32 Week Carter Checkup

Yesterday I had my first 2-week appointment for Carter. I am measuring fine and the heartbeat was nice and strong.

The doctor (I typically see a different one each time as I have to meet with each of the 8 docs) said so this is your 10-pounder (patting Logan on the head). Yep! Then he proceeded to say 'Are you SURE you don't want to schedule a c-section'??? Out of all the doctors he seems to be the pushiest about it...the others have asked me if I've made a decision and every time I say the same thing....I would like a growth ultrasound to determine how big he will be. So seeing as how this doctor was a little opinionated I thought I would pick him brain with 20 questions to see what he'd say as I do want to hear all opinions. Here is what I learned:

- if I schedule a c-section the pain and discomfort will apparently be less than if I have to have another emergency c-section. I guess it is because my body will not have gone through so much rigamarol.
- if I have a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) the recovery time is less than that of a c-section (regardless if it is schedule or emergency)
- if I have a VBAC I will not have to stay in the hospital as long
- if I schedule a c-section the experience will be much different than that of an emergency section as the doctors will not be as concerned about the baby losing fluid or being in distress...there will be no rushing down the hallway...no rushing to get the baby out - it will be a calmer experience and I will have Carter in my hands at a guaranteed time.
- if I schedule a c-section I can do it as early as one week prior to my due date, which puts Carter arriving Jan. 28
- I asked if I can schedule an induction and he said 'no' (I thought maybe if I could induce him to come out early, he'd weigh less than going to 40 weeks or beyond). They do not do inductions on previous scars. He said if I went naturally on my own, that is one thing, but the medical professionals will not make that happen.
- one of my concerns with having another c-section is that going forward that is pretty much all I'll be able to do. He said with having 1 section, the risk of the inner scar rupturing is 1% (that one percent has very high risks associated with it). That percentage will increase will each following section, however there are not enough studies to show how high the percentage is as there are not many women that do a VBAC after 2 or more c-sections.
- I asked how many c-sections a person can have (as John and I want more than a couple of children if we can). He said that 3 is normal, 4 is definitely doable, he has done 5, but it is a bit more rare. I told him of a gal I'd recently met that is having her 6th c-section and he thought that was way too much. He then voiced his opinion about large families and I was able to clearly tell that he thought 6 kids was way too much anyway. John and I don't know how big we want our family to be, but we are both in agreement that we would like more than 2 if possible.
- I asked when a growth ultrasound could be performed. He said between 36-38 weeks, as close to the due date as possible. He said that they are not 100% though. They can give us percentages as to how big they 'think' he will be...but he has had circumstances where they thought the baby would be 7 pounds and it was 9 pounds...or thought they would have a 9.5 pounder and it was 8.5 pounds. So apparently they can try to estimate as best as they can, but it is not exact so we need to take it with a grain of salt. In all honesty, as Logan measured in my belly perfectly up until the very end, it is so hard to tell how fast he grew...was it gradual or did he shoot up in the last couple of weeks?

I think that pretty much sums up our conversation. In the end we kind of decided that at my next appointment I will most likely schedule my c-section, if anything as a 'just in case'. Apparently as it gets closer, time in the O.R. can be harder to schedule. So for now my thinking is that I will schedule the c-section and see what happens. If I go into labor beforehand, then I can give VBAC a try. If I do not go into labor on my own, perhaps there is a bigger reason and c-sections are meant to be for me. I will continue to mull this over as I really do want to try a VBAC, but if I am 'afraid' that Carter is huge or his head too is crooked in the canal, then I don't want my mind to play games with me while trying to push. I know that other people have delivered big babies so I know it is not impossible...it is just that I did really give it my all with Logan and it just didn't happen for me.

My next appointment is the Tuesday after Christmas and is with the doctor that was with me the entire time of my delivery with Logan. She is very sweet and I look forward to hearing her opinion as I don't think she will be as pushy, but informative (not that this doctor was not informative, I just wonder if anything he said was a bit biased towards section).

If you have thoughts about it, please leave a comment...I enjoy reading them and weighing my options with others thoughts in mind. John is very much for a c-section, but is at least saying he is understanding that it is my body and he will support me with whatever I decide.

Carter's 3D/4D Ultrasound

Today was so exciting...we had Carter's 3D/4D ultrasound! Both sets of grandparents came up/down to join us. Logan wore his Big Brother shirt (which fits him a little better than it did several months ago when he first heard the news of being a big brother).

