Here we go again!!!

This spring the Moen household will grow....again. Baby #2 will be here in less than 28 weeks, around June 11. E will be a big brother and we'll be the parents of two, under two! Things will be hectic, but we're excited to have a little one around again. You'll be happy to hear that we're going to find out the gender early this time and we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we do. So far, I'm feeling well (now that I'm through the nausea stage) but have a cold that won't go away, and my tummy seems to be growing faster this time around.

Well, here we go again....

15 months!

Our little boy is now one year and three months old, which means that next time we see his doctor, he'll be a year and a half, I can't believe it! He's growing so fast. He's walking everywhere now (almost running). He can go from sitting to standing (without help) and can even squat to pick up a toy and take off running again. He's really starting to figure out how his world works. He now blows his nose and takes the tissue to the trash, for instance, or holds a tissue up to stewdog's nose. He also tries to put shoes, clothes and hats on by himself. He seems to be connecting everything now. He now has 10 teeth (four on top and bottom and two molars). His hair is getting longer, but we still haven't cut it yet. He still talks constantly and his vocabulary goes with what he's doing or what he wants. He's mastered "please more" (sounds like "pees moe") and loves to point to what he wants. He loves the fact that he can communicate with us and we understand his needs (I can tell by his big smile when he gets what he wants). We saw his pediatrician this morning who said that he's one of the most verbal 15 month-olds he's seen. Overall, he said his development was very high and he seems like a very well natured, happy guy. He's right :) He's gaining weight and growing in length well. Doc says that he's on track to be a tall thin guy.

15 month stats:

weight: 20lbs 2oz (13%)

height: 31.5 in (59%)

head circ: 17.5 in (7%)

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving week started out kinda rough this year. E came down with a fever and ear infection just before thanksgiving and a couple days later I got a sinus infection. Good news is we both eventually got antibiotics and started feeling better. We spent a couple nights with Grandma W and majority of the week with Grandma K. This trip was hard, however, on E since we hadn't traveled in a while, he wasn't feeling well and also cut a molar. Everyone enjoyed seeing him, but I know he's happy to be home. Thanksgiving day we went to Aunt Kathy's house, ate too much, the boys watched football and the girls helped in the kitchen. Good food and great company made for a wonderful afternoon and dinner. I'm thankful for my amazing family and wonderful friends.

Halloween

Fall is my favorite time of year and Halloween is one of my favorite holidays (Dr. M prefers the hot summer weather). Since E is older this year, we were looking forward to a fun costume and possibly his first trick-or-treating adventure. Unfortunately, E goes to bed at 7pm and missed out on the candy. Before he went to bed, however, we strolled around the neighborhood, checked out all the spooky decorations and kids running around in costume and Dr. M and I stayed up to had out candy and watch scary movies after E went to sleep. Fortunately, celebrated Halloween early this year at a friends costume party earlier in the month. E dressed up as a skeleton and I as a tennis player. All of his friends were there, dressed up too. He carried his little orange pumpkin bucket to collect goodies from all the parents and loved it. We had so much fun seeing everyone dressed up and playing. I promise (no matter what time E goes to bed) that we will trick-or-treat, carve pumpkins and eat lots of candy next year ;) Can't wait!

Can you find our little skeleton?

Halloween night in the neighborhood

14 months!

E is 14 months now. He's grown up so much since his first birthday. He's now toddling everywhere. He walks everywhere now. Going to the mall or store can be challenging because he just wants to walk everywhere. We bought him his very first pair of real shoes, Stride Rites. The same brand of shoes Dr.M and I wore as babies (I hear they're the "best"). Another significant change in E this month is that he's officially taking just one nap a day. This is both good and bad for me. It give us a lot of time to do things during the day, but doesn't give me much time to rest. He's also started to get his first molars (yes, two!) on the bottom. Poor little guy. He's been in a lot of pain, but a little tylenol seems to help. He still chats all the time and is expanding his vocabulary (Dr. M says E knows 20+ words). He's also learned to say several words via sign language. He uses the signs for "more" and "milk" and is working on "please" and "thank you" (thought his says all the words while he signs them). He's growing up so much. It's fun to see him acting and looking more and more like a little boy instead of a baby.

