Corbitt Corner

Justin at 11 Months!!!

2012-02-13T11:53:00.001-06:00

Little J is such a sweetheart! How hard it is to believe he’s nearing a year old. He’s been such a joy in our lives. Content and patient describes him to a “T” these days. So much so that I thought he’d never crawl. Finally, at 11 months, he did! He’s working on pulling up but will take his time on just about everything he wants to do. Very patient child (so far).

A new tooth (the first tooth) – on the top.

Standing with support.

Crawling!

Swinging!

J is wearing 12-18 month clothes, size 4 shoes. Loves to be tickled, loves his brother. He thinks everything Troy does is the funniest thing ever! So cute!

Ryder turned ONE!

2012-02-12T23:01:00.001-06:00

My little nephew, Ryder, turned a year old last month. My how time has flown! Brian went hunting for the last hunting weekend of the year while I headed south to Dothan. Spent the weekend with my middle sister, Mary and our children. We had a great time and the kids were surprisingly great.

I helped get things ready for Ryder’s party. Mary worked her tail off on that party! If only someone could plan, decorate and make food for my kids’ birthday parties, I’d be all set. Mary did a great job and the party was really nice. Some pics of the birthday boy:

So sweet how he’s looking at his mother!

Mary made the signs, we made the hat. Isn’t it cute?!?!

Colt and Troy. Buddies!

All the boys. Colt (2), Ryder (1), Justin (10 months), Troy (2).

Happy Happy Birthday Ryder!!! You are such a special little boy.

The Alphabet

2012-02-11T22:03:00.000-06:00

Not sure when it actually happened but Troy knows his alphabet. Loves to say alphabet letters, too. He calls the alphabet the “ABCDEFG’s”.

After Christmas, everyone takes their trees down and puts them in the yard for pickup and disposal. One day, while outside, Troy said, “Look momma, there’s a X”. I looked in the direction where he was pointing and sure enough there was an “X” on the bottom of the tree. We had to go check it out.

And he likes to find the “W’s” on the road. There are two in one spot. He is very proud of himself when he can find two of anything. Two is his favorite number by far.

W’s!

Christmas? Ohhhh Christmas??? Where’d you go?

2012-01-30T13:51:00.000-06:00

So I’m very, very, very…..very, very late posting about Christmas. I’m going to try and post updates as much as possible. We had a great time, traveling from Birmingham to Hope Hull and home again.

We were at HOME for Christmas – all.day.long. It was wonderful. The boys stayed in their PJ’s all day long. all. day.long. It was lovely!

Okay, so the first of our trips was to Birmingham with Brian’s family. A great time was had by all although it was too short. Isn’t it always? Here are some pics of our time there:

Christmas Evening….

2012-01-29T21:56:00.000-06:00

Last post about Christmas (I think). Grandy and Memama came to our house the afternoon of Christmas. We played and exchanged gifts. Had a good time with everyone again.

Book about Thomas the Train! Fun! Justin gave this to Troy. He is really good at picking out gifts!

Daddy got a flashlight and it was the center of attention until….

BUZZ!!! Buzz Lightyear! He has been a hit. Woody and Bullseye complete the trio but Buzz takes the cake for now. Troy plays with Buzz every.single.day. every.single.day! He likes to say that Buzz is a “space cowboy” and “to infinity and yon”! Buzz likes to talk to Woody and Bullseye and especially likes to watch Troy sleep. He has to sit at the perfect spot where Troy can also keep an eye on him!

Jumping in Excitement!

A new cowboy! Justin was in awe but so sweet!

Memama and Grandy gave the boys a train table and train set. So much fun!!! Thanks guys!

Christmas at HOME!!!

2012-01-29T21:36:00.000-06:00

So I mentioned earlier that we stayed home for Christmas in 2011. Like all day! We’ve never done that. Having kids maybe is the reason? I loved every-single-moment of it! I know the boys and the rest of the family did also! So we had lunch at home. KK, Mamama, Crawford, Mary, Addie, Brian, Troy, Justin and I partook. Josh had taken Colt to Colorado to ski and Rebecca had to stay back in Dothan so that Ryder could spend some of Christmas with his dad.

I cooked turkey and other stuff (I think?) while KK and Mamama brought a bunch of stuff. Mary brought some desserts. Everything was so yummy!

Did I mention that the boys stayed in their PJ’s all day? They did – and I loved it!

The boys got a kitchen set from Santa as their “together” gift. Santa might have encouraged mother dearest to help a little bit…

In this picture, if you can see Justin, he is “waving”. He will turn his hand toward himself to say hello. Cutest wave I’ve ever seen!

Troy got Bullseye from KK. He was (gently) encouraged to give hugs for his gifts. Hugging is NOT his thing (like his mother). Silly boy.

KK got Patty Cakes of Justin’s hand and feet.

You’re welcome Mary!

Justin was VERY interested in Addie. It was so sweet how he was touching her leg and hands. Then, you can see him saying “HI” to her with his right hand. So sweet!

J got a new chair! He loves, loves it!!! Thanks KK!

Here is how I wrapped all of the presents this year. Butcher’s paper with twine and stamped names. Fun!

Christmas with the Toulmin’s

2012-01-29T20:51:00.000-06:00

After the Johnson/Corbitt clan got together, we headed down to Hope Hull to my grandmother’s house. My dad (Grandpa) was also there. We had a fun but relaxing time visiting.

Gotta love trying to get a picture with them looking at the same time!

Grandpa played with Troy great this day!

J LOVED his Gator and big car.

Playing.

While everyone else took naps, Grandma, Troy and I went walking on the farm a little. We kicked and threw rocks and picked up walnuts. That reminds me, I need to open those walnuts!

Justin at 10 Months

2012-01-22T12:53:00.000-06:00

He turned 10 months on Christmas Day. What a fun day!!!

Justin loves to people watch. In fact, he’ll stare you in the face so hard it’ll make you wonder if you have food in your teeth or something funny on your face. He takes a little bit to smile at you but when he does, it’ll warm your heart. His smiles are usually followed by flailing of arms and legs in pure excitement! He gets around; not by crawling but by scooting and rolling. If he finds something he wants, it may take several minutes but he’ll eventually get to it. And he’ll celebrate by flailing his arms and legs in excitement while still laying on his tummy. It is the cutest thing ever!

We love Justin so much, what a joy he has been in our lives. He’s babbling and wants to talk but the words just haven’t come together yet. Communicating with his hands has become his new way to tell us he wants “more” and when he wants to “eat”. He’s still exclusively drinking breast milk which, I feel, has kept away any sicknesses.

This child LOVES food – anything you give him, he’ll try and will probably eat. No teeth yet but I see little white buds which I think will make their way through soon. How I’ve loved his gummy smile over the past few months!

His precious feet have been looking great. He’s putting more weight on them and enjoys trying to pull up to stand.

Random Sunday

2011-12-18T14:25:00.000-06:00

Brooke

Cousins

Memama

Something was funny.

Friends.

Auburn Tricycle.

Justin at 9 Months

2011-12-16T13:10:00.000-06:00

What? What did you say? You can’t believe it either? Well we’re in the same boat. Where has the time gone? Little dude is already 9 months!

He’s such a joy, loves sitting up, pulling to stand (with assistance), standing at his little activity table and scooting around. I’m not sure he’ll ever crawl because he seems to be very content with scooting and rolling. But, we’ll see. Standing up is a favorite of his these days. When he’s standing and Troy walks or runs around him, he cackles like crazy. Justin has a quiet voice but is making more and more noises.

We sign to him when he’s eating and we think he can sign “eat”.

Stats:

Weight: 20 pounds 8 oz

Height: 28.5 inches

He’s such a joy!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-14T13:29:00.000-06:00

From Hope Hull, back to Auburn, to Wetumpka back home and finally to Niceville. We had a very fun several days of Thanksgiving. A few pics to share.

Thanksgiving in Hope Hull:

Colt, Troy and Grandma.

Cousins. Justin (9 months), Troy (2), Addie (2 months), Colt (2), Ryder (10 months).

Grandpa with Troy and Colt.

Family shot.

Josh, Colt and Mary (with Addie). The second picture isn’t embarrassing in the least.

Of course, a picture with Justin and Troy

Troy and Colt went riding on the tractor with Grandpa!

Thanksgiving in Wetumpka:

Knox. Fun on the tire swing!

Josh, Addie, Mary and Colt. Nick, Ryder and Rebecca.

Cookies for Thanksgiving! I loved making these turkeys!

Thanksgiving in Auburn and Niceville:

Greensboro

2011-12-13T22:08:00.000-06:00

Several weekends ago as Brian headed East to go to the Auburn/Georgia game, the boys and I headed to West Alabama. With a short stop in Montgomery to pick up KK, we were off! Everyone did fantastic going and coming.

The trip overall was great. I’m not the first person in the world to travel with two young children but if everyone else says that it’s a cinch, I’d really like to know their secret! Babies come with so much stuff and I was afraid of leaving something behind. This was the second time I went out of town with just the two boys but having my mom help was HUGE!

We loved going to see my grandmother (Mamama), she’s really great. But, she doesn’t normally have young children in her house. There are knick knacks everywhere. everywhere. everywhere. And those are off limits. Troy minds well but I know it was hard for him to keep his little paws off of things! My grandmother is teetering on 80 but is a spunky as ever!!! She LOVED having us stay with her.

KK played hard with Troy!

He was intrigued by the birdhouse

He loved running, playing on tractors and asking questions. Tons of land and lots of fun was to be had!

Aren’t these the cutest tiger appliques? Love them! Justin’s doesn’t fit anymore. I should have put his on a bigger shirt.

We saw our cousins. Eve loves Justin! Reagan and Troy were crazy about each other.

This “playhouse” is now a storage space for my grandmother’s things. Years ago, it was a playhouse for my mother when she was growing up. When my cousins and I were younger, we played house in this playhouse. Isn’t it adorable? I might have even taken a 5 gallon bucket, added a toilet seat and made a potty in that house. What? Did I just admit to that? Ha, ha.

Troy played with Cookie and loved that his name was Cookie. Last year he was so little!

JD Gator

2011-11-26T22:58:00.000-06:00

An awesome birthday gift of which he’s afraid.

After riding in it and figuring out how to push the pedal, he opted to get his “Auburn” tricycle and drive around the gator.

The next morning, on the way back from church, he said, “Green truck scary”.

Troy, one day it won’t be scary!

A blooming artist?

2011-11-23T22:55:00.001-06:00

This past weekend a local nursery had a neat little gathering for kids to play with paint, do some artwork, have a snack, sing some songs and use some instruments.

