I am in the midst of studying for my USMLE and my COMLEX, which is why it had been forever since I've updated.
I just wanted to make note that on Friday night (6/12) Brian went pee-pee AND poo-poo on the big boy potty for the very first time! YAY!
Also, Brian's 11th tooth broke through this morning. He has (in total): 4 in the front on the top, 4 molars (one in each spot - top right, bottom right, top left, bottom left) and 3 on the bottom in the front with one more on the way (this is where his most recent came in).
Lastly, Brian will begin dayschool on July 6th. I am really excited, but also really scared. I am mostly worried about him getting enough sleep (they sleep on mats on the floor at school) and also about him bringing home bad habits from other kids. We are proabably going to have to start disciplining him more.
That's it for now. I promise pcitures and whatnot once I am done with the insaineness that is my life. Please pray for me on Sunday, June 21 and Wednesday, June 24 as I will be taking my exams those days. I am absolutely terrified. I feel like my enitre life hangs in the balance (although I know it really doesn't) and I am having a really hard time giving the stress and worry to God. I know He has great plans for me and I just need to trust Him, but I am having a hard time. Pray that I can let go and let Him take charge. Thanks.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Calvary Christian Academy
When my original babysitter quit in December of last year I had originally wanted to put Brian into a dayschool program. Dayschool is a mix between daycare and preschool. It operates full days and year-round like a daycare, but is geared toward teaching children the skills they need in order to succeed later in life (especially in school). I searched and searched and prayed and prayed for a place that I felt good putting Brian in. This is a BIG decision to me. Wherever Brian goes will help shape him into the child he will be later in life. A Christian program was a must for Jason and me. Teaching Brian about Christ is one of our duties as parents. What better way to back up our beliefs than to incorporate them into Brian's learning environment?
I came across this one school called Calvary Christian Academy. It is a private school that begins accepting children at 18 months and continues all the way up to 12th grade. It is a fully accredited Texas school and the prices weren't outrageous. I was discouraged by the fact that Brian wouldn't be able to go until the end of March (March 30), but excited at the prospect of him attending this school.
We hired a babysitter/nanny who comes to our apartment everyday to watch Brian until he can go to "school". I called CCA and had Brian placed on the waiting list because the class was full for this school year. The more I prayed about this school, the better I felt about it and the more I felt it was where God was leading me to place Brian. I scheduled an appointment to meet with the director of the lower shcool and went in. That cemented it! It was everything I wanted. I loved the directer, I loved tha campus, I loved everything they told me about their ideas and philosphies on teaching and on Christ. It was a perfect fit. The only problem was that we were number 26 on a waiting list that almost never moved.
Fast forward to February. Calvery Christian Academy was now holding open enrollment for the 2009/2010 school year. I scheduled an appointment for Jason and I to meet with the director again (you have to have a meeting with her before placing a child in order for them to make sure you believe in Christ and the basic Christian ideals). Jason and I met with her and Jason felt the same way about the school as I did the first time I went. We were both so sure that this was where Brian is supossed to be that we paid our first weeks tuition in order to secure Brian a seat in the class! I am so excited! Brian will start school in August.
I am very excited and feel that this is the path God wants for us, but at the same time I am very nervous and scared. Right now my biggest fear is just leaving him. (See previous post about going to the nursery at church). I am also nervous that he hasn't been socialized enough to get along well with others. My mom is worried that he is going to become mean and aggressive because of the other children. I worry about him getting enough rest during the day and being tired all the time. I worry about not getting to see him nearly as much as before (but I will be "working" next semester so I won't have the time either). It's just a lot of changes. At least I have some time.
I came across this one school called Calvary Christian Academy. It is a private school that begins accepting children at 18 months and continues all the way up to 12th grade. It is a fully accredited Texas school and the prices weren't outrageous. I was discouraged by the fact that Brian wouldn't be able to go until the end of March (March 30), but excited at the prospect of him attending this school.
We hired a babysitter/nanny who comes to our apartment everyday to watch Brian until he can go to "school". I called CCA and had Brian placed on the waiting list because the class was full for this school year. The more I prayed about this school, the better I felt about it and the more I felt it was where God was leading me to place Brian. I scheduled an appointment to meet with the director of the lower shcool and went in. That cemented it! It was everything I wanted. I loved the directer, I loved tha campus, I loved everything they told me about their ideas and philosphies on teaching and on Christ. It was a perfect fit. The only problem was that we were number 26 on a waiting list that almost never moved.
Fast forward to February. Calvery Christian Academy was now holding open enrollment for the 2009/2010 school year. I scheduled an appointment for Jason and I to meet with the director again (you have to have a meeting with her before placing a child in order for them to make sure you believe in Christ and the basic Christian ideals). Jason and I met with her and Jason felt the same way about the school as I did the first time I went. We were both so sure that this was where Brian is supossed to be that we paid our first weeks tuition in order to secure Brian a seat in the class! I am so excited! Brian will start school in August.
I am very excited and feel that this is the path God wants for us, but at the same time I am very nervous and scared. Right now my biggest fear is just leaving him. (See previous post about going to the nursery at church). I am also nervous that he hasn't been socialized enough to get along well with others. My mom is worried that he is going to become mean and aggressive because of the other children. I worry about him getting enough rest during the day and being tired all the time. I worry about not getting to see him nearly as much as before (but I will be "working" next semester so I won't have the time either). It's just a lot of changes. At least I have some time.
The Time Change
So as most people know (I hope), Sunday was the first day of the new time change. Brian has had an awful time adjusting so far.