Apples

On October 15, the three of us took a family outing to a local farm. They offer all sorts of fruits and veggies to pick year round, but this time of year apples are in season (we picked peaches there when I was still pregnant with E last July). It was a chilly October morning, but we bundled up and headed to the farm. It's only about a 20 minute drive, but E fell asleep on the way there. It was early morning so there weren't many people there. We took the shuttle bus out to the orchard of ripe apples which were fuji and golden crisp. All very sweet and tasty (as we were told we could sample while picking!). We carried E in a baby backpack that was given to us by a family member. This was the first time we actually used it, which was perfect for carrying him around. He even liked it. He could eat his apple and see the orchard at the same time. We ended up with about a dozen apples for Dr. M's lunches and a few to make an apple crisp that night!

Allergies & Flu Shot

Today E received his very first flu shot. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it on here or not, but E has multiple food allergies. He was tested when he was 11 months old, per his pediatrician's suggestion after a bad reaction to yogurt and his eczema. We discovered that he's allergic to wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, dogs and cats. As you can imagine, it's been hard finding new foods for him to eat. Currently he eats a lot of rice products (milk, noodles, cereal, etc). When he has a reaction to something he breaks out into hives where the food touched his skin, or (if it's been ingested) all over his abdomen. He's even had reactions so bad he had diarrhea and threw up. We're managing his allergies well and hope that he'll grow out of most of them within the next year or so. Unfortunately, the flu shot contains traces of egg white, which could cause a reaction for E. So, we went to allergists office this morning to have his skin tested to see how he would react. They started with a surface "scratch test" and waited 15 minutes for a reaction, gave him 10% of the flu shot in one arm, waited 20 minutes for a reaction and then gave him the rest of the shot in the other arm and waited 20 minutes. He did get a few hives from the scratch test, but not from the injection it's self (weird, I know), so he's been cleared to get the flu shot from his pediatrician in the future. I'm glad he's been immunized and am looking forward to a very active winter with my little guy!

E eating spaghetti - his new fave :)

13 Months

Can't believe it's been a month since E's first birthday party. I feel like he's changed so much. Every day he looks more and more like a little boy. His walking improves every day. He now chooses to walk short distances across the room and then gracefully falls to the floor to crawl the rest of the way. He's eating tons of new foods and right now, anything with spaghetti sauce on it is his favorite. He also loves going to the park, playing in the grass and swinging! He still has six teeth, two on bottom and four on top, but is getting another one on the bottom. His hair is getting much longer, but we still haven't had it cut. He continues to babble constantly in his own little language. He says many words and even waves "bye bye." He's so sweet to be around and loves everyone, even strangers. His smile is contagious...

Walking!!!!!!!

E has been taking a couple steps between us since his first birthday, but the other night he finally decided to walk across the room. He's cautious and looks like a little drunk man, but at last he's walking. He still chooses to crawl most of the time, but he's getting braver and taking tiny steps from the chair to the couch or across the kitchen. Here's a video of some of his first steps:

One Year Stats

We saw our pediatrician the other day for E's one year check-up and shots. The visit went well, overall, but the shots were a little painful (all 3). So far, E is a healthy, happy, baby boy, but he seems to have hit a growth plateau in the past several months. I'm told it's "normal" for babies to slow in weight gain due to their increase in activity (which makes sense). E is a very active little guy! The doc referred us to a pediatric dietician regarding E's food allergies (we feel like we're running out of food options), which we're looking forward to. Overall, our little boy is growing and developing right on pace. Our next visit is at 15 months.

Here are the 12 month stats:

Weight - 19 lbs 3 oz (6%)

Length - 29 3/4 in (49%)

Head Circ - 17 1/4 in (2%)

ONE year!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Elliot!

Our baby boy is ONE! A year ago today we were getting ready to leave the hospital with a new addition to our family. So tiny and precious. First time parents, rookies, scared and excited about the months to come. Several friends told us "congratulations" and said that the first birthday party is really a celebration for the parents for how hard they've worked in the past year. Though it's been a trying year, it's truly been the best and fastest year of my life! The first six months seem like a blur. I don't remember last fall. I can't believe it's been a whole year!

