{Our Little Leaguers}

{Pneumonia}

2012-01-23T12:25:00.002-06:00

You read that right...Luke has pneumonia.

This weekend he has been running a low-grade fever, but he has been acting normal for the most part. Then last night about 7:30, I just looked at him and knew he had taken a turn for the worst. I took his temperature and it was 102.9, so I went running for the medicine to hopefully bring his fever down. After taking it again about an hour later, it was 103.6. I quickly called the pediatrician's office and waited for someone to call back. I talked with a nurse from Texas Children's and she told me how to handle the fever and his congestion/cough. She said no need to call back regarding a high fever unless it reaches 105. About 10:30 pm I took his temperature again and it was 104. Chat and I quickly pulled him out of bed, undressed him down to a diaper, laid him on the bathroom floor and started giving him a sponge bath with cool water to bring his temperature down -- he was bright red and was so hot to the touch. Luke was very brave during all of this, only whimpering and looking a bit dazed. The sponge bath brought his fever down to about 101 and he seemed to be much more comfortable. So my night was spent waking up every 2 hours to take his temperature (it was around the 102.5 range all night) and give him medicine.

Once he was up this morning, we went to the doctor and the diagnosis was pneumonia. He has fluid in his right lung and right ear and his breathing is very labored. She prescribed antiobiotics to treat the pneumonia and the ear infection and said that he should be getting better within 24 to 48 hours, and if not, to bring him back for xrays. Many prayers that he has a quick recovery and that our household is sick-free very soon!!!

{Lately}

2012-01-21T19:33:00.001-06:00

I have been a bit absent from this blog lately due to the demands of two little boys, so I am going to do an update in bullets once again so I document a few things before they disappear into my terrible memory.

Ben is growing at a rapid speed. I have a baby scale at the house and it read 15 lbs 2 ounces today, but that is with his diaper on so he is probably a few ounces less than that. I imagine he will be hitting the 15 lb mark though by Monday -- when he will be 6 weeks! He is definitely bigger than Luke was at this age which I thought was impossible.
Ben is wearing size 2 diapers and I have started putting him in 3-6 month clothes. They are a bit long, but he is busting out of 0-3 month clothes so we are in that awkward in between stage.
Sleep is still very irregular and sometimes even absent at times. He has made a couple of 4 hour stretches, but it will be followed by a night of 1 to 2 hour stretches. I am hoping he starts a pattern soon and makes more of those 4+ hour stretches before I lose my mind.
He has been going down for the night much later this week than previous weeks. He tends to go to bed around 11:30 or 12 which makes for a very long day for this mama :). I can't wait till he goes to bed at the same time as Luke! Seriously, I think that is my biggest wish right now...to have 1 or 2 hours at night to call my own so I can recharge. There isn't much recharging going on right now.
Ben has lost a lot of his hair in the front so it looks like he has a receding hairline. His eyebrows are starting to come in though. So he is chubby and balding...sounds like a 50 year old man already! Just kidding. He is such a cutie!
His eyes are still blue but expecting them to change to brown over the next few weeks.
Ben is nursing on demand still. I am trying to work on going 3 hours between each feeding, but it isn't really happening yet. He does that better in the afternoon, but mornings he is more of a snacker. He seems to be more content though when awake if he has full feedings with time in between.
I have received a few smiles from him this week which is so sweet and melts my heart. It makes it all worth it :).
Sickness is definitely here at our house. Ben got his first cold this past week at the age of 5 weeks. He is congested and has a small cough. Luke is also sick with a cold and a deep cough. He has had it all week, but woke up today with a small fever. I am hoping it leaves soon!
Luke loves to let me know when Ben is crying (I guess he thinks I can't hear it in our small house). He will run into the kitchen and point to the den and yell "baby!".
Luke is still refusing to take a picture with Ben. I am not pushing it for right now, just trying to ask and sometimes trick him into sitting next to him. The minute he sees the camera, he is on to me and he gets upset or takes off. I am hoping we get a brother picture soon, but not holding my breath.
I brought both boys to the store alone last weekend. After injuring Luke on accident, Ben projectile vomiting and then Luke throwing a major tantrum (and me sweating buckets), I don't think I will be doing that again very soon. However, I did come home with both boys and groceries, so although hectic -- a success!
Other than the grocery store, I have brought both boys to the park, to Luke's music class and then to a restaurant afterward by myself. It is so much more physically demanding with two, but I am happy that I am getting out with them. Chat and I together have taken them all over. It is much easier when you have a partner in crime!
I am tired, make that exhausted, but enjoying having two boys. I know as Ben gets older and starts sleeping more, that the enjoyable moments will keep getting better and better :).

{Ben's First Train Ride}

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

Today we had great weather, so Chat and I took Ben and Luke to feed the ducks and ride the train. Luke thought it was way overdue since Ben was already 3 weeks and had not visited the train yet. Here are my 3 boys ready for their ride (I think Ben seems the most excited)...

Luke loves feeding the ducks. They are two peas in a pod....

Luke is not scared of any animal...this duck would come and take the food right from his hand!

Luke seeing the train across the pond and saying "choo choo" over and over again! Chat and I estimate we hear Luke say choo choo at least 30 times a day.

{3 Week Update}

2012-01-04T12:48:00.000-06:00

"Benjy" (that is what Chat calls Ben) is over 3 weeks now and growing like a weed. He is still not sleeping all that well, so I am going to update in bullets because that is the only way my brain will work right now!

Ben is definitely a big guy. I have a feeling he is weighing close to 11 pounds now, but not exactly sure. He is wearing his 0-3 month clothes and filling them out in girth and length. He seems to be long and his chins are multiplying. See proof in the picture.

Ben had a few nights of sleeping 3 hour stretches (woohoo!), but sadly we are back to 1 to 2 hour stretches as of last night. At night, he sleeps in his crib, swaddled with a noise machine. I feed him and put him down around 10:00 or 11:00 at night and he is usually up within an hour or two and then so on till about 7:00 in the morning.
He grunts A LOT in the middle of the night.
He usually has 2 to 3 awake times during the day that last around 1 1/2 hours each.
He likes to be held all day long -- whether sleeping or awake which means this momma's arms are always full.
I am not sure if Ben has a slight reflux issue or not, but he has projectile vomitted on me a few times. It is typically when I try to feed him a lot right before bed in hopes that he will sleep longer. Well, this backfires! He then is completely awake after it happens and hungry, but I can't feed him for about an hour or it will just come up. So we walk and bounce until I can feed him again -- usually around midnight. Not our best nights :).
Luke seems to be tolerating Ben pretty well. We have gotten a few kisses from him to Ben and he loves to point out his body parts -- his nose, eyes, ears, belly button, etc. A few times he has tried to hit him, but those have been few and far between.
Ben is a huge tooter! He is constantly pooping or tooting all day long. I laugh, but poor guy has some tummy troubles.
He nurses anywhere from every hour to two hours during the day, it just depends on his naps. He does take a bottle well and I try to do that once a day or every other day so he continues to do this.
I offer the pacifier to Ben and he will suck on it, but doesn't seem that interested in it. He wants something to come out of it! It almost seems to make him frustrated right now so I don't really use it all that much. Hopefully it will come in handy when I start trying to get him to stretch in between feedings in the coming months.
Having two kids has definitely been hard, but also very fun. Luckily Chat has been off for 3 weeks to help, so the real question is how will I handle it on my own since he is going back to work this weekend!

That's all I got right now!

{Ben: 2 Week Check-Up}

2011-12-28T12:18:00.002-06:00

Ben is already 2 weeks old! Well, actually 2 weeks and 2 days. It is going by fast, but with the circles under my eyes, I sometimes wonder how it has only been 2 weeks. We went to his 2 week check-up today and he got a great report from his pediatrician. He was awake the whole appointment and acted very calm and content during the exam. The only time he cried was when the nurse pricked his heal to get some blood towards the end, but he calmed right down quickly after that. His current measurement stats are:

Weight: 10 lbs 7.8 oz (90%)

Length: 21.65" (80%)

Head Circumference: 14.57" (44%)

We have got another chunky monkey on our hands! He is actually weighing almost a pound more than Luke was at the 2 week mark. Ben was about 8 pounds 5 ounces when we left the hospital so he is gaining weight beautifully -- about 2 pounds in the those 2 weeks. The doctor said no need wake him anymore to eat. I then told her that I never do wake him -- he wakes up every hour and a half to eat at night :). I keep hoping that he will start making some longer stretches at night. At some point he has start sleeping better (let's hope he doesn't follow in Luke's footsteps).

Above is a picture I snapped of him on the exam table. I love how his little arms are flung up above his head - that startle reflex is a hoot and many times throughout the day you seem him just like this.

{Visiting Santa...Luke's Day Out}

2011-12-24T15:37:00.002-06:00

Last week Chat and I left Ben with my parents and had a little Luke/Mommy/Daddy time since getting home from the hospital. I was aching to spend some time with Luke since it had been all about Ben/nursing since we came home. We wanted Luke to visit Santa before Christmas since we started that tradition last year so we figured we would make a morning of it. Remember last year? At 10 months old, Luke seemed to be happy to be on the Big Guy's lap!

Well, this year Luke is 22 months and it was a bit different experience (and I pretty much knew what was going to happen). Luke didn't really want to hang out with Santa this year...