I found out that Troy loves the instruments!

We had a great time. At one point, Troy and a friend were marching around the 5 gallon containers of plants. I suppose this is what is fun to toddlers.

Auburn’s Homecoming

2011-11-23T17:19:00.001-06:00

Troy loooooves Auburn – Aubie, football, the logo, the football stadium….well, any football field/stadium for that matter. A few weeks ago he went to his second Auburn game with his daddy and had a blast. Brian said he was enamored by the band, the players, people cheering, pom poms and the atmosphere.

Since he did so good, we decided to take him to Homecoming. It was wonderful that Grandy came along, too. This time Troy made it through half time before we decided it was time to go. Nap time was great that afternoon!

Here are some pics.

He got a hold of Grandy’s cane and decided it was a microphone. He has a small obsession with singing and performing lately.

Our friends stopped by with their little girl. I put this one Facebook and someone said something about them standing like this one day in college….with something other than water in the cups.

He ate and drank pretty much the whole time. Before we got to the stadium, he ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as well as some chips. AT the stadium he had a whole hot dog, cookie, chips, peanuts, some of a brownie and a bunch of water.

We took three trips to the bathroom. Going to the bathroom with a 2 year old at a football stadium is not my favorite thing to do.

Watching the eagle fly.

Justin 8 Months

2011-11-22T23:44:00.001-06:00

Yep, pretty ashamed that I’m now posting this. Barely making it before he turns 9 months. Sorry J!

He’s an absolute delight and has captured my heart. With his sweet smiles, babbles, long stares, crooked smile, crossed over toes on his right foot, growls and screams, he is perfect in every.single.way that I could ever imagine.

He’s eating more and more solid foods. In fact, he’s cut back on nursing. Still hasn’t had any formula and I think we’re on our way to him not needing any (fingers crossed). Even if he doesn’t like a food, he will eat it (although he’ll fuss while choking it down).

Loves his brother, bouncing in the jumperoo, sitting on the floor with a little work bench, Mozart cube or noisy bumblebee. Lights up when he sees me, his daddy or Goli. Loves sleeping on his tummy, rolls around to get to toys. Tries getting Troy’s toys every chance he can, will roll and “swim” to get to things. Has started enjoying standing at his activity center to play with toys and push buttons.

Justin had a pediatric cardiologist appointment the other day and we know his stats:

Weight: 20 pounds, 2 ounces

Height: 28 inches

He is saying: dada, mama, blah, nana, baba, ta, duh. He usually claps his hands together or takes his left hand and pats on his mouth while making noise when he’s hungry, full or wants attention. He does NOT like being left alone in a room. He is fine sitting and watching others (as long as someone is in the room).

With his brother in their matching tiger shirts. I love these applique’s!

He is such a joy – and such a GIFT!!!

Punkin

2011-11-11T08:11:00.001-06:00

Buy pumpkin, place baby next to pumpkin, eyeball where legs should be, carve out legs larger than you expect, carve out inside of pumpkin, place baby inside. When your baby’s belly is larger than the top of the pumpkin, carve it out a little wider, place baby again inside and take some pics.

If you’re lucky, your child will be happy enough to nibble on the pumpkin, too.

Our front porch décor:

So I also entered him in a photo contest to win a gift certificate. The contest ends today (11/11/11). If you feel inclined, please vote for him. Here’s the link: http://babyplus.com/poll.php Vote for Justin!

Syrup Sop

2011-11-09T14:27:00.000-06:00

An annual event in Loachapoka, the Syrup Sopping is always fun! Thousands flock to this small town off Highway 14 for biscuits, syrup, fritters, crafts and entertainment!

Justin at 7 Months

2011-10-11T00:21:00.001-05:00

It’s as if his little personality is popping out this month! He’s still growing and gaining like a little weed. He’s now almost 19 1/2 pounds, is sitting up independently and rolls over all the time.

Loves sleeping on his belly. Place him on his back for a nap and he’ll roll right over. Even with the braces on at night, he immediately rolls over and wiggles his little bottom back and forth while nudging his hands underneath his belly. Sweetest little thing!

Justin LOVES his brother and lights up when he sees Troy, Brian or me. He still will let anyone hold him and seems to study faces intently. He uses his hands to grab hands, faces, noses, hair or anything within arms reach. He’s been sleeping through the night since 6 months old (also when we finally moved him to his crib) – uh, maybe we should have done that sooner?

He enjoys his bouncy seat, laying on or sitting in front of his playmat, sitting in his highchair, being held and just being able to see what is going on around him. He isn’t fond of being left alone in a room alone. We have heard him say “mama, dada, baba, blah blah blah (this is what he does most often), nana”.

He has great eating habits and will try anything. Peas aren’t his favorite but he’ll eat them anyway. His older brother seems to have developed a taste for baby food again. I’m still nursing him several times a day and am grateful that we haven’t had to use any formula. Hopefully this will stay the same until he reaches a year old. He loves seeing Ms. Goli everyday and seems to be glad to have other children around. There is another baby, Inman, who is a few months older but Justin loves to “talk” to him. Justin is very healthy and we are hoping that this winter will be good to all of us!

Justin is absolutely precious. He has a crooked little smile and sometimes I can see a dimple on his left cheek. His eyes are big, round and hazel right now. He can scoot in circles and backwards. He often “swims” around by swinging his arms and feet while kicking. Normally he does this when he is very excited. He also reaches for people when he wants to be held.

I just want to eat him up!

Technorati Tags: justin

Addie Grace

2011-10-09T23:24:00.000-05:00

My middle sister had the 5th child between the 3 sisters in less than 2 1/2 years. First girl of the group and she is as precious and as beautiful as she can be! Taking Justin with me, I drove down to Dothan to visit little Addie. She was born on my birthday and her stats mimicked those when Troy was born (8 lbs, 5 oz, 22 inches long).

My favorite pics:

KK with Addie.

And DONE!

Personalized Pumpkins!

2011-10-09T22:52:00.001-05:00

I saw a way to put one initial on a pumpkin and thought that creating pumpkins with names would be so much fun!

SO easy. I used:

- a real pumpkin

-black card stock (or pre-cut letters)

-letter stencil and cutter

-mod podge

- one foam brush

I used a scrapbook alphabet stencil with a knife to cut out my letters.

I thoroughly washed my pumpkin. and plastered Mod Podge all over the area where the name would go (you can see the other pumpkin behind this one).

Next, I lathered both sides of the letters and carefully placed them on the pumpkin.

If you are really lucky, your toddler will decide that it isn’t naptime and will help you put Mod Podge all of the pumpkin (this is not necessary). Mod Podge placed on top of the letters will ensure they stay in place.

Voila! Super easy and super cute.

Technorati Tags: halloween,pumpkins,monogramming,crafts

Just hangin’

2011-10-02T10:28:00.001-05:00

With Woody while watching Toy Story.

Riding low

2011-09-29T15:37:00.000-05:00

This is what Troy wanted to do the other night. It took him a while but he eventually said, “dudis wide piderman” and brought his “spiderman” car. When I put Justin on the car, Troy yelled, “yay, yay!”, left the room and came back with his firetruck car. He was so proud of himself!

One Fall Afternoon

2011-09-28T21:31:00.000-05:00

Sweet smiles

Eyelashes

Sweet brothers.

Golf!

Wagon and tricycle rides. Someone likes to “drive tricycles” every.single.day. every.one.

He had to stop to tell us he saw a “W”! “Wook mommie, wook daddy, it’s a w”!

Fun day.

I Two! I Two!

2011-09-28T20:25:00.000-05:00

We had a fabulous birthday celebration for Troy. Since his b’day is 4 days before mine, we combined a few things into one. I have to admit that he had cupcakes almost every day of the week. It has to be a record – and I realized he was beginning to think that was the norm!

Decorating cupcakes was a huge hit. He stood still, watched and waited in anticipation. He was excited to be able to help put sprinkles on the cupcakes. Little did I know that he already knew how to blow out the candles. I have to admit I was impressed by his patience – especially for a two year old! He’s quite proud of the fact that he can hold up two fingers on his own and will yell “I two, I two!”

Here he is being very sweet.

SO excited to blow out his candles (I had to light them twice so we could get him on the video camera).

The birthday boy with his parents

So glad I made this banner. It was fun to use again and I plan on using it for many years to come! Every letter is appliqued on and cut out separately. It took me HOURS to get it right.

We had a very small birthday get together. He’s here with one of his girl friends jumping on his trampoline – they had a blast!

In his two year old outfit (reversible pants). Love ‘em!

This little dude is a yardstick – exactly 36 inches tall, weighs 32 1/2 pounds which puts him in the 90th percentile for height and weight. Frankly I was surprised because he doesn’t seem that big to me. He’s talking up –a-storm! He still refers to his brother as “dudis” and has trouble pronouncing words with “f”. Most things usually sound like a “p”. Piretruck, piderman (spiderman), etc. One day he said, “Mommie, help me find my piderman pwees”. I was very surprised and of course, dropped what I was doing to help him. He routinely says “I wub you” and will repeat ANYTHING we ask him to say.

I love this little boy to death – he has been such a joy!

Summer, summer? Where’d you go?

2011-09-21T22:05:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite pics of me with my boys this summer. Justin is SO much bigger since this photo was taken.

Chillin’

The diving board was a hit!

Closeup: uh…I think he likes it (btw, this was his idea).

Done

One of my besties watching J.

This summer has been so-much-fun! From the neighborhood pool, the club pool, the kiddie pool in the backyard and front yard as well as a few trips to the beach. It’s been quite busy but oh-so much fun! Sad that it’s about done. I’m not even sure we’ll get to go back to the pool this year since the weather is cooling down.

Troy is TWO!

2011-09-13T07:22:00.000-05:00

Today, two years ago, my life changed.

For the better.

A little miracle…on the GO!

Who mimics his daddy.

The beach, the beach

2011-09-11T21:05:00.000-05:00

Off we went. Well, me and the younger boys. I drove-all-by-myself. A 23 month old and a 5 1/2 month old in tow. Should have been a three and a half hour drive but it ended up about 5 hours. Not bad for my first rodeo with both of them going that distance, though.

We stayed with my sister’s in-laws. Got that? Or, my sister’s FIL, MIL. Anyway, they were fantastic, it was so much fun and we had a blast! They have a cute condo at Blue Mountain Beach.

There are some cute bare bottomed photos of Colt and Troy but unfortunately the internet isn’t safe to post those so I’ll keep them for a wedding rehearsal dinner party, bribery or something of that sort

Here are Colt and Troy. Two busy boys who got along perfectly. At one point they found a container of Domino’s which Troy called a “phone” and they proceeded to play with their multitudes of phones for most of the times we spent indoors.

