slowly but surely, noah is growing up.
i'm so SO behind in blogging - BAD BLOGGER!! - but i want to get a few things down before i forget.
the friday before xmas, noah's first molar broke though. he never seems horribly bothered by his teeth coming in, thankfully. i'm also not above giving him tylenol to make him more comfortable...
on xmas eve, we were having dinner at the koechling's and i gave noah a green olive (sans pimento) just to see what he'd do with it, and he ATE IT! well, not really. he ripped it apart, put the small pieces in his mouth, chewed them, and spit them out. but it's definite progress!
xmas was so fun. noah really got into it, and was all about opening presents. his presents, grant's presents, my presents... he didn't discriminate! santa brought a kid laptop, some puzzles, fridge phonics, and a sled. noah was definitely on the *good* list.
on new years day, noah - started - WALKING!!!! he's still inconsistent and does it only on his terms, but he can and will do it when he wants! that morning, he and i were watching the Rose Parade (which he *loved*) and during the parade he took three steps from near the coffee table to the couch, which he'd sort of done before. usually two step from table to couch, and a dramatic flop face first into the couch... (his VERY first indepdendent steps came when he took two steps while we were in AZ.) but anyways, i was at the mall and got a text from my mom: "noah just took 6 steps". and another: "took another 9". i hurriedly finished up my errands and went home, and lo-and-behold, he did it for me! he was so so proud of himself, especially given my reaction!! we try to practice every day and i'm hoping that by the time we go to arizona on feb 8th, he'd been pretty stable on his feet.
noah's fully recovered from surgery - had a follow up with the ENT last weekend, and he told me i could pick the scab off noah's neck. ew! and okay! (i started but then stopped myself...)
over the weekend, we took noah for his first haircut. we both just decided he was starting to look pretty raggedy. serious borderline mullet was happening, and he was starting to look kind of like a hobo. we went to a local chain place called kidsnips where they specialize in cutting kids' hair. noah loved all the colors on the walls, the toys, the kids, the mirror, the taxi cab seat he sat in during his haircut, the elmo video he got to watch during his haircut... he looks like such a big kid now. it's crazy how a haircut can change him so much. just looks so grown up. :)
last night, i gave him a piece of muenster cheese, and just like the olive on xmas eve, he tore it up, put the pieces in his mouth, chewed, and spit... again - progress. i'll take what i can get at this point...
in general, he's just talking a lot more and understanding even more than that! still no real words (beyond maybe mama and dada - and maybe look?), but lots of babbling and always making noises and silly faces. he FINALLY has started letting me brush his teeth (as of about a week ago), and tonight i said "noah, say ah!" - he opened wide and said ah. i said "noah, show me your teeth - say eee!" he smiled a toothy smile and scrunched his eyes the way i had demonstrated. when i started laughing, he crunched his eyes all the way shut and started chuckling. he and i crack each other up every night while he's getting ready for bed. he's so tickling and loves it! he just laughs and laughs... ah, the coolest kid ever!! pictures soon!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
what can i say? i'm a crier.
for sure. i'm not feeling especially emotional about anything in particular, but recently - dang! i need to stop reading sad stories and drowning my non-existance sorrows!
last night i was reading the blog of the wife of a guy i went to high school with (i'm a facebook stalker) - and i learned that she miscarried at 37 weeks. oh my god. she just stopped feeling the baby moving, they couldn't find a heart beat, and that was it. c-section delivery of a still-born, full-term baby. i was sobbing reading the blog and looking the photos of the couple with the baby girl they would never know. ugh.
tonight, reading the blog of the mom of a girl who suffered a brain injury in a car accident, and just recently came out of a coma. (this girl is a HS friend of my co-worker.) amazing to read about her progress, but so sad, because she was to be married this past saturday...
just read about the newest baby duggar, born last thursday, at 1 lb, 6oz. breaks my heart, because that baby is bound to have some serious developmental problems, and i've long felt the duggars were pressing their luck with so many kids and continuing to have kids into her 40s, when the odds of complications go up.
noah had surgery last friday - it went so well, and he has been amazing. the doctor said the cyst was larger than he'd anticipated but that it was most certainly benign (though it was still sent for testing). i don't miss the nub the way i thought i would - thinking about it makes me a little sad, but tonight at dinner, noah reached for it, and it did hurt my heart. i leaned toward him and he threw his arms around my neck, and i told him that i loved him with or without the nub, and that i knew he would have been a strong enough, confident enough boy to live with it, but that it would hurt mommy if kids said mean things because he looked a little different. i told him that someday he would understand.
i get emotional about commercials and tv shows (like - ones i probably shouldn't cry at). i get emotional about other peoples struggles and pain - if one more friend has to go through dealing with fertility issues, i'm going to go crazy on somebody. who? totally not sure, but seriously? WTF. and then a coworker (who's a lesbian) told me she and her GF of forever wanted to do international adoption, but basically no one will adopt to a same sex couple anymore. what the hell is the world coming to?
vent over. :) happy holidays!!!
