to ride Thomas the Tank Engine -- THE Thomas the Tank Engine!

OK, in reality, it was a bunch of old crappy rail cars hooked up to Thomas the Tank Engine over in East St. Louis (why there, I haven't a clue). And while we waited for an hour before our ride (since they told us to get to this gravel pit at least an hour early), Milo at least enjoyed a little train ride (and our camera isn't out of focus -- it really was that dusty!):

Story time:

Tattoos:

Hay maze with Papa:
And, finally, the big Thomas ride:

Pablo and Pirates and Pumpkins!

2008-10-21T16:30:00.020-06:00

Well, and Trains, but that didn't start with "P".

We've had a busy couple of weekends (I know, what's new?). But lots of good photo ops we wanted to share.

Two weekends ago, we took Milo to see The Backyardigans Live! at my theatre. Which Milo enjoyed for the most part. However (and this was a miscalculation on my part), our seats were too close. He lasted about 3 songs, and then cried. But we moved to the very last row, and then all was good. Milo even sat still through intermission!

That afternoon, our sitter's son had his 3rd birthday party at the Museum of Transportation, which included a train ride (of which Milo was the very first one on and off). We had to sit in "da goose" (the caboose), and Milo even got to say "All Aboard" on the microphone. A proud day indeed.

Following the train, the kids got an hour in Imagination Station, where Milo quickly adopted a pirate costume. He's still talking about how he drove the pirate boat.

Last weekend, we decided to sneak in a quick trip to the pumpkin patch. Which was fun, but waaaaay too crowded. Lucky for Milo, though, this patch included another pirate ship.

And, if you look closely, the beginning of the end. Milo was D-O-N-E -- as evidenced by the pained expression when holding the pumpkin he chose, and then promptly tossing it when we got to the car.

I think that's about it for us. We're gearing up for a frillion Halloween activites next week. Although, not sure how that's going to go -- Milo has a sharp eye out and wants to see "no scary stuff". Yeah. Oh! And Milo gets to ride Thomas the Tank Engine on Sunday -- the REAL Thomas the Tank Engine!! That boy is going to lose his ever-loving mind! We'll make sure to post more pictures.

On the baby front, I did pass the prenatal glucose screening (whew!), and go back for another check up on Oct 31. After that, I start going every 2 weeks -- can you believe it?! Oh, how time is flying. I swear, we're going to blink and then have two boys and not even know what to do with ourselves...

Apple Pickin'

2008-10-05T09:01:00.008-06:00

Yesterday, we travelled over the (Mississippi) river and through the woods (if you can count Illinois as "woods") to Eckerts for some apple picking. We rode on a wagon out to the apples, picked some, ate some, and then rode a choo choo train. It was a good time...until the end...and then we had the (what is now) normal meltdown and not wanting to go home. But we'll try to forget that part. Here's pics:

1.75 for 3 on the weekend

2008-09-24T20:28:00.023-06:00

This past weekend, the Chandler family attempted new and unique things to spice things up a bit. Here's how that went.

Friday Night - Forest Park Balloon Glow

At the last minute on Friday, we decide we'll take Milo to the Balloon Glow at Forest Park. Supposed to be really cool -- a huge lot of hot air balloons glowing in the dark, followed by fireworks -- but also really crowded. So we decide to take the MetroLink (aka, Milo's "choo choo kain"). Their website says it'll be about a 15 minute walk through the park. Yeah.

What they FAIL to mention is that the 15 minute walk entails basically playing Frogger (remember that arcade game?) across an insanely busy city intersection, entering the park alongside the miles-long trail of cars with no sidewalk, going down a hill, around a lake, back up a hill, across a golf course (complete with sandtraps), down this hill, then back up another hill. All in the complete dark with no sidewalks or pavement while pushing a 35 pound child in a stroller.

So, as we crest the final (very steep) hill, the very first balloon Milo spots is the ginormous Energizer Bunny. To which he responds, "NOOOOOOO!!!! Go back! Go back to da kain (train)! Go back to Yi-wo's (Milo's) house!" Being the sensitive parents we are, we push the dadgum stroller over to the other side of the Balloon Glow so the stupid Bunny is out of sight. But is that good enough? No. Of course not.

