Okay, school wasn't cancelled, but that's the great thing about preschool--I can keep Nate home whenever I want! It's snowing out, and the roads in our neighborhood are covered, and it's just plain cold. I just talked to Blake, who has been on the road for over an hour trying to get to work, which is usually a 20 minute commute. He did not sound happy. :) So we're going to stay inside and make soup!
I wanted to make sure I recorded a cute conversation here. A few days ago, we were going to Target, and as we were pulling in the parking lot, I was telling Nate we were there to get me a new planner.
Nate: We need to get some stuff for Daddy. He's going to loooooove his stuff!
Me: Oh, what kind of stuff do we need to get for Daddy?
Nate: (thinking for a second) Yellow.
Me: (laughing hard!)
Nate: No! Don't laugh at me!
Me: But I think you're funny!
Nate: No, I not funny!
Me: Yes, you are--you are cute!
Nate: Yeah ... I'm cute.
Tomorrow is the EEG, so we have to keep him up late tonight. I'll report on how it goes. Then this weekend, we have the big plans--we're going to the toy train expo! We went last year, and Nate had so.much.fun. He still looks at the picture of him sitting on Thomas (that cost $20!). All week he's been asking "Are we going to the toy train show today?"
Georgia is trying to get mobile. She loves getting on her belly and trying to army crawl toward Nate or the toys! She's also working on sitting by herself. She's been feeling a little under the weather this week with a stuffy nose, so she's been sleeping in the bed with me, and I'm afraid I'm ruining her. :) It's so easy to have her in the bed to comfort or feed her anytime she wakes up, and she loves to snuggle. With Nate, I was so adamant that he didn't sleep in the bed with us, and now he sleeps very well in his bed. Now Georgia will probably be sleeping with us until she's 4! No, I look forward to moving her to her crib when she is sleeping longer.
Happy Snow Day!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Bring on 2010!
I'm pretty amazed at all the amazing things that happened to our family in 2009. Whereas 2008 hadn't been very kind to us (moved twice that summer, Blake was laid off, I had a miscarriage), 2009 was what I referred to as "the year of all things long awaited." I finally finished my master's degree, after 7 years! Nate started walking--something we had been working hard for, for so long. And we added a precious baby Georgia to our family. It was definitely a challenging year, but God blessed us beyond measure.
We spent New Year's at my parents' house and visited my Granny and Papal since we didn't go there for Christmas. And I would like to point out that I was the only one to stay up until midnight! Blake and Nate went to bed at 10, followed by my parents. Georgia is her mama's daughter--a night owl--and stayed up until about 10 till midnight but in the end couldn't hang. Pathetic, people! :)
Some pics from New Year's Day. Check out these chunky legs! I love em!
This is the blanket my aunt Audrey made for Georgia. (One of them, she made two gorgeous blankets.)
She so badly wants to chase after Nate!
When Nate was Georgia's age (5 months), he knew exactly what to do for the camera. As soon as he saw it, he'd start cheesing. Then all of a sudden recently, he won't smile for a picture and will rarely even look at the camera. This is the kind of pictures I get of him, the little stinker. Here he is trying to pull Granny out of her chair.
Practically laying on her and Georgia.
Oh, and one of his most popular moves--hand in front of his face. With Papal.
This is as good as they get, people. :)
Georgia is still trying to understand the whole camera thing. "What is this flashing shiny thing you hold in my face all day, mama?"
Hey, look! Georgia is getting hair! It has grown so much in the past week! My dad said she had more hair this morning than when she went to bed last night.
