Henry is 3 months today

I hope to add to this, definitely with some pictures too. This week he weighed 17 lbs and is a good 26 inches long. The MSPI diet has made a huge difference when he eats, but he still screams sometimes (but I'm pretty sure it's gas pain, not protein intolerance). We go for a 6 week follow up with GI on Wednesday.

In the last couple of weeks he's been having longer wakeful periods, laughing, tracking objects, and now reaching for things. He's got a gorgeous bow-shaped mouth and such a friendly smile. Seriously he will melt your heart when he flashes you a grin. People still can't figure out who he looks like, but is resembling Pierce more as he gets older. Sadly these days are flying by~ I'm trying so hard to have time with just the two of us, to treasure these fleeting days.

BLACK(berry) Tuesday....

Worst day I've had in a while. What has brought me such joy, and sanity has wrecked my day. I learned on my way to Pierce's 1st denist appointment, that Ryan couldn't hear me on my cel. This wasn't they "married & I've tuned out my wife deaf", but literally couldn't hear me. We took advantage of being in "the city" to stop by the AT&T store, and knew we were prob w/in a day of the 1 yr warranty. That just isn't how things typically work for us, LOL!

Here's were it turns bad. The guy is "troubleshooting" and asks if he can delete yesterdays missed calls to free up space, thinking it's a memory issue. It wasn't (duh!), and it seems that he deleted EVERY email and text on my phone! I didn't realize this until later. He decides it's a broken microphone, and sends us to another location for replacement. While waiting there, I see my missing info. OH NO! All kinds of sentimental baby milestones I had intended for the kids books~ GONE! I've got some filled out of course, but both books aren't fully up to date.

There, they tell me they can transfer most of my data (not emails, but thanks to the 1st guy, they're gone). We go to lunch while they work. On my way home, I realize my calendar did not transfer (which is totally my brain~ when to mail bills, pick up kids, appointments, etc!!) and I've lost my "notepad" feature of shopping, to do lists, etc. I'm feeling especially sick at this point. THEN I realize, that I never deleted my info, and just handed my phone off to total strangers, with all kinds of passwords and sensitive info saved, that could be very bad news. And to top it off, I still don't know how to sync my BB to Mac, or if it is even possible :(

All afternoon I've been looking for the silver lining.

I decided to do a silly bible technique, that one of the girls described last time at our women's book study. She just asks God what he wants her to know, and blindly opens the bible to a passage and starts reading.

Well, here's what God told me:

Psalm 104: 27-30

They all depend on you to give them food as they need it. When you supply it, they gather it. You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied. But if you turn away from them, they panic. When you take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust. When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth.

I think this was a 'tap on the shoulder' to be a little more dependent on Him, and to remember that my Blackberry is just a scheduler of worldly things. What do you think?

I'm Thankful for...

the way Pierce calls me "momma".... it's so sweet. I'm blessed to be needed by him, and able to provide for his needs. 11/1/09

Ryan coming home in a great mood, and he had a much needed great day at work! I love it when he comes home with a smile on his face, song in his heart, and pep in his step. (shout out to Mitch, LOL) 11/2/09

having a husband that altruistically wants me to get out of the house, have girl time, and do things for myself. That's a great balance for this homebody. 11/3/09

my family, especially parents, brother and in-laws. They are just so "normal" with just enough quirky traits to keep 'em interesting! I'm extra thankful that we all get along well, without much *drama* 11/4/09

my children's good health, from pregnancy to present. What a blessing that so many of us take for granted, myself included of course.... 11/5/09

our church. I'm so thankful God led us to Stonewater, a place that is centered around His word, and that encourages personal growth and an authentic and relationship with Him. The timing was perfect, with us starting our marriage and having children. 11/6/09

my grandparents. Even though I don't see them as often as I should, I do feel so fortunate to have them in mine and my kids lives. 11/7/09

our military. What they do is such a gift. Their bravery and sacrifice, and that of their families, makes me so proud of our country. Thank you :)

businesses that value customer service. Sadly it's becoming more of the exception than the norm, but it just brightens my day when someone seems to care. 11/9/09

these beautiful fall days. I think the high today will be 75, and it's sunny. Great zoo weather! 11/10/09

