The Garton Family

"da-da"!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-02T20:43:00.002-06:00

Grant just turned 8mths old! Today he started saying, "da-da" and he has the sweetest voice! He seriously is our little cuddle monkey. He is always pulling my face to him to give me kisses and he still wants to be rocked to sleep or just held. Right now he is a momma's boy and will cry if I walk by him and don't pick him up. He's army crawling all over the place and can sit up on his own for ten second or so.

He's figured out how to close the pop ups on the toy below, and he's starting to mimic us tapping/patting a table or something. He weighs about 23lbs and is drinking 6oz bottles every three hours. He usually goes to sleep for the night at 7pm, and while he had several weeks of sleeping thru the night, he has gotten into a crazy pattern of waking up around 4am and only going back to sleep on my chest. He is a super light sleeper, and if Warren makes a noise or wakes up, then Grant wakes up too.

Warren truly hates having his picture taken these days. He actually ran away yelling, "Noooo!" from the school photographer on the playground. Ha! Just like his daddy! He is still completely into cars, trucks, garbage trucks, fire engines, and all types of construction vehicles. He is talking perfectly clear and one of his new favorite words is "yahoo." He says it when he's excited. Adorable!

At the Fair!

2011-10-15T21:33:00.002-05:00

Tonight we went to the HOT fair! It was Warren's first time to ever go to a fair, and he really enjoyed it. He actually cried when he had to get off this firetruck!

The firetruck below went way up in the air. Warren wasn't sure what to think, so Roy was trying to get him to smile. We thought for a moment he was going to throw up. When the ride was over he was all smiles.
He rode on two trains (in the engineer's seat, of course) but this one went around a curve fast and each time he just giggled/grinned so big! I love seeing him smile!
We went on the gondola to finish out the night!

We brought Grant with us too. He was just so content to ride around in the stroller, that he went an hour past his regular eating time... and if you know Grant and his love for eating, that's saying something!

Labor Day Pics by Grammie

2011-09-17T14:19:00.003-05:00

My parents came down to visit for Labor Day weekend. We were at the park getting Grant's 5mth pictures, and Warren didn't want Grammie to take his picture at all.... until...

Daddy put him up in a high tree!!!! Then the smiles kept coming.

Pics of Warren and Grant together were not happening either... this one's the best we got.

Crazy! Grant is nearly the same size as his big brother... just like Roy and his younger brothers!

Grammie and Papa

Grant is 5mths old and is the sweetest little guy with the best smile...
He's so easy going that Grammie kept calling him "sober socks" while she was trying to get his picture. He was just fine with lying in the grass and playing with it. Getting a grin was tough!

Finally got one!

Grant during 5th month:

1) Rolls over (tummy to back and back to tummy)

2) Jibber-jabbers

3) Blows raspberries

4) Gives kisses (he will actually grab our face, open his mouth wide, and lean forward... he truly knows how to kiss - look out ladies!!!!!)

5) Slobbers buckets, esp. when chewing on his hands

6) Bottles (4-6oz) at 6am, 9am, noon, 3pm, and 7pm
7) Cereal for breakfast, fruit/veggies for lunch and dinner

8) Still LOVES to be rocked to sleep (or rocked while awake!) and just cuddle

9) Jumps in his jump-a-roo (just started this week!)

10) Smiles at his brother everytime he see him

Grant has been on acid reflux meds for a few weeks now and hardly ever spits up anymore!!! I knew the doctors were wrong! They kept telling me I was overfeeding him, but I knew that was not the case, esp. when he's only eating 20oz of formula a day and he's 20lbs!

We are having so much fun with two boys. I can't imagine my life any differently.

A Visit from the Cousins!

2011-07-15T21:17:00.003-05:00

Roy went to London for a week at the beginning of July, and my sister and the kids came to stay with us while he was gone. It was AWESOME to not only see them all but also to watch Warren with them. I have to admit the first two days were rough: Warren was just plain mean to Sarah (i.e. hitting her, pushing her, once he even dumped his bowl of milk on her!); I think he was having possesion issues or something, but after two days, he was fabulous, and they all played together so well.

A little time in the sprinkler!

John and Sarah did a great job with Grant, too. They would ask to hold him often. Sarah even fed him, burped him, and put him to sleep!

One morning we went outside to play in the dirt. Unfortunately John and Sarah got a few mosquito bites out of it.

Baby Grant fell in love with his Auntie Kim! Everytime she picked him up he leaned over, buried his face in her, and went to sleep. It was hilarious! She didn't seem to mind too much.

Enjoying some Bomb Pops together!

Grant is 3 1/2mths old! Crazy how time flies. He is doing wonderfully. All the issues of spitting up/acid reflux seem to have subsided. He now eats 4oz of formula (still the low lactose kind) WITHOUT adding the cereal to it. He is staying full and isn't having all the tummy troubles. He is eating baby food and cereal once a day at least. He has even started sleeping thru the night!!! Usually he is out by 9pm and wakes at 6am. Now if we can just get Warren to stay asleep all night!

Grant is such a cuddler, and this momma is loving it! Warren rarely even wants me. I have to chase him down to get kisses, but Grant, he gives me giant grins and giggles and wants me to hold him. Actually, he likes anyone to hold him, but that's beside the point...

Grant has been reaching for things for a couple weeks now. He holds his head up very well, recognizes when we are eating (he LOVES to share popsicles and fusses when I don't give him quick even bites), wears 6-9mths and 9-12mths clothes, and #3 diapers. He giggles and follows everything with his eyes/head quickly. He enjoys watching TV and his brother. When he is tired or falling asleep he loves to hold onto a blanket or lovie. He has also started sucking his right thumb sometimes. I start taking him to daycare Aug 2.

A Picture Journal

2011-06-28T21:35:00.007-05:00

Having time to blog is nearly impossible these days, so I am just trying to post pictures and short blurbs... here goes.

Grant has a couple nicknames because of how he loves to be held:

Mr. Cuddles and Cuddle Monkey

Grant is one strong little man!

Father's Day 2011 - a blender, a set of files, and a utility knife.

Since Grant is so hungry, the doctor said we could start him early on baby foods. This was the first spoon feeding. (about 10wks old)

Warren is a fast learner!

Got a pool for Warren - he mostly likes the spraying palm trees!

Several weeks ago we played outside with the spraying seal from Grammie and Papa... once again, it's all about eating the water!

More to come...

A Surprise Visit

2011-06-12T21:54:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, June 5, we heard our doorbell ring. I was making hamburger patties, so I had raw meat all over my hands, and Roy was on the couch with Grant sleeping on him. We thought about not answering the door... I looked out the window and said, "Holy crap! It's my mom!!!" She had driven 7hrs to surprise us with a visit intended to relieve some of our stress by babysitting while we worked on schoolwork. Today mom left, and I must admit - I'm not as stressed as I was before she got here!!!! Thanks, Mom!

(below) Warren loves to get on the dining room table, so Grammie can take his picture. He also loves to ride on his daddy's back/shoulders, so he thought it was great when we put Grant on his back. We have yet to get an official family photograph, so this was our attempt...

My mom's stepsister, Vickey, drove 3hrs to our house to meet all of us. Warren couldn't make the "v" sound, so he called her "Aunt Picky"!!! So cute!

Roy and I got to have a date night on Thursday. We went to a local Irish pub, Common Grounds (a local coffee house), Hastings, and Target. It was great to be alone with each other. On Saturday we saw a firetruck driving and followed it to the station. They let Warren sit in the driver's seat and tour the garage of the station. They gave him stickers, tatoos, and little plastic fire hats. Warren loved it!

He wanted his brother to get in on the action as well.

Since I don't get to blog much these days, I think I will just make a list of things I want to remember or share about the boys and/or our lives:

1) Warren saw the moon and wanted to touch it. I told him it was way up high, so he couldn't touch it. He said, "get daddy's ladder, climb up, touch it."

2) Grant smiles and says "agoo".

3) Grant was 15.2lbs and 23" at 9wks old. We started feeding him less more often, changed his formula, and gave him some drops from the doctor, and it has really helped him to not spit up as much. He's also already started on cereal and baby food... he loves it!

More to come...

Apology, Updates, and Comparisons

2011-05-06T22:26:00.013-05:00

I must start off this post with an apology to all my friends to whom I gave a hard time because you stopped regularly blogging after baby#2.... SORRY! I now understand why you CAN'T blog anymore!!!!! Time, time, time... never enough of it!

UPDATES:

Grant is now 6wks old, weighing about 12 or 13lbs, wearing 0-3mths clothes and #1 diapers, though I think he will be in the next size up in both of those pretty soon. At his 2wk checkup, however, he had not yet gained back to his birthweight, so we went ahead and started him on all formula. The change in his weight has been rapid, and he is soooo heavy now!!!! He did have a bit of a struggle adjusting to the formula - lots of spitting up, etc., but now he seems to be doing well.

Grant seems to have a similar pooping issue like Warren did. I have to give him glycerin suppositories every day or so. After being on formula for a few days, he started pooping on his own for about a week, but the past week he hasn't. At least I know what to do this time around, and lucky for Grant, I am quite skilled at inserting those things!!!! LOL

At this point, everyone asks whether or not Grant is sleeping thru the night. In short, the answer is NO!!! He is too hungry to sleep more than 4hrs at a time!!!! Mostly he eats every 3hrs, even thru the night, but sometimes (like the last couple of days) he decides to eat every two hours! He often makes a funny noise while eating, kinda like a donkey sound, inhaling in excitement. Warren thinks it's hilarious and will memic Grant.

Speaking of Warren... he has definitely had some adjustment issues. He's been having meltdowns, biting, and kicking, and once in a while even doing something to Grant like grabbing at his belly or head or shaking his pack-n-play. The first couple weeks after Grant was born was not too bad because my mom and sister were here, so Warren was getting plenty of attention, but the next three weeks after that was rough. This past week Warren seems to have gotten over a hurdle, so we are hopeful he will continue to adjust. He does love Grant and will go by and give him kisses. He also says "I hold it" and will hold Grant for about 5 seconds before saying "all done!" He enjoys being a helper, so we try to have him help when we can.

Brothers!

I tried really hard today to get Warren to take a picture with me and Grant, but he wouldn't do it. He's too busy playing to stop for pictures, but I still got one with Grant - I call him my cuddle-monkey because he loves to be held. Often when we put him down he starts crying within minutes.

UPDATES and COMPARISONS:

Warren was 7lb at birth and Grant was 9.2lbs, so obviously Grant is a few weeks ahead on the growth scale. Grant looks now about like Warren did at 9wks old. Since birth, they have looked a lot alike. Below are some pics that show their similarities:

Warren at 5wks:

Grant at 6wks:

Warren at 9wks:

Grant at 5wks:

Grant has violet-blue eyes and brownish-red hair. He has big hands and feet, and an abnormally large ball sac... yes people, the kid seems to be well endowed. His sac is bigger than his brother's by like two or three times!!! The doctor says everything is fine, but it still take me back once in a while. Grant also has an extra piece of skin on his penis from his circumsicion. The doctor thinks it might cover up on its own, but if it doesn't, he will take it off. His belly button may end up being an outie. So hard to tell even at 6wks, but it sticks up a little almost as if there is not enough room in the belly button hold for his belly button to push down.

I started back to work Friday, May 13. Grant and Roy are hanging out at home together while I finish out the school year. Warren will continue to go to Piper thru the end of May, and then he will be home with us all summer. He will go back to Piper mid-August, and Grant will start at Central Faith in August. I wish I could stop time right now. It seems our lives are so busy that they are flying by and all we are catching are glimpses of our boys' lives... of our own lives, even. Just this year Roy has been to Germany, he goes to London in July and then to San Fransisco in November. I have been extra busy with school year as I've been in a new role which takes up more of my time (though I LOVE what I'm doing!), and then we add two boys to that! Whew! Next weekend Roy and I get to have our first date night in a few months! One of Warren's teachers from Piper is coming to watch him, while Roy and Grant and I go see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie and get some dinner. Woot - woot!!!!!!

Until the next update....

Stationery card

2011-04-25T13:25:00.001-05:00

Stitched In Blue Birth Announcement

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Grant Kenneth Garton

2011-04-06T20:50:00.007-05:00

On Thursday, March 31, my mom and sister and I headed to Hillcrest Hospital at 6am. I had already preregistered, so I was not happy to find out I still had to wait in the lobby to talk to someone in registration... this lady was annoying, to say the least, and I about lost it. Didn't she know that I was there to have a baby?! She was soooo slow and kept telling me that she wasn't good at this. I was glad to have my mom and sister there to help keep my sanity.

