10 months old (a few days late)

Will you are 10 months old! We have had quite a month with you:-) At your 9 month doctors appointment, she recommended that we see a pediatric neurologist since your head was continuing to get bigger at a faster rate than what is "normal" and also due to some hypotonia, which basically means low tone of muscle in your legs. That means that you are not really pulling up to stand or trying to crawl very well right now. So, we went to get an appointment to see if you had any developmental delay, and they earliest we were told he could get in was July 11th. I don't know about you, but if you were told your child might possible be delayed, you really wouldn't want to wait until July to address the problem.

Thankfully, with the field Shon is in, he had access to a neurologist and could ask a lot of questions to find out if it was ok to wait that long or not. The neuro doc Shon spoke with offered to help get us in earlier, and we took him up on it. So, Will was seen on May 23rd instead of July 11th:-) We met with Dr. Hoffman, who was wonderful. He fit us into his schedule and took a lot of time looking Will over and going over with us what he was looking for. He did not think there was anything wrong with he head, other than the fact that he always sleeps on his back--he never rolls over, so the back of his head is flatter, which make the sides larger, which accounts for the big head size:-) Plus, Shon had a big, big head as a baby:-) On the low tone issue, he did agree there might be some developmental delay, but though that an evaluation by a program in Missouri called First Steps would be the first thing to do--they provide therapy free of charge to kids 3 and under if they qualify for it. So Will might need some physical therapy to help catch him up with where he is supposed to be. Dr. Hoffman called it "delayed myelination", which basically means his nerves in his lower extremities are not as far along as they should be, but they should catch up by the time he is 2 years old. We were very relieved to hear this news, since being in the medical field you know all the worst-case scenarios and try not to think that direction but it is hard:-) Will was started in the program with all the paper work on Friday , and we should get together with a PT person in the next few weeks for an evaluation.

Will, you weight 19lbs 13 oz and were 29 inches long at your 9 month appointment. I took you to the walk-in clinic yesterday because we are leaving for vacation on Sunday and you had been up 5 times on Thursday night and also refused to breast feed, which never happens. I just wanted to make sure your ears were ok. You weighed 20lbs 13 oz at the walk-in clinic:-) The doctor said you had a little fluid in each ear but they weren't infected, and that your throat was red but it was not strep. He did give us an antibiotic just in case but I have not filled it yet--we are waiting to see how you do over the next few days:-)

You are sitting up extremely well these days and have just learned how to push yourself back up into a sitting position from being on your stomach. You are not crawling but will push yourself backwards across the floor--which of course makes you mad because you are not going in the direction you want to go:-) You still are drooling a ton and still have no teeth to speak of. We started you on Cheerios this past month and you love them, but not as much as you love the Gerber's Yogurt Melts--you get super-excited whenever you see that package coming your way:-) You have also tried the puffs and as far as table food goes, you have tried refried beans ( a few bites) rolls, deli turkey, guacamole, strawberries, and watermelon. You liked most everything you tried, but seemed like you couldn't quite figure out the watermelon:-)

You wear size 12 month pajamas for the most part--the size 9 month are too short:-) You are still wearing a size 3 diaper and wear 6-12 month and some 12-18 month clothing. You are still waking at night at least once but usually twice--mommy is ready for this stage to be over with:-) You go right back to sleep after eating, though. You are still saying dada and have recently started making a lot of noise with your tongue--sticking it out and in very fast:-) You also have really started to enjoy spitting at everything--always with lots of drool involved. You light up whenever you see your brothers or sister and are enjoying watching them play video games.

This has been a busy month and I expect the rest of the summer will be as well. You go on your first trip to Branson next week and I look forward to seeing how you do. We love you Will!

