Hey big brown eyes!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! It is the day after and the ribbons and bows have started to settle. New toys are piled everywhere as are new clothes for us all. We have spent several days with family and are happy to return to our nice, warm home. Oh yes, we had our heat go out last weekend and ... long story short it was not fixed until today, so we have been spending time with the grandparents. It was a fun new way to spend the holidays (since all the family is in town, we normally come home each night), I must admit. However, we are all happy to be home today.

Miles had a great first Christmas and has really started sitting up on his own more confidently. If he sits still (rare!), he can sit on his own for quite a while, but he usually is too busy flinging himself around after toys or someone to sit for very long.

(Eric, Miles and Miles's great-grandmother Mema)

Mason got a train table and lots of new trains for it. He is so excited that we put it together this morning. We are all having fun putting the track together! He also received a remote controlled car and is having so much fun running it all over the house! Miles is so funny -- when the car is zooming around, he watches it so intently!

(Hannah, Kaleb and Mason intently watching the train go around Nana and Papa's tree)

On a side note, I will be taking Miles soon for a second opinion on his constipation issues. We continue to struggle in that area, even though I have not mentioned it lately. Hopefully a different doctor will give us more than "let's give it 2 more months." It has already been 6 months, what is the point of waiting 2 more and not trying anything new??? It is so hard to just sit by and watch him struggle and have terrible gas pains when he cannot go for several days at a time. But, he is a trooper and generally keeps his happy, smiling demeanor about life!

Take care and I will post some pics of the boys from Christmas very soon!

7 years and counting!

Miles had an ear check on Monday morning. He has fluid in both ears still, but no infection. YEA!! We go back in a month for another check. If there is still fluid, we will have to see an ENT doctor. If we have to go in before then with an ear infection, we will also have to see an ENT. So, in the middle of cold and flu season, we will hope and pray for the best.

Sunday was our 7 year wedding anniversary. Amazing that it has gone by so quickly!

And, Christmas is just a week from today!!! I love Christmas!! I still have a few gifts to finalize, but all in all I am just about finished! I am excited to see Mason's reaction to all the fun gifts and magic of Christmas. We plan to drive around Highland Park and see lights this weekend. He gets so excited about trees and lights! We have 3 small pencil trees in our entry that have snow but no lights. Mason looked at them the other day and looked at me and told me "no lights, Mommy". When Dylan (a friend) came over, she said "ooh, Christmas trees" and Mason quickly informed her "no lights". So, they both walked around saying "no lights" like it was totally disappointing and wanted me to understand that!! Very funny!! Maybe I will put some lights on them next year. And, this is Miley-Moo's first Christmas, so that is very exciting. He also loves looking at the lights on the tree. I am not sure if he will be able to see any lights on houses from his car seat, but maybe he will see some and enjoy the ride. So, Merry Christmas everyone! There will be plenty of pics posted from all the festivities with cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles!!

Boston.....here we come!!!!!

HE DID IT!!!! Eric qualified to run the Boston marathon. The big-daddy of marathons! He ran the Dallas White Rock marathon in 3:10:25. His qualifying time is 3:10, but they give a 1 minute grace period, so he did it! It was quite exciting to watch Eric reach this amazing goal. The boys and I are so proud of him. So, on the third Monday in April 2009, we plan to head to Boston for him to run. Just as an FYI, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annually contested marathon. (www.bostonmarathon.com)


(Eric is in the white shirt)



In other news, Mason and Miles are doing well. Mason continues to amaze and frustrate me daily. I know, I'll miss these days at some point in the future. I am not always sure about that! Miles also amazes and frustrates me, but in different ways. He continues to rub his ears and is having trouble sleeping at nights. Yesterday, he ate 40 oz of formula, cereal once and three 4 oz jars of fruit. I am not sure where the kid puts all the food, but he must have his daddy's metabolism! Friday we have a follow-up appointment with the Gi doctor and Monday we have an ear check scheduled. I'll post results from both of those.