But he loved the candy cane he got from Santa at the end! We should have given it to him to start and maybe he would have done better. Oh well, I still love the picture! It shows his age and so I am glad we got the momento for this Christmas. To make up for this, we headed to ride the train that was in the Galleria. This was the highlight of Luke's day! His obsession with trains is at an all-time high right now and we just knew he was going to love this. I rode with him and Chat waited for us and took a few pictures from his phone...

Luke said "choo-choo" about 30 times on our quick ride and just had a ball. After the train, we went to lunch for some hamburgers and then headed to my parent's house to pick up Ben. Ben did great there -- he slept the whole time so my parents got some time to just hold him and get to know him a bit without Luke around.

I can't wait for next Christmas when we can bring both Luke and Ben on this outting!

{The Terrible, Horibble, No Good, Very Bad Day}

2011-12-21T21:36:00.002-06:00

Well the title sums it up. Today....err...more like last night was rough. It was the essence of what makes having a newborn hard. I did not sleep. AT ALL. It has been no secret that Luke was a terrible sleeper. His first year was hard and lacked many hours of sleep, so much that sometimes you would find me in the fetal position on his rug in his nursery praying that he would go to bed. So when we found out that we were expecting this time around, I first prayed for a healthy baby, then very quickly after that, I prayed for a sleeper. Now I don't know many 9 day old babies that sleep all that well, but apparently that is what I was expecting.

Last night I fed Ben around 11:15, went to bed myself around 11:30 and hoped for the best. The previous few nights were challenging with many wake-ups, but I was handling it well (or so I thought). Last night, Ben woke up at 1:00 am. Then at 2:00 am. Then he stayed awake till 5:00 am or so. That was a long 3 hours. After finally falling asleep, he then woke again at 7:00 am. And shuffled in those hours were challenges with nursing...mostly from me being engorged and Ben not having it and/or choking and just giving up with it. When I woke up and realized how the night went, my hope for a sleeper flew out the window. I took one extremely hard night (after several hard nights that totalled one tired mama) and immediately thought we were doomed. That last night was going to be every night and I was never going to sleep again.

So today was hard. There were many, many tears shed. Some came out when I talked to my mom or sister wondering what I was doing wrong - that why both my boys could never make it to even 2 hours in the middle of the night. Some tears came out as I sat on the bathroom floor alone trying not to let Luke and Chat see me. I was already feeling like a failure and I think it stems from my experience with Luke and that I was so afraid my infant experience was on repeat. Why was I taking this so darn hard?

BUT...I am trying not to overthink this. I am trying to not make assumptions based on one night. And one night when Ben is only 9 days old. I need to give it more time. I need to get a few winks tonight and try to wake up on the right side of the bed and realize this is temporary. TEMPORARY. Ben is a sweet, beautiful baby who I just love and am enjoying so much. Eventually he will make it to 2 to 3 hours before waking at night. I need to focus on enjoying him, try to take a nap during the day and know that one day I will sleep again.

{8 Days Old}

2011-12-20T17:37:00.000-06:00

And on Ben's 8th day, he rolled over...twice!

{Chub}

2011-12-19T21:38:00.001-06:00

The chubbiness has started...

{Cousin Love}

2011-12-18T19:43:00.000-06:00

Ben and Molly

(Born exactly 8 weeks apart)

{Meet Ben}

2011-12-17T11:48:00.003-06:00

Benjamin David

December 12, 2011

1:56 pm

8 lbs 13 oz

20 3/4 inches

{Monday}

2011-12-11T14:25:00.001-06:00

Well, plans have changed once again! I was scheduled for induction for this Thursday. I would have been 39 weeks exactly. But after having high blood pressure again on Friday, my doctor made me do bloodwork again and a 24 hr urine collection over the weekend. I dropped it off at the hospital yesterday and really didn't think twice about it since I did this last weekend and all was well. But this time was different and I got the call this morning. It is never a good sign when your doctor (who is officially on maternity leave herself) calls you on a Sunday morning from her cell phone. I officially have preeclampsia and going in to deliver tomorrow.

Although it is only 3 or 4 days earlier than planned, this surprised me a bit. Now that I am over the shock, I am very excited to meet our little guy tomorrow! We are in the midst of trying to get everything done to get Luke squared away for his sleepover at his grandparents for the next 3 nights, get the dogs ready to go to doggie daycare and get us packed for the hospital. Next time you hear from me I will be a mommy of two precious boys! Yahoo!

{38 Week Update}

2011-12-08T14:57:00.001-06:00

I went to my 38 week ultrasound today to check up on the baby's heart and weight with the high-risk OB. Here are the highlights:

Good news -- Baby's heart looks perfect and the arrhythmia is completely gone! Woo hoo!
News that is a bit scary -- Baby is weighing in at 9 pounds and 11 ounces at 38 weeks. Yes. You read that correctly.
Induction news -- High-risk OB is recommending an induction at 39 weeks or sooner. So that means baby boy will be here by next Thursday.

All this still needs to be discussed with my regular OB and we will do that tomorrow at my appointment. I guess I need to be ready for next week if she has the same recommendations. I am praying for an uncomplicated delivery and a healthy baby boy!

{37 Weeks and Another Hiccup}

2011-12-03T09:32:00.006-06:00

Well I reached 37 weeks on Thursday, so I am officially full term! I had a doctor's appointment on Friday and unfortunately I had zero progress since my last appointment. Other than that all went well until they did a blood pressure reading. Shocker...I had a bit of high blood pressure. They took it again about an hour later and it had lowered, but they are concerned enough to have me check it twice a day (which means about 20 times a day to me) and do a 24 hour urine collection to make sure. I don't think this is major, just another hiccup in a very eventful pregnancy. I went and got my dad's blood pressure machine and started readings yesterday evening. Most of them were good, but then around 9:30 last night they started getting high again. I am not sure what all this means, but plan to call on Monday (unless it gets dangerously high) and discuss what I truly should be looking for. The high number got above 140 (which is what they said is an issue) last night, but it is normal today. So I am not sure what to be concerned with - that it got high or if I shouldn't worry since it lowered again. Urine collection starts tomorrow morning...fun, fun!

{New Words & New Obsession!}

2011-12-01T21:13:00.006-06:00

Luke is a few days over 21 months and I wanted to post another list of words that he has learned recently. This is mostly just for my knowledge! I realize I write nothing in his baby book and this blog is the only documentation I have of anything he does. He is still probably a bit behind other boys and girls his age as far as the number of words, but he is making lots of progress! Here are a few more things he has been saying lately...

Slide
Duck
Go
Shoes
Snack
Annie
Car
Stick
Night-Night
Choo Choo
Sissy

Milk

Apple

"moos" for cow

"rooooars" for lion

Where did it go?

It's stuck

Toes

Nose

Eye

I know he says more, but some of the words I still can't quite figure out what he is saying. He will say the same thing over and over again, so I know it is something but just not quite sure what it is :). I am so proud at his new words and the fact that he learns new ones everyday!

The other new development is Luke's obsession with trains...and when I say obsession, I mean OBSESSION! This has developed over the past 4 weeks or so. He wants to play choo-choo all day long, every day. We have one small train track with a few trains and it keeps him busy for literally hours. He has never been as into a toy as he has with trains, so this is all very new and I just love watching him play, play, play. One day he played in his room by himself (wuh?!? it was heaven!) for almost an hour and a half. He says "choo-choo" probably 30 times a day. He is constantly bringing Chat and I one of his trains and then running to his room. So needless to say that he will be getting some new trains for Christmas!

{Cousin Love}

2011-11-27T09:39:00.003-06:00

It has been no secret that Luke has not been the most friendly with his new cousin Molly. He doesn't do anything bad, but just has a scowl on his face whenever she is around and especially when I am holding her. When he first met her, he slammed my sister's interior french doors about 4 times and then ran into the hallway crying. Clearly we have our work cut out for us when baby brother arrives :). Since that first meeting, Luke has mostly ignored her. But yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family and Luke actually acted interested for a few moments. Luckily we caught it on Chat's camera phone because who knows when we will see this again!

{Christmas Tree Search}

2011-11-25T13:41:00.006-06:00

Wow, can you believe it has been a year since last year's Christmas tree search. Luke has grown so much! We typically buy our Christmas tree the first weekend in December, however, this year since we know we have an impending arrival of baby boy and the fact that Chat works the next two weekends, we decided to go ahead and get it today! This is the earliest we have ever had a Christmas tree up in our house. We headed out early and had to try two different places before finding the best one...

Luke and Chat searching for the perfect tree.
Okay, Luke just following Chat and getting weirded out by all the trees poking him.

Luke's funny face amongst all the trees :)

And we found the winner!

{35 weeks 1 day}

2011-11-18T15:11:00.005-06:00

Here is a picture of me at 35 weeks and 1 day. I went to my OB appointment today and things are looking good. I don't have any updates on the size of the baby this time, but the heart rate sounded good and I was 1 and 1/2 centimeteres dilated. That sure did make this seem MUCH more real!

{35 Weeks and Counting}

2011-11-17T07:35:00.012-06:00

I thought I would give a quick update...

