~The Next Generation~

The debate

2011-04-01T23:27:00.004-05:00

So I stumbled onto a new video series last week, that we've since been checking out from the library. Each one features a historical hero, with good character/ values/ etc. The first one we watched was on Beethoven. I had to do a little explaining as Pierce and I watched it, as it seems to be geared for about 5 yrs an up, but I'm really trying to increase musical experiences and music appreciation in our school days. Anyhow, today I had on the classical station, and recognized the tune as we are parking and said, "Pierce, listen! I think it's Beethoven". He listens for a second, and says, "No, I don't think so. There's no horns". I'm like, "no, listen (wait wait) see, there, there's a horn. Did you hear it?". He listens and continues with his insistence that this song was NOT by Beethoven. The song was ending, and we're just sat in the parking lot, waiting for them to reveal the name of the song (and for me to have my "I told you so" moment), when the DJ announces that the previous tune was in fact, by Haydn!
Yes, today I was schooled by a 3 year old.
Fortunately, he's too young (and kind) to gloat, but he certainly didn't miss the DJ's announcement, nor the fact that HE was actually correct...and of course he had to gently point out that fact!
I'm so impressed. Sure, it could have just been coincidence, but what's amazing to me, is him trying to place that tune up against what he remembered from the movie (which was loaded with music), AND that he was deconstructing it, critically listening to the individual sounds, and the instruments that he heard. That is just impressive. Love my little guy!

Snow Day #3, Conviction

2011-02-03T15:37:00.003-06:00

So Pierce, my 3 year old wakes up from his nap, and joins me in the living room....
P- "Are we gonna have friends come over?"
Me- "mmm, I think Monday will be the next time we have friends come over buddy..."
P- "Then why are you cleaning up?"

(I guess mama has taken a little too much advantage of these lazy snow days)

Henry is one!

2010-08-08T00:46:00.005-05:00

It was a whale of a good time at our house for Henry's birthday!

I'm exhausted, and it has been one of the best days ever. First and foremost, Henry had a great time at his party. There is a long story with the cake, but a spur from that issue was the declaration that "first birthday parties are more for the parents than for the kids". Well, that may be true in some ways, but I tried to keep focused and tried to make it a party reflective of Henry's personality; I am so pleased with the result. The house was filled with tots his age to play with, great food (add sausage rolls to his list of faves- unauthorized snatching by the birthday boy, and special thanks to Audra, my mom, and niece Hannah), and the whole mood just seem celebratory and fun.... just like our birthday boy! We had a great group of friends and family in attendance, ones that have been influential to Henry (or us as parents), that we respect and really have had fun with, during this adventure called parenthood.
We did a brunch, and it turns out 10am is a great time of day for Henry. The theme was whales, inspired by our Nantucket trip earlier this summer, and we used nautical accents, which he just coincidentally got a collection of, from well-wisher gifts celebrating his birth.

Parenthood certainly changes you, as it is one of God's greatest blessings, and Henry has blessed us and stretched us as parents, growing us in immeasurable ways. I am so thankful that he is a part of our family!

A few pics from this special milestone...

Odds and Ends

2010-03-10T00:08:00.003-06:00

Henry is 7 months. He weighs 24 pounds and is 30 inches long. We just went to GI, and can try slowly introducing soy as an ingredient. They say at 7-10 months most kids can handle some, and when that goes well we can tackle dairy. We've all had the allergy gunk, and both kids have had nasty ear infections, so we're trying to get healthy again. Henry needs to be off antibiotics before I alter my diet though. He is in love with his brother, and Pierce generally takes really good care of him, and does a good deal of entertaining.
Pierce is now 2 and 1/2. We joke that he's "3". But honestly, when I compare him to peers, I'm so incredibly happy with my sweet boy, despite his little tantrums or whining...could be a LOT worse! He's loving the alphabet lately, and is doing great expressively IDing letters, and giving their sounds. He's still cow crazy, and loves to go places with daddy. He loves to help and work, and one of his favorite past times, is "working" in his sandbox. I'm so proud of his creativity, love for books, and calm nature. He cracks me up, and fills my heart with joy when I see his imagination at work!
Things are going well at church; we are loving the "new" building at Texana. I'm working in the Two's in training class. I'm also helping with the women's retreat this year.
Jodi has asked that I help with the models for a children's fashion show in May, benefitting the Senior Center. That's getting under way, but so far so good!
Pierce is going to be a ring-bearer in Harrison Frist's wedding in Nantucket this summer. We're all really excited for that wedding, and hoping that he exceeds all the bride and grooms expectations!

