A few recent pics to share

Decorating the Christmas tree!

Playing in the leaves!

Warren loves to act like Cookie Monster with Daddy.

Recently

I just spent $84 (after insurance!) on Elidel for our itchy kiddo! Poor Warren, seems he's got excema, and for some reason it is spreading. The doctor said a food allergy can aggravate it. Warren is 20mths and weighs 26lbs! I think he was around 32" tall. He continues to thrive and learn more and say more everyday. He's even shown some interest in the potty chair. In January he gets to start attending the Piper Center!!! We are excited to see how much he will learn and grow in their care. There will only be 8 kids to 2 teachers (all teachers have bachelor's degrees with EC certificates!), and they make individualized lesson plans. He's at all the 2yr old indicators already, so he needs to be at a place like Piper that will meet him where he is.

I am right at 24wks pregnant! Whew! The time is going by so very quickly! My belly is definitely out there now, and I just told Roy today that I feel like I grew several inches during the day. I am feeling little Grant Kenneth a few times a day, especially in the evenings and after meals. The headaches have completely stopped. I do have nose bleeds once in a while, which is weird because I never have nose bleeds unless I'm pregnant. My next appointment is the 20th.

We will be going home for Christmas. I'm really excited to see Warren with all the family. He is such a ham. I anticipate lots of laughter and pride overflowing in this momma.

20 wk Check up

Blood pressure 128/70. Gained 4lbs total so far ("Not too bad for being half way through," my doctor said!), measured 20cm, so right on track with due date. Heartbeat sounded good. Warren just kept staring at the heart monitor when we were listening to baby Grant's heartbeat. It was funny. BTW, I weighed Warren while we were there, and he is right at 25lbs. He also got to eat Smarties for the first time while we were there, and he really liked them.

Sadly, while waiting to see the doctor, I saw a lady crying because they had just done an ultrasound on her due to not hearing a heartbeat, and she found out she had miscarried. My heart was aching for her, but at the same time I felt so greatful for the life that is in me. I've had three friends miscarry in the past few months, so I feel like the lucky one. It's sobering, to say the least.

Next appointment is Dec. 17th.

Baby Garton #2 is a .... boy!!!!

On Thursday, November 11, I went in for my ultrasound. The baby is healthy and his head measured 20weeks and 4 days, though I was only 19 wks. His heartrate was 143bpm. He was moving his arm and even grabbed his knees/legs, and he had his ankles crossed.

It's a BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am excited to have 2 boys! We went out the night of the ultrasound and bought the baby a going home outfit.

Growing in the belly! 20wks!

Mr cool!

18 weeks

I am feeling great! I am showing more each day, and the migraines have pretty much stopped. Pregnancy bladder has officially set in, and I am started to have crazy dreams... Last night I dreamed I peed in my former pastor's (yes, folks, Pastor Peak!) office chair! It had a built-in potty under a flap. Hilarious and a bit disturbing! I have been feeling the baby move regularly at night when I finally get the chance to sit on the couch and rest/do schoolwork/check emails. I strted feeling him/her at the end of last week - finally! My ultrasound is Nov 18 - just a couple weeks away. Can't wait to find out if we will be having Grant Kenneth or Alyssa Mercedes next year!

16wks and 5 days

17wks and 2days w/Warren



















16 wks and 5 days with baby#2

I had my checkup today, and all went well. I had only gained 2lbs total (that's 5 less than at this time with Warren!). Baby's heartbeat was strong, and we even heard him/her moving around on the monitor. That was a relief because I was starting to worry since I hadn't felt the baby move - I did with Warren at 16wks. Funny how we compare our pregnancies. Just when I thought I had this whole thing figured out, I am surprised again! I still am getting headaches off and on, but doctor assures me that they normally go away at 20wks. As long as I have my Tylenol with Codeine, I'm good. I have 4wks until my ultrasound!

Making a "funny face" on demand. Warren is doing so much these days... today he said, "Uv ooooo" to me, and earlier this week he said, "I uv ooo," to his daddy. He has been sleeping great in his big boy bed (the chaise lounge), and he continues to make us laugh everyday. He knows how to throw fits, but he doesn't have one that often - a few times a week, I guess. He is still crazy about fruit, and he will go to the fridge and pull out what he wants. He esp. loves mandarin oranges and likes to sit on the floor and peel them with me. He's such a helper. He throws trash away, retrieves items, and feeds Cleo. He has a great sense of humor, and even knows how to fake laugh - he learned THAT from his daddy! LOL

He took this adorable picture at school!