I forgot to tell the Duke story on here. The week before Christmas, Georgia and I were in the kitchen, and Nate was in the living room playing with trains. Out of the blue, he says, "Mama, where's Duke?" Duke is one of Nate's trains, one of about 30 in his collection. I said, "I don't know, why don't you look in your train table ... under the couch? in your bag?" After about the 50th "Where's Duke?" I came to help him look. I asked what color he is. Nate said, "He is brown, and he is yellow." Okay, brown and yellow train. We looked everywhere, and Nate was starting to panic. I called Blake, and as soon as he said hello, Nate said, "Where's Duke." Blake, thinking this was some sort of game, said, "I don't know, buddy, where is Duke?" I got on the phone and said, "No, really, where's Duke? We can't find him anywhere." Blake made a few suggestions, such as in the drawers of the train table, in the truck, and in the Christmas tree. Ah! Great ideas! I did find Stanley the train in the Christmas tree, but Duke wasn't in any of those places. So I told Nate that Daddy would find Duke when he got home. As soon as Blake walked in the door, Nate asked, "Where's Duke?" So he and Nate went looking all over the house, and still couldn't find him! Finally, Blake said he thought we might have left Duke at Granna's house when we went there for Thanksgiving (3 weeks earlier). I called my mom, and as soon as she answered, Nate said, "Where's Duke!" My mom said, "What? Nate, is that you?" Nate said, "Do you have Duke?" After I explained what was going on, my mom told Nate that she had in fact found a couple of trains after we left and she had put them in the car to bring to us when they came for Christmas. Nate said, "I need to talk to him." I told her, "He needs proof of life." :) So she had to go out to the car and take a picture of Duke and email it to me. I showed Nate the picture and left it up on the screen where he could see it all evening. He kept walking over to it, smiling, and saying, "There's Duke!"
We spent New Year's at my parents' house and visited my Granny and Papal since we didn't go there for Christmas. And I would like to point out that I was the only one to stay up until midnight! Blake and Nate went to bed at 10, followed by my parents. Georgia is her mama's daughter--a night owl--and stayed up until about 10 till midnight but in the end couldn't hang. Pathetic, people! :)
Some pics from New Year's Day. Check out these chunky legs! I love em!
This is the blanket my aunt Audrey made for Georgia. (One of them, she made two gorgeous blankets.)
She so badly wants to chase after Nate!
When Nate was Georgia's age (5 months), he knew exactly what to do for the camera. As soon as he saw it, he'd start cheesing. Then all of a sudden recently, he won't smile for a picture and will rarely even look at the camera. This is the kind of pictures I get of him, the little stinker. Here he is trying to pull Granny out of her chair.
Practically laying on her and Georgia.
Oh, and one of his most popular moves--hand in front of his face. With Papal.
This is as good as they get, people. :)
Georgia is still trying to understand the whole camera thing. "What is this flashing shiny thing you hold in my face all day, mama?"
Hey, look! Georgia is getting hair! It has grown so much in the past week! My dad said she had more hair this morning than when she went to bed last night.
I forgot to tell the Duke story on here. The week before Christmas, Georgia and I were in the kitchen, and Nate was in the living room playing with trains. Out of the blue, he says, "Mama, where's Duke?" Duke is one of Nate's trains, one of about 30 in his collection. I said, "I don't know, why don't you look in your train table ... under the couch? in your bag?" After about the 50th "Where's Duke?" I came to help him look. I asked what color he is. Nate said, "He is brown, and he is yellow." Okay, brown and yellow train. We looked everywhere, and Nate was starting to panic. I called Blake, and as soon as he said hello, Nate said, "Where's Duke." Blake, thinking this was some sort of game, said, "I don't know, buddy, where is Duke?" I got on the phone and said, "No, really, where's Duke? We can't find him anywhere." Blake made a few suggestions, such as in the drawers of the train table, in the truck, and in the Christmas tree. Ah! Great ideas! I did find Stanley the train in the Christmas tree, but Duke wasn't in any of those places. So I told Nate that Daddy would find Duke when he got home. As soon as Blake walked in the door, Nate asked, "Where's Duke?" So he and Nate went looking all over the house, and still couldn't find him! Finally, Blake said he thought we might have left Duke at Granna's house when we went there for Thanksgiving (3 weeks earlier). I called my mom, and as soon as she answered, Nate said, "Where's Duke!" My mom said, "What? Nate, is that you?" Nate said, "Do you have Duke?" After I explained what was going on, my mom told Nate that she had in fact found a couple of trains after we left and she had put them in the car to bring to us when they came for Christmas. Nate said, "I need to talk to him." I told her, "He needs proof of life." :) So she had to go out to the car and take a picture of Duke and email it to me. I showed Nate the picture and left it up on the screen where he could see it all evening. He kept walking over to it, smiling, and saying, "There's Duke!"
