Luke's Dentist Appointment

Let me preface by saying that I am a terrible mother. I took Luke to the dentist at 3 and 3 1/2, but once we moved and the dentist was 40 minutes away, I slacked and didn't find a new one. It's not that I intended to, but I completely forgot until he turned 4 and I had to cancel at the old dentist, then I got pregnant and was sick for a couple of months, and then it just kept slipping my mind. So, my persistent husband reminded me that I needed to take him. I asked friends for referrals and got one that sounded good. I called yesterday and they said, "New patients can't be seen until November BUT we have an appointment tomorrow morning." Thinking that a) he really needed a check-up and b) November seems tough with two new babies, I took the appointment.

The place was awesome. The whole office was a jungle theme, including tiki looking stuff on the walls. Each area had a jungle-themed name (like the conference room was called "Tribal Council". How cute. They had Madagascar playing and a ton of stuffed animals and toys. When we were called back, each chair had a tv above it with Madagascar playing. Luke got to wear jungle sunglasses to not hurt his eyes from the bright light. The hygienist was so great with him. She told him what to expect and offered rewards for each step.

When we got to the teeth cleaning, he was offered an array of flavors to pick from. He chose cookie dough which sounded disgusting to me, but he liked it (so much he was licking while she was cleaning). She flossed his teeth for the first time and instructed me as to how to do it for him. He got a sticker and then it was time for x-rays.

He was a champ during the x-rays. They had to try a bunch of times to get one and he kept letting them. I was a proud momma. He got to get another sticker. Then we met with the dentist. She was awesome as well and had the best teeth I've ever seen (go figure, right). She said the tooth that he hit on the tub a couple of years ago was totally fine. She said his 6 year molars were showing up and he would have them early, which doesn't surprise me since he's always cut teeth fast and early. She said to continue brushing like we have been and start flossing and to come back in 6 months. Then Luke got to go to the treasure chest and got a parachute toy.

Overall it was an awesome visit and I felt better when they assumed it was his first visit as I guess most kids go at 4-5 years old. They even took a "first visit photo" to commemorate the occasion. I still want to be on the ball with his check-ups so he stays healthy and has good hygiene.

Homemade Pizza Night

Luke mentioned to me a couple of weeks ago that he would love to make homemade pizza again. We've done it a few times and it is always really fun. I make the dough in the bread machine, we use spaghetti sauce and mozzarella and parmesan cheese as well as any toppings that sound fun.

Last night we had turkey pepperoni, ground turkey, turkey bacon, and a variety of peppers. I usually like to have onions and pineapple as well, but I wasn't motivated to go back to the grocery store.

Here are some pics:

Lee making his pizza

Luke trying to toss his dough (he really got into it)

Luke putting on the sauce

Luke putting on his toppings (he made a smily face out of turkey pepperoni)

Our pizzas:
Top - Luke's - 1/2 turkey pepperoni, 1/2 turkey bacon
Bottom Left - Lee's - 3/4 turkey pepperoni, turkey bacon, and ground turkey, 1/4 turkey pepperoni and peppers
Bottom Right - Ashley's - 1/2 turkey pepperoni, turkey bacon, and ground turkey, 1/2 turkey pepperoni and peppers

They were sooooo yummy and we had a ton of leftovers. It is so much fun to do this and a fraction of the cost of one pizza from takeout. If I had to guess the cost, I would say less than $5.00 for all of them. 50c for the dough, 50c for the sauce, $1.00 for the cheese, $1.50 for the turkey pepperoni, 10c for the turkey bacon, $1.00 for the ground turkey, and 25c for the peppers.

What We've Been Up To

This summer has been really different for our family in that I've been massively pregnant for most of it and heat hasn't been my friend. We've still managed to go to the beach a few times - twice with Lee's mom and stepdad to Emerald Isle and once to Topsail to the Webber Beach Cottage. Most of the time was spent with me hanging out indoors (I did get down to the beach a handful of times and to the pool at the beach once or twice) and Lee and Luke doing the beach/pool by themselves. They still had fun and I had to get over my guilt of not being as involved.

Luke and I have gone to the pool a good amount, but not like we normally do (the past couple of summers we've gone at least 3 days a week). Each time has shown me how much bigger/more uncomfortable I am getting. Our last pool visit for the summer was on Monday. It proved to be too much for me and summer is winding down anyways.

We've had a lot of fun just hanging around the house. Luke is really getting good at coloring, painting, and crafts. ;) We play and I do a few things around the house and relax. It's been really nice. Although I feel bad that we can't do everything we normally do, we are all making the best of it. It's really been a fun summer overall. We are looking forward to Fall and our babies coming. :)