Fun pics from Houston

Just wanted to post a few pics from our Thanksgiving trip to Houston. Miles met some of the extended family for the first time. Everyone had a great time!

The girls: Kim, Betty (Mimi), Kendra and Emilyn

Miles and Great-great Aunt Lois

Mason, Kendra, Miles, Emilyn and Auntie Kim

Great-Aunt Karen, Miles, Great Grandma Kimball and Emilyn

Another week....

.... another double ear infection for Miles. Yes, that is right. We went yesterday for Miles' 6 month "well baby" (haha) check-up and found out about his ears. He did still get his shots, so he is in quite a grumpy mood today. He is still sleeping ok, so that is a blessing as I am still getting over my respiratory infection. Miles updated stats: 16 lbs, 15 oz (45%), 28 1/4" (93%).

Mason remains healthy and happy. He is dealing with all the sick grumpy people in his life pretty well. He is also starting to get excited about Christmas and Santa. I hope to take him over to see the Trains at North Park Mall, so we'll post some pics or at least commentary about that once we go.

5 days until Eric's marathon. Please keep him in your prayers for continued good health, strong legs and the mental strength to not let outside factors (the warm weather) impact his focus. Thanks all!

Yes, it's inevitable.....

Well, the boys have been sick for several weeks. Mason is almost well, but has a lingering cough. Miles has had 2 sets of ear infections (or maybe the first didn't go away. who knows!). I came down with an upper respiratory infection (read: viral = no medicine to make it go away or feel better sooner). Eric now has some congestion as well. I know that when you have kids coughing, sneezing and laying on you that it is almost inevitable that mom and/or dad get sick also. But this stinks. Miles has not slept a full night in almost a month. And, the pediatrician said on Tuesday that he looks like all 4 of his front teeth are ready to cut through. Wouldn't that be odd?? And, the top look more swolen than the bottom. Has anyone seen a baby with top teeth and not the bottoms in yet? Very odd.

Just a quick request to keep Eric in your prayers. He is running the White Rock marathon next Sunday, so this is not a good time for him to get sick. He needs to be healthy going into it in order to be able to qualify for Boston.

Only one other milestone to report is that Miles sat up by himself for the first time on Sunday, November 24th! Better late than never! :) Next milestone is crawling! I'm scared to have two mobile boys in the house!!! Maybe you should keep me in your prayers also!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello everyone!
Not much is going on around here. We are getting ready for Thanksgiving, which we will be spending with Eric's family. We are looking forward to spending some time with his sister, Kim, her hubby, Ben and our newest niece, Emilyn. (See their website at babyfearing.com).
Miles is slowly getting over his ear infection. He is also doing so much better on the formula. He has been pooping most days over the last couple of weeks (with very few doses or milk of magnesia). I now have approximately 60 bags of pumped milk in my freezer that I have no idea what to do with. I just don't think that I could throw it all out! His reflux is also much better. It is not totally gone, but it is not daily that he is going through several outfits.
Mason is great. He is starting to show some signs of turning the corner on the "terrible 2's". Again, everyday is not perfect, but I am seeing signs of things getting better. He has also learned to spell his name --- MSON. He refuses to say the "a". He skips it every time. He did the same thing when he first started counting to 10 - he would skip 7 every time. I think that he does it to make me crazy.
Mason is up from his nap, so quiet time is over! Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. I'll post some pics of the family soon.

Update - Miles

Miles has a double ear infection. The ped gave him a stronger antibiotic. It was a very long weekend and we haven't slept much in several days. More later....

Another dr trip

Miles has been really fussy most of this week and did not sleep well the last few nights. So, we are going to visit the pediatrician's office (anybody know of a ped with a frequent visitor program??? We would qualify lately!) later this morning to have his ears checked for another infection. Both boys have had a cold for a couple of weeks and Miles has not really seemed to be totally over his last ear infection two weeks ago. Please keep our family's health in your prayers. We need them lately. Momma (and daddy) are really tired right now! I'll update after we go to the doctor.

