Genetic Testing

Not sure this is blog-worthy, but it's something significant in our lives right now. When E was born he had the routine heel prick/blood work done at the hospital. A couple weeks after we got home, we got a call saying that one of the tests was "irregular" and that we needed to come in to have a more extensive test done. So, off to Children's we went...E just a few weeks old. This time it was way more than a simple heel prick. They had to draw a tube of blood from his little arm. He screamed and I cried too. A few days later E's dr called and said that the enzymes his body produces to digest a sugar called galactose (found in lactose), were low. The problem? This is a genetic disorder that can cause a serious, but rare, illness called galactosemia. E didn't display any symptoms of having galactosemia, but the numbers in his blood test indicated that he's a "carrier" for the genetic mutation. So, the doc wanted to do further genetic testing to see if he was the type of "carrier" that would effect his dietary needs. Galactose is found in dairy (breast milk) and if his body isn't digesting the milk properly, it could be building up in his system. The geneticists at Children's suggested that we have the blood sent to the Mayo Clinic to have more extensive genetic tests run.....

Sooo, this has all been going on since E was a couple weeks old, but, I'm happy to say that we finally got to the bottom of it. I spoke with E's doc early this week and he said that E is a carrier for the rare genetic condition, galactosemia. The good news is that it won't effect his life, or diet in any way until he decides to have children of his own....he'll need to make sure his partner is not a carrier as well, which would increase their chances of having a child with galactosemia. The doc also recommended that Dr. M and I be tested to make sure that both of us are not carriers as well (for future children).

Anyway, I'm glad we got to the bottom of all of this. But can't help but question the fact that we had genetic testing done on our little boy (and possibly on Dr. M and I). I keep hearing so much about it on the news lately....both good and bad. If we're able to prevent the birth of a very sick child in the future, it was worth it.

Valentines Day

E's first Valentines actually started Thursday with a mom/baby gift exchange with our mommy/baby friends. Grandma K arrived at our house Friday evening and spent Saturday afternoon getting some quality time with E while Dr. M and I spent the afternoon together at the City Museum (acting like kids)! Today is a snowy, cold, relaxing Sunday afternoon. Watching movies, the olympics, snuggling and making dinner together....spending the day with all of my boys...the perfect valentines day.

My Valentines!

Super Bowl

Eli's first Super Bowl. Okay, so neither one of us are big NFL fans, but everyone loves a good party and with Aunt Sarah in New Orleans, we had to root for the Saints (who dat?!). Plus, the commercials are my favorite part and generally worth watching (this year the KIA commercial with the toys driving the car was hilarious - the sock monkey tattoo, ha!). Deciding what to bring, however, took some time. With me not eating dairy (or meat) our options were limited. So, we decided to go with something I wouldn't eat, but Dr. M would love....jalapenos, filled with cream cheese, wrapped in bacon and baked (gotta love Pioneer Woman). Needless to say, they were a hit with all the guys!

Sweet Potatoes

My first attempt at making baby food.....sweet potatoes. I steamed, peeled, pureed and froze a single sweet potato (which made 12 servings!). Eli hasn't been a fan of his rice cereal, so we decided to change it up and try sweet potatoes instead. Well, he didn't like them either. The truth is, I just don't think he's ready for solid food yet. So, we're going to wait a couple more weeks, until after his 6 month b-day to really give foods a try.

New Hat

Like my new hat? Mom made it for me! She found the pattern on this blog. Dad thinks I look like a Hershey's Kiss, but mom thinks its pretty cute! I like it. It keeps my head warm in this bitter cold weather.

Handmade

A quilt, knitted booties, stuffed mouse, knitted bear ear hat, giraffe rattle, fabric block, curtains, pillows, screen-printed "jayhawk" onsies, sweatshirts and sweat pants and newest creation, applique onsies, pants and even a handmade fleece "pi" shirt.....ALL created by Grandma K for her little E over the past 6 months! She loves creating them and we love seeing what she's come up with. Who knows what will be next? We can't wait! Thank you Grandma K!

Videos!

So, we got a new video camera and have been taking lots of great videos. Here are a few of our faves:

Bath Time!