Sunday morning we all got up and got ready to go to church. I have to admit we haven't been in a while, but we are really trying to be better about that as a family. We dropped Brian off at the nursery and he cried his little heart out (like usual), but this day was different. This was the first time he has been left somewhere without a pacifier. About 10 minutes into service (right after communion) our pager went off. Jason went to the nursery and they told him that Brian didn't ever stop crying after we dropped him off and that the crying just got worse. Jason brought him back to the sanctuary with us and I sat him on my lap. He had been crying so hard that he was sucking in air and shaking - poor guy. I guess he was hyper-sensitive because when everyone stood up to sing (we stayed sitting) he started to get really upset again. Fearing that he would disrupt service I quickly made a bee-line for the exit just in time for another meltdown. Jason and I decided to just give up and go home. We are going to make a very dedicated effort to make it to church from now on because we need to get Brian used to the nursery and being left there.
Anyway, Sunday afternoon for nap time Brian went down late (because of the time change) and it took him forever to go to sleep. At first, he didn't even want to go to sleep. Usually when we ask him if he is ready to go night-night he runs for his bed. This time we asked him if he was ready to go night-night and he said "no" (shaking his head and walking away). When we put him in bed a little while later, he talked and played for probably an hour. He did the same thing Sunday night when it was time to go to sleep (something he never does). Usually he goes right to sleep. He didn't go to sleep Sunday night until about 9:30 (bedtime is 7:00).
Monday naptime was the same story as Sunday. Going to sleep went a little smoother, but I have been up now since midnight because Brian is wide awake. We are going on 3 hours of Brian being awake now in his bed. He woke up at midnight happy and talking until he got bored or lonely and started calling for us. Jason went in and laid him back down and covered him up and everything, but he is still awake. I have been in there 4 times (I think) and gave him Tylenol at 2:00 thinking it is his teeth bothering him. I just went in and he is quite so hopefully he is going back to sleep now. I don't know what the deal is. It could be the time change. It could be his teeth coming in. It could even be the no pacifier (a little delayed). I don't know, but if it continues past this week, we are going to have to try and change something.
Sunday morning we all got up and got ready to go to church. I have to admit we haven't been in a while, but we are really trying to be better about that as a family. We dropped Brian off at the nursery and he cried his little heart out (like usual), but this day was different. This was the first time he has been left somewhere without a pacifier. About 10 minutes into service (right after communion) our pager went off. Jason went to the nursery and they told him that Brian didn't ever stop crying after we dropped him off and that the crying just got worse. Jason brought him back to the sanctuary with us and I sat him on my lap. He had been crying so hard that he was sucking in air and shaking - poor guy. I guess he was hyper-sensitive because when everyone stood up to sing (we stayed sitting) he started to get really upset again. Fearing that he would disrupt service I quickly made a bee-line for the exit just in time for another meltdown. Jason and I decided to just give up and go home. We are going to make a very dedicated effort to make it to church from now on because we need to get Brian used to the nursery and being left there.
Anyway, Sunday afternoon for nap time Brian went down late (because of the time change) and it took him forever to go to sleep. At first, he didn't even want to go to sleep. Usually when we ask him if he is ready to go night-night he runs for his bed. This time we asked him if he was ready to go night-night and he said "no" (shaking his head and walking away). When we put him in bed a little while later, he talked and played for probably an hour. He did the same thing Sunday night when it was time to go to sleep (something he never does). Usually he goes right to sleep. He didn't go to sleep Sunday night until about 9:30 (bedtime is 7:00).
Monday naptime was the same story as Sunday. Going to sleep went a little smoother, but I have been up now since midnight because Brian is wide awake. We are going on 3 hours of Brian being awake now in his bed. He woke up at midnight happy and talking until he got bored or lonely and started calling for us. Jason went in and laid him back down and covered him up and everything, but he is still awake. I have been in there 4 times (I think) and gave him Tylenol at 2:00 thinking it is his teeth bothering him. I just went in and he is quite so hopefully he is going back to sleep now. I don't know what the deal is. It could be the time change. It could be his teeth coming in. It could even be the no pacifier (a little delayed). I don't know, but if it continues past this week, we are going to have to try and change something.
Blue's Clues
Brian's new obsession is the TV show "Blue's Clues". He asks to watch it at least 5 times a day (we only let him watch 1 hour of TV a day). If I would let him (I almost never do), he would sit and watch a full hour (2 episodes) without getting bored or distracted - that's how much he loves it. He knows all the songs and even the hand motions they use. We let him watch it one morning because he woke up early and it was on Noggin (the only channel we let him watch). I didn't know it at the time, but he was falling in love. The next day when he woke up in the morning he said "Blue's Clues" and even made the same hand motions that they make on the show when they say "Blue's Clues". I was pretty impressed. He has gotten to the point now that he will say all the words with the host such as "A clue!" and "Notebook!". It's pretty cute. I bought him a few VHS tapes of "Blue's Clues" for really cheap and we also have some episodes of it on our 'on demand' TV. I think he has seen all of them 10 times each, I know I have.
On another note related to TV... One of my new favorite things is getting up in the morning and Brian snuggling with me while he watches "Blue's Clues". It's 30 minutes in the day when he is still and snuggly. He isn't a very lovey-dovey kind of boy, but lately he would much rather be in my lap watching TV than just sitting next to me. He will even grab my arms and wrap them around himself (so cute!). Sometimes he will pat my leg or rub my arms while we are watching TV. I love it. On rare days that I am home during the week when he goes down for a nap we will usually do the same thing before nap-time (to wind down). My two new favorite times of the day.
On another note related to TV... One of my new favorite things is getting up in the morning and Brian snuggling with me while he watches "Blue's Clues". It's 30 minutes in the day when he is still and snuggly. He isn't a very lovey-dovey kind of boy, but lately he would much rather be in my lap watching TV than just sitting next to me. He will even grab my arms and wrap them around himself (so cute!). Sometimes he will pat my leg or rub my arms while we are watching TV. I love it. On rare days that I am home during the week when he goes down for a nap we will usually do the same thing before nap-time (to wind down). My two new favorite times of the day.