God's perfect timing. 11/11/09

having a husband that helps with the kids and who is a support for me. I truly can not imagine how "single parents" do it. It is so hard to get through 1 day with him out of town, and I am immediately reminded of the million ways I count on him for help with them boys and simply how he keeps my sanity in check. He such a good spiritual leader, dad, and friend. 11/12/09

my girlfriends. I'm so glad we have that connection that transcends time. I can always count on them for a good laugh, a good time, and they've got their heads on straight, unlike so many crazy girls out there, LOL! 11/13/09

The video baby monitor. 11/14/09

girls that choose life. 11/15/09

having an open-minded husband. 11/16/09

always having at least one option, but often many, when it comes to making holiday plans. 11/17/09

getting a diagnosis for the MSPI and for the dramatic difference it has made in our lives... and for the prayers to help me stick to the diet :P 11/18/09

the Brazos Pregnancy Center- all the good work they do to save babies, and for the opportunity to go to their annual fundraiser....it's always a lovely evening! 11/19/09

our house, that we don't deserve, but we love! 11/20/09

Jana, my super-sweet girlfriend that loves my babies and is the best sitter a girl could ever wish for! 11/21/09

pumpkin (shape not flavor) hummus

We had our playgroup Halloween party today, and everyone was suppose to bring a holiday side or dessert. Naturally, I waited until the last minute, thinking I'd just take hummus (since it's one of the few things on my MSP-free diet). As I was getting ready, I thought, "wonder if I could shape it like a pumpkin? After all, it IS orange....) Well, it totally worked. I made my favorite red pepper hummus, and put it on a heavy duty white cardbord plate (so I could trash it afterward, rather than carry it back home). Next, I put dried parsley flakes on the stem. It was thick enough that I could make it 3-D basically, but it still needed a little more orange. I put a little hummus in a snack size zipper bag with a couple drops of red and yellow food coloring, mixed it in bag, snipped the corner, then "drew" on the pumpkin lines. How easy is that?!? Plus, I think it turned out pretty cute, especially for a 5 minute meal. Right before serving, I surrounded the plate with broken up Wheat Thins tuscan herb flatbread. I'm so thankful that it all actually worked last minute, LOL!

Horse Trailer

Being a "crunchy" mom

So what exactly qualifies as "crunchy" anyways?

Here is a fun quiz to determine your level of crunch, LOL!

Do you have homebirths?
15 points for “yes” (unassisted)
10 points for “yes” (with a midwife in attendance)
5 points for alternative birthing center
2 points for “thinking about/would like homebirth”
0 for “no” (wouldn’t consider it).

Will you circumcise future sons?
5 points for “no”
-5 points for “yes”.

Do you use cloth diapers?
20 point if you do Elimination Communication (no diapers)
15 points if “yes” (wash and make your own)
10 points if “yes” (wash your own)
5 points if “yes” (diaper service)
2 points if “thinking about it”
0 points if “no” (wouldn’t consider it).

Do you observe your fertility signals using Natural Family
Planning/Fertility Awareness and use that for birth control/trying to conceive?
10 points for “yes” (observe and use for birth control/ttc) or you use ecological
breastfeeding/lactational amnorrhea
5 points for “yes” (observe for trying to conceive)
2 points “thinking about it”
0 points for “no” (wouldn’t consider it).

Do you breastfeed exclusively for the first 6+ months?
10 points if “yes”
5 points for “no” (use occasional bottles of expressed breastmilk)
2 points for “no” (use occasional bottles of formula)
0 for “no” (don’t breastfeed by choice).