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Seizures?
A couple weeks ago, I posted that Nate's speech therapist mentioned him "zoning out" and asked if he had seizures. His teacher's aid had asked me the same thing a few weeks earlier, so I decided we needed to get this checked out.
Nate has had these zone out spells since he was a baby. At one time, I was concerned enough about it to ask a therapist and his former pediatrician, and they didn't seem worried so I stopped worrying about it. But I see him doing it fairly often. We'll be in the middle of something, and he just spaces out. Sometimes it looks like he's thinking about something or trying to listen to something going on across the room. His eyes don't do anything funny, and he often continues moving while it's going on, so that's another reason I didn't think it was seizures.
We went to the pediatrician today, and he said what I had described sounds just like "absence seizures," formerly known as petit mal seizures. I looked it up online when I got home, and it does sound very similar to what Nate does. The good news I found was that children usually outgrow them and they don't cause brain damage. But they can cause trouble in school if he spaces out several times during class, and he could have a hard time concentrating on anything.
I am still not entirely convinced that he is having seizures, but I'm glad we're getting it checked. The next step is to have an EEG (as in glue in the hair and wires attached to the head) next Friday at the children's hospital. We have to keep him up until 10-12 the night before and wake him up at 4 am!!!! Then be at the hospital at 7:30. During the test, they'll do some sort of flashing lights and make him breathe out and sort of hyperventilate to try to induce a seizure. Depending on the results, the next step will probably be for him to see a neurologist. Oh joy! We get to add yet another specialist to the list! Apparently having a neurosurgeon isn't enough, we also have to have a neurologist. I have gotten a couple of glowing recommendations for a Dr. Puri in town, but it might take longer than we want to wait to get in to see him.
I guess these seizures are usually treated with medication to decrease their frequency so the child can concentrate and not continually zone out of life. I wonder if this could be at all related to Nate having mild hydrocephalus and no shunt and if he would need a shunt placed. But I'm not really thinking any further ahead than the EEG, since there's no use worrying about something that might never happen.
Anyway, on to more fun updates. Yesterday, Mindy and I took the kids to their first movie! I have been wanting to take Nate to see the Chipmunks movie, but it was sold out! So instead we saw the Princess and the Frog. It was quite an adventure getting us all there and situated, but it was fun too. Nate was enjoying his popcorn and the "really big TV." About 2/3 through the movie, he started getting restless and sleepy, and then Georgia woke up from her nap (yep, slept right through the movie), and Mindy and I got the kids out of there before they started to revolt. All in all, it went better than I expected! :) Now I need to add that movie to our netflix queue so we can see how it ends.
I also need to add a funny story I forgot to write in my last post about Christmas dinner. Nate is still confused about pronouns and refers to women as "he" and "him" and the opposite for men. So we were eating Christmas dinner, and Nate was sitting beside my dad. Nate reached over and patted my dad's arm and said, "Pop ... you're a good girl." I still laugh thinking about it! It was very sweet, just not quite correct. :)
Nate has had these zone out spells since he was a baby. At one time, I was concerned enough about it to ask a therapist and his former pediatrician, and they didn't seem worried so I stopped worrying about it. But I see him doing it fairly often. We'll be in the middle of something, and he just spaces out. Sometimes it looks like he's thinking about something or trying to listen to something going on across the room. His eyes don't do anything funny, and he often continues moving while it's going on, so that's another reason I didn't think it was seizures.