The ultrasound went great. With an exception of literally the last 30 seconds, Carter had his hands in his mouth the ENTIRE time! The technician jiggled my belly for all she was worth to try and move his hands, but he just thought they were sooo yummy! She did get several great pictures and we have a 10 minute DVD as well of everything she was doing. His heartrate was 158 bpm, which is pretty high...normally it is around 140 (must've been the mountain dew I had before I went to the appointment so he'd be active...although to be honest, he's pretty active without caffeine too!).

He is still very much a boy! I will not post the picture, but boy oh boy there is NO mistaking him for a girl...way to go Carter!

Carter appears to also have big cheeks like Logan...and hair already like Logan. You can see for yourself, but all of us in attendance think that Carter looks like Logan, which is a very good thing as Logan is such a cutie pie!

This is the BEST picture...his hands aren't in his face and he is smiling a bit.

Here Carter is resting his head on his hands...so cute!

In this picture it looks like he is laughing and giving a thumbs up!

Here his mouth is open...getting ready to eat his hands again...

It kind of looks like he's giving us the finger here...although, I don't think it is 'thee' finger. :)

This picture is kind of cool, but also kind of creeps me out..his eyes are OPEN!! I know they can open their eyes, but to see it was kind of interesting. :)

Here is a picture of his cute little (big) foot! (I have no idea what the other stuff is surrounding the foot, but it is kind of gross looking...sorry)

Experiment

Since Logan is walking, walking, walking without help now, I decided to experiment at Target by not putting him in a cart. All you experienced Moms are probably laughing at me!

We were in the music/movie/book section getting some gifts and I let him loose. He was up the aisle, then down the aisle. I was near the end of the aisle while he was at the end display and all of a sudden I saw a calendar whip across the aisle. Yeah...he thought it was so funny! So I picked it up and he decided to take another calendar and walk around with it...then he was done with it when he saw that he could try to climb the dvd racks. No, no, no.... So we walked to a different aisle where there was another fascinating end rack that he started plucking the plastic holder-thingy off. No, no, no. So we walked to a different aisle (naturally, I couldn't 'easily' find the items I was looking for...I realized that Target doesn't have that big of a section as I had hoped). So as we walked past one final aisle of shiny, gleaming gift cards that just called his name...I swooped him up and threw him in a cart.

I thought that he would be upset with me for making him sit instead of being free to roam and explore this truly wonderful store, but to my surprise he was fine (again, what a great child!). We zoomed around the store in an annoying cart that bumped every spin of the wheels, but oddly enough he thought this was super fun (and we have been to 2 other stores since then and he starts bumping along since apparently now all carts do this... :) ).

So it was a fun experiment that ended shortly after it started...but it was fun to watch him explore.

Carter and a Funny...

I had my 30 week appointment today and all is looking great! As I hadn't gained any weight in the last 2 months, it looked like Thanksgiving was enough to push me over that hump. It's okay as I am still right on track (unlike last time...). Carter's heartbeat was good and strong and he even kicked while the doc was checking the heartbeat. I am measuring right on schedule, as I did with Logan. We again discussed vbac vs. c-section and I still said just hang on...I want a growth ultrasound to see if I have a 'shot'. We'll see...I have a feeling I will end up with a scheduled c-section, but don't want to say 'yes' to it just yet. The doctor said, well he is not measuring big....I said, yeah well Logan didn't either. :) And somehow a 10 pounder was stuffed in there!

I now start going every 2 weeks, so my next appointment is the 15th. How exciting to be on a 2 week schedule already!!! With the holidays coming up, they scheduled all my appointments until mid-January! The nurse mentioned that doing Non-Stress tests is not in my plan, so that is good to know. Otherwise I would have to get a babysitter for Logan since that appointment lasts over a half hour.

Now the funny... Logan and I were waiting for the doctor. Logan was in his umbrella stroller with his sippy cup. He took a drink of water and started babbling, without swallowing. He had never done this before and it threw him off as he basically just spit water out. Oh man, I nearly lost it. I tried to remain straight-faced to tell him that we don't spit, but I just bust out laughing - and so did he! Naturally he did it a couple more times and just had such a hearty laugh. I think he just loved that he got me to laugh hard too - I had tears in my eyes; he was being just adorable. I then did stop the fun and got a paper towel to wipe the puddle on his shirt. We moved on...I thought he just may put up a stink about me taking his sippy cup away, but he didn't. Oh, gosh, it was just so funny!

