IN-fections!

For at least a month, I have made a weekly visit to our pediatrician. I love our pediatrician, but I don't like hauling the crew to the doctor's office every single week. I do everything I can to only have two at a time, if not one. However, today, I took all three boys to get their ears, noses, chests, and throats inspected before Christmas. We have had chronic, well, snot for weeks and I am sick of it! We really think that our Christmas tree set everyone's allergies off. Albeit beautiful, as soon as we exchanged gifts with Babe's family, Gambo and family helped me take "Little Rockefeller" down and move it outside. I was sad to take it down so early, but the big boys' cough and runny noses improved drastically overnight. (I was also extremely grateful for the great help I had taking down the giant tree.) However, the secondary infections beat us to the punch. The results of today's doctor's visit: JBS, double ear infection, JLS, sinus infection and sweet little WHS, ear infection.

The good news is, antibiotics have already been started for all three and we are hoping for a healthy Christmas day!

Here is to a healthy 2010!

Christmas and Baptism

Busy times in our household this weekend. Babe's family arrived last Thursday night for our Christmas celebration. We had a lot of fun with two new babies in the house and three bossy older siblings :)

Before Babe's family left, WHS was baptized on Sunday at church. This is our first child that was not born at St John in Oklahoma and not baptized at First United Methodist in Tulsa, where Babe and I were married. It is kind of neat that we baptized our babies in the same church where we were married, but WHS has the only claim on being a Texan. We love our church here and really enjoyed seeing a different baptism. We actually were a part of a strictly baptism service. There was a short message, two songs and the rest of the time was spent baptizing babies.

WHS did a great job. He never made a peep and that was that. As I told Babe, it's too bad we can't "check" our baby off the list as getting baptized and going to heaven :) If only it was that easy to make a mother rest in the peace that her child will choose heaven! For that, we will continue to pray and trust that God has all that figured out...for all three of my sweet boys.

Not only were Babe's parents able to make it to the baptism, but his sister and her two girls, Babe's aunt, his maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother. Who said we didn't have any family down here? We certainly weren't the people who reserved 54 seats, but we still had a fan club in the pews!

God Love The Hubs

I have often wondered if Babe had a little OCD in him. I know I do and he knows I do, but it hasn't been acknowledged in him...until recently. My first indication was getting in Babe's head. This is a daunting task for some, but what I mean is that he fixates on thoughts....for weeks and months at a time. For example, he couldn't stop thinking about how he wanted me to get a minivan for cost-effectiveness, space, etc. For months, all I heard was how he was going to sell the Burb and buy a minivan. It got to be so much that even though I was digging in deep on this one, I finally told him to buy the stinkin' minivan, I couldn't stand to hear him talk about it anymore. Enough already!

I have finally witnessed his obsessiveness being channelled in to a functional activity...and I LOVE it! I am a firm believer that a man should take good care of his shoes. Keep them polished, etc. Poor looking shoes really reflect a lot about a person. Unfortunately, Babe wasn't the best at taking care of his shoes and he knew it bugged me. Since we have been in Houston, he has taken a greater interest in keeping his shoes up to par. These city folks must put the pressure on him. Over the last couple months, he has actually started polishing his shoes himself. I have an old-fashioned shoe shine kit and he asked me to show him how to polish his shoes. (My Dad used to pay me to shine his shoes...) When Big Daddy was here, I put him in charge of teaching Babe how to shine his shoes. Together, they spread out and polished shoes. It was a real bonding moment. Evidently, Babe was discussing shoe shining at work and the guys he worked with that went to "The Academy" taught Babe how to "bull" his shoes, like they do in the military. From that point on, Babe has hardly missed an evening that he hasn't come home and spent his few short waking hours "bulling" his shoes. He polished all of his shoes, and all my boots, too. It became obsessive. But, our shoes look great! He has purchased polish and an automatic shoe buffer and rags and the list goes on...

A few weeks ago, he told me he was going to wax the car. After some time, I went outside and he was giving the Burb the clay treatment, cleaning and shining the wheels (for a LONG time) and waxing the car. Again, he purchased a buffer and new wax and rags and special sponges...the list goes on. He waxed both cars and boy do they look great! He talks about the clay and the wax. A lot.

I kid you not. I walked in the kitchen last weekend and Babe was using his electric buffer that he used to wax the car...to polish the granite counter tops! When I told him how hard my mom was laughing when I told her this, he said, "Why is that funny? You don't think that is normal?" Normal? No. But I kind of like abnormal...

I definitely like him channelling his "disorder" into great outcomes for our shoes, our cars and now our counter tops! Need something polished? Send it our way. We certainly have all the necessary equipment...

Sick, again.

Poor little JLS is sick again. I noticed he was hot when I carried him to bed Saturday night. On Sunday, he refused to take any medicine and had a raging fever, by our guesstimates. We wouldn't know, as he wouldn't let a thermometer close to him. He slept off and on on the couch all day long. You know something is wrong with JLS when something grounds him to the couch voluntarily. After his 4 hour nap, he woke up gibbering and jabbering like my good ole JLS. I was so happy to see him so perky. He didn't stop talking until he fell asleep, so he was definitely feeling better.

