Sunday, January 8, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Football
In honor of the end of college football season, I present two day old Elgin with his lovey football.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Stats and More at 4 Months
Henry and I escorted EW to his four month well visit yesterday morning, and we received nothing but good news. Elgin is a long, lean, toy grasping machine. He weighed in at 14 pounds and 12 ounces, falling in the 28th percentile. In contrast to his weight, he's now 26.5 inches and is in the 92nd percentile for length. His head size is right around average at 16.5 inch circumference.
He grasps for toys, laughs, tracks me across the room, babbles his head off though he has excellent head control, and is back on a weight gain track after hopefully healing from all that GI irritation. Despite the copious amounts of drool, constant fist chewing, and threatened thumb sucking, he is not teething--just a wet mess. His history of cuteness was also assessed, and he continues to present with the same symptoms.
We are received an all clear for both his lungs and ears. I updated Dr. Song on our TED progress and told her that I'm now including salmon, sunflower seeds and oil, grapes, raisins, and avocado. I tried to add oatmeal and green beans but took them both back out when EW seemed to experience trouble eating again, and we weren't sure if it was food or antibiotic based. She suggested I try to add them again later, especially since they are both common to baby foods. While I do plan on making EW's food just like we did with Henry, I don't want to have my back against the wall when I need to grab a jar of pre-made stuff on a road trip.
I asked Dr. Song about EW's propensity towards bearing weight on his legs as opposed to trying to sit, and she asked more about his motor skills. Does he roll from his back to his front? Yes. Does he roll from his front to his back? Yes. The diagnosis: You're going to have to watch him. He's just a very active boy.
He's just trying to keep up with his big brother.
He grasps for toys, laughs, tracks me across the room, babbles his head off though he has excellent head control, and is back on a weight gain track after hopefully healing from all that GI irritation. Despite the copious amounts of drool, constant fist chewing, and threatened thumb sucking, he is not teething--just a wet mess. His history of cuteness was also assessed, and he continues to present with the same symptoms.
We are received an all clear for both his lungs and ears. I updated Dr. Song on our TED progress and told her that I'm now including salmon, sunflower seeds and oil, grapes, raisins, and avocado. I tried to add oatmeal and green beans but took them both back out when EW seemed to experience trouble eating again, and we weren't sure if it was food or antibiotic based. She suggested I try to add them again later, especially since they are both common to baby foods. While I do plan on making EW's food just like we did with Henry, I don't want to have my back against the wall when I need to grab a jar of pre-made stuff on a road trip.
I asked Dr. Song about EW's propensity towards bearing weight on his legs as opposed to trying to sit, and she asked more about his motor skills. Does he roll from his back to his front? Yes. Does he roll from his front to his back? Yes. The diagnosis: You're going to have to watch him. He's just a very active boy.
He's just trying to keep up with his big brother.
Monday, January 2, 2012
A Black Tie Affair
We ditched our traditional NYE lobster fete, but we replaced with a classy evening, black tie required, unless you slobber too much on it.
Here's Henry "going crazy."
Penny was just resolved to wear hers.
Upon nightfall, sparklers and pop-its were enjoyed.
And on New Year's Day, Cory was forced to eat enough collards and black eyed peas for both of us. Here's to hoping it worked for us!
Credit where credit's due
2011 was a very harsh year for our family. We thought we lost our baby, but, thankfully, we did not. Cory was put in the position of being the primary caregiver to Henry, the house, and me while trying to tackle his fledgling business. We were both in a constant state of worry and would swing from joy to anxiety with every appointment and every doctor's bill. Henry wanted me to stop being sick all the time so that I could play, and I sometimes wanted to just be left alone with my reality television--better to think about somebody else's drama than our own. Our new normal wasn't.
We are surrounded with support and lots of love, though. Henry had play dates galore. Cory was given some housekeeping and yard work breaks. We rarely wanted for dinner. Friends and family came to sit with me--at the foot of our bed and, later, around our couches. Cards, packages, magazines, emails, and texts were bountiful, and Cory could at least worry less about my sanity. 2011 was rough, but we found out how very important, talented, and generous our family and friends are. We made it through, and so did our Elgin.
Later in the year, we found out that EW needed some extra attention to avoid food allergies, and I embarked on the TED. Friends surrounded me with encouragement, support, and information. Family set aside special foods. We lost Granddaddy just 14 months after saying goodbye to my sweet Mema. Again, cards and emails reminded us of how lucky we are. I returned to both of my jobs but did it with confidence since our experience with a forced school change landed our boys in a better option than we ever thought it would be. Friends and family, you told us it would be OK.
So, when we look at ahead towards what the new year has in store, we're looking back at you who helped pull us through its predecessor. There is no doubt that 2012 will throw its obstacles our way, and we will struggle as a family at times, but we'll do it a little bit stronger, a lot more cuter (thanks to Elgin), and with the full knowledge that we'll do it with the family and friends beside us.
Thank you for your support, and thank you to my awesome husband for being, well, awesome.
We are surrounded with support and lots of love, though. Henry had play dates galore. Cory was given some housekeeping and yard work breaks. We rarely wanted for dinner. Friends and family came to sit with me--at the foot of our bed and, later, around our couches. Cards, packages, magazines, emails, and texts were bountiful, and Cory could at least worry less about my sanity. 2011 was rough, but we found out how very important, talented, and generous our family and friends are. We made it through, and so did our Elgin.