Teeth
Brian has always been a little late on getting those teeth (I'm not complaining!), but I think we are about to see several more sprout out in his mouth. When he gets teeth it seems like he always gets them in multiples and that they take forever to come all the way in. Right now he has two top molars (one on each side) that are just barely breaking through the gum line. I am pretty sure he is working on the two matching molars on the bottom and possibly the two bottom teeth next to the two he already has. It seems like these teeth have been coming in since early February or late January. I know that the top molars have been close for a while because the pediatrician noted it when we were in the office for his 15 month check-up. Poor guy has had some pretty miserable days, but for the most part has been awesome about it all.
So, just for the record, at 17 months Brian officially has his 4 middle top teeth and 2 middle bottom teeth. (Minus the 2 barely out molars on the top).
So, just for the record, at 17 months Brian officially has his 4 middle top teeth and 2 middle bottom teeth. (Minus the 2 barely out molars on the top).
Monday, March 9, 2009
No More Pacifiers
I've been working toward getting rid of the pacifier for quite some time now. Quite a while back we got it down to where Brian only got a pacifier if he was in bed or in his car seat. In early February, I took it away while he was in the car seat so he only got it in bed. In late February I took all the pacifiers away except one. I knew I needed to just get rid of them all together but was internally struggling with taking away the ONE material thing my son loved and counted on for soothing himself. I was worried about him self-soothing and about my sanity without a pacifier. One week ago (March 2) I got determined and took Brian's pacifier away for good. Jason and I were all geared up for a long night awake reassuring Brian only to be surprised by the fact that Brian went straight to sleep, slept through the night, and even slept an hour later the next morning. I was astounded! I had never heard of such an easy transition. Surely nap time would be a struggle - nope. Again, Brian went straight to sleep and slept a normal nap length. No way! I kept thinking it must be a fluke, but he has been doing fine since then and hasn't once asked for his pacifier. He amazes me everyday.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Shapes
So Brian has been very interested in shapes lately. He can correctly identify star and moon (they were his first) and also heart. He can also say those names very well and names the shapes corectly when asked what they are. He knows all the others - circle, oval, square, rectangle, and triangle but he doesn't always say the right name if you ask him. I can ask him to find the triangle and he will correctly pick up the triangle out of all the shapes almost every time, but if I show him the triangle and ask him what it is he says circle. I think that is mostly out of not being to say the names very well. It's pretty cool. He will look for shapes in everyday things and point them out to me. He's such a cool boy.
Monday, January 26, 2009
What did you say?
Just for record keeping sake I have decided to compile a list of some of the words Brian says the most.
Mama
Dada
Nana
Papa
Mimi (more like Mima)
Pops
Janelle (Na-nelle)
Ryan (Ry)
Elmo
Big Bird
Bye-Bye
Go
More
Car
Truck (more like truh)
Airplane
Helicopter
Key
Bang
Boom
Whoa
Moo
Baa
Neigh
Cock-a-Doodle-Doo
Who-who (an owl)
Roar
Oh-oh (a monkey)
Woof
Meow (he doesn't really say the 'e' sound)
Quack
Duck (sounds a lot like quack)
Firetruck (not exactly pronounced correctly, but close enough)
Night-night (more like nigh nigh)
Moon
Star (sounds more like scar)
Circle (somehow there is a 'g' when he says it)
Oval
Heart
Boo
Light (sounds like lie with an 'h' on the end)
Brian (more like Bri)
Eye
Nose
Mouth
Teeth (more like tee)
Bath
On
Off
In
Out
Up
Down
Open
Close
Color
Help (always whiny and always sounds like Ha or Hal)
All-done (he signs this and mumbles/grunts the syllables)
Again (this one he signs and just makes a 'g' sound without ever opening his mouth)
Please (sounds like pea sometimes with the 's' on the end)
Thank you (he signs it and grunts the syllables)
Hi (this is what a farmer says)
Hot (more like Ha)
Cold
Eat (more like eee, but in a very high pitched voice usually)
Cracker (sounds like cacker)
Milk (this one is weird - he calls it nee)
Drink (sounds like Dree)
TV (not one I am happy about)
Yes
No (luckily he has not used this word in defiance to us yet)
I'm sure there are several others, but those are the ones he uses the most. He seems to leave off the last letter of most words and there are still several consonants that he rarely says. He has also reached a point where he will try his very best to repeat a word you say to him. His vocabulary is growing daily. It's so fun to see him learn new words and then use them to communicate with us.
Here is a short list of the words that Brian can sign well and signs often. Most of these words he can also say and usually when he really wants something he will both sign and say the word.
Eat
Drink
More
All-done
Please
Thank-you
Bath
Help
Again
Sleep
Love
Something else that Brian has started to do is become obsessed with the alphabet. We got him some alphabet magnets, alphabet bath "stickers", and an alphabet puzzle for Christmas. He loves the alphabet song and asks us to sing it to him all the time. He also asks to take a bath more now because he wants to play with his alphabet. As an extension of this new found love of letters he can now recognize letters anywhere. He can't tell us what letter it is specifically yet (except for 'O') but he knows what letters are. When he sees a letter he usually says e e e over and over again. It's pretty awesome. He will point to letters on clothing, on the TV, on anything he sees letters on and gets all excited about it too. We are working with him to try and recognize individual letters, but aren't pushing it too hard right now.
What's a post without a few pictures? Hopefully I haven't posted these before.
