Ready to Leap out of February!

::WAVING THE WHITE FLAG::I surrender, February!!  I know it is said that God will not give us more than we can handle; but I wish he didn’t trust me so much.  I truly understand that statement this month!

Stephen turned seven months old on February 1^st!

I like to eat....





7 months old!














Updates:We have been blessed with such a happy, healthy baby.  Stephen has had the occasional cold, and croup last fall, but he’s typically healthy. This month, though, was an exhausting one as far as his health is concerned. 

We started the month off with a diagnosis of bronchitis and a double ear infection.  Just as we were getting over that, he got sick again.  Stephen was running a 103 degree fever and was having to work extra hard to breathe.  Shawn and I ended up taking him to the ER and he was treated at the hospital.  Even at home, his fever was still high and we had a rough couple of nights.  We ended up sleeping in the living room so Stephen could sleep in his swing.  I was afraid to put him in his room because he was also throwing up.  He had to alternate Tylenol and Advil every three hours, went on an antibiotic (which he would take, and then force himself to throw up…kind of like his mother used to do!) and used a nebulizer for breathing treatments several times a day. 

After five days of the high fever, and a baby that was not acting normal, we ended up back in the hospital.  Stephen spent four nights at Davis Hospital; he was given fluids and antibiotics via IV, oxygen through a mask and a tent, breathing treatments, and he was tended to by a wonderful staff of nurses.  Chest x-rays confirmed that Stephen had pneumonia.  Luckily, we were able to go home on Saturday, February 11^th, and I’m happy to report he’s doing much better now!  

We packed plenty of toys for Stephen to play with at the hospital.




Stephen had breathing treatments every four hours.



We weren’t even home for a full week before Stephen ended up back in the ER.  The Thursday after we came home, Stephen, Abi and I were in a car accident.  We were hit from behind; it was so scary, because it seemed like I couldn’t get out of the car fast enough to get to him.  Once I got him out of the car, he was acting fine, but he had a pretty good bump on his forehead, so we took him in to get checked out, just in case.  They did a CT scan, which showed that everything was okay.  Thank goodness!  Abi was scared, and got a few bumps and bruises, but luckily, we are all okay.  The car, however, is another story.  We're currently looking for a new one.  We also had to replace Stephen’s car seat, so he’s officially graduated to a “big boy seat”.  He seems to like it; it’s a good seat, and I like it, too, though I do miss the convenience of having the seat that I can carry.

New Tricks:  Stephen has developed such an amazing personality.  He now knows how to pose for the camera (and the camera phone!) and he tricks us with a fake laugh!  Stephen knows we work hard to see his smile and hear his laugh, and he is highly entertained by our response to those giggles.  He has started “fake laughing” just to get us to react to it.

New Experiences:  We celebrated Valentine’s Day as a family again this year.  Abi made tie dye heart-shaped crayons for her friends, with a cute little card that said, “You color my heart”.  Stephen gave his friends at daycare juice boxes with cards that said, “You’re the Apple of my eye”.  I woke up on Valentine’s morning to a dozen roses from the cutest Valentine.  (Thanks, Stephen!)  On Valentine’s night, we went to dinner at Mi Pueblo Mexican restaurant, and then came home to exchange our Cupid gifts.  It was a great night for all of us!

Stephen finally got to see his first snowfall!  We had unexpected snow flurries last weekend.  While we didn’t have much accumulation, we got enough to have some fun with it!  Stephen really enjoyed sitting at the front door and looking at the snow fall.  We bundled him up in his warm fuzzy bear outfit and let him play in the snow for a bit.  Yes, I used a cookie sheet for him to sit on.  And, yes, he needs mittens, too.  But I promise he was only outside long enough to snap a few pictures!

I know...he needs mittens!





SNOW!!!





Six Months

I cannot believe it has been six months since Stephen was born.  I remember it very clearly, and hope it is always a fresh memory in my mind.  In the past six months, Stephen has grown so much!  He is a big boy; at his 6-month check-up, he weighed 18.1 pounds, and was 25.5 inches long!  He now sits up on his own (though he still falls over if he's reaching for something!) and loves fruits, especially mango.  It amazes me to see how he changes every day.

I'm so thankful for modern technology, like Skype and YouTube, so my family near and far can see him change over the months.  Stephen Skypes with Nonna and Grampy almost daily, and I've been trying to keep up with posting videos on YouTube.  The most recent video showed Stephen being tickled by Daddy and Abi.  His laugh is one of my favorite sounds.

So, in honor of his six month birthday, here is proof of how much my little man has changed:



Catching Up

I was much better at keeping up with this blog before Stephen arrived!  I had plenty of time to write down my thoughts and feelings while waiting for his arrival.  Now, my days are filled with changing diapers, feeding this growing boy, and trying to keep up with the laundry…and I love every minute of it!

Stephen is growing and changing every day.  He loves playing on his Mr. Ladybug playmat, looking in the mirror, playing with Ollie Octopus, watching shadows, walking around the neighborhood in his stroller, and listening to music.  He’s not a huge fan of tummy time, nap time, or watching the rest of us eat.

I returned to work after Labor Day.  It was very difficult to leave Stephen, but he’s in good hands.  He hasn’t cried when I’ve dropped him off yet, and he’s always smiling when I pick him up.  His babysitter, Ms. Debbie, is spoiling him rotten!  There are about five other kids at her house during the day, but Stephen is the only baby there!  Stephen goes to daycare almost every day, unless we have a special event planned.

We’ve kept him out of daycare a few times, mostly for travel.  Even though he’s only three months old, Stephen has flown on an airplane twice, and visited four different states!  We’ve been to Virginia for a weekend, Illinois to visit Shawn’s family, a family reunion in Oklahoma, and Connecticut for the Apple Harvest Festival.  He’s a great traveler; he sleeps most of the way!  On the way home from Connecticut, he was awake on the plane, but was content.  I’m so glad he wasn’t one of “those” babies…you know, the ones that cry for the entire flight!  Stephen has met most members of our families, and of course, they just love him!

We’ve been taking pictures of Stephen each month, and it is bittersweet to see each picture.  I love watching him grow up, but I hate how fast it goes!  Just look:

Halloween is coming up, and Stephen is already getting ready!  He has three costumes this year (and I always swore I’d never turn into one of “those” mothers….You know, the ones that go overboard for holidays when the kids are too young to realize it…..Yup, I’m one of “those” now.)  He wore his Tigger costume when we decorated the house.  We’re hoping to get to the Pumpkin Patch soon, too.  He’ll stay at home with me when Shawn takes Abi trick-or-treating, but he’ll have a cute costume for that, too. 

We’re coming up on the holiday season soon, and it will be so magical with Stephen here this year.  He’ll sit at the Thanksgiving table with us (and maybe even eat some “food”, too!).  He loves watching lights, so I can’t wait to see him when we light the Christmas tree.  With all the excitement, we’re enjoying every minute of our time with him. 

Just a Few Pictures

I've had a request for more pictures, so here are a few!  (You're welcome, Dad!!)

The teether made Stephen feel better.



They won't stop taking my picture!!



I'm so darn cute!



Stephen loves to play on his activity mat.



Still smilin'!