Poops Magee

So, Ian and I are home sick from school and work today. Actually, Ian's the sick one, I'm just along for the ride.

Day care has a rule that if a child has 2 diarrhea diapers, their parents are called and they have to go home. On Friday, around 4, we got that call for Ian. I went and picked him up, no big deal. It was the end of the day, so I was already done.

He'd been having issues on and off for the last week, so I thought maybe it was all the fruit he'd been eating. Over the weekend, we cut out the fruit and things started to look better. However, by 9:45 this morning, Ian had met the 2 poopy max. So, with some rearranging of schedules, I went to pick him up. I called the pediatrician, and after a phone interview, decided it wasn't necessary for Ian to come in to see her. She said it sounded like a GI virus, and the best thing we could do is keep him hydrated. She stated that if things change and he started running a fever or had blood in his diapers, we should come see her, but for now, stock him up on bananas and yogurt. She also said this could take 7-10 days to run its course.

So, here it is, 2 o'clock and we've already had 5 major blow outs. I've washed sheets, the changing pad cover and shorts. And, I'm on my last pack of baby wipes. I've finally just decided to leave him in his diaper and worry about it all later. He's finally asleep, I've completely screwed up his schedule.

The thing is, he is completely fine otherwise. No fever, no significant crabbiness/crankiness, no loss of appetite or thirst, and runs and plays as if nothing is bothering him. The problem is, day care won't let him back until he's had 12 hours of non-diarrhea diapers. At the rate we're going, I don't think that will happen. So, Jim gets to stay home with him tomorrow, if it comes down to that.

People say it could be teeth. He is getting 2 bottom teeth right now, I just saw them peeking through yesterday, but he's never had this problem with teething before. Usually, we don't even realize he's getting teeth until he smiles and there they are.

Regardless of the cause, I hope he stops soon! There's only so much crap this momma can take!

My Mother's Day Present

So, for like the last 9 years, I've really wanted to get a tattoo. But, I've been scared. I've always wanted it on the top of my foot, and I had been told that that was one of the worst places to get it, because there wasn't a lot of tissue between the skin and the bones and tendons. However, I've never changed my mind about the design and the location.

For Mother's Day, Jim finally decided he'd listen to me complain about wanting a tattoo and not doing anything about it, so he took me to a place in Naples. I told them what I wanted, where I wanted it, and that I needed it done ASAP so I wouldn't chicken out. They got me in tonight.

The design is amazing. I drew out my basic sketch, and the artist, Mark, made it a work of art. He tweaked it a little bit, and I love it. The whole process took about an hour, but the actually tattooing was only about 30 minutes. Believe it or not, but I would not say the tattooing hurt. Some areas were uncomfortable, but overall, not bad at all. If I knew it would be that easy, I would have gotten it done 9 years ago!



A little background on my design. I wanted something that in 60 years, would still matter and be meaningful to me.

• The cross-now this one is obvious...this symbolizes Christ and his ultimate sacrifice for me on the cross, forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
• The ichthys-the symbol for early Christians; what is neat about this Greek word is that each of the letters that make up the word, stand for something else...so if you look at the letters, it comes out to "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior." Also, in early Christianity, during the time that Christians were persecuted, when two strangers met on the road, one would draw the top part of the symbol. If the other stranger completed the picture, they knew they were in good company. If the stranger did not complete the drawing, he was considered a foe.

So there you go. I love it, and that's all that matters!

Ian in the Tub

Don't worry, everything's covered!

15 months

Ian hit 15 months on April 6th. We finally got to the doctor on the 16th, so here's our 15 month stats.

Height: 32.6 inches (Just shy of the 95%ile)
Weight: 24 pounds (Just shy of the 50%ile)

Again, he's long and skinny. I was going through his dresser a few weeks ago, cleaning out the clothes that he can't wear. I found several pairs of shorts from 6-9 months that he can still fit into. He's long in the legs, but small in the waist. So, he's wearing 6-18 month shorts and 12-18 month shirts. It really just depends on the brand.

Other things Ian is doing:

• Running with a flight phase. He is getting both feet off the ground.
• Walking around on tip-toe, despite Momma telling him no!
• He is following simple commands, like, "Please close the door" or "Give Jubie a hug."
• FINALLY has words! He will consistently say Momma, Daddy and inconsistenly say Ubie (Jubie), Ake-ear (Shakespeare), Uce (juice), Out, Ank ou (Thank you), ball and ballon.
• Is getting two more teeth, his upper side teeth. He is now up to 6 teeth, total; 4 on the top, 2 on the bottom

He's a funny kid, and so laid back. Momma loves you, Ian!