New pics of Miles - 5 1/2 months old

"Don't give me attitude, Mommy!"

So, this morning I was dressing Mason for another fun filled day. Mason asked about going to school (mother's day out, which is on Monday and Thursdays). I told him that he went yesterday and will go again on Thursday. I told him Miles will also be going to school on Thursday. Then I said (with a slight bit of sarcasm in my voice) "what will I do to fill my hours without you and your brother around? What am I going to do, Mason???" He looked me in the eyes and with a very serious look on his face, said "Don't give me attitude, Mommy!" I sat, stunned, for a moment trying to decide what he had just said and then busted out laughing. Apparently, Mason has heard this a few times lately (a few hundred probably) and I guess he picked up on the sarcasm in my voice. I could not help just cracking up laughing. He started laughing also (probably so he didn't get into trouble for attitude again). Nothing prepared me for this part of motherhood!

Enjoy the laugh and have a great week!

PS... Sunday's run -- 4 miles - 50:00 mins

Running

We have had a rough day in the Kimball house today. Mason has been a typical 2-year-old (read: attitude, tantrums, etc). A very wise mommy told me to take away something that means something to him to stop the meltdowns. So, today we did not go outside. The really hard part about that is that is how he runs off his energy and steam. He (like daddy) loves to be outside. He loves to dig in the dirt, collect rocks in his big dump truck and run up and down the front walk and driveway. Not going outside means a harder, longer evening and bedtime when we don't go outside. I need to find something else that means something to him (his blankets maybe???), but that is really the most effective way to get his attention. I don't know what to do!

Miles is also super fussy with teething, runny nose and the remnants of his ear infection. He has hardly eaten today and what he has eaten has mostly been spit back up. He is on his 4th outfit for the day and it is covered in spit-up, but I just can't change him again. He'll be getting a bath soon anyway.

On a totally different note -- or maybe a similar one since it has to do with me getting a break from the boys...........I have decided that I am going to train for a half-marathon (13.1 miles). I have never had the desire to do this until recently. I honestly have no idea why I decided to do it, but I have. So, I am putting it out there so that everyone can hold me accountable (and please, please, please do ask me about running and training! I need the pressure and encouragement!). Eric's sister, Kim and I will be running the Cowtown half-marathon on February 23rd (107 days away per cowtownmarathon.org). However, if my body (hips and pelvis especially) tells me that this is not a smart plan and that I just shouldn't run that far, I will be smart and stop training for such a long distance. But, for now the plan is to run (and hopefully lose a few more lbs!!!). To date, the farthest I have ever run is 6 miles (10k in May '06), so this will be a huge challenge to more than double that distance. Yesterday I ran 3 miles in 33:00 minutes. Today, 2 miles in 24:00. I'll post my progress and runs.

Preschools

"Buzz Lightyear" on Halloween

Mommy and her favorite lil' pumpkin at the Pumpkin Patch. Miles wanted to chew on the stem of the pumpkin.

We visited our first preshool for Mason this morning. We are looking at schools for next fall. Many take applications in January, so we have to make decisions pretty quickly. It is so hard to believe that we are at this point in our baby's life. Mason will be 3 in January. I can hardly believe it. I am not sure where the time goes. I am sure that next time I turn around, I will be enrolling Miles into preschool.
There are so many decisions on schools also. 3 or 5 days a week? What school? What teaching philosophy - more play based, montessori, etc? I never knew that there would be so much to think about. We didn't go to preschool and turned out just fine. But, everyone sends their kids now. Kids are "behind" at age 5 if they don't have some sort of schooling before kindergarten. Crazy!!
Miles had his first stuffy nose at the end of last week. Thursday night he hardly slept at all (and yes, Eric was out of town so I was totally on my own with both boys) and Friday the pediatrician told me he has a pretty bad ear infection. Poor kid is still stuffy and now has a runny nose, so he cannot lay flat to sleep. The ear seems better. But, he is working on cutting a tooth. It is close to cutting through and he is chewing on everything in sight! Let's hope it comes in quickly and my happy boy will come back to me!!