To celebrate E's birthday we had a party at a local park with lots of friends and family. The weather was beautiful, the food was good and being able to share it with loved ones was awesome. E played with his many friends, dug into his cake and opened presents! It was the perfect way to celebrate an amazing child and our first year of parenthood.

E is simply an amazing boy. Though he's not walking yet, he will take several tentative steps between Dr. M and I. His vocabulary is growing all the time. He now waves and says hi and byebye. His favorite word is still ball but has added black bean, baby, bucket, mom and will repeat (or attempt to repeat) anything we say. He's cruising around furniture with ease, but still stands on his tip toes most of the time. He'll walk if holding onto his walking toy or our fingers, but crawling is still his preferred mode of transportation. He's now in a "big boy" booster car seat, no longer the pumpkin seat (which he's outgrown). He's completely self-feeding now. He eats table foods, chicken, watermelon, corn, peas, carrots, broccoli, hamburger, apples, banana and noodles - all his current favorites. I'm still nursing, but we've been supplementing rice milk twice a day (which he loves!). I'm also happy to report that we're still using (and loving) cloth diapers! Over the past year we've saved roughly 2,788 diapers from being added to our landfills. We see the pediatrician, tomorrow for a full one-year assessment and shots.

Here's to our first year of parenthood and many more to come!!!!

Grandpa Moen

Grandpa Moen's joyful spirit will always be remembered in our hearts. He was a husband, father of three amazing men, grandfather to three beautiful boys and friend to so many. His spirited, witty and sometimes crazy personality always drew people to him. He lit up any room he walked into and left with new friends. Always up for a good time, new adventure or simple chat around a campfire, he was always there to listen. He loved to tell stories, long stories and especially crazy stories. He was loved by so many and will be deeply missed. May he rest in peace.

Keith Deane Moen

August 7, 1953 - August 10, 2010

11 Months!

I can't believe our little boy will be one in less than a month. My how time flies when you're a parent. This time last year I was the size of a house and getting anxious to meet our little one. Now it's been 11 months and he's almost a toddler. He's talking all the time. Just today we were at the store buying a watermelon (E's fave) and he kept reaching for it in the cart saying "ball, ball." It was so cute. Though he's not walking yet, he's getting closer every day. He seems to have no fear when it comes to crawling, climbing and cruising. In fact, we had our first major injury today. E was crawling across the tile kitchen floor (a tupperware lid in each hand) and he slipped and went down face first on the tile, cutting his lip on his teeth. It bleed for a while and is pretty swollen, but it doesn't seem to bother him for as bad as it looks. I'm sure you won't even be able to see it in a couple days. We're in the process of planning E's first birthday. The picnic site is reserved and the invitations are in the mail. I know I've already said it, but I can't believe our little boy will be one next month. I love that we are starting to see the little boy that he will be. He's perfect.

Guess who's talking?!

Our little boy has always been a talker, in a language all his own, perhaps, but a talker. He's constantly babbling to the dogs, his toys and even strangers at the grocery store. His chatter never meant much (at least not to us) until lately...when he said his first word...DAD! It's no surprise that this is his first word, he loves his dad. He loves it when he gets home, feeds him, bathes him and plays with him. Recently, Dr. M has been working with E to increase his vocabulary. During E's bath Dr. M holds different toys up, says the name and waits for E to repeat him. E looks at the toy, thinks about it for a minute and then sounds out the name! He now says, duck, ball, bear, dog and (our fave) turtle! Seriously! It's SO cute! He's growing up so fast!

Summa summa time!

Wow, what a summer it's been! Our little boy is growing up so fast. He's cruising along the furniture, standing on everything and chatting up a storm. The three of us joined friends for a Fourth of July BBQ in Soulard. Though we missed the fireworks to get the little guy in bed, Dr. M and I poured a glass of wine and sat on the front porch watching the sky light up. The celebration continued with a BBQ and good friends again the next day.

It's hard to believe that a year ago, July 5th, we moved to St. Louis. I was almost 8 months pregnant and Dr. M was starting his career. The move has been good for us and St. Louis has treated us well. Of course our world changed the day that little boy came into it, but we wouldn't change any part of it. In fact, we're looking forward to the next couple years in St. Louis and where our lives will take us next.