I am 35 weeks today! Where has the time gone!?
I went to my high-risk OB appointment last week to check on all the issues and the baby's heart arryhthmia had improved dramatically which is music to my ears! I am still off all stimulants. I haven't had anything with caffeine in 2 weeks and I am slightly missing my iced tea and chocolate. Although I have never fallen asleep as easy as I have, so this might be my new norm :). Staying asleep is a different story...
I wake up between 2 and 5 times a night.
The baby was measured again last week. At 34 weeks, he was estimated to weigh 7 pounds 1 ounce...with 6 weeks to go. This slightly terrifies me.
My fingers are starting to swell which is new...I did not swell in the slightest with Luke. I can still wear my wedding band, but it is tight so I might be a single woman the rest of my pregnancy. My feet get a little puffy too as the day goes on and I am on my feet a lot.
I feel the baby move in a very different way now. I will feel body parts protrude from my stomach and it feels so weird and so cool all at the same time.
Baby boy is head down.
When I wake up or stand up after sitting for long periods of time, my feet hurt so bad it feels like I am walking on pins and needles. This is new to me too since it never happened with Luke.
Chat and I think we have decided on a name. I am ready to tell, but Chat all of a sudden has decided that we need to keep it under wraps until he is born.
My back hurts in the exact same spot where it hurt when I was pregnant with Luke. I am fine unless I sit for long periods of time. It feels better if I am standing or laying down. The pain started later in the pregnancy this time than it did with Luke though for which I am thankful.
We finished the nursery, although we are using most of the same stuff for Luke's nursery. Since we moved though, we needed to get it all out and pictures hung, etc. Since the room is significantly larger than Luke's room was in our old house, we did have to get a new rug. I got the same one -- just went from a 3x5 to and 8x10. It was back ordered for 2 months, so it finally arrived!
I have had 3 Sprinkles for this baby and it has got us so excited about this new guy! It is nice to have a few new things special for this baby. I didn't realize how important that would be when agreeing to these, but so happy I did now!
Luke still has zero clue what is going on. He still thinks my huge stomach is a platform to sit on or jump off of.
As I was looking in the mirror on Monday as I was getting into the shower, I feel that my stomach is lower. I am not sure if this means he has dropped or not, but internally it feels the same so I am thinking probably not. Then a friend commented yesterday that she thinks I look like I dropped. Maybe this means he is getting ready???
This is the first year in several years that we are not traveling for Thanksgiving.
Dealing with getting ready for the new baby and getting ready for all the holidays is a little much for my brain to handle. I am overwhelmed to say the least.
I am trying to make it to the birth without buying anymore maternity clothes. Which means if you see me, you probably will see me in one of the 3 shirts that still fit me. Please ignore my lack of anything fashion at the moment.
I am trying to find a fun toy to have at home when we get home from the hospital as a possible distraction for Luke in case he is not welcoming of the baby. Any ideas?
I started packing my hospital bag and it is so surreal to be doing this again. I think it is really different this time since I know what I am walking in to. I am getting very nervous but very excited!
I just ate mashed potatoes for breakfast. They were delicious.
Luke and I are off to music class! Hoping to post a belly picture by tomorrow!

{An Unexpected Day}

2011-11-04T21:05:00.014-05:00

Today turned out quite different than what I expected. It's funny how life throws you a curve ball just as you are feeling comfortable with things.

I dropped Luke off at school and after a quick visit to see my sister and Molly, I headed to my regularly scheduled OB appointment. I got there about 5 minutes early and sat down but was quickly called back. I immediately thought "yay!" because typically I have to wait a bit and I had lunch plans with two friends and now I knew I was going to be able to get there with plenty of time to spare. I headed back and they took my blood pressure and weight and then I gave a urine sample. I then was brought to the examining room and the nurse checked the baby's heart rate. She looked puzzled as she tried to track it, but blamed it on the machine and left and said she would be back with a different doppler to get the heart rate. About a minute later, my doctor comes in with the doppler and she quickly says that the baby's heart rate is very high -- close to 200 (normal is 120 - 160). I laid there as she continues to track it and it remains steady at that number. At this point she says I need to head to the hospital for testing and observation and to go now.

I immediately rushed over to the hospital and they had me hooked up within about 5 minutes. Everything seemed great -- the baby's heart rate was back around 140 and no contractions. I laid there for quite some time and it seemed as though that this possibly was just a blip. Then the baby's heart rate started racing again, heading up to 190 and then 200. It maintained that for about 5 or 6 minutes and then went back to normal. Well, this happened several more times over the next hour. The nurse called my doctor and updated her and everything started going full-speed ahead.

At this point, I was signing admitting papers, changing into a hospital gown, given an IV, gave lots and lots of blood and was told that I would be having an ultrasound soon with a high-risk OB. At this point, I really started to get worried. Luckily when you are an OB patient and there is a problem with the baby, things happen very quickly. Within 20 or 30 minutes, I was up on the L&D floor getting an ultrasound with a doctor. The result?? They discovered the baby has a heart arryhthmia - both an irregular (extra or skip beats) heart beat and tachycardia (beating too fast) heart beat. My heart sunk.

But the more I learned from the doctor, the more comfortable I felt. He seemed concerned but very positive since there were not any other abnormalities. The good news is that most arryhthmias resolve themselves once the baby is born. I was discharged by late afternoon with strict orders to be back in his office within 5 to 7 days, to cut out all caffeine (which can aggrivate arryhthmias) and to montior the baby's movement. If there is any decrease in movement, I am supposed to go in to the doctor immediately. I will now see this high-risk OB to monitor the condition and hoping this is the last of surprises from this little guy.

Speaking of little guy....he is not so little. During the ultrasound, they measured him and he is measuring 3 weeks ahead. I am currently 33 weeks and 1 day and I was measuring closer to 36 weeks. They estimated him weighing 6 pounds and 3 ounces already which is very large for a baby at this gestational point. They seemed concerned about this too, but it will be something we will just continue to monitor as well.

This pregnancy has been very eventful. I am so ready for a few dull weeks with no news to report! Although I am nervous about being a mother of two, I am ready for this baby boy to be here so all of these worries can go away. I am ready to hold him in my arms and know in my heart he is ok. But for now, we are all doing well and hoping for a very boring Saturday!

{Halloween Exhaustion}

2011-11-01T13:06:00.008-05:00

Wow...I am tired from the Halloween celebration we had yesterday! Luke was Mickey Mouse for Halloween this year -- although he never would put on the ears. Luckily I think you could kinda tell what he was by his shorts and yellow shoes. Oh well! Maybe we will have better luck with the next kiddo with this costume.

This year we met up with friends in the neighborhood for fajitas and drinks and then went trick-or-treating with the toddlers. I will let the following picture display how the night started out...

Luckily after this rough start, Luke perked up and got the hang of it and even enjoyed himself. A lollipp definitely helped change his mood :). He probably went to 20 or 25 houses (with the help of daddy) and did really well (thank goodness!).

I have to say our neighborhood celebration was incredible. Everyone was out on their porches, kids were everyone and it felt like a true community. There was a man on a tractor pulling hay bales for kids to jump on for a ride. There were haunted houses set up in front yards. Orange twinkle lights danced all over the streets. It was so fun and made me realize how fortunate to finally be in this neighborhood that we have wanting for so long.

After trick or treating, we headed to Luke's Papa and Hattie's house around 8:00 pm for their Halloween party. After about an hour, I was pooped (yes, I was -- not Luke!) and decided to call it a night. Luke went to bed around 9 or 9:15 pm and was covered in stickiness from the candy. He definitely had a bath this morning to wash it all off. Oh yes...candy. Luke loves it....can't you tell?!? I think it might become a problem...

{A Fun Little Wednesday}

2011-10-27T13:22:00.018-05:00

The mosquitos have overtaken Houston recently and we are starting to feel like hostages in our own home. Since Luke is a kid that LOVES to be outside, the days have felt a little bit longer than they usually do :). So yesterday morning, Chat and I decided to take him to feed the ducks and ride the train at the Houston Zoo. We were just praying that they were spraying the mosquitos in the area and that we could spend a little time there and get Luke's energy out. Luckily, we had a great time with just a few mosquito bites to show for it!

One of Luke's first few words was "DUCK!" and boy did we hear it yesterday. He loved feeding them with Chat and also enjoyed snacking on the bread as well :). This kid is such an animal lover...

We then headed to the train to take a ride! Recently Luke has discovered trains and really has taken an interest. We hear "choo-choo" a lot from him and he loves watching trains on TV, reading about them in books (actually looking at the pictures and making the sound) and also playing with a few trains and a track that we have gotten him. Our little wiggle-worm has not always done so great on trains or anywhere where he has to sit for a long period of time. But he must be growing up or just really interested in trains now because he did great for the whole ride (minus a few wiggles towards the end)...

(starting to get restless...)

After the train, we decided to head into the zoo just for a bit since it was still early. We got to see the sea lions, the meerkats and the elephants before the mosquitos descended upon us and we decided it was time to head home....

(Love this one...they look so much alike)

{Luke's 2nd Haircut...}

2011-10-23T15:35:00.006-05:00

...did not go so well. Luckily his hair is cut and there was a lollipop afterward to make it all better :).

{Molly Catherine}

2011-10-21T22:08:00.005-05:00

Molly arrived Monday, October 17th at 7:48 pm! I was in the delivery room with my sister when she came into this world and it was such an amazing experience. Courtney did great and David was a wonderful coach. Molly is a doll and is perfect in every way!