We went to the pediatrician today, and he said what I had described sounds just like "absence seizures," formerly known as petit mal seizures. I looked it up online when I got home, and it does sound very similar to what Nate does. The good news I found was that children usually outgrow them and they don't cause brain damage. But they can cause trouble in school if he spaces out several times during class, and he could have a hard time concentrating on anything.
I am still not entirely convinced that he is having seizures, but I'm glad we're getting it checked. The next step is to have an EEG (as in glue in the hair and wires attached to the head) next Friday at the children's hospital. We have to keep him up until 10-12 the night before and wake him up at 4 am!!!! Then be at the hospital at 7:30. During the test, they'll do some sort of flashing lights and make him breathe out and sort of hyperventilate to try to induce a seizure. Depending on the results, the next step will probably be for him to see a neurologist. Oh joy! We get to add yet another specialist to the list! Apparently having a neurosurgeon isn't enough, we also have to have a neurologist. I have gotten a couple of glowing recommendations for a Dr. Puri in town, but it might take longer than we want to wait to get in to see him.
I guess these seizures are usually treated with medication to decrease their frequency so the child can concentrate and not continually zone out of life. I wonder if this could be at all related to Nate having mild hydrocephalus and no shunt and if he would need a shunt placed. But I'm not really thinking any further ahead than the EEG, since there's no use worrying about something that might never happen.
Anyway, on to more fun updates. Yesterday, Mindy and I took the kids to their first movie! I have been wanting to take Nate to see the Chipmunks movie, but it was sold out! So instead we saw the Princess and the Frog. It was quite an adventure getting us all there and situated, but it was fun too. Nate was enjoying his popcorn and the "really big TV." About 2/3 through the movie, he started getting restless and sleepy, and then Georgia woke up from her nap (yep, slept right through the movie), and Mindy and I got the kids out of there before they started to revolt. All in all, it went better than I expected! :) Now I need to add that movie to our netflix queue so we can see how it ends.
I also need to add a funny story I forgot to write in my last post about Christmas dinner. Nate is still confused about pronouns and refers to women as "he" and "him" and the opposite for men. So we were eating Christmas dinner, and Nate was sitting beside my dad. Nate reached over and patted my dad's arm and said, "Pop ... you're a good girl." I still laugh thinking about it! It was very sweet, just not quite correct. :)
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Our Christmas
This year was the first Christmas our family spent the day at home, so it was very special. I did really miss going to my Granny and Papal's house to spend Christmas Eve with my dad's whole family, since that's what I've done every year of my life! Christmas Eve here was ... interesting.
We got ready to go to Christmas Eve service at church. (I don't know why this is sideways.)
Nate was not in the greatest mood (hence the lack of pictures of him), but luckily the kids in his kid's church class were playing with trains so he actually went in and stayed. By the time we got home, he was exhausted and very cranky.
Not Georgia! She was happy as an elf!
Hehehe.
I had all these plans for starting special Christmas Eve traditions, but it just wasn't happening with Nate being so tired and grouchy. He did sit still long enough for Blake to read the Christmas story.
Then the kids got to open presents "from each other." Georgia knows just what Nate likes and got him a train!
Nate picked out one of his baby toys to give to Georgia.
He later decided it was "MY elephant!" Georgia said, "Whatever!"
We got ready to go to Christmas Eve service at church. (I don't know why this is sideways.)
Nate was not in the greatest mood (hence the lack of pictures of him), but luckily the kids in his kid's church class were playing with trains so he actually went in and stayed. By the time we got home, he was exhausted and very cranky.Not Georgia! She was happy as an elf!
Hehehe.
I had all these plans for starting special Christmas Eve traditions, but it just wasn't happening with Nate being so tired and grouchy. He did sit still long enough for Blake to read the Christmas story.
Then the kids got to open presents "from each other." Georgia knows just what Nate likes and got him a train!
Nate picked out one of his baby toys to give to Georgia.
He later decided it was "MY elephant!" Georgia said, "Whatever!"