We finally got into a room around 6:30 or so, and then it took awhile for the nurse to come in and get me set up... but once she did, things started progressing rapidly, and I am not sure of all the exact times things happened, but I will do my best to explain it how I remember it.

A nurse came in to put in my IV, but the valve in my wrist blew! Oh man, that was very painful. While she was tending to that, my labor and delivery nurse put the IV in my right wrist. I am not sure when, but I started to pass out, and they put a cold wash rag on my neck and within a few minutes, I was back to normal.

My doctor came in around 7:30 or so and said I was dilated to 4cm, was 100% effaced, and the baby was at a -1. He added, "I don't know what's been holding this baby in there!" He broke my water and was optimistic that I would have the baby soon.

Not too long afterward (8:30ish?) the anesthesiologist came in to talk about the epidural and said when I wanted it to let him know... seems like only 30mins later the nurse checked and I was dilated to a 6, so she got him in there and he started the epidural process... that didn't go so well. Apparently I was "very fit" and had lots of muscle in my back, which made it difficult to get the right spot - or something like that. He pricked the spinal sac and fluid came out, which meant he had to try again above that one. After a couple more tries, he finally got it. I was having some pretty hard contractions during all of this, but after some time, the epidural started kicking in and I wasn't feeling any pain. I did, however, start to get really tired. What I didn't know was that my blood pressure was dropping, so the nurse and anesthesiologist went to work on me via the IV and some oxygen. Apparently the epidural meds were a little too strong and were affecting my heart.

After that episode, I could feel the baby had moved down. The nurse checked me and I was ready to push!!!! This was about 8:45 or 9:00, I think... right about the time Roy got there! He had come in later because he was dropping Warren off at Piper. They called for my doctor and started working quickly to prep for the arrival of Grant. I pushed for 17mins and out he came at 9:37am... all 9lbs 2oz, 21" of him!!!! When I heard his weight I said, "Holy crap!" out loud. I did have an episiotomy, but my doctor said not it was not as big as the last one. I was also glad to notice that my hemorrhoids didn't get worse and I didn't poop on the table during labor like the first time - hmm, is that TMI??? LOL.

My sweet Grant Kenneth (named after his papa - my dad).

I was supposed to have my tubes tied the next morning, but because my spinal sac had leaked fluid during the epidural, they were going to do a spinal patch, which means drawing blood and inserting it into the sac. To do this, they had to keep in the epidural catheter, so they decided to go ahead and do the tubal at 1pm that afternoon and use the epidural for anesthesia. Here I am right before being wheeled out... for yet another mishap!

The surgery went fine, but coming off the medicine I felt totally out of control and like I couldn't breathe. My blood pressure dropped again, and I was panicking uncontrollably, if that makes sense. They decided to take out the epidural catheter because they "didn't like the way it was acting" and seeing that I hadn't gotten the horrific migraine that is associated with a spinal sac leak, they were going to wait to see if I needed the spinal patch - 70% do... thankfully, I was in the 30%, and I never got a headache! I was in recovery for about an hour and a half, then moved to my room. From there things went very well, and while I had some pain, I felt really good considering all I had just been through in such a short amount of time.

Meanwhile, Grant was doing great, and that afternoon Roy brought Warren up to meet his brother! He did so great with him, and seemed to understand that the baby was no longer in my tummy, but the doctor had taken him out. I just love this picture of my three guys!

Super proud mommy of two boys!

Warren got to watch as the nurses gave Grant his first bath. He didn't like that Grant was crying, and kept saying, "Grant no want take a bath."

My mom stayed the night at the hospital on Thursday. She made sure and got some "grammie kisses" from her newest grandson.

On Friday morning Grant had his circumcision, and by that afternoon, we were headed home.

This was supposed to be Grant's going home outfit, but he christened it, so we just let him wear a hospital shirt home.

The checkout process was worse than the check-in... seriously, it took over an hour for them to get the wheelchair to us! We finally got home about 5pm on Friday.

Warren was excited to "hold it" when we got home!

Seriously, Warren is doing so well adjusting to Grant. He is kind and gentle to him, and for sure knows Grant is his brother.

On Sunday, my sister left to return home to Oklahoma. She was a huge help and Warren had a blast being with her.

After a couple nights without much sleep, we were all feeling sleep deprived...

The day we checked out of the hospital, I requested a bilirubin count blood test because Grant was looking a tad yellow. His count was only a 5.9, so the doctor said to just watch him over the weekend and call if it got worse... which it did! We took him in yesterday (April 6th) and the bilicount was 13, so Grant has to be in the bilibed. This afternoon he was wide awake for about an hour and wasn't crying, but just looked at his Grammie who was right by his side. We go in tomorrow morning to see if his count has lowered to 11 or less.

Having a second baby has been incredible! It's weird how I can love Warren so much and yet already be willing to lay my life down for Grant. I have not had the emotional roller coaster that I had with Warren, though I did cry last night (and some today) when we had to put Grant in the bilibed. Not being able to hold him is a bummer. We are hopeful his count will be down tomorrow... then we can take his newborn pictures!!!!!

Warren's Party

2011-04-06T11:36:00.008-05:00

Our firstborn is officially 2 years old!!!! Grammy and Auntie Kim came down for Grant's birth, so they got to come to Warren's birthday party at Piper. Of course as soon as they got here, they started giving Warren presents...

Papa and Grammie gave Warren a "tar" for his birthday! Ummm, I think he likes it.

They also brought present from Grandma Brown and Nina!

Tuesday night we went to work assembling Warren's party boxes.

The little girl in this picture is Warren's dedicated playmate at Piper... or girlfriend, we like to call her. They play together all the time, and they both have an advanced vocabulary and talk a lot. I wouldn't mind haven't a cutie like this for a daughter-in-law!

For the party we had fresh fruit and cake pops from Starbucks. Warren actually shared a bite of his with Auntie Kim!

The party was right after nap, so Warren was a bit cuddly and shy at first... Can't say I really minded that much. I'll take all the cuddles can get.

Wednesday night Grammie and Warren made his birthday cake!

He loved to eat the icing off the cake! He had never blown out a candle before, and he sure got a kick out of doing it! He would blow it out then say, "again!" I think we lit that candle and blew it out five times! I also loved it because when we were singing "Happy Birthday," Warren was just giggling. It was definitely his day, and he knew that. I was so glad, especially seeing that the next, his actual birth day, was going to be taken up by the birth of his little brother.

Warren, mommy and daddy are so proud of you we don't even know how to express it. Every day we just can't wait to get home from work or school, so we can see and hear you. You really light up our lives.

On Saturday after Grant was born, a fire truck came to our street to flush the hydrant. Warren loves fire trucks, so when he saw it through the window, he had to go outside to check it out. Roy took him outside and the fireman called them over and let Warren check out the truck. He even let him drive!!!!!

I was upstairs napping with Grant, but when I found out about the fire truck, it brought tears to my eyes. I was so glad there was something fun just for Warren to enjoy after having to share our attention with his new brother.

On a funny note... Warren has never liked to wear hats, despite how many times I've tried to get him to do so. Last week though, he said he wanted to wear one, and so he put mine on. His Grammie then bought him his own hat, and now he wears it when we go out! He's so funny!

39 weeks

2011-03-27T23:01:00.003-05:00

I am officially 39 weeks preggers today! My female parts and all other parts are reminding me of this often! At my appointment last Thursday, my belly was still measuring 36cm, and I had lost another pound. My total weight gain with baby #2???? 25lbs! Hurray! That's 10less than with Warren... which is great since I was still holding on to 10lbs from having Warren. I was still dilated to a 3+, but 95% effaced, and doc said baby was lower. We are inducing on Thursday the 31st. I have to go in at 6am. Until then, I am working Monday and Tuesday, and probably Wednesday morning. That afternoon, we are having a birthday party for Warren at his daycare. My mom and sister are coming into town Tues. night, and we are going to get pedicures on Wednesday! What a great week this will be!!!!!!

38 Weeks on Sunday

2011-03-18T21:25:00.004-05:00

I will be 38 weeks on Sunday!!!! Today at my ob/gyn appointment I had lost 1lb, stayed at 36cm, and progressed to 3+cm and 90% effaced. He said cervix and baby down farther than last week. Doc also said there is a good chance I will go on my own, but it's all still guesswork. He did set my induction for 3/31 at 6am. Getting closer...

We got the boys' room pretty much done... below is Warren's bed.

Obviously Grant's bed... still have to hang his quilt.

Painted Grant's letters over the weekend. I love that I'm going to have 2 boys!

37.5 Weeks

2011-03-16T21:14:00.003-05:00

I am back to work after a week of spring break, and I must say I feel better being on my feet most of the day than I did at home scrunching my belly while sitting on the floor and playing with Warren or holding him. I also don't each or drink as much while at work, so my tummy isn't as full and feels smaller. My next ob/gyn appt is Friday... we'll see if I've made any progress.

Roy and I have been enjoying some great times with Warren. He is exploring everything from fountains to construction machines to trains. We took him to Lion's Park last weekend since it was open for spring break... he loves that place, esp. the train and boats.

I love, love, love seeing Roy and Warren together! Warren practically worships Roy... and I'm not too sure those feelings don't go two ways. Roy is a wonderful daddy, and I just smile inside when I see them together.

Roy did lots of yard work during spring break, so now Warren has his sand/dirt box to play in. He loves dumping things, esp. dirt!

We had an ENT check up for Warren today, and the doctor removed the ear tube from Warren's right ear because it had already come out but was in his ear. The hole had already healed up, so things look good. He still has the one in his left ear, but the doctor said it will probably come out within the next 3mths.

Our sweet Cleo is causing drama again. We noticed a little bump on her ear last week and thought it was a bite of some kind. It started getting bigger and wasn't going away after about a week, so Roy took her in today and found out it's a cancerous tumor! She is going tomorrow to have it removed and they will look at it and decide if it needs biopsied. If it's malignant then they will likely cut out part of her ear lobe to get rid of all the cells. Worse case is it's agressive and has spread, and we'll have to do what we don't want to do. She is acting fine and is not in any pain, so that's good. Another good thing is she weighs just over 13lbs now! Compared to her 16/18lbs from last year, that's great!

I have been spending lots and lots of time on work... which I have to go do now. Will post again when baby is born!

Recent Pics

2011-03-01T21:12:00.003-06:00

Warren has recently gotten into shoveling dirt, raking leaves, and just being outside doing anything that resembles yard work/gardening... I hope that willingness stays through teenagehood!

He has also become quite the "cheese" face when I have my phone. He likes his picture to be taken and says, "cheese!"
Warren is really a daddy's boy! Here are my two men checking out the fountain in Heritage Square, downtown Waco.

Another thing Warren has been into lately is construction vehicles. He loves to watch videos on my phone and will say, "I neeeed truck!" He likes diggers and dozers and dumptrucks... we found one in a parking lot and stopped to let him check it out.

He loves trash trucks so much that he will play with his for long periods of time, just pretending to dump the trash into the truck. Roy even made up a trash truck song for him!

Another thing Warren has recently taken a liking to is ice cream cones!!!! (and notice the "cheeeese" face again!)

Warren really likes bridges, so we went to Indian Springs Park downtown and walked on the bridges and around the park. Here we're checking out a boat sculpture.

A pic with mommy on the bridge

...and with daddy

Parenting is sooooooooooooo much fun!!!!!

34 weeks

2011-02-27T21:00:00.002-06:00

Had my obgyn appt on Friday the 25th... the end of my 34th week. I had lost 1lb and only measured 33cm. My blood pressure is great. Grant's heartbeat was strong, and it's always amazing to hear it beating. Doc did the strep b test. Next appt is in two weeks when he will check to see if I'm dilated... yikes, I only have four and a half weeks to go! I preregistered at the hospital on my way home, too. That made it really seem imminent.

I got Warren's old newborn clothes out of storage and put into Grant's dresser. Washed all the new stuff and put it away, too. Now I just need to wash his bedding, paint his room, hang the curtains, decorate the walls, get diapers... you get the point: still plenty to do!

Warren is doing fantastic at his new school. He is talking, counting, singing, and just overall advancing at such a rapid pace it's hard to keep up with everything. He counts from 1-9 on his own, but skips #4. Love hearing him do that. He is really obsessed with diggers and dozers right now, as well as anything boyish and outside - rakes, shovels, etc. Today we played in the dirt and found worms, which he quickly grabbed and threw in the grass, and instructed me to "dig more"!!!!! Not a man of distractions, I guess! We have so much fun with him, and we can't wait to enjoy Grant just as much. I will post pics soon.

End of 30 Weeks and Pottying!