(it's late and i'm over worked and sleep deprived of late... at least that's my excuse.)
last night i was reading the blog of the wife of a guy i went to high school with (i'm a facebook stalker) - and i learned that she miscarried at 37 weeks. oh my god. she just stopped feeling the baby moving, they couldn't find a heart beat, and that was it. c-section delivery of a still-born, full-term baby. i was sobbing reading the blog and looking the photos of the couple with the baby girl they would never know. ugh.
tonight, reading the blog of the mom of a girl who suffered a brain injury in a car accident, and just recently came out of a coma. (this girl is a HS friend of my co-worker.) amazing to read about her progress, but so sad, because she was to be married this past saturday...
just read about the newest baby duggar, born last thursday, at 1 lb, 6oz. breaks my heart, because that baby is bound to have some serious developmental problems, and i've long felt the duggars were pressing their luck with so many kids and continuing to have kids into her 40s, when the odds of complications go up.
noah had surgery last friday - it went so well, and he has been amazing. the doctor said the cyst was larger than he'd anticipated but that it was most certainly benign (though it was still sent for testing). i don't miss the nub the way i thought i would - thinking about it makes me a little sad, but tonight at dinner, noah reached for it, and it did hurt my heart. i leaned toward him and he threw his arms around my neck, and i told him that i loved him with or without the nub, and that i knew he would have been a strong enough, confident enough boy to live with it, but that it would hurt mommy if kids said mean things because he looked a little different. i told him that someday he would understand.
i get emotional about commercials and tv shows (like - ones i probably shouldn't cry at). i get emotional about other peoples struggles and pain - if one more friend has to go through dealing with fertility issues, i'm going to go crazy on somebody. who? totally not sure, but seriously? WTF. and then a coworker (who's a lesbian) told me she and her GF of forever wanted to do international adoption, but basically no one will adopt to a same sex couple anymore. what the hell is the world coming to?
vent over. :) happy holidays!!!
(it's late and i'm over worked and sleep deprived of late... at least that's my excuse.)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
vacation and surgery for noah
There's been a lot going on lately. Our office moved at the end of October, so it's been a crazy month at the CFC. I think I've adjusted to life in a cubicle, but the holidays are always a little hectic because scheduling meetings can be a challenge... I've been insanely busy for the last two weeks, but hopefully will be slowing down as we get closer to Christmas.
Noah and I are flying to Arizona on December 2nd for a long weekend visiting Amanda, Robert, and the kids. I'm looking so forward to seeing them and getting a break from the craziness of work! I know I'm very spoiled that I'm able to take as many vacations as we do, but I think you have to get away occasionally for your sanity!! It will be a challenge traveling alone with Noah. I'm trying not to think too much about it yet, because I know I'm going to be freaking out when I start preparing to go and when reality sets in when I'm getting on the plane.... wish me luck!!
The other big event on the horizon is surgery for Noah, another thing I'm not to think too much about for now, as it's still a few weeks off... Noah has had this lump on the back of his head since July. Initially, we thought it was a pimple, ingrown hair, or maybe a mole. The pediatrician didn't really know what it was either, and initially, it had a head and bled a little bit, so we did a round of antibiotics, and it seemed to get a bit better. Then we treated it with warm compresses and neosporin. It didn't seem to improve much, and then started to get bigger. At our 12 month check up, the doctor suggested we see an ENT and see what he had to say.
A few weeks ago we saw the ENT, and right away he knew what it was and said we would need to do surgery to remove it. "It" is called a pilomatrixoma, which is basically a benign cyst or tumor in the hair follicle. (At least that's how I understand it.) We talked with the ped and amongst ourselves, and decided to go ahead with surgery. If we don't, it could become infected, and in the very slight chance it is not benign, we could never forgive ourselves if we didn't act now. (The chance of it being malignant is something like 2%, and we're told that the majority of these tumors will not grow back.) Once they remove it, they'll run tests to confirm it is benign and in fact a pilomatrixoma. The ENT will also remove the skin tag (aka. "the nub") on Noah's ear at the same time. I'm very sad about this, but I know it's in Noah's best interest for the future. At least that's what I'm telling myself... I know it may seem silly, but it's a part of him, and I'll be sad when part of him is gone. :(
On a happier note, Noah has a lot of new "tricks" lately. When asked "where's the balloon?" and "where's the light?", he looks at both. He loves to dance, and when he's not too tired, he'll start bouncing when we say "can you dance, Noah?". When I ask him, "where's mama's belly button?", he'll put up my shirt and poke his finger in my belly button. He's babbling a lot more these days, and is more frequently imitating what we say. The other day he imitated a tune Ben was humming, and this morning he imitated some silly sounds and "words" I was making. He's so awesome!
