Well, Day 2 in the bubble didn't go as I had planned. I ended up with what was either a stomach bug or food poisoning, but either way, I was not in any shape to care for my boys, so hubs ended up coming home from work to take over. I needed to be especially conservative around Chase and limit my exposure to him just in case it was a bug of some sort. I spent most of my day in bed while hubs entertained the boys. I think it's safe to say Chase played his fair share of Wii U today. ;)
Speaking of Chase, hubs and I were talking last night that he seems to be getting tired more quickly and more frequently than before. You know how a 4-year-old that's way overdue for a nap would behave? Yes, that's been Chase lately by 6:30pm or 7:00pm, even after a good 2-hour nap. He's been much more grouchy and moody than we've seen in the past. And he definitely is getting winded quicker than before. It's a big effort for him just to go upstairs to his room now. And he starts breathing heavy when walking across the street to our neighborhood playground. Thankfully his oxygen saturation hasn't decreased (he's still in the low to mid 80s), but we know that it is most definitely time for him to have this third surgery, the Fontan.
We have to discontinue his nightly aspirin 2 weeks prior to his surgery, and I can't decide if I'm happy or needing to vomit now that we have almost hit the 2 week mark. I've said it before, I definitely want to get this behind us and have a healthier, pinker, post-Fontan 4-year-old. But ohmygoodness is my mommy self so very afraid of what it's going to be like this time -- handing over our son for his 3rd heart surgery after we've been privileged to know and love him and raise him for almost 5 years. I'm human, and therefore I'm fearful of the "what-ifs" an operation like this brings. But I'm so thankful for the promise my Lord has given me in my heart. I'm grateful that He has a plan that is much better than anything I could come up with myself. And while I will still be afraid, my trust is in Him and I can rest in that.
Sorry I don't have any pics or fun anecdotes from our day today... But there's always tomorrow!
As always, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers along this journey. We are so grateful for each of you who care enough to read along and lift us up in prayer during this time! God bless you!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Quarantine: Day 1
Day 1 in the quarantine bubble is underway, and it's been a good one so far! I did venture outside with the boys for a little wagon ride and some solo fun on our neighborhood playground. I felt bad, though, because one of our neighbors was out walking his dog and came near the playground, so I packed up and hurried us outta there like the poor man had the plague! I don't think he noticed necessarily, but it cracked me up a bit and made me wonder how I can better handle these situations in the future. Can I put Chase in an actual bubble when we venture outside? Should I carry a large poster board sign with us that says, "Stay Back 100 Feet" or something? I guess the good thing is it's only for a short time...
Here are my sweet boys... and E's first wagon ride! He did great and really loved the fresh air and new scenery.
I'm finding some fun and exciting ways to pass the time inside, with one of my most favorite things ever: SHOPPING! I'm on the hunt for some summer shoes for E and I found some sweet gems that I can't wait to get on his chubby toes!
These are Salt Water Sandals Sea Wees and I'm just smitten! Excellent reviews everywhere I've looked, very reasonably priced, and ridiculously cute! I can't wait to see E's chubby toes stuffed in these! It's hard to believe he'll be walking around in these over the summer months.
I saw a little neighborhood boy at our playground over the weekend in these burlap bimini Tiny TOMS and totally imagined them on E. In fact, I'd love to get a pair for Chase, too. They're so darling and are the perfect summer shoe to pair with shorts or even to dress up with khakis for church. Much to my dismay, they come in a variety of other fabrics as well (including chambray and mixed denim... adorbs!), so I figure I'll try my best to start with one pair to be sure they work for us before starting a little collection. ;)
Another favorite way of mine to pass time seems to be venturing onto some sort of newfangled diet or exercise program. I thoroughly enjoyed how I felt at the beginning of the year when I tried the 21DSD and Paleo. Unfortunately, I've fallen off that wagon and gained back some of the weight I had lost, and of course have been feeling miserable with that added weight around my middle. Much to hubs' relief, I'm not jumping on any new bandwagons these days, but I am going to make an improved effort in making better choices for myself and my family. I cannot tell you how much we (I) have been hitting the drive-thru or nearby restaurant for meals lately. It's ridiculous and totally out of hand. My plan is to focus on making healthy meals that steer clear of grains, gluten and sugar (so mostly meat, veggies and fruit). I mean, really, I have nothing but time on my hands these days, so surely it will be a win-win for all of us!