Happy Easter

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday. Church was uplifting, Easter Egg hunt was successful and Easter Dinner was amazing.

I love our church. I have never left there on Sunday and not felt uplifted and ready to face the upcoming week. That's exactly what you need in a church...a place that tempers law vs. gospel and prepares you to enter the mission field and do God's work. The choir sang, and Ian was well behaved during the sermon...something that doesn't always happen. We've also started taking him up for Children's message. I know he doesn't understand, but it's good practice for him to go up and sit quietly. And, the older members in the congregation find it cute.

After church service, there was an Easter Egg hunt. I wasn't sure how Ian was going to do, since he had difficulty at my work's egg hunt, but he did very well. He was carrying his Easter Basket and knew to put the eggs in. He had a blast running around picking up the eggs.

We also found out on Easter Sunday that our loan has been approved by the synod and we now have the money we need to start building our church. The plan is that next year, we will have our Easter service in our new church.

Christ is Risen, He has Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Strawberry Picking

2 weeks ago, Ian, Jim and I went to a little "u-pick" farm to pick strawberries. We had a lot of fun, and got a lot of produce! Ian was a little unsure at first, but quickly decided that picking strawberries was fun, but STOMPING on strawberries was even better! We ended up bringing home 6 pounds of strawberries, which I then cut up and froze, but not before making 2 loaves of strawberry bread and 2 weeks worth of strawberry pancakes for Ian. Enjoy the pictures!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

I have a wonderful husband. Today, he turned 29. It's crazy, when we met, we were both 18. I have had the amazing privilege of spending 11 birthdays with him. He has definitely grown up from the 18 year old he once was. I appreciate him as a man, as a husband and as a father. I know he doesn't always like his job, but he works so we can have fun. He is an amazing father, and it warms my heart to see him and Ian playing together. So, happy birthday, baby. I love you!

Feeding Video

Ian Feeding Himself

We have been working on feeding with Ian for a couple of weeks. Mostly, I haven't been a big fan of it since it is so messy, but I've been trying to let him explore his environment and practice. He loves yogurt, so here's some pictures of Ian feeding himself.

Ian's Surgery

Ian had his tubes put in yesterday. Let me tell you, he was an absolute trooper! We got to the surgery center at 7:15 Monday morning and Ian was taken back about 7:45. It was the worst feeling in the world watching the nurse take my baby back in the back. They had told us to dress him in loose fitting clothes, no onsie. So, he was wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and a pair of pants. One of the nurses brought us a t-shirt and suggested we change him into that. It was huge, but it was so cute on him. So, they take him back and about 20 minutes later, the surgeon comes out and tells us that the surgery is over, everything went fine, and we just needed to wait for him to come out of the anesthesia. About 10 minutes later, the anesthesiologist came out and told us Ian was awake, crying and angry, "just like we like them." He also said not to be surprised if he was crying when they brought him out. He wasn't. He had a concerned look on his face, and did cry a little when he saw his juice box. He was fine once he drank his apple juice. We were home by 9:15.



Ian has not acted like anything out of the ordinary has happened. He did take a 2 hour nap yesterday, which is a little longer than normal, but other than that, he's the same happy, carefree kid. I stayed home with him all day yesterday, and then today, Jim had him in the morning and I took a half day in the afternoon. Tomorrow, he will go back to daycare and things will be back to normal.

Helping around the house!

So, I figure it's time to start Ian on the housework. He loves to sweep the floors, and with new floors and 2 dogs, we need to sweep a lot.

Ian's Favorite Food...

KETCHUP!!

Ian Playing with Jim's Playstation

I want to apologize for my singing. I didn't realize I was doing it, and I promise it didn't last long. Ian was having fun dancing to Wheezer and playing with the Playstation remote. Please enjoy!

Missing Daddy...

Today is the 2nd anniversary of the end of my dad's earthly journey. It was a hard day. There are times when the pain isn't as bad, and I can go for several days not really thinking about the fact that he's gone. Then there are times that the pain comes back, as if it has just happened again. Those times are mainly when I look at Ian and realize what he's missing by not knowing Papa. Occasionally, my little monkey will get a look on his face, or make a hand gesture that is so my dad, and it's enough to bring tears to my eyes. So, while I mourn the passing of my father, I rejoice in the glimpses of him I see every day in my son.