{Another Prego Sister Picture}

2011-10-17T13:39:00.005-05:00

No baby yet, but Courtney is in full labor! We hope to have a pink little girl sometime after 5 pm today. In the meantime, here is a picture of the two of us at her baby shower!

{Becoming an Aunt!}

2011-10-16T14:03:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day! I am becoming an aunt to a precious little girl and our small family will continue to grow with little ones. My sister Courtney and I have been pregnant together this time around -- just 10 weeks apart. I have felt so lucky to have been able to share this with her and know we will look back at this time with such sweet memories (and probably alot of laughs!). We have shared so much growing up, but this definitely puts the cherry on top. Having a sister is one of the most amazing gifts I have received in my lifetime and to be able to share such an experience as pregnancy with her has been incredible.

Courtney is past due so they are inducing her tomorrow so we can meet this little one. I can't wait to be there tomorrow to help support her and welcome her sweet baby girl. I get so excited knowing what she is about to experience tomorrow. She is going to be a wonderful mother and I hope to be the best aunt I can be and help her as much as she did when I had Luke. I hope Luke is the best cousin he can be as well! Lets hope there is no eye poking or smothering on his part in the near future...

We have only gotten a few pictures of the two of us pregnant together. Even though I probably should have dressed up a bit more and put on makeup for this one, I know we will be grateful we have it one day. Here we are (me) 30w3d and (Courtney) 40w3d.

I hope to post a picture of the little one and her name at some point tomorrow evening! Stay tuned...

{Luke's First Bubble Bath}

2011-10-14T12:10:00.003-05:00

After a rough first introduction to the bubble bath earlier this week....

...I think Luke has taken to it!

{Museum Fun!}

2011-10-13T20:37:00.005-05:00

Luke and I met his friends Christian and Sayler (and their mom's Candice and Lindsay) at the Children's Museum this afternoon for a little playdate. The kids all pretty much ran in different directions except for when they all hung out in these wooden cars they have in the center. At one point we looked over and they had all gotten in one car together. How often does that happen where all the kids are in the same place at the same time for a photo opportunity?!? Well, this is one of the pictures I got and I find it hysterical. The two boys (who of course are in the front seat each with a wheel in their hand) are looking back at Sayler like "What are you doing here?". Boys are such boys even at toddlerhood!!

(Sorry the picture quality is terrible...this was caught on a camera phone!)

{Out on the Farm}

2011-10-11T16:36:00.007-05:00

Today has been quite a long day, so I am keeping this short and mostly to a picture post since I need to go pass out into my bed....

Luke and I headed out west to a pumpkin farm just outside of Houston. We had a great time even though I was sweating like the dickens! I can't wait for our first cool front so it can start to feel like fall. Luke did pretty well considering he is coming down with something and wasn't feeling 100%. He didn't love the tractor ride that we did first (mainly because the driver wanted to talk a little too much about irigation versus getting on with the show), but he perked up after that. Luke loved the animals the most from our time there...as you can see on the last picture of him smiling after feeding the goats. The apple does not fall far from the tree -- he is such an animal lover :).

{Happy Dance}

2011-10-09T20:27:00.003-05:00

Since Luke has been able to walk, when he gets excited or happy, he likes do a little jig...or is it a jog.. well, it is definitely his "happy dance" as we like to call it. He was very wired today at my parent's house and he decided to do it several times in a row so I actually got it on camera. I just imagine him with some rockin' 80s music, headband and leg warmers. Guess if he ever wants a job with the River Dance people, he would be a candidate...

{29 Weeks And Counting...}

2011-10-08T06:53:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe I am already over 29 weeks pregnant with our second son! Even though it still seems like a far way off, I know December will be here before I know it and our family will quickly turn to four. Even though I still have almost 10 weeks left, I feel this pregnancy is going much faster than when I was pregnant with Luke. I think being distracted by a crazy toddler makes time just fly by. Here are few things about this pregnancy to note:

This baby is a mover (which I love)! He is always moving, at all times of the day. This is very different than with Luke. I would go days without feeling Luke (which scared the dickens out of me!), so I just love this reassurance I get that this baby is growing strong. His kicks are typically very low in my pelvic area which makes me think this baby is still head up. Oh and he loves kicking my bladder...a lot.
Many people have commented on my "pointy" belly. I have a torpedo-like roundness and it is making me look a bit further along than I am. When I tell people how many more weeks I have to go, I get very surprised looks and lots of commentary on where the baby is going to go over the next 2 1/2 months!
Not only has my belly increased in size, but my chest has too. I can be the poster child for national geographic. Enough said about that.
I do think this baby boy is a big one. I haven't had an ultrasound in about 9 weeks, so I don't know for sure, but every ultrasound in the past I have been 1 to 2 weeks ahead. I feel that this one might be bigger than Luke. I will get another ultrasound at 35 weeks and will be eager to see his size.
My sleep has not been good for the past 8 weeks or so. Due to the sheer weight of the belly and also having to wake up to pee about 3 times a night, I just don't get long stretches. I am up about every 2 to 3 hours. Guess I am already back into newborn mode.
Unfortunately we still don't have a name for this baby boy. I was really hoping to determine a name and share it before he was born (we waited until after Luke's birth to share his name). But I just don't think that will be the case. There are lots of names I like, but not that I just LOVE. I am hoping we come up with something and soon!
I am hot. Not "man, that girl is so hot"... more of "oh my goodness, I am so freakin' hot that I am sweating through my shorts". I got through our terrible summer feeling normal, but about 2 weeks ago my temperature increased and it has not changed. Poor Chat just looks at me as I turn our a/c up and turn on all the fans. I can't wait for cooler temps!
Even though this is my second pregnancy and second boy, I am having several "sprinkles" over the next month or so. I feel a little uneasy about this since this is the second and I don't want them to feel like they need to do anything since we have a lot of what we need, but I also feel so appreciative that I have such wonderful friends that are helping us celebrate this exciting new addition to our family.
Luke is oblivious to what is going on which makes me chuckle. He has no idea that I am pregnant or what a baby is, but he does like sticking his crayons in my funny looking belly button. He also loves for me to pick him up by the arms and he puts his feet on my belly and pushes off and flips over. I am not sure how that effects the baby, so we try to keep that to a minimum :). The other day I asked him if he wanted a baby brother. He looked at me and simply whined "no"...lets hope that changes by Decemeber. Ha!

(Belly picture at 29 weeks and 1 day)

{Pipecleaner Fun!}

2011-10-07T16:09:00.005-05:00

I found this idea online and thought we would give it a try....it was a huge success! All you need is a collander/strainer and pipe cleaners. I found these Halloween inspired pipe cleaners in the $1 bin at Target, so this was a very inexpensive activity for Luke and helped him practice his fine motor skills. Who would have thought trying to get the pipe cleaners in the holes would be so much fun?!?!

(excuse Chat's big ole feet in the background)

{Interaction}

2011-10-06T16:02:00.002-05:00

Wow...how is it already October? I have a little bit of writer's block recently, so it is time I keep the blog updated. Luke is doing well, just busy as can be. Something new recently is that Luke is starting to interact with friends and other kids. For so long they just play side by side, so it is fun to see them interacting and have fun together. He especially likes to follow the big kids around and try to keep up with them. Here is a video of Luke and his cousin Kaden (almost 3 1/2 years old) having fun at a recent family gathering...I think they are going to be best buds as they grow up together :).

{A Boy And His Dog}

2011-09-11T17:31:00.003-05:00

This dog has put up with an awful lot from this guy...

and she still seems to love him :).

{Drivin' -- Me Crazy!}

2011-09-08T21:42:00.007-05:00

Here's another snapshot of one of Luke's new favorite things! The boy loves the car (loves is a huge understatement). We spend at least 45 minutes a day with him climbing all over the car, pushing the buttons, turning on the lights, playing with the stereo and "driving" the wheel. I am a little sad we started this because every time we have to leave to go somewhere, he wants to play in the car, not get into his carseat. So I have to set time everyday for him to get the 'driving' out of his system, so we can avoid any tantrums. I do love to see him get such a thrill out of it all though - and it is very low maintenance for me, I just have to sit there and make sure he doesn't drive away :). At least we just have to head to the driveway now to have a fun outting!

{My 18 Month Old}

2011-09-01T20:38:00.008-05:00

I can't believe Luke is already 18 months old! This has been a FUN, but EXHAUSTING age. I enjoy watching him learn and soak everything in...it is really incredible to watch. When he learns something new, my heart just melts with pride. He is such a little guy now. We went to his 18 month check-up this week and his pediatrician gave him a great report :). His 18 month stats are:

Height - 34 1/4 inches (92nd percentile)

Weight - 29 pounds (84th percentile)

We clearly have one tall boy! One of my concerns over the past few months is Luke's lack of words. He has been extremely vocal over the past few months. He speaks tons...just in a language I could never understand (although it was kinda cute). I planned to have a big discussion with the doctor at this appointment, but low-and-behold Luke started talking about a week before his appointment. Seriously, four days ago he was saying only 2 words that I could understand. Today, he is speaking 12 that I can identify...

Dada

Mama

Dog

Bubbles

Uh-oh

Ball

Hot

Bye

Banana

Elmo

The pediatrician said that one day he would just start speaking and then rapidly increase...and boy did it! He seems to be learning to speak several words a day now. It has been very fun to see him do this...and has given me great peace of mind.