Do you co-sleep/family bed?
10 points for “yes” (all night every night)
5 points for “yes” (part/all of most nights)
2 points for “thinking about it”
0 points for “no”.

Do you use a sling/soft carrier?
5 points for “yes”
2 points for “thinking about it”
0 points for “no” (wouldn’t consider it).

Do you believe in/practice child-led weaning
(even if that means breastfeeding for several years)?
15 points for “yes” (complete child-led weaning)
10 points for “yes” (up to 3 years)
5 points for “yes” (up to 2 years)
2 points for “thinking about it”
0 points for “no” (you’ll wean the baby at 1 year or earlier).

Do you tandem nurse/nurse during your pregnancy?
10 points for “yes” (nurse during pgcy and tandem nurse)
5 points for “yes” (nurse during pgcy, but wean before birth)
2 points for “thinking about it”
0 points for “no”(wouldn’t consider it).

Do you eat organic/whole/natural foods and limit your meat?
15 points for “yes” (grow own/buy organic, shop only at health food store,
grind own wheat, vegetarian, etc.)
10 points for “yes” (grow some of own food, buy organic,
use whole wheat flour, bake own bread, eat some meat occasionally)
5 points for “yes” (try to buy natural, whole grain foods, etc.)
2 points for “thinking about it”
0 points for “no” (wouldn’t consider it).

Do you use herbal/homeopathic remedies?
10 points if “yes” (very rarely see a regular doctor)
5 points if “yes” (but use a doctor occasionally)
2 points if “thinking about it” (see a doc for now)
0 points for “no” (wouldn’t consider it).

Do you homeschool?
10 points if “yes” (currently homeschool)
5 points for “yes” (will homeschool)
2 points for “thinking about it”
0 points for “no” (wouldn’t consider it).

What's your take on childhood vaccinations?
15 points for no vaccines
10 for delayed, selective vaccination
5 points for selective, on schedule vaccination
2 points for thinking about not vaccinating
0 points for vaxing on schedule.

Would you/have you ever breastfeed/fed someone else's baby
or have someone else bf your child?
10 points if yes (have or someone has bf your baby)
5 points if yes (would)
2 points if maybe 0 if no (wouldn't consider it).

Do you use cloth/re-usable products for mom?
10 points if yes (make own)
5 points if yes (buy own)
2 points if thinking about it
0 points if no.


Ratings
120 – 140 Super Nutty, Ultra-Crunchy Granola Earth Mama
90 – 119 Mmm! Love that whole-grain crunch!
60 – 89 Pretty Crispy
20 – 59 Sprinkled with Granola
5 – 19 Instant Oatmeal
0 - 4 Jell-O

Oh, and if your wondering what I scored? Oh, I'll never tell!

Just kidding.

I float between "Sprinkled with Granola" and "Pretty Crispy", depending on my garden, energy level, and what not.

Quiz taken from these sites:

http://angels-and-aprons.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-does-crunchy-mean.html

http://www.themoralesfamily.us/granola.htm

It's October

All treats around here! Well, that's not true. Pierce did get a pretend mouse at our neighborhood halloween party Saturday, and has enjoyed running around the house "scaring" different people with it. He thinks that is SOOOOO funny. Precious to see his sense of humor developing.

Sorry, I'm too lazy to fix these pics that are out of order.

Here's P sampling his first batch of sugar cookies. It's a pumpkin! He absolutely loved working with the dough, using the rolling pin, and of course the cookie cutters!
Tasting the dough, before it went into the fridge. If you can see the mess- all over his face and shirt, it's proof that he was my "helper".
At the Antique tractor museum- part of the Harvest Moon festival.
Checking out the square and doing a little people watching.
The boys lounging in their holiday wear. Pierce loves to hold his little brother!

Pierce's 2nd Birthday

Pierce turned 2 on September 7th, which fell on Labor Day this year. We celebrated by having an "All-American family picnic" at Pierce's Tutu and Pa's house. The weather was great for swimming, and we had a wonderful time celebrating! A few dear friends and family couldn't make it, but we certainly understood and missed them all.

