10 Month Old Sweetie!

This little man was 10 months old yesterday. He started clapping his hands the other day, and I have tried SO hard to get video of it, but it hasn't happened. As soon as he sees the camera he comes barreling towards me to get it, which is what he was doing in this picture. Usually he stands up when he claps. He can stand up on his own without support and stand there for a while! He takes little steps if you hold onto his hands. He also FINALLY said Mama. Its more like "Mamamamamamamama" when he wants to be fed. He is babbling a lot more sounds too. He still says "Lala" all day long though.
He is starting to show preference for things he wants and does not want. Sometimes it takes 15 minutes to dress him, SERiously. He hates to get dressed. He also would prefer to play with a cell phone, remote control, or camera above any of his toys. And he does not want the old cell phones that we have taken the batteries out of and given to he and Lola, he wants our actual phones that we use now. He got his own remote from Santa, but still prefers the real remote control. He holds it up and points it at the TV. If you do not give him what he wants, be ready for some screaming, fussing, and wrestling. He is very strong.
A few weeks ago he randomly started sleeping well at night, like 8 or 9 hours. I was going to mention it, but didn't want to jinx it, so I didn't. He has quit, and he is still waking up once, sometimes twice a night for a bottle. He refuses to nurse, so now I am forced to get up at 4, 5, 05 6 am sometimes and pump him a bottle. (I am not a morning person.)
He is overall very happy and sweet. He loves to go outside with Lola, so we are looking forward to Spring so we can go to the park!
He has 8 teeth, with another coming in, and has the sweetest smile. He loves to "pat" the ones he loves, usually in the face, so if you don't know he is trying to love you it seems as though he is smacking you. He is very sweet and definately starting to show more "boy" characteristics. I am sad that his "baby" days are coming to an end, but I know he will be such fun as a toddler.

This is why I rarely do laundry!

Diaries of a Bewildered Goldfish, Volume One: A Fish Out of Water!

Hi, I'm new to this "blogging" thing, so bear with me. I am in a new place, and it's still quite strange.

It all started last night............I was swimming with my fellow goldfish in our tank at the superstore-type place, when I was abruptly scooped up and placed into a clear plastic bag. I was then carried carefully by a tall man with many freckles on his arms, and then handed to a short dark-headed woman. She was holding a very large baby in her other arm. The baby started to squirm and she set me down on top of a 24 pack of Dr. Pepper. The next thing I know, a conveyer belt beneath me jerks forward and "SPLAT" goes my clear plastic bag, onto the floor. Water was everywhere, and I laid there as my life flashed before my eyes. While I lay there dying, I heard a little feminine voice cry, "My fish! Mommy, what happened to my fish???!!!!!!" Just then, that same tall man picked me up and put me back into the broken bag, and there was just enough water to submerge myself in. Thank goodness! I could breathe again! I was taken to the back of the store and thrust into another plastic bag and given more water, then brought back to the man with the freckled arms. I then endured a bumpy ride to a warm home where I have been since. I even have my own bowl to swim around in, with neon-colored rocks! And about every 10 minutes, the little girl pictured below puts her face up to my bowl and checks in on me.

It's great being this little girl's pet.

A Few Pics for Fun

These were some funny pictures we took on New Year's Eve and I forgot about them until now!

I guess she had something red to drink that day.

"This one goes out to all the ladies.........."

He looks so big in this pic. And so redheaded.

Happy Monday!

9 Months Old and a Curl............

Deacon has been sick and instead of a 9 month well check, we have been to 2 sick visits at the doctor this month. Today he finally had his well check, and he is definately all better. He weighs 23 pounds and is 29 3/4 inches tall. He is almost half as tall as I am!!!!!! Definately a big boy. One thing I hear people say at church, at Lola's school, and other places we go is that he has enormous hands. They are still little sweet chubby baby hands, but I guess they are kind of big! He is babbling all the time. He still says "Lala" sometimes but mostly just babbles. He has started pulling up to standing and then totally letting go and standing on his own. Look out world, here comes Deacon! Also, he has the most adorable curl now in the back of his hair. You can see it in the picture above. He has a TON more hair than Lola had at this age, it's just hard to see being so light. He is a very happy baby and spends most of the day playing with his sister, me, and his toys. We love him so much.

Conversations With Lola Part 3: The Doctor's Office

Lola: "Put Deacon behind the desk with me, Mom. We're playing doctor's office.
Me: "Hello ma'am, I need to see the doctor."
Lola: "Are you sick, or do you have a baby, or do you need to see the animal doctor?"
Me: "I'm sick."
Lola: "You can't pretend to be sick. You have to REALLY be sick."
Me: "OK, well I am sick."
Lola: "No, you can just have a baby."
Me: "Ok, well I'm having a baby so please come check me out."
Lola: "Mom, having a baby is really hard. You get a big, big pressure."
Me: (laughing out loud) "Thanks for the warning Lola. Someone should have talked to me about that pressure about four years ago!"

The kids behind the "desk" at the "doctor's office."

Sickness and Other Shenanigans

This little nugget has been a sick dude. Over a week ago, before New Year's, he started running a fever. New Year's Eve day we went to the doctor and he had a double ear infection and a cold. So he started on antibiotics for his ears, which upset his tummy for the first 2 days. Last Saturday he started acting more like himself, but was still not sleeping well AT ALL. Like he wouldn't go more than an hour or two at night in his crib. This past Monday we noticed some little bumps on the back of his neck. It looked like a heat rash, so we didn't think much of it. He was also still very congested. Tuesday night his rash had turned into what almost looked like hives and was on his tummy, back, and neck. Wednesday morning I took him to the doctor. They checked his oxygen saturation because his lungs didn't sound great when they listened to them. Needless to say, he needed a breathing treatment in the office and was diagnosed with bronchiolitis. (Inflammation/infection of the small airways of the lungs most common in children under one year, caused by any one of 7 viruses.) They didn't test him for RSV because his oxygen saturation came up quickly after the breathing treatment, so it is probably caused by another virus. Thank goodness. He is on an oral steroid and breathing treatments here at home. He is doing much better! And the rash is almost gone. It is weird because the whole time I was thinking he didn't seem right but I couldn't put my finger on what might be wrong. DUH-get out your stethescope, nurse, who used to work in pediatrics!!!!!! For the most part he has remained his happy self. Lola has been very helpful the whole time. She started back to school this week.

Here are some pictures from the last week of the kids playing.

Lola sharing her kitchen.

"Cool sister, take me in there with you!"
"Mom, why can't we get in the dryer?"

Enjoy the pictures!