I put Nate to bed at 6:30 ... so that wasn't much fun! But then it got even less fun because he woke up an hour later and was up and CRYING until 1 am! He was so excited and anxious about Santa coming that he couldn't sleep. Blake and I both took turns laying in his floor with him to help him fall asleep. At one point, he whispered to Blake, "Santa is outside my window!" And then he got scared at that thought and started crying! Ha! Poor guy. He FINALLY passed out, and we all slept until 9:30 Christmas morning. When I heard him wake up, I went to his room and told him that Santa had been there and left presents under the tree. He said, "This is so exciting!"
It's EMILY!
Georgia got her first Cabbage Patch doll!
And an exersaucer!
Going through stockings.
A little while later, Granna, Pop, Memaw, GrandBob, and Uncle Lucas all arrived!
Then it seemed Santa arrived again.
Nope, that was just Granna and Pop bringing in all their presents!
Georgia looks like she's thinking, "Granna, I am way too little for that!"
She seems to love her first American Girl doll. "Hey, you look like me!"
Nate, are you ready for a really great present? It was a geotrax train. The next morning I heard him say, "This is the best train I ever seen."
Here's Georgia with all her loot.
She was tuckered out!
Uncle Lucas is so silly.
I think Nate's favorite gift of everything he got for Christmas was, of all things, Leggos. He got two sets, and he has played with them nonstop. He can build a really tall tower. (I think he had help with this one.) Oh, and check out our new TV behind him!!!
She is just the cutest little thing.
My parents also got us new bedding and curtains for our bedroom, and I couldn't wait to get it all put together. Isn't it so pretty? I loooove it. It's so comfortable too.
Georgia sleeps in a bassinet that her big cousin Koko slept in as a baby.
Don't tell Nate, but after he goes to bed, Georgia and I play!
If you can't tell, Nate doesn't like to have his picture taken these days, so I'm not getting as many of him. He has been very busy and intent on playing with all his new toys. My computer caught a virus on Christmas Eve, and it was useless until earlier today when cousin Mikey came over and used his genius IT powers to fix it. We've spent the weekend putting away toys, taking down the Christmas tree, and just dealing with all the aftermath of Christmas. It was so nice to be home and not have to travel with two little kids.
Georgia got her first Cabbage Patch doll!
And an exersaucer!
Going through stockings.
A little while later, Granna, Pop, Memaw, GrandBob, and Uncle Lucas all arrived!
We did a lot of cooking and had a bit of a mishap with a ham. Blake made ribs, and my mom said she'd bring a ham because my dad would get one from his work. Well, my dad brought home this 18 pound ham fresh from the meat packing plant. They had to get up at the crack of dawn to get to my house earlier to put it in the oven, and it still wasn't ready by dinner time. A couple hours later, after we finished opening gifts, it was all done. :) Good ham--we just didn't have it for dinner.
We still had quite a spread. Ribs, mac and cheese, Janie's baked beans, caesar salad, sweet potatoes, rolls, cheese ball, stuffed mushrooms, peanut butter pies, a banana/chocolate dessert, pumpkin roll, and my mom's fudge and oreo balls. YUM.
Then it seemed Santa arrived again.
Nope, that was just Granna and Pop bringing in all their presents!
Georgia looks like she's thinking, "Granna, I am way too little for that!"
She seems to love her first American Girl doll. "Hey, you look like me!"
Nate, are you ready for a really great present? It was a geotrax train. The next morning I heard him say, "This is the best train I ever seen."
Here's Georgia with all her loot.
She was tuckered out!
Uncle Lucas is so silly.
I think Nate's favorite gift of everything he got for Christmas was, of all things, Leggos. He got two sets, and he has played with them nonstop. He can build a really tall tower. (I think he had help with this one.) Oh, and check out our new TV behind him!!!
She is just the cutest little thing.
My parents also got us new bedding and curtains for our bedroom, and I couldn't wait to get it all put together. Isn't it so pretty? I loooove it. It's so comfortable too.
Georgia sleeps in a bassinet that her big cousin Koko slept in as a baby.