Other than that, Luke is just busy, busy, busy. I can barely take him anywhere now because he is so active and literally won't sit still (or be held) for more than about 2 minutes. The grocery store is now even a problem. Restaurants...forget it. The boy wants to run around like a chicken with his head cut off! It is actually very entertaining...when it is not frustrating :). He climbs on everything and moves furniture to be able to get to counters and tables that we put things out of his reach. The tantrums have started, but are few. We are learning to have time out when he gets upset and it seems to help, but somedays he can just have off days. Those particular days, all we have to do is spend a bit extra time outside and he is a happy camper. He is sleeping like a champ and napping so well. I guess he is making up for his first year where he did not sleep at all. The boy is dirty -- All The Time. He wants to be outside and be hot, sweaty and dirty. We cannot miss bath at night since he smells like a little goat by about noon everyday. I am glad he plays so hard though and enjoys it so much.

Here is a picture of the little guy after playing hard in the backyard today....notice something funny about one of his bottom teeth?

Yes, he fell out of a chair the other day and chipped his tooth. At times I get a bit comfortable with him climbing since he is doing it 24/7 and seems to have pretty good balance. Well, this time I was a bit too comfortable and could not get there in time to catch him when he fell. Luckily he will eventually lose this tooth, it will just take another 5 years. Until then, I am raising a little hillbilly :).

{Daddy's Little Helper}

2011-08-30T13:40:00.001-05:00

Luke's new obsession...the lawnmower!

{The Last Night}

2011-08-17T21:34:00.007-05:00

I am feeling a bit funny tonight. You would think it is because we have been packing and moving in 100+ degree weather the past week. But it isn't our tired legs that feel different, it is my heart as corny as that sounds. It is the last night in our first home. Our house is a bit unrecognizable right now....covered in boxes and stacks. Pictures have been taken down and furniture taken apart. But it is still home to us, not like the house waiting for us tomorrow. We are so excited to leave, but I can't help be nostalgic for what these walls have meant to us. Our first house. The first place we went to when we came back from our honeymoon. The first place Luke saw other than the hospital room walls. There is such a thing for moving on and moving 'up', but I will remember this house always. It will forever have a special place in my heart. Here is one of the first pictures we ever took of us at our house. Our offer got accepted and we ran over there to take a picture by the 'for sale' sign. It was just the two of us back then...it seems like a million years ago. It is where we became a family.

Here is to a great future at our new house and most importantly to the wonderful place we called home for almost 5 years!!!

{Baby Boy Update}

2011-08-10T07:32:00.008-05:00

I had my big 20 week scan yesterday with the high-risk doctor's office to get a clearer picture if we are dealing with any health issues. I didn't get many answers as they are sending the report to my doctor, but I have a good feeling. I will be meeting with my OB in two weeks and know for sure, but I remaining very positive.

The only new concern I have is the size of this baby's head! It is measuring in the 98 percentile. Ummmm....can I say induction so this boy doesn't get too big?? I don't want this baby's head to cause any problems delivering. Clearly I birth big babies. I am 20 weeks and 5 days and it is measuring over 22 weeks (very similarly to Luke), but I am not really concerned...until I heard about the head size. Oh well! Guess time will tell!

{Stick 'Em Up}

2011-08-09T07:44:00.007-05:00

Luke got a little squirt gun for a party favor last year. He was too young to play with it, so I put it up in a cabinet and forgot about it. The good thing about packing is that you uncover little gems in your house that you totally have no recollection that you had. Well, I found it and gave it to Luke and it was an immediate love affair! And since we are in the midst of a heat wave, it is the perfect way to cool off...since he insists of squirting me...and the dogs...and anything else that moves. Oh and he occasionally gets himself in the face as you can tell from the drips all down his shirt and his hair!

{Packing is for the Birds}

2011-08-07T22:34:00.005-05:00

With less than one week untill our new house is officially ours, we are up to our ears in boxes! We are packing away and realizing just how much stuff we have and how much more work needs to be done (ugghh!). I will have to say that packing with a 17 month old has been interesting. Just when you get done packing a box, our little guy is having a ball unpacking it! He is finding the thrill in getting out all of our stuff and slinging it around the house. Hopefully we are still making progress even though we have had a few set backs due to his curiousity and restlessness :).

Chat and Luke got creative today and decided a fort (or two) was needed with all these boxes around. At least we are trying to have a little fun while we work!

{Boys Will Be Boys}

2011-08-05T13:00:00.002-05:00

With temperatures in Houston well over 100, we are trying to find things to do with the kids inside so we don't melt. With Luke having so much energy, this is hard to do! So yesterday we went and visited the train table at Barnes and Nobles. Luke had a ball! He played with the trains (even learned to say "choo choo"), took out tons of books (sorry Barnes and Noble for the mess) and became fascinated with the escalators up to the 2nd floor.

They also had these little chairs all lined up, so we thought it would be a great idea to put all the boys in a chair and take a picture. FAIL!! You can't tell, but Luke was loving it and trying to do a little happy dance (which is why he is so blurry). His friend Connor was ok with it and his two other friends were very upset with having to sit in the chairs. It was hysterical! We can't wait for fall when we can play outside once again...

{Luke's First Haircut}

2011-08-04T13:33:00.004-05:00

Luke's hair has really filled in lately and was very long around his ears and back of his neck. So it was time for his first "official" haircut! I was a bit worried he wouldn't do so well, but luckily this place was ready for him with his own remote and TV with Elmo on it. So he did so well!

And when he was all done, what did he do? Sweep of course! He loves sweeping and frequently gets our broom and cleans up (or uses it as a bat) at our house. So he eyed the broom once he was all done and got to work!

{Feeling Within}

2011-07-28T17:34:00.006-05:00

Historically, this blog is mainly about one little guy...Luke. But soon we will have two littles guys that we will need to focus on as will this blog. I realized that due to all the uncertainties that have come with this pregnancy, I have neglected to keep a log about the little bean growing inside me. Healthy or not-so-healthy, he is growing...very well actually, about a week or two ahead in fact. And I am feeling him. Deep within me, I am feeling the little thuds get stronger and stronger and more frequent. It takes me back to when I felt Luke kicking inside and how special it was. It is that feeling all over again and it is connecting me to this special one inside me.

I am 19 weeks today and feeling better and better about this pregnancy and the bouncing boy it will give me come December. My energy level is back up (finally!) and I am feeling overall more energetic. My bump is growing and struggling to walk around without it brushing against things. I am almost half way done with this pregnancy and now is the good stuff. The kicks, the flutters, the random elbow to the rib. All reassurance that this little bean will be ok and so will we. It is such good stuff.

Bump at 19 weeks

{Bubbles Bubbles Everywhere!}

2011-07-26T21:07:00.006-05:00

One of Luke's favorite things right now is BUBBLES! If there are bubbles around, Luke is glued to the bubble maker and has a huge smile on his face (until it is time to put them away, then cue tantrum...we are working on it :)!

The best is what I have realized about Luke lately. If he is having fun and really enjoying something, that little tongue of his is always sticking out. It is hysterical!
!

{Getting Back on Track}

2011-07-25T22:00:00.010-05:00

As you can tell from the previous post, things have gotten a bit serious around here. So I need to liven this blog up!

It is amazing how much Luke has grown over the past few months. I can't believe he is 17 months old already...he is a little boy now and I am loving it! My mom bought Luke this sailor outfit several months ago and we knew he was getting a bit big for these type of clothes, so we threw him in it for a quick photo shoot just so we knew we would have it.

This is how Luke felt about being in this girly outfit at first....

But we eventually got a few of him not making funny faces and even smiling every now and then!

{Thankful}

2011-07-17T20:38:00.004-05:00

As you have read, I have asked for extra prayers lately. Without going too much into it, we have had some ultrasounds done on the little guy inside due to some tests results. We have faith that he is healthy and will join our family come December, but this has been a trying few weeks and it has made me so appreciate of the health and happiness of this big guy....

I would be lost without Luke and he makes it so much easier to take one day at a time and have faith that it will all be ok.

{Movin'}

2011-07-14T06:48:00.001-05:00

If we didn't have enough change going on, we are moving to make things that much crazier! It is a bit bittersweet since this is the first house Chat and I shared together and the only home Luke has known. However, we are moving just blocks away from my sister to a bigger home and a fantastic, kid-filled neighborhood with great schools!

Moving day will be in August, so we have lots to do before then. Let me just mention how unexcited I am to be moving while pregnant, in the heat of the summer and keeping up with a toddler who we call the 'tasmanian devil' since he can cause so much destruction in such a small amount of time! However, I am trying to look on the bright side of things and know how much easier it is to be doing this now (versus with an infant and a toddler) and how fortunate we are to be moving into this new neighbor. So....

Out with the old...(sniff, sniff)

And in with the new!

{Gender Reveal}

2011-07-12T17:22:00.004-05:00

It's another boy! We are very excited to say that Luke is going to have a little brother this December. I am really excited that it is a boy since they are so close in age (about 22 months apart). I think they are going to have a ball together as they grow up together...although I think it is going to be a bit chaotic in our household for the next few years!

{Our 4th of July in 4 Words...}

2011-07-04T20:24:00.002-05:00

Hand foot mouth disease....

{...}

2011-07-01T20:53:00.001-05:00

Lots has been happening over the past few weeks. I hope to update the blog soon, but in the meantime, I could use a few prayers. If you pray, say one for me :).