Snow Day #2

2010-02-12T23:47:00.003-06:00

I love my fun husband. The bad thing, sometimes I let him influence my judgement. Today it was me not protesting my 2 year old riding on the tailgate, while daddy snowboarded behind the truck.
Yeah, we're rednecks like that. Fun dad.
All fun and games until he fell off
If you look closely you will see an injured cheek and chin. Bad mom.

Record breaking snow day

2010-02-11T22:58:00.002-06:00

It literally has not stopped snowing all day long. We thought the blizzard at Christmas was a lot of snow...nothing on this!!!

We've got chompers!

2010-02-09T14:03:00.002-06:00

Click pic to enlarge

If you look really, really, really closely, you will see Henry has TWO new teeth. I'm embarrassed to say that his doctor found them (and YES I have been checking every day!!), but we got a laugh as it seems his amber teething necklace is apparently working. He's six months and 2 days. He's 29 inches and one ounce shy of 23 pounds.

Henry is 6 months

2010-02-07T23:51:00.004-06:00

It is going by so much faster, having two.
We had a big day. Stonewater had it's first Sunday service at Texana Plaza, and I hear there were around 1600 people there; that is the highest attendance ever, for a "non holiday"! This month is the marriage series which is my fave that Jeremy preaches on. We had a good visit with Henry's WeeSchool teacher, then headed to the Rodeo in Fort Worth. Today was Parker County day, and Uncle Justin rode with the Sheriff's Posse in the Grand Entrance. Henry seemed to really enjoy all the activity, and diligently watched the sport (OK, when he wasn't flirting with the girls around us). Pierce was an angel, stayed in his seat calmly and had fun watching the show. "Got bucked off" is one of his favorite sayings, and he got to use that one a lot today. It probably paid off that there weren't any rowdy kids for him to feed off of, but he truly loves all things cow/ horse related, so he was elated to be going to The Rodeo! God bless him, his only request today was for ice cream (after seeing a snow cone), not any of the glow stick paraphernalia that they parade up and down the aisles. We promised him ice cream after the show, but couldn't find any- but he scored a skewer of chocolate covered strawberries, so I'd say he really came out ahead :)

Tutu bought him a lasso later, so he will surely love that new toy ("cow ropes" are a favorite past time, thought they are typically plastic pump tubing or sewing tape measurers). After the exhibits, we had Uncle Julio's with Tutu and Pa, and the boys. We missed the Superbowl, but nobody minded, LOL.
Regardless, it was a fun way to celebrate his six month birth day month (we laugh not knowing what to call these things...). He's just outgrown his car seat (22 pounds) and is sitting upright with a little support from us. He's an ok eater with rice cereal (once a day). Pierce and him love to hold hands, and he giggles and grins at Pierce's antics. Henry loves to be worn in baby wraps and has fallen asleep on me several times- I love that!!! He's very chill, until he's hungry/ tired/ gas pains, in which case you will certainly know about it! If a TV is on, he loves to watch it (I hate to admit), but he is fascinated by any kind of flashing light activity or toy. Henry started WeeSchool one day a week, and is having fun with some little friends his age, and his teacher seems very loving. We're really blessed to have two boys who are so sweet, friendly and low maintenence. Plus, they are just cool. I'm not biased or anything :P

Henry started cereal today

2010-01-28T19:35:00.005-06:00

Not my favorite milestone, but I suppose as far as first cereal experiences are concerned, it was a success.

When we were fininshed, Pierce wanted a turn. That was pretty funny.