2011-01-28T21:24:00.003-06:00

We had the second 3D/4D ultrasound today. I drank a strawberry shake before I went this time, so Grant was more cooperative for the tech, though he kept his hand up by his face nearly the whole time. Apparantly he really likes his thumb because he kept trying to suck on it. He also kept yawning, which was oh so cute. He has big beautiful lips and his mommy's nose. His heartrate was 140 at the obgyn.

Not sure what he's trying to tell us here!
Definitely a boy!

I suppose having a 2yr old to chase after keeps me from posting as much as I did while pregnant with Warren, but the joy we feel with this baby is just as strong as it was the first time around. My pregnancy has been very smooth, and I have nothing to complain about. I have had some aches and pains, but compared to some people, it's been perfect. I will be 31 weeks along on Sunday. Today I measured at 30cm and weight 172lb. I was hoping to only get to 175lb with this one, but looks like I won't make that. I've never weighed more than 175lb in my life, so it's a bit disturbing, but it's not like I have much control over it. As Grant gains weight, so shows the scale. Some days I think my belly is bigger than it was with Warren, but when I compare to old pics, it's really about the same. Here I am tonight, nearing 31weeks.

A big event in the Garton household this week was Warren pee-peed in the potty for the first time!!!! He wanted his potty top on the big potty, and he sat on it and talked, then started brushing his teeth and I heard trickles. I said, "Bubba, you're going pee-pee!" and he said, "big...Elmo" which meant he was peeing on the big potty like Elmo. He's been into the Elmo's Potty Time video lately, so it must be impacting him! He was so proud of himself

Life is good... time for bed...

First 3D/4D ultrasound

2011-01-22T13:17:00.002-06:00

I am 30 weeks tomorrow, and today we had our 3D/4D ultrasound. Apparantly Grant is every bit as laid back as Warren because he just stayed way low and tucked into my placenta, all cuddled up. The tech tried for 30mins and even had me eat some candy, but he just wouldn't cooperate. She couldn't even tell if he really was a HE!!! We are rescheduling, but she still gave us some pics. There are a couple good ones.

This is a 2D ultrasound pic, but the fuzzy white is his hair!

Here is our sweet baby boy!
We think he has my nose!!!!

His heartrate was 132bpm and he's about 3lbs... the tech said that's a little bigger than most his age. Hmm, maybe I will have an 8pounder!

Xmas 2010 in Ponca City

2011-01-13T20:57:00.005-06:00

We had a great trip to Oklahoma for Christmas. We went to Tulsa first to see family, but somehow I managed not to get a single picture!!!! Ugh! Warren loved playing with his cousin Keara and all five of his second cousins - Amber, Ashley, Haley, Hope, and Zachary. We stayed at Grandma Brown's for a couple night's, then headed to Ponca City to see the rest of our family. We were there about five days. It was so fun to see Warren with everyone, and he was such a hoot when it came to present time. He wasn't near as interested with unwrapping the presents as he was with being the one who handed them out! He totally got a kick out of that! Below are some more pics of our time. So many to choose from... but frankly I just don't have the patience to wait for them all to upload, so I just chose some of my favorites.

For years now, my sister and I have taken a back to back picture at Christmas. This year was no exception, and I think it really turned out cute! Warren is obsessed with his Papa! Even now when I put this shirt on him, he calls it his "papa shirt" because it looks like the one papa is wearing.

Playing the "tar" with Papa! He saw a guitar on TV the other day, and he said, "tar...papa"! I guess his mini-guitar lesson was very memorable.

Enjoying so tickles and raspberries! Such a daddy's boy!
His Grammie got ginger bread houses for all the grandkids! I think he enjoyed spooning and eating the icing and candies more than he did putting them on!
I can't believe my sweet niece and nephew are this old!!!!! What fun Warren had playing with them. They did a great job entertaining and caring for him, too. Anything John did, Warren wanted to do. Here they were sword fighting. Most of the time Warren only wanted to play with John, but one day he just went right over to Sarah, sat in front of her, and leaned back. He actually stayed long enough for us to get a picture or two! They look like brother and sister.

I can definitely tell Warren is all boy... he loves to sword fight and/or hit people. Here he was playing with Cousin John.

We didn't even know that Warren was big enough to climb on play places, but he is, and he loves them! He played with his cousin Keara one night, then with his cousins John and Sarah the next night. He even went all the way to the top and down the big slide all by himself!

Here he is at Nina's house enjoying one of Aunt Sumer's "crack cookies" - yes, they are addictive!

Here's to a great Christmas with family!

Waco Christmas 2010

2011-01-06T22:23:00.002-06:00

We had so much fun this year with Warren during Christmas! He knew how to unwrap gifts and got excited about his new things. We opened presents Sunday morning the 19th since we were leaving for Okla that Tues. At first, Warren was really cranky, but then he got into it. He like digging in his stocking, and especially liked the bottle sucker.

Warren bought Daddy Elmo pjs for Christmas!

Silly String - a great stocking stuffer!

Of course our little cleaning man couldn't just let the mess remain!

Our infamous family portrait! Roy and I have always taken a pic of ourselves when we open gifts, so it was fun to do this with Warren.

If you have noticed, Cleo has not made it into our Christmas photos this year. It's the story of her life, these days, for she had definitely gone done in the priority list. She had fun, though, as she got a big bone covered with chicken... oh ya, that's what started Warren off being cranky - HE wanted her bone for himself and got mad when Cleo took it away and started eating it, so he went and took it from her, but then tripped and fell on it and cut his lip... oh the drama!!!!!

More pics to come... of our trip home to Okla.

A few recent pics to share

2010-12-13T18:45:00.003-06:00

Decorating the Christmas tree!

Playing in the leaves!

Warren loves to act like Cookie Monster with Daddy.

Recently

2010-12-10T21:05:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-18T19:57:00.002-06:00

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!!!!

2010-11-15T20:33:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-02T21:01:00.002-05:00

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

2010-10-22T20:10:00.007-05:00

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

2010-10-08T21:02:00.004-05:00

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

2010-09-24T20:22:00.005-05:00

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

2010-09-09T19:27:00.002-05:00

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

2010-09-01T19:52:00.002-05:00

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

2010-08-27T19:35:00.004-05:00

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

2010-08-10T17:31:00.002-05:00

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!!!

2010-07-30T19:32:00.003-05:00

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!!!

2010-07-24T13:48:00.004-05:00

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

Due date April 3.

Vacation in July

2010-07-23T21:18:00.002-05:00

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

2010-07-10T21:27:00.004-05:00

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.

15mths Old

2010-06-30T21:45:00.003-05:00

The summer is flying by, and Warren seems to be growing quicker every day. Here's what he's up to these days:

1) Weighs about 23.5lbs
2) Walks all over the place, then walks some more (who needs toys when you can walk?)
3) Says so many words I've decided to stop trying to keep track
4) Makes sounds for some animals - cow, dog, chicken, cat
5) Still loves VH1 music videos - right now he really likes "Can't Be Tamed" by Miley Cyrus and "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" by Angel Taylor. Otherwise he is disinterested in TV (except when the Two and a Half Men theme song comes on; he loves that!)
6) Obsessed with the book The Diggingest Dog and insists it be read to him before he sleeps
7) Has nine teeth, but the tenth is about to pop through any day
8) Likes to stick his face in his bath water and has figured out how to lay on his belly in the tub
9) Loves to be chased
10) Pulls up our shirts at the most inopportune times just to see our belly buttons
11) Has discovered his manly parts! LOL
12) Favorite fruit is blueberries and strawberries
13) Favorite snack is still yogurt covered raisins, but his Goldfish pretzel crackers are running a close second.
14) Points and says, "What's that?" ALL THE TIME!!!!!!
15) Gets either super silly or exceedingly evil when he is tired
16) Enjoys "helping" with anything, esp. loading the dishwasher and cooking
17) Plays well with Cleo and chases her around trying to get her tail
18) Keeps his plate on his tray and doesn't throw it on the floor; he hands it to us when he is all done... his cup, on the other hand, is still a work in progress
19) Continues to get into Cleo's food and water bowls - yesterday he stuck his foot, shoe and all, in her water bowl.
20) Is wearing 18mths in most clothes, and a 4 in shoes
21) Obsessed with seeing the neighbor dog, Shadow - we are trying to teach Warren that Cleo is a dog, too, but seeing that even Cleo doesn't know that, it's been rather difficult.
22) Mr. Independent, all the way
23) Has had so many haircuts, I've lost track. I think five. He doesn't even cry.
24) Likes arcade car games and kiddie ride machines
25) Is learning how to play with Playdough

Warren, everyday that I am with you, my heart melts and explodes all at the same time. Daddy and I are so proud of you, and we are working hard to help you make the right choices even now (like sharing - you don't really like that idea much).

You have been walking for about 10 days now, and you are so steady and confident it's as if you've been walking your whole life. It makes me a little sad, but overwhelmingly proud at the same time. You have a fabulous sense of humor and you seem to do things on purpose just so we'll laugh at you. It's easy to wake with a smile at 5:45am when I know I'll get to see your face and hold you close.

Bye-bye Paci

2010-06-18T20:30:00.004-05:00

Today Warren had to get his MMR and chicken pox vaccines - one in each leg. Later when we got home, he noticed the bandaid on his leg and just kept looking at it. He would go and sit in the corner, pull up his pant leg, and "talk" about his bandaid. Then he would go to his chair, and do the same thing all over again. It was so funny, but just showed how much he is growing and maturing.

This afternoon we filled up the pool and played in the water. Warren loves the garden hose, and he kept drinking water out of it - so much so we turned off the water for fear that he would drown himself! LOL He thought daddy needed to play with it, too.

Of course no day in the pool is complete without a freeze pop. You can't really see it, but the green juice had stained lips and around his mouth.
Warren started walking on his own while we were in Ponca the first of this month, but the past couple days, he has been walking all over the place. We caught it on video today.

For the past week we've only let Warren have his paci at bedtime, but tonight we had him throw them all away in the trashcan (he LOVES throwing things away). Then we had him carry the trash bag to the trash barrel outside and say bye-bye to his pacis. When it was time for bed he cried a little, but not too much considering what he had just given up. I'm hoping for a smooth night.

Oklahoma Visit

2010-06-12T20:48:00.006-05:00

June 2nd, we left for our summer family visitation in Oklahoma. This time we left after I got off work, drove to Ardmore (3hrs), and stayed in a hotel. It was nice not to have to drive the full 8hrs at one time. We stayed at the LaQuinta Inn and Suites (highly recommended, esp. if you have pets). We were just leaving the hotel in this pic.

Warren just has to help us with everything now - even luggage.

While we were in the hotel, Warren occupied himself with the ice bucket and toilet paper. Don't worry, we cleaned it all up before we left.

Thursday we drove about 3hrs and arrived in Tulsa to see Grandma Brown, Janice, and the kids, and Cristy and Kheara. Somehow I only got a pic of Gma Brown. We had so much fun with them. Warren even got to swim twice!

After a couple days in Tulsa, we headed to Ponca City to see the rest of our family. Unfortunately, Warren was a bit moody from not feeling well (he cut another tooth!). Here are a couple pics of his "drama."

Bathtime is always fun, no matter what kind of mood he's in.

Warren started walking by himself while we were there! Here he is walking to his Papa, whom he adores. One of Warren's favorite times during our trip was when he got to ride in Papa's wagon with his cousins, John and Sarah.

Warren got to help his grammie make spaghetti sauce!

While he was a little shy off and on, it didn't take Warren long to adjust to all the family members this time around.

Here he is with his Aunt Kim.

With his Aunt Sumer.

With his "Nina" (Roy's mom).

With his Uncle Gregg.

I can't believe this is my little baby! He's doing so much more now and saying so many words I have decided it's impossible to keep track of them all!

14 Mths Old

2010-05-30T21:01:00.006-05:00

While Warren seems to be slow to walk on his own, he is not slow to speak. He says the following words: boo, dog, book, Cleo, juice, vroom (I guess that officially a noise, but I'm counting it!), banana, bath, broom, mama, dada, papa, brush, boat, ball, bye, hi... There may be more, but that's all I can think of at the moment.

His favorite foods right now are pizza and bananas. He also likes ravioli and spaghetti and meatballs. He likes to eat cheese and enjoys snacking on yogurt covered raisins. He doesn't turn down cheese puffs, either! He just started on orange juice and seems to like it too. He is still very picky about drinking milk or soy and would prefer juice any day. In fact, he knows when juice or milk is in his cup - if it's milk, he often won't even take a drink, but if it's juice, then he'll drink it. I am going to try him on rice milk this week and see what he thinks of that, but I am trying to stop worrying about it all. He likes yogurt, so he can get fat, protein, and calcium from that. He really likes to feed himself, and gets rather upset if we try to feed him or help him eat.
He still makes a funny face on demand, but also furrows his brow when he's not happy or when he's unsure.