Another GI appt and the Pumpkin Patch

Here's the latest on Miles... since me being dairy-free did not help Miles' constipation, we have to try him on formula only (Nutramigen) for 2 weeks. I can either wean totally and be done with nursing or pump & dump for those two weeks. If he is not better in 2 weeks, Miles will have to have a biopsy. I'm just going to assume that he will be much, much better in a few weeks and we will be done with all this frustration.

On a happier note, we went to the pumpkin patch at the Dallas Arboretum on Tuesday with several friends. We all had a great time and the kiddos ran and ran and ran! They were quite worn out when we got home (and so was mommy)!! As a really funny side note, Mace calls pumpkins "penguins". I corrected him a few times, but it is so cute, I'm just letting him say it. By next year, he probably will not do it and I will miss him innocence!

(Mason and Dylan Jo playing in the hay maze. They sorta missed the concept and climbed over the hay bales rather than running around them. They were very cute though!!!)

Miles rolled over!

I forgot to post that Miles rolled over for the first time this past weekend. Saturday morning I put him on his tummy and over he went. He has tried over and over and over lately but didn't quite make it. This time he did. Yea Miles! We are working on our first tooth (bottom right). Hopefully we'll be able to report on that soon! I'll put up video of him soon.

"Be Patient"

This weekend, Miles was sitting in his highchair screaming because Mommy was not getting his cereal and pears ready quite fast enough. I realized that Mason (an incredibly impatient 2-year-old) was singing the "Be Patient" song to Miles. This was so funny and ironic to me in several ways: 1) Mason is never patient. 2) Miles is rarely impatient. 3) I had no idea that Mason listened to me when I sing it to him. 4) I had no idea that Mason knew the words to the song (see below)!
Be Patient. Be Patient. Don't be in such a hurry.
When you get impatient you only start to worry.
Remember, remember, that God is patient too.
Just think of all the times when others have to wait for you.

Mason also tells Miles to "stop screaming Miles" when Miles starts "talking" (which is more like a scream to get noticed). I guess most 2-year-olds prefer to tell others what to do rather than actually follow rules themselves.

On another note, we have quite a busy week. Tomorrow we are going to the Dallas Arboretum to see the beautiful fall flowers, pumpkins, and petting zoo. I have a follow-up appointment with Miles' GI doctor scheduled for Wednesday morning. I am going to push to have him tested for the milk allergy before I commit to any further plan of action. Thursday will be Miles' first day at school (Mother's Day Out). Mommy will finally get some alone time. I am not sure I will know what to do with all my free time!! I'll be posting pictures (from the Arboretum, not the doctor visit) and updates as time allows.

Maybe it is a milk allergy

OK. I admit it. As I thought about Miles' diagnosis of having a cow's milk allergy, I was skeptical. Everything I have read shows different signs (diarrhea, etc). But, I decided to give it a try and put myself on a dairy-free diet. I won't go into the pain and frustration that this diet has caused me because I would do anything for my boys. I have been dairy-free since October 13th (except for one minor glitch yesterday-oops!). Miles has pooped 1-2 times a day since Friday. 5 days in a row is a huge deal for him! I also started putting ground flax-seed in his cereal, so I am going to stop that and see what happens. I don't know which is the "cause" of the pooping - dairy-free diet or flax-seed.

Now, I have to decide how long he is going to continue nursing. I always have said I'd nurse around 6 months (or until teething gets the better of me). He will be 5 months on Friday. I am willing to stay dairy-free but worry that if I slip-up again and have something "forbidden" that I will feel responsible if he gets constipated. Why do we, as moms, always feel guilty about every decision we make and feel guilty over the other options available to us (I'll feel guilty if I nurse and slip-up and I'll feel guilty if I wean him)?

