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.