We then left to go do some Christmas shopping and he did so well. I am so blessed that he is so well behaved in stores (for now....I am aware that someday, possibly soon he may change....or who knows, Carter may be a pickle).

Logan's One Year Wellness Checkup

Today was Logan's one year wellness checkup. It was a smidgen past one year, but it was the earliest I could get an appointment. I did make sure to get the doctor that I like the best - Dr. L. He never rushes me and always takes the time to explain any question I have. What a great doctor! Here are the stats:

22 pounds 15 ounces (47th percentile)
33 inches (99th percentile)
head: 18.5 cm (64th percentile)

Still a skinny, tall drink of water!

The nurse took all his measurements and pricked his finger to check his iron level. He did absolutely fine for it...and then she put the band-aid on. He did not like it on his finger. He did not whine or anything, but was trying to shake it off his hand (like he does when I put mittens on his hands). Then he tried to slobber it off. During the doctor's exam, I noticed 2 light stains on my shirt...and then the doctor and I realized that the band-aid was gone. Uh oh. We looked around the room and then thought perhaps he swallowed it. I felt bad because if he was chewing on it, I would think that I would have noticed. The doctor mentioned that it will 'turn up' soon enough (meaning when he goes to the bathroom). Minutes later, I saw it on the floor. We didn't see it before because after he slobbered on it, the color of the band-aid blended right into their dark hardwood floors. Phew! :)

Between the nurse and doctor visit (which was literally seconds) I heard the doctor ask something and the nurse answer back, no he's a good boy. I think he was wondering if Logan didn't like being poked and prodded or something.

The doctor checked him out and everything appeared to be looking good! Hooray! We went through the round of questions of his development and I was able to answer positively to all of them (walking, stops to pick things up, etc.) except says 'Mama or Dada' clearly. See, he says both of those sounds and we do think that for the most part he is calling us, but I guess since it is not all the time and exclusively for us, I didn't want to answer yes. Anyway, when the doctor came in this was one of two things he further questioned. He asked if there was anything that he says clearly. I said well, not really clear words, but he does 'talk' a lot and he does do a few signs. He said oh good, then he's not worried at all. By 12 months children apparently should be able to have at least 2 'expressive' forms of communication. Since he very clearly signs 'milk', 'all done' and 'more'; these are forms of expression.

The other item that the doctor mentioned was the amount of milk we give him. I have stuck with the same amount that we gave him in formula as we do in whole milk...about 30 ounces. I recently heard that children are supposed to get a maximum of 32 ounces of dairy a day. Eeks...he also has yogurt and cheese. So yes, when I told the nurse that he drinks about 30 ounces of milk a day, it did not come to my surprise that the doctor told me that I needed to cut back. He said that about 16 ounces a day was a good amount.

We also discussed juice - some of my Mom friends have mentioned that juice is a 'treat' every few days. He mentioned that juice is 'empty calories' so in order to address childhood obesity, we should limit juice intake to 4-6 ounces a day. It can be watered down in order for it to last longer.

The doctor asked if he was walking and wanted him to do it. So he put Logan down and watched him walk the 5-6 steps to me (guessing he was making sure he wasn't walking funny).

We then discussed immunizations. He ended up getting the MMR, Chicken Pox and 1st flu shot. Next month we will go back and get the 2nd flu shot and Prevnar immunization. I held off on the last one as he was already getting a lot of shots and since his immune system appears to be not super stellar, I wanted him to get the flu shot. When Logan got the shots he didn't wince for one of them, did wince for the 2nd shot and cried for about 10 seconds for the 3rd shot. What a champ! As soon as I picked him up, he was fine. I think he didn't like being constrained and lying on the table (sometimes he doesn't even like laying down for a quick diaper change).

I think that wraps up his one year wellness visit. A great checkup for a cute, healthy little boy.

Where did it go?

Oh too funny.

Today Logan and I were at a park with Kathy and Maddie. Maddie wanted to go check out the geese, so we all walked over. Kathy ran over and jumped and it made all the geese fly away - which fascinated both kids. I was holding Logan at the time as there was quite a bit of goose poop in the grass and didn't want him falling in it. I then look over at him and he's holding his hands out to his side, palms facing up and saying 'oh'. It was so cute - his expression was saying 'Where did they go'? He kept doing it...it made us laugh!

Later we went out to dinner with John's brother, Dave and Paula. I was playing peek-a-boo with a small toy. He'd give me the toy, I'd hide it one of my two hands and he'd have to pick. During picking he'd stop and put his hands out with palms up and say 'oh' 'oh' 'oohhh'. It was just too cute!