Our lives are busy, but things are going well all around. One thing's for sure - life is more fun with a child!

Warren's 18mth Checkup

Okay, even the doctor said it, Warren is advanced for his age!!!!! LOL

Yesterday Warren had his 18mth checkup. He is 32" tall and weighs 24.8lbs. He was in the 40th%tile. He surpassed all the developmental milestones, and is doing great! He had shots and was a big boy about it. He only cried a couple minutes and then kept saying, "manmaid" which being interpreted means "bandaid."

He is wearing 18mths clothes, mostly. Some pants are 12mths. He is very long waisted and short-legged, so getting pants can be a challenge. His favorite thing to eat these days is fruit, esp. mandarin oranges (fresh or canned) and mangos.

We have moved Warren out of his crib. The last couple nights have been a bit rough. He keeps waking up around 1-2am and then again an hour or so later. Hopefully this will pass soon because this momma is tired!

Everyday with this gift of ours is wonderful. Roy and I smile and laugh at him all the time. Loving something we made together is amazing!

12 week Check up

I had my 12wk checkup today and got to have another ultrasound! It was not planned, but I mentioned it to the nurse and she said she will get the doc to do one. When the obgyn came in he asked, "What are you two girls cooking up?" LOL The baby is looking great. Heartbeat was about 160bpm, and he kept moving his arm in and out. You can see his head on the bottom of the pic and his hand to the right of his belly. The doctor did check between the legs, but he didn't see anything... way too early. Still, I am just saying "he" because it's easier than typing he/she, his/hers all the time. I have lost weight since being pregnant, which is awesome!!! I hope to only gain 25lbs with this one instead of 35lbs, esp. since I am still hanging onto 12lbs from Warren

This picture was taken last Sunday, but I swear I am much bigger now. On Monday my uterus was really sore all day, and on Tues. my belly was bigger! Crazy how that happens!

My parents were here last weekend and mom took some pics. We got some good ones for Warren's 18mth pic, and a couple of our family were okay. I love the one above with Roy and Warren.

Warren with Grammie and Papa. He has said "papa" for some time now, but finally during this visit he said "mami"... now my mom doesn't feel left out. LOL

Headaches

It is so easy not too update my blog now that I have a Facebook account, but I am making myself try to update when it comes to baby#2....

For the past two weeks, I've had a headache off and on, and when I cough, it feels like the top of my head is going to blow right off. Ouch! Tylenol would dull the pain, but not take it away. I called the OB's office today, and his nurse said come in, so she can check my blood pressure. I did, and it was 140/70. Mine is normally 120/70, but doctor said he wasn't worried about it.

Warren was with me at the appointment (Roy was in class), so I had him sitting on my legs while I was lying on the bed. He wasn't sure what to think of the doctor messing with his mama! He made a face at the OB, but sat real still while we got to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was a relief to hear it beating so fast. I have been more concerned about miscarriage this time around, for some reason. I've had two friends miscarry, so it is on the forefront of my mind anytime something is not "normal."

Apparently headaches are normal with pregnancy, esp. up until week 20 or so. (Ugh! I'm 10wks and 5 days right now.) Doc said it's due to the changes in hormone levels. He prescribed some Tylenol with Codeine. So far it has dulled the pain, but not taken it away yet. I can take two, but only took one at my pharmicist's suggestion, so if it isn't gone soon, I may just take the other one.

Warren is 17mths Old

Warren turned 17mths old yesterday. He is growing more physically each day, but we are really noticing him grow intellectually. He is using voice inflection when he babbles, and it sounds like he is really saying something. Today he said his first sentence (other than "what's that?"). He was trying to get into the guestroom (so he could turn on the TV) and I said, "Ask daddy to open the door," and he said, "open the door." Roy and I were both pretty amazed that it was so clear. Very cool.

