How We Told Our Families About Baby No.2

    Since I found out a few days before Christmas I was pregnant we really debated telling our families at Christmas time. I was only 6 weeks along and in my opinion that's kinda early to share. But it was Christmas after all and we were pretty excited. We had to have a creative way to tell our families. Plans were to head to Thomas' parents house for presents and lunch Christmas day and then my sister and mom were heading to our house due to arrive that afternoon. Not only were we excited to share but I wanted it out there so people knew why I was feeling ill and not moving much. 
    We arrived with full arms and tossed our stuff down ready to go back to the car for presents. Thomas' sister stopped us and said "look at Munchkin's shirt" (a.k.a. our niece). It read "Big Sister 2011". "Oh wow, congratulations! That's awesome!" You see Munchkin and Sean were born 18 days apart. I had a feeling Thomas' lil sis and husband were wanting another child soon. And it'll be great these two are close in age also. So, after most the presents were open we pulled out one last present for Sean. I open the gift for Sean and hold up his new t-shirt in front of him. We all busted out laughing! Sean's shirt read "Big Brother" Everyone was so excited and loved the coincidence. Anyway, it was quite a surprise for all. We tried to get Thomas' other (older) sister on the band wagon also, haha. She already has two. Phew! Glad it was out there so I could bum out in the lazy boy and let Khun ya (grandma) take care of Sean. Thomas' sister is about 4 weeks ahead of me but seeing as how I can't keep a baby in me for the whole nine months, I might beat her.
    Okay, time to tell the other side of the fam. By the time we left Thomas' parents it was about 2:30. Sean usually naps around 1:30 so he zonked out on the car ride home. He had his Big Brother shirt on because we took pictures of Sean and Munchkin before we left. Sean was put in his crib with the shirt on so we couldn't rewrap it to open again in front of my mom and sister. No problem, we'll just let them wake Sean from his nap. It really is fun to go in and grab Sean from his crib. He is so happy to see you and giddy. *Sigh*, I wonder if it'll always be that sweet. Flash forward to high school Sean and mom screaming at him to get out of bed. Maybe not. We heard some peeps over the monitor and sent my mom and kim upstairs to fetch him, we followed. My mom grabbed him from the crib and they ooed and awed over him. I gave them some time to notice his shirt but still nothing, I guess they just couldn't see past his cuteness. So I say "oh Sean, I like your shirt" There we go. Mom's jaw drops and my sister says "seriously?" They were very excited for us and Sean. My sister said she read the shirt but just thought it was his cousins or something, haha.
    Well, I'm glad we did tell them in a memorable way. Maybe it wasn't terribly creative but it was exciting none the less.

16 months

Sean! You're 16 months old. In two months you'll be half way to two, no way!

- Four teeth, two on top, two on bottom have made their appearance. You have some cranky pants days when we figure you're getting more teeth in.

- You refuse to let me hand feed you food, you must pick it up yourself off your tray. You'll still let me spoon feed you puree food though. You pretty much eat your weight in breakfast food at school. They'll often call to tell me how much you've eaten! It's fun (sometimes frustrating) finding out what you will eat. You like ham and broccoli, bread, chunks of carrots, freeze dried green beans, honey comb cereal, mashed potatoes, yogurt, grilled chicken, and more!

- Still sleeping like a champ and rarely take a morning nap, you're just to one afternoon nap these days.

- You are more confident in taking steps. You'll let go and walk away from whatever you're holing onto unprompted. Walking is just around the corner.

- You love wrestling with dad. When he walks in the door you b-line crawl to him and laugh before he even gets to you.

- You also love climbing the stairs.

- During recent cold nights we let the dogs in and you think it's hilarious to chase them in your walker. You laugh loudly and it's so cute.

- You are very content on your own and love to explore. Climbing in cabinets and rummaging through the drawer of the end table are you recent explorations.

- You show your dislike more and more these days, fussing when something is taken away or you are pulled away from playing.