One nap

Without any planning on my part or Logan's, it seems that he has become a one nap a day guy. I initially didn't look forward to this transition as I thought I would be missing out on a 'break' during the day. However, I really like it. I keep him busy and running around until 10:30-11 and then put him down for a nap when he's good and exhausted. He then sleeps for 3 - 3.5 hours!!!!! Oh gosh, it is amazing! I get so much done. I am able to log in to my class and grade stuff, do some laundry, pick up toys, clean up, relax...whatever needs done that day. And when he wakes up, he just starts a cute little shout as if to say 'Hey Mom, I'm awake!'. When I get him he is SUPER smiley and bounces up and down in his crib...it really is too cute.

Still if we take a car ride earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon, he will snooze for the 5-20 minutes, but he appears to not be any worse for the wear if he doesn't take those mini-snoozes.

Slide & a Carousel Ride

Today I took Logan to the mall to play in the play area. He went down a truck slide...by himself! Usually I'd give him a push or hold his fingertip all the way down...but today I didn't need to. I put him up on the slide (there is no staircase to it and because it is an indoor play area he can't wear shoes...so he can't climb up) and he giggled and then scooted himself forward and stayed sitting up the whole time! I was kind of amazed...so I had him do it again and again....and he never needed assistance. I thought it was pretty cool considering I didn't exactly know 'how' to teach him to scoot himself forward and maintain his balance.

Naturally, I decided to take a video. Now, I normally would catch him at the bottom, but he had been doing a great job of landing on his feet and my arms would just help him balance a bit. So of course when I take the video, he was soooo excited and was going fast (although keep in mind it is a VERY short slide ride) that he landed on his feet and kept going and face planted right onto the carpet. I felt bad...but it still made me laugh. He did not cry, but his face was a little red from rubbing into the carpet. I watched the video tonight and oh man, it made me laugh...but again, I felt bad that I didn't catch him to fall.

One time when he was on the slide, the carousel just outside the play area was going (small carousel - 3 seats - a dog, boat and train). He was fascinated with this new thing. He slid down the slide, I steadied him and he walked over to the bench and stood on it. He just stared and giggled at the carousel. He then proceeded to try to climb the bench (which as of right now he cannot do) to get to it. Kathy and I knew that before we left we'd let Logan and Maddie ride on the carousel as Maddie was fascinated with it as well.

Logan sat in the boat for the first ride and played with the steering wheel...and when the ride started, he was just amazed - it was too cute. Again, of course I took video and pictures....although he has the same face of 'oh'. He liked it and we let them ride again. It was too cute.

Big day for the little guy. :)

More (Sign)

Logan has mastered another sign - 'more'. You are supposed to essentially supposed to touch both of your hands' fingertips together (both hands closed). At first it was kind of clapping, now it is one hand closed one hand opened. Pretty cute. We have been working on this sign for a while and it is just funny how one day it clicks. Granted, I don't do it as regular as I'd like to think I do...but it just clicked with him the other night. Right now, the sign pertains to food and getting more food - more sandwich bites, more cracker, more cheese. I will start emphasizing the sign 'more' for other non-food related things.

Congrats on another sign, Logan!

Updates

Where have I been? We have had a birthday party, ultrasound appointments, a mini vacation and many other things going on in the last few weeks....I haven't found the time to sit and blog about it all..and add pictures.

I had some time today while Logan is napping to post stories and pictures. You need to go back as far as October 22nd to see the posts as I am trying to keep them in order.

I still have his birthday party and our mini vacation to document, but this should give you a good enough peek into our lives the last few weeks. Enjoy!

Logan's 1st Haircut

Yes - I did it. Everytime I mentioned getting his haircut (since he was about 8-9 months old) all I heard was 'nooooo, don't cut those beautiful curls'. Well, I didn't want to either - the kid has GREAT hair and if he were a girl (sorry Logan if you read this in later years) I wouldn't touch it...it would be in a cute barrett or have a hair tie in there. But he's not - he is an adorable little boy.

When I was at the supermarket just before his birthday (in the deli section, of course...the only place I EVER get asked if he is a boy or girl by some old lady) and one of the free sample gals ooh'd and ah'd over him....then proceeded to ask a dumb question: Boy or Girl? (Are you freaking kidding me??? He has such a boy face and is dressed in manly colors...seriously!) I maintained my cool despite what I was thinking and said 'boy'. Then she oogled over his hair and said 'oh, you're not going to cut these gorgeous curls, are you?'. I laughed and said, not yet, I want to cut his hair, but get flack anytime I mention it. Inside I thought yes, for sure now I am...you just asked me if he was a girl!?!?! And I am certain it is because of his fantastic head of hair. Silly woman.