The birthday boy, with watermelon mouth!

Front Gate- inspired by something similar I saw in a Chasing Fireflies catalog... last year, LOL. Fortunately I remembered to hang it up this time around!
Blowing out his "2" candle. His friend Jenna also was celebrating her 7th birthday that day, and we put a candle on her piece of cake too. Silly me didn't realize it was a "trick" candle that didn't blow out, so we had a good laugh with that one. She was such a good sport :)
Yummy Costco cake!
Dinner time
Silly Tutu and Jan trying on the hats that all the kids didn't find.
Testing out his scooter from Melissa
Grandmama getting some newborn snuggles from Henry

WeeSchool

Pierce goes to WeeSchool at Lakeside Baptist Church 2 days a week. He seems to really enjoy it. We started him there 1 day a week when he was 7 months old, to give him a little socialization. Not only does he have some great friends there, but his teacher from the last 2 years, Ms. Diane, is so loving- she moved up with his class. I use it as kind of a "mothers day out" and it allows me some time with Henry as well.

Pierce is enrolled in Gym Kats, a tumbling program that comes to the school once a week.

Checking out his new classroom, for this year.
Heading inside, on the 1st day of school! My girlfriends, the Sassy Six, gave him his monogramed camo backpack, filled with toys when Henry was born.

Henry's birth and coming home

"The Thomas men"

This cracks me up. Totally worth "clicking" on this one to enlarge and savor it. Note how it seems Pa is reading to Pierce, but Pierce has responded to the book in a funny way, so all the men look down at the book with a chuckle. Now Pierce clearly knows he's cute, and looks up at the camera for any others that may be in his audience. Oh yeah, and what about Henry? Pay no attention to the newborn. He does make a nice table to rest our cel phones on, Haha! Gotta love it!!!
Aunt Kimber w/ Henry; she's expecting her first (Kate) in this pic. Doesn't she make pregnancy look so easy!
Grandpops
Grandmama....Pierce still isn't too sure about this whole baby thing!
He's coming around and can strike a pose for the camera now.

Cousins- Hannah holding Pierce and Rebecca holding Henry on SundayAnne's family on Sunday when Henry came home from the hospital (click on pics to enlarge)
Momma and her baby!
Family pic, shortly after delivery
Our OB, Dr. Howser
Handsome Henry! This is what a 10 lb 14 oz baby looks like. Don't even want to imagine what it would have been like without an epidural! Hats off to the "natural" childbirth women!

Shout out to Misti

Long overdue pics....

Misti White, who is no longer just our pastor's wife, but is now also considered a dear friend, took our maternity, newborn, and some Thomas family pictures. Isn't she so talented?!?

Anne's mom and Henry

Thomas Family a couple of weeks after Kate was born
In Tutu & Pa's tree
Cousins- Kate and Henry




Awww! Sweet brothers
Jan Williams gave Pierce this Teddy bear for Christmas, made from one of Bill William's shirts. Such a special gift!
Our silly (almost) 2 yr old,in the final days of being an "only"!
Visit her site when you have a chance! www.mistiwhitephotography.com

GI visit for Henry... MSPI

I'm going to be out of order here (a little behind on posting, haha!!), but this is what's on my mind. Little Henry has had some tummy issues. Now in comparison to struggles that many other families face everyday, it pales in comparison, so we didn't really make issue of it initially, but things progressed and it became an undeniable problem.

At his 1 week appointment, I think we mentioned Henry crying to his pediatrician.