New addition to our family

2010-01-26T09:35:00.010-06:00

With absolutely no prompting, when people would ask Pierce what he wanted for Christmas, he always replied, "big cow!". Clearly this was not the standard answer of a 2 year old. Santa did deliver a big cow at the foot of the fireplace (and a baby cow in his stocking), much to Pierce's delight. For a good week or two, I'd find a little bowl of water out in front of him too, as Pierce was diligent about keeping his cow hydrated. And at given time I can find my round hot-pads from the kitchen, strewn throughout the house, as Pierce has given the cow a "hay bale" and if a shrink wrapped package of diapers is missing, inevitably it is at the foot of the cow acting as "feed sack".

All foreshadowing! Shortly after New Year's, Ryan asked me how I'd feel about taking in a baby calf, and bottle feeding it. Now I had been with him a couple of times when we were dating, as he bottle fed a baby for his best friend Craig; It wasn't bad, really. With each year of marriage I am getting a little more savvy though, and know the right questions to ask, after such propositions are presented. "How much is this going to cost us? Where is the calf going to go, and what's THAT going to cost us? How many times per day does it have to be fed and how many of those feedings am I responsible for? and How long is this calf going to be on the bottle?" PS- I remember Jodi talking about the babies keeping her up at night, when they were pulled from their mamas....so I knew there would be a lot of crying involved, to boot! All of his answers were within reason, and there was the most important fact of all...our toddler is COW CRAZY!! So of course, I agreed to it.

This past Sunday was the day of adoption. After church, Ryan headed out to the Bar Oak Ranch, to pick up our new baby! This calf was a twin, perfectly healthy and had been nursing just fine, but apparently you get a better sized cow if there's only one on the momma, so this one needed to go.

Without further ado...

Insert your own caption here....

Becoming friends.

Want to know the really cool thing about this whole adventure? The calf was born on Christmas Eve!

Henry is 3 months today

2009-11-07T22:57:00.003-06:00

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....

2009-11-03T16:31:00.004-06:00

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...

2009-11-01T21:55:00.018-06:00

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

2009-10-29T15:32:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-27T18:27:00.000-05:00

Being a "crunchy" mom

2009-10-24T12:27:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-24T00:54:00.006-05:00

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

2009-10-23T23:26:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-23T23:10:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-23T22:26:00.007-05:00

"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

2009-10-23T21:49:00.012-05:00

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

2009-09-25T23:44:00.008-05:00

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

2009-03-16T12:57:00.002-05:00

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

2009-03-02T11:17:00.004-06:00

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....

2009-02-21T09:50:00.003-06:00

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

2009-02-17T12:25:00.002-06:00

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...

2009-02-17T12:13:00.003-06:00

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.

You tell me... is he walking?

2008-10-21T12:46:00.003-05:00

So, Pierce took a couple steps 2 weeks ago (for Ryan, of course), but once he realized his "goal" was out of reach, he plopped to the floor to crawl... I have had a hard time "counting it" since I think he was just distracted, and didn't really mean to walk.
Yesterday he took 3 tiny steps to get to the stroller. Now I'm more inclined to "count it" since he was only focused on his mission of chair-to-stroller, and there were no distractions or trickery.
I guess it's the teacher in me that struggles with giving credit of "mastery" if there was any chance his actions weren't deliberate. I'm a nerd. Maybe he's walking, maybe he isn't.... either way, he's pretty close!

Our computer crashed

2008-10-21T12:40:00.002-05:00

Poor Dell. All he is capable of is a black screen with a faint blinking cursor. Its very sad. Fortunately the guys at Frontier were able to retrieve our data and pictures and get them on our external hard drive. The bad news... looks like it overheated and the motherboard is ruined. Apparently you don't get too far with out a working motherboard.
PSA for the day.... be relentless about backing up your files daily.

Jana's miracle!

2008-10-21T12:33:00.002-05:00

Jana was scheduled to have her surgery today. This morning the doctors performed an angiogram, to make certain everyone was on the "same page" as far as how they would proceed with the surgery. What they found was a miracle~ She has completely healed. Her surgeon says he has NEVER seen anything like this, and cancelled the operation. She should be released from the hospital today. They will monitor her over the next few months, but it looks like she is totally healed, with no need for any future surgery. Praise God and thank you for your prayers! Her doctor says this is one for the medical journals! Halleluia!