So that was the driving point. That and when it was windy, his bangs would blow in his face and in the bathtub, when water is poured over his head the back really goes further than you'd think. It was time.

I asked my Moms group of a fun kid-friendly place to go for his 1st haircut. I wanted it to be a fun experience...and I got it! They suggested KidSnips. We went there this morning after meeting up with a few of my Mom friends at Starbucks. As I was right next door, I didn't want to wait any longer...even though I knew his naptime was overdue.

When we walked in we informed them that this was Logan's 1st haircut (I had read on their website that they do something special for their 1st one). Miss Kathy was Logan's hair stylist. He first got to pick out a movie. Knowing that we really don't watch tv much, I just chose Elmo - he has seen it at a friend's house before. As his DVD was getting popped in his own private tv, I sat him down in a blue truck and 'seat-belted' him in. Haha....I loved it so far!

Miss Kathy put the drape around him and I told her that I wasn't ready to cut off all the curls, but I needed a definite trim. I showed her his crazy bangs, overgrown sideburns and long back. She understood and went to work as I snapped pictures. I forgot my 'good' camera, but had my iPhone and luckily the lighting was good enough so the pictures turned out. She made the first cut and promptly stopped what she was doing to put it in a ziploc baggie for his scrapbook (love it!). She sprayed his head and went to work. He did great...yes, he looked here and there and everywhere, but she never missed a step. I think hair stylists are talented, but it takes extra patience and precision to snip a toddlers hair. This is where the movie comes in. Logan would look at the video, but then he wouldn't care. She combed his hair and he wanted the comb - so without blinking she gave it to him and grabbed another one out of the drawer. Great! Granted, it lasted for about 45 seconds to a minute, but it worked.

Towards the end of the haircut he started getting antsy and wanted me to hold him. So I tried to entertain him with toys and a hug from me just long enough until Miss Kathy was done. Perfect! Then Miss Kathy brought out her cleaning brush and tickled him with it and then took his picture (which they printed 2 copies there on the spot for us...how great!). Miss Kathy then gave him a blue balloon and tied it to his wrist. He thought it was cool until he tried to get the balloon and well, it floats, so this frustrated him a bit. I was filling out a form and trying to gather our things and help him with the balloon. Then Miss Kathy told us that he could pick a toy from the Treasure Chest and a sucker...how wonderful! Logan immediately picked up a tiny kaleidescope, which I put back since he has zero clue. Then he whipped a bouncy ball across the store...I picked that up and put it back as that would drive us and Buddy crazy and is a choking hazard. I ended up picking out a little cardboard airplane that you put together (2 step process I believe)...I think it will be perfect for him and Daddy to do together later (when Buddy is outside). He picked a sucker out as well. We went to the cashier to pay and the presented us with a "First Haircut Certificate" with the tiny plastic ziploc baggie of his lock of hair stapled on and a picture of his 'after' shot stapled. They gave us an extra copy of the picture as well. They wrote the date and name of the stylist on there as well. What a truly great idea. I have it all ready to go in his scrapbook!

Miss Kathy making the 1st cut while Logan watched Elmo in the blue truck

Here you can see the tv he was watching...and Miss Kathy putting the 1st lock of hair into the ziploc

Sitting like a good boy...with the extra comb

He was getting whiny here, with his signature 'oooo' face when he is fake crying

Almost done...

Logan with his blue balloon (if you see his face, he shows his frustration a bit since he can't actually grab the balloon)

His Certificate for the scrapbook

Front...AFTER

Back...AFTER (there are still a couple small curls and it does curl under)

Logan turns ONE!!!!

Thursday, 11/5/09, was a BIG day in the Battermann Household. Logan turned ONE!!! Ah, where did the time go! I was in the store the other day and somebody said 'before you know it he'll be 7, then in his teens'.....ack! Time flies by fast, but please don't put my baby in his teens already!!

When Logan woke up around 8ish, John and I went and got him together singing Happy Birthday to him. He was very excited (but moreso because he is a happy baby in the mornings...and we were both there). We all headed downstairs and I made his favorite breakfast - blueberry pancakes. He ate 3 of them!!!! He ate on his new 'Special Day' plate that my sister made him. (Before you see the pictures, I suppose I should apologize for putting him in Christmas-like pj's...I guess it was time to do the laundry and these were available!)

