Gearing up

Trent has found his motivation to move, and he is gearing up to be on to go! He is mister squirmy! He pulls up on your shoulders while sitting in your lap, spins around like an alligator all the time, and now sometimes sleeps on his stomach! That is a lot of change just from last week! Still not crawling, but he slides on his stomach pretty successfully! He also goes from sitting to a somewhat crawling position. I predict he will be full blown "on the go" in just a couple weeks!

We have been to the doctor a lot this past week because Hunter randomly started limping! No pain, no falls, no injury, and it is not slowing him down a bit. I let it go for a few days, but eventually we went to the doctor. They did a blood test to check for inflammation. They did a complete blood test. All levels looked great, there was slight elevation in his inflammation count. They thought is was remnants of a cold/virus that had settled in his joints (Toxic Synovitis.) They said to watch him for a few days, and it should go away. Well, still limping! Back to the doctor to do X-rays to check for bone fracture...nope! X-rays look great! So, we now play the observation game because "Toxic Synovitis" can last 2 weeks, and sometimes longer. We are on day 10, and his limp is slightly better. He has no other symptoms, so I feel confident in observing for another week or so.

Anyways, at one of the doctor visits I asked them to look in Trent's ears to make sure his ear infection was gone. Sure enough....ear infection still in full blown "puss mode!!" Yuck! So, the medicine made him feel better but the infection still there. She gave us a new prescription, and I hope this does the trick! Good thing we were at the doctor because Trent was acting totally normal...no fussing, no fever, eating/sleeping good! I would not have taken him to the doctor, so I'm glad we were there for her to look!

The weather is getting hotter and hotter by the day. Honestly, I dread the summer pool with 2 kids under 3! I feel helpless and nervous the whole time with these two totally dependent boys around the water...not fun! I don't think we will be spending many leisurely afternoons at the neighborhood pool! Trent is already getting tan. Our daily walks are giving him this beautiful glow- he is so dang beautiful! My sweet boys play wonderful together, their chemistry is just amazing! Hunter is so protective and loving, he leaves me in 'awe' at what a selfless big brother he is! These are good days, yet stressful! I want his limp to disappear...please!

9 months old

Weight: 19.9lb

Height: 29 in.

Trent is about average in weight and almost 80% percentile in height. He is continuing to grow nicely, and he is very strong! Dr. Brack said that his ear infection is looking much better. He is definitely feeling better! I can't believe that he is 9 months old. Trent is strong as a bull, he can make himself sit up from laying on his back without using his arms- so he is basically doing an ab crunch to sit up! Now, if he is able to do that- he is certainly able to pull up and crawl!! Nope, he is still not crawling or pulling up! She is not worried AT ALL about it because she says it's a "motivation" thing. He is so dang laid back that he just doesn't care to get anywhere...he's happy where you put him!! I must admit that I am in no hurry for him to be all over the place! I am happy as long as he is happy!! 

• Sucks his right thumb all the time
• No teeth
• Sleeps 7pm-7am
• Morning nap: 9:00-10:30 Afternoon nap: 1:00-3:00
• Breastfeeds: 7:30am, 1:00, 4:00, bedtime bottle
• Starting to wean himself from his 4:00 feeding. He sometimes breastfeeds, sometimes he wants water and sometimes he just wants a real food snack. We are figuring this out!
• Rarely eats baby food! He likes to pick up his food and feed himself!
• Fabulous eater...literally he eats anything that we eat!
•  Sleeps on back, and moves very little when sleeping
•  Says mama, dada, gaga (makes lots of noises!)
•  Tries to copy the sounds you make
• Moans when he is frustrated. It's an annoying sound, better than crying?!
• Kind of pulls/slides on tummy- not crawling yet
• He can be "wild," screeches and throws his arms around!!
• Opens his mouth and leans towards you to give kisses...my favorite!!
• He is getting a lot of hair
• Is showing interest in pulling up- he pulls up in his "duck bath"
•  Still so patient!! He makes a delicate sound when he wakes, then just lays there patiently until he's picked up.
• Starting to get mad when Hunter takes a toy from him! This is just the beginning of my "referee days"
• He is really interacting with Hunter...laughing, reaching, dancing, clapping
• Still loves his jumper
• He has the best giggle! He thinks Hunter is hilarious!
• Size 3 diapers, size 9-12 mo clothes