P is sick

2008-10-14T22:55:00.002-05:00

It has just been congestion and a cough. Gunky though. Fortunately no fever. We just put him on antibiotics on Saturday to take care of an ear infection. I took comfort in the fact that would head off anything else that might be lurking. He's fine in the day other than his faucet of a nose, but the cough turned "wet" today, and I was thinking this was the home stretch... just had to cough all the yuckies up.

I was wrong.

Poor little guy had a long, rough night. Ryan was at a Young Farmer's meeting, then went out to eat with the guys. Meanwhile, mama was home trying to console an inconsolable baby. He was just screaming and moaning in pain. Then came the vomit. Lots of it. I was rocking him in the glider when I heard the sound. Immediately we were both COVERED. It kept coming and coming. Dinner, the bedtime bottle, the whole nine. It was like a war zone. We got in the shower for damage control, only to be followed by another 2 hours of agony. I guess about 10, we finally got him down for the night. It was brutal.

What a great helper!

2008-10-09T11:38:00.004-05:00

Pierce LOVES to mop! He is fascinated with all forms of cleaning and house maintenance really, haha. Now if I can just get him to keep it up!

First trip to the Zoo

2008-10-09T11:16:00.005-05:00

We took Pierce to the Fort Worth zoo on 9/28, and he really seemed to "get it". It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, perfect for a family outing! His favorites were the birds b/c we could feed them feed off of a Popsicle stick. He also liked the penguins and the elephants the best.

Swallow Study at Cook Childrens

2008-10-09T10:59:00.003-05:00

Pierce had been coughing a lot at mealtimes, and we talked to Dr. Power about it at his one year well-check. We took a sippy cup to show her, and she referred us to Cook's after hearing him cough, just to be safe. Naturally he didn't get choked up once when we were there. A speech path watched him eat, looking at his oral-motor develpment, and that all looked fine. They then had him do the Barium swallow study so they could see what was happening behind the scenes w/ an X-ray. Basically 3/12 swallows there was a little bit of a problem w/ the liquid or food going toward his airway, but it was still within the "normal" limits. They gave us some suggestions for home, and sent us on our way. They think he'll outgrow the problem with experience eating and smaller bites, and thicker liquids.

Cool setting= Cool photo

2008-10-09T10:54:00.003-05:00

I've been trying to learn a little more about the different features on my camera. This one allows you to shoot in B&W, but have 1 color show.

Cute model, huh?

The Bathtime Mohawk

2008-10-09T10:47:00.004-05:00

Finally he's got enough hair to do a "faux-hawk" in the bathtub.

Ryan gets the credit for this one, BTW.

My baby is One!

2008-10-09T10:37:00.003-05:00

It was a bittersweet milestone. Thanks to those friends and family that made the day so special (and especially for my mom for all of her help/ hard work)!

Pierce loves ducks, so naturally that was our theme. His cake was covered with his favorite indulgence.... Gerber star-shaped "puffs".

We also did a time capsule of things relevant to the past year, that we'll give Pierce when he's 17. Everyone was so creative with their contibutions!

Catch up!

2008-10-09T10:34:00.003-05:00

I'm playing catch up today, to share some of the latest news...

Prayers for Miss Jana

2008-10-09T10:21:00.003-05:00

Surgery on Oct. 23rd

Jana will have surgery to correct a vascular lesion on Oct. 23rd, on the left side of her brain. It is a very delicate procedure that will take most of the day, going in through the center/ top of her skull. Please pray for her, Dr. Siadati who is her surgeon, and the medical staff caring for her at Harris.
She has been doing increasingly better each day, but this is a necessary operation to significantly reduce the risk of any future bleeding in her brain.

Tues 7/15

2008-07-15T12:41:00.000-05:00

Jana is being released today! Each day she continues to do better, and last night she got a good nights rest without waking. She's going home to her parents for now, and goes back for a follow up with the doctor in a few weeks. Such great news to get to type!!!

