Christmas has Come and Gone

I don't know if it was the lack of snow (not that I am complaining) or the fact that we missed Christmas service this year due to some illnesses, but what ever it is, it sure didn't feel like Christmas. It is already over and I feel like the holiday spirit never arrived. Oh well, here's to next year.

I thought B would be into Christmas a little more this year, but he really wasn't. He didn't tear open his gifts like I thought he would. He did come down the stairs and run toward the sports climber we bought him, complete with a basketball hoop, soccer goal, slide, and the rock climbing/ladder thing. This thing was cool, and it only took Mike and I a mere 30 minutes to put it together. It also came with a football, soccer ball and basketball that we set up right in front of the climber. He ran right towards the...BALLS! I don't think he even noticed the giant sports climber behind them. He just kept saying "BAl, BAl (thats pronounced BA- "little" l sound towards the end) and then tried to pick up all three at once. We had to actually show him the giant gym that we worked so hard on to set up. He could care less about any of the other gifts...except for maybe the box the sport climber came in. AWWW kids, what can you do. Needless to say, he now climbs on his sports climber and tries to walk up the slide.

Every year we get eachother an ornament that best represents the year or a memory of that year. This year I had a hard time with B believe or not. It was narrowed down to two types or ornaments; a mirror ornament that spelled his name or a baseball ornament. He loves his reflection and pictures of himself to the point where it is almost Zoolander-ish, but he also loves carrying and throwing balls. Ball was one of his first words, and after seeing his reaction to the sport climber balls, clearly I made the right choice by getting him the baseball ornament.

The ornament I got Mike was of the family getting the Christmas tree. I swear this is Mike's favorite thing to do and this year he strapped the tree on to the roof of the car. He so badly wanted B to help him pick out the perfect tree and set it up with him. Sometimes he forgets that B is just a 1 year old. So that is the ornament I got Mike.

Mike got me a house ornament, because what an ordeal we went through to finally get the house we really wanted.

All and All it was a good Christmas, with lots of family and food. So thankful for everything I have.

Man Down!

We had our first real run of near death experiences...ok, ok we didn't almost die but the stomach bug definitely made me want to. Saturday started off ok, we did our thing around the house and then went to church that evening. On our way home, B started crying and whining in the car and we just thought he was ready to get out. Then we hear the unmistakable sound of projectile vomiting. I jump over the seat to see what was happening and my poor prince was throwing up all of his dinner and lunch. It had the unmistakable smell of a definite virus. I tried to pat his back and make sure he wouldn't aspirate it and told Mike to floor it home (we were like 5 minutes away). When we got home I opened the back door and realized that this was worse than I thought. I straight up panicked. I froze! I told Mike I couldn't do it and after staring at my sweet innocent sick boy for a minute, it clicked. I've got latex gloves upstairs. I ran up there to put them on and Mike was like "where are you going?" By the time I got down the stairs Mike had found a plastic bag in the car and made gloves for himself. He carried B up the stairs holding him as far away from his body as possible. I got the bath ready and undressed him (thank God I had gloves on). He threw up a number of times that night and into the morning. We though we were in the clear until Mike started vomiting two days later and then me 12 hours later. We felt so bad that we couldn't even care for our son, we were so sick. I called for back up, but who wanted to be around that? I don't blame them. I that point we were two men down and the S.O.S flares had been deployed. I thought we weren't going to make it.

Obviously we did, but just barely.

This made me realize a few things.

1.) Parents don't get sick days... that sucks!

2.) Although I work in a hospital and am around sick people daily, I can't handle vomit as well as I thought.

3.) The last time I puked this much I was almost 8 weeks pregnant and in the hospital getting IV fluids...Mike and I were trying for another baby. (key word is in bold).

Getting the Christmas Tree

This year is a little more fun than last year. B is a little older and a little wiser. He sees that there is a tree in our house! Mike was so excited to take him to pick out a tree and wanted him to help him set it up and decorate it which is all good except that he is only 1! He can only do so much. I was cute though seeing B put the mitten decoration on it and playing with the lights, but for the most part isn't too concerned with the tree or the light. Good for us because he doesn't really mess with it a whole lot either. Here are a few pics of the tree decorating ordeal.