9 months old

Will, you are 9 months old today! You are wearing size 3 diapers and some 6-12 month clothing, 9-12 month sleepers and 12 month sleepers. You are also wearing some 12-18 month clothing. You eat 4-5 jars of baby food a day--the second foods. You are still not eating any solid foods yet, although we did give you bites of roll at Lonestar yesterday, and apparently I was not fast enough a few times because you helped me put the bite in your mouth. You are sitting on your own really well--but we still like to be right near you in case you lean back too far--which you have done a few times and fallen backwards:-) You are not crawling but will push up pretty far when on your stomach--you just can't figure out what to do with your legs yet:-) You don't have any teeth yet--but you are still drooling a bunch.
We went back to the ENT doctor last month and he said we could take you off all the medicine you were on for reflux, but that we needed to come back 1 more time to check you.
You are still not sleeping through the night, but we did manage to get you out of being swaddled thanks to a wonder product called the Peke Moe--it is a big blanket that looks a lot like a Snuggie except that it goes over your head and has an opening at the top and zips at the bottom--you really like it and have slept well in it from the first time your wore it.
We have an appointment for your 9 month check up tomorrow so I will blog about your weight and height then:-) I am sure you are over 20 lbs though:-)
You said your first word last month--dada, of course. You have been jabbering quite a bit--lalala, gagaga, and dadada are words I recognize. You have also taken to growling at people--you growled at Dr. Gov-Ari after he said you didn't neet to gain any more weight:-)
Will, you are really showing us your personality more and more--we can't wait to see what the next month brings:-) We love you!

Double Digits

Caleb is 10 years old today--I can't believe he is in double digits now! It seems like just yesterday I was in the hospital waiting to be induced--how time flies! I made cupcakes for your class today (yellow cake mix with homemade chocolate frosting). Then we went to Lonestar for supper per Caleb's request--such a good supper. After that we ate cake and ice cream and then opened presents. I will add pictures soon, but wanted to make sure I wrote on Caleb's birthday. Caleb, you are growing into such a sweet young man. It is fun to watch you with your youngest brother--you are so gentle with him and love him so much. You and Emma and Jake can fight at times but I know you all love each other. I hope you had a wonderful birthday--I love you!

Out of Comission

With so much to do in the next week, Shon and I decided to run some errands on Saturday after Emma was finished with track practice. Our first stop was Lowe's after eating lunch. Of course Emma and Jake decided they needed to use the bathroom after being there for 5 minutes so I took them toward the back of the store. As we were walking, Emma's foot kicked back and connected with my flip-flop covered foot and I felt instant pain that took my breath away. I seriously think this hurt worse than childbirth--I could barely walk. We finished in the store with me walking very slowly--I probably would have used one of the scooters if they had had one in the store:-)
We obviously did not go anywhere else but home after that and I hobbled in the house and put my foot up. We got Will down for a nap and that's when I noticed my toe felt numb--so I decided it would probably be a good idea to go to urgent care and get an xray just to be safe. I told Shon I was leaving and drove myself there.
Thankfully I was the only one there at urgent care and was seen and taken care of in about 20 minutes. They took an xray and it was definitely broken--I received some pain meds and a lovely black boot/shoe to stabilize my foot when walking. I dropped off the script and headed back home. Shon went and picked it up and I took some meds and finished the rest of the night on the couch. I also buddy taped my toes (which means you tape the injured toe to the one right next to it to stabilize it more) and that helped some but it still was pretty swollen as I went to bed.
The doctor said it would take 6 to 8 weeks to heal completely--but that the first 48 hours would probably be the worst. Today has been better than yesterday but it is still hurting. Emma felt so bad about what happened and has apologized at least 15 times:-) So, I will be more careful from now on when walking in flip-flops:-)

Emma's Birthday in Kansas City (warning: picture heavy post!)

Emma with her cheesecake:-)

Emma's 8th birthday was April 13th, and she requested that we go to Kansas City so she could go to the American Girl Doll store there. We invited my parents to join us for the fun, and they agreed. We fit a lot into basically 24 hours in Kansas City. When we arrived and after we checked in to our hotel, we left to go eat at Cheesecake Factory (yum--I had never been before). After eating we went to Barnes and Noble so the kids could use the gift cards they got from my sister. By the time we finished there, we went back to the hotel and went to bed. The next morning after breakfast we checked out of the hotel and got ready to go to the American Girl store:-) Emma was so excited:-) We arrived a little before the store was open, so we went into another Barnes and Noble (we apparently like books a lot) and shopped some more. Then it was time to go in. Emma ran in and started looking at everything. She had brought one of her dolls with her, so she took her over to the doll salon (these people know how to get you to spend money). We signed Julie (her doll) up for a cleaning and hairstyle and ear piercing. Emma, mom and I then went and looked around the store while the boys gladly escaped to the rest of the mall:-) I had told Emma she could have the doll of the year for her birthday, so we set about buying her and 1 outfit (Emma picked a running combo) and mom bought her another outfit and a little purse thing to carry her dolls in. When we were finished we met the boys and did a little more shopping. Then it was time for lunch! We had decided to try and eat at the T-Rex Cafe. It was at another mall near the Kansas Motor Speedway, so we headed out. It was a very neat place to eat, and of course the kids wanted to go to the Build-A-Dino store they had in the restaurant:-) ( I know it sounds like they are spoiled, but we rarely buy them things other than birthdays and Christmas, so we felt ok letting them have a few extras this trip). They each picked a dinosaur to get (except Will--he slept through most of the restaurant). After we ate, our last stop was to go to Union Station and go to the Science Museum. It was a little pricey but the kids had a lot of fun looking at the different exhibits and they loved all the hands-on stuff. We left KC and headed home, where my sweet husband stopped at Krispy Kreme donuts for all of us a few miles outside of KC. We also took a quick tour of Shon's corporate headquarters, since they are based in Kansas City. All in all, it was a great weekend and a lot of fun for all the kids. Caleb has requested to go to St. Louis for his birthday in a few weeks, so hopefully we will have a fun adventure there as well.