This is his concentrating face:

He loves to dance and watch VH1 videos. Right now his favorite songs/videos are "Bulletproof" by La Roux, "OMG" by Usher, and "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz.

He has two bottom front teeth, four top front teeth, and two top molars - which are still working their way in fully.

He has done well since his tube surgery. He is sleeping through the night and hasn't pulled at his ears in about a week now.

His favorite toys are his vacuum and his blocks in his wagon from papa. He also really likes to look at his picture book I made on Shutterfly.

He has become much more cuddly and likes to rock on our shoulder while holding onto a blanket or his dog lovey.

On Tuesday he will get his fourth haircut! Then Wednesday we are on our way home to Okla. for a couple of weeks. I can't wait to see how he responds to everyone.

You light up our life, Mr. Warren, and daddy and I love you with all our hearts.

Ear Tubes

2010-05-24T21:10:00.001-05:00

Warren got tubes in his ears today. He was such a trooper. The doctor said he didn't start crying until they starting messing with him getting the mask on and all. The surgery went to plan and he woke up quickly afterward, though he was very fussy and flailing around and could not really hold up his own head. He drank a whole juice box and ate some fruit almost immediately. The nurses said he was doing great, so we just trusted what they told us.

We stayed for about ten minutes after he woke up, and then headed home. He fussed for about 30mins more, and then he was out.
An hour and a half later when he woke up, he was good as new! He seemed to have no clue what had happened to him just a couple hours earlier. He was hungry, and had to have his morning banana.

By afternoon time, he was our normal playful little boy!

We went outside and he used his walker to go all over the back yard.

Tomorrow he goes back to daycare for the rest of this week and part of next. Then he won't be in daycare again until August. We are moving him to a new daycare in August, and I am looking forward to just being with my baby everyday this summer. Any mommies have activity ideas for us?

New Toys!

2010-05-22T19:24:00.002-05:00

I've heard people say not to give your kid everything he wants, but no one's ever told me not to get my kid everything I think he should have or want! In the past few days Warren has received several new toys, including a vacuum cleaner that actually makes noise, a laptop, a work bench with noise making tools, puzzles, a light up spinner, and a Disney Cars chair!!... Oh, and a pool!!!

We were setting up the pool to test it out, and Warren and Cleo wanted in, so we let them. They loved it! Warren just laughed at Cleo walking round and round in the pool slurping up water.

While at Toys R Us today, we saw this chair. I put it down so Warren could see it, and he got right up in it and played for about ten minutes. I kept bringing him different (cheaper!) chairs to try, but he wouldn't even acknowledge there was another chair in sight! He loved this one. It's really sturdy, so hopefully it will last many years. It took a little bit to sweet talk daddy into getting it, but eventually he looked at me and said, "If you ask it of me, I will give you the one ring"! LOL (That's a line from Lord of the Rings, for those who don't know.) I am not sure who was more excited, Warren or me!!!!

Warren got right in it once we brought it home and daddy got the feet on. He loves to just get up and down and up and down.

This toy reminds me of my daddy with all his little gadget-type toys. It has this spinner with lights and when you hold down the button, it spins and makes light patterns. Warren quickly figured out how to push the button to make it work (notice the concentration in his face), and he played with it nearly the whole time we were grocery shopping today, so I thought he should have it. He still liked it after we got home, so I guess that means he truly likes it.

Last weekend we were at some friends' house, and their son had one of these vacuum cleaners. It makes noise and has a little dust buster in the middle that comes out, and it really works! Warren loved it, so we thought he needed to have his own. Cleo doesn't like it at all (she is scared of vacuum cleaners), and Warren thinks that's funny.

So about $100 later, and I think our kiddo has enough for now... It's so fun being a parent!!!!

BTW - we go in on Monday at 7am for Warren to get tubes in his ears. Also, we gave our two weeks notice to his daycare, so he will not be in daycare over the summer but will start at Parkview in August.

My Little Ham and Monkey

2010-05-15T22:40:00.003-05:00

Warren is developing quite the personality! He is so much fun, we just laugh at him all the time. Today he kept hitting his juice cup on the floor and thinking it was super funny!

BEFORE:

AFTER:
Is that a cute face or what???

Warren has also started climbing up and into whatever we will allow him. Today he decided to get into his toy bucket.

We still have this crazy piano that is in need of repair, and Warren is tall enough to play it w/o a chair... well, mostly - look at his feet!

On another note, Warren has had an ear infection every month since he was 9mths old, and the ENT decided it's time for tubes. I am so relieved and hope it helps Warren to sleep better and be more comfortable. His surgery is Monday the 24th.

My Second Mother's Day

2010-05-09T15:41:00.001-05:00

This little man is the reason I get up at 6am on the weekends and still have a smile on my face. I can't imagine my life without you, Warren.

Thirteen Months Old

2010-05-01T15:01:00.006-05:00

What is Warren doing these days?

1) Non-stop jabbering - he says new letter sounds constantly! He says "Cleo" very clearly now, and he even corrects her when she barks! He says "juice," "nana" (banana), "brush," and "bath" now, too.

2) When he is playing with our phones, he will hold it up to his hear when you tell him to say "hello."

3) He makes an "uuuuuuuuuuh" sound, like a motor, when he helps daddy grind coffee beans. He is trying to imitate the coffee grinder noise! So funny.

4) He is totally off the bottle, but not really drinking much milk. He'd rather have juice anyday. We started him on soy milk though, and he seems to really like it, so we're hopeful.

5) He can walk while pushing his wagon or convertable car walker. He usually does this with his mouth wide open and laughing proudly at himself.

6) He likes raisins, esp. if they are yogurt coated; he LOVES bananas and pretty much has one a day.

7) He loves to lie on his daddy's lap and watch VH1 videos. Heck, he loves to do anything with his daddy, which you can clearly see in this pic!

8) He throws his cup off his highchair, esp. when we are watching, and also throws his food on the floor to tell us he's done eating. Needless to say, we are working on table manners.

9) He started play-screaming, esp. in restaraunts, and even slapped my face and tried to bite me when I told him to stop screaming. Thankfully he's only done that once, but I am not so naive to think he won't try it again.

10) He likes to flip through board books, but he doesn't like being read to.

11) He blows kisses.

12) He is very much independent and stubborn. In this pic, he kept putting the bubble wand in his mouth. We would tell him not to, but then he would do it again, even though it tasted bad!13) He throws a hissy fit at the start of nearly every diaper change. We try to distract him with a toy or some other item of interest, but it's a 50/50 chance whether or not it works.

14) He LOVES to be thrown up in the air!

Pooper-scooper for a Day

2010-04-19T19:29:00.004-05:00

Because I am not crazy enough to pick up scrapbooking, and because I still want to have memories I can read and see, I try to post often on this blog. In preWarren days, the posts were usually just about me or something Roy and I did, but now, it seems everything is about Warren. Well tonight's post is about poop. Yes, folks, poop.... (Are you sure you want to keep reading?)

I suppose if you are a mom, this may not be so bad, but as usual I am being overly dramatic; it's my nature, and I apparently have passed it on to my adorable niece... but I digress. Back to poop.

Ever since Warren was born, he's had trouble pooping. You may remember reading blog posts about it. Since he started on baby food, though, he has become much more regular, though often his poop is hard and just little balls (are you queasy?). I have discovered when he is having a hard time pooping, that if I push his knees into his chest when I'm changing his diaper, it often helps.

This happened yesterday, but sadly, pushing his knees back didn't seem to help. He didn't seem too bothered by the black hole in his butt (ya, that's what it looked like), so we went about our business. He ate dinner while visiting on the webcam with Grammie and Papa. Then he was messy from dinner, so it was time for a bath. (You see where I'm going with this, don't you?)

I put him in the tub and he was playing like normal, but then he started leaning forward and getting red faced. "Oh, geez," I thought. "It's finally my turn." I had heard stories about this happening, and each time I thought Warren was passed the age when this would happen. Nope.

I caught a whiff of stink. I swished aside some bubbles, and there they were: floating balls of poop. (are you gagging?) I wasn't really sure what to do. I knew I had to get them out, and I really didn't want to crush them or break them up anymore, so I did what I never thought I would be doing - I gently scooped each one out with my bare hand and put it into the trash can. I truly believe poop smells worse once it's been wet. It was bad, and of course I had to stay right next to the tub because Warren was still in it, along with little floating bits of poop (and the carrots, or something orange that accompanied it).

I drained the tub, washed down all the remaining poop, refilled the tub, and continued with Warren's bath like normal. Roy heard me talking about the stink, so he came up and politely escorted the bag of poop to the outside trash barrel.

I was pretty grossed out, and to be honest I can still smell the poop even as I type. I guess it will be a memory-by-association thing. I facebooked about it, but I figured I should add it to my blog, while the details are still "fresh" (LOL), so when I look back on this years from now, I won't forget that I become a pooper-scooper for a day.

Hey, is this one of those embarrassing stories I can pull out for Warren's girlfriends to read, so they get scared away????

Recent Happenings (w/Warren, of course!)

2010-04-18T22:03:00.005-05:00

Seems I never post anything about me or Roy anymore, just about Warren, but hey, he IS what is happening in our lives right now, so I guess it's natural.

Recently Warren has started making faces. He usually does this while eating. We can make a face to him, and he will make one back. Sometimes he even starts it! I have tried to get it on video, and this is the best I can get so far. (watch his mouth and eyes at the beginning!).

Everyday after school when Warren and I get home, we take Cleo outside. Warren LOVES to be outside. He just looks at the world all around him and takes it all in. I love this pic because it shows him doing just that.

Warren (and Cleo) love to take a wagon ride around the back yard. Usually Cleo's tail is wagging right in Warren's face, and he tries to grab it or bite it. Yesterday he couldn't get Cleo to move over, so he grabbed her butt and squeezed... she moved and sat down, but unfortunately, Warren got her leftover poop on his hand, so we had to stop our wagon ride early. Yuck!

If Roy does it, Warren wants to do it. That goes for just about everything, including making coffee. This scene has become a daily ritual for my boys. Warren helps do everything from scooping the beans, to pushing the grinder button, to putting in the coffee filter, and turning on the coffee pot. He asks to do it nearly everytime we pass the coffee bar.

My million dollar question these days has been, "Why do we even buy toys?" Warren does play with his toys....some...but he really enjoys unloading the kitchen cabinets.

One final video of Warren. It seems he is just days away from walking everywhere on his own. He is getting more balanced and can now walk behind his convertible car walker by himself!

A quick note about our first baby:

Cleo has pretty much returned to normal. She is chasing squirrels, trying to beg on her hind legs (I say "trying" because we try to stop her - it's bad for her back), and has once again picked up barking (we need a replacement battery for her bark collar!). She only weighs 14lbs now, and the doc says if we can get one more pound off her we'll be lucky; she just has a bigger build.

Warren's First Steps

2010-04-12T19:52:00.002-05:00

Tonight Warren took his first steps! For a couple weeks now, Roy and I have been sitting on the floor and "walking" Warren back and forth between us. We will hold onto his waist until he seems balanced, then let him go, and usually he will just fall forward into our arms thinking it's really funny.

Tonight when we did this, he actually stood by himself for a few seconds and took a couple of steps to me! He did it again right after, so it wasn't a figment of our imagination! He was so proud of himself, and of course we were super proud of him, too.

Geez, this parenting thing is a blast!

Warren's One Year Pics

2010-04-02T16:39:00.002-05:00

We went to Sears today to take Warren's one year pics. They took several cute poses, so I thought I'd share.

We also had Warren's one year check up today. He was 21 3/4lbs (33%tile) and 31" (85%). Guess he'll be tall and skinny like his uncle Adam! Unfortunately, we also learned that W has an ear infection in both ears. Ugh! This is the third time since right before Xmas. He has been moaning in the middle of the night and has a runny nose, but we thought it might all be from teething - he cut his top two teeth on Wed. and Thurs. this week. The doc suggested we wait till the 15mth checkup to do his chicken pox vaccine since he has ear infections and will be on antibiotics. Fine with me.

1st Birthday and more

2010-04-01T19:44:00.005-05:00

Our baby is officially one year old!

I know I am biased when I say my son is adorable, but seriously, everywhere we go people comment on how cute he is... I guess love isn't always blind. LOL

This pic cracks me up because it shows how much Warren and Roy look alike!

Since we already had a birthday party for Warren while we were in Okla. for spring break, we just had a mini party here at home. We got an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins, sang "Happy Birthday," and opened presents. Warren actually cut his top right tooth on his birthday, so he was feverish and not feeling too well. You can definitely tell that in this pic.