The new "meal time".

Meal time is so stressful. Every since he learned that he doesn't have to eat something if he doesn't want to, feeding him has been a bit of a challenge. It seems like food just isn't his thing. We have tried everything to get him to eat, but the only thing that seemed to work was to place a "puff"on the spoon with the "real" food we wanted him to eat. He sure does like those puffs and at the time I didn't care. At least my kid , who is always on the low side of the growth chart, was eating. But, he wasn't pooping either. Every time he would poop it would be hard or he would strain and strain and cry without success. I didn't know what was causing it. Was it the cow's milk we switched to? Was it lack of water in-take? Was it an allergy to a food? Was it a more serious GI issue (which of course I convinced myself)? So after a night of crying and an enema later I decide off to the Dr.'s we go!



I told the Dr. that I thought it was not right do have to give your child prune juice, Miralax, and enemas this much and most of the time those didn't even work (we will get to that later). She said "Laura, quit crying and pull yourself together". Ok she didn't say that, but I did cry and that is probably what she was thinking. While she was talking I kept feeding puffs to B to keep him quiet so I could listen to her. In a nutshell this is what we are now doing.

1.) New motto= Parents Provide, Children Decide. Meaning- I provide the food (place it on his tray and walk away) he decides if he wants to eat it, if not next meal/snack is in a few hours. Sounds like tough love huh? It is. But, if my girlfriend or sister was having the same issues that is the same thing I would tell them. So why wasn't I practicing what I preach?

2.) He needs to feed himself. He is 1 and this is good practice for him. Who cares if he is dirty or the floor gets dirty (gulp) I don't. Plus, now he feels like he has a little more control over his life and he likes that.

3.) I can actually get stuff done around the house. I can't make him eat anyway so why hover over him and get frustrated. I get a lot of stuff done now and its nice.

4.) No more puffs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So how is it working? Well, the first meal time with this strategy was hard. He threw just about everything on the floor and ate very little. It is now progressively getting better and better. He has normal bowel movements everyday and I am not as stressed out over meal time. The question is how will his weight gain be?


Here a sneak peak at my big boy eating!

No Milk For You!

B has been so constipated lately. He is miserable. All day long sometimes he will cry and strain and cry. I felt bad for him so...I gave him an enema. I know, I know, but it really helped me when I was pregnant with him and couldn't go. I got the smallest dosage I could find and this is after all else had failed. Needless to say he is fine. No harm done. In fact, 20 minutes after I gave it to him he was a new man, back to his normal hyper self. After talking to other moms and my sisters I attribute this to the recent transition to whole milk. I think he is still too young for it and will wait another month and slowly introduce again. So, back to buying formula. I rather cough of the money for that then see my baby struggling (obviously).

Trick or Treat

This was a lot more fun than last year. My boy is sooo cute. He made the cutest little monkey. Here he is trick or treating for the first time

Sitting by our pumpkins that Mike carved. This year we also roasted the seeds and put some cajun seasoning on them. YUM!
Here is his stash. Dad was so proud.
Some families just put candy out on their porch.
But the real fun was watching him walk up to the house carrying his bag. AWWW I almost cried.
Heading home with the goods.

Smarter than I thought

After we collected candy from the trunks of cars at the fall festival we decided to leave and put B to bed. He was a little cranky in the car so I gave him a twix bar to play with. I figured he would hold it and chew on it but it would be fine because he couldn't get it open. Well, it got really quiet and I noticed he wasn't getting bored with it. He was "playing" with it a lot longer than I thought. This couldn't be right so I jumped in the back seat while we sat in the Taco Bell drive through and turned the light on to see this...

And now he know what candy is.

Fall Festival

The other night we took B to the Fall Festival at our church. They had tons of stuff to do from games, to train rides, Trunk or Treat, jumping castle, the works. He just loved running around the church and checking everything out, mostly the decorations. Next year he will like the games more I think. Of course we had to use him to get free candy for dad.

(Trunk or Treat)

(waiting in line to play a game)

The shirt says it all.