We recently took a 5 day family trip to Kansas City and Lawrence. We saw Grandma K, GG, Aunt Kaps, Aunt Jamie and a bunch of wonderful friends! It was a long time to be away from home, but little E was such a trooper. He napped well, slept like a champ and made friends with everyone. Overall he seemed unscathed by the long trip, but is happy to be home.

With heat indices in the 100's we decided to set up the baby pool in the back yard. E thought this was the best idea. He had a blast. He crawled in circles, chased toys and laughed for over an hour! We had almost as much fun as he did just watching him.

10 Months!

Our baby boy is now 10 months old. He's always so happy, laughing and smiling and fun to be around. So interested in the world around him. He takes on new challenges with such stride. The changes in his development over the past month have mainly been in perfecting his motor skills. He can go from sitting to standing and back again, with such control. He's pulling up on everything (even the wall). His legs and arms have become so much stronger and he's much more confident on his little chubby feet. He's also started "cruising" along furniture. His main form of transportation is still crawling but then pulls to stand on the nearest wall, toilet, couch, table, dog, chair, toy, etc. His fine motor skills have also increased greatly. From picking up cheerios to toys, passing them between his hands, dropping things and picking them up again. Actually, dropping things on the floor may currently be his favorite thing to do. He loves dropping cheerios off of his highchair and watching his brothers (the dogs) clean them up. He thinks it's hilarious! In fact, he drops everything, just to hear it hit the ground and watch you pick it up. This is a really fun game for mom. He's recently become a bottomless pit. Eating everything you put in his mouth. It's amazing how much food fits in that tiny belly of his. He's now eating finger foods of all kinds, three times a day, but cheerios are still his favorite. He also babbles non-stop in a language all his own... Well, it sounds like someone just woke up from his nap, standing in his crib, peeking over the edge. Such a sweet little face.

First Father's Day!

At 6pm the day before his first Father's Day, Dr. M returned from a three week business trip in Spain. Needless to say, E and I were counting down the days until he returned. Considering the time difference and Dr. M's jet lag, the only plans we had for Father's Day was spending time together, all three of us, and that's exactly what we did! It was perfect. Dr. M shared stories from his travels and E performed his newly discovered skills to his proud dad. We stayed in our pj's most of the day, ate at Dr. M's favorite restaurant and took a family walk around the neighborhood. A perfect family day together.

4 years

Yesterday was our 4th wedding anniversary. Good thing we celebrated a couple weeks ago because Dr. M is in Spain, E has a bad virus called "hand, foot and mouth" (gross name for a common virus), Stewdog had surgery a couple days ago and we've spent the last 4 days at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Our life is crazy, but I wouldn't change it for anything. The last 4 years of our life have been awesome and I'm looking forward to many, many more!

E and Grandpa hangin' out.

9 Months

We met with Dr. E yesterday for E's 9 month check-up. Overall, he's a happy, healthy little boy. Despite the fact that we've been through two ear infections and two rounds of antibiotics last month, E looked great yesterday! Dr. E was most impressed with the great improvement of his eczema. E received just one shot yesterday and cried for only a second. He's still a long and skinny boy (just like his mom was as a baby). His weight has leveled out due to his increase in mobility, which doc said is normal. He's also pulling up to stand on everything, Stewdog, the dishwaser, etc. He'll be cruising and walking before we know it. E has been eating so well lately. He loves steamed squash, broccoli, bananas, mango, black beans and can even feed himself cheerios! We tried yogurt for the first time yesterday (per Dr. E's okay) and poor E had a horrible reaction to it! He broke out in hives everywhere the yogurt touched his skin :( After a quick dose of Benadryl he was back to normal. Needless to say, we'll be avoiding dairy products until we've had a chance to meet with an allergy specialist. His next well-check with Dr. E isn't for another 3 months for his 12 month visit and shots. Can't believe our little boy will be one so soon. He's grown so much in the last 3 months it will be fun to see what he's up to in 3 more.

The Stats:

Weight - 17 lbs 14 oz (10%)

Length - 28.5 in (57%)

Head Circ - 17 in (7%)

E loves swimming and being outside!

He also likes to help with the dishes ;)

On the move...

