Wednesday, June 13, 2012
We Survived
Today was Nathan's first day at Preschool. Rob and I were nervous since Nate has just recently started staying in the nursery at church by himself, and that is only after several minutes of loud tearful screams. But I am happy to report that our little man had a great time at school! We are so proud of him.
I did pretty well too. I did tear up when I looked in my rear view mirror and saw an empty carseat. It was very strange to be at home for three hours all by myself. I ate a bowl of cereal without any one's little fingers reaching in to grab a bite. I was able to fold and put away three baskets of laundry and I only had to fold the clothes one time! There was no one trying to "help" by pushing over the newly folded piles or take things out of drawers as I put them in. I also got to have a very nice conversation with my BFF without hearing "mama, mama, mama" a million times or having someone trying to grab the phone away from my hand. Now while I enjoyed all of these events I found myself feeling a little lonely. I missed my little man, but I am so thankful for this opportunity to send him to school and let him interact and hear language from more kids his age and I think learning from some other adults will help him as we begin our therapy journey at the end of the month. It was a great day for both of us.
Monday, June 04, 2012
A New Journey
A Journey Toward Hope. I chose that name for this blog because when I started it Rob and I were walking on a difficult journey toward the hope of having a child. That journey ended when our beautifully perfect little boy was born more than 2 years ago. At that point the blog became a celebration of that Hope realized. A celebration of the miracle God entrusted to us. A celebration of Nathan.
May 31 marked the start of a new journey for our family. It remains a journey toward hope, but it is a new hope. A hope we never imagined we would have to journey towards. A hope that Nathan will one day be able to speak. For nearly a year we've known that Nathan's speech was delayed but we and our doctor assumed that he was just a late bloomer. A child smart enough to find other ways to communicate and a child that just didn't feel speech was necessary to get his point across. So we watched, we encouraged, and we waited for him to make his move into spoken language. That move never came.
Back in November we took him to a Speech Therapist to be evaluated. We discovered then just what we anticipated. He was a very smart boy that understood far more than he communicated. His hearing was tested and proved to be perfectly normal. So we were sent on our way with tools to help jump start his journey into spoken language (basic sign language to help him express his needs and activities to help him explore more sounds). This past Thursday, May 31, we went back in to the Speech Therapist to be reevaluated since despite small gains in his sound production and use of sign language, Nathan has remained non verbal. This evaluation and discussion has led us to a diagnosis. Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). This diagnosis means we are no longer merely waiting for Nathan to speak. We are now on a journey toward speech. CAS is explained by the Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America as:
So what does all that mean? From what we understand so far, helping Nathan learn to speak is going to be a rather intensive and potentially long process. Best case scenario is he will learn to speak with no real long term issues. Worse case scenario is that he never learns to speak and we find an alternate means of communication for him. We do not anticipate the worst case scenario for Nathan. We will have a better idea of what to expect once we begin our speech therapy sessions.
Your prayers for this journey are greatly appreciated. In the big scheme of things this is a small issue. We are blessed that Nathan is a healthy, active, intelligent, kind, fun and tender hearted little boy with an incredible future ahead of him. We love him dearly and are prepared to walk beside him on this new journey no matter where it takes us.
May 31 marked the start of a new journey for our family. It remains a journey toward hope, but it is a new hope. A hope we never imagined we would have to journey towards. A hope that Nathan will one day be able to speak. For nearly a year we've known that Nathan's speech was delayed but we and our doctor assumed that he was just a late bloomer. A child smart enough to find other ways to communicate and a child that just didn't feel speech was necessary to get his point across. So we watched, we encouraged, and we waited for him to make his move into spoken language. That move never came.
Back in November we took him to a Speech Therapist to be evaluated. We discovered then just what we anticipated. He was a very smart boy that understood far more than he communicated. His hearing was tested and proved to be perfectly normal. So we were sent on our way with tools to help jump start his journey into spoken language (basic sign language to help him express his needs and activities to help him explore more sounds). This past Thursday, May 31, we went back in to the Speech Therapist to be reevaluated since despite small gains in his sound production and use of sign language, Nathan has remained non verbal. This evaluation and discussion has led us to a diagnosis. Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). This diagnosis means we are no longer merely waiting for Nathan to speak. We are now on a journey toward speech. CAS is explained by the Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America as:
"a motor speech disorder. For reasons not yet fully understood, children with apraxia of speech have great difficulty planning and producing the precise, highly refined and specific series of movements of the tongue, lips, jaw and palate that are necessary for intelligible speech. Apraxia of speech is sometimes called verbal apraxia, developmental apraxia of speech, or verbal dyspraxia. No matter what name is used, the most important concept is the root word "praxis." Praxis means planned movement. To some degree or another, a child with the diagnosis of apraxia of speech has difficulty programming and planning speech movements."