Prior to quarantine, I've had an unusually large volume of "stuff" on my plate: obligations at LO's school (as PTA Communications Chair, 1st grade class Room Parent and volunteer), obligations at Chase's school (class volunteer/helper), singing in our church choir and on our Praise Team for 3 Holy Week services, E's 1st birthday party, Team Manager for LO's soccer team, hubs with the flu, then myself with the flu, both boys with ear infections, my Sienna getting hit by a woman making an illegal left turn directly into the side of my vehicle (who, by the way, refuses to respond to her insurance company's attempts to contact her, so they are unable to "complete their investigation" and assume liability for the accident, so we're looking at possibly having to use our own insurance to replace the sliding rear passenger door---grrrrrrr!), and I'm certain there were several other things that have demanded my attention over the past several weeks. All of that to say that I am ECSTATIC I can finally put my focus where it belongs -- on Chase's upcoming heart surgery -- and enjoy the extra time we have together during our quarantine.
One thing I've really wanted to do to prep for Chase's Fontan has been to make him fun hospital gowns to wear while inpatient. I finally had some time to work on a CARS one over the weekend, and I'm excited at how it's turning out! It's not finished yet, but almost! Check it out:
I also picked up some Mickey Mouse and Toy Story fabric:
I really really really wanted to find Super Mario fabric and Despicable Me (minions) fabric but both of these proved IMPOSSIBLE to locate locally or online (such a shocker!). But in a rare moment of brilliance, I was able to find both Super Mario and Despicable Me twin sheet sets at K-Mart of all places! Win-Win!!! Now I have two fun pillowcases to use at the hospital, and plenty of fabric to make him hospital gowns of his current favorites! I'm excited to see what he thinks when I get them finished.
Whew! Guess that's enough for a Day 1 Quarantine update, huh? Kudos to those of you who stuck around and made it this far into this post!
Oh -- wait -- one last thing. I shared a pic yesterday of Chase with his pink and blue fingernails but failed to mention what a huge kick LO got out of seeing her brother with painted fingernails! She posted a note on their whiteboard and it was just too cute! She's so crazy!!!
Here are my sweet boys... and E's first wagon ride! He did great and really loved the fresh air and new scenery.
I'm finding some fun and exciting ways to pass the time inside, with one of my most favorite things ever: SHOPPING! I'm on the hunt for some summer shoes for E and I found some sweet gems that I can't wait to get on his chubby toes!
These are Salt Water Sandals Sea Wees and I'm just smitten! Excellent reviews everywhere I've looked, very reasonably priced, and ridiculously cute! I can't wait to see E's chubby toes stuffed in these! It's hard to believe he'll be walking around in these over the summer months.
I saw a little neighborhood boy at our playground over the weekend in these burlap bimini Tiny TOMS and totally imagined them on E. In fact, I'd love to get a pair for Chase, too. They're so darling and are the perfect summer shoe to pair with shorts or even to dress up with khakis for church. Much to my dismay, they come in a variety of other fabrics as well (including chambray and mixed denim... adorbs!), so I figure I'll try my best to start with one pair to be sure they work for us before starting a little collection. ;)
Another favorite way of mine to pass time seems to be venturing onto some sort of newfangled diet or exercise program. I thoroughly enjoyed how I felt at the beginning of the year when I tried the 21DSD and Paleo. Unfortunately, I've fallen off that wagon and gained back some of the weight I had lost, and of course have been feeling miserable with that added weight around my middle. Much to hubs' relief, I'm not jumping on any new bandwagons these days, but I am going to make an improved effort in making better choices for myself and my family. I cannot tell you how much we (I) have been hitting the drive-thru or nearby restaurant for meals lately. It's ridiculous and totally out of hand. My plan is to focus on making healthy meals that steer clear of grains, gluten and sugar (so mostly meat, veggies and fruit). I mean, really, I have nothing but time on my hands these days, so surely it will be a win-win for all of us!
Prior to quarantine, I've had an unusually large volume of "stuff" on my plate: obligations at LO's school (as PTA Communications Chair, 1st grade class Room Parent and volunteer), obligations at Chase's school (class volunteer/helper), singing in our church choir and on our Praise Team for 3 Holy Week services, E's 1st birthday party, Team Manager for LO's soccer team, hubs with the flu, then myself with the flu, both boys with ear infections, my Sienna getting hit by a woman making an illegal left turn directly into the side of my vehicle (who, by the way, refuses to respond to her insurance company's attempts to contact her, so they are unable to "complete their investigation" and assume liability for the accident, so we're looking at possibly having to use our own insurance to replace the sliding rear passenger door---grrrrrrr!), and I'm certain there were several other things that have demanded my attention over the past several weeks. All of that to say that I am ECSTATIC I can finally put my focus where it belongs -- on Chase's upcoming heart surgery -- and enjoy the extra time we have together during our quarantine.
