The Coolest Dentist Around

Yesterday I took Daniel to his first dental visit.  I was worried.  With his shots and stitches, he hasn't had great medical experiences.  I thought for sure this would be one of those tramatic and heart wrenching times.  Since Daniel is only 2, I called the only Pediatric Dentist in town: Dr. Tyler Albrecht.

When we walked into the office, Danny instantly went to play.  It a veritable kid-zone!  There was a place for older kids to play video games, there were cars, trucks, toy kitchen, and there were a bunch of other kids there.  The staff was just incredible.  When Daniel's name was called, they let him take his toy of choice with him, and he and I went back into the dental area.

This was the real suprise.  It didn't look like a dentist office at all!  There were no scary lights, strange utensils, or weird chairs.  Just brightly colored and padded tables for them to lay on.  TV's were imbeded in the ceiling, so they could watch cartoons while laying down.  They had a huge fish tank, and the first thing the lovely assistant did was allow Danny to feed them.

She showed him her various tools, let him play with all of them.  He shot water out of the squirty thing, and had a grand ole' time.  They had stuffed animals everywhere, there where even ones with teeth that Danny got to brush with a large toothbrush.  He let the hygenist clean his teeth, and the dentist look at his teeth.  They had him help them count his teeth, it was so cute!  Daniel didn't want to leave.

The end result is that Daniel has 1 major cavity and 4 smaller ones.  His teeth have very weak enamel, so they are going to put a sealant on them, that way they last.  All of this will be done next week.  They will put him under for about 1/2 an hour.

I totally fell in love with the whole staff.  They answered all my questions and walked me through everything.  I felt comfortable the entire time.  I left feeling amazed and grateful for the experience.  I would have traveled a great distance to give Danny a good dental experience, and they are right here in Cedar City!  They specialize in children ages 1-18, and I highly reccomend them to EVERYONE!

Also, Dr. Albrecht's brother has an office right next door.  What does this other Dr. Albrecht do?  He is a Pediatric Optomitrist!  I kinda want to take Daniel to him just to see what kind of office a kid's eye doctor has!

Ah, Christmas Eve

I often find the time creeping up to Christmas interesting. Half the time it feels just like every other time of year, and the other half it has that extra "zip" that lets you know the Holidays are upon us.

This morning started like any other day. Children waking up at ungodly hours, followed by a husband's methodical way of going to work. We prayed, we read stories, I changed diapers. Scott kissed me goodbye, and told me he might get off early today. Then I remembered that today is special. Christmas Eve is always like that for me. The morning is totally normal, but as time creeps closer to evening, the more excited and merry I feel. An urgency comes over me as I think about the things that need to be done, and how I must do them sneakily so that Danny and others do not see. My mind is like a computer, calculating my plan of attack, and double checking the gifts and what I must do to make them "Wrapping Ready!"

This year has been fiscally tight for us, and so we are having a leaner Christmas than normal. This has thrown me for a loop, as I have been unable to do many of the things I love to do for this wonderful holiday. I find myself very grateful that my children are still tiny. That Christmas will still hold wonder for Danny if all he gets are some dollar toys. It is really the surprise of the presents that holds his excitement. Scott and I are enjoying the opportunity to remember what Christmas is really all about.

Merry Christmas to all of our dear and wonderful family and friends! Our hearts go out to all of you this season. We know many of you are struggling as we are, and we hope that you have a wonderful Christmas, inspite of or perhaps because of it all!

Face Book

So I finally caved. After years (or so it seems) of deleting invites from my various and wonderful friends, I took a great leap.

How did it come about that I gave into peer pressure to join this interesting click? My husband joined. Early last week he came to bed very late, and he was so excited about finding old friends and connecting with current ones. His obsession continued, and it wasn't long until I was sitting next to him while he found people we knew. Cousins, Uncles, Aunts, Brothers, Sisters, I was amazed.

He will tease me about wanting to "drive" the computer. Since I use it everyday, I am pretty familiar with the internet and how to do things. He will sit down, and I will want to help him get what he wants faster. It drives me crazy sometimes (and I KNOW it irritates him!) So, I kept wanting to give input on what he should to do. He finally just told me to eat humble pie and set up my own account.

So I did. Yesterday.

I am still getting used to it. I am focused right now on finding people I know. So, if you are on facebook and know me, I am there now too.

Tools!

Danny just adores tools. He thinks they are all his, and he wants to run around the house waving them, or sticking them in places they shouldn't go. His favorite to date is a Phillips Head Screwdriver. He can honestly tell the difference! He likes the Phillips because it is small enough to stick into the holes in his toys. He gets totally focused on fixing these "broken" toys. He can spend hours twisting the screwdriver in the little hole of the toy, and be completely happy.

Mom, however, gets scared when he runs with it. . .

I have managed to get all the screwdrivers hidden effectively. . . and yet today he found an Alan Wrench. Apparently, this is just as good as a screwdriver if you add a screw to the whole process. I like this a little bit better then the screwdrivers because it is smaller, and less likely to skewer him if he trips while running. Since I have all the electrical outlets covered, I let him play with it for a little bit.

Television: Limited!

Danny is a TV Junkie! He would turn it on first thing in the morning, and throw a fit if you turned it off at all during the day. This lovely habit happened while I was recovering from having Tiana. Last weekend I had enough. No longer am I "Recovering and Exhausted Mom." So last Monday I took control.

We no longer turn the TV on in the morning. For the first two days, it was really hard on Danny. However, as the weaning from the television continued, I found that he became a much happier child. He listens better, and he plays better too. His imagination is taking off, and he is finally interested in books. He has now become accustomed to being read to every day, and he loves it. Oddly, he is also going to bed earlier (usually around 8pm) and sleeping in later!

This has improved me as a Mom, because I have to pay more attention to him. I play more, I am happier, and I am more creative too!

I am very careful to keep the TV completely off until the late afternoon or evening. About the time I start thinking about making dinner, then I let him choose a Disney movie or one of the awesome educational shows I have on tape. Sometimes I wait until my Mother In Law gets home, so that he plays with them before becoming glued. This allows me to make dinner uninterrupted. It has been a wonderful thing for us!

Christmas Lists

I am supposed to make a Christmas List this year. When first asked what I want, it is always hard for me to come up with anything (unless it is a list of books) that I want. Scott asked me to come up with things that are NOT made of paper. (Something about my overflowing shelves. . .) This has caused me some serious thought. I am trying to really allow myself to discover my desires. For many people, this may seem odd. However, I rarely buy anything for myself. If I don't have extra money laying around (which hasn't happened for almost 3 years) I just don't get things I want. I always spend it on everyone else first. So I don't think of things that I might want. I am not allowed to put anything on the list that is for someone else. So, toddler toys, baby gear, etc. is out. Scott also said that things that are for the family don't count either. This has left me at a loss.

So I am starting to pay attention to things that I think would be cool to have. Any suggestions?