We try to unbuckle Milo to hold him while we got closer to just the regular, pretty hot air balloons. "NOOOOO!!! Buckle up for safety! Yi-wo not get out!" Right about then, some friends from church just happen to walk by us -- they'd already been in with their kids, and were walking back toward the MetroLink. So we decide to just cut our losses for the night and hike back with them. At least we had company. But before we left, I did manage to snap one photo for posterity:

Saturday Morning - Affton Days Parade

The next morning is the annual Affton Days Parade. (Sidebar: I don't really get how they call it "Affton Days" when it's really just one day. And not even a full day. But I digress.) The parade route begins just down the street from us, so we walk the block or two and stand along the sidewalk.

All is hunky dory. Milo's getting candy, and watching the cars and marching bands. He's a happy kid:

Then, disaster. All due to somebody dressed in a stupid horse costume (sorry, no picture of that). Milo took off so fast, it was just like in the cartoons -- the only thing left next to me was a puff of smoke! It took several minutes for Aaron and I to calm him down and convince him that the scary horsey was gone, and we could go back and watch the rest of the parade. Which Milo did. From an extremely safe distance about 8 feet from the road. (But I will say, there were some extremely nice people who became Milo's candy proxy and kept him stocked.)

The very last thing in the parade were two school buses. And, of course, some man just happened to climb on board one right in front of us. Then the parade stalled out, and the buses stopped right by us. Which, naturally, should mean that Milo can just climb on board, too, right?

Needless to say, Aaron and I took turns carrying Milo back to our house as he sobbed, "NOOOOO! More parade! More cool (school) bus! More horsey!" >:- (is that a frustrated face?)

Monday Night - PAT Bus Ride to the Park

Well, since the weekend was such a bust, we'll include Monday in there. This one, though, was a surefire hit -- Parents As Teachers Bus Ride to the Park. Milo FINALLY gets to ride on a school bus! And, yes, we were the first ones on the bus every time. ;) (Oh, and that big ice cream cone is in front of the elementary school. But don't ask my why.)

If we never hear the word "no" again...

2008-09-15T12:47:00.003-06:00

Ah, the infamous No Stage. You know, the one when every toddler says "NO" to anything and everything you say. We are so there. Here's how it goes:

Us: "Milo, let's INSERT REQUEST HERE" or "Milo, do you want to INSERT INANE THING HERE"
Milo: "No, I not INSERT REPEATED INANE REQUEST HERE"
Us: "Well, I don't know that you have a choice. Let's go REPEAT INANE THING"
Milo: "No, I not do that."

I swear, if we never hear no from him again, it'll be too soon! And bear in mind -- the thing we say can be as innocuous as "Do you want a cookie?" or "Let's go to McDonalds." This, too, shall pass.

In other news, I had another check up on Friday. All is looking fine with Baby Boy (and me) so far. Another appointment in a month...the dreaded glucose screen. And we picked a day for the c-section...but I'll keep that secret until the French Family has time to get a Baby Pool together (assuming you want to do one again).

Extreme Home Makeover

2008-09-10T12:33:00.006-06:00

Well, because y'all know I'm nosy and just couldn't stay out of the thick of things, I went with some coworkers and visited the local "set" for the latest Extreme Makeover: Home Edition last night. Picture quality isn't great, but you can get the idea. It's in Shrewsbury, which is the next township over from Aaron and I; maybe 5 minutes from our house. The family has the typical heart-wrenching story -- the mom was a pediatric cancer nurse who was forced to quit her job to care for her twin boys, both of whom have different extremely rare genetic diseases that cause physical abnormalities.

The house is beautiful (from the outside, and what I could see of the inside), and they did a good job of keeping the architecture of houses in the area. I'm just glad I'm not an immediate neighbor -- boy, those houses sure do look puny and sad now!

I'll let you know when this episode is going to air -- supposed to be in early November.

Wions and Ti-gahs and Burrs! Oh my!

2008-09-08T10:25:00.014-06:00

Some pics from a trip to the zoo on Saturday. On our way there, Milo asked to see "da wions (lions)", "da el-fants (elephants)", and "da choo choo kain (train)." And he got to see them all, plus some!

Milo also declared to Aaron: "Daddy, I want a tuh-tle (turtle)." To which his mama would've said no, but his daddy is actually considering. We'll see. But I'm just putting it out there now -- Mama does NOT clean up turtle poo.