One thing I've really wanted to do to prep for Chase's Fontan has been to make him fun hospital gowns to wear while inpatient. I finally had some time to work on a CARS one over the weekend, and I'm excited at how it's turning out! It's not finished yet, but almost! Check it out:
I also picked up some Mickey Mouse and Toy Story fabric:
I really really really wanted to find Super Mario fabric and Despicable Me (minions) fabric but both of these proved IMPOSSIBLE to locate locally or online (such a shocker!). But in a rare moment of brilliance, I was able to find both Super Mario and Despicable Me twin sheet sets at K-Mart of all places! Win-Win!!! Now I have two fun pillowcases to use at the hospital, and plenty of fabric to make him hospital gowns of his current favorites! I'm excited to see what he thinks when I get them finished.
Whew! Guess that's enough for a Day 1 Quarantine update, huh? Kudos to those of you who stuck around and made it this far into this post!
Oh -- wait -- one last thing. I shared a pic yesterday of Chase with his pink and blue fingernails but failed to mention what a huge kick LO got out of seeing her brother with painted fingernails! She posted a note on their whiteboard and it was just too cute! She's so crazy!!!
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Quarantine
It's hard to believe the countdown is on... Chase's third (and last planned) heart surgery is just about three weeks away. We've known since June 2009 that our son would be born with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). Essentially, the left side of his heart didn't develop properly and we were told he would need a series of three operations on his half-heart to allow him to survive.
While I am obviously anxious about this upcoming surgery, I will be happy to finally have it behind us. It will provide Chase with an improved oxygen saturation (he is currently in the low 80s rather than at 100% like those of us with healthy hearts), less cyanosis (in other words, his fingers, toes and lips will be more pink than blue) and increased energy/endurance levels. As if I don't already have my hands full, right? ;)
Hubs and I finally had "the talk" with the kids last week. LO and Chase are now aware of Chase's upcoming heart surgery. Chase knows he had surgeries on his heart when he was a baby (he's seen pictures), but he has a very limited understanding of his current anatomy and physiology, mostly because we've been blessed with his incredible health through all of this, but also because we know he will live his entire life with this condition and we've been happy to give him as long as possible without having any concern over it. Plus, he's only 4, and there's only so much a 4-year-old can understand.
We've been reading an excellent book with him that was recommended by a fellow "heart mom" called Franklin Goes to the Hospital. It talks about going to the hospital, having surgery, X-rays, etc. and has been really easy for Chase to understand. It's nice because it's prompted some questions from him and random discussions about our upcoming trip. We've been able to start helping him understand what to expect. I'm so grateful we can talk about it now so our entire family can begin to prepare!
So of course quarantine starts tomorrow. LO will still attend school, hubs will attend work (sporadically and only as necessary) and I will still attend church, but we won't be having ANY visitors in our house nor taking Chase ANYWHERE in public. It's imperative that he stay healthy for the weeks leading up to his surgery because if he gets so much as a cold, we are looking at the possibility of rescheduling his Fontan. Let's not even talk about the arrangements already in place (rental home in Charleston, removing Chase from his 2x/week private school, grandparents lined up to help with the kids, preparing Chase for surgery, etc.). So yes, it's extremely important that all of us -- especially Chase -- stay healthy!!!
I'm sure we'll find plenty of ways to have fun, stay busy and keep our minds occupied in the weeks leading up to surgery. If tonight is any indication, Chase is gonna be a riot! LO picked out pink and blue nail polish for she and I to use for our manicures tonight, and Chase insisted on getting in on the action, so he now has pink and blue fingernails, too! LOL!
Love this boy!!!!!
While I am obviously anxious about this upcoming surgery, I will be happy to finally have it behind us. It will provide Chase with an improved oxygen saturation (he is currently in the low 80s rather than at 100% like those of us with healthy hearts), less cyanosis (in other words, his fingers, toes and lips will be more pink than blue) and increased energy/endurance levels. As if I don't already have my hands full, right? ;)
Hubs and I finally had "the talk" with the kids last week. LO and Chase are now aware of Chase's upcoming heart surgery. Chase knows he had surgeries on his heart when he was a baby (he's seen pictures), but he has a very limited understanding of his current anatomy and physiology, mostly because we've been blessed with his incredible health through all of this, but also because we know he will live his entire life with this condition and we've been happy to give him as long as possible without having any concern over it. Plus, he's only 4, and there's only so much a 4-year-old can understand.