Mason has hit a "fun" new phase in the last few days. Back-talking has begun. He also has this look he has started giving me that I am sure I will see again when he is a teenager. In fact, I didn't expect to get this look for another 8-10 years. It's that look of "mom, have no idea what you are saying and I resent you for trying to correct me or tell me what to do". He is making me crazy with this attitude. If anyone has suggestions on how best to handle the backtalking, I would love to hear them. Time-outs and taking away toys/priviledges does not seem to be working so far.

Miles update - Test complete

Miles came through the test like a champ. He did not fuss at all and was a perfect angel! We were able to be in with him the entire time and I held his hands and talked to him to keep him occupied.

They do not think it is Hirschsprungs's Disease. They would have to do a biopsy to fully rule that out. But, his colon is longer than normal, which can cause constipation. They don't know if it was always longer or if it stretched when he has been constipated to accommodate the extra poop. I did find out that there is a test they can do to test for the milk allergy, so I will be asking for that before we go on the new formula and totally wean him.

The only difficult part of the test was trying to get him to poop out the barium at the end. He was pretty unhappy about us trying to get him to go. That was the only time he cried. As of almost 2 hours later, he has not pooped out most of the barium still, so I am going to have a nasty mess on my hands sometime today!! They wanted to get it out while we were there so that they could get an x-ray of him "empty", but he was only about 1/3 empty.

Thanks to everyone for the prayers and thoughts. They were appreciated and kept me sane this week. I hope to talk to the doctor tomorrow and see where we go from here.

Mason

I have been focused on Miles lately and all his health issues that I often do not post about Mason's progress. So, today is all about Mason. I took some pictures of both boys yesterday and as I was looking back through them, I realized that my "baby" is quickly becoming a boy. I tell him all the time that he is a big boy or he needs to act like a big boy. But, I didn't quite get that he is a big boy. He gives me this look from time to time that is much more "mom" than "mommy". He sometimes calls me mom and that drives me crazy!!

He loves to dance and sing. He sings his "ABC's" (but usually leaves out the letter J -- I think on purpose). He knows most of his colors but usually gives me the wrong color the first time he is asked because he knows it drives me crazy! We are working on learning letters by sight now. His favorite books are "Go, Dog, Go!" and "Go, Train, Go!" by Dr. Seuss (notice a theme -- he is ALWAYS on the G-O. I blame his daddy!). He will spontaneously start quoting large portions of each book while he is playing. He rarely will do this if asked, you just have to catch him doing it. He is a little shy at first, but quickly warms up and loves attention. He is into making animal noises lately and the new favorite is the elephant. He loves to play with our neighbor's son, Chris. They are going to get into much trouble together in the next several years, I am quite sure. And, he is always loyal to his best-friend, Dylan Jo. He asks to play with her and they get each other through the difficult drop-off time at Mother's Day Out.

Our neighbor bought a golf cart and all the neighborhood kids love to ride in it. Yesterday, he let Mason drive it for the first time. It is a pretty scary glimpse of things to come in about 12 years when Mason gets his learners permit! Click the arrow on the video below to see him driving (the man in the video is our neighbor, David)!!!

Enjoy the pictures of our little man and baby (for now) Miles! I will post more tomorrow after we get finished with Miles' test to let everyone know how he (and Mommy and Daddy) is doing.

Yucky day

Today is a yucky day. The weather is dreary (but actually finally getting fall-like). My mood apparently matches the weather. Just kinda blah.

The boys and Iwent to the library for toddler story time. Mason really seemed to enjoy it. They had a Peruvian man there and he played some flutes, drums and other instruments from Peru. Mason liked the music and seemed to enjoy dancing and clapping with the music. Miles also had a good time - it was his first (of many) library trip.