Don't tell Nate, but after he goes to bed, Georgia and I play!
If you can't tell, Nate doesn't like to have his picture taken these days, so I'm not getting as many of him. He has been very busy and intent on playing with all his new toys. My computer caught a virus on Christmas Eve, and it was useless until earlier today when cousin Mikey came over and used his genius IT powers to fix it. We've spent the weekend putting away toys, taking down the Christmas tree, and just dealing with all the aftermath of Christmas. It was so nice to be home and not have to travel with two little kids.I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that you are now recovered from all the fun. :)
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Jingle Bells!
Ready for some cute pictures? We just spent a really nice weekend with Memaw and GrandBob, and the kids had a blast. Nate was a busy man, playing nonstop until he passed out each night, and I think Georgia got a little spoiled with all the attention because she's been very needy tonight. :)
Look how sweet this child is! Her cheeks kill me. Have I mentioned the dream I had in which I bit her cheeks and left teeth marks? Blake was a little freaked out by that.
Nate is really into building towers lately. The taller, the better.
On Saturday we got dressed up for Blake's cousin's wedding. Nate cried as she walked down the aisle. Yes, he did. How do kids sense these big moments to try to ruin? Oh well, apparently there was a kid crying when I was walking down the aisle for my wedding, and I didn't hear it. I hope this bride was just as oblivious as I was.
Look how sweet this child is! Her cheeks kill me. Have I mentioned the dream I had in which I bit her cheeks and left teeth marks? Blake was a little freaked out by that.
Nate is really into building towers lately. The taller, the better.
On Saturday we got dressed up for Blake's cousin's wedding. Nate cried as she walked down the aisle. Yes, he did. How do kids sense these big moments to try to ruin? Oh well, apparently there was a kid crying when I was walking down the aisle for my wedding, and I didn't hear it. I hope this bride was just as oblivious as I was.
I forgave him.
Georgia was an angel. Blake's aunt Kathy asked if I had slipped her something to make her so mellow. :)
When we got back to Memaw's house, Georgia had to change into something more comfortable. (Because she had not yet spit up on her fancy dress, which I have already had to have drycleaned once, and I want her to wear it once more to church on Christmas Eve!)
When we got back to Memaw's house, Georgia had to change into something more comfortable. (Because she had not yet spit up on her fancy dress, which I have already had to have drycleaned once, and I want her to wear it once more to church on Christmas Eve!)
Imagine that--Memaw got Nate a train! (Well, several trains.) Just what he wanted.
Aunt Sunny got him a book (The Little Engine that Could).
Georgia also got a book! Hmm ... looks good!
Yep, tastes good!
The whole time Nate was opening his presents, he was like a broken record: "What's in there? What's in there? What's in there?"
In their Christmas PJs.
With silly GrandBob! (Bob lost his hair because of chemo, and this was the first time Nate had seen him in person since he lost it. He said, "WHAT happened to GrandBob's HAIR?!" haha. Now he'll probably be saying that about random bald men we see at the mall.
Memaw is great at reading stories.
And here's a great little video of Nate singing Jingle Bells! I hear this a thousand times a day! (If you're viewing this on facebook or email, go here to see the video: http://whatnatesaidtoday.blogspot.com/)
Aunt Sunny got him a book (The Little Engine that Could).
Georgia also got a book! Hmm ... looks good!
Yep, tastes good!
The whole time Nate was opening his presents, he was like a broken record: "What's in there? What's in there? What's in there?"
In their Christmas PJs.
With silly GrandBob! (Bob lost his hair because of chemo, and this was the first time Nate had seen him in person since he lost it. He said, "WHAT happened to GrandBob's HAIR?!" haha. Now he'll probably be saying that about random bald men we see at the mall.
Memaw is great at reading stories.
And here's a great little video of Nate singing Jingle Bells! I hear this a thousand times a day! (If you're viewing this on facebook or email, go here to see the video: http://whatnatesaidtoday.blogspot.com/)
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