Warren got a box from his Grammie, and of course he loved the packing more than the gift.

Grammie and Papa got Warren a tunnel and tent set. He really likes it... and so does Cleo! They meet in the middle and give kisses.

Today Warren's school had an Easter egg hunt. It didn't take him long to start going after the eggs and putting them in his basket.

Here he is enjoying the spoils of his labor - a KitKat bar!

Warren is not walking by himself, but he is getting better at walking while holding on to something!

I love the grin on his face; he's so proud of himself.

A Trip to the Zoo

2010-03-27T20:31:00.006-05:00

Today Roy, Warren, and I met some friends at the Waco zoo. It was so much fun! Warren was very aware of the animals and seemed to have a great time. Here are some pics from our day:

Warren with his friend, Evan; he's 3yrs old.

Daddy and Warren on the big snake!

In the treehouse and down the slide with daddy!

Warren loved the tunnels inside the snake and the tree house.

Playing in the dirt with the dinosaur bones.

And I saved our favorite pic for last - our little monkey with a big monkey... well, actually it was an ape, I think, but you get the point. (Strange, they sort of look alike! Must be the ears.)

Eating With a Spoon

2010-03-20T21:20:00.003-05:00

Last year at this time I was preparing to have my first baby in 11 days, but this year, I am amazed at how my baby is growing and learning new things so quickly. Today during snack time, Warren learned how to use his spoon! (Yes, I know the spoon is pink; it used to be my niece's; we can't find this style of spoon anywhere, and it's perfect for learning to eat, so we are just dealing with it. Pink can be manly, too.)

Initially I had to put the applesauce on the spoon for him, but then he figured it out himself.
When there was not enough applesauce left to get on his spoon, he just resorted to his manly instincts! It had been a while since I'd gotten a pic of Warren and I together, and I had Roy try today, but this is the best we got. Oh well, I can't expect an 11 1/2 month old to want to sit still and pose for a pic.

Saying "uh-oh"

2010-03-16T22:23:00.002-05:00

I can't help but smile when I see, hear, or think about my sweet boy.

Cleo's Home!

2010-03-14T10:42:00.003-05:00

We brought Cleo home last night. The vet is excited about her progress so far. She is doing better than expected! She can already empty her bladder on her own, and she can put weight on both her back legs, though her left leg is still weak, and she can walk a little. Sometimes that back left leg falls under her, but it will continue to get stronger. Her left side is where the vet did all of the work, so the muscles on that side are weak right now. We got a bigger kennel for her in which she will have to stay most of the time. It's big enough for her to move around in, but at this point she's mostly just sleeping. We put the kennel in front of her window so she can still look outside.

You can see her incision on top of her back. It's about 6" long, but is healing nicely. She looks a little sad, but I think it's mostly because she wants to be held instead of being in her kennel. This morning when we took her out to do her exercises, she tried to get up on my lap, but I couldn't let her. She is supposed to lie flat.
We take her back to Austin this week for a physical therapy session, and then again on the 29th to get her stitches out.

(Yes, Mom, she's on the blanket you made for Warren. The two quilts you made him are the only blankets we have that aren't furry/fuzzy, and they fit in the kennel w/o bulging up, which helps her to stay flat and move steadily. Hope you don't mind too much. )

Cleo's Surgery

2010-03-12T22:16:00.003-06:00

We are feeling empty around our house tonight because Cleo is not with us. She is in Austin recovering from emergency back surgery that she had today.

Yesterday around noon we noticed she was moping and all of a sudden not walking well. Then she started shivering and whimpering. Roy took her to our vet who thought it was a bulging disc and gave her three different medications. By late last night, Cleo couldn't even walk, so first thing this morning Roy took her back to the vet who said one of her discs had ruptured and we had to get her to Austin to a specialist for surgery immediately to prevent damage to the spinal cord.

Through many tears, we got ourselves together quickly and got to Austin by just after 10am. The surgeon examined Cleo and felt he could reverse the problem and prevent future ruptures by surgery. We left his office at 11am, and after 2hrs of surgery, the doctor called us and said our sweet Cleo did perfectly, there were no complications, and she was recovering nicely.

He said several of her lower discs were already calcified, so they would have likely ruptured in the future. He performed a preventative procedure where he drains the fluid in the disc so future ruptures won't happen - she only has a 1% chance of ever rupturing a disc again. She's only four, which means she has many great years ahead of her.

Right now, Cleo is with the surgeon at his home (he is keeping her by his bed tonight; talk about service!), and tomorrow night we will go back to Austin to bring her home. She is on pain meds and antibiotics, and she will have to stay mostly in her crate for three weeks, but afterward, she should be just fine.

We had hoped this day would never come, but it has, and we have faced it with tears.

Spring Break

2010-03-12T21:41:00.003-06:00

Warren and I spent the first five days of our spring break visiting family in Ponca City. These are just a few of the pics I took. I hope to post more later:

Warren was fascinated with the toy his cousin John made for him out of Tinker Toys!

Since Warren turns one on the 31st, I decided to have a birthday party for him while in Ponca, so all our family could be there. He was adorable picking at his cake made by Grammie.

This is one of my favorite pics from the trip. Is this little guy ornery or what?

Mom and Dad thought Warren would love Twinkies... and they were right! Here he is at the start of his Twinkie fest.

For most of the trip, Warren was super bashful and didn't really want anyone else to hold him except me, but by the last two days, he had decided that he was a papa's boy.

Warren is learning so many new things these days, I just can't keep up with it all. He is pulling up and walking while holding on, he has added thank you, uh-oh, ball, bear, up, outside, and bye to his vocabulary. He gives the sign for "all done" now, and he waves his hand/arm up and down when I tell him "no, no," which unfortunately I am having to do a lot of these days.

I am dreading being away from him for the rest of the school year. This past week has been wonderful! I love every moment I have with my sweet boy.

11 Months Old

2010-03-02T21:27:00.002-06:00

My little baby is already 11mths old! Life with him gets more and more fun every day. Here is a peek at what he is doing these days:

1) Waving hello and goodbye (usually with both hands and a great big smile)

2) Crawling (all over the place and super fast)

3) Pulling up

4) Eating table food

5) Starting on whole milk

6) Sitting in a big boy car seat

7) Talking (he says/has said ball, momma, dadda, cleo, uh-oh)

8) Giving signs - sign language, that is. (He knows most all the signs we've taught him, but he gets rather upset when we ask him to use them!)

9) Dancing

10) Crying when we leave him

"ee-o" and random pics

2010-02-19T21:07:00.005-06:00

Yesterday Cleo was on my lap, and Warren decided to crawl over to see her. I said, "That's Cleo" and he said, "ee-o"! They have been chasing each other quite a bit the past few days. Now that Warren can crawl and quickly get anywhere, Cleo just doesn't get to chew her bone in peace. She doesn't even get her spot in the sun all to herself anymore!

Warren is definitely becoming a little monkey! He even climbs over us!

Both of my guys have been sick this week. I think they caught something last Saturday when they went grocery shopping for me. Warren got pink eye, and he has another ear infection, but the worst part is the congestion in his chest is causing him to wheeze. We took a trip to urgent care on Friday (the 19th,) and they sent us home with a nebulizer. The breathing treatments are helping, and Warren seems to be feeling much better. Roy is still really congested, but hopefully his head will clear up soon.

Warren was having a ton of fun being pushed around the house in this box by his daddy!

If you look hard, you can see that second tooth - the one on the left.I said Warren is crawling all over the place, and he is - fast too! Tonight he stood himself up in his crib for the first time, and then started jumping and laughing! He was having the best time. Meanwhile I am having a panic attack because I realized he is too tall for his crib! We turned it around so the higher back is facing out, and I ordered a crib tent online.

When he finished jumping, he turned around and then fell and hit his mouth on the bars. Poor guy. I am sure that's the first of many...

"Done!"

2010-02-13T22:51:00.002-06:00

Today during lunch, Warren was starting to play around, so I assumed he was finished. I took his plate and said, "all done." He looked at me and yelled, in a somewhat frustrated manner, "...done!" I put the "..." cause I am not sure how to spell the sound he made before he clearly said, "done!" Roy says he thinks he must have been saying, "I'm NOT done!" LOL

The chiropracter seems to be working for Warren's ears! He had two adjustments last week, and he is sleeping better, acting better, and eating better. I have high hopes! His next ENT appointment is March 4 - here's to hopin'! I'd much rather pay $15 a month to have his ears popped and his neck adjusted than have to put him through getting tubes in his ears.

Crawling!

2010-02-11T20:54:00.004-06:00

Warren just keeps growing faster and faster!!! Nowadays its nearly impossible to get a pic of him because he gets around so well. Here he is working hard to unload his toy box.

Warren can get pretty much anywhere!

Even between the piano legs!

He loves to look outside!

When Warren plays, he really looks like he's concentrating!

I am crawling on my hands and knees!

Chasing After Daddy

2010-02-03T20:44:00.002-06:00

Warren is doing so many new things, I am not sure I can keep up with them all!

1) He cut his second tooth - bottom right.
2) He can now get from his belly into a sitting position all on his own.
3) He gave the "all gone" sign after dinner yesterday.
4) He is getting up on his knees and rocking.
5) He keeps his plate on his tray while eating (mostly, that is; at least, he knows he's supposed to. Tonight he lifted it up when I walked into the kitchen, then when I looked back at him and said "uh-uh, Bubba, you put that plate down" he gave me a giant ornery grin and put it back down!)
6) This one is not really brand new, but he is just getting better and faster! He just chases us around the kitchen. You must see for yourself:

Another First...

2010-01-26T20:32:00.003-06:00

Warren pulled up for the first time tonight! I was upstairs running his bathwater, and I heard Roy say, "Holy crap you just did that all by yourself!" Yep, I missed it, but I am glad his daddy saw it. Roy said Warren was sitting on the floor in front of the couch and just pulled himself all the way up. This kid is growing at full speed!

One quick note, Warren is also Mr. Independent these days. He threw a fit tonight because he wanted to feed himself his grilled cheese sandwich instead of us feeding him his chicken and noodle baby food. As soon as I put his plate on his tray, Warren stopped fussing and starting eating. He wasn't messin' around, either. He downed that sandwich! In light of that, I went out tonight and got some foods that he can eat for dinner all by himself: meat sticks, carrot cubes, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, etc. He is really a neat eater so far, and he is super cute when he eats - of course! LOL

The tooth, the park, and the army crawl

2010-01-25T20:03:00.003-06:00

Here is it! Warren's first tooth!

This past weekend we took Warren and Cleo to the park. It was a bit windy, but Warren seemed to have a good time. We had never taken him to the park before.

Peeking at Daddy

And now for the grand finale... the army crawl!

Warren started crawling forward on his arms this weekend.

So many firsts! Slow down, Bubba, Mommy can't handle you growing so fast. Next thing I know you will be off to college.

The Best Weekend Ever!

2010-01-18T21:23:00.003-06:00

Maybe I just desperately needed a break, but this 3-day weekend was wonderful! On Saturday Warren and I spent the day together cleaning and playing and visiting a friend. I also let Warren get super messy! I decided to give him some chocolate pudding and let him feed himself. It was great!

He kept putting his hand in the pudding and then squeezing his hand open and closed. He ate very little, but he wore a lot! It was too fun.
Today, Roy and Warren and I headed south to Round Rock to have a 2lb donut! We saw Round Rock Bakery on Man vs. Food, and decided since it's only an hour or so away, we should go. This donut was crazy big! It tasted great, too - very light and fluffy.

After eating donuts, we headed to the outlet mall. I got three pairs of shoes, Roy got a hoodie, and Warren got some shoes. We also took our picture in a photo booth! It was so fun to just spend time together as a family of three. Then we went up to Temple and went to Target and Warren got more stuff! It is so much fun buying for our son! After Target we headed to BJ's and ate some pizza, then back to Waco to Toys R Us to get... yes, to get Warren another toy!!!! We got him this cool Leap Frog vehicle magnet toy. He's already figuring it out and is proud of himself for it.

I adore my husband and love that I get to spend the rest of my life with him, but I don't know that I have ever felt so satisfied and fulfilled as I do now that we have Warren. Parenthood is amazing.

9mth Pics and "Uh-oh"

2010-01-16T20:36:00.006-06:00

Today Warren got a surprise... flowers and a balloon from Grammie to say "congratulations" for getting his first tooth! He wasn't sure what to think about the flowers (his mommy thought they were beautiful though), but he LOVED the balloon.

