Exciting changes heading our way...

There are exciting changes heading our direction.  Don't really want them all on the internet quite yet, but I do hope that as things change around here that I will also be a little more motivated to keep my blog up to date! (and we are NOT pregnant...that seems to be where everyone's mind goes first!)

Other things going on in our lives: Bethany is turning ONE this month.  Crazy.  We've had some drama lately with her weight.  She was not gaining weight like she was supposed to.  I ended up deciding to wean her...that was a very difficult decision for me.  After having nursed Bruce for 18 months I was feeling a lot of guilt about weaning her, but in the end it was the right decision.  She just wasn't gaining weight.  She has been dropping percentiles and at her 9 month appointment she had dropped to the 5th percentile for weight (still in the 95th for length).  Our pediatrician was concerned so we started supplementing all her bottles, but she still nursed for most of her feedings.  When we went back for a check up at 10 months she had dropped to the 3rd percentile.  Red flags and alarms were going off.  I started crying that the drs office, asking if I had to stop nursing.  He said no, but that I had to record every ounce she ate so I'd need to pump exclusively.  Um, no.  So, we used up what was left in the freezer and supplemented with formula.  All of her bottles were double strength...

When we went back for her 11 month checkup she was up TWO WHOLE POUNDS!  Yay!  That shot her back up to around the 45th percentile.  The dr was thrilled and I was so relieved!  That being said, we're still watching her calorie intake very closely, but are hopeful that she'll maintain this weight gain.

Other news, Bruce is growing like a weed and seriously funny.  He says so many silly things and likes to talk about his brother "Rica".  Not sure about that, but supposedly imaginary friends are good things.  He loves preschool and comes home every day telling me that he had fun!

'Til next time...hopefully not 6 months from now...but I make no promises!

Silly things to remember about Bruce

He only likes to pee in the backyard...yeah...weird. He asked to do it one day and now thinks he has to.  We have at least established that other "eliminations" have to take place in the potty, no matter what Kaya (the dog) does.  Little boys still do that in the potty...Boys are weird.

He says "don't a-get" all the time.  He's really saying "don't FORget", but it is usually interpreted as "don't get" which makes him very confused...and us.

He LOVES his baby sister.  He's very sweet to her...almost all the time.  Except this morning, when she was crying and he was tired of it and I overheard him say "be quiet or put your head down, if you don't do it I'll do it for you."  Um, what?

He has a very strong love for instruments and a very good memory for names.  I bought him a shirt with a drumset on the front.  He loved it and remarked, "this is my 'Ray' shirt".  We had no idea what he was referring to and upon questioning more he told us, "um, you know, like the drummer at my wedding."  He was referring to my sister's wedding, also known as his wedding, in which she had the very awesome Walt Wilkins and his band.  None of us could remember the drummer's name, but I looked it up and sure enough it's Ray!

He can remember "movie" quotes as well as his dad.  Every day he speaks in multiple movie quotes (or TV) and we have to figure out where on earth it's from.  Its humorous and strange all at once....again I say, boys are weird.

And as I'm typing this he's eating a frozen waffle...no really, frozen as in straight from the freezer.  I have no idea why, he told me he likes it that way.  And he sure did eat the whole thing.

Today, one year ago...

I finally got a very very faint second line on the pregnancy test!  So faint, I wasn't completely sure I wasn't just making it up!  We were at Greg's sister's house in Arkansas so they got to know first and then we drove back through east Texas and shared the news with our friends the Bowers.  What a great memory, can't believe it was only a year ago and now we have our little cutie!  Four months old, rolling over, and keeping life interesting!

Bruce's funnies...

Here are a couple of Bruce-isms from the last few days.  Today at lunch he was talking about thunder and Bruce told my mom he was "scared a little."  He then asked her if she was "scared a big."  I love the way their brains work...makes sense that you can be scared a big if you can be scared a little!