We first thought colic. Within that next week, we figured out it was all throughout the day, and it seemed to be mid and post nursing, so we thought Reflux. He started on Prevacid, taking it twice a day. I made an appointment with our fave ENT (shout out to Dr. Palmer!!) and learned he was a tiny bit tongue tied, but not worth clipping, so it wasn't a latch issue making him gassy. We noticed some relief as the Prevacid got in his system, but it certainly didn't solve our problems. About weeks 5 and 6 it got so bad and I began feeling extremely guilty that we hadn't yet resolved this issue. We met with a Speech Path last Friday, from Cook Children's and he passed the oral-motor eval with flying colors. She said it sounded like reflux and that we needed to see a GI doctor. Each additional day was agony.

We got in to see someone at GI on Thursday, and she did her examination, poking, prodding, listening, swabbing poop... you know, typical GI stuff. It didn't take too long for her to make a diagnosis. Sadly, one of my biggest fears was realized. His problem was difficulty digesting proteins in my milk, specifically dairy and soy. She told me I had a choice, I could either eliminate all soy and dairy from my diet, or there is a special formula that we could put him on, that he would be able to digest.

Now I know that there could be a million things really "wrong" with my baby, and do know that I am so thankful that this is a relatively "easy" fix... but I have to be honest, that moment, and the following few hours, that was my time to let the reality of what she had said to fully "sink in" and I'll admit, I was in a selfish, selfish state of mourning over what lie ahead.

Now if you know me at all, you know how I feel about food. And if you know me at all, you know how I feel about breast feeding. It isn't funny, or ironic, but

Oh how our God has a way of putting things in our path, to humble us and gives us opportunities to grow!

Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!! Now no one wants to think of themselves as judgmental... I certainly don't want to point the finger back at me, but lets just call a spade a spade, I felt like few women's stories or struggles of "difficulty breast feeding" could compare to what we went through with Pierce and his being tongue-tied, and if I could work through it (meaning I'm not tough whatsoever!!) than anyone can. I mean, it was beyond brutal that first month, or 6 weeks really, and I am far from tough- but I toughed it out, and oh how it was so richly rewarded!!! That truly is where my passion comes from, and I hate the thought of mom's missing out on such an amazing and unique experience that only they can share with their newborn! It saddens me on a couple of levels I suppose, but I digress....

So here I am, getting this news from the doctor, and in no uncertain terms do I realize that God has put me to the test. Give up one of my passions *yep, I just qualified EATING as a PASSION- LOL, alter my entire lifestyle, research, learn, be on guard with every bite that I take, and restaurants- well I haven't even begun to tackle that one, or do I go the route of formula? There really isn't a choice for me. If I've got a choice, then there is no choice (if that makes sense). It is the best thing for the baby, and as much as I love food, and love to eat, it doesn't matter. It's like being on a diet. Well, sort of, but on this diet, if I cheat, it's not that I won't fit into my skinny jeans, the reality is I am hurting my baby. Even an inadvertent slip up, it's still my responsibility, check every label, be so diligent at restaurants... the stakes are high, and it's all on my back to see this thing through. Beyond my being selfish, it's a scary thought to think of what's at stake- my baby's health, and it SOLEY relies on me!!!

Well, now I'm a good day into this whole MSPI thing (milk and soy protein intolerance), and I've had a shift in paradigm and attitude. I am so anxious to see drastic improvements in my son's health and disposition. It could take 72 hours to two weeks, but I think even after only 1 day, there has been progress. Praise the Lord!!! Also, my sweet husband is doing this along side me, for the most part anyways... so I'm very grateful for his support and interest in this new lifestyle. I'll probably lose a little weight, so that's a bonus. They are 99% sure that this is NOT an allergy, so Henry should outgrow it before he is one... or two at the latest. He likely will be able to get off Prevacid fairly soon, and I'll be grateful for him not to need medication. Those are just a few blessings, and I'm sure with each day, as I learn more and as I become more confident, I'll find even more! In the end, we are absolutely ecstatic that we have a diagnosis, are on the road to recovery, and in the big scheme, it is such an "easy" fix. What a blessing!