The dairy-free diet is coming along. I have decided that everything has some form of dairy in it. All comfort foods do, all convenience foods do and anything that is satisfying has dairy foods in it. If it were not for the fact that it is for my son's health, I would have ditched it after the first meal! But, I am on day 4 and am slowly adjusting... I guess. One more funny story for the baby book and to tell when he is a teenager to his friends/dates. So far, it does not seem to have impacted Miles' tummy, but I am still holding out hope.

Hope everyone is having a great day! I just heard Mason calling for me -- naptime is apparently over.

Miles update - first GI appointment

We took Miles to the GI doctor on Friday and he wants us to rule out the possibility of a milk allergy. So, we have changed his cereal and formula (Nutramigen) and eliminated all dairy from my diet as long as he is still nursing. This eliminated most of the things that I usually eat including almost all "convenience foods" and most breakfast foods. So, if it turns out to be a milk allergy, we will be weaning pretty quickly!

But, we are also going to have a test done on Thursday morning at 9:30AM to rule out the possiblity of another condition. I am sure that it is going to be fine, but the anticipation of having our 4-month old baby having a horrible sounding test is stressing me out a bit. And, no comfort foods to make me feel better.... so, I am learning new ways to deal, I guess. He also gave us 2 new medicines for the reflux. So far, no change on that front. But, he also said that if it is a milk allergy, dairy in my diet could be making the spitting-up worse.

On a good note, Miles is his normal, happy self. And, he won't remember any of this is happening! Thanks to everyone that e-mailed over the weekend and that have kept us in their prayers. We would ask for them again this week and especially Thursday morning!

The marathon that wasn't

Sunday, October 7th. Chicago, IL.
The 30th Anniversary of the Chicago marathon.
5 months of training.
90 degree weather. In Chicago. In October.
Yes, that is correct.
Last year, the weather was low 40's with rain/snow.
Who knew there would be a random heat wave.
Long story short..... Eric did not qualify for Boston. The weather was against him and the other 40,000 people that trained months and months for this one event on this one day. Fortunately, the White Rock marathon in Dallas is 8 weeks away. He'll try again and I am confident he will succeed. The most importany thing is that he is healthy and we are home with our two precious boys. A 35-year old man with 3 children died at the race on Sunday. Hundreds were treated or hospitalized because of dehydration or heat stroke. Eric was fortunate and so are we that he is healthy. On a happy note, we spent a fabulous weekend with our precious niece, Emilyn (oh yeah, and her parents). She is getting so big and loves to stand, talk, smile and let Auntie Kendra dress her up! That was so much fun -- pink and bows and ruffle-bottom bloomers!! And, the boys stayed in Dallas with the grandparents. They had a fabulous time (of course) and so did mommy and daddy. It was nice to have some time away from potty training, diapers, drool, crying, and all the other fun baby/toddler antics. I missed them more than I can say but am recharged and happy that we decided to take some time away. I even read books with words and no pictures! We watched movies on the plane other than Thomas or Disney. All in all it was a great weekend for overall!
Later this week, I will be calling Miles' pediatrician for a referral to a pediatric GI doctor. He showed signs of improvement with his pooping but he has again stopped going. His last poop was Saturday. He did go a tiny bit yesterday, but it was definitely not 3 days worth. Please keep us all in your prayers. I am extremely nervous about what they will find and also anxious to have answers to so many unanswered questions. I will continue posting about his progress and any upcoming appointments.

Hope everyone has a fabulous last half of the week. Keep in touch!
Kendra

Calvary First Baptist Church

Early this morning, Calvary First Baptist Church was destroyed by a fire. My brothers and their families attend that church. Kelley and Tara were married in that church. Some of their babies were dedicated there. It is a very sad day. But, they are committed to rebuilding and have a positive attitude about the whole thing.
Please keep the church family and the pastor, Bro. Mac Costlow, in your thoughts and prayers.

A new week!