Sun night 7/13

2008-07-13T22:55:00.000-05:00

I got some details on this weekend's events. They ended up having to open up the catheter late Saturday night for a little bit, because the pressure did get too high again. Regardless, she was still doing a pretty good job of naturally recirculating the blood and fluids, and they took the catheter out around 2am Sat night/ Sunday morning. This morning they did another CAT scan and things looked good still. The doctor wanted her out of ICU, saying that staying there would increase the chances of pneumonia or blood clots. She's now in a private room in the Harris tower. They have reduced her pain meds. She's beginning to eat again. I saw her this evening and she looked GREAT. She had that sparkle in her eye, she was sitting up joking with visitors, and really just seemed like her "old self" again. Her next CAT scan is scheduled for Tuesday. We don't know the timeline or plan of action for recovery yet.
Visiting hours are anytime now (I think) in her new room, though she will probably need lots of rest to heal.
Thanks for your prayers. They are working!

Sun 7/13

2008-07-13T15:40:00.000-05:00

Aneta just called and said Jana is being moved to Harris RM 427. She said they removed the catheter around 2am! I'll post more details as I get them. I'm going to try to get up there before 6 (dinner plans), so hopefully I'll have more to report tonight. Praise God :-)

Fri 7/11

2008-07-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

Last night I was able to see Jana. They clamped off the catheter about 6pm on Thursday. She did ok that night, but around 6 the next morning her pain got progressively worse (as expected) because of the pressure. The good news is the pressure stabilized (rather then continue to build) even with it clamped, so that is very promising that her body is circulating the blood/ fluids as they had hoped. The CAT scan confirmed that. They were hoping the doctor would be back in late last night to give an update, but I left close to midnight and he hadn't come by. So unless something has changed, it's looking like she is not going to need the shunt. The doctor is still concerned about the risk of infection, so likely he will make a firm decision on surgery very soon. (And either take out the catheter or put in the shunt.) Last night she was mainly just bearing the pain, but did have moments of alertness and small conversation. The pressure while I was there was in the 'teens, but sometimes did climb to the low 20s. She's got thrush (yeast in her mouth I think) and being treated for that, but did manage to have a couple of bites at lunch, and one bite of cracker later w/ some milk. They were planning to do another CAT overnight to monitor progress. No word today yet, on those results. Keep those prayers coming... Jana and her family really appreciate them!

Thurs afternoon 7/10

2008-07-10T15:50:00.000-05:00

Aneta just called me with an update. The doctor is very concerned about the risk of infection, and should things take a turn for the worse, she would likely get spinal meningitis. The doctor basically said if it were to get that bad, it would be too late for the shunt surgery. He clarified that the 48 hour window started after they put the replacement catheter in.

They have been monitoring the pressure in her head, keeping it at a 20 or below. (Basically that's like having a big, fat free-flowing drain, so little pressure builds). They are now at that 48 hour checkpoint, and are going to increase that pressure (so fluids won't drain so easily) over the next few hours, until it gets to a 25, and this is leading up to clamping it off entirely. She will probably have a rough night, as the pressure builds, and will not be given as much pain medicine so they can get a clear picture of her current status. The last time they did this increase in pressure, it made Jana quite sick. They will make the decision on the shunt probably tomorrow, after they have a chance to see what her body will do independently. She will get another CAT scan at that time too.
So the next day or two are quite critical in determining the course of action, since the threat of spinal meningitis is so great.
Please continue to lift Jana and her family up in your prayers!

Thurs 7/10

2008-07-10T11:55:00.000-05:00

Two more things:
I talked to Leah last night, and she said the physical therapist was in with Jana again yesterday (though Jana didn't remember), and Ryan went and saw her today and he said they had her up and in a chair for a short while. Also she hasn't been coughing like she was previously, so that's good news! Guess I had 3 things to add, huh? LOL

Jana Wed 7/9

2008-07-10T00:37:00.000-05:00

Notice: Jana's new room is # 3307

It's been a few days since I've seen Jana, so I apologize for not having recent updates. Of course anyone that wants to leave news, your thoughts, or an update, you are always welcome to leave a comment on this blog after the latest entry.
I went up tonight and got lots of Jana time! I really noticed a significant change in her speech. She was more fluent and she spoke faster than she has since being in the hospital. On previous visits, sometimes she would take pauses to think of answers or come up with words, but tonight our conversations seemed almost effortless and were quick paced. There were still some moments that were a little foggy for her, but noticeably fewer! She still doesn't have much of an appetite, and her head hurts to varying degrees, but that is to be expected for a while.