Noah and I are flying to Arizona on December 2nd for a long weekend visiting Amanda, Robert, and the kids. I'm looking so forward to seeing them and getting a break from the craziness of work! I know I'm very spoiled that I'm able to take as many vacations as we do, but I think you have to get away occasionally for your sanity!! It will be a challenge traveling alone with Noah. I'm trying not to think too much about it yet, because I know I'm going to be freaking out when I start preparing to go and when reality sets in when I'm getting on the plane.... wish me luck!!
The other big event on the horizon is surgery for Noah, another thing I'm not to think too much about for now, as it's still a few weeks off... Noah has had this lump on the back of his head since July. Initially, we thought it was a pimple, ingrown hair, or maybe a mole. The pediatrician didn't really know what it was either, and initially, it had a head and bled a little bit, so we did a round of antibiotics, and it seemed to get a bit better. Then we treated it with warm compresses and neosporin. It didn't seem to improve much, and then started to get bigger. At our 12 month check up, the doctor suggested we see an ENT and see what he had to say.
A few weeks ago we saw the ENT, and right away he knew what it was and said we would need to do surgery to remove it. "It" is called a pilomatrixoma, which is basically a benign cyst or tumor in the hair follicle. (At least that's how I understand it.) We talked with the ped and amongst ourselves, and decided to go ahead with surgery. If we don't, it could become infected, and in the very slight chance it is not benign, we could never forgive ourselves if we didn't act now. (The chance of it being malignant is something like 2%, and we're told that the majority of these tumors will not grow back.) Once they remove it, they'll run tests to confirm it is benign and in fact a pilomatrixoma. The ENT will also remove the skin tag (aka. "the nub") on Noah's ear at the same time. I'm very sad about this, but I know it's in Noah's best interest for the future. At least that's what I'm telling myself... I know it may seem silly, but it's a part of him, and I'll be sad when part of him is gone. :(
On a happier note, Noah has a lot of new "tricks" lately. When asked "where's the balloon?" and "where's the light?", he looks at both. He loves to dance, and when he's not too tired, he'll start bouncing when we say "can you dance, Noah?". When I ask him, "where's mama's belly button?", he'll put up my shirt and poke his finger in my belly button. He's babbling a lot more these days, and is more frequently imitating what we say. The other day he imitated a tune Ben was humming, and this morning he imitated some silly sounds and "words" I was making. He's so awesome!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
i am the mommy of a one year old!!
it seems kind of cliched to say the year went by so fast. everybody seems to say that when their little one turns the big numero uno!
some days it feels like noah's been a part of our family forever, and it's hard to remember life before baby. but truthfully, this year has gone by so quickly. it's been a busy year, for sure, but it's been the most amazing ride.
i've learned so much about what i'm capable of. i've learned what it feels like to be so proud that it feels as though your heart might burst our of your chest. i've also learned the pain of a mother's guilt and how easy self-blame can be.
ultimately, i've learned that being a parent is a lot of work. i can hear all of my fellow parents saying "duh", and my friend's who are not yet parents echoing "duh", but not fully grasping the gravity...
there is something truthfully indescribably about knowing the everything you do - every action, every word, every single thing - is likely shaping your child into the person he will become. that's a freaking amazing and incredible thing. it also scares the shit out of me.
my life has changed in the most amazing ways over the last few years. i went through two years of utter hell, and i wish that no one ever had to endure the kind of emotional and mental anguish that infertility causes. but like i told a dear friend who recently underwent her 4th IVF cycle: i would do it all again in a heartbeat if i knew that out the pain would come the most amazing being that i could have ever wished for. i waited two long, horrible years, but the end result was my precious boy, and if i had to go back, i wouldn't change a thing because now i'm noah's mommy, and for that i will be forever grateful.
some days it feels like noah's been a part of our family forever, and it's hard to remember life before baby. but truthfully, this year has gone by so quickly. it's been a busy year, for sure, but it's been the most amazing ride.
i've learned so much about what i'm capable of. i've learned what it feels like to be so proud that it feels as though your heart might burst our of your chest. i've also learned the pain of a mother's guilt and how easy self-blame can be.
ultimately, i've learned that being a parent is a lot of work. i can hear all of my fellow parents saying "duh", and my friend's who are not yet parents echoing "duh", but not fully grasping the gravity...
there is something truthfully indescribably about knowing the everything you do - every action, every word, every single thing - is likely shaping your child into the person he will become. that's a freaking amazing and incredible thing. it also scares the shit out of me.
my life has changed in the most amazing ways over the last few years. i went through two years of utter hell, and i wish that no one ever had to endure the kind of emotional and mental anguish that infertility causes. but like i told a dear friend who recently underwent her 4th IVF cycle: i would do it all again in a heartbeat if i knew that out the pain would come the most amazing being that i could have ever wished for. i waited two long, horrible years, but the end result was my precious boy, and if i had to go back, i wouldn't change a thing because now i'm noah's mommy, and for that i will be forever grateful.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Welcome to the world cousin Grant, and other updates on us...