This is Brian looking at a fire and saying "Hot"
Mama
Dada
Nana
Papa
Mimi (more like Mima)
Pops
Janelle (Na-nelle)
Ryan (Ry)
Elmo
Big Bird
Bye-Bye
Go
More
Car
Truck (more like truh)
Airplane
Helicopter
Key
Bang
Boom
Whoa
Moo
Baa
Neigh
Cock-a-Doodle-Doo
Who-who (an owl)
Roar
Oh-oh (a monkey)
Woof
Meow (he doesn't really say the 'e' sound)
Quack
Duck (sounds a lot like quack)
Firetruck (not exactly pronounced correctly, but close enough)
Night-night (more like nigh nigh)
Moon
Star (sounds more like scar)
Circle (somehow there is a 'g' when he says it)
Oval
Heart
Boo
Light (sounds like lie with an 'h' on the end)
Brian (more like Bri)
Eye
Nose
Mouth
Teeth (more like tee)
Bath
On
Off
In
Out
Up
Down
Open
Close
Color
Help (always whiny and always sounds like Ha or Hal)
All-done (he signs this and mumbles/grunts the syllables)
Again (this one he signs and just makes a 'g' sound without ever opening his mouth)
Please (sounds like pea sometimes with the 's' on the end)
Thank you (he signs it and grunts the syllables)
Hi (this is what a farmer says)
Hot (more like Ha)
Cold
Eat (more like eee, but in a very high pitched voice usually)
Cracker (sounds like cacker)
Milk (this one is weird - he calls it nee)
Drink (sounds like Dree)
TV (not one I am happy about)
Yes
No (luckily he has not used this word in defiance to us yet)
I'm sure there are several others, but those are the ones he uses the most. He seems to leave off the last letter of most words and there are still several consonants that he rarely says. He has also reached a point where he will try his very best to repeat a word you say to him. His vocabulary is growing daily. It's so fun to see him learn new words and then use them to communicate with us.
Here is a short list of the words that Brian can sign well and signs often. Most of these words he can also say and usually when he really wants something he will both sign and say the word.
Eat
Drink
More
All-done
Please
Thank-you
Bath
Help
Again
Sleep
Love
Something else that Brian has started to do is become obsessed with the alphabet. We got him some alphabet magnets, alphabet bath "stickers", and an alphabet puzzle for Christmas. He loves the alphabet song and asks us to sing it to him all the time. He also asks to take a bath more now because he wants to play with his alphabet. As an extension of this new found love of letters he can now recognize letters anywhere. He can't tell us what letter it is specifically yet (except for 'O') but he knows what letters are. When he sees a letter he usually says e e e over and over again. It's pretty awesome. He will point to letters on clothing, on the TV, on anything he sees letters on and gets all excited about it too. We are working with him to try and recognize individual letters, but aren't pushing it too hard right now.
What's a post without a few pictures? Hopefully I haven't posted these before.
This is Brian looking at a fire and saying "Hot"
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Christmas 2008
Christmas this year was fantastic! We actually got to see almost all of our families and still even begin our own family traditions. Jason and I were really looking forward to Christmas this year because Brian was old enough to enjoy it and love on his family that he doesn't see so often.
This was the first year since Jason and I have been married that we actually had spending money for Christmas time. Now don't get me wrong, Christmas is NOT about gifts or presents and we plan on making sure our children know that, but we still went a little overboard with presents for Brian. We decided that in our family some presents will come from Santa and some will come from mom and dad (not that Brian knew the difference this year). In my family all the presents were always from Santa. Because we purchased so many gifts for Brian, we were worried about him being too overwhelmed on Christmas morning. We actually started giving him gifts to open on the Sunday night before Christmas. He caught on really quickly and soon we had to watch him to make sure he didn't grab presents from under the tree when we weren't looking.
On Tuesday my mom, dad, and brother got here (my sister was already here visiting with us). They got in that evening and we all went out to dinner. Brian was a huge grouch because he is teething (a whole other story...). We hung out Tuesday night after Brian went down and played the Wii (my Christmas present from Jason) together and had SOO much fun.
Wednesday morning my parents came over (they stayed in a hotel downtown) and since Jason was at work my mom, dad, sister, and I (and Brian) headed to see Santa! We were all worried that Brian was going to scream bloody murder especially after his performance at the restaraunt the night before. When we got there I pointed out Santa Clause and talked him up tp Brian the whole time we were in line. I talked about all the other kids and how they sat on Santa's lap and told him that he was going to sit on his lap too. It was finally our turn and I introduced Santa to Brian and set him down on his lap. He was a doll! It was perfect. We got the BEST picture (not digital) and several others. I think Brian did so well because he was the center of attention. Everyone was saying his name and being silly and waving to him. He was eating it up.
After pictures with Santa we all went out to Breakfast/Lunch/Brunch. I loved the family time I got with my mom, dad, sister, and brother. And I loved that they got to spend quality time with Brian - something they don't get a lot of.
Christmas Eve (still Wednesday) I had made a full Christmas meal for everyone including Turkey, Greenbean Casserole, Potluck Potatoes, Rolls, Borwnies, and Chocolate Silk Pie. Everything turned out great and my timing of everything was perfect. It was awesome. I was really proud of myself.
Christmas morning my family came over and we all opened presents and had a wonderful time. Brian was in heaven! He would open a present and then ask us to open it so he could play with it. He would play with is by himself for a few minutes and then he would carry it around to everyone in the room to have them hold it/play with it with him for a minute or two before moving on to another person. Once he played with the new toy with everyone he would want to open another one. It was so cute.
(Brian after opening his 'Elmo Live!' from Mimi)
After opening a ton of presents my family left to go home and Brian went down for a nap. Jason and I pulled out the Wii and played a few of our new games we got (Wii Fit, Shawn White Snowboarding, and Call of Duty). After Brian woke up from his nap we headed to Jason's parents house for more presents and more family. What a fun time! It was great seeing Brian and his two cousins (Jackson - 1 month older and Lennon - 2 months older) all playing and running around and having fun. Jason and I spent the night at Nana and Papa's house. Jason left for work early in the morning and Brian and I just hung out until that afternoon.
Jason's dad and his wife and two kids came to see us on Saturday. We all hng out and played Wii and opened presents all day. We went to dinner together and really enjoyed seeing them.
Overall, Christmas this year went by really fast, but was so much fun. I can't wait until next year!
Now for sticking with me this long - some pictures!
(There are WAY too many and it's hard to choose...)
Look at that concentration!