School Daze

2008-09-02T14:18:00.010-06:00

Well, friends, today marks the First Day of Preschool for young Milo Chandler. (Although I should probably clarify that preschool is only 2 half days each week!) He's officially a Big Boy. But, man, is that kid a trooper. No tears, no drama, and all good times. In fact, he's declared: "Mama! Cool (school) is fun!"

I'm going to attempt to attach some pictures from today. One big favorite - the water fountain:

Another favorite, the Thomas "back-kack":

This is the universal Enough-Pictures-Already-Mom look:

And, finally, all the kids loaded into Miss Chris (the sitter's) car:

The Great Potty Adventure

2008-08-21T15:15:00.003-06:00

Yesterday marks the first day of the The Great Potty Adventure. Yes, the sitter decided she was going to put Milo and her boy (only 2 months older) in big boy undies and just go for it. And go they did....in their clothes. Oh, they'll sit on the potty -- for about 3 seconds, then say "Done!"

Um....well, this has been sitting in my "Edit" folder for a couple of weeks. The Great Potty Adventure lasted exactly 4 days. For Milo, at least (the sitter's boy is going great guns - no pun intended). Young Son decided that pottying in the big boy potty was just not for him. He responded with "No, thank you" to every request having to do with pottying -- including changing his PullUp. So we've backed off for now and will try it again in a few weeks. Or months. Or years.

Oh! And I forgot to add the best part of the whole potty training experience. By 10am on the Saturday we were still training, Aaron had cleaned a random dead cat off our front lawn, I had cleaned pee off the floor and Milo (after he'd *just* gotten off the potty and done nothing), then Aaron got to pick Milo's poo up off the floor. Good times. And pretty much the nail in the coffin.

Boy, oh boy!

2008-08-15T20:38:00.006-06:00

Well, we won't keep you in suspense...Milo's going to have a little brother! Yes, TWO Chandler boys will soon be terrorizing a town near you. #2 is still due January 19, and is measuring right on track in the 55th percentile.

And, if you're reading this, it means we've (almost) got Chandler Fun Time back up and running again. Hurrah! Now to figure out the photo thing, and we'll be set.

Regardless, though, keep checking back. We'll have baby updates and big boy updates galore, I'm sure. Two boys. Yeesh.

Come On Summer!

2007-03-28T15:04:00.000-06:00

Boy, oh boy, are we D-O-N-E done with Winter and illness and bleh. Unfortunately, I don't think the viruses are done with us. Poor Milo has been battling a temp, throwing up, weird spots, and diarrhea -- one different symptom each day since Sunday. The good news (?!) in all of this is that he's acting completely normal in between weird sickness spells. And we got good naps out of him this past weekend. Who knows?

The Boy is trying to be more verbal here lately. Several times he's brought over a bag of goldfish or graham crackers and said "cach-ker", which we will take to be the genious child's version of "cracker". Same with "cukh-kee" (cookie), "shuh" (shoe), and "buh-un" (button). Espeically since he's either holding or pointing to these objects at the time he speaks them. :) "Mom-mom", "Diddy", "bye-bye-bye" (hmmm, didn't know he was a fan of *NSYNC), and "uh-oh" are also still in play. He's getting there.

We've been going to the playground almost every day, and Milo loves the slides. Not the short, safe slides. No, he only wants the tall, big boy slides. By himself. We've done such a good job of teaching him to turn around and climb down the stairs backwards, he gets to the top of the slide, turns around, and slides down feet-first on his tummy. Silly boy.

Oh, and he's walking full time now. We've been laughing because he's even walking with his arms down at his sides instead of up in the air. Won't be long until he's at a full run and we can't catch him!

We're hoping to update and post photos very soon. Hang with us!

WARNING - Under Construction

2007-03-21T07:50:00.000-06:00

Sorry for this transition, but we really do think Chandler Fun Time will be bigger and better soon!

We'll Just Call Him Milopher Columbus...

2007-03-19T08:13:00.000-06:00

So, Milo had several discoveries this weekend. Like how he can lift the lid to the toilet. And, he can reach the doorknob and open the door to the office from the inside. Oh! And, how he can eat out of the trashcan now. Awesome. Totally awesome.

Any bets on how long it takes him to figure out he can lift the lid, throw something into the toilet, and then flush? I'm guessing within the week...