We've been reading an excellent book with him that was recommended by a fellow "heart mom" called Franklin Goes to the Hospital. It talks about going to the hospital, having surgery, X-rays, etc. and has been really easy for Chase to understand. It's nice because it's prompted some questions from him and random discussions about our upcoming trip. We've been able to start helping him understand what to expect. I'm so grateful we can talk about it now so our entire family can begin to prepare!
So of course quarantine starts tomorrow. LO will still attend school, hubs will attend work (sporadically and only as necessary) and I will still attend church, but we won't be having ANY visitors in our house nor taking Chase ANYWHERE in public. It's imperative that he stay healthy for the weeks leading up to his surgery because if he gets so much as a cold, we are looking at the possibility of rescheduling his Fontan. Let's not even talk about the arrangements already in place (rental home in Charleston, removing Chase from his 2x/week private school, grandparents lined up to help with the kids, preparing Chase for surgery, etc.). So yes, it's extremely important that all of us -- especially Chase -- stay healthy!!!
I'm sure we'll find plenty of ways to have fun, stay busy and keep our minds occupied in the weeks leading up to surgery. If tonight is any indication, Chase is gonna be a riot! LO picked out pink and blue nail polish for she and I to use for our manicures tonight, and Chase insisted on getting in on the action, so he now has pink and blue fingernails, too! LOL!
Love this boy!!!!!
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
A Tooth! Finally!
Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Little E's very first tooth finally popped through and made an appearance! His bottom left tooth! I'm so thrilled for him!!!
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
E's 1st Birthday Party!
Last night was the big celebration of E's 1st birthday, but I will be very forthcoming by mentioning my sweet baby boy is still a mere 11 months old! We needed to celebrate his big milestone birthday a little over 2 weeks early due to the pending quarantine bubble my family will be entering after Easter Sunday in preparation for Chase's Fontan (3rd heart surgery) at the beginning of May. This is a happy post though, so let's dwell on the fun times!
I made a "Happy Birthday!" banner for E just as I had done previously for LO and Chase. I reuse these every year and simply modify the graphics to fit the theme of each party. This year's elephants may turn into next year's Elmo!
Here are some (poor) shots of the individual pics...
The big birthday cake! This bad boy is much larger than it appears! Again, I'd like to note that I'm no longer a perfectionist and there are several little things I would've liked to do differently, but overall I was happy with the outcome. It's a 4-layer cake alternating chocolate and vanilla bean layers, filled with white chocolate chip buttercream and frosted with vanilla buttercream. It was quite delish! I did have to purchase actual dinner plates for the cake as it was very evident that a dessert plate just wouldn't do!
A little smash cake for my little guy! I kept his simple with just vanilla bean cake with vanilla buttercream. He was a BIG fan. More on that below...
I made elephant cookies and chocolate covered Oreo cookies as little Thank You gifts for our partygoers.
The cookies were super cute! I had fun making them and look forward to doing other designs for future parties.
Oh, yes. The big boy (baby) of the hour! This is the only shot of him where you can see the outfit I made for him. It's a blue and white seersucker jon jon (short all) with an adorable birthday elephant appliqué.
This is a post-party pic of the much-loved outfit. It's a hot mess but you can see how adorable it was!
Time for spaghetti! E was a big fan!
Let's not forget big sister and big brother enjoying dinner, too!
Cake time! We had no way of preparing for the destruction that was about to ensue. Boy loves him some cake! It didn't take long at all for him to get his fingers into that frosting once his cake landed on his high chair...
Moments later... he's tearing into the cake!
The happy times were over when Daddy tried to take his cake away. He was terribly upset until Daddy decided to give it back.
I made a "Happy Birthday!" banner for E just as I had done previously for LO and Chase. I reuse these every year and simply modify the graphics to fit the theme of each party. This year's elephants may turn into next year's Elmo!
I also made a photo garland using pics of baby E from birth through 11 months. I'm okay that there isn't a 12 month shot on here because, again, my baby isn't 1 yet! ;)
Side note: Sorry for the terrible photos. It seems I've lost a big chunk of my "perfectionist" personality once I found myself with 3 little youngsters at home to contend with. No worries, though! I'm mostly okay with it.