Little E started crawling a month ago. Now he's all over the place! Which I have to admit, I actually like. He follows me all over the house, even in the bathroom. He thinks the measuring cups and spatulas in the kitchen are the greatest new toys. The world has grown exponentially for E since he started moving. He's no longer confined to a small corner in the family room. Everything he finds is so new and exciting, an adventure...the knobs on the bathroom cabinets, the toilet flushing, the dog bowls, the different floor textures, the air conditioning vents (particularly when the air blowing). He's also started pulling up to standing on everything including the dishwasher, the couch and even Stewdog. This is such a fun and exciting time. E is so much fun but watch out, he's fast!!

First Mother's Day

Sunday was my very first Mother's Day (though we sort of celebrated last year, when I was pregnant). My Dad was in town, still celebrating Dr. M's birthday and helping us with some much needed yard work. Dr. M surprised me with a beautiful tree to plant in the front yard. It symbolizes the start of our new family and my very first Mother's Day together. I'm looking forward to watching it grow along with our family. I received so many beautiful flowers and cards and went to a wonderful brunch. I may, however, be looking forward to using the overdue and much needed one hour massage gift card that Dr. M gave me. Being a mother is amazing and exhausting at the same time. Every day is a new challenge, unlike the day before. Watching my son thrive and grow and my husband become a father is so rewarding. We are learning from each other everyday and growing as a family. I always thought that I would feel "different" as a mother and, to be honest, I don't. I feel better. Like myself, but complete. I love caring for my family. My respect and understanding for my own mother has grown so much. The bond between a mother and her child is indescribable, like nothing I could have imagined. I love that little boy so much and am so lucky to be his mother. He has changed my life forever. Thank you, little E.

30th Birthday

May 5th was Dr. M's 30th birthday (he's finally catching up with me!). To celebrate we had a house full of family (and dogs!). His mother, my mom, her husband, my dad, his wife and a good childhood friend of Dr. M's and three dogs all came to visit. He received 3 birthday cakes, many beautiful cards, cash, some much needed items, steaks and a new gas grill! The weather was beautiful. We ate outside three nights in a row. The celebration continued for almost 5 days and into the weekend. Little E was a trooper and, quite honestly, he loved all of the attention from the grandparents! As Dr. M always says "A PhD and a baby before I'm 30." I can't wait to see what he will accomplish in the next 30 years...

8 months

It's been a busy month in the Moen household. A month full of "firsts" for us and our busy little boy...an allergic reaction, using a highchair at restaurants, really crawling, tornado sirens, picnic in forest park, first b-day party, fever, antibiotics and ear infection. Things started with a bad allergic reaction to something unknown, he had hives all over and even his ears swelled (Benadryl works wonders). We started using the "big kid" high chairs at restaurants, which E loves and so do we, as it keeps him occupied while we eat. The past two weekends we've experienced April showers, severe spring weather and tornado sirens...the three of us and the dogs camped out in the basement last weekend for over a half hour. A week ago it finally happened....E got his very first fever. We were in the car, on our way to Chicago for the weekend and turned around when we realized that E wasn't feeling well. A green runny nose, fever and few days later we discovered that E had a double ear infection. He received his first dose of "the pink stuff" amoxicillin (and loves it!). E also attended his very first birthday party for a friend and a picnic in Forest Park last week. He loves being outside, playing in the grass and all the other kids in the beautiful spring weather. He's been working on crawling for some time now, but decided to take a break and work on transitioning from sitting to crawling and laying down to sitting, which he's mastered. But tonight, for the first time, he actually crawled...across the room, forward! He's getting so big (almost 18 lbs now). He's so much fun. He's always happy, laughing, babbling and smiling at everyone. So far, we haven't experienced any separation anxiety or stranger danger. He's just perfect. In every way....

Food

Our little boy is getting so big, He has been eating solid foods every day for the past month and even drinks water from a sippy cup. He eats two meals a day (lunch and dinner) and I've made every one of them from fresh, cooked and pureed veggies and fruit (pour them into ice cube trays and freeze them - so easy!). So far, he's tried: avocado, banana, mango, pear and sweet potato. I've just made carrots, broccoli and green beans to try next. So far, banana is his favorite, followed closely by his new fave, mango. He gets so excited when it's meal time, he squeals and kicks his legs. He's growing up so fast :)

More Videos!