Nanna always finds the cutest clothes for B man and this isn't an exception. I thought it would be funny to put him in this onesie and go into Mike's office and "check in on him". It is kind of hard to read but next to the tie is a fake name tag type thing that says "I'm the boss". He just wanted to make sure dad was on task.

But it is so true, B really is the boss of us. It is his schedule all the time. Its what makes him happy that we bend over backwards to do. Sometimes I wonder while I am in the library literally getting beat up by my one year old that I think "this is crazy...pull yourself together and show him who is boss here. Take control back!" This doesn't seem to work too well because in the end when your in public you do anything to not make a scene. But at home its a different story (at least I should hope or else we are screwed later).

1st Birthday

whaaaa baaaawaaaaa ooooohh waaaaa (that was me crying). I can't believe that 1 year ago today, the most precious thing in my life was born and changed my life forever. My 7lb 13.5 oz came out sideways , pushed for 4 hours, baby was born. He is the most beautiful thing in the world and has grown so much in the this first year. I am not sad that he is one, I am sad at how fast life just flew by. I just need to stop and smell the roses. He is so fun right now. He can walk, babble, point, laugh, and pretty much mimics whatever Mike and I do.

I remember when we first brought him home and we wrote down everything. We kept track of how long he nursed, which side he nursed from, how many poopy diapers he had, how long he slept, how long between feedings, how many baths, and so on. You could tell we were new parents and we didn't want to screw anything up. I wonder how much different/laid back we will be for the next one? I think we did a pretty darn good job raising him so far. I mean he's not only still alive but he is happy too. He is so so so loved in his big extended family. I just hope he loves his life.

His birthday party went well. I can't believe how many presents he got. It makes me worried about christmas. I guess that is why we got a bigger house. He didn't really enjoy his cake as much as I thought he would. He stuck his finger in it and then didn't like the feeling of it and tried to flick it off. He did enjoy sticking Curious George in and out of it and the fork, but as far as the taste, he liked mama's cupcakes better. So excited to see what next year brings. What changes we will see and if we will be blessed to do it all again.

B's First Hair Cut

B's first hair cut was sadder than I thought. When he was done he didn't look like the baby I was used to, but a man, getting ready for college. He enjoyed diving the fire truck though. And for the most part he held still. Now he has a nice clean cut and we are almost ready for his birthday party. This year is Curious George theme. Next year, Mike says he is deciding the theme. He wants to do a Yankee theme. Go figure.

Pumpkin Picking

Before I had B, I always saw fun things to do, but wondered if it would be weird to do them without a kid. For instance, the family and I went to Anderson Farm yesterday to pick pumpkins from the feild, go on a hay ride, and go see the farm animals.

Now, if I didn't have B man with me I would feel a little out of place.

Having kids allows you not to look weird at events like this. I am kind of excited to take him into the haunted cave at Casa Bonita when he is older. I like it, but look a little weird going in it alone ;-)

We had a good time. The weather was nice and B man wore his monkey costume. He got up close and personal with some cows and enjoyed the chickens. He was a little nervous to pet the brand new billy goat. Mike was so excited to pick pumpkins that he spent so long in the feild. Our group was like "come on, Mike. You don't have to find

the most perfect one in the huge feild." Ok maybe that was just me saying that. You can't blame me. Its not like we could bring the stroller on the hay ride to the field and I was holding B. I know he is failure to thrive but this kid is getting heavy and squirmy. Not to mention the pumpkins I was holding have prickely vines.

Here are some pictures from that day.

Long time No see

I realized it has been a little while since I last blogged and I got some things on my mind. Well let me re-phrase that, it has been a little while since I posted anything. My problem is, I write at work and then try to attach pictures when I get home. My computer at home is sort of broken so I have some things drafted.

First, Vegas. We had a great time. B man did great and had fun with the Grandmas. Mike and I enjoyed a little pool time, show time, and gambling. We saw Mystere by Cirque du Solei, and let me tell you, that was awesome. I was just astounded by the creativeness of the show and the athleticism of the performers. It got me thinking... B would be so good at this. I am re-thinking science camp and looking into circus camp. It looks like so much fun. Since he is on the littler side (according to the Dr. "failure to thrive", from previous post) and with my gymnastics background, he might be really good at it.