I've been a bad, bad blogger, and my goal for the coming year (since year two for Noah starts this week), is to blog on a weekly or bi-weekly basis...
First and foremost, we want to welcome baby Grant to the world!! He came into the world late on Saturday, September 19th after his mommy's water broke at BuyBuyBaby. Needless to say, that shopping trip was cut short...
9/19/09 11:34pm, 7lb 3oz, 19in (I think - my memory sucks...)
A couple of weeks ago, we went apple picking with Julie, Scott, & Grant, and our friends Amy and Mike and their little girl, Anna. It was a gorgeous day, and we all had a great time.
Last weekend was SUPER busy with TWO out of town weddings, if you can believe that!? We headed out I-88 to my cousin Laura's wedding near Dixon, IL, and from there kept driving west to my dear friend, Kari's wedding in Rock Island, IL. It was a long day, but we were so happy we were able to make it to both weddings. We're so happy for both sets of newlyweds!
The fam at Laura's wedding
Noah and Mommy at Kari's wedding
This Thursday is Noah's first birthday! We are so super excited, and on Sunday, we're having a HUGE party, with all of our family and friends! It's going to be so much fun!
First and foremost, we want to welcome baby Grant to the world!! He came into the world late on Saturday, September 19th after his mommy's water broke at BuyBuyBaby. Needless to say, that shopping trip was cut short...
A couple of weeks ago, we went apple picking with Julie, Scott, & Grant, and our friends Amy and Mike and their little girl, Anna. It was a gorgeous day, and we all had a great time.
Last weekend was SUPER busy with TWO out of town weddings, if you can believe that!? We headed out I-88 to my cousin Laura's wedding near Dixon, IL, and from there kept driving west to my dear friend, Kari's wedding in Rock Island, IL. It was a long day, but we were so happy we were able to make it to both weddings. We're so happy for both sets of newlyweds!
Noah and Mommy at Kari's weddingThis Thursday is Noah's first birthday! We are so super excited, and on Sunday, we're having a HUGE party, with all of our family and friends! It's going to be so much fun!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Embry- uh oh!
Noah is changing all the time, and I wish I were better about blogging more regularly so I could keep you all up-to-date on the latest with him!! I told my sister (who's due in less than three weeks!) that I sort of regret not documenting all the little milestones better. You know, first smile, laugh, etc. I feel like I can ballpark those things, but looking back I just wish I would have jotted down something like "Today I think Noah smiled for the first time". We've documented everything in pictures though, so at least I have a generally reference point...
Noah has exploded with his gross motor skills!! He's like a different kid. After being so worried about this area of his development for so long, he's finally taking off! He started getting himself into sitting while we were on vacation. He crawls so fast when he's motivated to get something, like a cat or a favorite toy. He probably started getting really good at it about 2-3 weeks ago (see, again with not really having a precise date...) - I know it was right after our vacation, so probably the 2nd or 3rd week of August.
He started pulling up in the crib awhile ago, probably the end of July, and now that he's really good with crawling, he's pulling up on the coffee table. We put the padding on the outside half of the table (that's not along the couches) a few weeks ago, and he loves to pull up, squat down, pull up, squat down... He's even starting to cruise a little bit. :)
A few weeks ago (maybe mid-August), he started stepping while he was standing at the table or in the crib, and in the last week or so, he's walking with his hands held! It's crazy to think he's going to be walking in the next few months - where has the time gone!
Yesterday, tooth number 8 finally broke through! Now he has 4 on top and 4 on bottom, and none except the first two really gave us any trouble. Thank goodness for that!
So now that his gross motor skills are well on their way, my newest concern (because I'm neurotic, apparently) is feeding, hence the title of this post.
Noah DOES NOT like anything solid or chunky. Stage 3s are a no-go - he spits out anything solid, such as pasta or veggie pieces. Typical baby finger foods - such as Gerber puffs, wagon wheels, yogurt melts, crackers, cookies, cheerios, etc - go straight on the floor. Table foods - fruits, veggies, chicken, pasta - also go straight on the floor. Early in the process (like around 7-8 mo) he would put a cracker or cheerio to his mouth. He even bit off pieces of a Ritz cracker, but twice he "choked" on a cheerio, and I don't know if maybe that turned him off to food.