He is doing better at not hitting. Perhaps it was just a phase. He has a little friend at school whose name is Jackson, but Warren usually calls him "Jack-jack." Today when I picked him up from daycare, Jackson came over and they told each other bye. I love it!

Warren's bottom-right molar just broke skin yesterday. It was quite a relief after several days of super swollen gums, fussiness, and runny nose/cough. That means he now has 6 on top and 6 on the bottom.

He can build really well with blocks now. Today he stacked three column-type blocks on top of each other without them falling! It's fun to watch him be so purposeful in placing them. He has also become quite the monkey, climbing on whatever he can. His favorite foods are pizza and mac & cheese, and he likes to drink frozen drinks (frapps, smoothies, milkshakes). He likes to stand on the "ep-ool" (stepstool) to help us do anything in the kitchen, and of course he still LOVES to watch music videos. Roy has downloaded some of Warren's favorites onto our computers, and seriously, the kid will sit for 20mins just watching them and dancing.

Ok, enough for now. Eighteen months is his next check up shots. I will have plenty more to post then.

8 weeks and 6 days old

Had my second ultra sound today, and I just couldn't believe how much baby #2 actually looks like a baby! You can already see his/her arm and leg buds. I guess I was expecting to just see a bean-shaped blob and hear the doc say it was the baby. Very cool surprise.

We also heard and saw the heartbeat. My blood pressure was 120/68, and that was a bit of a relief because last time it was 130/80, which is high for me. I had also lost a pound from being so sick this past weekend (vomiting and diarrhea from a stomach bug). Based on the baby's measurements I am still due April 3. If I don't go into labor before, we may just induce on the 31st - same as Warren!

Baby Garton #2's Yoke Sac

We went in for our 7wk ultrasound today, but little baby Garton#2 was too small to see. The doc said he could clearly see the yoke sac and everything is in the right place, but the baby is under 1/4cm, which means it won't show up on the ultrasound. We scheduled another ultrasound for Friday the 27th. He said my due date may be closer to April 6 instead of April 3rd. He thinks I may have conceived at the end of my fertile period.

Our Baby Boy Is 16mths Old!!!

Sixteen months old... it can't be. Our sweet boy is growing and learning so fast we can barely keep up... actually, we can't keep up!!!

One of Warren's favorite things to do right now is dance with us, esp. to his new favorite song "Can't Be Tamed" by Miley Cyrus. He has even started dancing on his own - he walks in circles, waves his arms, and squats down. I've tried to get it on video, but no luck yet.

The other thing Warren loves doing right now is WALKING EVERYWHERE! He esp. enjoys pushing or carrying toys or throwing balls as he walks around. This is his push chime his Grandma Brown got him in June.
Today we took Warren to Baylor's Mayborn Museum, which he seemed to really enjoy (probably because he got to walk by himself all over the place!) Nothing is off limits there, so it's nice to just let him loose. Their traveling exhibit is the Lego Castle Adventure - all things built with Legos... including this dragon!
Driving the bus in the transportation room.

Playing in the energy room with the water table art.

He really liked this giant piano which makes sounds.

Mixin' up some tunes with Daddy!

Today was basically the end our summer vacay. It has gone quickly but has been so fun to be home with Warren everyday and watch him learn new things.

Warren starts his new daycare next week. He has visited for about two hours everyday this week and done so very well. It should be a smooth transition.

I am so proud of you, sweet boy. I love it that you follow mommy's directions (usually) and that you say "woo" really high like daddy taught you when you are jammin' to music. I love how you give me the sign for "more" and the smile you get on your face when we sing "Open Them Shut Them." I love that you ask to play the Wii and that you think you can only play it in the high breakfast table chair because that's how daddy does it. I love that you focus so hard when using your fork at meal times. I love that you pull up my shirt just to see my belly button and that you push in your belly so you can see and touch your penis while in the bathtub. I love that you have already learned you need to brush your teeth before bed and you ask me about it if I forget. Finally, I love that I love so many things about you, I just can't list them all!

Announcement!!!

It's official! Baby Garton #2 is in the making!

Due date April 3.

Vacation in July

Last Saturday, July 17, Warren took his first plane ride! Here he is while we were waiting at the gate. He was looking at the airplanes and luggage vehicles driving around.