 Dr. Brack was not concerned about him starting the weaning process because he is eating such a well rounded "table food diet." She was also not concerned about his lack of baby food consumption. She said, "he wants food- give the boy food!!" Hunter showed an iron deficiency at his 12 month blood tests, which he has outgrown now. Breast milk is not a good source of iron, so she suggested I do iron drops for Trent. That was a failure!! He HATED the drops, threw up!! So, she said if I want to cover my bases to ensure he is getting enough iron- I can do a bottle of iron enriched formula a few times a week. So, we have started this a couple times a week at his bedtime bottle. He is not a huge fan of it, but at least I feel like I am trying to be proactive! That's about it! Trent continues to make me smile daily! He gives the sweetest hugs and is such a gentle soul! His spirit warms my heart!

Parenthood

Being a parent has it's ups and downs! The biggest down is parent guilt! I feel like no matter how hard you try, you always feel like "did I do it right?" Trent is sick for the first time in his life, which is pretty good considering he is 9 months old! He was a little more high maintenance for a few days last week. He would fuss when I would leave the room, and moan when I would put him down and leave him alone. This is extremely unusual for Trent, but I wrote it off as teething because he didn't have any "real symptoms." He had no fever, was still sleeping and eating good. So, I let it go and thought the phase would run it's course.

Scott and I were having friends over for dinner, and Scott was holding Trent. He was being very fidgety and difficult to hold. He kicked and arched his back- right out of Scott's arms! Trent flipped out backwards while Scott was fumbling trying to catch him. I turn around to see this happening and dove across the room trying to catch him or cushion his fall!! Scott slowed down the fall by cradling him and fumbling him along the way. I slide across the floor and reached my arm out as far as I could, but he still hit the hardwood floor. My hand was close to somewhat protecting him. He landed face first with my hand in his mouth. I yanked him back up the second he hit the floor! Scott and I froze as I squeezed him tightly! Hunter froze too and kept asking "mommy, you happy? you happy?" He so badly wanted me to be happy, he was SO concerned that we were all sad! It was such a loving and innocent reaction!

That second, our friends walked into the chaos! Trent was crying, but calmed down the second I put his pacifier in. With in 10 minutes, he was laughing and eating. He was playful like nothing had happened. I still called the on call doctor. He assured me that it looked worse than it was. He had me check a few things on Trent, and he told me that Trent seemed to be just fine-no need to bring him in. Scott and I were relieved, but still felt SO GUILTY!!! Scott felt sick, truly sick! I felt worried. But, as the night passed we were pleased to see that Trent was fine. I made a pallet on the floor in his room, and laid him next to me. We slept on the floor in his room. I slept with my eyes open, staring at him and analyzing every sound he made!! Trent slept comfortably all night!!

We woke the next morning, and Trent's cheeks looked red. I took his temperature, it was 102.2. I freaked out, got dressed and drove straight to the doctor. I didn't have an appointment, but I was there when they unlocked the doors!! Scott felt so sick, and again guilty! He was so worried, and called me many times while I was waiting to see the doctor! Poor Scott, he is such a wonderful father! He is the most nurturing and loving father, he was a mess just thinking that Trent could be hurt!!

My amazing doctor ran straight into my room. She looked at his eyes, did a head exam, and gave him a thorough overall exam. She said, "The fever is totally unrelated to his fall." I could finally breath- phew! He has an awful ear infection, full of oozing puss! That explains why he has been a little more "high maintenance" than usual!!  Dr. Brack said that she was 100% confident that we did not need to do any kind of head scans or further testing, she was sure that he did not have any kind of head injury! Then I really breathed a breath of relief!! Then, Dr. Brack said "Trent, just cry and be really fussy next time you are sick, you don't need to be dropped to come to the doctor!" That made me laugh! She is such a fantastic doctor and assured me that parents make mistakes, and that we are still good parents! I called Scott the second I left, and he was silent on the phone- caught his breath and wanted to cry with relief!

So, he just has an ear infection! Thank you God!! Now if God could just delete that image from my memory and take away any guilt that is still lingering in Scott's heart!! Trent is on medicine and already feeling back to his normal self...calm and content!! That experience was scary and an eye opener- life can change in ONE second. We are thankful for our outcome, and we love our boys more than life itself!! Baby Trent, we are sorry!!

He has it in 'em!