We split our time between the pool and the beach. J was able to play in his float and float on his back.

Harry Wayne (or Pops) played with both boys. He treated Troy like he was his own…so sweet!

This boys is precious!

Ms. Sharon (aka Nana) loved on Justin. She was a HUGE help to me. She kept him several times while Mary and I did stuff with the older boys.

Troy (23 months) and Colt (2 years, 4 months).

Mary. No, she didn’t swallow a watermelon. She’s pregnant

Wagon

2011-09-06T21:11:00.000-05:00

Wagon rides are fun….especially for brothers.

Troy is saying “sit down”!

As you will see in Troy’s expression, he doesn’t like it when I tell him to “sit down”!

Justin at 6 Months–HALF a year!

2011-08-27T11:45:00.000-05:00

What? Eek! My infant is no longer an infant? I love it for him but my body shape/size isn’t quite there yet.

Anyway, I’m so excited for Justin!

Is saying “mama”. Started a couple of weeks ago but now seems to say it deliberately (yeah, I know he doesn’t associate me with his mama yet – but he will!). The day he turned 6 months he also said “ba” and often makes “L” sounds.

Is very ticklish, laughable and sweet.

Had oatmeal (very first food) today. Did pretty good but made some pretty funny faces!

My mom made this cute little bubble and I LOVE it!!!

He has the sweetest, kindest demeanor. Justin seems to study people, faces and things. Grabs his feet often, trying to put them in his mouth. I don’t think he’s flexible enough to get them in his mouth like he would like. Loves laying on his playmat, still rolling from belly to back, is becoming more tolerable of tummy time but often plays with his toys while lying on his side.

Loves people. Justin gets very excited (kicking his legs, waving his arms) when someone comes near him. He has also begun to reach for people. Earlier this month we were at a graduation celebration for one of Goli’s daughters. I was holding Justin and a friend of mine, Karen, who had not seen Justin for at least a couple of months, walked up. With his arms reaching toward her, Karen took him from me. It was the first time he has reached for someone and now does it often.

Updated Stats:

Height: 27.4 inches (80%)

Weight: 17.5 pounds (50%)

Head: 16.3 (5%)

He is wearing 6-9 month clothes with a few 12 month clothes (that run small). He should be in size 3 diapers but I have about half a pack left and am trying not to waste them. He also is wearing gdiapers in size Medium. I need new liners for the gdiapers so he doesn’t wear them as much as he should!

Five Years ago TODAY…

2011-08-24T06:44:00.000-05:00

Pluto was demoted and no longer considered a planet.

Did this make anyone else sad for Pluto? Since I learned the planets back in grade school (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto), they have been engraved in my memory. Now, it’s hard NOT to say Pluto. My children will never know Pluto as a planet. Sad.

Troy at 23 Months!

2011-08-23T21:37:00.000-05:00

energetic (he runs just about everywhere he goes)

vivacious

mind of his own

stubborn

strong willed

intense

when I first saw the below photo of him, I could picture him as an older kid, standing on the sidelines at a football game while observing his teammates. Judging…..

While doing this with his hands (this is a common thing he does)

His intensity goes with anything he does, whether that is being happy or very upset. Screaming fits involve running around while screaming and crying. Excitement about something is shown by jumping up and down while yelling “yay! yay!”.

sweetest/cute things he says: I wub you mommie; I wub you daddy; mommie, mommie, mommie; dwive cars mommie; dwive mawnmower; I want to dwive carseat; mommie, I wanna dwive twaktor; no bed bubite (his response to “don’t let the bed bugs bite”); bullgus (school bus); scawy Twoy (he tries to “scare” us quite often these days); scawy Abbie (something he says when he chases Abbie around the house and she hisses at him – which is pretty much on a daily basis); I wonna go see es Gowi (I want to go see Ms. Goli – his babysitter)

knows his colors

knows the alphabet

can spell his name (most of the time); can draw a T and a Y.

loves his brother; really loves older kids

pretends – to sleep, to eat using a plastic spoon and any container he can find; even pretends to feed Justin “yogurt”, to make his cars talk to each other

favorite food: yogurt, blueberries, banana, edamame, baked fish sticks, sweet potatoes, any cookie (Nutri Grain bars, Fig Newtons or the real deal)

Loves his BLANTET, books, cars, trains, trucks, Mickey Mouse, Elmo, Pooh and the movie Cars

is somewhat organized? Yes, this is strange to me. Even at this early of a stage, it appears that his mannerisms are like mine although he looks like his daddy (minus the color of his eyes which are like mine)

weights around 31-32 pounds, in size 5 diapers, large gdiapers (although they seem to be getting small) – working on getting rid of diapers!

A visit from a couple of Dothan-ites

2011-08-16T20:47:00.000-05:00

About 3 weeks late but finally posting some photos of my middle sister coming to town to visit with Colt. Colt is 4 months older than Troy. For the first time, they actually played TOGETHER. It was a lot of fun seeing them in this stage of their lives.

I had a ball! I know Troy did as well. Brian was still around and helped when we needed it – and he pretty much cooked every meal for us! ha! Mary is 15 months younger than me and we don’t get to see each other as often as I’d like. So when we do hang out, I really enjoy it. We fought and played pretty hard when we were young and I miss those days.

Why is it that everyone has a bath photo taken of children and cousins? I have no idea but we did it, too.

I thought this was funny of Colt.

This photo is so washed out! I often make this mistake when I leave the camera on manual mode and forget to change it before handing to someone (hubby) to take a picture. I’m not very good at taking photos but I shouldn’t have done this bad!

So washed out where Justin’s eyes look blue (they are actually hazel).

Twenty–Three months/weeks

2011-08-16T17:27:00.000-05:00

How often can one say that their children have the number 23 in common? As in one is 23 months and the other is 23 weeks – at the same time. Last week (my posts seem to be at least a week behind at all times), Troy was 23 months and Justin was 23 weeks. 17 (1/2) months apart and two completely different milestones…

Interesting facts:

23 Months:

Your toddler may now be able to throw a ball overhand, though he'll probably miss his target most of the time. The whole-arm coordination that allows him to throw usually emerges somewhere between 18 months and 3 years.
If your toddler isn't comfortable with balls, start with rolling games, which will be easier and also less scary (try rolling the ball slowly toward his feet). Spongy balls or beanbags are great for indoor use – set up a pillow or bucket for target practice.

The Terrible Twos Are Here!

One minute your toddler is his usual sweet self, and the next he's throwing a fit because he didn't get his way. This emotional roller coaster is par for the course in toddlerhood.
• An expert's take on the best way to discipline toddlers
• Why your child gets upset when he doesn't get his way
• Embarrassed by public tantrums? Here's what to do.
• Share your tactics for taming tantrums with other parents of toddlers

Potty Training: Peer Pressure

Is your mother hounding you to potty train your toddler, saying that you were trained at 18 months? People encouraging you to toilet train may mean well, but childhood development experts say there's no reason to rush into it. In fact, waiting until your child is ready will increase your chances of quick success.
• How to handle unwanted potty-training advice
• Toilet training: What doesn't work
• Potty training readiness checklist

23 Weeks:

Human interaction is incredibly important for baby's development, but alone time is essential for him too. Being on his own helps him get comfortable with independence. Lay a blanket and some toys on the floor, and let baby play by himself while you keep an eye on him. Watch for fussiness, and pick him up if he seems like he's going to cry -- remember, tears are still his only way to say "I'm bored."

Baby's starting to understand cause and effect, which means he loves grabbing, tasting, banging, shaking, and throwing. This makes it especially important to keep sharp objects, breakables, drinks, and your hair out of baby's reach. He's also learning to differentiate pastel colors. Keep exposing him to books and toys with wide ranges of hues to further expand his awareness of color.

Hello Yard

2011-08-10T22:23:00.001-05:00

Erosion problems? We had ‘em. Timing? Bad – very bad. Thankfully things have worked out to solve our erosion problem and make our back yard….well, usable. I absolutely LOVE it now! Am so excited to be able to play with the kids back there. Our yard slopes behind and to the rear of our house but there is now area to have a slip n slide, playset or other fun stuff. I think the play-set area will be perfect one day for an outdoor hangout area with a fire pit.

This was supposed to be a 3-4 day project. A few alterations and a LOT of rain (as in almost 4 inches in one morning) equaled a 2 week project. Added were French drains, dirt, boulders (for a retaining wall), sod, mulch and pinestraw.

I got lazy with this post and decided to post all of the photos. Yes, there are too many!

Justin at 5 Months

2011-07-31T21:53:00.001-05:00

Precious. Smiles. Laughs. Kicks. Squeals. Growls occasionally.

Just plain sweet. Sweet!

The sweetest demeanor. Loves his mama…..and Goli. I think he’d take Goli over me any day right now. When I pick him up from her house in the early afternoon, he stares and smiles at her while we talk about his day. Well, he loves his daddy, too. But he acts like he loves Goli first.

Size 2 diapers, Medium gdiapers.

Stats:

Weight: 15 lbs 12 oz. (50%)

He still has his little “V” on the tip of his nose. Doctors weren’t sure if it would pop out (it is a hemangioma) or not. It has decided to stay as a little red spot for now. I think it makes him just Justin! His legs were VERY skinny from the casts he had on his legs. They have plumped up nicely over the past 2 months. I have been watching his little fat rolls on his legs form which has made this Mama proud.

He’s now nursing around 7 or 8 before going down for the night. Well, sort of.

He is sleeping a little better. Did I ever say he didn’t sleep well at night? I cannot remember. Nor can I remember much else over the past 5 months. That would be because of the lack of sleep. About three weeks ago during a 2 a.m. feeding, I got on amazon.com and ordered Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. I decided I was done with the waking every two hours to eat thing. Not wanting to wait to read the book, I devised my own plan to get him to sleep. When he wakes up at midnight, 2 a.m., 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., I put his pacifier back in his mouth, it falls out and I wait 5 minutes. Crying takes over (by him, not me) and I give him his pacifier back. If he starts crying again, I wait 10 minutes before giving him his pacifier again. Usually by the third time he’s back to sleep. It’s still tiring.

He is up for the morning with ALL SMILES by 6:00 a.m. Like –nothing-ever-happened-and-he-had-a-great-night smile. It makes the night before fizzle into nothingness and I just want to squeeze his little cheeks and eat him up!

Tummy time is becoming more tolerable for him. He will roll over from tummy to back but doesn’t do it every time he’s on his belly. The bebe pod with the tray and a toy on top has become one of his favorites. He will sit in it for many minutes to play and watch Troy. We started putting him in the jumperoo which he seems to enjoy.