{This Father's Day...}

2011-06-19T06:41:00.002-05:00

This Father's Day isn't about presents or brunch at our house. Unfortunately, it is about thermometers, puke buckets, gatorade and lots and lots of TLC. We have one sick kiddo on our hands and we have spent the weekend with a hot little potato in our arms. Even though we would rather be showering Chat with cards and gifts, he instead is giving Luke a lot of fatherly love. I guess this is really what Father's Day is really all about...

(Don't worry, as soon as this virus gets done wreaking havoc at our house, we have a few things for dad!)

{Oreo Love}

2011-06-14T21:40:00.004-05:00

Want to hear a very idiotic idea that will give any mother a panic attack? Give your 15-month-old an oreo for the first time in the car! Here are the results....and this does not show his hands OR the car seat. All I can say is Luke loved the oreo but mama did not like cleaning it up!

{Summer Vacation!}

2011-06-08T21:00:00.007-05:00

I have been away from the computer for the past five days because we were at the bay for a little family vacation! Chat, Luke and I went with my family and had a ball. It was great to get away and makes coming home that much sweeter.

Luke loved the beach! When I say loved, I mean LOVED. The boy is clearly a fish and loves the water. He is such a risk-taker, charging the ocean and going straight in. When the waves would make him lose his balance and fall, he would just get up hysterically laughing and smiling and almost egged on to continue out into the water.

It was so fun to see our little man enjoying himself and spend some quality time with my family. It was a truly special few days because it gave me a glimpse of what vacations will be like with our growing family....

{My Water Babies}

2011-05-27T20:41:00.002-05:00

{A Post I Didn't See Coming}

2011-05-25T07:15:00.002-05:00

I honestly didn't think I would be posting this post. The post that I am pregnant. Yes, you ready that correctly! A once infertile has conceived with very minimal help. For many of you who know me, you know that I have PCOS and it took us almost a year to conceive Luke. It was a long, emotional year that still stings when thinking about it. We thought we would have to work hard again...fight for another pregnancy. Well, things worked about a bit differently this time...

Rewind 7 weeks. I actually went to the doctor in early April to discuss options and when to start medication to start planning for a second child. I explained that we wanted to start later this summer and that I wanted to be prepared and have all my prescriptions ready to go. We were thinking we could start trying in July or August and hopefully be pregant by the end of the fall. The nurse practioner was so understanding and we made a plan that I felt great about. And just for kicks, she decided to test to see if I ovulated that month. I thought that was a great idea since I hadn't ovulated since Luke was born, but recently I had been on Metformin to control some PCOS symptoms and I actually had two cycles. I didn't think I had ovulated, but I wasn't really sure. Needless to say, she called the next week and told me the good news...from the looks of my progesterone level, I did ovulate. I was elated! Would I not have to go through the hoops this time?

Fast forward to the next day. I was meeting my sister for lunch and had about 10 minutes before I had to leave. Just for kicks because I had 10 minutes to kill, I decided to take a pregnancy test. I seriously thought there was ZERO chance. Three minutes later, I see the plus sign. I was pregnant! I actually was already pregnant when I went to that appointment a few weeks prior. It seemed a bit unreal. I am 10 weeks along and my due date is December 25th. Yup, we are going to have ourselves a little Christmas blessing!

So now for a few truths.

My first initial feeling when finding out I was pregnant was guilt. I felt so guilty that this was coming earlier than expected and that Luke was going to have to share his mom and dad at a much earlier age than we thought. I know it is silly to think, but I would just look at him and cry (hormonal?) and want to say "sorry" over and over again. And then I realized that we are giving Luke the greatest gift...a sibling.

Second truth.

I am currently having major anxiety. I have had the fears of "can I do this with another child that is still so young?" and "what if this one doesn't sleep for the first 10 1/2 months like Luke?" and "will I be able to give both children what they need?". There are many more questions running through my mind on a given day, but I have decided to take it one day at a time and enjoy this process. I am sure some days are going to be hard, but the good ones are going to make up for it.

Final truth.

I am happy beyond belief.

{Adventures in Eating}

2011-05-16T22:32:00.002-05:00

Spaghetti is da bomb! I mean, the boy goes through bowls and bowls of this stuff!

{MIA}

2011-05-05T17:27:00.009-05:00

I have been a bit MIA this week. However, I have learned a few things this week:

- However excited you are about the summer and busting our your white pants, you can't wear them when you have a toddler or you will end up stain-treating them to the death

- Anything you give your toddler WILL end up in the toilet

- Having your child bit by a misquito right in the middle of his forehead will make him look like a little hindu man

- When your dog drags your toddler across the room because she is winning their tug-of-war game and your son looks at you with "help me" eyes, you can chuckle before helping him

- Toddler utensils are the end of all nice clothing

- Finding a piece of spaghetti in your bra when changing for bed is a part of motherhood...I think

- It is okay to get grossed out when your husband tells you your son's diaper that morning looked like dog food (but then smile a little because you didn't have to change it)

- Snot bubbles no longer gross you out for some weird reason

- Toddlers seem to like Sonic cherry limeades...so much that they will whine the whole time you are drinking it because you gave in and gave them a sip and somehow that sweet simple pleasure is no longer sweet or simple

- Elmo saves the day...EVERY DAY

- When your child learns how to blow a kiss to you, it can make it all worth it :)

{A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words}

2011-04-30T11:12:00.002-05:00

{Chalk It Up}

2011-04-27T06:28:00.006-05:00

Having a toddler definitely has it's challenges, but it also has big rewards. I love seeing Luke try and do new things and really enjoy things we do together. He can have so much fun. On Monday evening in between dinner and bathtime, I thought it would be fun to break out something new...sidewalk chalk! And boy did Luke go for it!

This is my favorite picture from that night. *sigh*. This was one of those rewarding days with a toddler. I love you too buddy.

{New Obsession}

2011-04-26T12:35:00.001-05:00

Luke is obsessed with eating with utensils. Yay! Not really. Although I am proud of him for trying to achieve this milestone, you can see in this video what the problem is. Most of the food ends up in his lap...but boy does he love it!

{Future Baseball Player}

2011-04-25T21:06:00.004-05:00

{see mini Chat...the baseball craziness has officially started}

{The Apple...}

2011-04-24T20:13:00.004-05:00

The apple clearly does not fall far from the tree. Instead of displaying a cute photo of Luke in an adorable jon-jon picking up Easter eggs, I will provide you with a picture of Luke chugging a Heineken beer. Don't worry, it was a full beer but it was unopended much to Luke's dismay. He tried to 'chug' this beer for a good 5 or 10 minutes before we took it away. I am thinking he is clearly a little apple to Chat the big ole apple tree! I think I have my work cut out with this one...

{Photo Shoot}

2011-04-19T20:40:00.003-05:00

I really wanted to get Luke's picture taken around his first birthday. I think that is a good age to document! But February is pretty drab around here, so we decided to wait until April when the weather is nice, the grass is green and flowers are blooming! I really like how they turned out. Here are just a few that I thought I would share!

{Easter Came Early!}

2011-04-16T14:44:00.009-05:00

Our neighborhood mom's group had their annual Easter Egg Hunt this morning and Luke had a great time. Can't you tell?

Other than saying hello to the Easter Bunny, Luke did have a great time. He picked up lots of eggs with dad's help...

When that wasn't fun anymore (which was pretty quick), he started taking the eggs out of the basket. Then he decided to eat them... He played on the playground and on the swings after that and then topped off the morning with a juice box. All in all, a great morning! Here is a little family pick at the end of the festivities. Next weekend, we will celebrate with the family!

{The Difference A Year Makes}

2011-04-11T22:34:00.007-05:00

To carry on our family tradition, we went to the Astros home opener this year again this past Friday. Remember last year? This was a picture we took right before we left for the game. Luke was just 6 weeks old...

And this is us this year. Wow has Luke changed! Chat and I look pretty much the same though. Not sure if that is a good thing or not! At least all the sleep deprivation of the past year hasn't changed my looks that much :).

We had a great time, but I was pretty exhausted by the end of it. Keep up with a toddler is hard work people! But it was fun watching Luke run around. I am not sure Luke watched much of the game, but he did enjoy the music, the people and the food. Here is the best example...Luke eating ice cream out of his first Astros hat/bowl. Too bad most of it got on my lap than in his mouth...

Until next year!

{What Teething Looks Like}

2011-04-10T18:31:00.003-05:00

That is my arm....with bite marks. Bite marks made by Luke. Yup...my kid bit me. Before I start beaming from this wonderful motherhood moment {insert sarcasm}, I will give Luke a break. Luke is having a terrible time with these darn molars coming in. His two bottom molars are breaking through and it is screwing with his sleep, his moods, his happiness and everything else! Today was a rough day. He is biting everything in sight and today my arm got the brunt of it. So after making it through today by visiting all of our family in the area to distract him from the pain (which worked!), we headed home, he got a large dose of Tylenol and he was put to bed. Now all I need is a glass of wine and an ice pack for my arm.