Now to catch you up on the last few days... They got the CAT scan results back from Saturday, and it did show improvement. Yesterday, the doctor replaced her catheter to reduce risk of infection, and gave her some preventative antibiotics. In preparation for this, they had to clamp it closed (meaning the blood couldn't drain for about a day) so they when they did the surgery they could get a clearer picture of what was going on. The bad thing is, since it couldn't drain, the blood wasn't escaping and that built up pressure was extremely painful for Jana. Needless to say, her headaches were much worse the last couple of days because of this. After they got the new catheter put in, it resumed draining and she got some relief again. They did another CAT scan today, but the results were unchanged from the last one (though maybe that has to do with them changing out the catheter and it not being able to drain the whole time). The doctor said they are going to wait another 48 hours, and then clamp the catheter closed, and at that time they will evaluate her to see if her body will compensate for the drain and circulate the fluids naturally. If not, they are planning to insert a shunt (which I believe is permanent). That surgery would happen early next week. Please Please Please pray that her body will be healed enough by that time, so that she won't require that surgery and need the shunt!
Her parents wanted me to thank everyone again for the love an support they have received thus far- from visits, calls, food, and especially prayers! Even the doctor made a comment about how many visitors Jana has been having, saying what a loved girl she must be! Her room is decorated with cards and crosses, and homemade pictures from kids, and she is never short on company it seems, which she really appreciates. Jana and her family are extremely grateful for the love everyone has shown in so many ways!

Jana Sat 7/5

2008-07-05T22:29:00.000-05:00

I tried to see Jana today, but she wasn't able to take visitors this afternoon. Poor thing, she had to get a new IV put in, and it took 3 tries for the nurse to get it inserted properly! Afterwards, she was comforted by her parents, and she was able to get a little bit of rest too. It was a tough afternoon with pain, agitation, restlessness and response to the pain meds. She often needs Benadryl to counter the side effects of other meds, but the dosage frequency isn't matched (for the two) so basically she sometimes has to endure symptoms of an "allergic reaction" before she can get the next dose of Benadryl, and then there is truly physical relief. They also did another CAT scan today, but didn't have the results yet (at the time I left).

Backing up, Thursday night, I was there late. She talked to the doctor about her headaches, and he added a new pain medication which should give her some relief, though they are still working on determining the best dosage. She is still pretty coherent, but continues to struggle periodically with timelines and events. We're not sure how much and to what extent the meds are affecting her memory at this point. Thursday afternoon, a physical therapist came in to do some leg exercises, I'm assuming to prevent muscle atrophy. That night she was coughing, which is extremely painful both in her chest, and her head due to the pressure. The doctor said that was normal and to practice deep breathing to expand her lungs. They have given her a machine to assist in this treatment, though it hadn't arrived while I was there. She hasn't had any restraints for several days (just a precautionary measure so that she doesn't pull out tubing) when she is restless or in pain. Hopefully those days are behind us.
Jana is now taking food trays, but has primarily only been drinking juice and milk. She was complaining that it is difficult to chew. Today though, she had some graham crackers with peanut butter! Not only will this help her physically, it is also beneficial for her to take meds with food in her stomach.
On a side note (if anyone actually reads this, haha) the waiting room does have a refrigerator, but any food items you might bring for the family need to be inside a labeled plastic bag (like a Wal-Mart sack). Also, the family has a spiral in the waiting room for guests to "sign in" to keep track of visitors.