Sitting up will come soon, I just know it. I think we have another month but he’s trying. He watches Troy like a hawk and I can read it in his eyes that he wants to get up and chase after him.

Justin–Clubfeet and braces update

2011-07-25T22:14:00.000-05:00

Justin had his 12 week in the braces appointment on Tuesday. Dr. D had nothing but positive remarks. He’s graduated to needing the braces only 12 hours a day! Hallelujah! So I have to admit that it seems like a big jump to go from 23 hours a day to 12 hours a day. So, for at least the next month, he’ll wear them for at least 14 hours a day during the week and 12 hours a day on the weekend. It won’t hurt him to wear them more. I just want to make sure he doesn’t regress.

He’s no longer considered club footed because it has been completely corrected. Craziness! It hasn’t been 5 months yet but I remember thinking “omg, I cannot wait until he’s 5 months old and he won’t have these braces all the time”. Well, that day is here. He is, of course, happy (he’s a happy baby anyway). Following the appointment we did not put the braces back on until it was time to go to bed. He has been wiggling his little tootsies ever since.

8 days old (on the way home from the NICU)

Cast 1 @ 11 days

Second Cast (before/after)

Third Cast (before/after)

Fourth Cast (before/after)

Fifth cast which was after the tenotomy (before/after)

Braces!

Here is Spence in the first photo and Dr. Doyle in the second. Spence is like the cool tech one would look forward to seeing. Dr. Doyle has been great. He tries to tell jokes every now and then which are, well….not so funny. Just a little awkward but he tries really hard! One day I asked Spence if he had a nickname – after a bit of prodding, he said it is “pookey”. Ha!

So having a baby with braces, does it make things difficult to do sometimes? I think it depends on one’s definition of difficult. We’ve found that swaddling Justin is still the best for him. His sleep is less interrupted when he’s swaddled. The problem with swaddling is that the bottom of the swaddle blankets aren’t made for a baby’s feet to be attached to a brace the width of their shoulders. Thankfully, Kiddopotamus makes a swaddling wrap which I can wrap underneath Justin’s crotch but still wrap his arms up snugly. Here’s a photo of it below.

Oh, and my side of the bed is less than 12 inches from his bed (aka pack n play). I’m not sure he’ll be moving real soon. It’s just too convenient right now. And I love having him so close!

Since he’s been in the braces, he’s gained 5 pounds! He was 12 weeks old when he started wearing the braces. By 17 weeks, he had gained 5 pounds. I think he was very uncomfortable in the casts. His legs have filled out nicely, too. The top of his boots cause the fat on his legs to accumulate. Something that Dr. Doyle said will correct itself eventually.

We have been very happy with his treatment. I do wonder if he’ll begin to eat even more now that he has been reduced to wearing his braces for 12 hours a day. Did I mention I was nervous about him wearing them less and less?

If I may say so myself, his toes are just precious…

Cousins n stuff

2011-07-20T23:51:00.001-05:00

So we went to Greensboro last weekend to play with my cousin, her husband and children. I have to say this was one of the most fun trips I’ve ever had. Yes, in Greensboro, Alabama. Don’t get me wrong, we have done some pretty fun things over the years but never have I been so relaxed with my children! Nothing super spectacular happened but we just hung out, played with the kids and talked. I know sometimes the most fun times can be had when you’re not even trying!

Jennifer and Chris’ kids were fantastic to both of ours. Eve is 7 and loves babies. Reagan turned 4 and played with Troy like they were the same age. It was funny hearing Reagan talk to Troy like he was big. Things like, “Troy, you are too big to ride on that play tractor” and “Troy, please don’t put your leg on me in the bed” or “Troy, you can play with that one more time and then you need to give it to me”. His response? “okay”.

Sleeping in the bed with both kids turned out okay. At midnight Troy fell asleep in the bed with them after watching Madagascar. Never-mind the fact that Eve and Reagan were asleep by 9:30. Who was up at 5:30 in the morning? That would be Troy. His little voice could be heard from the room next door saying “Hey Eve, Hey Reagan”. They wouldn’t wake up for 2 more hours. We were quite entertained. Fun times.

Justin was a breeze and got a lot of lovin’ and attention.

The three on Eve’s 4 wheeler. It was a hit. One moment Reagan wanted to ride alone. He would see Eve driving Troy and would want Troy to ride with him. He’d tell Troy to come over and they would ride for about 30 seconds before Reagan told Troy he was finished. Ha!

Here Troy is with Reagan.

We made it to Reagan’s 4th Birthday party. I suppose it gave us an excuse to make the trip and stay a couple of nights.

Below is Evelyn (almost 12 weeks pregnant) wit Justin. Little J’s sweet face.

Here is Jennifer with Justin, Sharon (her mother) and Evelyn (other daughter). Don’t they look alike?

Reagan seemed to have a great time at his party. He had a 4 wheeler party! His mother made it very cute but said it was hard to find things dealing with a four wheeler.

Aunt Sharon basically took over Justin (which was very welcome with me). She was wonderful with him. I mean he lit up and smiled at her the whole time. It was so sweet! She was so good to him. I realized for the first time where Jennifer got her sweet demeanor from.

Kenny gave Reagan a John Deere bicycle. The boy loves anything John Deere. Troy thought he was big enough to ride the “bicycle”.

I thought this was hilarious. So here is Reagan with his new hat (one ear tucked into the hat), his new “high tops” (aka Chuck Taylors), playing his new paper guitar (it’s plastic but is called paper for some reason). That guitar was less than $20 and even though it’s quite annoying, it is pretty cool. Troy figured out how to play it, too.

And my child is the one who wants to kiss the animals. He’s either all about the love or screaming at them while jumping around. Ugh.

Troy at 22 Months

2011-07-19T22:56:00.001-05:00

At 21 months, Troy is starting to put more and more words together and is becoming more coordinated. I suppose this is the most significant change going on with him these days. We are having some work done in our back yard and have had skid steers (sp?) in and out of the yard. At least one is left overnight at a time. Troy saw one and called it a “bull gus” – aka school bus. After correcting him and me calling it (incorrectly) a backhoe, he said, “drive, drive, I want daddy drive backhoe pees”. He often says he wants different people to drive vehicles. He will say, “mama drive big car” or “daddy drive big truck”. His Grandy has a truck and he often says “go see Grandy big truck”. There is a healthy obsession to lawnmowers and tractors. We have to think of creative ways to get him off of the lawnmower every morning (he has to pass by it to get to his side of the car to get in his car seat).

This week he started calling me “Mom” every now and again. He is beginning to pay attention to other adults around him and will call other parents mommy or daddy or will use their proper names, if he hears them.

Yes, I felt VERY guilty for putting the darn thing in the washing machine while he was awake (and aware). But, it’s hilarious, too.

One of Goli’s daughters is dating a guy named Brad. Troy now calls him “bbbrrrrrad” (while blowing through his lips like a motorboat, you know what I mean?) and has now begun trying to do the same thing with anything beginning with “b” – like his blanket (yes, he adds an “r” sound behind the b), boat, ball. He is constantly asking to see people: I wanna see…..(fill in the blank) – he remembers many people and asks to see them often and at very random times.

While in the car, he will say hello to the trees, mailbox, cars, trucks, bicycles (this includes motorcycles), houses and interstate (I yell hello interstate when we cross over one). Gotta make time in the car somewhat interesting, right?

Television – well, we’ve given in. I kept it away from him for a while but it has become easy if we need a distraction for him while cooking dinner or while I’m tending to Justin. He has decided he LOVES Mickey Mouse and Cars. This past weekend he was introduced to Madagascar and has decided he likes the “zebra, efafant (elephant), tiger and kitty”. The DVD player in the car has made recent car trips out of town actually bearable.

His love for his brother seems to grow daily. Total, complete, utter adoration. I am looking forward to their relationship grow. No, I’m not ignorant enough to think that they won’t fight. But, knowing that love is the foundation of their relationship makes me feel pretty darn good! When we tell him to be sweet to Justin, he apparently thinks that means it’s time to kiss Justin and rub his head. I have tried to allow Troy to play with Justin (to an extent) and not completely restrict him from being around a baby. I hope this has helped with their relationship. Only time will tell.

Sunday

2011-07-11T17:28:00.001-05:00

with my boys…

Quick trip to see KK and Papa

2011-07-11T17:23:00.001-05:00

Very quick, as in less than 24 hours. Hopefully to everyone else it seemed effortless….to me, well, it was work! What isn’t when you travel with 2 children under the age of 22 months, right? They did travel well.

My step niece and nephew came Saturday morning and played. Knox was SO good with Troy. Troy became quite jealous and threw many fits (see the photo of him running from the tricycle). What do you do, right? He’s too young to understand the concept of “share”. Whatever!

J is the best baby. Here he is with KK. MG loved on him so much!!!

Knox hugging Troy….then MG hugging Troy. Troy….not a hugger!

MG with babies….apparently her baby needed some floor time, too.

T trying to catch up with KK.

One of many fits Troy threw…

AttiTUDE!

It was fun nonetheless.

Beach July 2011

2011-07-11T16:29:00.001-05:00

My in laws live in Florida, about 15 minutes from Destin. Nice, huh?

We think so, too.

We feel almost like pros with taking an infant. Stick him in the stroller and he’s good to go (for a while).

Everything was honky-dory…..

Until he got sand on his cup. Uh…this is the kid who was eating sand a month ago. How quickly things change!

For the first time we went to the bay for one of our three trips to the water. It was calm and peaceful and had virtually no traffic getting there (took maybe 10 minutes, if that). Water, of course, isn’t as pretty there but it was pleasant. We had a nice picnic, thanks to Memama cooking!

At the bay:

Troy put on Grandy’s hat and just sat there, we got a kick out of it.

Justin’s Christening

2011-07-11T15:53:00.000-05:00

Was magical, wonderful and most importantly, I know God was in it all. We sure can’t raise this child – so He will have to guide us.

I was not stressed whatsoever (cannot say that about Troy’s Christening). Could be because we had brunch? I didn’t cook as much? My MIL made just about all of the food? All of the above? Either way, we had about 15 or so more people this time around but it went off without a hitch (in my opinion). Others may have helped much more this time which made it easy for me. Yes, Brian helped, too!

First, we took J’s boots and braces off. Thought he should feel “free” for most of the day. I don’t even know how long he had them off (definitely more than the 1 hour we should have kept them off) and I don’t care! It was a special day – and he deserved special treatment. So he got it.