We played roulette and actually won, but whenever Mike wins, he can't walk away and we subsequently lost our winnings. We did a 24 hour buffet deal which was great for Mike, I on the other hand just can't hang (as far as the amount), but it was good. We got a little tan and some relaxation. We tried so hard to stay up with the younger crowd, but hit the sheets before midnight every night. Oh well. We learned the buffet is pretty empty at 9 am.

When we got back the questions about baby #2 started up. It got me thinking too. Am I ready for another baby? When is the right time for B to have a sibling? Some days I really think I am ready and other days I'm well....exhausted. I said we would try in Vegas, or not prevent, but that came really fast. Life in general is going really fast, that's the problem. I don't want my kids too far apart, but how close is too close. Everyone has their opinion and when it comes down to it, we have to do what is best for us. So long story short. Only time with tell.

Jen- So proud of your decision to do Couch to 5k. It was a good program for me and now on to race #2 on the 9th.

Failure To Thrive? 11 months old!

I can't help but think this really says "failure to mother". I know, I know. The other day at B's liver appointment I mentioned to the doctor that when they weighed him earlier that day I noticed he didn't gain any weight. Not a single ounce from his 9 month check up. She pulled up his growth chart and saw that his own "petite" growth curve has now dropped almost off the chart. He is now in the 5th percentile for weight, while his height is in the 70th percentile. Apparently this puts him the category of "Failure to Thrive". I feed my kid as much as I can and as much as he wants, but lately he is more interested in playing than sitting in his high chair eating. He shakes his head "no" and won't open his mouth. I try getting him other stuff to eat, but when he is done, he is done. Honestly, I am not too worried about it given my history of "failure to thrive". Look at me, smart as can be. I think he is just a busy, energetic kid with a fast metobolism. But, to be on the safe said I will concur with the doctor and get blood drawn to test for metobolic diseases and meet with the nutritionist.

B man is 11 months old, can you believe it? One more month to plan his 1st birthday. I have a feeling it will be huge. I am going to try not to stress out about it. Hopefully he won't be overwelmed by it either.

Vegas this week! Yipee. Pool side and slot machines. If I win big, then is is see you later job!

Run Forest Run!

I finished my first 5k race and didn't collapse at the end. Not bad for someone who has never ran more than a 1.5 miles before. My friend and I decided one day we were going to a start a program called Couch to 5k which trains you to run a 5k in 9 weeks from nothing. I am pleased to say we did it in 8 weeks. It was a really cool feeling running across that finish line. I am really proud of myself. The hardest part of the whole thing was finding time to run and getting motivated to run. There were times after a 12 hour shift at work when I would come home and the last thing I wanted to do was run and the last thing Mike wanted be to do was run as well (he was done with B at that point and wanted a break). Thanks to Mike for watching B man for me even when he was exhausted and or busy so I could run. Thanks to Heather for keeping me on point with my check in's. Maybe I will do another one maybe not, only time will tell.

Look Who's Walking

For the last couple of days B has been taking 4 to 5 steps at a time. Is this considered walking? Can I say "my son is walking"? Or does it have to be his main form of transportation? Either way I am excited that I didn't miss his first steps while we were in Vegas. I can relax a little more now.

We are trying to furnish our new house, but don't want to blow major bucks. I know that a lot of furniture and stuff will probably get ruined between B and Jewel so we aren't going all out, but I don't want a garage sale look going on in my house either. We bought a new couch and kitchen table the other day and returned it because it didn't look right with the space, too small. New stuff comes in tomorrow so hopefully we are happier with this.

My race is 1 week away and my friend and I did a practice race yesterday and felt pretty good about it. I think we are pretty confident for our upcoming race. What I will do with my time since I won't be training is yet to be determined. I can think of a few things now that I have a new house.

We've Moved!