It is a new week and a time to start fresh, right? It has already been a little tiresome and it's only Tuesday! Ugh!! Mason was a little sick over the weekend - just a little cough and he lost his voice. And, have I mentioned that we are in the middle of the "terrible 2's"? He can be the sweetest kid in the world and then he can turn - on a dime - into some other person's kid. My kid wouldn't act like that, right? :) I won't go into the details (so as to not have the world know all the bad things that happen behind closed doors), but potty-training regression, hitting (the neighbor's kid with a toy shovel- long story there!!!), and lots of back-talking have been involved.

Miles has recovered from his shots. We have started cereal and his constipation has not gotten better (in fact it is worse), so unless things change drastically over the next week (the goal is to have him poop at least once a day), I will be calling our pediatrician back early next week. He will then be sending us to a GI specialist. Please keep Miles (and mommy) in your prayers about this. With "food" in his system, he is getting much crankier much faster than he did with just milk. He has not pooped since Saturday and is getting quite fussy about it. I think that I would be too!!!

Eric will be running his third marathon (yes, a full 26.2 miles) on Sunday. I am so proud of him and his dedication to something so difficult (mentally and physically). He made it through the training this year with no injuries (last year he had a stress fracture in his leg)! I'll post his finishing time and some pics early next week. If you are really interested, you can go to:
http://www.chicagomarathon.com/CMS400Min/Chicago_Marathon/spectators_volunteers/index.aspx?id=510
and register to receive updates on his progress at three points during the race.

Thanks for reading and for the great comments!

(Update: As I finished posting this, I thought .... "what's that smell??? MASON!!! Did you pooh-pooh? No? Huh..... MILES!!! YEA!!!" Yes, Miles finally pooped. Who knew THAT would be something to celebrate rather than dread. Yes, what a weird life I lead these days!)

4 months old!

Yesterday, Miles turned 4 months old. I can hardly believe we are 1/3 of the way through his first year! I took some cute pics of Miles and Mason together. And, Eric took some pics of me feeding Miles his first bites of cereal. He would grab my hand and shove the spoon into his mouth. So cute! Enjoy!

Today was Miles well-baby check-up. He weighs 15 lbs, 1 oz (50%) and is 26 1/2" long (95%!!!). He is healthy in most every way and right on track with his growth. The ongoing constipation is a concern. We are going to start him on cereal and add in apples, pears and prunes to see if the bulkier foods, in addition to his daily dose of milk of magnesia, get him going daily. If he is not going daily in 1-2 more weeks (we have been doing this since he was 5-6 weeks old), he is going to refer us to a GI specialist. It is a little scary but also a relief that we might see a specialist and make sure that everything really is fine.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

On Friday, the boys and I met Keely and Dylan at the Dallas zoo for a fun morning out of the house. The boys and Dylan had a blast and were totally worn out when we headed home. We saw a lion, giraffe, elephant, fish, turtles (by far the turtles were Mason's favorites), penguins... so many animals. We made lots of animal sounds, played on the playground, had lunch, played in the water and rode the merry-go-round. So fun! Enjoy the pics!!

Things I love

1) Every morning when Mason gets up he tells me "Macey good nap" . ("Mason had a good nap.") I love that. It is so precious and innocent.
2) When Miles wakes up, he is so happy. I take him out of his swaddling blanket and he smiles and stretches and stretches and stretches. Legs, arms, chest. He also usually toots and even that is cute.
3) Miles loves to watch Mason. He has his first "man-crush" and it is on his big brother. I love that Miles already idolizes Mason. At the same time, I am afraid of all the things (trouble, messes) they are going to get into together.
4) I love watching Eric interact with Mason and Miles. Mason and Daddy are buddies. Mason wants to be like his Daddy. Daddy imitates Mason and becomes a big kid again. The suit and tie come off and he is not "professional/attorney" anymore, he is a loving daddy. With Miles he is sweet and tender and playful. It makes my heart smile.
5) God has blessed us with wonderful family that is nearby. I know that I can call on any number of people and they would not only watch my boys on a moment's notice, but M&M would be loved and cared for. I love that security and safety net.
6) God has also blessed us with amazing friends that are more extended family than just friends. They too support us, encourage us, cheer us, and help us when we need it. I feel so unworthy of such blessings in life.
7) Mason is at school (mother's day out). Miles is sleeping. The house is quiet. Enough said! :)

I hope everyone has a blessed day. Drop me a line and let me know you are reading our blog. I love hearing from you. Here is a verse for today....
Psalm 118:29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Potty training and exersaucers

I know, this is my second post in a day. But, I thought of more things to share.