Here are some (poor) shots of the individual pics...
A few pics of the foodstuffs...
The big birthday cake! This bad boy is much larger than it appears! Again, I'd like to note that I'm no longer a perfectionist and there are several little things I would've liked to do differently, but overall I was happy with the outcome. It's a 4-layer cake alternating chocolate and vanilla bean layers, filled with white chocolate chip buttercream and frosted with vanilla buttercream. It was quite delish! I did have to purchase actual dinner plates for the cake as it was very evident that a dessert plate just wouldn't do!
A little smash cake for my little guy! I kept his simple with just vanilla bean cake with vanilla buttercream. He was a BIG fan. More on that below...
I made elephant cookies and chocolate covered Oreo cookies as little Thank You gifts for our partygoers.
The cookies were super cute! I had fun making them and look forward to doing other designs for future parties.
Oh, yes. The big boy (baby) of the hour! This is the only shot of him where you can see the outfit I made for him. It's a blue and white seersucker jon jon (short all) with an adorable birthday elephant appliqué.
This is a post-party pic of the much-loved outfit. It's a hot mess but you can see how adorable it was!
Time for spaghetti! E was a big fan!
Let's not forget big sister and big brother enjoying dinner, too!
Cake time! We had no way of preparing for the destruction that was about to ensue. Boy loves him some cake! It didn't take long at all for him to get his fingers into that frosting once his cake landed on his high chair...
Moments later... he's tearing into the cake!
The happy times were over when Daddy tried to take his cake away. He was terribly upset until Daddy decided to give it back.
So, just in case you missed it...
BEFORE:
AFTER:
We had a super fun time celebrating with our closest family and dearest friends. E did great all night and didn't seem the slightest bit uncomfortable with all of the attention all night long. He was up way past his usual bedtime but didn't seem phased a bit! It was a fantastic party, but I'm looking forward to his actual birthday on April 30th when we can start his day off right with birthday pancakes, a few more gifts and lots more love and attention from his adoring family.
Monday, March 31, 2014
11 Months!
How is it possible? This baby of mine will be ONE next month. I can't hardly even believe it! His party plans are well under way. I'll reserve the details for a later post. For now, since I've got my hands full chasing after a very mobile 11-month-old, I'll just leave it to the pics. ;)
Love this sweet, sweet boy!!!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
On the Move!
Oh no!! My little darling is on the move! E mastered the army crawl over the weekend and my baby-proofing has gone into high gear! It's ridiculous how much stuff LO and Chase have that is considered choking hazards for a baby (loom bands anyone!?).
Cleaning is no fun, but watching this little guy slither across the carpet sure is! Check him out!
I must admit, this move of his is rather reminiscent of another little fella in our house, circa fall 2010:
)
In fact, I showed the video above to hubs and he asked if I had taken it yesterday morning because he was in a different outfit... LOL! Of course I pointed out how little LO was and then he realized this one is Chase! It's so funny how similar these army crawls are... right down to using that big toe to get some traction on the carpet! Oh, and for reference purposes, the video of Chase was taken on the day he turned 11 months old. Not too shabby for a sweet boy with two heart surgeries under his belt!
Well I suppose I should get back to vacuuming and cleaning the kitchen floor. Seriously, this guy is fast!
- Posted using BlogPress on my beloved iPhone 5
Cleaning is no fun, but watching this little guy slither across the carpet sure is! Check him out!
I must admit, this move of his is rather reminiscent of another little fella in our house, circa fall 2010:
)
In fact, I showed the video above to hubs and he asked if I had taken it yesterday morning because he was in a different outfit... LOL! Of course I pointed out how little LO was and then he realized this one is Chase! It's so funny how similar these army crawls are... right down to using that big toe to get some traction on the carpet! Oh, and for reference purposes, the video of Chase was taken on the day he turned 11 months old. Not too shabby for a sweet boy with two heart surgeries under his belt!
Well I suppose I should get back to vacuuming and cleaning the kitchen floor. Seriously, this guy is fast!
- Posted using BlogPress on my beloved iPhone 5
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
10 Months!!!
My precious little baby is now 10 months old! Well, technically, since there was no 30th of February, I'm thinking I can still consider him only 9 months old. No? ((sigh)) Oh well. I tried.