ELMO!
"Car!"
Brian got a TON of cars and he LOVES them!
"Belly-button"
Brian kept doing this when he got excited. I don't know why, but it was funny (and cute).
Notice the drool?
Such a handsome little boy!
This was the first year since Jason and I have been married that we actually had spending money for Christmas time. Now don't get me wrong, Christmas is NOT about gifts or presents and we plan on making sure our children know that, but we still went a little overboard with presents for Brian. We decided that in our family some presents will come from Santa and some will come from mom and dad (not that Brian knew the difference this year). In my family all the presents were always from Santa. Because we purchased so many gifts for Brian, we were worried about him being too overwhelmed on Christmas morning. We actually started giving him gifts to open on the Sunday night before Christmas. He caught on really quickly and soon we had to watch him to make sure he didn't grab presents from under the tree when we weren't looking.
On Tuesday my mom, dad, and brother got here (my sister was already here visiting with us). They got in that evening and we all went out to dinner. Brian was a huge grouch because he is teething (a whole other story...). We hung out Tuesday night after Brian went down and played the Wii (my Christmas present from Jason) together and had SOO much fun.
Wednesday morning my parents came over (they stayed in a hotel downtown) and since Jason was at work my mom, dad, sister, and I (and Brian) headed to see Santa! We were all worried that Brian was going to scream bloody murder especially after his performance at the restaraunt the night before. When we got there I pointed out Santa Clause and talked him up tp Brian the whole time we were in line. I talked about all the other kids and how they sat on Santa's lap and told him that he was going to sit on his lap too. It was finally our turn and I introduced Santa to Brian and set him down on his lap. He was a doll! It was perfect. We got the BEST picture (not digital) and several others. I think Brian did so well because he was the center of attention. Everyone was saying his name and being silly and waving to him. He was eating it up.
After pictures with Santa we all went out to Breakfast/Lunch/Brunch. I loved the family time I got with my mom, dad, sister, and brother. And I loved that they got to spend quality time with Brian - something they don't get a lot of.
Christmas Eve (still Wednesday) I had made a full Christmas meal for everyone including Turkey, Greenbean Casserole, Potluck Potatoes, Rolls, Borwnies, and Chocolate Silk Pie. Everything turned out great and my timing of everything was perfect. It was awesome. I was really proud of myself.
Christmas morning my family came over and we all opened presents and had a wonderful time. Brian was in heaven! He would open a present and then ask us to open it so he could play with it. He would play with is by himself for a few minutes and then he would carry it around to everyone in the room to have them hold it/play with it with him for a minute or two before moving on to another person. Once he played with the new toy with everyone he would want to open another one. It was so cute.
(Brian after opening his 'Elmo Live!' from Mimi)After opening a ton of presents my family left to go home and Brian went down for a nap. Jason and I pulled out the Wii and played a few of our new games we got (Wii Fit, Shawn White Snowboarding, and Call of Duty). After Brian woke up from his nap we headed to Jason's parents house for more presents and more family. What a fun time! It was great seeing Brian and his two cousins (Jackson - 1 month older and Lennon - 2 months older) all playing and running around and having fun. Jason and I spent the night at Nana and Papa's house. Jason left for work early in the morning and Brian and I just hung out until that afternoon.
Jason's dad and his wife and two kids came to see us on Saturday. We all hng out and played Wii and opened presents all day. We went to dinner together and really enjoyed seeing them.
Overall, Christmas this year went by really fast, but was so much fun. I can't wait until next year!
Now for sticking with me this long - some pictures!
(There are WAY too many and it's hard to choose...)
Look at that concentration!
ELMO!
"Car!"Brian got a TON of cars and he LOVES them!
"Belly-button"Brian kept doing this when he got excited. I don't know why, but it was funny (and cute).
Notice the drool?
Such a handsome little boy!Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Back to Blogging
So I've been horrible lately at blogging so I will try my best to quickly hit the highlights without boring you to death.
Brian's leg was fine. There was a small fracture that healed on its own and he quit limping about 3 days after we went to the Pediatric Orthopedist. You would never know anything had ever happened to him.
Halloween was fun. We went to Jason's parents church for a big festival that they put on. Brian was a pilot and loved all the activity going on.
Since I was not going to to get to see my parents for Thanksgiving this year, Brian and I made a trip to Houston in early November and stayed with Mimi and Pops for a few days. We had a ton of fun. We went to a big indoor bounce house play area thing and we had the whole place to ourselves. It was a ton of fun, but Brian was slightly scared of the bounce houses and we mostly just stayed on solid ground. We also went to the zoo while we were there. It was a lot of fun and Brian sure does love his Mimi and Pops.
For Thanksgiving Jason, Brian and I went to Jason's dad's parents house and had a nice meal. I made some green bean casserole (Jason's favorite) and for the first time in history baked a home-made apple pie. It was wonderful and I do have to say that I'm becoming a pretty darn good cook.
Jason and I have been in the process of trying to find some sort of childcare for Brian because his current babysitter quit - talk about MAJOR stress. I found this awesome dayschool (NOT a daycare) that is call Calvary Christian Academy that I am super excited about, but I cannot get Brian in until the start of the new school year (August). Because we couldn't get him in we had to find a person or place to watch him until he could start school. We interviewed tons of people and prayed - A LOT, but we didn't really find anything or anyone we loved. Finally we met this girl who was willing to watch Brian at our apartment and she was WONDERFUL! Even Brian loved her and warmed right up to her. After we offered her the position she found out that because of family problems she was no longer able to do it. BUMMER! We interviewed a few more people and finally settled on a sweet 19 year old girl who is taking online college classes. We really like her and think she will be great. I can't wait until he starts school. I think it is going to be just what he needs and is right up his alley. Structure and routine are what he lives for.