9/12 project

Being a Glenn Beck fan, I wanted to share this link to a website he launched on Friday. 

www.the912project.com

The purpose is to unite Americans that believe in 9 principles and 12 values that our founding fathers did. It also alludes to the spirit in America on Sept. 12, 2001 when it didn't matter if you voted red or blue, but you were first and foremost a patriotic American.

An Unattended Toddler

Apparently it only takes an unattended toddler about 90 seconds to get into some serious mischief around our house! But note his amazing ability to balance both the salt and pepper shakers on top of the convex lid of the cereal container! So yeah, he did lose a little salt along the way...

Both my parents kindly reminded me of a similar picture of me doing the exact same thing at his age, only with cocoa powder. Kharma, you reap what you sow, what comes around goes around...  yadda, yadda.

Knock on wood....

but I think we've done it! On day 3 (and beyond) I could just stand at the gate, and tell him he needed to lay down, and he would just do it!!!  The crazy part too, was I would just tell him nicely, not even needing to bust out my "I mean business teacher voice"! Sometimes in the day, he's got that selective hearing thing going, and just does whatever he wants to, but in the case of bedtime, he just complies with me asking nicely- who KNEW????
Another super nice thing about this whole deal, is now he just entertains himself in the mornings until we come get him.
Backstory: When Pierce was in his crib, I'd have the monitor on, and woke the second he started to move around in the morning. If he stood up, I'd immediately go get him (as opposed to him toss or only sit up- could be still sleeping I thought). Kim was asking why on earth I'd do this, and I remembered later that it all began b/c I didn't want him to get in the habit of crying for me. I thought that might reinforce him crying and getting what he wanted (out of crib), so I just would go and get him straight away. Of course by now, he has the vocab to say mama, help, or down, but that wasn't so several months back.... so that's why we did it that way and it worked for me.
Anyhow~ Now when he wakes up, he goes to his book basket and picks out a book, and reads it in bed. Fortunately Pierce LOVES to read, and is entertained endlessly with books. So the wondrous thing is, since we've made the toddler bed switch,  he is absolutely content to just hang out and read, letting his parents get a little extra sleepy time themselves in the mornings! Woohoo :)

Making the switch

At a shower recently, I was talking to my girlfriend Kim about potty training; her son is 3 months older than Pierce. Honestly the thought hadn't crossed my mind, but her optimism got me thinking.... when are we going to start working on those big "toddler milestones"?
After discussing it with Ryan, we decided to tackle the toddler bed conversion first, then go for potty training. What do we have to lose, right? Besides, "They say" if you can knock these things out before they are two (aka- defiant) then it's easier on everybody. On Sunday we made the switcharoo on his bed, and felt encouraged by the smile on his face. New parents are suckers. Come nightfall, it was like episode from Super Nanny. In hindsight, I think his passionate opposition was really to the new baby gate, not the bed, but does it really matter?!? The word "meltdown" really doesn't do it justice. Ryan eventually ended up rocking P to sleep, and fortunately he slept peacefully through the night. Nap time yesterday was a little better, but he still required me sitting beside him until he fell asleep. At that point I resolved to give it 4 more days...
Here's the good part- I went to put him down last night, and no surprise, he immediately started his panic attack, racing out of bed to follow me. I had just gotten outside the gate, and I told him, "Pierce, It's time to go night-night. You need to lay down and go to sleep". With that, he turned around and got back in bed, not crying or lifting his head once. Eureka! Now I won't lie, he did have the heartbreaking pouty face... but was a big boy about it as he self-soothed with his GloWorm, while drifting off for another good night of sleep. So while this part is heartbreaking as a parent, it is an encouraging start, I'll give it that...

The "Thomas tradition" continues...

It's a boy! We had an ultrasound today, and are 100% sure that Pierce is going to have a little brother!
We purposely planned baby #2 so that they would be close in age, and are absolutely thrilled that they will both be boys... and of course hopefully be great friends while growing up together!
And in case you're wondering, yes, we've already gotten several friendly reminders to "start thinking of names", LOL.