Everytime he would let go of the string and the balloon would float to the ceiling, I would say "uh-oh" and Warren would look up and smile. Well, to my surprise, and when I had stepped out of the room, of course, I heard Warren's balloon bounce on the ceiling and then I heard him say, "uh-ooooh"!!!!!! It was so sweet. I kept trying to get him to say it again, but he wouldn't have that.
Thanks for the fun balloon, Grammie. I have never had one before!

It had been a couple weeks since I took any pics of Warren, so I thought I would snap a few to post. He seems to almost pose these days.

Roy bought Warren a stocking cap from Baylor!

Warren is getting so big so fast. He is not yet pulling up, but he can stand up for several seconds on his own.

Everywhere we go people smile, laugh, and comment on Warren's spiky hair. It grows so fast! He gets another much needed haircut next Saturday.

My bright-eyed baby boy. How can you look at him and not smile?

It is finally here!

2010-01-15T20:56:00.001-06:00

Warren has his first tooth!!!!!! It's the bottom left front tooth. Just felt it today, but I can't see it yet - Warren keeps putting his tongue in the way. Congratulations to my big boy.

"Mama"

2010-01-14T20:24:00.001-06:00

Yes, that's right, Warren said "mama" tonight for the first time! Roy says it doesn't count until I get it on video, but I know for sure he said it while he was babbling. Yesterday he started saying "nana" for the first time, so I didn't think it would be much longer. .

It's crazy how many new things Warren is doing and just how much more aware of everything he is. He is army crawling with his right knee up, he loves to open and close everything (including the oven!), he can wave, he can give the sign for "milk," and he can say ball (though is sounds like "ba").

We took Warren to an ENT specialist this week. He said Warren does not have an ear infection anymore, but he does still have fluid in his ears. He said there is nothing we can do but wait and see if it clears up, and after eight more weeks (it will have been 3mths since his infection started), if the fluid isn't gone, then we can talk about tubes or other options. He said right now his ear his red but it is only acute and not chronic. Warren hasn't slept well since before Christmas, so we haven't either, but at least he doesn't seem bothered by his ear during the day.

This weekend I am going to try to get some new pics of Warren. Maybe with a giant donut! (We are hoping to go to Round Rock and eat at this famous donut shop that sells the biggest donuts in the U.S.!)

Christmas in Oklahoma

2010-01-03T21:15:00.002-06:00

Our first Christmas with Warren was wonderful. Before we left for Oklahoma, we had our own family Christmas. We only bought Warren two presents: a Cars sound book and a pop up toy. We knew he would get lots of toys from family, and we didn't want him to have too many to play with.

Cleo had to get in on the action, and it's a good thing, too, because Warren only wanted to tear up the paper instead of unwrapping the gift! After we all opened our gifts, we ate some Oreos (one of Roy's stocking gifts), and Warren thought it was delicious. He had chocolate all over his face!

We left on Sunday and headed up to Tulsa to visit Roy's grandma and aunt and her family. I have a cute pic of Warren with his Great-grandma Brown, but for fear of her torturing me for posting a picture of her in her bathrobe, I decided to post this one: Warren with his second cousin Halley. He loved all of his second cousins, Amber, Ashley, Halley, Hope, and Zach, and he loved the attention he got from them all. I think he thought his Aunt Janice was pretty cool, too, especially after she gave him his first pretzel!

Warren hadn't seen his Aunt Kim since June! His cousin Sarah never left his side. I think she thought Warren was HER baby doll. He loved the attention.

Warren and his Aunt Cristy ... see a resemblance?

Warren was mesmerized by his Uncle Adam. They look a lot alike, and so far, Warren gets his height from his uncle ... those dominant Garton genes.

Warren was bare-foot Santa Claus for Christmas! OMG, he is so adorable I could just kiss on him forever!

Warren got a very special gift from his Papa ... a hand-made wagon! My dad actually designed and made this wagon just for Warren. There is a large wooden ball at the end of the rope, and of course Warren thought that was the best part. He loves to play with his "Granpa Built" wagon. I chose this pic in particular because Warren is concentrating so hard he is sticking out his tongue... his daddy does that, too!

For some reason, Warren developed a giant zit on his chin during the last couple days of our trip. We thought about naming it, but decided it might scar him for life... so instead I blog about it! LOL Still, zit and all, he is an adorable little man, and Roy and I don't know what we would do without him in our lives. We are crazy about him!

On our way back to Texas, we stopped at a McDonalds to eat. I had to take a picture because it was the first time Warren had eaten a McDonald's french fry!

During Christmas break, Warren learned how to "gimme five." The sweet thing is he grins every time he slaps our hand! I hope to get video of it soon...until then, I am back to work tomorrow, Warren is back to daycare, and Roy begins work on his prelims. Life.

9 Months Old

2009-12-31T20:56:00.003-06:00

Warren is nine months old today! Happy birthday, Bubba!

weight - 20lbs 3oz, 45th %tile
height - 30", 95th %tile
head - 17 1/4", 45th %tile

He is developing on schedule, though daycare might disagree seeing he still refuses to hold his own bottle. LOL He can drink very well from a sippy cup and from a straw, and he is eating all kinds of "real" foods. It's adorable to watch him pick up food between his finger and thumb.

He knows how to "gimme five." He is trying to crawl and pull up, but is not quite there yet. He does not yet have any teeth, and no sign of any coming soon.

He has his first ear infection, and has had it for nearly 3weeks! Ugh. He didn't respond to two of the antibiotics, and he was allergic to another (penicillin), so now he's on a fourth - Bactrim. I am hoping it works and quickly. He is fine during the day, but at night he's waking up and/or moaning and pulling at his ear about every hour or two. Doctor said if the infection doesn't clear up with this medicine, then we will go to a specialist.

He did wonderfully in Okla. during Christmas, and I will post pics soon.

The Break-in

2009-12-12T21:43:00.002-06:00

On Tuesday, 12/8/09, Roy came home at 1:55pm to find Cleo very anxious. He noticed the house was rather cold, and then realized the back door had been kicked in and was wide open. He turned and looked at our entertainment center and said "Oh crap" when he saw the TV, Boise, Wii, and my laptop were all missing. He went upstairs and the mattress had been moved (to check underneath for money, we assume), and that my jewelry box drawers had been dumped and were thrown onto the bed. All the drawers of our dresser were open as well. In the guest bedroom our portable DVD player and some computer speakers were missing, and the file cabinet drawer was open. He called the police, called me at work, and called our insurance company.

Ugh. What a terrible call to get. I was in the middle of a class with my fifth graders when he called me. I left within minutes and cried on the way home when I called my mom and sister.
When I got home the police officer was here taking the report. I was so glad to see that Cleo wasn't hurt. Sadly, she had on her bark collar during the break-in, but Roy suggests it could have saved her life because had she kept barking, the robbers may have hurt her. Still, while she is not physically hurt, she had been much more on edge this week, and she just shivers if she hears a noise at the back door.

We immediately started cancelling our credit cards/bank cards and started changing passwords and user IDs. Today we got a security system installed, and TH we got our French doors replaced. Now I am hunting for a new laptop... shopping, yeah! Our insurance company is paying out, though not as much as we would like.

This experience has caused many emotions for me: anger, sadness, guilt, thankfulness, fear, and more. I am so grateful that we were not home and that Cleo wasn't hurt. I am grateful that the robbers didn't find some very special items close to my heart. I am grateful that the robbers did not trash our house or take our Christmas presents, but just focused on our electronics.

I wanted to post this so I don't forget, but also because I want it to be the last time I tell the story and it's details. I am already tired of talking about it, and I want to go on with life.

I Can Clap!

2009-11-30T20:08:00.002-06:00

We have been working with Warren on hand clapping for months now, but tonight, he clapped his hands by himself and on demand! We got it on video, of course. (Though once again, it's quite dark. The sad thing is we had nearly all of our lights on!)

Roaring Like a Lion

2009-11-28T10:41:00.005-06:00

In my last post, I said that Warren can roar like a lion ... this video is proof!!! I LOVE this cool kid of ours!

8 Months Old

2009-11-27T15:39:00.004-06:00

Everyday we are amazed at how much more Warren is doing. He is aware of everything and is learning quickly. He will officially be eight months old on Monday, so I thought I would write some milestones and tidbits about what he is doing these days.

1. Warren has started saying "dada." (He started last week while Roy was in New Orleans.)

2. He is purposefully pushing buttons on his toys and making them play music (sometimes he pushes them with his feet!)

3. He can make his walker go forward, instead of just backward.

4. He can move his hand on his mouth and make noise like an Indian. (what is that called, anyway?)

5. He pick up and eat a whole star puff without choking.

6. He can roll a ball, but he likes to put it in front of his foot and just kick it. LOL

7. He is starting to get up on his knees and rock, and he scoots forward and backward and spins around on the floor.

8. He has had three colds since August, but each one he handles better and better.

9. He is infatuated with technology, particularly our cell phones, but he loves our computers, too.

10. He still LOVES to jump!

11. Even though he slobbers all the time, he has no tooth to show for it.

12. He likes to play peek-a-boo.

13. He is ticklish on his shoulders and thighs and back.

14. He gets bashful and will make eyes at his mommy (love that!)

15. He sleeps on his side, his back, and his tummy, and moves all over in his crib at night.

16. He sometimes roars like a lion.

17. He enjoys petting Cleo, and is determined to get her ears.

18. He is mesmerized by the Christmas tree.

19. He laughs when other people sneezes, and when he sneezes!

20. He gives the most fabulous kisses on demand, and sometimes even when we don't ask for them! He still sticks his tongue out on demand, too.

21. He likes to read, but not as much as mommy would like.

22. He plays "pass the pacifier" with mommy.

23. He is still wearing 6-9mths clothing, but the 12mths are not too far out of sight.

24. He cries at strangers (sometimes).

25. He lifts his arms up to be held.

On another note...today was the first day I had to leave Warren to cry himself to sleep in his bed. Normally when he's tired I just lay him in his bed, and he babbles and falls asleep. Today he was fighting it. It didn't matter if I rocked him or held him, he was still fussing hard, so I put him in his bed to work it out. He looked at me like I had abandoned him, and he started crying pitifully. I, of course, started crying too, and Roy laughed at me. Thankfully Warren only cried for a minute or two; he is breaking me in easy.

New Family Pics

2009-11-25T21:09:00.004-06:00

Roy came home from New Orleans late last night (hurray!), and my mom went back to Oklahoma today (sigh). Before she left, she used her skills (and patience!) and took some family photos for us! Below are a few of my favorites. Thanks for everything, Mom!!!

Like mother like daughter...

Grammie's Here and My First Haircut

2009-11-22T19:34:00.003-06:00

My mom came down to stay with Warren and I this week while Roy is in New Orleans presenting a paper at the SBL conference. Of course she gets the best pics, so I have to share.

Playing with Daddy and his hat on Thursday before he left.

Mommy's little stinker!

On Saturday Warren got his first haircut!
Before:

During:
He started crying as soon as the clippers turned on, poor baby. He sat perfectly still the whole time, though. At the end, someone felt bad for him and gave him a sucker. It was his first time to have one, and he liked it!

After:

Warren is just loving his time with Grammie!

Grammie bought him many new toys!

I stayed up until 2:30am yesterday to get the Christmas tree up. Mom got some great shots of us in front of the tree.

Warren is mesmerized by the tree. He got a chance to play with it a little during picture taking.

We are really missing Roy. He presents his paper tomorrow and will be home late Tuesday night. It is so nice to have my mom here while he is away. Thanks, Mommy!

Daddy bought me a monkey!

2009-11-14T19:40:00.003-06:00

While grocery shopping today, I saw this cute stuffed monkey and started showing it to Warren and playing with it with him. He was giggling and smiling and really liked it. We must have been a sight ... in the middle of the aisle, playing with our kiddo and taping him on our cell phone!

I started to put the monkey back, but Roy said we should get it for Warren, so we did! When I handed it back to Warren, he gave a super cute, heart-melting grin. When I put Warren into his carseat and handed him his monkey, I told him he wouldn't have that monkey if it had been up to me, but apparently his daddy is a pushover ... he always has been, he just doesn't want anyone to know it!!!!

Playing the piano Grammie and Papa gave me!

Tonight our good friend Tanya came over to visit. She lives in Houston now, so we don't get to see her very often. Warren wasn't sure about her at first, but then he warmed up to her. Cleo was jealous for Tanya's attention, for sure.

And of course I had to take a mommy and me pic today...

Prof Pics and Birthday Party

2009-11-09T18:19:00.003-06:00

Warren had his 6/7mth pics taken "professionally" - I use that term loosely because I think my mom's pictures of Warren are just as good or better. Anyway, I took pics of his pics, so I could show you all. Some have a glare or make his hair look dark on top, but they are super cute in person.