Wed 7/2 pm

2008-07-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

I went up to the hospital late last night. When I got there, the consensus was Jana had had a headache for most of the day and was in a lot of pain. The doctor was up there late, so fortunately they were able to talk to him about it. He said it was to be expected for her to have these headaches for quite a while, due to the excess fluid in her brain. Aneta brought up the CAT scans showing similar images, and he again said that was normal b/c of the slow process of the catheter. He did say that there's a good possibility that they will need to replace the one she has now, to reduce any risk of infection. Jana's equally big complaint last night were her ears hurting (internally). The doctor examined her ears, and saw nothing too unusual that would concern him, though he said for them to tell the meds doctor in the morning. Aneta did mention to the doctor that Jana has had a history of ear problems.

Now despite the pain, when I was in the room with Jana, her memory was the best yet! Though she seemed to have to really focus to come up with some answers (like the doctor asking what the date was), she did quite well. Best of all, she was able to stay on topic, rather than confuse events or dates. That alone was very encouraging!

Jana Wed 7/2

2008-07-02T15:24:00.000-05:00

Katie went up to see Jana today, and she said they got the results from yesterday's scan. She said the cat scan showed the same; there was no change. The good thing is she is NOT bleeding anymore. She is just producing fluid. The nurse said the reason they say she is not bleeding is because if she were, her health would be declining (and it's not). Katie also said she was VERY alert today, even better than yesterday. She apparently remembered some obscure details from a conversation they had had! I'm going to try to go up tonight, and hopefully will have more good news to report!

Jana Tues 7/1

2008-07-01T16:48:00.000-05:00

Went up to see Jana today. Her head was hurting, so she was pretty drowsy from the pain meds. The neurosurgeon had stopped by and ordered another CAT scan. No word yet on what those results are. It looks like they will be doing scans every few days to moniter her progress.

She seems really restless sometimes, and wants to move around in bed, but it is very important that she keep her body "straight" so that the catheter isn't obstructed and can drain properly. You can tell that it gets frustrating for her. Jana never has been one to just lay around and do nothing you know!
Please keep her and her family in your prayers!

Jana

2008-06-30T15:23:00.000-05:00

The purpose of this post is to update on Jana. I'm hoping to keep everyone updated on her condition and recovery.

Saturday night, Jana was a bridesmaid in her friend Kelly's wedding. During the ceremony, she was feeling ill (sweating and nauseated) and left to go to the bathroom. She was vomiting and had an excruciating headache. Her mom Aneta and roommate Leah were at the wedding too, and quickly got her to the ER at Harris. Praise the lord that her mom was there to drive her as soon as it happened, and that they were so close to a good hospital.

She was treated immediately for blood on her brain (an intraventricle hemorrage). Jana was very fortunate that she got immediate medical care, and it was first thought that she had an aneurysm that had burst, which was causing the blood. After CAT scans, MRI and angiography dye test, they didn't find any weak spots in her vessels that would cause the bleeding (ie an aneurysm). It is being classified as a stroke, though that is really a "catch all" term being used until they can more accurately diagnose her condition.

The least invasive treatment they could (and have done) is insert a catheter into her head to drain the blood. This process will take about a week, at which time she will be reevaluated to determine it's effectiveness. Should this not work, a shunt may later need to be inserted.

Jana is able to have visitors. She is conscious and generally able to briefly enjoy company, though at times she gets confused on dates and events. She has had a steady stream of support from family, their church friends, Mambrino teachers, parents of kids she has taught, and other friends and loved ones.

Please continue to lift up Jana and her family in your prayers, for a speedy and full recovery.

As of Monday, Jana is in room 3316 in the Bloxom Tower (Harris Downtown)

Visiting hours are 3am-6am, 9am-noon, 3pm-6 pm, and 9pm-midnight.

They allow 2 visitors at a time.

Jana's parents are Aneta and Bobby, cel 940-452-0675

Here we go!

2008-06-30T13:49:00.000-05:00

I guess I'm finally jumping on the blogging bandwagon. I was too cool, and by cool I mean old LOL, for myspace and facebook (no offense of course), but I couldn't escape the draw of the blogging phenomenon. Since most of my life revolves around the little one, guess who's going to steal the show?!! Surely I'll find something interesting to say about the rest of us, right? Hope you enjoy!