My Little Man

In less than one month, my baby will turn 1. I cannot believe it, and I'm already starting to get a bit emotional that we are on the countdown to his first birthday. I believe that I'll be crying, for sure! I'll post a more detailed update shortly with his 11 month statistics and what he's doing, as well as, a post on what we eat and how that's changed since William was born, but for now, here are some iPhone photos from the past week.

Snack after 'school' on the kitchen floor with Big Brother

Dermatologist's Office...He made everyone laugh and smile!

 Sleeping with his mouth pressed to his crib slats! He is a mess!

My two boys! That's over 50 pounds of sweet boys! :)

Salmonella Poisoning is NO Fun for Toddlers

Disclaimer: Please don't read if you are squeamish or don't like to hear about bodily functions. It's not pretty. 

 

Night #1 - Just the beginning...

Yes, that's right...toddlers. Weston woke up on Thursday morning, and he did not have a normal bowel movement, and he didn't make it to the potty. I was surprised, but I thought he was just too busy playing, and he didn't want to get up and go, so I didn't think much about it. He went on to daycare, and he made it to the potty, but it wasn't normal there either, so his teacher put a pull up on him to ensure that there wasn't a mess later. I picked him up, and we were headed to Athens. We started the drive, and we stopped for dinner, and he didn't want to eat anything. After dinner, he told me he wasn't feeling good, but we kept on driving, and he fell asleep.

 

The next day sitting on the couch

By the time we got to my parents house, he was running a fever of around 102, and he definitely wasn't feeling good. He continued to have "the runs" all throughout the night, and he was moaning and groaning and feeling terrible. He didn't want to get out of bed the following morning or play with all the toys. Long story short, this continued all day long. By that evening, he was dehydrated, and he was shaking and miserable. I made the decision to take him to the Pediatric Urgent Care at Eastside Medical Center. They gave him an IV and fluids, and they took bloodwork and a stool sample. The  bloodwork came back pretty normal, and we had to wait until Sunday for the stool sample results.

 

Right after arriving at the hospital on Friday night

After almost two bags of IV fluids, they allowed us to go home, and we had to go back the following day. He was no better the next day, so they gave him a prescription of Zofran, so he could get enough fluids down to stay hydrated. By Sunday, it was starting to get better, but he was still miserable and a far cry from normal. We got a call from Eastside on Sunday evening with the results that the stool sample was positive for Salmonella. What?! Where did he get that from?!

 

At the hospital right after they started fluids...trying to rest!

 

Saturday morning sleeping on the couch!

 We have no idea how he got it, but no one else that we know of is sick or has been sick. We haven't eaten out at any restaurants, so it's just bizarre. I'm sure we'll never know how he got it... Today, he is starting to feel a little better and starting to play a little bit, but he's still feeling pretty badly. It's SO sad to see your little one sick, and I wish so badly that I could've taken it away from him. I'm praying for a quick recovery and regained strength for my big boy and that no one else in our family gets it.

 

Sunday afternoon, napping...

Overnight Banana Pudding, No Berries

So, I follow 'The Nut' over on FB, and she's known for posting some great, healthy snacks and breakfast items. She posted Overnight Banana Pudding with Berries a few months ago, and I had all the ingredients in my house, so I made it for the next day. I loved it, and I usually eat it for my mid-morning snack every day during the week.

Here is my Overnight Banana Pudding this morning:

  

Ingredients & Directions
1/2 banana, mashed
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp shredded coconut
2 tbsp chia seeds
Mixed berries, fresh or frozen

Combine all ingredients, seal, and place in the fridge overnight! Enjoy cold or heat in the microwave for 45 seconds. Sprinkle with almonds or raisins before eating. Yum :)

I typically leave out the berries, because I just don't love them in this snack though I do love berries. I also leave off the almonds not because I don't love them, but because I always forget to bring them with me to top my snack at work. I use small mason jars to store and carry my snack with me each day.