I told Noah that I don't know how he can be mommy and daddy's baby if he doesn't like to eat food. Mommy and Daddy LOVE to eat food. That when I told him that maybe the doctor mixed up the embryos, and daddy said "Embry- uh oh!". Obviously, Noah is our combined mini-me, so there's just the little matter of figuring out how the hell to get this kid to eat!
So many people have said "maybe he's just not hungry". Oh. my. god. That to me is like when people used to say "it'll happen" when we were trying to get pregnant. It's condescending. Trust me, I've tried every trick I can think of, PLUS I've been chatting with a speech therapist who's given me MORE ideas. I'm hoping maybe the dropping things is a phase. I mean, I know it is, but he can drop toys until the end of time, just PLEASE stop dropping the food!!! I don't even care about the mess. I just want him to bite into something and realize, "oh my god, this is so delicious!" I keep telling him he'll like it, and when has mommy ever lied to you??
Noah has exploded with his gross motor skills!! He's like a different kid. After being so worried about this area of his development for so long, he's finally taking off! He started getting himself into sitting while we were on vacation. He crawls so fast when he's motivated to get something, like a cat or a favorite toy. He probably started getting really good at it about 2-3 weeks ago (see, again with not really having a precise date...) - I know it was right after our vacation, so probably the 2nd or 3rd week of August.
He started pulling up in the crib awhile ago, probably the end of July, and now that he's really good with crawling, he's pulling up on the coffee table. We put the padding on the outside half of the table (that's not along the couches) a few weeks ago, and he loves to pull up, squat down, pull up, squat down... He's even starting to cruise a little bit. :)
A few weeks ago (maybe mid-August), he started stepping while he was standing at the table or in the crib, and in the last week or so, he's walking with his hands held! It's crazy to think he's going to be walking in the next few months - where has the time gone!
Yesterday, tooth number 8 finally broke through! Now he has 4 on top and 4 on bottom, and none except the first two really gave us any trouble. Thank goodness for that!
So now that his gross motor skills are well on their way, my newest concern (because I'm neurotic, apparently) is feeding, hence the title of this post.
Noah DOES NOT like anything solid or chunky. Stage 3s are a no-go - he spits out anything solid, such as pasta or veggie pieces. Typical baby finger foods - such as Gerber puffs, wagon wheels, yogurt melts, crackers, cookies, cheerios, etc - go straight on the floor. Table foods - fruits, veggies, chicken, pasta - also go straight on the floor. Early in the process (like around 7-8 mo) he would put a cracker or cheerio to his mouth. He even bit off pieces of a Ritz cracker, but twice he "choked" on a cheerio, and I don't know if maybe that turned him off to food.
I told Noah that I don't know how he can be mommy and daddy's baby if he doesn't like to eat food. Mommy and Daddy LOVE to eat food. That when I told him that maybe the doctor mixed up the embryos, and daddy said "Embry- uh oh!". Obviously, Noah is our combined mini-me, so there's just the little matter of figuring out how the hell to get this kid to eat!
So many people have said "maybe he's just not hungry". Oh. my. god. That to me is like when people used to say "it'll happen" when we were trying to get pregnant. It's condescending. Trust me, I've tried every trick I can think of, PLUS I've been chatting with a speech therapist who's given me MORE ideas. I'm hoping maybe the dropping things is a phase. I mean, I know it is, but he can drop toys until the end of time, just PLEASE stop dropping the food!!! I don't even care about the mess. I just want him to bite into something and realize, "oh my god, this is so delicious!" I keep telling him he'll like it, and when has mommy ever lied to you??
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Noey at 10 months
it has been SUCH a hectic summer, and i apologize to my loyal readers who have probably wondering why the hiatus!!! everything's just fine, just SUPER busy!!!
i spent most of the summer keeping busy with ball games, concerts, pre-wedding and wedding festivities, baby shower planning, and vacation (thankfully), not to mention trying to keep up with a busy baby!
noah turned 10 months on saturday, and now that julie's baby shower is said and done, i'm starting to think about planning noah's birthday party!! we're tossing around ideas for themes, talking about cakes, and getting excited (on his behalf, of course).
noah's still not *officially* crawling, but he definitely gets around. when he's motivated, he will get on all fours and move forward, but usually it's more of a butt-pivot sort of thing... he started getting himself into sitting about two weeks ago. we were on vacation, and woke up to him on his butt in the pack and play. we were in shock!! it's so funny to watch him do it, because most times he puts his head on the floor for leverage...