Finally! After all the hiccups and hang ups we had, we've finally moved. Just when we thought it wasn't going to happen, that maybe it just wasn't meant to be, we finally moved into a bigger house that we plan on staying in for awhile (or at least until Dan retires because he doesn't want to deal with this again hahaha). It was a close one though. We had 6 minutes to spare at closing and 54 minutes to spare at getting out of the house, but we did it. Thank you to all the people who've helped! We couldn't do it without you!
Thank you:
Dan- for putting up with us, getting all the paper work done, keeping us up to date with all the changes, helping us move, and the gifts.
Barb- for watching B man while we closed and the gifts.
Mom and Dad- watching B man, packing, cleaning, and unpacking
The Wrights- dinner, helping us move and watching B man.
Nick- helping us move.
Scott- helping us move and overall entertainment.
Todd- helping us move.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

Now I really can't wait for Vegas.

10 Months old

B is growing so fast! Here are a lot of pictures to help paint a picture for you. The things that is is up to now:

1. He is into everything. He knows how to open cabinets, climb on furniture, pull the vent covers off, play in the toilet, and is always on the move.

2. He has four teeth, two on top and two on bottom, and he knows how to use them! Ouch! He might be a little biter.

3. He really thinks he is 2 yrs old because he always want to play with the older kids (much more fascinated by them), he thinks he can play on the playground, and doesn't want to be held.

4. He can stand unassisted and takes one step before falling down, but doesn't like to do this often because its just faster to crawl.

5. He gets easily frustrated with tasks and has a melt down if he can't do it or if you make him do something he doesn't want to do. He goes as far as throwing his head back and arching his back, clinching his fists, biting himself, his clothes or you. This is going to be a major issue in the future, especially when he gets bigger than me.

6. On a good note, he is kissing back. If you ask for a kiss he will lean in and give you an open mouth kiss. I love it of course, others think it is gross. He also will hug you. He will sometimes lay his head on your shoulder when you hold him and he is tired, which is so nice and snugly like.



Overall he is a great kid with a big personality!





He can climb behind the TV

Plays with his friend Brevon (he to likes to open mouth kiss too. They almost did it to each other, but we caught them and Mike tried to show them how to high five each other instead.)
Like I said, into everything, no cabinet is safe. You should have seen what he did to the Tupperware cabinet.
He eats at the dinner table with us. No more Bumbo!
Loves to laugh! He loves it when mommy sings "little bunny foo foo". Check out the teeth!
Walking with just holding on to one hand.
Here he is standing on his 10 month birthday. (those shorts are 6-9 month and are so big around him).

Balancing Act

Now that B can push his toy while walking, he decides now he wants to let go and balance standing up. This is a little cooler than "walking" and he does it often. I think the longest lasted 4 seconds. That is counting like this "one one thousand two one thousand..."and so on. That is pretty long. Lots of bumps and bruises. He got his first black eye the other day. Ok it was a tinge black near the corner of the eye for 1 day. Mike says it was a scratch, but I think it definitely looked like a bruise. I want to get him a helmet but I don't think they sell his size at a retail store.

We have been soooo incredibly tired lately. B is sooo incredibly active. He is definitely not the type of baby that can sit and observe everyone else (like his friend Robbie), he has to be involved. He hates being carried or held, unless he is tired. He is in to everything. To make matters worse, he has regressed in his sleeping habits. Hardly any naps and waking up 2-3 times a night. I don't get it. Maybe his teeth hurt. I am sometimes envious of Robbie's mom, she gets to put him down at 7pm, he doesn't roll too far away, and he enjoys being held and will sit on her lap. This is probably a really good temperament to have since Robbie will have a brother soon.

Walking! ...mostly

B can finally push his toy and walk behind it unassisted now! Seriously guys, he is only 9.5 months old. He is seriously advanced and too hyper not to try. He is always on the move. I can't even hold him anymore. All he does from the time he is awake is move! He will squirm in your arms and climb, crawl, and walk all day long. It is exhausting. What happened to my cuddle bug?

(vintage B man, all snuggly)

He had his first trip to the flatirons with Dad. He made it pretty far and that is not an easy hike, very steep. After the hike they had a picnic.

Well, without further ado...here he is all grown up and a walking machine.