I held Justin while Brian held Troy. Justin was the youngest baby but was very good. His innocence is wonderful and allowed him to immediately go to Josh (our pastor) without crying. He watched Josh intently as he spoke. I even heard the crowd say an “awww” in unison which melts my heart!

Justin wore the Christening gown my mother and I made while I was pregnant with Troy. Many, many, many hours were spent on that gown. I hoped that I would be able to have more than one of my own children wear it. What a joyful occasion that my hopes became reality (yes, it may sound silly but it’s just one of those things I wanted).

Photo I used for the invitations:

Many photos were taken but I’m only posting a few (for nothing more than my sanity).

Christening gown I made with Mom’s help:

After Christening outfit I made for Troy and now worn by Justin:

Brothers

The one thing I did make (well, I made muffins, too, though).

Ryder (6 months), Colt (2 years), Justin (4 months), Troy (21 months)

Sewing June 2011

2011-07-06T21:36:00.001-05:00

Not too much was done this past month. It is much more difficult to sew with two little ones. I wanted three matching/coordinating outfits for Troy and Justin so I was able to get them finished. It only took me 4 weeks to do what I used to be able to do in 2 days! Whew!

Here’s what I completed:

Technorati Tags: sewing,troy,justin,jon jon

Justin at Four Months

2011-07-05T21:47:00.001-05:00

Justin is the sweetest child. Just precious. He will study an unfamiliar person’s face for quite a while before he decides to grace them with his infectious grin. It is just that – a grin – from side to side. At the time he throws out that grin, he often looks downward as if he’s shy. A person whom he knows will quickly see that grin grace his beautiful face.

He loves to be held and prefers one hold him so he can see what is going on around him. More often than not, he enjoys watching his brother running around the house. He has begun cooing more and more and often throws out some “la” and “ma” consonants. I’m working on him accidentally saying mama first. We’ll have to see what happens with that little project of mine.

Justin is trying to sit up, enjoys the bebe pod, loves the swing and laying underneath his mat. Despises the bouncy seat. Is okay with tummy time for 5-10 minutes at a time. He can still roll from tummy to back but doesn’t do it every time he’s on his belly. Loves outside (and it’s so hot these days).

His feet are still quite sensitive. It is normal for this to happen since they see the light of day only about an hour a day, sometimes more and sometimes less. Putting him in the pool or trying his feet in the beach water results in cries from him. It is just too cold. Warm bathwater is fine for him. Speaking of his feet, they look great. He’s doing great with wearing his braces and I sometimes think he is more comfortable with socks on his feet. They have caused the fat in his legs to accumulate above the brace line on his calves. Hopefully this will resolve itself when he doesn’t have to wear them 23 hours a day.

Rarely cries – because we won’t leave him alone long enough to cry too much. I’m still nursing him and it is going well. I’m very thankful that I’ve been able to stick with it this long. Initially it was difficult with Troy running around but it has become easier and easier to deal with. I really don’t know how much milk he gets in a day. He eats wonderfully for Goli. You know those people he’s familiar with and smiles for? Goli is his favorite – by far. He adores her. Much more than me. And I’m not kidding! The child lights up when he sees her!

Justin is wearing size 2 diapers.

Here are his stats (he has grown a lot and moved up the growth chart a ton):

Weight: 14 pounds, 12 ounces (50%)

Height: 25 inches (50%)

Head: 15.5 inches (3%) – both T and J have had heads on the lower end of the scale

Interesting Sesame Street episode from 1977

2011-06-15T05:34:00.000-05:00

Barely before I was born but still made it beforehand. This is very interesting to me. Watch and be amazed!

1977 Sesame Street Episode clip

And to think this would be inappropriate today (probably) – but we can watch all of the rear ends and listen to cussing out the wazoo…

Technorati Tags: nursing

Beachy time…

2011-06-13T20:00:00.001-05:00

It was a couple of weeks ago but I am finally getting around to posting them…

As soon as his chair was set up, Troy felt the need to kick back (thinking old man here!).

We did some swimming, swinging, laughing and some little man liked eating sand (still)!

Justin stuck his feet in the sand

Spent time with cousins…..

Played in the kiddie pools…

Little J slept in the sun and smiled later.

The grandparents invited some friends over to see J (of course I forgot to take more photos).

Our little fam…

And we celebrated Grandy (aka cookie) having a birthday!

Troy at 21 months

2011-06-13T05:10:00.000-05:00

Ball of fire. Energetic. Loves to jump. Loves cars, trucks, bicycles. Wants people to “watch” him all-the-time. Loves to run – doesn’t seem to know what walking is. Loves his brother and kissing him with fish lips. Says hundreds of words – I cannot even begin to count now. Is beginning to speak in sentences but thinks hard about it. Can count to 10 and say his ABC’s (although not well). Knows itsy-bitsy spider, Jesus Loves Me, The Barney (I love you) song, Wheels on the Bus and Old McDonald. Knows several animal noises – and loves animals.

Is HAPPY!

He’ll probably kill me for this one day…

Progression of the mornings when Brian is out of town: He wants his brother in his bed. Talks to him, kisses him…may be a little rough. But I think it comes from love for him?!?!

Running more…

And I’m not sure if I should mention this but he’s beginning to want to “go” in the potty. I’m not exactly sure he’s ready for this.

To Greensboro to Greensboro

2011-06-08T21:50:00.000-05:00

My first trip (besides Birmingham) taking Justin out of town. My cousin was getting married, I haven’t been to my grandmother’s house (in Greensboro, AL) in almost a year so it was time.

My grandmother remarried almost three years ago, a couple of years after my Granddaddy passed away. I’ve never written about Granddaddy but I can say I still miss him dearly. One day I hope to write about him. Crawford is pretty much polar opposite from my Granddaddy. Not in a bad way but they are just different. So Crawford is pretty quiet and laid back. This past visit with he and my grandmother were very enjoyable. He was much more talkative and really took to Justin – which meant a lot.

Brian had been out of town the week before so we decided that it was too much for him to get in from a flight just to get back in the car for a three hour drive. Troy needed some one on one time with his daddy, too!

Evelyn married Chad at a beautiful country wedding. It was gorgeous. The ceremony was outside with white chairs, a beautiful pergola adorned with many flowers and greenery, the bridesmaids wore turquoise dresses. So did I – WHAT? I had the same color dress as the bridesmaids. Made me look like a wanna be. I had to laugh. Justin slept through the ceremony but was awake during the reception. The reception was in a barn – a huge, dressy barn. Not like the ones I grew up around. Painted concrete floors, an upstairs with 6 bedrooms, a kitchen. You get the point. It was nice and we had a great time.

The wedding itself was in Tuscaloosa so we drove a little over an hour to get to the wedding. I drove myself, my mother, Justin, Mamama (my grandmother) and Crawford. Justin did great on the way there but was fussy on the way back. Crawford just happened to be sitting next to him. I even heard Crawford singing to Justin. At one point he said, in the sweetest voice, he was going to take a board and attach it to the pacifier and his head just to keep the darn thing in. Ha!

Brian introduced Troy to his big bed while I was gone. I thought the child would fuss and fight, get out of the bed and not cooperate. Little did I know that he would love the big bed and would take to it immediately. The bed has been in his “new” room for a year now but we thought he was too small to start sleeping in it alone. He was ready for sure and has been doing great ever since (almost 2 weeks).

Technorati Tags: justin,greensboro

Justin at Three Months

2011-06-01T06:15:00.000-05:00

Really? Three months – this is going by way to fast for me!

Rolling from front to back.

Doesn’t like tummy time – which is why I think he has rolled from his belly to his back since he was three weeks old.

Loves laying on his back on his play mat.

Is beginning to laugh – but needs a good bit of prompting (i.e. clapping his hands and saying “Yay Justin”!). Grabbing at toys when laying on his playmat.

Is the sweetest baby. Sleeps from 9-10 at night until 3-4 in the morning. Justin loves watching Troy and will stare at him running around and playing.

Stats:

Weight: 12 1/2 pounds

Height: 23 1/2 inches

Size 1 diapers

20 Months

2011-05-20T06:44:00.000-05:00

A ball of fire – but a sweet one.

Favorite foods: edamame, pretzels (with peanut butter inside), apples, cake (no, he doesn’t get this often but he knows quite well what it is!), turkey dogs.

His favorite book is a toss up between a dump truck book called “Bumpy” and a pirate book about Winnie the Pooh. He really likes Piglet and especially likes the last page where all of the characters are having a Birthday party for Christopher Robin. There is CAKE on the table. He also knows about the honey – which he quickly points out.

Loves his brother. No joke. Wants his brother in the crib with him. I do usually put Justin in the crib with Troy in the mornings and Troy is SO happy. He gives Justin his favorite blanket and then proceeds to take his stuffed animals and “kiss” Justin’s face. Tried to not let him get in his face but I’ve given up on that battle.

He’s hard headed – but is a pleaser. He will get something stuck in his head. For example, he will start asking for his milk. If he doesn’t get it immediately, he will stay, “milk, milk, milk, milk…..” on and on and on until he gets it. Or, if he sees a puppy in the yard and the puppy keeps walking, he will say “puppy, puppy, puppy….” over and over and over usually until he gets VERY upset. This happened yesterday. Also, he will tell you what he thinks something is even if he’s wrong. Last night, I cooked a Portobello mushroom. He thought it was a cookie – why? Anyway, I was telling him it was a mushroom. He kept saying “cookie, cookie, cookie” on and on and on. Whatever. I told him that he could have a bite and he was quite disappointed when it wasn’t a cookie.

He tries to repeat everything – everything. I cannot stress this enough. Watch your mouth around him!

This is his infamous blanket (on the floor). He will scream bloody murder if he throws this over his crib and can’t get it back. He sleeps with it ever night and sucks on the darn thing. It gets quite disgusting so I have to make sure it gets washed frequently!

Loves older kids – some don’t love him. Case in point: tries to play with three year old kids and they tell him he’s a baby. He will say “baby” but keep on trying to play. Oblivious! Gotta love ignorance sometimes – and being little.

He loves his “mommie” and lets me know it!

Troy can probably say 200+ words on his own. Puts 3 words together in sentences, sometimes more. Knows the way to Goli’s house – and will say “yay, Goli house” when he recognizes something along the road on the way there.

Yesterday, Goli said that Troy took a baby with a baby bottle and was trying to “feed” the baby. She took pictures of him and they are so sweet! I know he’s mimicking Goli feeding Justin (and Inman). I’ve heard of people getting their boys a baby doll if they have a younger sibling to help with transitioning. What should I do? I know it has nothing to do with masculinity but I think it might be a good idea for when I’m at home alone feeding Justin while Troy is running around. I could tell Troy to feed his baby also? Maybe I should just start with a fake bottle and see where it goes from there.