Head on over and follow 'The Nut' on FB and check out some of her awesome snack ideas, and she's a great motivator! Whenever I don't feel like working out, I can be assured that her FB posts will motivate me to do it anyways! :)

Ear Infections

Why is it that some babies get ear infections all the time and some babies never get ear infections?! Weston had ear infections from about 12 months to 18 months, then we broke down and got tubes in his ears to avoid continued antibiotics. William's ear infections started at about six months, and he's had about six ear infections since. He gets an ear infection, and it heals, then he has another one within a week or two. It's frustrating, and we are trying everything...

We are using Muellin Garlic Ear oil in his ears plus we've been taking him to the chiropractor. Unfortunately, we can't keep the ear infections away. I think we are on the road to getting tubes in his ears, and we are getting referred to an ENT in Brunswick. I'm bummed, because I just want him to be well. I want to do everything in my power to keep him healthy and keep his ears healthy. I'm at home with him again today, because he has a high fever with his ear infection. I can't send him to daycare when he is feeling so crummy.

I've missed a lot of work lately with sick kids. I thought it was supposed to be easier and kids were supposed to be less sick in the summer. Unfortunately, not so for us...

I know that preventing my kids from being sick isn't completely in my control, but I do want to do everything I can to keep them healthy, including making our home a healthy place to live and feeding my kids things that are healthy. I will post more about some of these decisions soon...

Longing...

A sweet friend of mine back in Athens had a c-section this morning, and she brought into the world her 3rd baby. She knew what she was having with her first two, and she has two beautiful, sweet little girls. This time around, she decided to wait and be surprised. This morning, she and her husband welcomed a baby boy!

She and her husband love their two perfect little girls to pieces, but they've both been aching for a little boy to complete their family. This morning they welcomed that little one, and it was a surprise for everyone! I know they are thrilled and feeling so excited and happy today, and I'm SO happy for them. I was so thrilled to get her text message, and I ran down the hall at work to tell Grant that they had a boy! He was excited for them, and he sent her husband, a friend of his, a text message immediately.

At the same time, I walk back down the hall, and I'm excited, but I feel a sense of longing and sadness in my heart. Grant and I decided long ago that we would have two children, and we are SO grateful that God blessed us with two perfect, wonderful little boys. We are so grateful that they are happy, healthy and thriving, and I know that Grant loves having two boys. I also love having two boys, and I love being a "boy" mom. It's SO much fun!

I also cannot get it out of my head that William is my last baby...I can't get past it, and I'm really struggling with it, especially now as he approaches a year old. He's almost a year old, and I'll never have another opportunity to go through another 1st year. I'll never have the pregnancy experience again or be able to breastfeed another baby for a year. That is definitely one of my favorite things with  both of my boys! He's crawling, sitting, pulling up, almost walking...I'll never go through that again. I'm sure many women go through this after their last babies...How do they cope? I know that I will continue to see what a fun and exciting age my two boys are at now and how they are growing and so much fun. That does a lot to keep my mind off of it, but the sadness never completely subsides.

I also think part of it is the relationship that I have with my mother. I want that type of relationship with a daughter as I get older. I talk with my mom every day without fail, and I enjoy that time we talk, even if only for a brief few minutes. I enjoyed planning my wedding with my mom and planning for my babies. I know that boys love their mothers and have a special bond, but I'm pretty confident that I won't be planning either of their weddings, baby nurseries or talking with them daily once they have a family of their own. My heart has a longing for a sweet little girl to share this with...maybe one day, I'll have a daughter through another pregnancy or adoption, God only knows, or maybe God will give me this type of relationship with my future daughter in law or a niece. I will continue to pray particularly that these feelings are short lived. In the meantime, I'm so incredibly grateful for these two miracles...