{First Word}

2011-04-07T22:06:00.003-05:00

Well, it took Luke 13 months, 1 week and 3 days, but he finally said his first word! I haven't hid it...I have been a bit worried that Luke wasn't saying anything yet. He is very vocal, he just wouldn't say anything that was recognizable. Then last Sunday, he finally did it. He said D -- O -- G. Dog! Well, it sounded more like Doag. But it definitely was our 4 legged furry friend. He saw one pass us by on the sidewalk. He was very excited since he loves animals! It kept on its merry way, and as it walked away I heard it. Doag. And then he pointed. *Cue melting heart*

I am actually very excited it was his first word since our pups are a big part of his life. I am not sure what we would have done without them this first year! They can get him to laugh like nothing else. This picture is from late last week. Trudy loves when it is bathtime for Luke. She hangs her head over the side every night and drinks the water. In this picture (taken by a crappy camera phone), Luke is spoon-feeding Trudy bath water. The two of them are a trip!

{Upgrade}

2011-04-03T20:28:00.002-05:00

Look who got a new ride at the grocery store...

{Elmo Love}

2011-03-30T14:52:00.007-05:00

My child won't wear shoes, yet he will wear these incredibly large, fluffy, heavy, red slippers. All. Day. Long. Cuz they're Elmo...

{It Happened}

2011-03-27T20:21:00.006-05:00

One of my biggest fears since Luke became mobile happened this afternoon...he fell. He fell hard...and hurt himself. We were at my parent's house and we were playing outside on the back patio which we have done hundreds of times. Out of nowhere, he was walking too fast and tripped over his feet and went face first into a large, concrete pot. I heard his head hit the concrete (that horrific sound of bone hitting something solid) and I swear my heart stopped. The next 10 minutes were a blur. All I remember is racing to pick up my screaming child and blood gushing out of his mouth. I couldn't see in his mouth due to all the blood (and the blood curdling screaming), so I had no idea what was hurt. After using towels to soak up the blood, his clinging to me, his comforting blanket and his pacifier, I was able to get him to calm down a bit. He sliced his tongue really bad (hence the bleeding) and banged up his chin. It could have been so much worse which is even scarrier. I think the whole thing was as traumatic for me as it was for him. With all the crying, he wore himself out and fell asleep on me like this. He is now fast asleep doped up on tylenol in his crib. I realized no matter how much you try to protect your children, things just happen. It just broke my heart to see him so hurt. I hope things like this don't happen too often....I don't think my heart could handle it.

{What Happens 5 Minutes Before You Need to Leave}

2011-03-22T21:48:00.004-05:00

Luke meet cornstarch. Cornstarch meet Luke.

(All Aboard the Crazy Train}

2011-03-21T22:29:00.004-05:00

Today Luke and I joined some friends at the zoo to ride the train! We have been wanting to do this for months so we were excited. We also were excited to get out due to the craziness that went on last night...er...this morning. Luke decided to wake up from 1:30 to 5:00 am last night. It was AWFUL! I am claiming it was due teething but I don't know what the heck was going on. So needless to say, we woke up just in time to make it to swim class and then head home for lunch and then a nap. For him. Not me. Ughh, 4 1/2 hours of sleep and still no nap. I. Am. So. Tired. I am having severe flashbacks of the first 8 months of Luke's life. HELP.

Anyhoo, we needed to get out after his nap since we were both 'off' all day. So we got off of our crazy train wreck of a night/day and headed to a real train. Ta da...

So this post is short. Because it is almost 11:00 pm and I am finally going to bed. Anyone reading this please say some prayers that last night was just a fluke and my little man will sleep tonight!

{Worn Out}

2011-03-17T13:58:00.000-05:00

This week has been one busy week. Very busy. But oh so good. We have reached a new stage with Luke. Call it being a year old, walking or the time change...I am not exactly sure, but all of a sudden we have our life back. That sounds bad to say, but I don't mean it that way at all. I mean we have our 'out-and-about, busy life' back. When you have a baby that goes to bed by 7:00 pm and is 20+ pounds of dead weight that you have to lug around on your hip, you tend to stay home. We spent the last 12 months staying home, eating in and watching tv. We needed to stay in and it was good for us. But before Luke, we were an 'on-the-go' type of family, always making plans and going from one thing to the next. And with Luke's new independence, somehow we have found ourselves back there.

This week we have been going from sun up to sun down. From rodeos, to baseball games, to state parks. We have done it all! It feels great to be 'out and about' again, but man am I tired. And I think Luke is too, although sometimes it is hard to tell...

{First Taste of Heaven}

2011-03-16T06:20:00.000-05:00

Luke got his first taste of heaven....Baskin Robbins ice cream! Chat and I decided we needed a little treat after dinner Monday night so we headed to my favorite ice cream shop. Chocolate fudge on a sugar cone? Yes please!! That has been my ice cream of choice at BR for the past 29 years. Luke got his own vanilla scoop in a kiddie cup. He loved holding the spoon and feeding himself. Which meant??? Lots of mess for mom and dad to clean up! Luckily we were going home for bath time afterward, so we just let him go to town. And boy did he!

{Boys Will Be Boys}

2011-03-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Boys come out of the womb liking dirt, trucks, worms, and anything else 'manly'. Today was just one more example! After swim class, our friend Whitney realized that she had a nail in her tire and it was flat. She and Cooper headed out to find the first Discount Tire store and Luke and I followed just to make sure they got there safely. Once we were inside, it was like a toy store for Luke and Cooper! They LOVED all the tires and immediately started visiting every tire display. The boys chatted it up together at the displays and were just a riot. I think Luke could have stayed there all day. Add tires to the list of Luke's favorite things!

{My Little Fish}

2011-03-14T15:51:00.004-05:00

Today Luke started swim class! It was a 30 minute 'mommy and me' class that started bright and early this morning. He practiced kicking, splashing, blowing bubbles under water and floating on his back. Overall he did pretty well!! The teachers said he did great for his first time. I think sometimes he looked at me with "what the heck are we doing?" eyes and at times would grab on to me very tightly (as in 'don't you dare let me go!!'), but other than that he was the perfect little fish!

I just love the little swim diapers they are required to wear! I am not sure Luke is so sure...

I think the highlight of the morning though was snack time with his pal Cooper in the changing stall after the lesson. They enjoyed some graham crackers while their moms quickly got dressed!

{Cancrunk: A Weekend Away}

2011-03-08T20:16:00.009-06:00

I survived (and enjoyed!) my first extended time away from Luke! This was the first time I have left Luke for more than one night. I went to Cancun for my friend Tory's wedding that I was in and had a wonderful time. It was a great getaway and I had some much needed friend time and down time. My friend Tory was a beautiful bride and she had an amazing wedding with the most beautiful water and beach in the background!

We had some much needed relaxing time at the beach and a bit of crazy time at the wedding (also needed)! We had so much girl talk (oh, how I miss that) and of course people watching. We definitely came back with stories and memories we will keep for quite awhile! I can't believe I am actually going to post this picture, but this was at the wedding reception on the beach. My dear friends Brooke and Robin and I had several cocktails and really danced it up. For those of you who know me....let's just say my battery has been recharged (please picture my hand motions of my batttery charging now :).

This was us just two hours before the picture above...don't judge :).

Although the trip was great, it was wonderful to come back to Luke, Chat and the puppies yesterday. Luke did great for Chat -- they really had a fabulous weekend together! Chat is now Luke's favorite though and doesn't quite need me as much. Breaks my heart a little, but I am so happy they had such a bonding weekend.

{Tongue and Cheek}

2011-03-03T13:37:00.002-06:00

I cannot get my child to put his tongue back in his mouth...

{Smash Cake}

2011-03-02T08:43:00.000-06:00

Luke really loves to eat cake (well everything)...and he definitely did not hold back at his party! He was very delicate in the way he ate initially, but then he dove in...

Clearly he was a mess, so he then got in his birthday suit (almost, we kept the diaper on much to his dismay) and then the puppies went to town cleaning up his mess!

{Birthday Fun...Cowboy Style}

2011-03-01T10:05:00.000-06:00

I was so excited that Luke got better so we could have his birthday party on Saturday! Friday was going to be decision day and when he woke up fever-free on Friday we knew we had a lot to do before Saturday. Considering we only had about 36 hours to do everything, I think it turned out pretty well!

View from the front door

The yummy food

The flower centerpieces and his invitation

Luke's cowboy boot cake

Hat and boots centerpiece

Luke's birthday hat

Luke's wanted poster

They were so cute, I made them for all the kids at the party!

Stick-horses...a fun party favor for the kids!

More pictures to come of the people at the party!

{A Happy Boy}

2011-02-28T22:17:00.003-06:00

After days of being sick and then a busy birthday weekend, Luke is back to being a happy boy loving being outside (I think he would live out in a tent if I would let him)! The weather was beautiful today so we met our friends Whitney and Cooper at the park and we went with them for some frozen yogurt at Swirl. Luke LOVED the park (and the yogurt!), especially the swings and the slide...although he liked trying to climb up the slide....over....and over....and over again. He wore me out!

It really made me see what I am in for with Luke. He is so physical...he wore me out! He all of a sudden realized all the fun stuff at the park and the physicalness of everything. He was climbing and going all over the place...he was working hard. Even after an hour, he was not ready to leave...as he let me know when he screamed as I pulled him off the slide. Don't worry Luke, we'll be back!

P.S. Look who is wearing his shoes?!?!?! Today was the first time he wore shoes for more than 5 minutes without pitching a fit. Yay! Hopefully there is more of that to come. Baby steps!