Babbling


Cereal


Dogs

Cereal

We were given the green light to try "solid" foods by E's pediatrician. So, we decided to start Sunday night. This was his first taste of anything other than breast milk (we even mixed the cereal with warm breast milk). Well, he hated it. Hated every bite. He wrinkled his nose, turned his head and spit it back out. He even started to fuss. We didn't taste it, but it smelled gross...I don't blame him. We'll keep trying it though - I've heard that it takes a baby about 5 feedings to actually like a new food. So, we'll see.... Needless to say, we took lots of pictures and yes, even video of the event. Here are a couple pics of his funny faces (which were the best part of the whole thing) :)

4 month check up

Yesterday was E's 4 month check-up and doctors visit. He was weighed, measured, inspected and poked. He received one shot and one oral vaccination (they were out of another shot that we'll receive in a couple weeks). This was our first appointment with the new pediatrician, who we really liked. We've heard many great things about this practice and feel like E is in good hands. The doc confirmed that E has eczema (like his dad). It doesn't seem to itch or bother him, but is red and looks irritated, so we're constantly slathering on lotions and this cold, dry weather isn't helping. Doc also suggested that mom eliminate dairy from her diet for 10 days to see if the eczema gets better (no dairy could be hard for mom). He still has cradle cap, which also itches, but is getting better and the doc recommended that we use cortisone cream on it. Developmentally he's right on track for his age, weighs 14 lbs 10 oz (36%) and is 25.5 inches long (64%). So, he's long and lean! We were also given the green light to start "solid" foods (rice cereal first, then pureed veggies) but aren't sure when we'll begin. Don't worry, we'll take lots of pictures and maybe even post a video of the first taste. Overall he's doing great and we're blessed to have a happy, healthy, beautiful baby boy!

New

So we thought we were going to have a thumb sucker. E was constantly putting his fingers and hands in his mouth (sometimes his whole fist). He sucked on them constantly, but never the same fingers. As you can imagine, all of this chewing was also causing a serious drool problem and his little fingers were becoming red and chapped. So, I decided to see if he would take a pacifier instead and guess what? It worked! I can't believe it! He's rejected the paci since day one, but now seems to love it. He's so calm and content with it in his mouth, it's amazing. I know it can be a bad habit to break, but think it's worth the challenge to see him so happy (I may regret this down the road). He's also discovered his toes. He loves to grab his feet, toes and socks when he's being changed, which can make things tricky. It's super cute to watch. I remember seeing him for the first time in an ultra sound and he reached up and grabbed his toes. It was so sweet. He continues to grow and change every day.

Happy New Year!

What a year 2009 was for the Moen family! It's amazing to look back and think of where we were just a year ago....pregnancy, graduation, moving to a new city, a new job, a new house and the birth of our beautiful baby boy. What a wonderful year it's been. We look froward to the year ahead and all the joy that comes with a growing baby and the changing seasons. We wish you all a happy and healthy New Year!

First Christmas

Packages everywhere, monkey bread for breakfast, PJ's and slippers all day, turkey in the oven, Christmas tree glowing, hershey kisses, family together, Christmas music, smiles, laughter, cinnamon candles, stockings hung on the fireplace, joy in everyone, twinkle lights and love....our first Christmas with our baby boy.

It was amazing, busy and wonderful. We spent a couple days in Columbia, staying with Grand-W, attending the annual Diggs Christmas party (where he met his cousins Jackson and Connor for the first time), he met Aunt Allison, had beautiful family photos taken, opened his very first christmas package, helped ice cookies and even wore adorable Christmas outfits. We spent Christmas Eve here in St. Louis with Grand-K and our friends the Valleroy's. We had a beautiful white christmas morning and loved watching it snow all day (E's first snow)! We stayed in our PJ's and played with our new trinkets, watched Christmas Story and had a delicious Christmas turkey dinner (my very first)! It was perfect....

Christmas morning

E's first snow

Giggles

Watch out, laughter is contagious!

A year ago...

It's amazing to think that this time last year I was peeing on a pregnancy test...excited, scared and surprised at the little pink "+" sign on it... Seeing the shock on our parents faces when they opened the cards telling them they were going to be grandparents for the first time... Feeling the cramps in my stomach that would turn into a beautiful baby boy... And thinking about how different things would be a year from then... Well, the past year has been a whirlwind, to say the least, but it's also been one of the best years of our lives! I'm excited for what the year ahead of us holds...