8 Months Old

Will, you are 8 months old today! You have finally learned to roll over from your stomach to your back (on March 19th) but have not tried the other was:) You are babbling so much the past week or so--a lot of lalala and gagaga but no true words yet. It appears you found your voice while the other kids were gone on Spring Break:) You are still enjoying baby food--you have tried all of the 2nd foods now. You will chew on a sippy cup filled with water but are surprised when you actually get a drink:) You probably weigh over 19lbs now--we go back to the doctor on Wednesday to re-measure your head circumference, so I will post the weight then. You wear 6-12 month clothing for the most part, although I did put you in some Old Navy pjs that were 12-18 months since I think they run small. You still wear a size 3 diaper. You love to take a bath and splash anyone in sight. You also are drooling like crazy and want your hands in your mouth constantly--but still no teeth. You are still not completely stable sitting up although you are much improved. You still have trouble sleeping through the night and that is the 1 thing mommy wishes would resolve before you are 9 months old:) You still light up whenever you siblings come into view--after not seeing them over Spring Break you just jabbered when you saw them for the first time. We had to travel to Texas for my grandmother's memorial service and you were such a great car rider. We rode down and back with nana and papa. Mommy calculated that we were in the car for about 30 hours total getting to and from Columbia and you were wonderful. You have started taking an interest in other people and will flirt quite a bit if someone talks to you:) Will, the time is flying by! I can't wait to see what the next month will hold. We love you!

Random post

I want to try to "catch up" with several things that have happened over the last few months. So, here goes:-)
We have had record snow falls here in Columbia (and in NWA as well). My kids missed 5 Fridays in a row of school--I was about to go stir crazy. We have missed a total of 9 days of school so far for weather, so that puts the kids getting out on June 3rd as of right now. Our biggest snow fall of the year was around 19 inches--it was crazy to see so much snow--I don't remember ever having that much growing up.
During the big snow and freeze that happened in Fayetteville, apparently a pipe froze and burst in our house there--this was discovered by a realtor attempting to show our home--instead he found about 1 inch of water everywhere in the downstairs. He did turn off the water and called our realtor, who went out to the house, took pictures and called us. So for the past month I have been dealing with getting the claim started, getting people out to the house to get the water-damaged areas stripped, and now we are waiting on a contractor to give us an estimate to start fixing all the damage. I will say that so far things have not been to overwhelming--I just hate not being there in town. Our realtor and one of my very best friends have gone to the house whenever we needed someone to be there, for which I am grateful. Our insurance will cover all the damage except for our deductible--which was smaller than I anticipated, so that is another blessing.
We are gearing up for spring by getting ready for baseball season with Caleb. He has player evaluations on Saturday--I am hoping his nerves don't get the best of him:-) Emma has decided she wants to try track, so the sign up for that is also this Saturday. Finally, Jake has a birthday party that I still need to go out and get a gift for that is tomorrow as well--very busy weekend.
Spring break will be here in a few weeks as well--the older 3 kids are going to stay with my in-laws because Shon will be working and Will and I are headed down to Texas for a memorial service for my grandmother (my mom's mom). She passed away after dealing with Alzheimer's and then got pneumonia and quietly passed. So, I am headed down there with mom and dad to meet my aunt, uncle, cousins and their families, and my sister. I am actually looking forward to this mini-reunion. It's been years since we have all seen each other. Another thing I am looking forward to over Spring Break is rearranging the kids bedrooms to try and get Will upstairs and out of our bedroom-this momma is ready for a full nights sleep again. Speaking of Will--I just heard him crying to that is my cue to cut off this post and go get him!