Plans for a little first birthday shindig are underway, although it's gonna be a bit different this time around. For starters, his birthday falls in our mandatory "quarantine period" before Chase's heart surgery, so we won't be able to celebrate on or even near his actual birthday, but will be celebrating several weeks in advance. This makes me sad because I feel like I'm losing a few weeks of precious baby time before he is officially a one year old! But on the other hand, I appreciate the freedom it gives me to switch gears and focus on his big brother's heart surgery when that is really where my focus should be at that time.
Let's have a little recap of my sweet 10-month-old, shall we? For starters, he LOVES to eat. Didn't see that one coming, did ya? Haha! He's eating more and more table food and less homemade baby food these days, and is well on his way to mastering the sippy cup. Over the weekend, I inventoried my supply of frozen breastmilk and found I had a whopping 582 ounces. And now a spreadsheet, too (not a surprise for those who know me well). With such a large stash in the freezer, combined with the fact that he nurses on average for less than 5 minutes during the day, I've decided to eliminate all but his morning and bedtime nursing sessions and go with bottles during the day. I did some math and this should get us right around his first birthday, so I feel pretty good with this decision. I am still so very grateful to have that frozen stash considering the challenges I had with my supply for the first two kiddos. It's such a blessing to (A) give him the very best nutrition and (B) not have to spend a dime on formula! And to reach my 1 year goal is a HUGE accomplishment that I'm very proud of! So anyway, back to food. He loves to feed himself and we haven't been able to find a single food he doesn't like (yet).
I have not been in ANY hurry whatsoever to encourage this baby boy of mine to get mobile. I love the fact that's always stayed where I've put him. But alas, his natural instincts are starting to kick in and he's figured out the rolling around to move to wherever he wants to. Belly to back to belly to back... and then before you know it, he's left the room! He does get into a crawling position and rocks a bit, so I know the crawling is right around the corner as well. SADNESS! He loves loves loves to stand up holding onto our fingers and loves to bounce, too. His smile, I tell ya -- it just melts me into a puddle of moosh! The dimple on his right cheek has to be the cutest thing on the planet. He's such a smiley, laid-back baby! He only complains if he's hungry, tired, or if he happens to physically witness mommy or daddy leaving the room. He's such a joy!!!
So 10 months now, and no teeth yet. Not even a swollen gum to speak of! I'm not sure what's taking so long, but I have been told by my MIL that hubs didn't get his teeth until almost one, so I guess I'll just blame hubs. ;) Again though, I'm still just so happy to see that baby's gummy, toothless grin, knowing that as soon as that first tooth pops through, he's going to look at least 6 months older to me.
How about more pics of my handsome little 10-month-old sweetheart? And my helpful little assistant, too! :)
Plans for a little first birthday shindig are underway, although it's gonna be a bit different this time around. For starters, his birthday falls in our mandatory "quarantine period" before Chase's heart surgery, so we won't be able to celebrate on or even near his actual birthday, but will be celebrating several weeks in advance. This makes me sad because I feel like I'm losing a few weeks of precious baby time before he is officially a one year old! But on the other hand, I appreciate the freedom it gives me to switch gears and focus on his big brother's heart surgery when that is really where my focus should be at that time.
Let's have a little recap of my sweet 10-month-old, shall we? For starters, he LOVES to eat. Didn't see that one coming, did ya? Haha! He's eating more and more table food and less homemade baby food these days, and is well on his way to mastering the sippy cup. Over the weekend, I inventoried my supply of frozen breastmilk and found I had a whopping 582 ounces. And now a spreadsheet, too (not a surprise for those who know me well). With such a large stash in the freezer, combined with the fact that he nurses on average for less than 5 minutes during the day, I've decided to eliminate all but his morning and bedtime nursing sessions and go with bottles during the day. I did some math and this should get us right around his first birthday, so I feel pretty good with this decision. I am still so very grateful to have that frozen stash considering the challenges I had with my supply for the first two kiddos. It's such a blessing to (A) give him the very best nutrition and (B) not have to spend a dime on formula! And to reach my 1 year goal is a HUGE accomplishment that I'm very proud of! So anyway, back to food. He loves to feed himself and we haven't been able to find a single food he doesn't like (yet).
I have not been in ANY hurry whatsoever to encourage this baby boy of mine to get mobile. I love the fact that's always stayed where I've put him. But alas, his natural instincts are starting to kick in and he's figured out the rolling around to move to wherever he wants to. Belly to back to belly to back... and then before you know it, he's left the room! He does get into a crawling position and rocks a bit, so I know the crawling is right around the corner as well. SADNESS! He loves loves loves to stand up holding onto our fingers and loves to bounce, too. His smile, I tell ya -- it just melts me into a puddle of moosh! The dimple on his right cheek has to be the cutest thing on the planet. He's such a smiley, laid-back baby! He only complains if he's hungry, tired, or if he happens to physically witness mommy or daddy leaving the room. He's such a joy!!!