So what does all that mean? From what we understand so far, helping Nathan learn to speak is going to be a rather intensive and potentially long process. Best case scenario is he will learn to speak with no real long term issues. Worse case scenario is that he never learns to speak and we find an alternate means of communication for him. We do not anticipate the worst case scenario for Nathan. We will have a better idea of what to expect once we begin our speech therapy sessions.
Your prayers for this journey are greatly appreciated. In the big scheme of things this is a small issue. We are blessed that Nathan is a healthy, active, intelligent, kind, fun and tender hearted little boy with an incredible future ahead of him. We love him dearly and are prepared to walk beside him on this new journey no matter where it takes us.
Friday, September 09, 2011
No Cry Baby here
We survived Nate's first haircut and I didn't even cry. Ok, the truth is I would have cried except that I was so busy just trying to keep him from getting down from my lap or getting his ears cut off because he moved at the wrong time, I just didn't have time to think about crying. So the event was tear free and mostly blood free. Poor Tina nicked herself while cutting Nate's hair. I felt so bad. She is a true professional, and a true friend.
We really didn't cut that much off of him. But his bangs are out of his eyes and the "wings" over his ears are much smaller.
Here are a couple of pictures of the little man and his new do.
We really didn't cut that much off of him. But his bangs are out of his eyes and the "wings" over his ears are much smaller.
Here are a couple of pictures of the little man and his new do.
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| This is after his bath and before going for his haircut. I think he was a little nervous - one drink just wasn't enough. |
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| The last picture before his haircut |
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| The first cut. |
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| "You sure we want to do this Mom?" |
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| Thanks Tina! |
 Playing is much easier when you're hair isn't tickling your eyes |
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Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Don't Cry You Big Baby!
Tomorrow morning Nathan will be getting his hair cut for the first time. While I am very excited to have the "wings" gone from above his ears and the hair out of his eyes, the very thought of cutting his hair brings tears to my eyes. Well if I'm totally honest I have to admit that most of the time the tears actually fall from my eyes and roll down my cheeks. Pathetic, right? It's just hair after all, and hair grows. But no matter how rational I try to be, it still makes me sad to admit that my little boy is growing up.
So tomorrow I will try to contain my tears. I will try to be less of a baby than my baby. I wouldn't hold my breath if were you, however. The fact is, I'm pretty much a great big cry baby now a days. I would never have described myself as an emotional person back in the day, but that is now no longer true. I cry at commercials, tv shows, music on the radio, looking at Nathan and Rob playing, you name it and I cry. Oh well, I guess emotions aren't that bad after all.
So tomorrow I will try to contain my tears. I will try to be less of a baby than my baby. I wouldn't hold my breath if were you, however. The fact is, I'm pretty much a great big cry baby now a days. I would never have described myself as an emotional person back in the day, but that is now no longer true. I cry at commercials, tv shows, music on the radio, looking at Nathan and Rob playing, you name it and I cry. Oh well, I guess emotions aren't that bad after all.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
New Toy
This is a video of Nathan seeing his newest (and now favorite) toy for the first time. It's so amazing to watch him climb up and down, dance on the platform, shoot baskets at the basketball hoop, or throw the football through the holes on the side. It seems like moments ago that we were waiting for him to take his first steps and now it's hard to get him to stop. What a joy to watch the pride grow on his face as he realizes he can do something new. I love listening to him squeal and giggle as he plays. He loves to explore and climb. He is ALL boy!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Bedtime Hijinks
Wave a white flag to surrender. Fly your flag at half mast to mourn. Hang your flag upside down when you are in distress. But what does it mean when your 16 month old waves his green striped froggy pajama bottoms over the edge of his crib? Is he declaring war on sleep? Calling a truce? Surrendering?
It's definitely not a sign of surrender. That I know for sure. Last night Nathan was in one of his "I'm completely exhausted but not in the mood to sleep" moods. He was nearly asleep in my arms so I laid him down. This is our normal routine, usually resulting in a tear or two but then sleep generally comes in a couple of minutes or so. Sometimes he cries for a while and I go back in to his room to help him calm down again so sleep can take over. When I went back in to his room last night, he was standing quietly at the edge of his crib (not too strange of sight) but then as I looked more closely I realized that he had taken his pants off and was waving them back in forth in front of the bars on his crib. I've not figured out if this was some form of protest? An act of rebellion? Exploration of his interest in becoming an exhibitionist or nudist??? I guess only time will tell.