3 months!

In just three months Elliot has grown 6 pounds and 4 inches! He's amazing and seems to change everyday. It's incredible how much he's changed in just a month. He now laughs, smiles, drools, grabs for his toys (pulling them into his mouth!), tries to roll over, wants to sit up on his own and even tries to stand when he's being held. He's also started fussing when we leave the room and fussing and reaching his arms out when he wants to be held. He's so content just being in our company. He's so strong and very active. His hair seems to grow longer every day! He also babbles non-stop. He loves to "goo" and "ahh" out loud. He even gurgles at us. His favorite "word" seems to be "agua" or "ahhgooowaaa"- spanish already? It's super cute! He even rolled over from his stomach to his back this week. He's growing and changing every day.

We spent his first Thanksgiving in Kansas City with lots of family and friends and we plan to spend Christmas here, at home, as a family together. Elliot helped decorate the tree, hang the stockings and make presents. We can't wait for Christmas!

Dr. M and I received our H1N1 (Swine Flu) shots last weekend. We hope to stay flu free this season, as it's supposed to be a bad one. We've been enjoying weekly play dates with a group of girl friends (Elliot is the only boy!). I'm still staying home with E every day (and loving it). I'm not actively seeking a job, but if I can find one that allows me to work from home, I might be interested....we'll see.

Here are a few recent pictures of our family.....

Hands!

Just recently Eli has made the amazing discovery of his hands. Though he doesn't find them as fascinating as one would think, he does stare at them quite often. He watches them as they open and makes tiny fists or reaches for a toy. He's also discovered how to get them into his mouth - his mother's fear. We don't want a thumb sucker! He's not quite there yet, but he does enjoy nibbling on his fingers and occasionally a thumb, which makes for a constant puddle of drool under his chin. We've also been battling a nasty case of cradle cap, which seems to itch. So far, we're all staying healthy this season, though those around us have been coming down with illnesses. Every day he gets bigger and his hair gets longer. We're still not sure what color those eyes will be - they're still dark blue. We're enjoying watching him grow and learn everyday!

Laughter

Tonight was the first time we heard little Eli giggle. It was adorable. Too bad just after he let out the laugh, he was struck with a bout of the hiccups. You could hear him trying to laugh through them anyway which was even cuter. He'll be walking before we know it...

2 months

Well, we've made it through 8 weeks of diaper changes, breast feeding, extra laundry, kitchen sink baths, unexplained fussing and mastering the swaddle all for little Eli. Everyone said our lives would change when he arrived and boooy were they right! Each day is a new challenge, different from the one before, which is both exciting and frustrating at the same time. It's amazing how I can stay home all day, yet feel like I'm unable to get anything done (unless soothing a fussy baby counts). I'm building arm muscles I never knew I had (it's amazing how heavy a baby and car seat are) and getting very good at doing things with one hand. I also have a whole new respect for the female body - I'm amazed at how it can create and sustain a life on it's own. I have to say, however, that my favorite thing about the past 8 weeks is watching my little boy grow. He now weighs 11 lbs 9 oz is 23 inches long! According to his pediatrician at his appointment yesterday "he's doing great," but unfortunately had to receive a cocktail of routine vaccinations (3 shots and one oral). I cried. Seeing him in that kind of pain was heartbreaking, but just minutes later, after a quick nursing, he was smiling and laughing again. Babies are truly resilient. We're trying to enjoy each little moment with the little guy, as time seems to be flying by...

"Check out my neck rolls!"

Smiles :)

The first time your little one smiles at you is quite possibly the most rewarding part of being a new parent. Eli is officially a morning person, like his dad, and loves to smile at us when he wakes up. He smiles when we change him, while we're eating breakfast and when you talk to him in that high-pitch baby voice. He even coos and laughs when he really gets going. Every morning we look froward to his little smiles, they simply melt our hearts...

Hard at work!

Baby E and Dr. M working hard on an upcoming math presentation :)

(he must take after his mom when it comes to math)