Mason is doing great with his potty training! We have the occasional accident, but I think that we are at the point where I can say why yes, he is potty trained, and feel confident that he will not make me out to be a big fat liar! I have learned many things through the process and the top two items on the list are 1) do not buy pull-ups. They greatly prolong the process. And 2) they will be potty-trained when they are ready. Not a moment before. One day they will know what to do but refuse and the next they just decide to use the potty like a big kid. They obviously have to be taught what to do, but they will do it when they are ready. I have seen this in several kids and while for some it is quick and easy, for others (like us) it was a long and difficult journey. But, he is doing great and I choose to celebrate that fact!

Miles is having a big day as well. He played in the exersaucer for the very first time. He seemed like he really enjoyed it and he immediately started grabbing for toys. He held his head up well (we have not be terribly diligent about tummy-time) and fussed at me when I took him out to give him a rest. I have included a fun video of him in it. In case you cannot tell, as he is playing with the butterfly, he is licking/chewing on the turtle's foot. Can anyone say t-e-e-t-h-i-n-g???? Enjoy!

Two boys.... who knew

I still find it quite ironic that I have 2 sweet sons. Who knew???!!!??? I mean, I wore dresses with lots and lots of ruffles and socks with ruffles and diaper covers with ruffles and bows in my hair. I am a girly-girl to the extreme! And I have boys. Two of them! Again, who knew?!? But, I wouldn't trade either of them for anything in the world. (Ok, maybe one or both of them for a few hours, but that's it! :) I promise!)

We had Miles dedication yesterday (pics to come) and it was such a blessed time with family and friends. It is a huge commitment to give your child back to God. I just want to hold them close and protect them forever from anything that might harm them. I don't want them to make mistakes or fall (physically, emotionally, or spiritually). But, as a mother and as a human, I know that they will and that I will have to watch them make good and bad mistakes on their own. I also know that it is my role to point them to the Savior and live my life in such a way that they will see Him through me. It is such an immense responsibility. It is overwhelming and satisfying at the same time. I have found my purpose and my reason in this world. I am Mason and Miles mommy and I am proud and honored to fill that role.

My Parent's 40th Anniversary

Tomorrow we will celebrate my parent's 40th wedding anniversary (actual anniv was Aug 19). What a legacy and what a standard to live up to. Some days 40 years seems so easy to do and some days it seems near impossible. I love my husband and I love my boys. But there are days that are trying.

Fortunately, today is not one of them. Both boys are napping and mommy has a few minutes to herself. Mason is having a great day. He is learning so many things. He surprises me daily with all that he knows, says and understands. I wonder where the last two and a half years have gone and I miss them. I love the stage we are in now, but I also miss my baby. I see less and less baby in him daily and more little boy. So, I give lots and lots of kisses to Miles (since he has no choice but to get them) before he can run away from me. Having a second child has taught me to savor every moments and enjoy the experience because it will be gone all too quickly.

Mason and Miles are so cute together. Miles can be fussy and Mason will start talking to him and Miles will get quiet and listen to Mason and smile at him. It is so precious to see them bonding as brothers already. Mason goes into Miles' room each morning and says "Good Morning Sunshine" (I say this to Mace every morning). It is so cute!!!

Getting started

I have wanted to start a blog for a while. The boys grow so fast, I thought that this would be a nice way to keep up with their progress and keep family updated as well. Check back soon for updates and pics. We leave tomorrow for Chicago to meet the boy's newest cousin Emilyn. Will post pics when we return.