So 10 months now, and no teeth yet. Not even a swollen gum to speak of! I'm not sure what's taking so long, but I have been told by my MIL that hubs didn't get his teeth until almost one, so I guess I'll just blame hubs. ;) Again though, I'm still just so happy to see that baby's gummy, toothless grin, knowing that as soon as that first tooth pops through, he's going to look at least 6 months older to me.
How about more pics of my handsome little 10-month-old sweetheart? And my helpful little assistant, too! :)
Monday, March 3, 2014
A Long Overdue Update
Almost a month since my last post, huh? You'd think not too much was happening around here if I'm not blogging about it, but not surprisingly, I've found the opposite to be true. Life is so busy happening that I have minimal time to write about it! I really want to do better about that. And not just for my blog readers, but for myself. I started this blog in 2008 to serve as a personal journal of sorts to help me remember all of the little details about life. You know, that stuff that sort of fades over time not to be thought of again? I don't want to forget it. But sadly I will forget all of it if I don't make the time to blog about it! Duh. So let me catch up a bit today...
Here's a pic of our pastor and his wife as the children's pastor prayed over baby E.
And a pic of E that was taken after the service. Such a handsome boy!
I must also share that I was completely honored and proud to have made E's dedication outfit: a reversible long-all in off-white corduroy on one side with his monogram and a sweet blue and white elephant print also with his monogram on the inside. I put a little turtleneck onesie with it and found the cutest shoes on a whim at The Children's Place. I loved his look and was so proud to have made it all myself (with the help of Google and lots of YouTube videos, of course)!
It should be purple. With puffy sleeves. And a heart on the bodice. And floral trim along the bottom hem. And her hair should be in braids. And she'll be wearing heels. Pretty specific, huh?
Well, I found a pattern that was pretty close to what I thought she was looking for. Basically she wanted to look and feel like a princess. Okay, I can do that! I hope... So I found a pattern and prepared for what would honestly be the FIRST TIME EVER that I've worked with an actual pattern. I went with the Simplicity 2463 as shown below. I needed to use the bodice from Dress A to get the puffy sleeves, and the skirt from Dress F to have the princess-like tulle overlay.
Did I mention I picked up the pattern, fabric, notions and all of the necessary supplies on MONDAY, with the big event taking place on FRIDAY. Nothing like setting myself up for success, right?
So after hours of painstakingly cutting out pattern pieces in satin and tulle (seriously, the tulle.), lots of sewing, googling of sewing terms, YouTube video watching of sewing techniques, and at least one bout of tears (mine) later, I was done. A quick purchase of some shoes (with heels... shudder) and a little tiara for my princess, and she was ready for the big dance in her new dress! I should note that she made the decision earlier in the week to forego the heart on the bodice and flower trim on the skirt hem. She was straight SMITTEN with this dress, folks! And I was so proud of myself for sticking with it and not giving up (it would've been SO much easier to give up and go buy her a dress!). But knowing her heart was set on this dress made it easier to commit to finishing it for her. I'm so glad I did, and so was she!
One of my newest favorite pics of my LO!
Daddy made sure to set the bar high for her future dance dates... a sweet wrist corsage for her (and a beautiful rose for her mommy)! Love.
This pic doesn't have the best focus, but I can't help but look at it and think how I will blink my eyes and she'll be riding off to her High School prom in no time. It makes me so happy and sad all at the same time!!!