I've uploaded all of our videos to a shared site, so it's easier for you to view and for me to upload. The videos start at Christmas (when we got the camera) and go through some we took yesterday. We've captured him babbling, giggling, playing, rolling over, eating, smiling, sitting, playing peek-a-boo and trying to crawl. Have fun watching them! Click HERE for the link.

Easter

All 5 of us (dogs too) packed up and drove to Kansas City for Easter weekend. We stayed with Grandma K and Miss Sadie in Liberty. We arrived Friday and spent the evening with some good friends that we hadn't seen in ages (plus, I was due for an evening out with adults). Saturday, the weather was beautiful and we spent the afternoon shopping some local stores, sharing a lovely lunch and generally taking it easy. Easter morning little E was excited to find an Easter basket full of exciting, handmade gifts from Grandma K. We headed home early that morning, but had time to stop along the way and enjoy a nice picnic lunch outside. Easter weekend was nice and relaxing, but I have a feeling that next year we'll be hunting for eggs and chasing an eager toddler.

7 months!

Elliot is 7 months old now! I know I say this every month, but I can't believe how much he's grown in just a month - he continues to amaze me. He now has 4 teeth - the top two and bottom two and I can see more just under his gums. He's eating pureed solid foods every day and has tried bananas, avocado, sweet potatoes and rice cereal so far. He also loves his sippy cup and knows how to use it all by himself. He sits really well on his own now and loves playing by himself. He moves all over the floor by rolling from side to side, but has recently started pushing up to his hands and knees! From a belly position he pushes up to his hands and then tucks his knees under and starts rocking back and forth, which I was told is a precursor to crawling! He'll be moving before we know it - yikes! His hair is still a light brown (and much longer on top than the sides). I think his eyes are starting to change from blue to a more hazel or green color (like his mom!). Possibly the biggest milestone we've recently crossed is that E is now sleeping 11-12 hours at night!!!! Yay! I hadn't slept 8 hours straight in over 6 months! He's such a good baby - we know he's amazing, but everyone always tells us how lucky we are to have such a good baby. I love seeing his personality come through more and more every day and can't wait to see the little boy he will become...

March Madness/Sadness

Dr. M here. This is my first (and hopefully not the last) blog entry. If you do not care about sports, please scroll down and see the adorable pic of E and I below.

As you know, the Moens are huge college basketball fans and March is a great time for college basketball. So we filled out E's first bracket and had a lot of fun. Of course being a graduate of KU and having lived in Lawrence for seven years we always root for the Jayhawks and the Big 12 conference. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned for Kansas. We were all devastated by the early upset that the best basketball team in America suffered. Especially little E, he was completely distraught as you can see below.

It got me thinking about what a bitter-sweet time of year this can be when your favorite team is a perennial power. First, the NCAA basketball tournament is the single greatest sporting event ever. This loss does not change my opinion about that. However, it is a shame to me that one loss can make an extraordinary season a disappointment. A team that swept its rivals (one being a very, very good team), dominated the best conference during the regular season, and won its conference tournament should not be considered failure. This is the problem of being the favorite, favorites are bound to be upset and when it happens everyone else loves it. This is what makes the tournament so great. Everyone loves the underdog. KU's opponent played a brilliant game and that is going to go down as one of the biggest wins in that schools history. Nobody can ever take that away from them and I give them all of the credit in the world.

For teams that expect to win a national championship it is that much more agonizing to their fans when they fall. This is why I think Kansas fans are some of the best basketball fans. Everyone loves it when their team fails. Everyone throws it in their face when they lose. But the fans keep ticking. It is easy to love the tournament when your team is mediocre. When your so-so team does make the tournament your season is automatically a success and if they make a run, well that's icing on the cake. When they don't make the tourney the fans don't have a vested interest, so they can just sit back and enjoy the show. So why even bother supporting KU. Because when they do put it together, it is that much sweeter. This loss made me realize how special 2008 really was. I was finishing my Ph.D. that year and when the whole city of Lawrence came together to celebrate KU's national championship, it was incredible.

So we will continue to root for our Jayhawks through the lows and highs. Because no matter the how low the low is, the high will always be better.