he has six of the cutest teeth i've ever seen - four on top, two on bottom - and he loves to show them off by doing what we call his "crunchy" face, where he scrunches up his nose, squints his eyes, and gives a big ole sh*t eating grin... he's super ticklish and his little chuckle makes he laugh so hard i cry every time. he's SUCH a ham!
my biggest stressor right now is feeding. he eats stage 2s like a champ. we feed him mainly earth's best, with the occasional gerber organics, and the rare regular gerber (for flavor variations). he eats cereal begrudgingly - usually EB oatmeal or mixed grains with stage 2 fruit and/or yogurt mixed it. he usually gags and spits out the first bite but is okay from there. he seems to have a thing with pasta in the stage 3s. he eats the fruits no problem but the meals (pasta primavera and lasagne for example) don't go over so well. he is getting good at filtering the stuff he doesn't like, and spitting out just the chunks... finger foods are a huge issue too. he won't even attempt to put things in his mouth when he's in the highchair. he just picks them up, looks at them, leans over, and drops them on the floor... twice, he's "accidentally" put a cheerio in his mouth and not been able to push it right back out, so he's gagged to the point of throwing up. i've been chatting up one of my speech therapists, but i'm getting nervous that it's a sensory issue... (which is just me being a paranoid early interventionist...)
health wise, things are good. we go back to both the neurosurgeon and hematologist on 9/10. the neuro ordered another head u/s to monitor his head growth and the fluid and the hemo is going to run some tests to *officially* diagnose him with my blood disorder (hereditary spherocytosis, or HS) that caused his jaundice at birth and severe anemia that resulted in a transfusion at one month. he in on antibiotics right now because he had a pimple or something (not sure) on the back of his head that got infected and developed an absess. i thought it was a zit or ingrown hair, and when it didn't get better, i thought maybe a mole. when it kept getting harder and darker, i decided to take him to the ped. she said if it's not better by friday, to bring him back and they'd have to open it to drain it. yuck.
i'll try to post some more pictures soon- i have SOOO many good ones from the summer and from vacation- but for now, he's just one from our Piatt Lake vaca two weeks ago.
hope everyone had and continues to have a great summer!!
i spent most of the summer keeping busy with ball games, concerts, pre-wedding and wedding festivities, baby shower planning, and vacation (thankfully), not to mention trying to keep up with a busy baby!
noah turned 10 months on saturday, and now that julie's baby shower is said and done, i'm starting to think about planning noah's birthday party!! we're tossing around ideas for themes, talking about cakes, and getting excited (on his behalf, of course).
noah's still not *officially* crawling, but he definitely gets around. when he's motivated, he will get on all fours and move forward, but usually it's more of a butt-pivot sort of thing... he started getting himself into sitting about two weeks ago. we were on vacation, and woke up to him on his butt in the pack and play. we were in shock!! it's so funny to watch him do it, because most times he puts his head on the floor for leverage...
he has six of the cutest teeth i've ever seen - four on top, two on bottom - and he loves to show them off by doing what we call his "crunchy" face, where he scrunches up his nose, squints his eyes, and gives a big ole sh*t eating grin... he's super ticklish and his little chuckle makes he laugh so hard i cry every time. he's SUCH a ham!
my biggest stressor right now is feeding. he eats stage 2s like a champ. we feed him mainly earth's best, with the occasional gerber organics, and the rare regular gerber (for flavor variations). he eats cereal begrudgingly - usually EB oatmeal or mixed grains with stage 2 fruit and/or yogurt mixed it. he usually gags and spits out the first bite but is okay from there. he seems to have a thing with pasta in the stage 3s. he eats the fruits no problem but the meals (pasta primavera and lasagne for example) don't go over so well. he is getting good at filtering the stuff he doesn't like, and spitting out just the chunks... finger foods are a huge issue too. he won't even attempt to put things in his mouth when he's in the highchair. he just picks them up, looks at them, leans over, and drops them on the floor... twice, he's "accidentally" put a cheerio in his mouth and not been able to push it right back out, so he's gagged to the point of throwing up. i've been chatting up one of my speech therapists, but i'm getting nervous that it's a sensory issue... (which is just me being a paranoid early interventionist...)
health wise, things are good. we go back to both the neurosurgeon and hematologist on 9/10. the neuro ordered another head u/s to monitor his head growth and the fluid and the hemo is going to run some tests to *officially* diagnose him with my blood disorder (hereditary spherocytosis, or HS) that caused his jaundice at birth and severe anemia that resulted in a transfusion at one month. he in on antibiotics right now because he had a pimple or something (not sure) on the back of his head that got infected and developed an absess. i thought it was a zit or ingrown hair, and when it didn't get better, i thought maybe a mole. when it kept getting harder and darker, i decided to take him to the ped. she said if it's not better by friday, to bring him back and they'd have to open it to drain it. yuck.
i'll try to post some more pictures soon- i have SOOO many good ones from the summer and from vacation- but for now, he's just one from our Piatt Lake vaca two weeks ago.
hope everyone had and continues to have a great summer!!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Getting on my soapbox for a minute
A few things that you need to care about...