So he is still wearing large gdiapers, size 5 disposables. Not interested in going to the bathroom yet – but I think he’s curious so we’ll see.

Love this little guy. He’s been such a joyful addition to our lives!

A heart

2011-05-10T16:48:00.001-05:00

Can you see it?

Oh What a Week…is it Friday yet?

2011-05-05T21:06:00.001-05:00

So this week, I’ve technically been a single mom. For those single moms out there – I do have the utmost respect for you. I’ve been spoiled – I’m not always a single mom. So I can/have/will/do get used to having help. When it’s taken away, well, there’s an adjustment period. Like taking a Butterfinger away after I’ve had only one bite. I can get over it but the taste lingers and I want more!

B has been working – and traveling – a LOT. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I’m grateful for his job and I truly feel that he is doing what God wants him to do. That’s what I want, too! I won’t say exactly when he’s gone until he’s returned (for those stalkers out there – LOL!).

I’ve also gone back to work this week. Part time – thank goodness. Just decided to bite the bullet, force myself and the kids to get in a routine and do it. So far, so good. Justin is adjusting better than I could have hoped.

Even had time to spend some QT with the boys and snap some pictures. Don’t get me wrong, it is a mess around here! But it is fun.

He has never been given an opportunity to feed himself with a spoon…until now. Messy stuff.

Big eyes.

B is on his way home now….thank goodness. I am off tomorrow! Yay!

Justin at Two Months

2011-05-03T20:10:00.000-05:00

Time has, as usual, been flying by. Little man is already two months old. He’s becoming more and more animated every day.

I took several shots of him trying to get a two month photo. He smiles, just not when I want to take a picture of him smiling.

His casts were permanently removed the day he turned two months old. He has been SO happy since. Eating much more, smiling, kicking and cooing.

Here he is taking his first bath. His brother was RIGHT there saying “bath, bath, bath”. We finally told him he could take a shower – and he seemed to be okay with Justin taking a bath by that time.

JUST woke up….stretchy stretchy

We get these funny faces when he is smiling.

Showing off his new dancing shoes.

So he was a tiny little fella at his two month checkup. He did fantastic with the shots – I didn’t even notice he had them. No tylenol needed at all.

Stats:

Weight: 10.4 pounds
Height 22.4 inches

Head: 14.7 inches

Easter 2011 with the Corbitts

2011-04-28T13:43:00.001-05:00

T’s first “hunt” was at Goli’s….

Chocolate was discovered for the first time

The other kids had a ball.

We dyed eggs….and left them out overnight. oops.

Easter baskets….why does the toddler want the baby stuff? I made Justin’s basket liner to coordinate with Troy’s that I made a year earlier.

Of course the toddler was bribed with smarties (for the first time).

Hunting Easter Eggs at MMC.

And then he discovered the Easter bunny,

with whom he became quite obsessed …

and became mad when we took him away so others could see.

Lizzy helped out a lot (and has been helping me when Brian’s out of town).

Our attempt at photos of our family:

This is Troy’s Easter outfit I made him. I used the Little Lad Vintage shirt pattern in Martha Pullen’s White Issue earlier this year. I love the way it turned out.

His obsession with cars landed him a ride on a golf cart. He said “weeee” while being driven on the “cars” aka golf cart. Apparently he doesn’t know the difference,

KK and Rebecca (and Ryder) came to visit on Saturday.

The boy LOVED his aunt Becca!

My sweet Troy.

Practicing his track moves.

J rolling over

2011-04-26T13:49:00.000-05:00

At four weeks…

Step One: push up on hands.

Step Two: wiggle hands and arms

Step Three: push on one side

Victory!

Wardrobe change and time for a nap.

Easter

2011-04-22T09:53:00.001-05:00

Happy Easter from our little bunny…

All About Troy

2011-04-21T21:52:00.001-05:00

Although he went to Goli’s , it has been all about Troy the last few days. On Monday, I picked him up early and headed over to a friend’s MIL’s home to ride horses. He has been on a horse before at my Dad’s house but not really riding.

He was quite preoccupied with the cozy coupe, then the wagon and finally he discovered plastic Easter eggs on the goodie table. Oh, and the goodies. So I wanted him to at least take a turn and try to ride on one of the horses. A few snacks later, an emotional breakdown and bribing him to put on a helmet and he was on a horse…..and loved it! I knew it, just knew it. So Ms. Liz seemed to take to him also. She gave him the reigns to both horses. She was saying that he was doing so well holding himself up tall on the horse and even put him on a pony. He was smiling from ear to ear.

Telling Noel about the car (and waiting for her to get out) :

Horse # 1:

Pony (serious business holding the reins here) :

Once we got home, I started a monogram on the machine. He loves to hold onto “tread” (aka thread) when I’m working on the sewing machine. So he grabs his thread while he talks about Brian on the “awnmower” (lawnmower). I asked if he wanted to go outside at which time he ran to the door while yelling “outside”. Of course he brought along his thread. Once he has a chance to get on the awnmower, he drops his thread in the garage to ride the lawnmower for the first time with Brian.

Wednesday was his FIRST haircut – ever. Ever. It was time. I mean the child is 19 months old now.

The official mullet:

Awkward hair cutting position: Lindsay cut the curl (yes, I’m keeping it!) Done! We walked to Mellow Mushroom to celebrate. Let’s just say that it was a bit busy, we decided to get it “to go” and an hour later walked out with our food. New haircut boy was happy to sit at the bar with his pizza dough trying to eat it while we weren’t watching.

Club Feet – Sixth (and hopefully final) Casting

2011-04-13T13:13:00.001-05:00

Up to B’ham – again - last night. We both were able to go and brought Troy with us. We were planning on B staying at L&G’s house while I took Justin to the appt but Gigi decided to keep Troy. It was nice that Brian was able to go this time.

So I was hoping that J would have white casts this time – only because Easter is right around the corner and I’m getting photos taken of the boys. We arrived before 9, got in a room, saw Spence (the tech) and I asked him about white casts. He said that they haven’t been sent anymore white casts. Bummer! Purple again – the only option. I said that I could make him an Easter egg with his purple casts. I quickly remembered that I should be and am grateful that we can provide Justin with the treatment he is receiving and the cast color doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. I shouldn’t complain, right? Right. I’ll just put white socks on those casts.

Spencer removed the casts very gently. J was fine for a while.Dr. Doyle came in and talked about the braces. I wanted him to have the Dobbs bar but found out that Dr. Doyle doesn’t typically use the Dobbs bar which made me feel like using the bar that he was more comfortable with would be better for J’s treatment. I mean, that’s why we chose Dr. Doyle! So we decided to go with the stationary bar.

Then he got hungry. I fed him while Nicole was getting the paperwork and instruments to measure his feet for the shoes. Nicole came back and I laid him on the table to get measured. He was NOT happy. He cried enough to where Nicole couldn’t get his measurements. So I held him to try and help. She was able to get his measurements – the length of his foot, the width, around his ankle, around his lower calf. Each measurement was the same on both feet. I was happy to know that his feet are the same size.

He was out of the casts a good 30-40 minutes.

Next Spencer and Dr. Maddox came in to put his casts back on. He was worse than before, very upset. Apparently his skin is probably very sensitive and it hurt to put the cotton and casts back on. He screamed and kicked. Dr. Maddox said he was very strong as I was trying ot talk to him and console him. Nothing was working, he was MAD! As he finished with the first leg, J calmed down and it started all over again with the other leg.

When they were finished, I picked him up and fed him again. We both felt pretty sorry for him. It was by far the most uncomfortable he had ever been. But, I’m glad it’s over. Two more weeks before we go back…..hopefully!

Before:

Here is where the tenotomy was completed. There is a tiny stitch where the incision was.

Purple casts again!

Me and little J.

What to talk about….and randomness

2011-04-11T11:18:00.001-05:00

A week ago I felt out of control. Not as in crazy lady but not quite “together” for lack of a better term. I’m so bad with words and am not able to put into words what I’m thinking. Speaking is even worse!

So anywho, it dawned on me that Justin was about to be 6 weeks old and I wasn’t sure where the time had gone! My blogs have consisted solely of posts about clubfeet treatment. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to keep up with it and make sure I documented his progress. But that’s not my total life, right? Nor is it Justin’s! Nor is it my husband or Troy’s life. So what I realized is that my time has been consumed with documenting clubfeet treatment while I ran around like a chicken with it’s head cut off at home!

What have I been doing? Well, Brian is in town half of the time lately. Or less sometimes. This is his busy part of the year – and he’s doing a fantastic job at work lately so I’m totally fine with it. Just hope he gets good sleep when he’s out of town. So when he’s gone, I put Justin in the baby Moses basket on the bed to sleep. J usually wakes up once around 1 or 2 a.m., I feed him and put him back in the basket. Sometimes he doesn’t make it back in the basket :) My morning consists of me feeding J, putting him down, getting Troy up and ready and getting to Goli’s. Speaking of Goli – she has been fantastic! She will meet me outside to get Troy so I don’t have to get both kids out of the car (the same thing applies in the afternoons, too). As soon as I get home, my morning is about feeding J and having enough time to exercise. Wii workouts or pushing the jogging stroller is my exercise goal. Definitely not ready to put him in the gym daycare. Troy is 18 months old and has never been!

In between that, I try and do laundry, clean up a bit and sew. Oh how I love to sew! Just finished Troy’s Easter outfit. Photos to come soon. My struggles right now include finding a balance between sewing (personal time), thinking about blogging, taking pictures, keeping up with emails and loving on my babies. Once it’s time to pick up Troy, we are go-go-go! Adventures outside, going out in the stroller or running around in and outside top off the list between 5 and 6:30. Then it’s dinnertime. Inevitably Justin and Troy are hungry at the same time. Every.single.day. I often find myself holding Justin with one arm, nursing him and tending to Troy. One handed meals take place during this time. It’s not comfortable but it works and both boys are somewhat satisfied.

Troy’s new fav is a spoon full of peanut butter – this can be given to him with one hand. Again, it works.

Bath-time consists of Troy in the bath with Justin in the bouncy seat in the bathroom. This is consistent with bed time for Troy. I tried putting Justin in the bouncy seat in another room but when he started crying (to eat or be held), Troy would say “uh oh, baby, uh oh, baby!” over and over and over until “we” took care of Justin. So, sticking him in the room while I read to Troy works.

Then, it’s usually time to feed Justin again. As SOON as he’s okay, I set him down and get to sewing more. Sounds like I do a lot of sewing but it’s more like short 10 minute sessions here and there. Within a few minutes, it’s time to pick Justin up again to feed him and by then I’m worn out – onto bed I go!