The good news is that Nathan fell asleep shortly after I got him back into his pants and slept throughout the night. The bad news, he woke up with a nasty cold and has had a runny nose and eyes and has been sneezing all morning long. Poor little guy.
It's definitely not a sign of surrender. That I know for sure. Last night Nathan was in one of his "I'm completely exhausted but not in the mood to sleep" moods. He was nearly asleep in my arms so I laid him down. This is our normal routine, usually resulting in a tear or two but then sleep generally comes in a couple of minutes or so. Sometimes he cries for a while and I go back in to his room to help him calm down again so sleep can take over. When I went back in to his room last night, he was standing quietly at the edge of his crib (not too strange of sight) but then as I looked more closely I realized that he had taken his pants off and was waving them back in forth in front of the bars on his crib. I've not figured out if this was some form of protest? An act of rebellion? Exploration of his interest in becoming an exhibitionist or nudist??? I guess only time will tell.
The good news is that Nathan fell asleep shortly after I got him back into his pants and slept throughout the night. The bad news, he woke up with a nasty cold and has had a runny nose and eyes and has been sneezing all morning long. Poor little guy.
Monday, July 11, 2011
A Special Day
Today Nathan and I went on an extra special adventure. We drove to Virginia (Nathan's first trip out of North Carolina) to meet some extra special friends for lunch. Nathan fell in love with them right away. He is a pretty easy going kid and warms up to people pretty easy but I've not seen him connect quite this fast. Within just a couple of minutes of meeting, Nathan reached out for Elizabeth as if he had known her his entire life. I guess in a way he has known her all of his life. You see, I began playing her "Be Still" CD to help put Nathan to sleep when he was very young so in a way he's been getting to know her through her music nearly all of his life.
Scott and Elizabeth were a great source of encouragement and support over the years as we were waiting on the Lord for Nathan. It was such a blessing to have them meet the fruit of their prayers, especially since Elizabeth was with me when I found out I was pregnant the first time and she was one of my greatest confidants as I was grieving the loss of that baby(See my posts from July of 2007). What a blessing to watch them enjoy getting to know Nathan today.
Waiting for Scott and Elizabeth to arrive.
New Buddies.
I am so thankful for this opportunity to spend time catching up Scott and Elizabeth and pray we don't have to wait as long to spend time together again next time.
Scott and Elizabeth were a great source of encouragement and support over the years as we were waiting on the Lord for Nathan. It was such a blessing to have them meet the fruit of their prayers, especially since Elizabeth was with me when I found out I was pregnant the first time and she was one of my greatest confidants as I was grieving the loss of that baby(See my posts from July of 2007). What a blessing to watch them enjoy getting to know Nathan today.
Waiting for Scott and Elizabeth to arrive.
New Buddies.
I am so thankful for this opportunity to spend time catching up Scott and Elizabeth and pray we don't have to wait as long to spend time together again next time.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sharing Some Doggone Fun
On the Fourth of July Nathan got to spend some time with Wally, Uncle Rick and Aunt Marcia's dog. As you can tell he LOVED playing with Wally. I have a feeling as soon as he starts talking Nathan will be asking for a dog of his own.
Over the last couple of months Nathan and his cousin Ivy have been becoming good friends. After dinner on the 4th Nathan and Ivy were sharing some puffs when Nathan decided to feed Ivy some of their snack.
Over the last couple of months Nathan and his cousin Ivy have been becoming good friends. After dinner on the 4th Nathan and Ivy were sharing some puffs when Nathan decided to feed Ivy some of their snack.
That's How He Rolls!
A couple of days ago we took Nathan to the zoo for the first time. He had a great time. Here's a little video of one of his favorite adventures while we were there.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
N8 Playing
Our little Nate Nate has had a very busy few weeks. He has grown 5 almost 6 teeth, which means there have been many sleepless night around our house. Learned how to crawl (on his hands and knees, not just the army crawl). Learned to drink out of a water bottle and regular cup, although he hasn't quite mastered holding the water bottle or cup while drinking from it without giving himself a bath. Learned to drink out of a straw. Learned to walk on his knees. AND...learned to walk! He's been a busy, busy boy. As soon as I get the video of him walking I'll post it here but until then enjoy a little video of him having a blast playing with some blocks and a basket.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Nathan's first birthday and cake
Here is a video Rob took while Nathan was trying to figure out what he was supposed to do with the cake we placed in front of him. He really seemed to enjoy having all eyes on him and clapped often. Enjoy!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Birthday Update
We had a great time celebrating Nathan's first birthday. "Auntie" Nicole flew in from Arizona to help us celebrate. Nate loved having her here. She has posted some photo's and videos from her trip, click here to see them. I was rather domestic and made a celebration plate AND Nate's smash cake. They turned out rather well if I say so myself.