Here we go...

2007-03-15T14:37:00.000-06:00

OK, people, we obviously don't have enough time in the day to keep up with the old format of Chandler Fun Time. So, we're delving into the world of the blog. A world with which we know just enough to be extremely dangerous. However, we have visions of bigger, better, and more timely posts and photos.

Hang with us during this transition -- we think it'll be worth it!

December 19, 2006

2006-12-19T14:03:00.000-06:00

OK, I know, I know. I'm TERRIBLE. I have been trying to update this darn site for months now and it seems like every time I tried, something disastrous would happen and I would lose everything. You know, like the power going off due to the huge ice storm, and then our computer imploding. However, I believe we're back up and running. So, here we are and Milo is now 1 year old. It's crazy! He has 2 little teeth on the bottom and that's it. But that doesn't seem to deter him from eating. Our latest challenge is that he wants to eat like big people -- with a fork and knife, whole pieces of food instead of little bites. Ah well, at least he likes to eat. Great big handfuls and then wash it down with milk while he's still got a mouthful. Speaking of eating a lot, the Boy weighs 22 lbs, 4 oz now. He's not quite walking, but I think he's close. He cruises a lot, and will even let go of everything and drink from his sippy or hold a toy with both hands until he realizes that he's not holding on to anything, and then he sits down or grabs back on. God bless him, he's still sleeping 11-1/2 to 12 hours every night. It's made a world of difference for all of us. And, I am happy (OK, happy is an understatement) to say that I have retired the pump. Woo-hoo! Luckily, Milo's been SO good during the whole weaning process, it's made it a lot easier for both of us. We're only nursing right before bed, and I hope to cut that right after Christmas. We'll see.

We've had the end of our first holidays now -- Halloween and Thanksgiving were the last of them. Milo was a rock star for Halloween (see the pics) and loved the stuffing and sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. He's not a huge meat fan, but we're working on that. The first birthday party was also a success. It was a music theme, and we had it at Aaron's store, the Music Center of Kirkwood. All the kids had fun, although Milo wasn't TOO sure about all these kids running around everywhere when he couldn't. And, he also wasn't so sure about the cake -- he didn't want to get his hands in it. But then I fed it to him with a fork and got him his own spoon, and it was all over. Literally. All over him, the chair, everything. Until his spoon got too dirty and he wanted a clean one. (Hmmmmm. Whose son is this again?)

So, on to Christmas. We had our Christmas with Gramme and Grandpa (that would be Frank and Jeanie) this weekend. They didn't spoil him TOO terribly -- except for that Elmo TMX doll. Although for Milo, this Tickle Me Elmo is more a Make Me Cry Elmo right now. He's not too happy when Elmo moves toward him -- it kind of freaks him out. But, he'll grow to love him, I'm sure. (And, just as quickly, we'll probably grow to hate Elmo.) We're going to have our Christmas tomorrow night, and then on to Arkansas for the weekend.

Since it has been a year, I thought I'd write a little respective about the things I've learned in the last 365 days. Probably the most important is don't sweat the small stuff. You know, kids are going to get colds or bumps or bruises and there's not a thing you can do to stop it. And, it's not necessarily your fault when they're sick or hurt. The best you can do -- for them and for you -- is just to be there and to comfort. But it is OK if you cry right along with them. ;-) Also, everything is just a phase -- the bad and (unfortunately) the good. When they won't eat their carrots or drink their milk or lay still when you're trying to change their poopy diaper, they will in a week or 2. And, when they are sleeping all night or sitting down in the bath to play instead of running all around, they won't in a week or 2. It's all give and take. Finally, you have to stop and really enjoy the little moments -- the smiles, the looks of wonder, even the fits -- because that's what makes up our lives. If you wait for the big ones, you'll miss a lot.