Oh, and in between the rest of this (usually with Justin sitting in my lap while I nurse him), I am working on a 5k for Junior League. The event is this Saturday and I have to say it will be nice when it’s over. I worked on it pretty hard before J was born but have been absent often since he’s been born. I’m one of the race directors, too. Thankfully, my co-director has been AWESOME and the rest of our committee has been fantastic. I definitely bit off more than I could chew with that situation. Then again, I wasn’t pregnant when I signed up for that. I’m still working on it but not as much as I would be if I didn’t have a baby!

Justin is a wonderful baby. Very sweet, mild mannered and overall joyful. He is smiling more and more. One of these days I’ll have my camera nearby to catch one of those open mouthed smiles.

So many random thoughts going on here! This past weekend Brian, Jack and Alex screened in our covered porch. The only thing lacking is the rest of the trim. I LOVE it! Had a sip of coffee out there this morning while J napped. Thought I saw an ant bed, grabbed the ant killer, walked outside to the pile and realized it was a pile of sawdust.

Jack’s son Alan came over along with his mother, Laura. It was wonderful for Alan and Troy to play together. We got the baby pool out and fit right in as we had a redneck party in the front lawn! Lizzy also came over and played with the kiddos – for someone who doesn’t have children, she’s pretty darn good with them! Papa and KK came around lunchtime and played, too. KK and I got to do a little more sewing. I finished a pair of shorts that afternoon. With a baby, I’ve found that as SOON as he’s asleep, I have to hit the ground running with whatever I’m working on.

In a nutshell, our weekends are consumed by cleaning, yard work, playing with the kids, etc. Then, on Mondays we normally go to B’ham so we can be at the earliest appointment for J’s clubfeet treatment. Back home Tuesday afternoon. Wednesdays are normally free. Thursday I go to support group and free Fridays.

He needs a haircut…it’s on the laundry list of things to do around here.

I totally put Troy in a speedo-ish suit. Just thought if we were going redneck, might as well do all I could to solidify the stigma! The boys had the best time in the water.

Club Feet – Fifth Casting and Tenotomy

2011-04-06T14:32:00.001-05:00

As I said before, I asked Dr. D if Justin could have a local and get the tenotomy. He was agreeable so we planned on going to B’ham the night before. Bad weather factored in and we decided to get up Tuesday morning and drive up instead. Goli agreed to take Troy early (have I ever said she is an angel from God? Well, she is!). The weather caused our power to go off, the smoke detectors were going off, we decided to change the batteries (at 2 a.m.). One of the new batteries was bad so it messed up the rest of the system. Like a bad mother, I disconnected the system. Justin was a bit restless and I think woke up to eat either 3 or 4 times (between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

Tired we were!

Arrived in Birmingham, forgot Tylenol, went to a random drugstore and got some before the appointment.

Dr. D gave Justin a local anesthetic in both tendons. He cried pretty nicely for that. They let us take him to a room with a table and a pad where he was to lay. I didn’t see any straps to hold him down which was surprising. They said it would take 10-15 minutes. We went back to the room and waited. Less than 10 minutes later, he came back with the nurse who was feeding him a bottle. He drank almost 2 ounces by the time they brought him to us. Dr. Doyle and the resident, Dr. Maddox, said he did great and didn’t really wiggle. They clipped his Achilles right where he wanted. Told us to come back in a week to change the cast again and make sure everything looks good.

Justin did great on the ride home but did get fussy over the next few hours. A little tylenol helped that. Last night he slept great.

Before and after photos:

The first is before and taken with a phone so not the best photo. He has LONG feet! The second turned sideways for some reason. I’m going with it, though. Doesn’t look like that much of a difference since last week.

It would be an understatement to say that the trips to Birmingham are getting tiresome. I mean, I have to be honest, right? The procedure doesn’t take long but the travel back and forth and lack of sleep is somewhat exhausting. I am grateful for his treatment but will be VERY glad when we don’t have to drive back and forth as much.

Club Feet – Fourth Casting

2011-03-30T12:18:00.001-05:00

I made the drive to Birmingham on my own this past week for J’s casting change. Fed him before I left, he became very fussy an hour into the drive so I stopped in the Wal-Mart parking lot (of all places) to nurse him. Put him back and he got very fussy in Sylacauga. Figured I’d stop at a Wal-Mart again. Apparently I didn’t do a very good job burping him since he had spit up all over himself and the car seat. Joy!

We finally made it – should have taken a couple of hours but it took about 2 hours and 45 minutes.

He slept great that night and did awesome for the casting. He has been a bit fussy lately and I can tell that it’s because of the casts. His feet are VERY turned out, as you can see in the new cast.

Before:

After:

Dr. D said that he spoke with J’s cardiologist who gave the green light for putting him to sleep for the tenotomy. I have thought and prayed about how Justin should get the tenotomy. Since Dr. D said that he has been a very patient and still patient, I have been thinking that the local anesthetic would be better for everyone. J won’t remember and I feel better about that mainly due to the past heart condition. I mean, if the ONLY option was to put him to sleep and he was not a still patient during the casting, I wouldn’t even think twice about it. But, because of what I said above, I told Dr. D that I would like to entertain the idea of him giving J a local and doing it that way. He said, “Sure, Justin has done well with the castings and is pretty still so I think he would do great with a local.” Enter sigh of relief here. I’m not against putting a child to sleep if necessary. I just don’t feel that Justin needs that here.

So we go back next Tuesday for his heel cord to be cut and placed back in a cast.

Justin at One Month

2011-03-27T20:47:00.001-05:00

The last month has flown by. I have to admit it seems as though the time has been consumed by doctors appointments and driving. He’s totally worth it all, though. This precious child is just that – precious – and special.

So Justin weighed 8 pounds and 10 ounces as of yesterday. He is finally starting to gain some weight. His one month appointment is next week so I’ll update that later.

He is totally rolling over! It’s the craziest thing to me. But, this past week, I randomly remembered I’m supposed to put him on his stomach for “tummy time” – I mean, how did I forget that, right?

So I put him on his stomach and he pushes up on his hands, then rolls one arm underneath him and pushes over with the other. He ends up on his side so he takes his other arm and swings it around and ends up on his back. I put him back on his stomach a half a dozen more times and wore him out (he fell asleep) after rolling over and over. He’s done it every day since so it’s official: he’s rolling over!

Justin is:

Holding his head up

Smiling every now and then

Sleeping at night sometimes 6 hours, sometimes 4 or 5

Very mild-mannered

Cries only when he REALLY needs something

Eats every 2-3 hours, sometimes every 30 minutes! What?!?!

Seems to LOVE his Mama! Seriously.

Loves looking outside – whether it’s the view from the changing table or in the living room under his entertainment mat

Seems to have the tiniest – but cutest features.

Sleeps a LOT!

Playing around with a flower pot. I need to work on this more!

Club Feet – Third Casting

2011-03-22T14:27:00.000-05:00

We should be counting our blessings. Everything went well today. Carlos unwrapped his casts (these are casts that you actually peel off). Justin stretched his legs, and then we used wipes to give him a little bath. Yes, wipes! Little J won’t get a “real” bath until the casts are off for good.

J did fuss a little bit as Dr. Doyle manipulated his feet. But, he said that J is doing great with the treatment. He said “just to be on the safe side”, he will have him come back next week for another manipulation and casting. Then, he’ll have the tenotomy. We are so excited! Weren’t expecting him to be able to get the tenotomy soon. But, since he’s doing so well, he will be ready for it. Dr. D even said that he would rather do the tenotomy versus not and added that he’s regretted not doing it when he thought he didn’t need to. So, this means that J is doing great but will still get the tenotomy to be on the safe side.

Whether he will be sedated is still unsure. Because of the heart condition, Justin may not be a good candidate for the anesthesia. He has to talk to J’s cardiologist and determine whether it’s a good idea or not. He did say that Justin did well with the manipulation and didn’t wiggle much so it may not be an issue. He likes to put his patients to sleep just in case the child or baby wiggles or moves during the procedure.

Here are some photos from today:

Before and After:

No, we didn’t choose purple…that was all they had. At least it isn’t pink!

Popular little baby

2011-03-21T13:28:00.000-05:00

So we’ve had quite a few visitors….and love them!

My MIL was here all of last week helping with the baby, Troy and anything else that we needed help doing. She was FANTASTIC! Help is wonderful and she did a LOT of it! Troy was very happy, too. See, last week was spring break around here. What that means is that T’s regular sitter was on vacation. Therefore, we had him at home all day. I have to say that I don’t know how people do it! How do you feed a newborn, cook, feed a toddler and entertain a toddler? Someone is going to be unhappy and you’d have to choose between the newborn and the toddler. We didn’t have to do that last week because Memama was here! Thanks Memama!

Some photos:

I love this one of Memama. She has beautiful eyes.

This was an interesting photo. Troy is a wiggle worm. We only took 3o or more photos to get this one.

The Corbitts.

The grandkids with Grandy and Memama. Troy makes taking pictures interesting. But he was pretty good here.

If only you could see the outtakes for this one. Mary was taking our picture and was making funny noises so Troy would look at her. It was entertaining for all of us!

In this picture, Brian was making funny sounds so Troy would look at him. I was laughing so Troy decided to look at me. So sweet!

Mamama came to visit!

She fell in love with Troy. It was Christmas the last time she saw him.

St. Patrick’s Day 2011

2011-03-17T08:15:00.000-05:00

From our Leprechaun to yours….Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Club Foot – Second Casting

2011-03-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

So little J had his second casting scheduled today. Appointment was at 1 in the afternoon and was with a different doctor because Dr. D was out of town. I’m of the opinion that the afternoon schedule is much busier than the morning schedule. After an hour wait, we saw Dr. G.

Okay, so Dr. G is great. Funny but very professional. I talked to him about the Dobbs bar and said we weren’t sure if we were going to opt for a certain bar or participate in a study. The study is to compare the Dobbs brace and the Markell brace. I’m just not sure yet. If we choose one or the other, we’ll keep that one for Justin throughout his treatment.

As soon as J’s casts were taken off (they are wrapped and unwrapped), he started moving his legs around. They are tiny because he hasn’t been using them but I think they are perfect. This casting did not involve any crying. His feet were manipulated and J just looked around the room while Dr. G did his thing. He has tolerated them well.

Photos below show his feet without the casts and after the 2nd casting:

Then he got hungry.

Oh, and I have tendonitis in my wrist. Lovely, right? This happened with Troy, too. Hopefully it will end soon.