Later in the year, we found out that EW needed some extra attention to avoid food allergies, and I embarked on the TED. Friends surrounded me with encouragement, support, and information. Family set aside special foods. We lost Granddaddy just 14 months after saying goodbye to my sweet Mema. Again, cards and emails reminded us of how lucky we are. I returned to both of my jobs but did it with confidence since our experience with a forced school change landed our boys in a better option than we ever thought it would be. Friends and family, you told us it would be OK.
So, when we look at ahead towards what the new year has in store, we're looking back at you who helped pull us through its predecessor. There is no doubt that 2012 will throw its obstacles our way, and we will struggle as a family at times, but we'll do it a little bit stronger, a lot more cuter (thanks to Elgin), and with the full knowledge that we'll do it with the family and friends beside us.
Thank you for your support, and thank you to my awesome husband for being, well, awesome.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Christmas now
Christmas is growing on me, thanks to my growing boys. I do revel in the festivities that surround the Advent season--the family time, the music, the Christmas cookies, the parties, the special church services, the Christmas cookies, the smells, the lights, the Christmas cookies. But, there's the scheduling and the shopping that loom over it all that tend to make my moods drop down below acceptable levels. According to the drivers around my daily commute, especially the ones exiting from the church parking lot in front of our home, I'm not the only one who gets a little bah humbug-y. Plus, being a counselor, I see how the holiday season can be more than just troublesome, and for many people, the holidays aren't a time of joy but something to make it through.
Enter Henry. I love that he is confused about why there are two Christmas stories--the one about baby Jesus being born and the one about everyone being tucked in their beds. I love that, last year, he wanted Santa to bring him a toy Christmas tree. I love that, this year, he got excited about doing his Advent wreath each Sunday, which caused us to have to look up scripture and talk to our curious little guy about what Jesus meant and continues to mean to the world. I love that he's inclusive and speaks about Kwanzaa and Hanukkah while he colors in his Rudolph activity book. I love that he was so excited to shop for "stationary for a teenage girl" after attending St. Nicholas night at our church, where he sat with our friends and numbered the exit signs in case we needed to know. I also love that he was beyond satisfied with his Christmas gifts, taking time to enjoy each one before moving to the next. It takes a long time, but the gift giving isn't empty. It's treasured. I also love that Henry got just as excited about each one of Elgin's gifts. I love, love that he's a dancing fool when it comes to Christmas music.
Christmas was as busy as ever even though we keep it as simple as possible. I joked with one friend that I felt like I should wake Henry in the middle of the night when I realize that we forgot to let H eat a candy piece from his Advent calendar. At this point, he thinks the idea is to eat 2-3 pieces every few days. I ended up having to shop on Christmas Eve morning, and you know I don't enjoy shopping. But, when we attended the Christmas Eve service and Elgin insisted on nursing in the cry room while Daddy and Henry stayed for the Christmas story, my heart and my soul settled when I smelled the top of my little baby's head. A child was born. The world changed forever. Christmas is good, indeed.
Roper Mountain Christmas Lights:
Dancing Fool
(Sleepy) Santa Baby
More dancing
Before Christmas Eve Service
After
H's letter to Santa
Christmas morning
Santa used to bring me green olives and pickles each year. H gets Kalamata olives. He eats them at breakfast and relishes them.
Ever see a kid so thrilled about his clementines?
EW's Santa spread
Talking... maybe telling us it's time to eat?
Fishing rod and accessories from Grandjoe who knows to teach a man to fish...
Our boys... our favorite gifts ever
Enter Henry. I love that he is confused about why there are two Christmas stories--the one about baby Jesus being born and the one about everyone being tucked in their beds. I love that, last year, he wanted Santa to bring him a toy Christmas tree. I love that, this year, he got excited about doing his Advent wreath each Sunday, which caused us to have to look up scripture and talk to our curious little guy about what Jesus meant and continues to mean to the world. I love that he's inclusive and speaks about Kwanzaa and Hanukkah while he colors in his Rudolph activity book. I love that he was so excited to shop for "stationary for a teenage girl" after attending St. Nicholas night at our church, where he sat with our friends and numbered the exit signs in case we needed to know. I also love that he was beyond satisfied with his Christmas gifts, taking time to enjoy each one before moving to the next. It takes a long time, but the gift giving isn't empty. It's treasured. I also love that Henry got just as excited about each one of Elgin's gifts. I love, love that he's a dancing fool when it comes to Christmas music.
Christmas was as busy as ever even though we keep it as simple as possible. I joked with one friend that I felt like I should wake Henry in the middle of the night when I realize that we forgot to let H eat a candy piece from his Advent calendar. At this point, he thinks the idea is to eat 2-3 pieces every few days. I ended up having to shop on Christmas Eve morning, and you know I don't enjoy shopping. But, when we attended the Christmas Eve service and Elgin insisted on nursing in the cry room while Daddy and Henry stayed for the Christmas story, my heart and my soul settled when I smelled the top of my little baby's head. A child was born. The world changed forever. Christmas is good, indeed.
Roper Mountain Christmas Lights:
It was on Christmas day that I could swear EW was saying "booger." Looking back at pictures, I'm pretty sure he did say it.
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