-You still love bath time and scoot all around the tub chasing toys. You quickly fling around and move so much I'm surprised you haven't bonked your head yet....yet.

You are an amazing little boy and it is a joy spending time with you. You have taught your father and I a lot about love, patience, and  priorities. We love you immensely!!

Happy 16 months little man!

Sunday our church had a Christmas Family Activity Night

I made some cookies for Sean, and ate them for him too.

And we made an adorable little hands wreath. Sean's wasn't perfect but I love it! Such a cute idea. I think it would be fun to do these over the coming years and see the hand size grow and also see improvement in the hand print, hopefully, haha.

I cannot believe Christmas is so close!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Thanksgiving 2010

We spent Thanksgiving in Houston with my mom and family. For Sean Thanksgiving consisted of chasing cats, going to the park and playing with Mom's old toys.

 .

Sean's favorite thing is to kick dad in the face.

Nearly grown in to this trike from his great-grandma Morris.

The goods from Asia Land

Thomas had another two week trip to Asia Land recently.

He returned with gifts!

 Some future shoes for Sean, so cute. Straight from the factory.

 Avery festive winter vest for Sean.

Thomas got us matching PJs. Well his are navy blue. They are super soft and lined with super softness. I don't know what the material is called.

 A nice stash of green tea for Thomas.

Fun shoes for me.

 Another pair, two toned. Size 40.

And what I've been waiting and waiting for!
Just in time for it to be uber trendy and not be unique, hah.
Oh well, I love it anyway.

While Thomas was gone Sean's two front teeth came in!

Thomas had two old pairs of sweats from Ranger days. I thought Sean needed a matching pair. This was my second go at making Sean some pants. It's not as hard as you'd think. I was pleased and I think he'll be able to wear them for a while.

We skyped with Thomas while he was gone and Sean knew exactly who he was looking at. It was fun to see Sean laugh at Thomas' crazy faces and he even waved to the screen. So thankful for technology. It's crazy how video chatting across the globe seems like no big deal but even when I was young that seemed like such a far off reality. We managed okay and are glad Thomas is home. And we're glad he got me a watch.

Allergies

Sean had his 15 month check up yesterday.
19 lb. 6 oz., 29 inches
Sometimes both Thomas and I go but this time it was just me. Thomas is usually the one to ask questions and he thoroughly enjoys discussing things with the doctor. I simply answer the nurse's questions and go along with the routine of poking and squishing and looking in holes. Thomas texted me before Sean's appointment and reminded me to ask about allergies.
Back story: For Sean's first birthday my SIL made a wonderful cake, see....

Sean had a good ol time smashing into... er... well, poking at the cake.

Shortly after his eyes began to turn red and he was rubbing them. Isn't it the cutest thing when babies rub their eyes, and isn't it amazing that they know to use the backs of their hands to rub. Anyway, redness appeared around his mouth. We did wash his face and hands as soon as we finished with cake time.

A few moms and I discussed what it could be. My SIL said she used egg in the icing so we assumed that was what caused the rash.

    Then the day after his party I wanted to take a picture of Sean with the mini cupcakes that were for guests. So I set the mini cupcake in front of him and he barely touched it with his finger and the same thing happened, less severe redness though. But is egg in all icing? This cupcake was made by a bakery and not my SIL. He did rub his face some, I'm assuming because it was itchy? There was another occasion when we fed him scrambled eggs and he broke out also. That time we had benadryl on hand. But each time it went away fairly quickly (10-15min) and Sean never complained. I don't have any experience with allergies, nor does Thomas. So, this is all foreign to me.