**HEALTH CARE REFORM - contact your senators and representatives and encourage them to support health care for all Americans.
-Sign a petition: http://ga3.org/campaign/healthpetition?source=hc_durbin
-The Arthritis Foundation's stance: http://www.arthritis.org/health-care-reform.php
**THE FAMILY CORD BLOOD BANKING ACT - this would allow the costs for cord blood banking to be paid using pre-tax health savings plans
-House Bill 1718: http://www.viacord.com/Collateral/Documents/Viacord-English-US/hr_1718.pdf
-Sample letter to send your state rep: http://www.viacord.com/sample-email-hr-1718.htm
-Find your state representative: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
**SUPPORT ILLINOIS SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS
The Illinois state buget is out of control, but to solve the problem the people we voted to send to Springfield are talking about cutting funding to programs that provide services and housing for people with developmental disabilities and the mentally ill. They will cut child care subsidies that allow parents to go to school and/or work. Cuts will be made in funding for Early Childhood (3-5 year old) programs and at-risk programing. There will be cuts in the number of Department of Human Services offices and DCFS caseworkers (making their caseloads go from 15 to 50). Teen pregnancy prevention services will be cut. Services for seniors and veterans will be cut.
Illinoisians MUST contact Governor Quinn and your local legislators to let them know you WILL NOT SUPPORT CUTS TO SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS. It is our duty as Americans to take care of our fellow Americans. We must support those who are too young, too old, or too ill to care for themselves. We must support working parents and people who are trying to better themselves. We must not take what we have for granted.
-Email Governor Quinn: http://www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm
-Email your state legislator: https://secure2.convio.net/opf/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=190
Don't be ignorant. Get educated!!
**HEALTH CARE REFORM - contact your senators and representatives and encourage them to support health care for all Americans.
-Sign a petition: http://ga3.org/campaign/healthpetition?source=hc_durbin
-The Arthritis Foundation's stance: http://www.arthritis.org/health-care-reform.php
**THE FAMILY CORD BLOOD BANKING ACT - this would allow the costs for cord blood banking to be paid using pre-tax health savings plans
-House Bill 1718: http://www.viacord.com/Collateral/Documents/Viacord-English-US/hr_1718.pdf
-Sample letter to send your state rep: http://www.viacord.com/sample-email-hr-1718.htm
-Find your state representative: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
**SUPPORT ILLINOIS SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS
The Illinois state buget is out of control, but to solve the problem the people we voted to send to Springfield are talking about cutting funding to programs that provide services and housing for people with developmental disabilities and the mentally ill. They will cut child care subsidies that allow parents to go to school and/or work. Cuts will be made in funding for Early Childhood (3-5 year old) programs and at-risk programing. There will be cuts in the number of Department of Human Services offices and DCFS caseworkers (making their caseloads go from 15 to 50). Teen pregnancy prevention services will be cut. Services for seniors and veterans will be cut.
Illinoisians MUST contact Governor Quinn and your local legislators to let them know you WILL NOT SUPPORT CUTS TO SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS. It is our duty as Americans to take care of our fellow Americans. We must support those who are too young, too old, or too ill to care for themselves. We must support working parents and people who are trying to better themselves. We must not take what we have for granted.
-Email Governor Quinn: http://www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm
-Email your state legislator: https://secure2.convio.net/opf/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=190
Don't be ignorant. Get educated!!
Summer = CRAZY busy
How do you know that summer has arrived??? It's when your weekends are booked through August!!! Oh my god, summer was busy enough without a baby, but now my load seems to have doubled! Things that I would feel the pressure on it the past are even more burdensome now that you add Noah on top of it.
SOOO many things going on this summer, including Marilyn's bachelorette party, Laura's bridal shower, 4th of July/anniversary weekend, Cubs games, DMB at Alpine, Amanda in town, Mar & Chris's wedding, VACATION, Julie's baby shower, Julie's BABY, Laura's wedding, Kari's wedding, Noah's birthday party ... There's something every single weekend into August, and then the baby coming in September, and then a busy October. And that's not to even mention work and helping start up the Music & Developmental Therapy program at the American Music Institute... It never ends!!