Warren was sleepy the day we got his pics, and he started crying at the photographer, so needless to say, this was his only real smile, and the photographer had to fake sneeze about four times to get it! (Warren thinks sneezes are hilarious!) I love that he has a dimple like his daddy.

On Saturday Warren went to his first birthday party. His friend Hudson turned one! I teach with Hudson's mommy.

Happy birthday, cutie pie!

I think Warren is in that stage where he cries when he sees people he doesn't know. At the party, every time Hudson's grandpa talked to Warren he started crying. In the pic below, he was somewhat happy with Zoe (another coworker's child) holding him, but shortly after he started crying again. Then on Sunday he cried nearly the whole time in Sunday School! Poor guy. At least he doesn't cry when we leave him at daycare.

At the end of the day, we were both exhausted!

Umm, okay, so he really doesn't look like me. Bummer.

Warren Is 7mths Old Today!

2009-10-31T20:17:00.009-05:00

Somebody pinch me because I must be dreaming... how can seven months have gone by so quickly????

Warren is just growing and changing and making us laugh and smile everyday. He is getting ready to move up to the next class at daycare, and they have been working with him to get him to hold his own bottle. While he can do it, he doesn't really like to; he would much rather rub or scratch his head with his hands, but he is getting better. He is still rolling all over the place, and now he can use his hands and arms to help him get where he wants to go. He has yet to say "dada" or "mama," but he still says "bubu" and today he made a definite "gu" sound. His favorite thing to do is jump! He also loves to sing and be sung to, and he really likes our computers and cell phones. He loves Cleo and follows her with his eyes everywhere she goes. He pets her and she kisses his hands... umm, she also licks his spit up, but we're working on that! He giggles at her when she sneezes or begs or sometimes when she just looks at him. He is still a great sleeper - goes to bed about 7pm and wakes up around 6 or 7am. This week he has had a runny nose, cough, and has lost much of his desire for a bottle. I am not sure if he has allergies, a cold, an ear infection, or is teething, but he is not 100%, that's for sure. He still loves to eat anything on a spoon, so at least I know he's not going hungry. We didn't do anything for Halloween, which apparantly makes us horrible parents, but we are just too practical - Warren has no clue, so why spend the money on an outfit that we will only use once to take a picture of him in?!!! Next year, I promise.

Random Pics from My Phone

2009-10-30T20:02:00.010-05:00

Yes, I have a digital camera, but I find myself more often taking pics using my cell. They are usually horrible, making my nose look of mammoth proportions, but mostly I take them to send to my mom and sister, and they love me no matter what! I decided to post some of these random pics because I don't want to forget the little things. Many are of Warren and me. I never want to forget what a great boy he is, how quickly he is growing, and how amazing each moment is with him. I also don't want to forget how Roy and I feel differently now that we're parents. Roy just mentioned tonight how it's hard to imagine we thought our lives were complete before we had Warren. We just can't imagine ourselves without him. I think it's safe to say we worship him - just don't let Warren know that!

I could do this all day

Getting kisses!

A Sunday morning before church.

Waiting in Dr. Guerra's office.

We seem to have spent lots of time there in the last couple months. Mommy shared her sugar-free chocolate mousse with me!
Tonight we took pics to send to Grammie and Aunt Kim. We really miss them.

Pics from the zoo

My new shirt!

I love taking pics of Warren while he sleeps on me.

Umm, yes - mammoth nose pic! But I love the shadow of Warren's dimple, so it's worth the emabarrassment.

Gramps gave me a swing!

Reading my favorite crunchy book from Aunt Kim.

I can drink from a sippy cup - somewhat.

This was a couple months ago, but I love it - all my babies together.

One of the many silly faces of Warren Van.

I am mesmerized by the camera/phone. I really like to chew on it.

Back on July 22 - so little.

Warren's First Trip to the Zoo

2009-10-17T20:10:00.010-05:00

Today was beautiful! We decided to enjoy the nice weather and take Warren to the Cameron Park Zoo. It was great to hang out as a family and just be together.

Before we left I had to take some pics of Warren in his little man clothes. I know we're biased, but we think he's just the cutest baby! He can sit up by himself and rolls all over the place!

Warren recently had his first taste of a teething cookie and decided he liked it.

I love his chubby pink cheeks in this pic.

Cleo is doing great with Warren now. She still doesn't want to hang out with him, but she does love on him and let him pet her. She gives him "kisses" and he just grins at her. Sometimes he even giggles at her. On this particular day, Roy was holding Warren on his lap, and I came into the room and saw Cleo all pouty faced and curled up in her bed.

6mth Checkup

2009-10-06T20:06:00.002-05:00

Warren had his checkup and 5 shots today (poor guy). He now weighs 18lbs 12oz (70th %) and is 26.5" long (50th %). His head is 16" in circumference (whatever that is supposed to tell us!) He is doing everything that he is supposed to do at 6mths - rolling all over the place, talking, jumping, holding his bottle (only when he wants to), switching toys from one hand to the other, putting his feet in his mouth, responding to noises, etc. It's always reassuring to know your kid is on track mentally and physically.

I got this new Sassy mesh teething gadget today. You put fresh fruit or veggies in it and a baby chews on it, getting little bits of the food, without choking. I put a cold chunk of fresh pineapple in it, and Warren just loved it! He chewed and sucked on that thing till there was no more juice left (okay, that sounded dirty, but you know what I mean!) He still has no teeth showing, and doesn't seem to be slobbering quite as much, so now we are not sure if he was/is teething! Roy says he isn't going to say Warren's teething until he sees that white tooth! Good plan, Honey.

Warren has not only started being a rolly-polly, but he now shakes his head no, esp. when we are changing his diaper. This morning I got him to do it on demand; it was great. He also sticks his tongue out really far on demand. He drinks very well out of a sippy cup, and wants to eat every time we are eating. He loves eating with a spoon, and he is so great at it, too.

Tonight he started saying, "ba, ba, ba, ba..." which is so close to "da, da" it makes me sick! I say "ma, ma" to him every chance I get, and what does he do but go and try to say "da, da" first!!!!! This kid is out to annoy me, just like his father. LOL

Fall Flair Arts and Crafts Market

2009-10-04T12:09:00.002-05:00

Yesterday my friend Taryn and I tried our hand at the craft show thing. It was in the quaint backyard of a local coffee shop, Common Grounds, which is right off Baylor campus. We made some money but had to pack up and leave after only about two and a half hours because of rain. It was a great experience, and we both learned a lot. After the show, we had lunch and then unloaded everything and exchanged jewelry. I have five new pieces to wear now! Taryn has just recently started up her jewelry business, and her pieces are awesome.

In the above pic, my main pieces are the wooden necklace sets to the left. Taryn's are on the far left of the pic and on the white display on the right side of the table. We have plenty left over since we had to leave early, so if you want to start Christmas shopping, let us know!!!!! Taryn's site is http://www.freewebs.com/tarynkayedesigns/. Mine is still a work in progress, but it's www.freewebs.com/debbeads.

I'm Six Months Old!

2009-09-29T19:23:00.003-05:00

We just can't believe our baby is already six months old! Where has the time gone?

Warren still makes us smile and laugh every day. He makes the best faces, and he just loves to play and jump.

We have decided he for sure is teething. He is aggressively chewing everything he can get his hands on, and he really likes cold things. I have started using teething tablets (thanks, Jen!) and they seem to be helping. He wasn't restless at all last night, so we all got a good night's sleep.
He is rolling over more frequently now, and he has started rolling from back to front - esp. when I am trying to change his diaper!!!

He is eating about three 8oz bottles a day, cereal mid morning, and nearly two small jars of baby food at dinner time. Sometimes he even has cereal again before bed. He had corn this week and really likes it. Heck, he likes anything if it's fed to him on a spoon!

He weighs about 17.5lbs, and is still in 6-9mth clothing. He has shown that he has lungs and definitely lets us know when he is not completely satisfied by screaming at us . He "sings" himself to sleep in the car now. Seriously, he makes long "uuuuuh" sounds and then all of a sudden...asleep. It's really sweet.

We are constantly getting compliments on how happy he is and what a good baby he is. We are truly blessed and surprised that he is the way he is. Who'da thunk it?!

Next Tues. is his official 6mth checkup and shots. I will post stats then.

Teething...I think

2009-09-19T09:01:00.003-05:00

It's back to the motherhood guesswork board. Last week Warren had a few days of diarrhea, loss of appetite, and lethargy. We gave him some Pedialyte and used lots of diaper rash cream, and he got better. Two nights ago he woke up at 11:30pm so stuffed up he could hardly breathe. We used the aspirator and saline drops and sat up with him for a while, and he went back to sleep. All day yesterday, last night, and today his poor nose is just running and his eyes are watering. I put him on Benedryl and it helps, but he is still very stuffy. The thing that makes it super sad is that he is still generally happy - except, of course, when we are using the aspirator, wiping his nose, or putting in saline drops. Whoa! We here about his unhappiness then! LOL He is eating well, thankfully, and he doesn't have a fever, but it's just so sad. I know the experts say diarrhea and congestion are not signs of teething, but just about every mom I talk to and every mom's blog I read says it is. He is almost 6mths old.... where is the time going?

To make things worse, my lower back started doing something funny this week. It hurts something awful, but it is still bearable, barely. Kinda feels like a disc issue, but I don't know. The pain makes it difficult to take care of Warren and do the things that I normally do w/o a second thought. Roy is being great, as usual. He went grocery shopping for me last night, and he also got up with Warren many times last night. I am trying to figure out how to do things lying down. I did manage to feed Warren while I was lying on the couch (Bless the person who invented the Boppy!), but now I am sitting up blogging and playing with Warren. I did find some Vicodin that my OB prescribed after I had Warren, so I took that for the pain. Hopefully this will pass soon. Just in case, I am planning to get my sub lesson plans and all set for Monday, so if I have to go to the doctor, I can w/o worrying about my class.

When life throws us lemons, we make a sour face, right???? Oh ya, lemonade. That's right. :)

Labor Day with Grammie and Papa

2009-09-08T21:27:00.003-05:00

On Sunday, Warren and I traveled to Ardmore to meet up with my parents. We stayed in a beautiful LaQuinta suite. It was not only nice to spend time with my parents, but I just LOVED watching them go nuts over my son. It's great (and kinda funny, too)! I think Warren knows he's got them wrapped around his finger. He puts on quite a show for them, really hamming it up.

I enjoyed the extra time I had with my son, too, though it made it even harder to go back to school today (sigh).

Warren got to be in a pool for the first time. He did great, though the water was a little too cold, so he only got to stay in about 5 or 6 minutes. He started shivering, so I took him to the hot tub and warmed him up by putting some water on him with my hands. He seems to love water no matter the temperature!

My mom took some great shots of Warren for his 5mth pic.

Gotta love his big smile! He was looking at me in this one: These next two pics were taken at Lake Murray.

I can't imagine my life without Warren or Roy. I am so happy when I am with them that all my other worries just fade into the background. My husband grounds me and gives me a sense of stability, while my son makes my heart soar and gives me a sense of pride. What more could I ask for? (to be a stay-at-home mom, maybe?!!!)

Too Cute for Words

2009-09-04T21:08:00.002-05:00

My First Color Sheet

2009-08-22T20:37:00.004-05:00

Warren came home from daycare last week with this picture that he had "colored." Too cute! I was so proud of him, and yet I felt a little sad inside because he is growing up so fast. This week he started blowing raspberries. I kept trying to get it on video, but he would stop and try to grab the camera. I am determined to get it though!

Resting with my sweet babies!

Okay, doesn't he look a LITTLE like me?????? The nose, maybe?

This pic was taken before church last Sunday. I thought he looked like such a little man in his outfit.
Warren is drinking about 6-7oz four times a day. He eats 2T of cereal and some juice around 1:30p, and then at 5 or 5:30p he eats baby food. He loves to eat with a spoon! He has had carrots, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, pears, bananas, and peaches. Tomorrow he will get to have meat for the first time. It is just so fun to feed him. Oh, and his bowels are totally working now that he is on solids. He is about 16lbs and wears mostly 6mth size clothes and #3 diapers.

He recognizes the sign for "milk" and "eat," and he knows how to give kisses. He loves to feel our faces and will often grab our noses or put his hand over our mouths. He esp. loves to feel his daddy's beard. He talks, slobbers, and screams, and he gets a little mad sometimes and shows his free will. He still sleeps from about 7:30p - 7a, but he doesn't nap very long during the day. He has done perfectly well adjusting to daycare. In fact, it seems he didn't have to adjust at all. He seems to like people and always has such a great demeanor. Roy and I say all the time how cool our kid is and how we are so surprised something this great could have come from the two of us! LOL

Warren's Not Perfect????