Back to the doctor's appointment. I told the doc that Sean still seems to be allergic to eggs. So he decided it's best to get a prescription for an epinephrine pen. I would have been clueless as to what he was talking about if it weren't for Allison! (hi Allison!) She is crazy allergic, she's not crazy, her allergies are =) to seafood and other stuff, right? Well, I remember her telling us about how if she ever had a severe reaction that the epi pen must but thrust into her thigh, no need for de-pantsing, thank goodness, just jam the needle in her thigh. So, thankfully I felt semi informed about this whole epi pen thing and agreed with the doctor it would be best to have one on hand. Now onto the shots, well, minus the flu shot. I had no idea there were eggs in the flu vaccine! crazy. It is specifically asked on the sheet, you have to sign before receiving the shot, if the recipient is allergic to eggs. So he got two shots. Bragging Notice: He did not cry one tear. Yeah, he fussed and whined a bit, but no tears shed! Oh and while I'm at it...without fail, every time the doctor examines Sean on the table, poking and bending him to make sure his joints work well I guess, he mentions how strong his legs are, that they're solid muscle. The nurses that have given him shots over this past year also always say he has strong legs. =) I guess all those squats Thomas has him do are paying off. 

    Long story short (too late), we now have an epinephrine pen, actually 2, for Sean in case a severe reaction occurs. Both doctor and pharmacist told me to seek help right after administering the epidural. And of course that's what the pamphlet that comes with the pen says. And I know that all it does it buy time, open up airways, until professional medical attention can be initiated. They even include a training device. A pen with out the drug or needle. Which is such a great idea so we're not afraid to give the injection and we know exactly how it works. Thomas did training with emergency medical response, road in ambulances, back in the military days so he's not afraid of needles and all that emergency situation stuff. Bragging Notice: Thomas performed the Heimlich maneuver on a women at a previous job and was awarded a certificate! go Thomas, I'm in good hands!

While it is possible for Sean to outgrow the allergy we're avoiding eggs and egg products for the time being.

Sean is 15 months old

Sean turned 15 months on Friday, November 12th!

November 12, 2010

Sean, what are you up to these days?!

• You weigh:19.6 lbs (according to bathroom scale)
• You move: a lot. You can crawl like a mad baby and can stand on your own for a few seconds. You like using your walker and can move fast! You've taken a few stumbling steps when we stand you up and let you go.
• You have: an 1/8 of a tooth!! About 12 different people have told me that 'they've heard' it's better when teeth take longer to come in cause that means they have good roots! Well I hope so. Just the one had broken the skin and there are several ready to make an appearance soon I'm sure.

ah gee mom, leave me alone

• You eat: baby jar food and table food. Not a fan of meat, except ham. Picky about textures of food. You heart cheerios.

• You fuss: when I try to change your diaper, when I take something out of your hands.
• You say: "dug"...can be translated to either dog or duck. You say this when looking out back window at dogs or when you point up at things. "bye-bye" and you give a little wave...you're getting better at saying this on cue."mamamama" but you've only said this when fussing or stressing, I like to think of it as you calling out to me for comfort, not you whining cause I just took the remote from you.
• You feel: less squishy that other babies. you're pretty dense. guess you've inherited the 2% body fat thing from your dad. good luck treading water in swim class.
• You sleep: awesome! so glad you love sleep as much as I do. You sleep in like a champ and nap well also. 
• You like: story time before bed. We read your little picture bible and Dad asks you "where's Jesus?" and we smile when you point right to him, and laugh when you point to the bears.You also like climbing on anything. lower shelves, me, dad, laundry baskets, little scooter car.
• You: amaze your father and I. You are so smart and it seems you know more than we think you do. You do things that we think would take training or time to learn. It makes me sad when I realize you are learning those things while at day care. I'm glad your learning, but I thought I'd be the one to teach you *tear*. But, God willing, that will change soon! 

Halloween 2010

The Friday before Halloween we were able to bring kids to work for trick-or-treating/show off your kid time. 

Saturday we helped a friend move.

Then Sunday night our friends had a hay ride for trick-or-treating! Growing up in suburbia we definitely didn't have hay rides! It was really fun and we hope to do it again next year!

 I'm Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter. I was a big fan in my high school years.