We started the day with a bath and then breakfast. I stole the Rhyno's family tradition and made a pancake in the shape of a one for our little man. Then on Saturday we had the official party. Nathan did not take a nap before the party so I was anticipating a major meltdown, but Nathan did fabulous. He laughed and clapped throughout the entire party. When we gave him his smash cake he didn't know what to do. He had never had sugar and wasn't really sure about it. He didn't smash it but he seemed to enjoy all of the attention! The party was a huge sucess, what a blessing to be surrounded by friends and family as we celebrated our miracle boy.
We started the day with a bath and then breakfast. I stole the Rhyno's family tradition and made a pancake in the shape of a one for our little man. Then on Saturday we had the official party. Nathan did not take a nap before the party so I was anticipating a major meltdown, but Nathan did fabulous. He laughed and clapped throughout the entire party. When we gave him his smash cake he didn't know what to do. He had never had sugar and wasn't really sure about it. He didn't smash it but he seemed to enjoy all of the attention! The party was a huge sucess, what a blessing to be surrounded by friends and family as we celebrated our miracle boy.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Happy Birthday!!!!!
It's official, baby Nate is no longer a baby. At 4:24 this afternoon our little man becomes a one year old! Everyone tells you how fast time flies when you have kids and now I know what they mean! I can't believe that one year ago today we met Nathan for the first time. This has been an incredible year. I can't believe how much I love that kid. He makes my heart smile each and every day.
I'll post some birthday pictures later today so you can see our big boy enjoying his special day (like he's really going to know what's going on, haha). We are starting some birthday traditions today that I'll post for you. Thanks for all of the prayers for the years before Nathan came to us and for this year too.
I'll post some birthday pictures later today so you can see our big boy enjoying his special day (like he's really going to know what's going on, haha). We are starting some birthday traditions today that I'll post for you. Thanks for all of the prayers for the years before Nathan came to us and for this year too.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Changes
The New Year is a time when people reflect upon the year behind and make resolutions for the year that lay before them. I'm not much for making resolutions so I'll spend some time reflecting upon this past year.
This has been a year of changes. Three major changes to be specific. I'll start with the first and most amazing change. As you know that change happened in March with the birth of my son Nathan. I am still amazed at the very thought of him. He makes my heart smile, he brings joy to my day and he brings a purpose to my life. He is growing everyday and constantly learning new tricks. Most recently he has learned to sit up, and his new favorite activity is to be chased. He crawls away from you and squeals and laughs until you come toward him. I just love hearing him laugh!
Before giving birth I had always heard women say that labor and delivery is some of the greatest pain you may ever experience, but once you hold your baby in your arms all of that pain just fades away. Like the pain of the birthing process has faded our eight years of infertility are now just a dim memory. That's not completely accurate but I'm not sure how else to put it. You see, I still remember the heartache, the disappointment and the daily battle against despair, but I don't feel those things anymore. At least not for myself. My heart still breaks when I hear about friends that are having to walk that painful journey and I pray that I always will remember the details of that journey so that I can pray for and be an encouragement to women on that road. Throughout our long journey toward parenthood the Lord placed women that had once walked in my shoes into my life. I can't explain how they ministered to me just by recognizing the hurt in my eyes before even having to say a word. I want to minister to women in that same way.
The second major change occurred in May when my parents moved to North Carolina from California to be near us. Let's be honest, it was to be near Nathan. I think we were all a little nervous about living in the same town because the last time we had lived closer than a 7 hour drive was way back in 1994. But having them here has been an incredible blessing. I don't know how we would be making it through change number three without their support and encouragement. I have loved spending time with them and Nathan absolutely loves having them here.