Warren grinned as soon as we got on the plane and it started moving. When it started to take off he looked out the window, grinned really big, and fell off to sleep. He slept the whole trip (55mins)!

We went to Tulsa to spend some time with family. I didn't bring my camera because I had this grand idea that I would just take pics using my cell phone... sadly most of them were too dark, so I have very few to post.

On Sunday we spent the day in Tulsa with Grammie, Papa and Sarah. Warren was getting fussy on the way home, so Sarah decided to entertain him by putting her brand new princess panties on his head!!!!

Sarah and Warren shared a frapp. She was the only one that could get Warren to say "please."

We stayed with my parents' through Monday. Warren adores his Papa and gives him lots of attention. He is not a Grammie's boy yet... but he did give her a couple long hugs. He also got to see Roy's mom (Nina) and his youngest brother, Gregg.

Tuesday - Wednesday we went back to Bartlesville to stay with my sister. Warren had a blast playing with his cousins. Here he is playing with cousin Sarah's kitchen.

Warren loved seeing John and Sarah's gerbils. He would say, "bils, bils" when he wanted to see them. We did some shopping, playing, eating, and a tiny bit of sleeping while there. Great time with all the family before school starts.

Thursday morning we left the airport in Tulsa at 7:45am. We barely made it to our gate on time because we were busy enjoying a Starbucks blueberry muffin!

After Roy picked us up at the airport, we headed over to Arlington to the Parks Mall. They have a big play area that Warren loved.

After some time at the mall, we ate lunch at the Salt Grass Steakhouse and then headed back home to Waco. No matter how fun vacation is, it's always great to be home.

Here are some random pics of Warren taken in July:

This is Warren and his friend Jack. They had a playdate and painted... which was very messy; Jack didn't want to put his paintbrush down, so he carried it around. So cute. Warren is staring at the dog outside. Jack's mommy, Suzanne, told me all about how she uses timeout, which helped me figure out how to implement it with Warren. He gets it, but sometimes seems to like it. Thanks for the advice, Suzanne!

First taste of cotton candy!

Playing at the mall in a quarter machine spaceship!

Our summer has gone by way too fast. Next week is our last week to be together all day. I am always excited to go back to school, but I am dreading leaving my Mr. Warren.

Family and the Zoo

For the July 4th holiday, my sister, bro-in-law, and niece and nephew came and stayed with us. Somehow I didn't get very many pics, and none with my sister (ugh), but here are a few to share the memory:
John enjoyed "fighting" with Roy... umm, I think Uncle Roy won this round!

Warren really enjoyed playing with his cousins. Sarah thinks Warren is hers. She loves to help with him, play with him, and just pretty much be right next to him at all times. Mostly Warren enjoys this, but he did give her the occasional furrowed brow look he gives, which being interpreted means, "Give me some space, Woman!"

One of Warren's favorite times was when Sarah pulled him in the wagon that Papa made for his blocks. He would just grin from ear to ear. It was so cute.

This was my favorite time with Warren and Sarah together... reading! Actually, my niece was reading to him, and he was loving it.

I will leave out the part of our weekend where Kim and I took the kids to the outlet mall and Sarah had a giant fit and then Warren had a fit... needless to say that trip was exhausting, but it was fun to be in good company. On Sunday we did some shopping and watched the fireworks. Oh, and yes, on Sunday while we were all eating at Pei Wei, Warren pooped out of his diaper and it got all over Roy's hand and pants. Sarah started to move in close and Roy said in the most dramatic voice, "Stop! Sarah, don't move!" It was so funny. He acted like it was a bomb she was about to set off or something. I had to hold Warren in a Superman position and "fly" him between the isle to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Teething diarrhea - fun, fun.

Today Warren and I went to the zoo again. This time we were only there about an hour or so because it was SO FREAKIN' HOT. Seriously, one should not be dripping sweat at 10am!!! This was the first time we've gone to the zoo since Warren's been walking, and it was nice to be able to let him out of his stroller to run around.

He really liked the waterfall

And the komodo dragon statue... he kept pulling its tail

He also liked the tepee and didn't want to leave

So I got in it with him!

I guess the heat zapped Warren, too, because before we every even backed out of our parking space, this is what happened:

Nothing like a sweet sleeping baby.