After we sang him Happy Birthday...wondering, okay, what's up with you two this morning?

Aunt Dawn painted Logan a Special Day plate. He ate his 3 blueberry pancakes on it (naturally halfway thru he got curious about the plate and started lifting it up...as I'd like the plate to see more special days, we put the pancakes directly on his tray).

OOOhhhhh....how did they know this was my favorite breakfast???

YUMMY!!!!!!

ALL DONE! (notice the clean plate)

After breakfast we had him open a couple toys, which he loved playing with. John left for work and shortly after Logan went down for a nap.

Opening his Elmo Remote Control (naturally, while he plays with it, nothing compares to the 'real' remote that Mommy and Daddy use...despite the amount of decoys that are placed around the family room).

Wow...look at all these buttons!

Next...a Tonka Cushy Truck and makes noise...very cool.

Logan and Buddy watched as Daddy showed Logan what you do with it...

Naturally, this enticed Logan to get down and try it himself. He now zooms this car all over the downstairs. He tries to lean on it sometimes to zoom it and because it is a small and 'lightweight' truck it tips over. :)

At his exact birth time 10:26am, he was sound asleep. I reminisced over all that had occured and how long it took for us to finally hold this handsome baby boy in our arms. At this time last year, I had just gone through a day of labor, hours of pushing and a bit of pain. I got to see Logan for about 3 seconds and then I spent a half hour getting all stitched up, while John and Logan bonded. I finally got to see my baby boy and it was love at first sight. I got to hold him right away and he looked right at me. I was able to breastfeed right away, which was suprising to me - I don't know when I thought that would kick in, but apparently right away! Then I got to watch Logan get his feet stamped...and then poof, they let me hold him while I was wheeled up to our new room where we oogled over him for the next several days (and year). I can't believe that was already a year ago. We still look at him in amazement and comment what a great child he truly, truly is. A pure blessing from God.

For lunch, Logan had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (for the 2nd time...I completely forgot that peanut butter is a no-no until 1 year old...when he was 9.5 months old). He thoroughly enjoyed the sandwich.

I then let him open up his gifts of clothes. He had a great time ripping each article of clothing out of the box, but was otherwise un-enthused. :)

The afternoon was spent playing with new toys (we stayed indoors as he had just broke a 3-day fever the day before). As we were leaving for vacation the next day, we dropped Buddy off at our friend Abbey's house and played with her kids for a few minutes. Then we met John for dinner at Chili's. Logan had on his Birthday Boy shirt and received a few smiles from other customers. During the course of his meal, Logan threw a couple crackers and his sippy cup a few seats down from us. It was really the first time he ever 'acted up' in a restaurant and it was just fine. We ate and left (didn't linger much), but I consider ourselves lucky that we can take him out (some of our friends babies don't allow them to do so). We came home and he opened up the rest of his gifts. He got some very cool things (of course, I picked them out).

Daddy was excited for Logan to open the gift directly in front of him...a basketball! Logan thought it was cool too, especially when Daddy dribbled the ball.

The Birthday Boy with his Birthday Mom (2 days later)

We got him Cookie Monster slippers. He was tired, so this is more of a pained smile...but he didn't want to walk in them much because he just wanted to play with them!

As it was already past his bedtime, he quickly got a 'birthday bath' and went to bed. He had a great day and we couldn't believe that we were already celebrating his 1st birthday!

Thinking back on a year, here are some wonderful things our little guy can do:

My little guy can crawl, sit, stand and walk; he easily drank from a bottle and recently switched to a sippy cup without much trouble; he breastfed easily, drank formula without a problem and recently switched to whole milk with no trouble at all; he smiles like crazy; he is sooo strong - he does chin ups on the gate..about 5 inches off the ground; he LOVES cheese...it is our definite food that never is rejected! He also loves any flavor yogurt, blueberry pancakes, oatmeal, turkey, cheese, mac 'n' cheese and grilled cheese. He does not easily try new things and is hit or miss on if he will like it or not. However, he does not spit something out if he doesn't like it, he will just continue to push the spoon away if you try again. Speaking of which, he has held a spoon, but does not feed himself just yet. His fine motor skills never cease to amaze me! If I put a bunch of cheerios or cheese, etc. on his plate, he will take his thumb and forefinger and pick up a piece one at a time and very carefully place it in his mouth (which will be open almost the entire process). He has never (that I an recall) picked up a handful and shoved it in his mouth...he is very careful with one at a time. This shows on puzzle pieces as well - he very acutely picks up each piece. Logan still takes 2 naps, which is wonderful. He falls asleep SO incredibly easy in the car, which is good and bad. It is great because he is rides so well in the car, he transfers well from the car to the crib and even if he sleeps for 5 minutes, he seems refreshed once awoken....which is why it can be bad too. If I run to Target, which is 5 minutes away, it seems that he can fall asleep during that time and I feel badly waking him up. But again, he doesn't complain - that old rule of 'never wake a sleeping baby' has never applied to us and we are so thankful for that. Logan has only ever not slept through the night when he was hitting a new milestone (sitting, crawling, walking). It would usually last a couple times a night for almost exactly 2 weeks. Sometimes I would think this is crazy....but then I would have some friends and family remind me that 2 weeks is nothing...considering many kids don't sleep through the night until several months old (if they are lucky)...he has slept through the night, well, always. Logan says 'mamamamamama', but unfortunately it doesn't necessarily mean 'mom'. He can find a 'nose', when we say 'All done' or 'so Big' he puts his hands in the air. He signs for milk and is working on more signing. He LOVES to look at pictures of himself - a big smile comes across his face! He gives kisses and more recently tight hugs.

Wow, what an amazing child!!!!! We love him so much and pray he has such an amazing life!

Logan's First Fever

Logan has had a couple of colds in his short little life, but this past week he had his first fever. As we had been planning for his 1st birthday party which took place on Halloween, we had a lot going on. Days of crappy weather before his party; the day of his party it was chilly (48 degree high) and mostly cloudy (even though the weatherman said it would be mostly sunny...liar). While Logan was in a nice warm monkey costume made by his Grandma and covered in blankets in his wagon while we went to and fro through the zoo....it was still cold. I came home that night with a low grade fever which turned back into a terrible cough and then a cold (I am almost over it all though). I blame my sickness on the stress of planning this great party and lack of sleep (from the stress of planning this great party).

Sunday night Logan felt warm and his fever was around 99.6. We gave him some tylenol and sent him to bed. Monday he awoke with a fever of 100.6. We have a temporal artery thermometer, but we quickly found out just how inconsistent it can be if done on a different part of the forehead. So we went back to the digital thermometer under the armpit. I have heard that this temp may not be super accurate, but it can get you a really good guess-timate (in the meantime, this is how his doctor's office takes the temp, so it must be accurate enough as long as it is held in the center of the armpit and his arm is held down). Anywho, that is the method we continued with for the next couple days. We gave him more tylenol and checked it after lunch (tylenol lasts 4 hours). His fever was now 101.1.....more tylenol....which would help during the 4 hour window. I gave him a warm bath to cool him down as well. He didn't last in there too long as it was not its normal 'hot' temperature. His fever was 102.2 before bed. Poor little guy. By this point I had learned that alternating tylenol and motrin works better. Motrin is better at reducing the fever, but can be more harsh on his stomach, so it should not be given solely. Okay. So John picked up both meds on his way home. We gave him motrin before bed and checked him 2.5 hours later when we went to bed - his fever was down to the 98's - great.

Tuesday was more of a repeat of Monday. Besides having a fever and having glassy eyes, his only other symptom was that he would click his throat (as if he was trying to itch it...interesting how this reflex just comes naturally). He was drinking wonderfully; eating - eh, not so stellar, but he would eat; played just fine; and took really long naps - 3 hours! So I knew he wasn't feeling well, but he didn't show any other symptoms of feeling terrible, so we didn't call the doctor. I said if he woke up on Wednesday with a fever we'd call as we are going out of town soon and I needed to make sure he was healthy.

Wednesday....101.1. Okay, I called the doctor and got an appointment for 11:20 with our favorite doctor, Dr. L. I gave him some motrin and put him down for a nap and when I was ready to go, I woke him up. He was sooooo sweaty. Of course, this means that he is breaking the fever on his own. Oh well, I still wanted to take him to the doctor just to be sure there isn't some other infection. (by the by...since he was so sweaty, his hair was soooo curly....love it!)

Since I had given him motrin, his 'fever' for the doctor was non-existent...97.0 to be exact. They weighed him (22 pounds 14 ounces) and checked him out. Breathing good. Eyes good. Nose good. Ears good. Throat - aha! Sore throat. He had some blistery looking things so he tested him for strep which was negative. He said normally it is negative, but we just wanted to rule that out as if it was strep he would need an antibiotic. He said to just keep doing what we're doing.