OK, enough sap. And, yes, I'm sure I learned more than that in one year, but that's the big stuff. There are a TON of new pictures up. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!

http://img138.imageshack.us/slideshow/player.php?id=img138/1306/1174330734o79.smil

September 17, 2006

2006-09-17T14:07:00.000-06:00

Whew, time flies! Baby Boy is 9 months old! And, we must say, this past month has been much, much better. Still no teeth, but the reflux is back under control. We actually took him to Christine Dunsworth (Nix), a chiropractor who is also Aaron's best friend's wife and also known as Aunt Chicky. I know it may sound strange, but after two adjustments, Milo has gone from spitting up literally 30-40 times per day to maybe 3 or 4. It has to do with the vegas nerve and being out of alignment (which he was), which is normally caused by difficult labors or c-sections. And, being as Milo was so packed in there, he had to be vacuumed out of my c-section, no big surprise that he was out of whack. Even better, the sleep training worked! Milo is consistently sleeping 12 hours every night with no fussing. It's amazing! Eating is good, and we've even started finger foods. Cheerios are a big hit, and he also likes peas, green beans, pears, and cheese. We'll experiment with pasta and some other fruit this week. Milo has now said Dada. 3 times to be exact. And, he loves to babble. He's got crawling and pulling up down pat, and he even took 3 steps while holding on to the couch today. So, it's not going to be long before he's all over the place. Oy. We started swim class again -- Kipper this time, a step up from Shrimp although not really different -- and I am happy to report that Milo didn't just lay there like a lump this time. He actually splashed AND kicked. Yeah! Eight month portraits are posted, as are a ton of other, fun pictures. Enjoy!

August 6, 2006

2006-08-06T14:08:00.000-06:00

Well, here we are at 7 months. If we're honest, this last month has been kind of a tough one. Just when we thought Baby Boy was getting some teeth (bottom fang teeth to be precise), they stalled out. So, we've got more teething coming up. His reflux is back, so he's back on Prevacid. And, his sleep has taken a sharp nosedive and crash landed in flames, but we're working on that. We actually started sleep training two nights ago, and saw some drastic improvements last night -- Milo slept over 12 hours straight in his crib! Unless it was a fluke. We'll see... Milo's an eating machine with cereal and fruit in the morning plus a jar food at lunch and dinner. He likes everything so far except peaches (but I tried the baby food peaches, and I wouldn't have eaten them either) He babbles all the time -- ba-ba-ba is his favorite, and he can now say Mama. Which is cute (unless it's during sleep training and he's standing at the side of his crib with arms outstretched wailing "Mamaaaaaaa"). Oh yeah, pulling up to stand at the side of his crib is a favorite activity. Again, cute, except in the middle of the night. Oh! And the most exciting news (besides sleeping 12 hours last night) -- Milo can not only sit up on his own from his stomach, but just started crawling yesterday. It's not pretty crawling, more like pulling himself with one leg with the other leg tucked underneath him, but it gets the job done. There are lots more pictures -- swim class, the park, Milo's first Cardinals baseball game (which they actually won somehow), and seven month portraits. Enjoy!

June 14, 2006

2006-06-14T14:09:00.000-06:00

OK, so I wasn't very good about keeping my promise of writing more often. But, we're good. Milo Boy is 6 months old -- can you believe it?! He had his check-up today and passed with flying colors. Still hovering around 17.5 lbs and now 25 inches. He has mastered rolling both ways and even does somewhat of an army crawl -- head down, butt up -- to get to his toys. We're still trying to kick the swing habit at night, but it's getting a lot better. Mostly. Milo is STILL teething with nothing to show for it yet. I'm semi-convinced that he's never getting teeth. He's progressed to cereal in the mornings and a jar food at night; we've been through all the vegetables and are now on fruits. And, we just tried a sippy cup with juice for the first time tonight. Mi liked the cup but not the juice so much, but we'll get there. He still likes his Whooz-It, but we've added a few other friends to the mix -- Caterpillar, Frog, Spin 'n' Stack Rings, and the Exersaucer. Another favorite is watching cars go by on the road outside our house, and, really, just being outside in general. We did start Shrimp class (baby swim class) at the YMCA last weekend -- as you can see from the pictures, Milo didn't fuss but we're not so sure he really cared either. Mi is just babbling away, but no real words yet. And, Daddy and I can crack him up if the mood is right. Enjoy the pictures -- and I really do promise to be better about posting!