The third and final change started in July. I woke up July 5Th with a very swollen and excruciatingly painful knee. I figured I had moved wrong in the night and with a little rest I would be back to normal. I was wrong. Long story made short I was diagnosed with CPPD (Calcium Pyrophosphade Dehydrate) and Rheumatoid Arthritis in my left knee. I've not been able to return to work since the initial onset of symptoms and now walk with a cane when walking more than a few feet. Nathan and I have spent many nights at my parents house so that they can help me take care of him in the mornings and most of our days are spent there too. My doctor has used medications to stabilize me so that I don't flair-ups like I was having at the beginning, but I still swell if on my feet for more than an hour or so and find carrying Nathan rather difficult when everything is swollen. Rob has been a great help too. He has really stepped up to the plate to help me out at home with cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping. Financially life has been very stressful because our income was cut in half when I had to stop working and up to this point I have been unable to qualify for any form of assistance. I'm too sick to be able to work, but not sick enough to get disability and since I'm technically out on a medical excuse I don't seem to qualify for unemployment.
I don't know how all of this will work out but I know that God will continue to provide for us. I know that I have incredible parents that have helped in more ways than I can describe. I know that I have a fabulous husband that has been working hard to provide for his family and who has put my health needs above the stresses of our situation. I know that I have a beautiful son that I love watching grow each and every day. I know that despite the outward appearance of our situation I am a blessed woman.
This has been a year of changes. Three major changes to be specific. I'll start with the first and most amazing change. As you know that change happened in March with the birth of my son Nathan. I am still amazed at the very thought of him. He makes my heart smile, he brings joy to my day and he brings a purpose to my life. He is growing everyday and constantly learning new tricks. Most recently he has learned to sit up, and his new favorite activity is to be chased. He crawls away from you and squeals and laughs until you come toward him. I just love hearing him laugh!
Before giving birth I had always heard women say that labor and delivery is some of the greatest pain you may ever experience, but once you hold your baby in your arms all of that pain just fades away. Like the pain of the birthing process has faded our eight years of infertility are now just a dim memory. That's not completely accurate but I'm not sure how else to put it. You see, I still remember the heartache, the disappointment and the daily battle against despair, but I don't feel those things anymore. At least not for myself. My heart still breaks when I hear about friends that are having to walk that painful journey and I pray that I always will remember the details of that journey so that I can pray for and be an encouragement to women on that road. Throughout our long journey toward parenthood the Lord placed women that had once walked in my shoes into my life. I can't explain how they ministered to me just by recognizing the hurt in my eyes before even having to say a word. I want to minister to women in that same way.
The second major change occurred in May when my parents moved to North Carolina from California to be near us. Let's be honest, it was to be near Nathan. I think we were all a little nervous about living in the same town because the last time we had lived closer than a 7 hour drive was way back in 1994. But having them here has been an incredible blessing. I don't know how we would be making it through change number three without their support and encouragement. I have loved spending time with them and Nathan absolutely loves having them here.
The third and final change started in July. I woke up July 5Th with a very swollen and excruciatingly painful knee. I figured I had moved wrong in the night and with a little rest I would be back to normal. I was wrong. Long story made short I was diagnosed with CPPD (Calcium Pyrophosphade Dehydrate) and Rheumatoid Arthritis in my left knee. I've not been able to return to work since the initial onset of symptoms and now walk with a cane when walking more than a few feet. Nathan and I have spent many nights at my parents house so that they can help me take care of him in the mornings and most of our days are spent there too. My doctor has used medications to stabilize me so that I don't flair-ups like I was having at the beginning, but I still swell if on my feet for more than an hour or so and find carrying Nathan rather difficult when everything is swollen. Rob has been a great help too. He has really stepped up to the plate to help me out at home with cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping. Financially life has been very stressful because our income was cut in half when I had to stop working and up to this point I have been unable to qualify for any form of assistance. I'm too sick to be able to work, but not sick enough to get disability and since I'm technically out on a medical excuse I don't seem to qualify for unemployment.
I don't know how all of this will work out but I know that God will continue to provide for us. I know that I have incredible parents that have helped in more ways than I can describe. I know that I have a fabulous husband that has been working hard to provide for his family and who has put my health needs above the stresses of our situation. I know that I have a beautiful son that I love watching grow each and every day. I know that despite the outward appearance of our situation I am a blessed woman.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
They're coming! They're coming!