E and I watching basketball

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We made corned beef and cabbage with Irish soda bread and had some dear friends over to share it with! Per Grandma W's request we made sure E wore green all day, so no one would pinch him, of course. In fact, we all wore green :) It was a lovely day. Just a year ago on St. Patrick's day was the first time I felt little E move in my tummy and by this time next year he'll be 18 months old...my how time flies when you're having fun!

"See, I wore green like Grandma W said and didn't get pinched."

"Grandma K says my Great-grandma K was Irish."

"Like my new monster hat?"

spring is coming...

Spring is coming, I can smell it. The birds are chirping, the grass is greener, flowers are sprouting and Dr. M's allergies are starting to act up. It will be here before we know it. Last week we took advantage of some very beautiful weather and Dr. M's spring break and all 5 of us (dogs too) went to Forest Park, walked and relaxed in the sun on art hill. It was awesome to feel the warmth of the sun again. We're all looking forward to summer, the longer days and warmer weather. E is also riding in the stroller like a "big boy," no more car seat :)

Teeth

Say hello to my little teeth. That's right, Eli has 3 teeth! A week ago he didn't have any and now he has three! The bottom two started coming in around his 6 month birthday and the top one followed shortly after. It was a rough week with our little boy in so much pain, but we made it through and now he's happy and smiling again (perhaps showing off his new teeth). They have just popped through his gums, but will be so cute when they have fully come in. The doc said that he can put his new teeth to use by eating finger foods (cheerios, peas, etc.) around his 7 month b-day. Until then, lets just hope he doesn't bite mom, while nursing!

Swimming!

Today was Elliot's first time in a swimming pool! He loves his bath, so we figured he would love the pool too. Well, we were right! The water was nice and warm in the indoor pool and he thought it was giant bath. He splashed, kicked and laughed the whole time. He's a little fish! We're looking forward to summer and more fun in the water!

4 generations

80 years and 4 generations. Great-grandma ("GG"), Grandma Wedman, Mom and little Elliot, finally together for our first photo.

Dr. M and E out to lunch for his 1/2 birthday :)

6 month checkup

Today was E's 6 month check-up and immunizations. Looks like he's still looong and skinny. Doc said he looks like a happy, healthy baby boy and was particularly impressed with his ability to sit independently (which made his mom proud!). Our next visit is at 9 months!

The stats:

Weight: 15 lbs 14 oz (20%)

Height: 26 3/4 in (60%)

Head circ: 16 5/8 in (11%)

6 MONTHS!

It's been 185 days since little Elliot was born. That's about 1,665 diaper changes and breast-fed meals (and I'm proud to add that we're still cloth diapering and loving it). 5 months and three weeks ago, I remember wondering how we would ever make it to this point. It seemed so far away and everything was so challenging at that time. I set a personal goal of breast feeding for 6 months and thought I would be back to work by 4 months. Well, nursing is going great and I haven't even attempted to look for a job.

Little E is now sitting on his own (though a little wobbly), rolling from side to side, onto his belly and back again. He babbles constantly (a talker, like his mom?), loves putting his toes in his mouth, and smiles and laughs at us all the time. Just yesterday we noticed that he's getting his very first tooth (his front, bottom, left and top one on the same side)! He's a little fussy, but baby tylenol seems to be working well. He's still not really eating solid foods, though we offer him sweet potatoes or rice cereal each night (some times he eats the whole bowl and other times he just has a bite or two). He loves spending time in his jumperoo and rolling around on the floor or working on sitting.

As parents (especially first-time parents) we're constantly questioning our ability to raise a child though people, books, doctors and websites tell us he's right on track. Is he developing normally? Above normal? Am I making the right choices for him? Are we creating an environment that's stimulating enough? Will he meet next months developmental "milestones?" Are we good parents? The worst thing any parent can to do is compare their own child to someone else's (but it's hard not to). So, we've decided to raise little E with "no regrets" and not look back and say "I wish we had..." or "we should have..." We're doing the very best that we can and, honestly, we're raising a pretty incredible little boy! He's such a happy little guy and SO loved! His personality seems to come through more and more every day. We can't wait to see what kind of person he will become (though Dr. M thinks he will be a starting point guard for KU, of course!). Parenthood is an amazing experience, one you can only understand first-hand...

Happy 1/2 Birthday, baby boy!!!!!

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!