2009-08-17T22:22:00.002-05:00

Apparently our son is finding his free will. He has begun to "throw fits," arching his back and all. Yesterday he was throwing a fit because he didn't want to go to sleep, though he was absolutely exhausted. I can count on one hand the number of times he has cried since he was a week old, but I think that's all about to change. Today his daycare teacher told Roy that Warren yelled at her a couple of times! Uh-oh.

I found my feet!

2009-08-10T21:09:00.003-05:00

Warren has adjusted well to daycare. He started last Tuesday and has done a great job. The teacher is so great and organized, I didn't even cry when I dropped him off because I knew he would be well cared for. Such a relief! He is now eating cereal, peas, green beans, carrots, and peaches, and because of that, his bowels are working daily!!!! I never thought I would be so happy to change poopy diapers!

I just told Roy tonight that Warren is looking more like a little boy than a baby. I just love this face! He is very aware of the camera now, so he gets distracted with it.

In the past week or so, Warren has found his feet! He grabs ahold of them all the time. He has also found his thumb and likes to chew on it.

Roy was playing with Warren and put his hat on him. I guess when Roy realized how cute his son was, he started taking some pics!

How can you not want to kiss on this face?!!!

Last night Roy and I went to a backyard concert, and my coworker and friend, Kristi, babysat for us. I had to take a pic because it was Warren's first time with a sitter (other than family or daycare). As Roy said, Kristi "seems to have a level head on her shoulders" (ha!) and she did a fine job. I knew she would; she has an adorable son of her own to whom she is a great mommy. Thanks, Kristi!
We have had some sickness lately around our household. I had a major stomach bug or food poisoning the past two days, and Warren was sent home from daycare today with a 100.1 fever. He seems to be feeling okay, though it is obvious he is not totally himself. So far he does not seem to be in any pain. His appetite has gone down, and he's not as active as normal, but otherwise, he is okay. We've been giving him Tylenol, and his fever will go down for 4hrs, then come back up, so we give him some more. Hopefully he will sleep it off tonight and will be just fine tomorrow. He has been slobbering and chewing like crazy, so I suppose it's possible he may be teething, but he is still a little young, and I can't feel any bumps on his gums... more guesswork.

4 Month Check Up

2009-08-04T22:24:00.006-05:00

I'm four months old!!!!

It's still hard for me to believe that my baby is 4mths old. Crazy. Where has all the time gone?

Warren had his check up on Monday. He weighed 15.9lbs (63rd percentile), was 25 1/4in long (62nd percentile), and his head was 16 1/2in around. Doc said he looked great, and he was happy with his growth and development. Warren did great with his shots, too. He did cry, but not for long. He ran a fever that evening, but he was perfectly fine today.

Being measured by the nurse

I started back to work today, and Warren started his school, too. I dropped him off at daycare about 8:30am, and they had everything set up and ready for him, name tags and all. Great place! Super organized, clean, and calm. I felt so good when I left that I didn't even cry! That's a miracle! Roy picked Warren up about 2:30pm, and he slept all the way home and for an hour in his car seat, then played a while, then went back to sleep, only waking up to eat and then right back to sleep for the night. I guess he played a lot at school today! Their report shows he only took two 30min naps, so I am sure he was tired due to his new environment.

I started Warren on peas this week. I had Roy get ready with the video cause I expected a sour face when Warren first tasted them, but to our amusement - he liked them! No funny face at all. He held them in his mouth for a few seconds, swallowed, then was ready for more! Oh well, we may not win any funny-home-video contests, but watching him eat is cute, so I still have to share it. (The first few bites were cereal, then I switch to the peas.)

Warren Meets My Old Roomie

2009-07-31T22:54:00.003-05:00

Thursday afternoon Warren and I went to Waxahachie to see my former college roommate, Melissa (We call her "Mel"; she hates that name - Roy started it!). Unfortunately Warren didn't show off very well until about the last 15minutes of our visit. He was kinda fussy the rest of the time. As we were about to leave, he finally decided he liked Mel, and he gave her a present of prune juice spit-up. Nice.

I love seeing Roy with our son. He is the best daddy (and husband, for that matter) anyone could ask for, and he brings a smile to our face everyday. When he talks, Warren turns around and listens immediately (me, not so much!). He has even written several songs for Warren. His most recent is about "Mr. Ceiling Fan" - Warren's favorite thing to look at.

Tonight Roy took me to Pei Wei. Yummo! Then we came home, fed Warren and put him to bed, and then Roy made me a mudslide, and we watched Burn After Reading. The movie made little sense, but hey, it starred George Clooney, and I can always watch him!!!!! (Yes, Roy knows I feel this way!)

Proof and Pudding (well, oatmeal, actually)

2009-07-29T23:19:00.006-05:00

I have proof, Kelly!!!!!!!! It's a bit dark, but I got video of Warren rolling over today:

I am amazed at how easy my kid is! I fed him his oatmeal with a spoon for the first time today, and he did so well! He kept his hands out of his mouth, swallowed very well, and even opened his mouth for the spoon. (Sorry it's so dark; you know how light sensitive Roy is, so we don't have much light coming in, and I don't think to open the curtains before videoing. Gotta work on that!)

Feeding him was so fun! I can't wait until tomorrow when I get to feed him again!

It's amazing how much developmental progress a baby makes in just one day. Warren now has no problem holding himself up on his tummy. He even seems to like it - mostly.

I love to watch Warren play. He was intently focused on that frog and kept spinning it.

Television - yup, he loves it!

I took about ten pics while Warren was watching TV, and I think I stopped after this one... can you see the cuss word in his eyes?!!!! LOL

Warren loves to be naked or in just his diaper. Before I gave him a bath today, I made his day by letting him hang out with daddy in just a diaper. They were watching TV, of course, and I took several more pics... again, this was the last one: If looks could kill.

Warren Rolled Over!!!

2009-07-27T21:24:00.003-05:00

Warren rolled over from tummy to back for the first time today!!!! Twice!!! I was just texting with my friend Kelly who said Brady has already rolled over. He is a couple weeks younger than Warren. I texted her that Warren had not yet rolled over. Our conversation reminded me to put Warren on his tummy, and as soon as I did, he was up on his elbows and pushed himself over within five seconds! I couldn't believe it! Roy was home, so he came and watched as I put Warren on his belly again, and sure enough, he rolled over again within a few seconds!!! We were so excited for our son! Then we tried several times to get him to do it again, so we could get it on video, but of course he wouldn't perform! Needless to say, Kelly told me "no video, no proof" when I told her what Warren had just done! LOL I admit it sounded a little fishy since I just told her he hadn't done it yet, and then when she tells me her son had, my son suddenly does it! But Roy saw, so I have proof!!!! :)

We also started cereal tonight. I started him on infant oatmeal instead of the typical rice. He has enough issues with his bowels; I didn't want to take any chances. He did well and seemed to like it. I put it in a bottle feeder since it's so runny at this point. I did give him a few bites from a spoon, too.

These days are just getting better and better....!!!!!!

A Little of This, A Little of That

2009-07-25T23:56:00.005-05:00

I have mentioned in recents posts that Warren is "talking," but I forgot I had a video of him doing it! We just love to hear his voice!

This pic below was taken a few days before the video. I was eating lunch and had Warren in his Bumbo, and he would holler at me in a high-pitched voice, and I would mimic him, then he would do it again. We did this for several minutes! I just love the big grin on his face. No better lunch date.

While my parents were here I was able to defrost my deep freeze like I wanted, but I was also able to make new curtains for my kitchen! My mom made a matching table runner for our breakfast table which looks awesome. (I forgot to take a pic before I started posting, and I'm just too lazy to go do it now!) I hope to make matching curtains and a table runner for our dining room, just not sure when. I have recently learned how to tie-dye. I learned how in order to tie-dye curtains and pillow cases for my classroom. They turned out well, so I thought I would try my hand at tie-dyeing onesies. It's really fun to do, though I have a few glitches to iron out - like not laying the shirts close together or their colors will bleed! (Ugh.) I also haven't figured out how to keep the color from fading during the first wash. Maybe I am washing too soon? Anybody have tips for me??? The blue and red one is bright in the pic below, but after I washed and dried it, it looked more like pink and light blue...hmm. I am not washing the others until they have totally air dried. I wonder if that will make a difference?
While I was rinsing out the onesies, Roy came into the kitchen and said with a drone, "Hmm, looks like you found a new hobby." I later let him know it's only about $2.50 per onesie... a cheap hobby!

Tonight we went out to eat (a little break from the ole' diet!), and Warren was a big hit! Seems like we were asked half a dozen times how old he was and what his name was, and of course, we were told over and over about how darn cute he was! Funny how much pride you feel as a parent when someone compliments your kid. Mercy be granted to the one who says something negative about him one day!!!!!! (And by the way, Warren did great in the restaurant [unlike the last two times when he cried fiercely.] We decided to take him out of his carrier as soon as we got there, so he could get some energy out while we were eating our bread. When our food came, he didn't mind being in his seat for a while. It worked this time, but will it next time???)

More of the Sweetest Pics

2009-07-21T22:30:00.002-05:00

My Grammie worships me!

Reading time with my sweet Grammie.

Aunti Kim gave me this outfit.

The best smile.

Spikey hair, blue eyes, lots of slobber - who could resist kissing this?

Grandparents Time and Cute Pics

2009-07-20T19:11:00.003-05:00

My parents came down last week, and we have had a great time hanging out. It is so fun to watch them with Warren. I love this pic, and Warren loves his grandpa. You can't really see it, but the cute "bug" outfit Warren is wearing was from his Grandpa - he pooped on it later that day! (Warren did the pooping on it, not Grandpa! LOL)

We went to Baylor to take some pics. Here are just a few:

Grandpa, Grammie, and Peanut (that's my mom's nickname for Warren)

"I am a cool dude."

This one is my favorite of Warren. I LOVE it!!! Mommy and me...
Warren is growing and changing all the time. He has started to mimic us now. He gives a really high pitch quiet scream, then looks at us and smiles, then we do it back, then he does it again. We have done that for about 5mins nonstop with him!
He also "sings" in his bouncy. He has a frog hanging on it that plays music, and I would always sing with it. Well Warren started pulling on the frog himself and then making longer cooing sounds, only when the music plays. When it stops, he stops, and then he pulls the frog again and starts singing again!
Yep, my three and a half month old is advanced, for sure, and if you disagree and say all this development is just normal, don't tell me if you value your life... I will find you!

My Best Bud

2009-07-14T09:38:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, my best bud, Brady, came over to play. He is 2.5wks younger than me, but he is strong! He can push himself up on his arms when he's on his tummy! I can't do that yet! Mommy says that's because she doesn't like it when I cry, so she doesn't make me lay on my tummy very long. She says it's okay because I will develop those skills soon enough.

While our mommies were talking, Brady and I watched some TV together.
My bud was so funny to me. I just watched him for a long time, and he made me laugh aloud so hard that my belly moved! I also talked to his mommy, Kelly. She liked that.

Mommy says my bud Brady is really cute, but she told me I am still the cutest baby in the world! (But I'm not tellin' Brady's mommy that! Shhh!)

So Much Can Change in A Week

2009-07-12T21:20:00.003-05:00

Today was Warren's first time to go to Sunday School. He looked super cute in his tie onesie!

We are so amazed how Warren can not be able to do something one day, then the very next day, he can! Example? Reaching/grabbing things held in front of him. He started about two days ago to just reach for things, but now he's got it down.
He played on his play mat for about 40mins today, just moving and grabbing his toys. I, of course, had to get it on video.

Another thing Warren has started to do is scream while cooing. It's not really loud yet, just really high pitched, but it seems to be getting more frequent and louder each day. Love it!

Warren's First Date

2009-07-08T18:52:00.002-05:00

This adorable baby girl is Warren's girlfriend, Cilla. She is the daughter of a sweet friend, and Warren and I went over to their house for lunch today. We put them next to each other and they were soooo cute! Cilla is 2.5 weeks older than Warren, and she just stared at him, but he seemed to be more interested in us two mommies. We told Cilla, "He's just not that into you"!

They were playing footsies and "holding" hands a couple times.

Warren is doing wonderfully. He weighs 14.6lbs now, and he smiles at us all the time. He enjoys other people, too, which is great. He wants to stand and/or sit up all the time, and he jabbers several times a day. He likes to watch Cleo, but she is still keeping her distance. LOL

Spending time with Daddy.

Super cute in his hat!

Trying to watch TV, but Momma keeps getting in the way.

My parents are coming to visit next week. I am excited to see them and for Warren to hang out with his Grammie and Grandpa, but I am also excited to have some free time to do some summer projects like defrost my deep freeze, clean out closets, etc.