{Until Tomorrow}

2011-02-27T22:44:00.002-06:00

Luke's birthday party was wonderful! We had so many family and friends there to share it with us. I think it truly was the best ending for an amazing year with a special little boy. I have pictures from the party to post this week, but until then...Happy Birthday Luke!

{Update}

2011-02-25T16:40:00.002-06:00

Luke is fever-free! He woke up this morning and I immediately felt relief when I picked him up and he wasn't hot. Phew! We are still waiting to hear back on the results from the urine culture just so we can see what he had, but I am at least happy he is back to himself.

So the party is on!

{Happy Birthday to Luke}

2011-02-24T15:35:00.006-06:00

I can't believe Luke is one today! I just looked at the clock and in one minute this time (3:37 pm) last year Luke entered the world and changed our lives forever. This last year has been one that I will never forget. I have never in my life got as little sleep as I did this past year, but I have never experienced love like this before. I know it sounds corny, but it is the truth. Luke was the best thing that Chat and I ever did and we are so happy that we are celebrating his first full year with us!

In other news, Luke's fever is going down. We had a rough night with him having fever around 102.5+, but by the morning it was down to 102 and then around noon it was down around 101. He is making huge strides!! I am hoping he will be fever free by tomorrow and that we can continue with his party plans for Saturday. But most importantly, Luke is back. He is toddling around, playing and showing us that he feels better. He still has his moments of pitifulness, but when I saw him smile at us today, I knew he was on the road to recovery!

He ate breakfast well so we decided we had to run to Avalon Diner for a special (late) birthday lunch. We made sure that Tylenol was working, that he felt good and that the lunch crowd was gone. This is the same diner that Chat went to on his first birthday and those to follow. It was tradition...so we had to go! And Luke loved it....especially his very special birthday strawberry milkshake!

{An Unexpected First Birthday}

2011-02-23T22:24:00.003-06:00

And not in a good way. Luke is sick...very sick and his birthday is tomorrow. He developed a fever Monday night and it hasn't left since. It spiked all the way up to 103.4 last night scaring me to death. I spoke to the on-call doctor shortly after, promised him to wake Luke up every 4 hours to take his temperature and give him tylenol and to go into the doctor's office first thing today. And then the real fun started....

After waking up with 103 tempertaure this morning, almost 3 hours in the doctor's office, 2 blood draws, one catheter to get a urine culture (horrible!) and 2 shots later, we left battered and shook up. I have never felt my heart hurt that much for our little guy as it did today. He was a trooper, but man was it tough. His fever is still high days later and we still don't have answers. We hope to find out more when his urine culture comes back Friday morning. It is determined it is bacterial due to the high level of white blood cells, but other than that, we still don't know. I just hope and pray we wake up tomorrow with a feverless little birthday boy.

Side note -- It is times like this that I think of the pioneer women and how they handled days like this -- without doctors, without medicine, without all the luxuries we have today. It was hard to keep him comfortable with all that we have this day and age...I really don't know how they did it. Hats off.

So our days are spent cuddling, loving and trying to get this boy comfortable and through this tough time. Luckily Chat has been off today and tomorrow. We thought we were going to be bringing Luke to the zoo tomorrow to celebrate his big FIRST birthday, but it now will be spent at home trying to get him well (and softly singing happy birthday to him all day).

I am not even thinking about the birthday party planned for Saturday that we may or may not have now. At this point, I just want my little man well. Until tomorrow...

{Future CEO}

2011-02-19T22:26:00.005-06:00

Tonight at my parent's house, we celebrated my sister's birthday! My brother-in-law went off with Luke around the house and all of a sudden we got this picture and this caption via text from the study...

Future CEO

Luke loved sitting like a big boy at the desk! He is growing so fast with only about 5 days until his big FIRST birthday!!

{4 Years}

2011-02-17T14:05:00.000-06:00

Wow...it has been four years since Chat and I got married. I look at this picture of us kissing for the first time as husband and wife and it feels like it has been forever since that day....that moment. It was the start of the rest of our lives and today, with Luke in my arms and Chat by my side, I have never felt more appreciative for that day that brought us together.

We are celebrating with a night out at Brennans tonight! You might remember we did that last year (click here if not!). SO much has changed since this day last year. We were childless (one week later, Luke was here!), we didn't have to have a babysitter to go to dinner, we drove to the restaurant in our little Audi (which we had to sell since the car seat didn't quite fit), we had no idea what was in store and how much our lives were about to change. It was just the two of us for the last time. And now, it is just the three of us and we couldn't be happier. The last year was tough, but it was so good. So very good.

{Refusal}

2011-02-17T11:56:00.003-06:00

What does it mean if your child refuses to wear shoes and pants to be happy? Luke will throw himself on the floor and cry if I put his shoes (his CUTE shoes might I add) on him. He refuses to walk in them. And to make matters worse, he now hates pants. I think I am in trouble...

{Monday}

2011-02-08T11:16:00.002-06:00

Since Chat worked all weekend, we had our 'weekend' on Monday since he was at home. And we spent it hanging out at the house looking out the window...Luke's new favorite activity to do with the puppies!

{The Apple}

2011-02-08T11:12:00.003-06:00

Clearly the apple does not fall far from the tree. Luke is proving to be more like me every day with his eating habits (aka he eats everything). He now LOVES mashed potatoes (just like his mom!). What's wrong with a little tater up the nose??

{On the Move}

2011-02-04T22:08:00.003-06:00

Luke started to walk about 2 weeks ago and in those 2 weeks, he has come a long way! You see him walking a bit at the end of this video (he looks like a little drunk man!), but the beginning of the video shows a new thing Luke is into...moving the furniture. Luke loves to move all the dining room chairs across the room to his toy area. We do this. Every. Single. Day. Sometimes they will all pile up and he just waits for me to move them all back. I think I have my work cut out for me with this little bruiser...

{Guess Who Is...}

2011-01-23T21:41:00.002-06:00

WALKING!!! That would be Luke! He has been taking 2 or 3 steps over the past week, but today he took 10+ steps three times today. He was so proud of himself (as are we)! He still is crawling way more than walking, but he is definitely on his way. I have some video, but of course I am having issues downloading the videos. Stay tuned!

{Back}

2011-01-21T21:51:00.003-06:00

After a long week of not feeling great, Luke is finally back to himself! Take a look...

{MIA}

2011-01-18T22:02:00.004-06:00

We are MIA this week due to fever, teething and a lovely case of diarrhea (ahhh...motherhood). Hopefully we will be back soon. In the meantime, Luke's 1st birthday is in a little over a month and we are starting to make plans. Where does the time go?!?! Luke is already wearing his overalls to get ready for his cowboy birthday party!

{Luke and Cooper}

2011-01-10T22:31:00.003-06:00

Cooper is Luke's best friend. They are so cute together! Cooper came over to play last Friday so his mom could go run an errand, and Luke decided to try to sit on him. Cooper was such a good sport. I guess boys will be boys even at 10 months!!!

{TV}

2011-01-09T21:22:00.000-06:00

Luke is not much of a television watcher. I guess that is a good thing, but sometimes I would love if he would just sit and watch Mickey Mouse or Yo Gabba Gabba just for a few minutes if I needed to get something done. However, we have determined he does watch one show and one show only...

Love it! He is such a funny little guy!

{The Clapper}

2010-12-30T13:30:00.002-06:00

Luke learned to clap this past Sunday...now he is a clapping fool! He is clapping up a storm and gets the cutest grin while doing it and looks so proud of himself. Today while he was standing independently, his toy started playing music and he started 'dancing', aka bouncing, and clapping at the same time. It was so cute! Here is a video of one of the first days he started clapping...

{Luke's Chair}

2010-12-29T21:54:00.002-06:00

This Christmas Santa gave Luke his very own chair! He loves it....well, he loves to climb on it to help him climb onto something else, etc, etc. I hope one day he will actually sit in it like he did for a split second on Christmas morning...

{Christmas in Pictures}

2010-12-28T22:09:00.006-06:00

Luke's cutie patootie booty...

First stop...Christmas Eve Day at The Erickson's (Chat's stepdad)!

Then...Christmas Eve Children's Mass at 4:30 pm. This photo was taken right before we left. Thank goodness for the little girl who sat behind us that totally captured Luke's attention. He made it until right after communion when we had to leave because of a no.2 situation :).

Up Next? Christmas Eve mexican dinner at my parent's house (it also included Chat's mom). This is Luke chilling on top of the gifts! We were back at our house by about 9:00 pm and put our little elf to bed.

We made it to Christmas morning! Luke gave us the best present...he slept till 7:00 am (which is super late for this early riser!). This was taken just a few moments after he woke up. We opened up the gifts that Santa left for Luke and then we got cooking!

Chat's mom came over around 7:45 am and we had breakfast (fruit, biscuits, bacon, sausage and mimosas!) and then opened presents with her. Luke was extra tired from staying up late, so he was ready for a nap by 9:30 am.

Once Luke woke up, we packed up again and headed to my parent's house for presents and Christmas dinner! He was not so sure of my dad's Santa hat that he wore. He loved the Radio Flyer wagon he got and hasn't stopped playing with it. Luke also got to meet my cousin's Tim and Chris for the first time!

We headed home about 8:30 pm and we all headed to bed early. It was a busy, but wonderful first Christmas! We still have one more Christmas to celebrate with Chat's dad, but that isn't till this weekend. Then we will finally be done!