Because we are going to be putting Brian in dayschool we had to switch his daytime schedule to more match the school schedule - AKA we had to get him from two naps a day to one. Now, just so you know - Brian is much much happier and easy going with two naps so this was no easy task for me. I hated doing it, but at one point in all my struggling with him and praying for God's guidance he just stopped sleeping for his morning naps! God is so good. I did figure out that if I put him in his bed in the morning and afternoon during his old nap time for 30 minutes with some toys and leave him alone he is MUCH happier throughout the rest of the day. I love figuring things out and then they work.
Last week Brian discovered the joy of coloring. It has become one of his favorite activities. I actually have to hide his crayons because if he sees them he wants to color and cries until we do.
We have found a new church that we love. It's called Richland Hills Church of Christ. The best part about it is that Brian loves the nursery staff and doesn't even cry when we leave him. I love having a church family again where I feel comfortable. It's an interesting church because although it is a church of Christ, one of their services is an instrumental service (very rare in CoC). We go to the a Capella services, not because we believe one is right or wrong, just out of convienience mostly.
I think that is enough for now. For your dedication and perseverance for reading this far, here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure!
Brian's leg was fine. There was a small fracture that healed on its own and he quit limping about 3 days after we went to the Pediatric Orthopedist. You would never know anything had ever happened to him.
Halloween was fun. We went to Jason's parents church for a big festival that they put on. Brian was a pilot and loved all the activity going on.
Since I was not going to to get to see my parents for Thanksgiving this year, Brian and I made a trip to Houston in early November and stayed with Mimi and Pops for a few days. We had a ton of fun. We went to a big indoor bounce house play area thing and we had the whole place to ourselves. It was a ton of fun, but Brian was slightly scared of the bounce houses and we mostly just stayed on solid ground. We also went to the zoo while we were there. It was a lot of fun and Brian sure does love his Mimi and Pops.
For Thanksgiving Jason, Brian and I went to Jason's dad's parents house and had a nice meal. I made some green bean casserole (Jason's favorite) and for the first time in history baked a home-made apple pie. It was wonderful and I do have to say that I'm becoming a pretty darn good cook.
Jason and I have been in the process of trying to find some sort of childcare for Brian because his current babysitter quit - talk about MAJOR stress. I found this awesome dayschool (NOT a daycare) that is call Calvary Christian Academy that I am super excited about, but I cannot get Brian in until the start of the new school year (August). Because we couldn't get him in we had to find a person or place to watch him until he could start school. We interviewed tons of people and prayed - A LOT, but we didn't really find anything or anyone we loved. Finally we met this girl who was willing to watch Brian at our apartment and she was WONDERFUL! Even Brian loved her and warmed right up to her. After we offered her the position she found out that because of family problems she was no longer able to do it. BUMMER! We interviewed a few more people and finally settled on a sweet 19 year old girl who is taking online college classes. We really like her and think she will be great. I can't wait until he starts school. I think it is going to be just what he needs and is right up his alley. Structure and routine are what he lives for.
Because we are going to be putting Brian in dayschool we had to switch his daytime schedule to more match the school schedule - AKA we had to get him from two naps a day to one. Now, just so you know - Brian is much much happier and easy going with two naps so this was no easy task for me. I hated doing it, but at one point in all my struggling with him and praying for God's guidance he just stopped sleeping for his morning naps! God is so good. I did figure out that if I put him in his bed in the morning and afternoon during his old nap time for 30 minutes with some toys and leave him alone he is MUCH happier throughout the rest of the day. I love figuring things out and then they work.
Last week Brian discovered the joy of coloring. It has become one of his favorite activities. I actually have to hide his crayons because if he sees them he wants to color and cries until we do.
We have found a new church that we love. It's called Richland Hills Church of Christ. The best part about it is that Brian loves the nursery staff and doesn't even cry when we leave him. I love having a church family again where I feel comfortable. It's an interesting church because although it is a church of Christ, one of their services is an instrumental service (very rare in CoC). We go to the a Capella services, not because we believe one is right or wrong, just out of convienience mostly.
I think that is enough for now. For your dedication and perseverance for reading this far, here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Blogger Burnout
I am so behind in blogging that I don't even want to attempt to catch up. I have an exam pretty much every day this week, so I won't get a chance to try and catch up until the weekend. Hopefully I will get motivated to blog and get caught up.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Repeat X-rays
I took Brian back to his pediatrician this morning because his limping has not improved. His pediatrician ordered repeat x-rays just to be sure and the x-rays showed a fracture of Brian's distal tibia. We are scheduled to see the pediatric orthopedist on Friday morning. I am not sure what they are going to do for him, but I will find out on Friday. I will update once I know what the Orthopedist decides to do.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Current Events
No change on the limping issue. I called the doctor again today and she wants me to wait through the weekend and call her on Monday if he is still limping. I took matters into my own hands and took Brian to an Osteopathic Manipulation Doctor and had him take a look at him. He couldn't find much wrong, but fixed what was out of place. Hopefully it help with Brian's healing. I wish I knew what was wrong with him.
On another note, Brian FINALLY has some more teeth. He got his first two teeth about 3 months ago and then nothing. In the past two days he has busted 2 more through the top of his mouth with 2 more on the way. He has been quite miserable between his leg, his teeth, and the little allergy/sinus attack he's having (runny/snotty nose, throat drainage, and congestion). I think it's allergies because they have showed up two night ago - the same night we started sleeping with the windows open since its cooler outside. I think I have gotten up at least once every night since last Friday to rock him for 5 or 10 minutes to go back to sleep. He's just so miserable. I hate it.
We have an exciting weekend planned and I can't wait. Tomorrow we are going to go hang out with Brian's Nana and Papa and go to Nana's hospital's pediatric fair. Jason and I are hoping to maybe go see a movie sans Brian in the afternoon. Then Sunday we are going to go to Boo at the Zoo which I am totally excited about. Brian has never been to the zoo before and he is learning his animal sounds. He knows: elephant, dog, cow, duck (which he confuses a lot with dog I guess cause they sound a lot alike), lion, chicken, horse, and a few others. If he doesn't know what a particular animal makes he usually just says 'moo'. It's cute. We are working on frog, cat, and buzz for bugs. I'm excited to see how much he loves the animals. It's going to be a great family event. I will try and post pictures asap.