**
As for Noah, he *finally* started swimming yesterday, and Noah loved the water! Not that I was at all surprised - he loves playing in the bathtub. We eased into it, by first getting his feet wet and then sitting together in the shallowest part of the pool. Then we went all the way in and he loved floating! We splashed and sang songs. Toward the end of class, he was getting really tired, so we actually wound up leaving a few minutes early.
Noah has been working on his top teeth for awhile, and one finally popped through two days ago. The top middle two are working their way out too. He's doing okay, and baby tylenol DEFINITELY helps.
Noah has started trying to pull up in his crib. I'll sit him in there to put away laundry or get stuff ready for bedtime, and he'll scoot to the side of the crib to chew on the top rail and will pull onto his knees. Once we lower the mattress, I think he'll be able to pull all the way to his feet.
He's still not interested in crawling and still hates being on his tummy. He'll play on his tummy for a minute, but ultimately rolls over to his back. He spends most of his time playing in sitting though, and is really good at reaching for toys.
We're still working on sippy cups and table foods. It's going to take sometime, but he's getting better. He loves the pureed jar foods (stage 2 - we use Earth's Best), and actually put a Ritz cracker in his mouth the other day, but anything else, he's not interested. He's doing okay with the sippy cup - he'll bring it to his mouth but is inconsistent about tipping it.
SOOO many things going on this summer, including Marilyn's bachelorette party, Laura's bridal shower, 4th of July/anniversary weekend, Cubs games, DMB at Alpine, Amanda in town, Mar & Chris's wedding, VACATION, Julie's baby shower, Julie's BABY, Laura's wedding, Kari's wedding, Noah's birthday party ... There's something every single weekend into August, and then the baby coming in September, and then a busy October. And that's not to even mention work and helping start up the Music & Developmental Therapy program at the American Music Institute... It never ends!!
**
As for Noah, he *finally* started swimming yesterday, and Noah loved the water! Not that I was at all surprised - he loves playing in the bathtub. We eased into it, by first getting his feet wet and then sitting together in the shallowest part of the pool. Then we went all the way in and he loved floating! We splashed and sang songs. Toward the end of class, he was getting really tired, so we actually wound up leaving a few minutes early.
Noah has been working on his top teeth for awhile, and one finally popped through two days ago. The top middle two are working their way out too. He's doing okay, and baby tylenol DEFINITELY helps.
Noah has started trying to pull up in his crib. I'll sit him in there to put away laundry or get stuff ready for bedtime, and he'll scoot to the side of the crib to chew on the top rail and will pull onto his knees. Once we lower the mattress, I think he'll be able to pull all the way to his feet.
He's still not interested in crawling and still hates being on his tummy. He'll play on his tummy for a minute, but ultimately rolls over to his back. He spends most of his time playing in sitting though, and is really good at reaching for toys.
We're still working on sippy cups and table foods. It's going to take sometime, but he's getting better. He loves the pureed jar foods (stage 2 - we use Earth's Best), and actually put a Ritz cracker in his mouth the other day, but anything else, he's not interested. He's doing okay with the sippy cup - he'll bring it to his mouth but is inconsistent about tipping it.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Just the *thought* of dieting is hard...
I'm not the most motivated person with regard to diet and exercise. My home life revolves around Noah and maybe I am just making excuses, but my free time is very limited. Since I have to work, my time with Noah during the week is precious, and by the time he's in bed, it's time for dinner, and exercise is the furthest thing from my mind.
I got a reality check a week or so ago, when I had a follow up appointment with the rheumatologist for the first time since one week post-partum. I stepped on the scale and it said 157. 157. I've completely stagnated and on top of that, I've gained a few pounds since I stopped pumping. UGH. I think I got so used to eating everything I wanted during my pregnancy and while I was pumping, and now it's time to reel it back in and re-learn better eating habits.
I've gotten back into going to yoga one night a week, but that's not going to do the trick. Noah and I start his swim class this week, and hopefully now that the weather's nicer, we'll get out for walks more. The main thing is that I need to eat better - less crap and smaller portions. My goal is to get to 140 which is what I weighed pre-fertility treatment when we went to Europe in 2006. We shall see...
I got a reality check a week or so ago, when I had a follow up appointment with the rheumatologist for the first time since one week post-partum. I stepped on the scale and it said 157. 157. I've completely stagnated and on top of that, I've gained a few pounds since I stopped pumping. UGH. I think I got so used to eating everything I wanted during my pregnancy and while I was pumping, and now it's time to reel it back in and re-learn better eating habits.
I've gotten back into going to yoga one night a week, but that's not going to do the trick. Noah and I start his swim class this week, and hopefully now that the weather's nicer, we'll get out for walks more. The main thing is that I need to eat better - less crap and smaller portions. My goal is to get to 140 which is what I weighed pre-fertility treatment when we went to Europe in 2006. We shall see...
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