In the car I was asking about church and what he learned.  He was talking about Jesus and we started talking about how it was because of Jesus that we'll get to go to heaven someday.  He was very curious about how Jesus was going to get him there.  I was trying my best to explain in 3 year old friendly language and he was getting frustrated.  He finally just said, "I think Jesus will just get me there in my carseat, it's okay Mom."

My favorite thing he does is start every sentence with "Iiii hink..." translated to mean: "I think"...and then he spills out his theory on what's going on.

Of course there are more that I can't think of, but I'm going to try and do better about updating these things!

Mr. Bruce

Yesterday was the memorial service for my very special friend's father.  I have been so emotional about the whole thing ever since I found out.  I keep putting myself in her position and her mom's position and my heart just hurts.  When she told me that he'd passed away, the only things I could think of to say were that I was praying for her, and that my heart hurts for her.

The memorial yesterday was beautiful.  I cried a lot.  Thankfully Bethany did not.  She was all wrapped up in the Moby wrap and slept the whole time.  Greg and I spent the three hour car ride home talking about it.  How beautiful the service was and how inspiring it had been.  We talked about how being there motivated us to be stronger in our faith and stronger in our marriage.  Seeing how many people were truly impacted by this man's life was incredible.  Hearing how humble and loving he was, was inspiring.  I would venture to say, that in my coming years, yesterday will be a day I look back on as something that reshaped me as a person.

I'm so thankful for my friend and for the life that her dad gave her.  I'm so thankful that he played a large part in shaping her into the special person that she is.  I am also thankful I had the opportunity to know him only briefly and that his life will continue to bless many more generations.

Swallow Study

Whelp, looks like Bethany gets to go for a swallow study on Thursday.  She started showing some signs of the same things Bruce had/did.  Bruce used to aspirate fluid, hold his breath, and then have to be stimulated to start breathing again.  Well since Bethany's been home we've already had to stimulate her to start breathing multiple times.  She'll either be eating, choke, and then hold her breath and start going blue...or post feeding, she'll cough a bit, choke, and hold her breath.

She's been by Greg or my side pretty much every second, so it hasn't been a huge deal.  That and we were already kind of fine with all of the "blue baby" stuff...but I did bring it up with the pedi when we went for her first visit.  He was concerned enough that he felt we should go through with the swallow study.  We'll see what that shows and go from there.  Bruce had the swallow study done when he was in NICU, it showed he had silent reflux, so that's what I'm guessing is going on here too.  Hopefully we just get prevacid or something and NO monitor.

Other than that, life is going pretty well around here.  I'm mostly recovered from the csection and Bethany is doing great feeding and sleeping and all that.  She's actually sleeping between 5-8 hours at night, but of course I'm not because I keep checking on her!  She's in a co-sleeper right next to the bed so at least it's easy to check on her.  Bruce is still adjusting, we're still dealing with LOTS of whining, but he is getting better.  He definitely loves Bethany and wants to hold her all the time...we also just bought his "big boy panties" (his words)...we'll start the potty training process soon.  Yay.

Bruce-ism's

I need to document some of the cute things Bruce has been doing...since I currently kind of want to stick him outside and shut the door.  Oh man, the whiny-ness might kill me.  Seriously.

This morning Bruce walked in the bathroom and told me he needed a quarter for the toilet.  When further questioned he told me he needed to make a wish.  Apparently toilets are very similar to fountains or wishing wells.

When Bethany cries, he comes running and asks "what's up baby?  Why is my baby crying?"

He keeps wanting to "carry you me" AKA carry Bethany...it's hard explaining he's a big boy in one breath and too little to hold her in the other.

His two new words of the week: "adiculous" and "atusting" AKA ridiculous and disgusting.  Both words have been used multiple times...in the correct context.  No idea where they came from!

While on bedrest there were multiple episodes of Toy Story watched.  Bruce now likes to pick up his foot and tell me it says Andy on there.  He has also picked up a few quotes such as "I have good news and I have bad news." "I'm calling you a 'wire'" (liar) "If the boot fits" and one that we're not sure where it came from: "Um, Mom, I'm double booked tomorrow."