April 4, 2006

2006-04-04T14:10:00.000-06:00

Whew! It's been a long time (sorry about that!), but we've been trying to get adjusted to "real" life. Erica's gone back to work, Milo's going to the sitter during the day, and Aaron, well, he's just been trying to keep everyone sane throughout. Milo's doing good -- over 17 lbs now -- and just started cereal last night. He also started teething about two weeks ago, and, of course, it's not going all that smoothly. He's very drooly, chewy, and FUSSY. Hang on, Milo wants to type something as he sits in my lap (Daddy taught him how to type): ,pppppppppppppADCZ I believe that means, "Don't believe Mama. I'm a perfect baby." At any rate, Milo's other accomplishments include talking (and hollering) all the time, sitting up, and grabbing just about anything, but his favorites are his Whooz-It, teething rings and Mama's hair. He WAS sleeping through the night -- 9 hours! -- but stopped just about when the teething started. We're hoping the cereal will make a difference. He's found his toes (you can see in the pictures), but grabs them when he's sitting up instead of when he's lying down. He's also thisclose to rolling over. There are lots of new pictures posted, including his 3 month portraits. We'll try to be better about posting more often!

February 14, 2006

2006-02-14T14:10:00.000-06:00

Well, we've had an eventful couple of weeks here. We've finally admitted to ourselves that Milo has colic since he screams from about 7pm to 11pm every night. However, we've also found the magic solution that calms him down -- bouncing on a stability ball. I guess the upside is that we'll have some firm thighs! We also had portraits taken to commemorate him turning 2 months old (we've posted them). And, Milo now has his first little cold thanks to his mom (sorry, buddy). Yesterday at the doctor's office, he weighed 14 lbs, 11.5 oz, so eating and growing are still not issues. We've posted lots of cute pictures, so enjoy!

January 26, 2006

2006-01-26T14:11:00.000-06:00

Six weeks down! Milo went back to the doctor on Monday for his check-up and passed with flying colors. He weighs 12 lbs, 7.5 oz -- 90th percentile on the growth charts -- and is about 22 inches long -- only 25th percentile. :) He's just started to really smile this past week when we smile at him. And, we're trying to move him into his crib, however he still mostly sleeps in his swing. We think this is going to be a challenge, but we'll get there. Hopefully. Or else, this kid is just going to sleep in his swing until he's too big! Lots of new pictures have been added -- enjoy!

January 9, 2006

2006-01-09T14:12:00.000-06:00

Weeks Three and Four have flown by, but were pretty quiet. Milo is four weeks old today -- so hard to believe -- and now weighs 11 lbs -- even harder to believe! Obviously, he's growing like a weed and has discovered his hands and voice. He's also paying more attention to his toys and LOVES to swing. Actually, he loves moving -- swinging, bouncing, rocking, whatever. As long as he (and most of the time that means us, too) is on the move, he's a pretty happy baby. We had his portrait taken at Sears to commemorate him being one month. I've added those proofs plus a lot of new photos, so check them out!

December 29, 2005

2005-12-29T14:12:00.000-06:00

Week Two is down and we're still here! We had a couple of sleepless nights with Milo, but we think we're working it out. (Ha!) He's still gaining weight like a champ and seems to be awake longer each day. Or night, as the case may be. We also enjoyed three different Christmas celebrations with Granny Brenda, Gramme Jeanie & Grandpa Frank, and just about the entire French clan. There's lots of new photos, so enjoy!

December 20, 2005

2005-12-20T14:13:00.000-06:00

Well, we've survived our first week! Milo got a clean bill of health at the pediatrician yesterday. His jaundice is clearing up and he just might've broken some world records for gaining weight. He weighed in at 8 lbs, 4.5 oz -- that's over a pound since last Wednesday since he had lost some at the hospital and weighed 7 lbs, 2 oz! Needless to say, he eats very well. We've added pictures to the Visitors section and added a section for Milo's First Week -- enjoy!

December 17, 2005

2005-12-17T14:13:00.000-06:00

We're home! Baby Milo is still doing really well, although he's trying to kick some jaundice (make sure you check out the Baby Batman picture -- he had to spend a day under the Bili-Light while we were at the hospital). We made it through the first night and day at home with just a few minor issues, so we're hoping it's downhill from here (ha!). We've got lots of pictures uploaded now, so check them out!

December 12, 2005

2005-12-12T14:14:00.000-06:00

He's here! Aaron Miles Schultz Chandler (better known as Milo) entered the world at 7:51 am healthy and happy. He was 7 lbs, 10 oz and 19 1/2 inches -- with a 14 inch head, might we add (thank God for c-sections!). Check out the pics!