This song still brings tears to my eyes, and still says everything that's in my heart, 2 years later.

Out of the Loop

Sorry everyone, or no one...either way. I haven't touched the computer since Wednesday. I just haven't felt up to it, so there has been no posts or anything. However, I do have some cute Ian pictures and video that I plan on getting up here tomorrow. Check back soon!

ENT

Ian had a visit with the ENT on Thursday. He has had an ear infection and fluid in both ears since December. He's been on 4 different antibiotics and we can't seem to get it under control. After our last visit with the pediatrician, she recommended we see the specialist. So, after meeting with Dr. Reidy, we decided that the best thing for Ian would be have ear tubes inserted to allow the fluid to drain. He did say we could postpone the surgery and try allergy medicine, but he was almost positive that he would have to have the tube, regardless. While Ian doesn't act like his ears bother him, I know they must be uncomfortable at the very least. And, I'm concerned that he's not speaking yet. We don't even get a consistent Mama or Dada, when kids his age normally have 2-3 words in addition to those. In speaking with the doctors and my speech therapist buddies, I know the fluid is affecting his hearing. I'm sure he's hearing everything we say as if we're underwater. I know he can hear me because he understands and responds to questions and his name, but I know it's muffled, making mimicry difficult. The consensus seems to be that, barring anything else, he should be talking relatively soon after the tubes are inserted.

So, with that being said, we're going in on Friday, March 12 for the pre-op hearing test and registration, and then on Monday, March 15th, he'll have the tubes put in. It's only about a 10 minute procedure, and the doctor does not use general anesthesia, but gas, so the recovery should only be about 90 minutes. I know it's a simple procedure, but I still feel bad that he has to go through it. He's a trooper, though, and I bet he'll do better than me!

New Lights and Less Trees

Last weekend, Jim and I bought a new chandelier for the dining area. The old one was white and plain, and didn't give off much light. So, today, Jim put the new one up. I really like it and it goes really well with the brushed nickel on all the other light fixtures. It did take one trip to the hardware store to buy a wire cutter/stripper, but he did a beautiful job and the light is so bright! I love it and I'm glad that Jim put it up for me.

Before

After

Jim also had some help from a very willing assistant. It was really cute, Ian ran and got his tool box and set it up next to Daddy and started banging away.

After that, Jim decided there was a dead tree in the front yard that was just begging to be cut down. So, Jim grabbed his ax and had the tree down in about 30 minutes. Ian and I watched and played in the front yard while Daddy turned all "lumberjack."

Most of you already know what Jim got for Christmas. He had been talking about taking up golf, so my mom got him a starter set of clubs. He's been practicing out in the front yard ever since. Usually, Ian goes out and "helps" Daddy with his swing. His "help" usually consists of taking the club away from him and running around the front yard. Anyway, our church youth group had a rummage sale today, and we found the cutest pair of baby clubs for $1. So, Ian was out playing with his clubs. While he had a club in each hand, he had a tendency to use his left hand for the swing. Please enjoy the pictures!

Changes

I've been playing around with the layout for my blog. I think I have it okay for a while. It might change, later, but this is what I got for now. A big THANK YOU to Jamie at jamespurejoy.blogspot.com. She's so creative. I wish I had a 10th of her creativity!

A first at church...and hopefully the last...

I can't tell you much about the church service, but it was memorable anyway. And for reasons that are not good, and upset and infuriate me. Let me first start out by saying that I love our church and the majority of its members. From when we first started attending, up until now, we have been welcomed with open arms and friendly smiles. Jim and I have great church friends, and Ian has dozens of doting grandmas and grandpas. Our pastor and his wife are amazing. Pastor Liebich came to the hospital when Ian was born, and was one of the first people to hold him.