So, Trent DOES have a little bit of a wild side! He is slowly starting to show us that he has it in 'em!! My mom used to say that you have to watch out for those quiet ones- haha! Trent is so reserved and mellow, but every once and a while he will have a burst of wildness! He has started this new thing that he will randomly throw his arms in the air and squeal! It is adorable! It's like he is trying to be rowdy, but he can't figure out how to do it yet!! He puts his arms straight up, squeals and makes the gasping noise with a huge smile. Like he's saying, "look mom, I can be silly too!" Then, he will drop his arms and go back into his mellow, calm state. It makes me crack up every time!!

Trent is almost 9 months old, and he is my bud! We are always hand in hand. He likes to stick by me at all times. However, he is independent and can play by himself. He just shakes with excitement when he sees me walking towards him....so cute! Hunter and Trent are inseparable, and they already have such an admirable love for each other! Trent is still not crawling, and he still doesn't have much of an opinion- so this peaceful relationship may change when Trent starts getting around!! Regardless, Hunter gives Trent a million kisses a day and each one melts my heart!! I can see how much Hunter adores Trent! So special!!

I don't really have much to say, other than we are in a really good place right now. A place of steadiness and balance. I love times like this in life! Trent is taking in lots of table food, still has no teeth, still sleeping great....no transitions right now, which usually means peace for the moment!! Cheers to that!!

Happy Easter

We had a whirlwind weekend. We had an action packed weekend full of cousins!! Dallas was a lot of fun. Hunter had a blast with cousin Garrick. They were so wild and super cute!! Trent experienced his first thunderstorm, which he was terrified! He woke up at 3am screaming and crying! Other than that, both boys slept great and took great naps which is always a relief while being a guest in someones home.

The wedding was beautiful and so sweet! Scott and I left the boys with my cousin for the night. So, we had a little date night! It was so nice to be able to "turn off" the mommy switch for a couple of hours! We adore Scott's cousins. We danced, laughed and had a great time! I danced like I was in college again with all the girls, and Scott laughed the whole time! He kept saying, "how do you know all these dances?" He may think that I go club hopping in my spare time! Needless to say, we had fun and kicked back like old times!!

 Easter morning, we woke up extra early because we needed to get back to Houston. But first, Scott ran outside in the dark and hid some eggs. Hunter woke up and was so excited to see if the Easter bunny had come. We ran into the living room to find the Easter baskets! Hunter was thrilled because we kept hoping the Easter bunny would remember that we were in Dallas! Hunter screamed, "Phew, he found me!!"

Trent immediately pulled out the Easter grass and started eating it, so I had to make some changes to his basket! He got a few noise making toys and cars. He was a happy camper! We ate a quick breakfast, had an egg hunt, then got on the road! The boys were amazing in the car. Trent slept a lot, and Hunter was extremely patient! We played eye-spy, he watched the rain drops race on the window, read books, and he also had some quiet/gazing out the window time! We don't have an ipad, dvd player, or TV in the car so I was pleased to know that Hunter can survive without constant interaction! Scott feels that Hunter should not be dependent on a piece of technology, which I agree with....until a moment of desperation! I am NOT against parents that rely on those devices to keep children content, I think it is brilliant! However, we have just chosen not to use those avenues...YET! Scott will experience one bad car trip, and he will change his mind!

The boys took naps when we got home, which gave the Easter bunny time to get prepared for my family to come over. The Easter bunny left tracks and evidence that he visited! Hunter and Trent woke up to bunny feet leading to their baskets! There were 80 eggs hidden for the 10 cousins, crawfish ettouffee, tons of Easter baskets, a bounce house...it was a kids dream! The sky turned black right before everyone showed up!! So, the second everyone got here, we threw them in the backyard to find their color coated eggs! Each cousin was looking for "their color." As the rain started, everyone was screaming "Here is a purple one, who is purple-who is green??" It was hilarious!

After the rain, the kids went outside and had a blast! Hunter was right in the middle, and Trent observed! Trent looked adorable in his outfit, so did Hunter but he was covered in mud by the end! Scott and I love hosting Easter. It is a lot of work, but I enjoy doing it for the kids. I especially enjoy doing it in honor of my mom's memory and traditions! All in all, we had a wonderful weekend. Scott and I got the "Jesus Calling" daily devotional book in our basket. We plan to read it together every morning. Hunter and Trent also got the kid version. We will read it to them every night. It is a quick read, but the message is so very important. We had a blessed Easter!