At 3am, I heard him crying for me and when I arrived in his room he had thrown up. It wasn't much, but enough to require a 3am change of clothes and sheets. As I was leaving the room, he said, "You didn't tuck me in! You didn't say pwayers!" So, we said our prayers again and sang the Bible song (aka Jesus Loves Me). I didn't hear from him again until he came traipsing in to my room at 7am. I asked him immediately how he felt and he said in his usual staccato speech impaired language, "I alright, Mommy, I no frow up in dees jammies."

All is well that ends well...

The Tree

Or, as Babe refers to it, "Baby Rockefeller." This year's tree turned into a debacle before it ever entered our house. I don't want to talk bad about it, as it is a beautiful tree, but here is how it all began...

We went to Home Depot the day after Thanksgiving to buy our tree. I was so excited to be able to have an extra weekend to decorate for Christmas, as we are usually not home for Thanksgiving. When we arrived at the tree sales, the tallest section read "10-11 feet." This was the perfect height for our foyer, as it is open to the upstairs with a perfect spot by the stairs. I told the man that I wanted the tallest and the fullest tree he had, assuming that would be none other than 11 feet. He looked and pulled out a big tree, cut the cords off the tree and we took it. It looked nice and healthy so we didn't look any further. As we were getting ready to pay for our tree, I noticed it was tagged "5-6ft" and I told the man helping us. When he wheeled it to the register, the woman said it was the tree company's mistake and she had to sell it as marked. We tried! So, we got our "eleven foot" tree for $20. Seriously.

As we drove home with it on top of the Burb, I wondered how they tied it on that it was spreading over the sides and even the windshield. I just thought they positioned it funny. Then, Babe and I lugged it to the bucket of water next to one of our front trees. When I saw that it was taller than the porch roof, I started to get a little nervous...

A few days later we lugged it inside to the official Christmas Tree location and it rocked my antler chandelier umpteen feet high. This tree was no eleven feet, it extends higher than the second story floor! It is so wide, we can't push it all the in to the "slot" and it extends into the walkway further than what looks comfortable. I absolutely dreaded putting lights on this tree before I ever began. The task was so daunting, I quit before I ever began. Step stools only reached the middle of the tree, my standing on a ladder didn't even reach the top. Thus, I threw the lights at the top. (There is at least 1-2 feet not lit and thus not visible in the picture.)I even skipped decorating the back of the tree, which I can't stand! Bless its heart. It is a beautiful tree, but much too big for our entryway. Much to big for me to decorate...I even considered paying someone. It's that overwhelming!

Our guesstimate is that our tree is 15 feet tall, marked as a 5-6 ft tree and cost us $20. Baby Rockefeller is beautiful, but sometimes bigger isn't always better....

Oh, and, yes, it might be leaning a little to the left...

Progress

JLS is making steady progress with his "eating therapy." Wouldn't it be nice to be forced to eat? I take new items to his appointments every week for his therapist to work on with him. Yogurt, peanut butter, bread, cheese, Pediasure (aka milkshake). The list goes on. He has done an outstanding job with her at therapy according to his therapist. However, when JLS comes home, the storm doors shut and seal. There's no getting food in JLS' mouth at home.

We have, however, made progress on the "mental training" front. We talk all.the.time. about how he needs to eat better so he can grow big and strong. This will make you grow big and strong. That won't make you grow big and strong. He has recently taken a huge liking to peanuts...hard and crunchy, of course. I am pleased, however, for him to be getting protein from something! He asked me if peanuts made him grow big and strong and I told him they did. His response (keep in mind it is still in his speech impaired little voice), "No buy me wheats, nola bars, ma'am crakers, only buy me peanuts because they make me grow big, big, big, and strong, strong, strong."

Amen.

So Proud

Today, I was putting WHS down for a nap in his room...rockin' and drinkin' (him, not me.) JBS sweetly came in to the room and told me JLS needed help in the bathroom. "Wapping his boddom" to be specific. I was so close with WHS, but JLS couldn't wait. I started to find a place for WHS to sit when JBS offered to hold him. I hesitated, knowing I would be upstairs, but JBS is so good with WHS and really wants some responsibility. So, I agreed. I made him promise not to stand up with him, propped WHS in his lap and raced upstairs.

When I returned, JBS was holding WHS perfectly in the rocking chair feeding him his bottle. He said, "Mommy, he started crying, so I gave him his pacifier and he didn't want it. Then, I gave him his bottle." And there WHS was laying lopsided in JBS' arm sucking his bottle like nothing was wrong looking at me out of the corner of his eye with a twinkle in his eye.

WHS has a long life of brotherly love ahead of him. As for JBS, I am so proud of him. He's such a great big brother...

Angel Baby

I cannot get enough of this child. It might be that he is number three and I finally feel like I know what I am doing raising a child. Or, it might be that I know this one is my last, God willing. For whatever the reason, this baby has me wrapped around his tiny little finger...he also has total control of his Daddy and two big brothers.