Whew. Well I guess that's as good of a catch up post as any, right? I've got to make it a point to update more frequently! Starting with E's 10 month pics... hopefully tomorrow? :)
21DSD
First of all, I need to address the 21DSD (21 Day Sugar Detox). To be honest with myself, my family and my readers, we have found ourselves completely unable to sustain the lifestyle of the 21DSD. In our world, at this time, it is just not feasible to eat 100% Paleo 100% of the time. It is just not possible to eliminate ALL refined sugar from our meals 24/7. I'm not sure if or why or how I could've possibly thought this would be feasible when we started, but alas, for us, it's not something we're able to do at this time. The UP SIDE, however, is that hubs has completely eliminated Coke from his daily lifestyle. This. Is. HUGE! I'm so very proud of him! Honestly the two of us very rarely indulge in a diet soda either, which is also great! And I personally learned a lot about what is healthy and what isn't; the foods that keep my body happy and those that don't; the foods that make me feel good and those that don't. So overall, it was a wonderful learning experience. But as I told hubs last night (coincidentally as I was making homemade chocolate chip cookies with M&Ms), our family just isn't ever going to be one of "those families" who can completely eliminate sweets and baked goods from our lifestyle. It's just not possible (for us) to rewire the way each of us have lived for 30+ years (we blame our parents for this, of course!). LOL! But it's all good. I know moderation. I know we can treat our kids to special baked goods and desserts on occasion and not every day. This is all good! Whew. Glad to get that out there.E's Dedication
Next up? A huge day in the life of our little family! Baby E was dedicated at our church two weeks ago on Sunday, February 16th. It was amazing because ALL of our family was able to share in our special day. I made a lovely iMovie video of my favorite pictures of him over his first 9 months and it turned out amazing (if I may say so?)!Here's a pic of our pastor and his wife as the children's pastor prayed over baby E.
And a pic of E that was taken after the service. Such a handsome boy!
I must also share that I was completely honored and proud to have made E's dedication outfit: a reversible long-all in off-white corduroy on one side with his monogram and a sweet blue and white elephant print also with his monogram on the inside. I put a little turtleneck onesie with it and found the cutest shoes on a whim at The Children's Place. I loved his look and was so proud to have made it all myself (with the help of Google and lots of YouTube videos, of course)!
LO's Daddy/Daughter Dance
Another big event took place last Friday, February 28th. It was the Daddy/Daughter Dance at LO's elementary school and she decided she wanted to go this year! In fact, she even had the perfect dress in mind for the big night and was nice enough to sketch it out for me.It should be purple. With puffy sleeves. And a heart on the bodice. And floral trim along the bottom hem. And her hair should be in braids. And she'll be wearing heels. Pretty specific, huh?
Well, I found a pattern that was pretty close to what I thought she was looking for. Basically she wanted to look and feel like a princess. Okay, I can do that! I hope... So I found a pattern and prepared for what would honestly be the FIRST TIME EVER that I've worked with an actual pattern. I went with the Simplicity 2463 as shown below. I needed to use the bodice from Dress A to get the puffy sleeves, and the skirt from Dress F to have the princess-like tulle overlay.
Did I mention I picked up the pattern, fabric, notions and all of the necessary supplies on MONDAY, with the big event taking place on FRIDAY. Nothing like setting myself up for success, right?
So after hours of painstakingly cutting out pattern pieces in satin and tulle (seriously, the tulle.), lots of sewing, googling of sewing terms, YouTube video watching of sewing techniques, and at least one bout of tears (mine) later, I was done. A quick purchase of some shoes (with heels... shudder) and a little tiara for my princess, and she was ready for the big dance in her new dress! I should note that she made the decision earlier in the week to forego the heart on the bodice and flower trim on the skirt hem. She was straight SMITTEN with this dress, folks! And I was so proud of myself for sticking with it and not giving up (it would've been SO much easier to give up and go buy her a dress!). But knowing her heart was set on this dress made it easier to commit to finishing it for her. I'm so glad I did, and so was she!
One of my newest favorite pics of my LO!
Daddy made sure to set the bar high for her future dance dates... a sweet wrist corsage for her (and a beautiful rose for her mommy)! Love.
This pic doesn't have the best focus, but I can't help but look at it and think how I will blink my eyes and she'll be riding off to her High School prom in no time. It makes me so happy and sad all at the same time!!!
Chase's Fontan
Chase is not one to be left out of the spotlight with this catch-up post. As you probably already know, Chase's Fontan -- his third heart surgery -- is scheduled this summer. We have a cardiology appointment later this month to talk through some of the specifics of the surgery. We were able to book a rental home in Charleston for the duration of our time there, and have our wonderful parents lined up to help with childcare. Plans are being made and things are falling into place. We're trusting God with every facet of this trip, the surgery, the recovery, the routine changes for LO and E, and everything that goes along with having a child who needs heart surgery. Please begin praying with us even now for a successful, uneventful surgery, minimal complications, no infections and a strong recovery for our little Rock Star. This time around will be MUCH different than his first two surgeries (at 1 week old and 4 months old), so we appreciate your prayers more than ever before!Whew. Well I guess that's as good of a catch up post as any, right? I've got to make it a point to update more frequently! Starting with E's 10 month pics... hopefully tomorrow? :)
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