We’ll be back next Tuesday at 9 am for the third casting.

Justin’s Birth Story – How his daddy helped born him (Bradley Childbirth Method)

2011-03-15T10:05:00.000-05:00

A few months into my pregnancy with Troy, in remission from the arthritis and feeling like a superstar (physically), B and I decided to try the natural childbirth method. The Bradley Method was appealing and there was an instructor in our area. Our instructor was nothing less than interesting. I may elaborate one day. The whole pregnancy, labor and delivery went pretty well. Not easy but good.

When I found out I was pregnant with Justin, I wanted to try the natural childbirth route again. B is super supportive so he was on board. I ate right but splurged a bit more than with Troy (I had cake more than once!). Exercised but not as intense as I did when pregnant with Troy (also was chasing him around so that makes up for some exercise, right?). Ran until I was 37 weeks – but only could run a mile or so before I had to walk the rest of the way. The bike, elliptical and walking became my friends.

I felt great during the pregnancy with both children. Had more energy the last month with Justin than I did with Troy.

So, what happened? Due date was 2/24/11. I was serious when I said I didn’t want him coming early….and he didn’t. But, it happened much faster than I anticipated.

Thursday, 2/24, I rode to bunco with my friends, had some ribs and other stuff. I even had a teeny-tiny bit of wine. Contractions? No – only Braxton Hicks. Got home around 9:30 that night. I had a couple of mild cramps. By 11, I got in the bathtub because I couldn’t sleep. I watched an episode of Royal Pains on the computer (while in the tub) and noticed that I was having those cramps every 7 minutes. I started counting the duration and they were about 30 seconds.

I told Brian that something was going on and if he had something he needed to get done, he might need to do it soon. And pack a bag, which he did. I did tell him not to be alarmed but just to be aware. He and I both thought it would be a day or two at the earliest when the baby would make his debut.

We went walking around midnight. At 2 in the morning, I told Brian to call Tracey to see if she could come over and stay the night. She came around 2:30. He asked if we should go to the hospital and I told him I wasn’t sure because I wasn’t in a lot of pain. He called the hospital and was told that if I wanted to have a natural childbirth, I would need to stay at home as long as possible. Hmmm. Okay? Okay? The cramps had become a little more than cramps and were lasting longer. I tried to lay down but couldn’t really sleep. Began altering between the shower, the tub and walking around. The contractions were bearable and weren’t that intense but were closer and closer together.

At 3:30 when the contractions were consistently 3 minutes apart and lasting 60-90 seconds, I told Brian we needed to leave. I still felt really great, ate something (what, I don’t remember), was able to talk just fine but every now and then had a strong contraction that I couldn’t talk through.

Found out Dr. A was on call – my doctor! I was so excited! Was in a room by 4:15 and was ONLY 4 centimeters. The nurse said that she would need to check with Dr. A to see if he wanted to admit me and make sure I was in labor. I wanted to tell her that I knew I was in labor but didn’t. This isn’t my first rodeo! Dr. A came in and said that he saw on facebook just a few short hours ago that I was saying goodbye to Justin’s due date. He said he wasn’t expecting me.

So, of course I got in a room. My birth plan was to be monitored intermittently. I needed to be monitored for 20 minutes. Of course it wasn’t good enough (the baby’s heart rate would drop when I had a contraction) so I had to stay on there longer. I was in the bed for part of the time, then would sit and rock on my exercise ball. When I felt like I needed to walk around, I said I needed to go to the bathroom. That would work for a little while and I could get off the monitors.

So….I had back labor….again. Lovely! Last time, it was the same way but I thought it was because the baby was posterior. Not. So. I have back labor – I’m one of the lucky ones. If you don’t know, it is apparently supposed to be the most intense labor. This was intense. I have no idea what time it was but it got very, very intense. No other words can describe it (or not in my vocabulary anyway).

I never lost control but the plan to have Brian rub my back was thrown out the window. Even when he touched my back, it hurt! I kept thinking that each contraction was closer to having the baby, God isn’t going to give me more than I can handle, I prayed for God to provide me with strength.
As I laid on the bed (again), I had either 2 or 3 contractions in which my whole body shuddered. I had never felt that feeling before and I moaned (I’m not a moaner or a screamer). Intensity! It was at that point that I told Brian that I couldn’t handle the pain if I wasn’t very dilated. The nurse said she didn’t think I would be very dilated either. After talking about it and Brian trying to talk me out of it, I called the nurse into the room.

She said, “Oh, it looks like you’re working hard through those contractions now”. Oh, really – you can tell? Really?

I told her that if I wasn’t progressing (and she said she didn’t think I was), I would need some help to get through between the contractions. I asked about Stadiol (I’ve heard horror stories but I felt like I needed some help). People say it “takes the edge off” and at that point, I felt like I needed the edge to be taken off. She talked to me about it and I wasn’t sure. She left. Five minutes later I called her back and wanted something to help out with in between contractions. As she was walking out the door, Brian asked her to check me. She said she would but didn’t think I had progressed much. It had been maybe an hour?

I was 8-9 cm. Talk about a burst of energy! I knew I was almost there! Didn’t need any medicine at that point. Things sped into motion! The nurse said she couldn’t believe I had progressed that much, I told her I had to go to the bathroom (to get off the monitors) and walked around. She even made a comment about thinking I should be a natural childbirth instructor – hmmm… okay. There was a shift change about to take place so another nurse, Cynthia, was called in to help.

While the nurses were trying to get the room, bed and stuff ready, I was walking in circles in the room. I was holding my stomach to try to help with the pain. Walking helped more than anything. Strangely enough, I was able to talk. The contractions were constant.

Then, all of a sudden, I felt the baby drop. I never felt that before with Troy (but I wasn’t walking around either). I made an “oh” sound and said that I needed to push as I sat on the bed.

Okay, so the next few minutes were the most difficult. My body tried to take over and push the baby out. I was trying to let it – because I felt like I needed to. But, the nurses wanted me to wait for Dr. A. I told Cynthia that I had to push anyway. She told me that I would cause more damage if I let my body take over. Talk about mind over matter! I had to concentrate on breathing and keeping the baby from popping out. It was amazing how I was able to regain control over the situation – but it was difficult. Dr. A came in, I had 4 controlled pushes and the nurses said I had one more push to go. They had to tell me when I had a contraction. For some reason, I couldn’t feel it anymore. Last push, 5th push, and he was born at 6:28 in the morning at 8 pounds and 21 inches long. That is about 2 hours and 15 minutes at the hospital. I was surprised but very happy! I felt wonderful.

Dr. A asked me if I was ready for my “pit” – or Pitocin. Most mothers at EAMC receives this after they have a baby – even if you didn’t know it, you got it! You may have thought it was fluid but it was Pitocin. Two bags is customary. It is to make the uterus contract and prevent hemorrhaging. Dr. A knew I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t want to be stuck on the bed after the baby was born. He gave me the option to not have it. So I didn’t. I was comfortable with this decision because I was in the hospital. They should be able to help me if something happened. Problems? None! I’ve heard, and been told, that there is intense cramping after birth with the 2nd and subsequent children. I didn’t have that problem. Not-at-all!

The next 15 minutes were very special. I was able to hold Justin although he wasn’t breathing right. The nursery nurse (Leellen) was super sweet and was trying to help clear out J’s passageways. We took photos. I can see now from the photos that he was “dusty” – or almost blue. Glad I didn’t notice before. She took him over to the baby holder thing and I didn’t see him again until almost 7 hours later before he was taken to UAB.

Nine hours after Justin was born, I was released from the hospital. I took some Midol. My mom suggested I get the Rx from Dr. A filled so I did. Three hours after that, we were on our way to Birmingham. The walk from the parking garage to the NICU was at least half a mile. That means I was getting some exercise. In between it all, I was pumping every 2 hours. The next morning (Saturday), I took one of the pills from The Rx I had filled. Assuming that the prescription helped with the pain, I took it once a day for the next two days. That third day, I read the bottle and insert….it wasn’t pain medicine but was to help with excessive bleeding! I laughed out loud once I found out that it wouldn’t hurt me. And I thought I was taking some good pain medicine. The Midol was working just fine.

Some photos:

Not J’s most glorious moment…

My wonderful doctor. I thanked the Lord that he was on call when I went into labor. And, J was born just in time (he was about to go off call).

Through the ringer today….

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almost literally. I was hoping to try and not “baby” my baby. Well, that’s going to be hard to do. It seems as though if something isn’t going to go just right, well, it’s going to happen to Justin!

It began last Friday with his PKU test that didn’t take at UAB – so an appointment was made to get more blood taken today. And, he was scheduled for, well – to be circumcised. Didn’t happen while we were at UAB and I wanted Dr. G to do the procedure because of the type he does and it’s supposed to be maintenance free – and problem free.

First of all, for a baby to have a PKU test, they need to be pricked in their heel. Guess what, Justin has casts – from his toes to his thighs. That appointment didn’t work and we’ll have to go back later.

Next, he had his procedure without a hitch. I stayed with him for about an hour before leaving. Two hours later and a diaper full of blood, we headed back to the hospital. Guess what? In the 28 years that Dr. G had done this procedure, he had never had a problem. Justin was lucky number one (maybe my mom and I shouldn’t have written a shamrock on his cast). A few hours later, the problem was fixed and we headed home.

Little man is worn out. I think I’ll baby him for now – until the next time!

Troy at 18 Months

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He’s a mess but I love him to death! Energetic, excitable, funny, never-slows-down. We have to put him in a high chair to get him to be still. He is a sweet thing, too. Loves to give kisses (probably so we will tell him he’s "so sweet”).

His hair is probably too long, I have to admit, but I’m not ready to get it cut (oh, and I have a newborn!).

Weight: 29.4 pounds

Height: 32 inches

Head: 19 inches

He loves his Mama and Daddy – he says so, so much. He will put 3 words together now. We have to be careful because he will repeat (or try) EVERYTHING we say!

He’s adjusting well to his new brother. Throws a few fits but this was to be expected. As parents who haven’t chartered this territory, it is at times difficult to know how to handle him.

Can you see what this is below? Oh, it’s the baby’s play mat. He has decided he likes pacifiers (no, we don’t let him suck on one) and baby toys. Thus, he’s laying underneath the baby play mat. He will say “bebe” and play under it for a little while. Then he will walk over and kick it. Nice! Oh, and NO, we don’t leave him alone around the baby.

Troy is a HAM. I think he is funny and wants to be funny. If he sees anyone laughing (not necessarily at him), he will start laughing with his fake laugh just to try to get a reaction out of someone. He loves to chase and be chased and LOVES outside. I think he would live out there if he could.