On a side note - to those of you who got Brian something for his birthday - I have ordered the Thank You cards and you should be getting them early next month. Sorry it has taken so long. It is worth the wait (the cards are AWESOME! - I am SO excited).
On another note, Brian FINALLY has some more teeth. He got his first two teeth about 3 months ago and then nothing. In the past two days he has busted 2 more through the top of his mouth with 2 more on the way. He has been quite miserable between his leg, his teeth, and the little allergy/sinus attack he's having (runny/snotty nose, throat drainage, and congestion). I think it's allergies because they have showed up two night ago - the same night we started sleeping with the windows open since its cooler outside. I think I have gotten up at least once every night since last Friday to rock him for 5 or 10 minutes to go back to sleep. He's just so miserable. I hate it.
We have an exciting weekend planned and I can't wait. Tomorrow we are going to go hang out with Brian's Nana and Papa and go to Nana's hospital's pediatric fair. Jason and I are hoping to maybe go see a movie sans Brian in the afternoon. Then Sunday we are going to go to Boo at the Zoo which I am totally excited about. Brian has never been to the zoo before and he is learning his animal sounds. He knows: elephant, dog, cow, duck (which he confuses a lot with dog I guess cause they sound a lot alike), lion, chicken, horse, and a few others. If he doesn't know what a particular animal makes he usually just says 'moo'. It's cute. We are working on frog, cat, and buzz for bugs. I'm excited to see how much he loves the animals. It's going to be a great family event. I will try and post pictures asap.
On a side note - to those of you who got Brian something for his birthday - I have ordered the Thank You cards and you should be getting them early next month. Sorry it has taken so long. It is worth the wait (the cards are AWESOME! - I am SO excited).
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Gimpy Toddler
So on Friday evening I noticed Brian was walking with a slight limp. He has been walking now for almost 3 months and the limp is a new development. At first I just chalked it up to him being so sleepy. I also didn't think much of it because he hadn't fallen recently and there was no swelling, no redness, and no bruising. Fast forward to Monday - he is still limping. Monday evening he was limping pretty badly. Badly enough for Jason to make a comment about it (which kind of freaked me out). So the doctor in me started moving all his joints and comparing legs and what not (stuff doctors do). Again, there was no bruising, no redness, no swelling. There was no difference between the two legs and all joints seemed to move freely and to the same degree on both sides. There was nothing in his feet, no cuts, no scrapes, no blisters. But he was still limping. Now toddlers don't just limp for no reason. As I started watching him closer it became apparent that he was favoring crawling over walking (something he hasn't done since he learned to walk), and he was asking to be carried a lot more often than usual. He was also fussier than normal and would whine while he was walking. Something was definitely wrong. I started doing some research online and came across something called a "toddler's fracture". Basically, its a low impact fracture that can happen if a toddler falls and twist their leg while falling. (Go here if you want more information on a "toddler's fracture".) Jason and I talked it over. I really wanted to take him to the doctor (mostly for peace of mind). Jason wanted to wait a few more days and said he didn't want me turn into an over-reactive mom. I agreed and told him I would wait. The next morning (Tuesday) I changed my mind and made an appointment at the doctor's office (after asking Jason). The doctor sent us to get x-rays and then we waited. I just heard back from the doctor and all the x-rays are negative. Good thing and bad thing. It's good because he most likely doesn't have a fracture, but it's a bad thing because we still don't know what is wrong with him. Right now we are treating him with ibuprofen. The doctor said that if he hasn't improved at all by tomorrow afternoon I have to take him back in. There is still a small chance of a toddler's fracture (sometime they take up to a week to show up on x-ray), but it's unlikely. I just wish I knew what was wrong so I could try and help him. I have lost a lot of sleep in the past few days worrying about him. I will let you know if anything changes.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Pictures at the Park
Saturday evening we went to the park to let Brian roam around and play. Here are a few pictures.
All the pictures for your viewing pleasure.
Static electricity!
"I can do it!"
"A tire swing mom!"
He's just so big!
The best part - the slide!
"I can do it!"
"A tire swing mom!"
He's just so big!
The best part - the slide!
All the pictures for your viewing pleasure.
Brian's First Haircut
So on Saturday we took Brian to get his first haircut. I didn't want to get it cut and wasn't ready to see all those cute curls go, but I couldn't win the fight with Jason any longer. He didn't want Brian to look girly and thought that he was reaching that point (especially with all the curls).
We took him to the barber that has been cutting Jason's hair since he was a baby. From the very get go Brian was weary of the whole situation. Even while we were in the lobby awaiting our turn Brian was uncharacteristically snuggly and clingy. As soon as we sat him in the chair the tears started and they didn't stop until he was firmly in my arms again. He cried his poor little head off the whole entire time.
I felt bad for the haircutter cause he seemed a little stressed and I know he was rushing to try and get done. Brian did sit still the whole time, he just also cried the whole time. The haircutter (Sabino) was very patient and did as good as could be expected for the situation.
I wasn't so sad to see the curls gone because he is still cute as a button, but the finished product turned out pretty awful in my opinion. The front is totally uneven and there are some chucks out of the top and back. Its look terrible, but it will grow out and it doesn't bother me enough to make Brian go through the stress/trauma again so soon. Here are some finished pictures (it's hard to see ho uneven it is because it is styled).
We took him to the barber that has been cutting Jason's hair since he was a baby. From the very get go Brian was weary of the whole situation. Even while we were in the lobby awaiting our turn Brian was uncharacteristically snuggly and clingy. As soon as we sat him in the chair the tears started and they didn't stop until he was firmly in my arms again. He cried his poor little head off the whole entire time.