Now, today, after 3 years of attending our church, I had the unpleasant opportunity to feel unwelcome. The sermon was just starting, and Ian had a huge blowout. I took him into the teacher's lounge to address the damage. 10 minutes later (yes, it was that big!) we went out into the back room. Our church meets in a middle school cafeteria. The large room is split into two by folding tables. The worship area is in the front and the fellowship area is in the back. There is no specific nursery, just a blanket and some toys in the fellowship area. I put Ian down in the back, and he made a B-line for the toys. He pulled the lid off of the toy box and threw it down. I grimaced because it was loud, but I couldn't get to it in time. However, after that, Ian was content to play with the toys, not being too loud, and definitely not interrupting the service. However, at this time, the president of the congregation came back. I have never been a great fan of his. I find him a little arrogant and cocky. Anyway, he came back and grabbed the blanket and told us we needed to move to the back. Basically, I took it to mean that we were being too loud and we needed to move. I picked up Ian, said that was okay, and we went back into the worship area. I was so upset. I felt like I had been kicked out for being too loud. We were in no way disturbing the congregation, no worse than normal. And no worse than the kids that had stayed in the worship area all along. I couldn't believe I had been made to feel unwelcome in my own church. I was upset and furious all in one. I wanted to get up and leave church all together. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep the tears from coming. And unfortunately, people noticed. The only thing that was positive was that the people in the congregation did not feel the same as this man.

Now, I'm a member, and I started thinking about finding another church. However, after Jim and I spoke, we decided it wasn't fair to let one idiot run us off from a church we love and who loves us. What scares me it those people who aren't members. There is nothing to keep them coming back to our church if that is the welcome they receive. Families with children are the future of our church. And, when we start our early childhood program, hopefully, children will be a much needed addition to our congregation. If this is the reception they receive, I am scared that we'll lose them.

So, now I'm torn as to what to do. As I said before, right now, my only reason for staying is because I know the congregation does not hold the same opinion. However, I don't want to be somewhere my son is not welcome, well behaved or not.

Mr. Muscles!

Visiting Friends

This weekend, Ian and I went up to Melbourne Beach, Florida to see some good friends. I met Brandon and Amy back in 2006, when they both worked at Green Tree with me. We've kept in touch ever since. They came to visit me when Ian was just 10 days old. They came to his baptism. Last year when we went to Detroit, we drove to Chicago to see them. It's nice to have friends like that. They're both traveling PTs and have spent every season in Naples, until this one. Thankfully, they were still in Florida, so Ian and I made the 4 hour drive to see them. They are staying in this amazing beach house, almost on the beach. (You have to cross the street to get there, but I'm not being picky!)

We got in late Friday night due to a 40 mile mistake on my part. Ian slept in the car, and was up and ready to play when we got in at 11. He made it to 12:30! Saturday, we took Ian for his first trip to the beach. It was chilly and windy, but he seemed to really like it, until nap time. Brandon buried him in the sand, a wave knocked him over, and he had fun picking up shells.

It was so nice to have a lazy weekend. And what made it even better was that Brandon and Amy loved on my son, so I was given a little break on the parenting front. Ian wanted to be held, Brandon picked him. He wanted to go outside, Amy took him out. I even got the chance to take a nap on the couch...when Ian wasn't napping!

Thanks, guys, for such a great weekend, and for spoiling my son. He was already looking for you when we got home. Hopefully, you'll extend and we can all come see you...or better yet, I'll get you a job at NCH!

(Oh, congratulations on the engagement...Brandon, Amy will be a BEAUTIFUL bride!)

New House!

At least it feels like it! Jim and I have been in our house going on 4 years now. We've been wanting to replace the carpet for almost 4 years! We did put down new carpet in the bedrooms about 3 years ago, and knew we wanted to put down laminate in the living/dining room. 2 years ago, we looked into it, and it was going to cost about $5600. So, we waited. About a month ago, a new floor store opened up in Bonita, and we stopped in to see what was up. It is a factory outlet store for Mohawk flooring. We found laminate we liked, got a rough estimate and bit the bullet and bought it. And the cost was about 1/3 of what the original cost was going to be.

Jim and I also had been talking about replacing the living room furniture, as well. Partly because the furniture we have is 12 years old, and partly because, in thinking ahead, when baby #2 comes along, we'll be turning the guest bedroom into another baby room. Then, we'd lose our guest quarters. So we were really looking to get a sleeper sofa for those occasional visitors. 2 weeks ago, we went and looked at Rooms to Go, a store down here that offers 3 years no interest. Needless to say, we walked out with a new living room set.