I actually learned something. Dr. L said that since he was completely fine other than 'having' the fever, to not give him tylenol or motrin. Apparently all his body knows to fight off an infection is to have this fever. By giving him medicine to reduce his fever his body can't fight it off as fast - it just masks the symptoms. The only reason to give him medicine for 'just' a fever is if the fever is making him cranky and not feel well. Logan was never really cranky with his fever so we could've gotten away with not giving him meds and who knows, he may have broke his fever sooner than later. It was a pretty fascinating lesson for me. I don't want to give Logan medicine if I don't have to...and the doctor and nurse said that they are trying to educate people more on this as we have been 'taught' from the past that as soon as you are sick to take medicine. The truth is, a lot of it has to run its course....fluids and rest really are the best ways to get rid of viruses. Now if it is not a virus and something like strep, then an antibiotic may be necessary. So I wanted to sahre this with whomever reads it. Hopefully I made sense.

As of tonight, the last time we gave Logan medicine was at 8:30 AM...and he is fever free and no more glassy eyes. Yay. For his actual 1st birthday tomorrow, he will be healthy!

Carter's Follow Up Ultrasound

We had our follow up ultrasound today to ensure that the placenta previa is out of harms way. I figured it 'had' to be out of the way since I had been doing more lifting than I should preparing for Logan's party and such.....and if any bleeding was going to happen, it would have.

It was confirmed that the previa had moved upwards as expected. Phew. This meant I was cleared for travel (we were leaving in a few days for my cousins wedding in SC)...it meant I am out of the woods for a possible hysterectomy due to the previa....it meant all restrictions were off....it meant I didn't have to worry in the back of my head all the 'what-if' scenarios. It was a good news!

Also, it was confirmed that Carter still in fact is a BOY! We had her take more pictures of him, but the 3 she took were exactly the same and a little blurry...not stellar. Soon we will schedule our 3D/4D ultrasound pictures and we will get some good ones. Here is the picture she took: It is of his head and a little hand going upwards towards his mouth...it was very cute watching him move around. (And he is still a VERY active baby!!!!!)

Before we went to the appointment (John came along as he never wants to miss an ultrasound and he was helping keep Logan entertained) we discussed the flu shot (seasonal and H1N1). Before we were both against Logan and I getting these shots. However, after seeing how Logan and I both apparently have somewhat crappy immune systems and we decided that if they offered, we would do it. The H1N1 was confirmed in our church and several of my Mom group friends have a family member (distant or close) that has it. Schools were closing down all around us because of it and two teenagers around our area died from it (so extremely sad)...it just was proving to be as big and ugly as it was made out to be. So when the doctor highly recommended that I get both shots, we agreed. They had just run out of the seasonal shot that morning (naturally), but had the H1N1 available. I got the shot as Logan watched in amazement. My pregnancy has been pretty easy (again) which I am very thankful for...no need to mess it up by getting an icky flu at which I am high risk for the H1N1. If they have the seasonal one next time I go in, I will get it.

And that sums up our appointment. When people ask when I'm due and I say Feb. 4th...it sounds SO far away - it is NEXT year afterall....but when you think that I have just over 10 weeks...it is pretty close. I figure after my next appointment, I will start going every 2 weeks. It will be Thanksgiving, then Christmas, the New Year and poof....it will be here before you know it! We are so excited!

Logan meets Nana and Aunt Philly

Logan met my Nana (Dad's mom) and Aunt Philly (one of my Dad's sisters) earlier in October. It was so nice to see them. We unfortunately don't get to see them as often as we'd all like, but it didn't matter with how fast Logan warmed up to both of them! I drove down on a Friday to spend the day with them....just us and it was so nice. Both Nana and Aunt Philly were playing with him and trying to make him laugh...and on the floor watching him take a few steps or crawl super fast! It made me so happy that he didn't shed one tear - I was even able to leave the house for a half hour to go get my nephews. He played with them the whole time.


Then on Sunday the whole family got together for dinner. It was a bit more hectic as there were a lot more people, so we were again really thankful that we got some 'alone' time with them on Friday. We hope to make a trip out to PA next year to visit with them....and introduce them to Carter. :) Here are some pictures:

Aunt Philly showing Logan my Mom's cool lightbulbs

Aunt Philly, Logan (in his Steelers outfit, naturally) and Nana

Nana and Logan

My sister, Aunt Philly and I