William at 10 Months

I'm having a hard time with the fact that my baby will be 1 year old in just 1.5 months. I still remember Weston turning 1 like it was yesterday, and he's now over 2.5. Where does the time go?! I'm going to say this probably every month. A good friend of mine told me this morning, as she dropped her son off at kindergarten, that it all goes by too quickly, and it's not going to be long before I am dropping my babies off at school, as well. Here I go again...tears coming to my eyes, and I'm getting choked up. :(

Milestones:

• Weighs I think 20-21 lbs, and I have no idea how long he is. We won't measure his length again until his 1 year doctor's appointment. GASP! 
• William is learning to be a fantastic eater, but he's not a huge fan of vegetables. His typical day looks like this:
• AM - Starts off with a breakfast snack with Daddy and Weston followed by nursing with Mommy. Then, he heads off to school. At school, he usually has greek yogurt with fruit and his water cup. 
• Midday - He has lunch, either what the school is serving or what I bring, and his milk cup. He has a cup of breastmilk that I pack for him each day.
• Afternoon Snack - He has a bottle and a small afternoon snack. 
• Dinner - He has whatever we are all eating for dinner with a sippy cup of water. 
• Before bed - He nurses before bed, then goes straight to sleep.

• He is still only breastfeeding, and he's not had any formula at this point. I don't have any more frozen milk, so I'm supplementing with raw goat's milk and some coconut milk. He seems to be doing well with both of those. We've decided to avoid milk for meals, and we are going to stick to almond, goat or coconut milk even after he turns 1 year old.
• You are still wearing Size 4 diapers, and 12 month or 12-18 month clothes, as well as, some 9 month clothes depending on the brand.
• William is crawling, pulling up on everything, climbing and walking along while holding on to something. He's walking and pushing his walker, and I know that it's not going to be long before he's a full-time walker. 
• He is now saying "DaDa" and "MaMa", but he doesn't say anything else yet. He babbles and talks constantly though. He's much louder than Weston ever was, but I think Weston makes up for it now, so William is trying to get some attention, as well.
• You now have three teeth, and we look forward to the arrival of more over the next few months. We are a bit over the teething and drool. :)

Tears

I used to laugh at my mother when she would cry about silly things...I remember watching movies with her or even reading the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books out loud to her as a young girl, and she would always cry. My sister and I poked fun at her, and we couldn't believe that she could cry at things that at the time we couldn't imagine crying about.

Now, here I am after two children, and I will cry at almost anything. I read a blog about someone moving to a new city, and I feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I think about something that's not even really sad, and it can make me tear up. I watch a sad movie, and I cry. I hear about anyone particularly children that are sick, and I cry. I hear about families that have a sick parent with young children or a parent that has passed away, and I sob.

I do not understand what is wrong with me! Is it the hormones?! It started as I got older, but after two kids, it's unstoppable. Maybe it's because I worry for my children and my family, and I worry about what would happen to them if something happened to Grant or I. I feel so incredibly blessed and undeservingly so...God has blessed us so immensely, and he's given me the perfect family who I love for and care for with all of my heart. I know that God will provide, and he has a plan for us always. I'm going to be doing a weekend project with Weston on Saturday, and I'm excited to share it with you all.

And opening His mouth He began to teach them, saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. "Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:2-12 

Here are some links to some posts that I've seen recently that just have me choked up and nearly in tears:
- Video to 1st Son announcing 2nd Pregnancy  
 
- Her son starting Kindergarten...I can't even imagine and don't want to think about it. :)

- On being a Zombie Mommy (I can so relate...shh, but William almost never sleeps through the night at 10.5 months old. ):)

- On God & Family

Christmas in July

So, it's July, and I've already started thinking about Christmas and the holiday. It will be the first year that our little family will be staying in our new home, and we'll be celebrating Christmas here with my parents. Unfortunately, my sister and brother in law will be in Australia with his family, so we will be missing them, but I know that we will enjoy this year.

Weston is getting old enough to enjoy and love the holidays, and I can't wait to do fun things and pick out a Christmas tree and go to the Christmas Eve service at church. I'm looking forward to making Christmas Eve dinner and making cookies for Santa.

One of the traditions that I'm hoping to start with our children this year is wrapping up books for each day leading up to Christmas and letting them choose a book and read one each night. We don't have enough Christmas books to wrap up yet, so I'm on the hunt for Christmas book ideas/suggestions.

Anyone have ideas for Christmas books that children would love?