WHS lives to snuggle, be cheek-to-cheek and be held. He is the snuggle puppy of all snuggle puppies. We must figure out how we are going to say, "No" to him someday so he grows up to be as sweet as he is today. Can someone please guarantee that?

His First Food is...Oatmeal!

As it turns out, our entire family had a feast on Thanksgiving Day. I took WHS to the doctor on Friday and it turns out he had a double ear infection. Poor baby. The price we pay for having two loving, adoring and snot swapping big brothers. I was thrilled to know there was an explanation to this perfect child's lack of sleep...day and night. I got a little cocky when he slept from 7pm to 6am just before the sickies set in. I thought I was home free!

Unfortunately for all of us, but mostly for WHS, he didn't tolerate the first antibiotic well. He cried and cried and slept even less at night. I knew something was wrong. The nurse on call was ZERO help telling me he needed to be crying for at least 2 hours before she could help me. Isn't that neglect? I called again Sunday and they told me to take him to an Urgent Care. All I needed was for them to switch the antibiotic! I didn't go to Urgent Care and called once again Monday morning. Guess what? Our pediatrician wanted to switch the antibiotic.

We had one more issue we addressed at our appointment that Friday. Yes, it was constipation. The formula WHS is on helps prevent his awful reflux by actually thickening in his stomach. It does wonders for his reflux, but this, of course, leads to difficulty having a bowel movement. We have been through the gamut of Karo Syrup, extra fluids, suppositories and now Miralax. He finally suggested we start eating to help keep the reflux down so we can hopefully wean off the excellent, but constipating formula.

We brought the trusty high chair down and oatmeal it was. Once he figured out that something solid was entering his mouth, he really liked it. Now, he chows on his bowl of oatmeal. He loves it! He loves it so much, it puts him to sleep within minutes after eating it. Full tummies are our goal. Full tummies equal sleep for Momma. I am certain now that he is doing better with the new antibiotic, we will all be well-rested again very soon. Come on, eleven hours!

Run, Forest, Run!

Rather, Ride, JLS, Ride! Since JLS turned three in May, I have been encouraging him to ride his bike without training wheels. When he turned three, he decided he was a "Big Boy" and decided to use the potty, get dressed alone, sleep in JBS' "Big Boy" room, and take the training wheels off his bike. May 18th was a big day in his short little life! He got on his bike once and that was it. Since then, he wouldn't touch it. He has, however, become quite an expert on his Razor.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, Babe told JLS to hop on his bike. So, he did. He hopped on his bike, he rode it a few feet, he tucked his head, put his elbows out and he kept on riding. He never looked back, never fell, he just kept riding faster and faster. That was it. As with potty training. JLS decided to ride his bike, and so he did. All the neighbors crack up as a black streak flashes in front of them, "Was that JLS?" He is a little munchkin on that bike, but his little legs are pumping ninety to nothin'.

While JLS might be more of a "challenge" to raise as a child, that strong will and determination will hopefully take him far in life. For the time being, we have the wonderful opportunity of harnessing that "passion" and helping to steer it for the good....

A day in the life of JLS.

Thanksgiving Dinner

A week ago I had no plans of making Thanksgiving Dinner at our house this year. Number one, I have never made Thanksgiving dinner before! It sounds crazy, but we have always been at our parent's house for Thanksgiving. Number two, I am still barely, if at all, cooking for my family post baby. Thanksgiving dinner seemed a bit overwhelming. Number three, it's basically just Babe and I...a whole lotta food for two! I started thinking about it and then I felt really guilty knowing that when Thanksgiving Day rolled around I would regret not cooking the traditional meal for my family. So, I started to plan.

By the time I got to the grocery store, my plan of "just a baked chicken" had evolved in to the whole shabang...Turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes, and the list goes on. I warned Babe that this would be my first, but I would give it a shot....and he had to be in charge of WHS. So, I got to cooking with JBS as my fab helper and we pulled it off. In fact, I was pretty

impressed.

The Turkey...Babe found the "recipe" on Allrecipes.com. Can't call it much of a recipe, but a few herbs and olive oil...the most moist turkey I have ever had. It was delish!

The Stuffing...Stuffing is very important to me. There are so many ways to go wrong and since I had never made it before, I was worried. I told Babe if I could make the stuffing anywhere close to Mom's, I will consider this meal a success. I did it! It was fabulous...with my homemade chicken broth (from Pioneer Woman/Hyacinth).

Sweet Potato Casserole...didn't make with marshmallows and that was the one request by Babe for next year...

The token "green" on the table, Green Bean Casserole...

Cranberry sauce....

The family favorite...Pink Stuff! So good!!

Corn pudding...

Pumpkin Pie with Streusel topping....I don't do Pumpkin Pie, but Babe requested this recipe and it was devoured, primarily by JBS!!

So, I pulled it off. I walked with a skip in my step for the day. I was most excited that I used my silver for the FIRST time. I only have 5 place settings, so I could use it for this family of 5...4 eaters, or should I really say 3 eaters. I also used my Turkey Plate for the turkey...first use.

I just love it when I get to use those wedding gifts!