I felt bad for the haircutter cause he seemed a little stressed and I know he was rushing to try and get done. Brian did sit still the whole time, he just also cried the whole time. The haircutter (Sabino) was very patient and did as good as could be expected for the situation.
I wasn't so sad to see the curls gone because he is still cute as a button, but the finished product turned out pretty awful in my opinion. The front is totally uneven and there are some chucks out of the top and back. Its look terrible, but it will grow out and it doesn't bother me enough to make Brian go through the stress/trauma again so soon. Here are some finished pictures (it's hard to see ho uneven it is because it is styled).
Here is the slideshow of all the pictures in case you would like to look at them
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Fort Worth Alliance Air Show
So Jason, Brian, and I went to the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show last weekend on Saturday. This is the 3rd year in a row that Jason and I have gone and it has become somewhat of a family tradition. Last year when we went Brian was only about 2 weeks old. Time really does fly.
We always make it a full day event and left the house at about 8:30am. The weather was absolutely gorgeous all day long and we had front row seats that were a perfect view of everything. Brian had a blast and loved getting to walk all around outside.
Brian did really well with all the noise and excitement. He never cried once - even when the F-18s flew by at just under sonic speed. As the day went on and the jets got louder he got better and better at leaving his ear-protection on.
For the less noisy airplanes, we didn't make him wear the ear-phones. At first he would flinch a little and snuggle up against me or Jason, but by the end of the day he would point and get excited and say 'airplane' (which sound nothing like the word we know as airplane). He would clap and laugh and get all excited when one flew by. It was so fun.
Halfway through the day the poor guy was so exhausted that he fell asleep in Jason's lap while watching the planes. We were able to transfer him to his stroller and he actually slept for almost 2 hours. (He fell asleep with his headphones on).
By the end of the day we were all sweaty and grimey - especially Brian. (Notice the hair).
Overall, it was a really fun day. Long and exhausting, but fun. Brian thoroughly enjoyed it and I am looking forward to making it a yearly trip for our family.PS - thanks to Hillary, Jay, and little Jackson for the awesome onesie top that was perfect for the festivities of the day!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Sleepy Head
So last night was a highly unusual night.
Brian usually goes to bed every night around 8pm and gets up between 7am and 8am (if I don't have early class). Last night he went to bed at 7pm and didn't wake up until 10am! I wish I could say I had a very productive morning, but I can't. I did enjoy the alone time though. It was wonderful and he has been in a great mood all day. Maybe this will become a regular occurrence - I doubt it, but I can wish right?
Brian usually goes to bed every night around 8pm and gets up between 7am and 8am (if I don't have early class). Last night he went to bed at 7pm and didn't wake up until 10am! I wish I could say I had a very productive morning, but I can't. I did enjoy the alone time though. It was wonderful and he has been in a great mood all day. Maybe this will become a regular occurrence - I doubt it, but I can wish right?
Friday, October 10, 2008
One Year Doctor's Visit
So we went to see the doctor on Wednesday for Brian's One Year Old visit. The doctor said that everything looked great and that Brian seemed to be ahead of the curve developmentally.
Brian weighed in at just under 21 pounds (20 lbs and 14 ounces). That put him in the 20% for his weight. His height was measured at 30.5 inches which puts him between 50% and 75%. Who would have thought he was tall and skinny?
The doctor reported that Brian's heart murmur was still present and she even felt that it had gotten louder. Most likely this means that the hole has gotten smaller. (A smaller hole creates more turbulent blood flow which presents as a louder murmur.) We never got around to going back to the cardiologist because of insurance problems, but we should be able to go before Brian turns 2 (we have to be on this insurance a year before we are covered). Anyway, it's nothing to be concerned about at the moment.
Brian got three immunizations and they had to draw his blood too to check for anemia and lead levels. He was a trooper. Cried his little heart out during the shots, but was fine as soon as everything was finished and I picked him up. We have to go back in a few weeks to get three more immunizations and we also need to get his flu shot done too. I hate doing all this to him, but I would much rather put him through this now than have him get really sick later.
Wednesday evening (after his horrible day of torture), Jason and I took Brian to a new park I found by my school. He had a blast and we got a few cute pictures I will try and post later.
I am also working on getting pictures posted from Brian's birthday party. I am also trying to get out Thank-You cards. It has been a long week with an exam and quite a few quizzes.
We are all going to go to the Fort Worth Air Show this weekend and also try to go to the Texas State Fair. I will try and get pictures posted from that too as soon as I can.
Brian weighed in at just under 21 pounds (20 lbs and 14 ounces). That put him in the 20% for his weight. His height was measured at 30.5 inches which puts him between 50% and 75%. Who would have thought he was tall and skinny?
The doctor reported that Brian's heart murmur was still present and she even felt that it had gotten louder. Most likely this means that the hole has gotten smaller. (A smaller hole creates more turbulent blood flow which presents as a louder murmur.) We never got around to going back to the cardiologist because of insurance problems, but we should be able to go before Brian turns 2 (we have to be on this insurance a year before we are covered). Anyway, it's nothing to be concerned about at the moment.
Brian got three immunizations and they had to draw his blood too to check for anemia and lead levels. He was a trooper. Cried his little heart out during the shots, but was fine as soon as everything was finished and I picked him up. We have to go back in a few weeks to get three more immunizations and we also need to get his flu shot done too. I hate doing all this to him, but I would much rather put him through this now than have him get really sick later.
Wednesday evening (after his horrible day of torture), Jason and I took Brian to a new park I found by my school. He had a blast and we got a few cute pictures I will try and post later.
I am also working on getting pictures posted from Brian's birthday party. I am also trying to get out Thank-You cards. It has been a long week with an exam and quite a few quizzes.
We are all going to go to the Fort Worth Air Show this weekend and also try to go to the Texas State Fair. I will try and get pictures posted from that too as soon as I can.
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