Everything culminated on Saturday. The guys came to install the floor (we weren't about to test our marriage over this) and the furniture was delivered. Jim, Ian, the doggies and I were holed up in our bedroom for about 7 hours while the guys put our floors in. Everything looks so nice! And our house has that nice, new home smell. The tables that we ordered are not in stock until March, so we're still using our old tables. I also need to get an area rug for the living area. New curtains and hardware are also in the plans. So, please enjoy the lovely pictures!

Kite Flying

It was a beautiful day in Florida today! Jim had off, so we had big plans to do NOTHING! Jim was outside switching out our car seats, (the forward facing car seat is now in my car), when Jim got the idea to get out the kite. I'm not sure how long the kite has been sitting in our garage, or that Jim even remembered we had a kite, but out it came. Unfortunately, while it was windy, it was GUSTY, which didn't make for good kite flying conditions. However, I think Jim and Ian (and me) had a great time trying to get the kite to fly (and watching the results). Enjoy the pictures!

My Daddy in Ian

So, most of you who read this blog know that my Daddy died in March 2008. I got pregnant with Ian in April, 2008. It was really upsetting to me that Ian and my dad would never meet this side of Heaven. After Ian was born, I really saw a lot of me in him. As he's gotten older, I see a lot of Jimmy. However, at Ian's birthday party, Joanna took a picture of Ian that almost took my breath away. I think Ian looks so much like my Daddy in this picture, except for the frosting.

Teeth

Here's a good picture of Ian's top two front teeth. He has his two bottom teeth, as well, but they're harder to show. And, that's chocolate on his face from his pre-birthday cupcake!

Ian's 12 month stats!

Ian's Stats

Height: 31.2 inches (90th %ile)
Weight: 22 pounds (50th %ile)

(Weight/Height: 25%ile)


Needless to say, Ian is long and skinny! We have now upgraded to a forward facing car seat, and have switched from formula to whole milk. He loves milk! Also, we have completely skipped a sippy cup. He never could figure out how to use one, so he just skipped to a straw or a regular glass. Needless to say, both require supervision with anything other than water.

Ian does still have an ear infection. He was on an antibiotic for 10 days, and when we went back to the doctor, one ear had cleared up, but the right ear was still infected. So, we started another, stronger antibiotic. However, because of this, it has given him a nice case of diarrhea and diaper rash. It doesn't seem to bother him, but I've already changed 2 outfits today.

Ian moves up to the one year old room on Monday. I think he will love it. They get to do a lot of crafts and go outside. He's been going over there a couple of hours a day over the last week, so hopefully the transition won't be too hard.

I guess that's about it. Ian's sleeping right now, so I really should go finish up the laundry! Ugh...a wife/mother's job is never done!

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

My baby is a year old today! We celebrated by going to work and school, then coming home for dinner of home-made chicken nuggets, broccoli and birthday cake! Publix, the local supermarket that Jimmy works for, has a deal that for your first birthday, you get a free smash cake. So, it was amazing watching him start out timidly and then really get into it. Needless to say, I had cake on my walls that I needed to clean up! We go to the doctor on Friday, so I'll give you the stats then. Please enjoy the pictures!

Merry Christmas!

I know I'm a little bit late, but Merry Christmas to everyone! We had a wonderful Christmas this year, much better than last year. Last year, I was 38 weeks pregnant and miserable and with no family! This Christmas, I have a wonderful baby boy and my mom was able to be here, too.

My mom came in on Monday, December 21 and stayed until January 1. It was so nice to have her here, and it really helped with Ian. I know he really enjoyed having his Neena's undivided attention! Everyone got some really neat gifts, and of course, Ian came out the winner on the spoiled rotten front. He wasn't a big fan of unwrapping presents, and didn't really show any interest in tearing the paper, but he LOVED what was inside the boxes. He ended up with a lot of toys, and now my living room looks like a toy store.



Tuesday, December 29th, we all went to the Naples Botanical Gardens, and enjoyed walking around in the sun and plants. It was a really nice day and Ian enjoyed playing in the Children's Garden. Unfortunately, during the holidays, both Ian and my mom got sick. Ian with an upper respiratory infection, bilateral ear and eye infections. My mom ended up with a throat infection. Ian is definately feeling better, and I'm thinking my mom is on the mend.



It was very nice having family here for Christmas. Jim's parents are coming on January 2nd, and will stay for a week, to celebrate Ian's first birthday. I can't believe he's going to be a year old! Where has the time gone???