While cooking dinner tonight Nathan and I were talkng about my parent's journey to move to North Carolina. They are currently in Houston visiting my Aunt and Uncle and will be here in just a couple of days. Nathan began smiling and jabbering as I talked so I grabbed my camera and made this little movie. Unfortunately the orientation of the camera made the video sideways when I downloaded it and I couldn't figure out how to switch it. If any of you know of a way to switch it please let me know.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
A Smile A Day
Nathan has begun smiling! Not a "I have a gas bubble" smile or a "Let me exercise my muscles" smile but a "You are pretty funny and I think I like you" smile. You know that smile, it's the one that makes your heart smile and brings a tear of joy to your eye each and every time you see it. He is also beginning to find his voice and will be cooing very soon. It seems like he is making a new sound each and every day. I just can't wait to hear his very first laugh!
Before we had chosen a name for Nate my best friend Nicole asked her little girls what I should name the baby. They came up with a rather interesting list.
One of the names from the "girl" side of the list was Cupcake and for some reason Natalie, Nicole's oldest little girl began calling Nate "Cupcake" even before he was born. We thought it was cute and for some reason I started singing "Nate Nate, my little cupcake" over and over in my head. Once he was born it turned into a little song that I would sing to him regularly. You see, I make up silly songs and sing to Nathan all the time. I often use the same tune over and over and just change some of the words to fit what he is doing or to fit his mood.
Tonight I was singing one of those songs to him as he watched me wash bottles from his bouncy chair on the counter and noticed that he kept smiling as I sang so I grabbed my camera and caught this moment. This is a variation of the "Nate Nate My Little Cupcake" song I've been singing to him since he was born. Enjoy!
Before we had chosen a name for Nate my best friend Nicole asked her little girls what I should name the baby. They came up with a rather interesting list.
One of the names from the "girl" side of the list was Cupcake and for some reason Natalie, Nicole's oldest little girl began calling Nate "Cupcake" even before he was born. We thought it was cute and for some reason I started singing "Nate Nate, my little cupcake" over and over in my head. Once he was born it turned into a little song that I would sing to him regularly. You see, I make up silly songs and sing to Nathan all the time. I often use the same tune over and over and just change some of the words to fit what he is doing or to fit his mood.
Tonight I was singing one of those songs to him as he watched me wash bottles from his bouncy chair on the counter and noticed that he kept smiling as I sang so I grabbed my camera and caught this moment. This is a variation of the "Nate Nate My Little Cupcake" song I've been singing to him since he was born. Enjoy!
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Happy Mothers Day....TO ME!!!!
In just a couple of hours I will be celebrating my very first Mothers Day. I am still in amazement. I look at him, touch him, kiss him, and hold him and yet in many ways it still feels as if this is all a dream - the most beautifully amazing dream I have ever had, but a dream none the less. Tonight while feeding Nathan and getting him ready for bed I looked down at him at the same moment he looked at me and smiled...my heart melted and the tears fell from my eyes! He is a daily reminder of God's faithfulness and loving kindness.
Nathan had his 2 month checkup this past Wednesday. The doctor is pleased with his development and he seems to be meeting the milestones as expected. He is now 11lbs 11oz and is 22in long. Here is a short video of Nathan "talking" while sitting in his Boppy and playing with a teddy bear. He is beginning to smile and interact with us which is beyond fun! I had always heard people talk about how you don't know how much you can love until you have a child, and now I understand what they mean. At times it feels as if my heart beats with each breath he takes. Loving him gives me a deeper understanding of our Heavenly Father's love for us, His love is deeper and more intense than I ever understood.
Nathan had his 2 month checkup this past Wednesday. The doctor is pleased with his development and he seems to be meeting the milestones as expected. He is now 11lbs 11oz and is 22in long. Here is a short video of Nathan "talking" while sitting in his Boppy and playing with a teddy bear. He is beginning to smile and interact with us which is beyond fun! I had always heard people talk about how you don't know how much you can love until you have a child, and now I understand what they mean. At times it feels as if my heart beats with each breath he takes. Loving him gives me a deeper understanding of our Heavenly Father's love for us, His love is deeper and more intense than I ever understood.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
My Heart's Joy
A couple of weeks ago my nephew David came over and took some fabulous photos of our new family. I absolutely LOVE the pictures and wanted to share them with you. Our little man is growing so fast. He now weighs 9lbs 9 oz and is beginning to interact with us and the things around him. My heart just melts each time he reaches out to hold my finger while I am feeding him - and then when his beautiful blue eyes lock with mine at the same time....life just doesn't get much better!
Here is a video of some of the pictures David took. I put them to Elizabeth Rhyno's song "Hand of God", this is the same song I used for the 3D ultrasound video. This song just so perfectly speaks what my heart feels when I look at Nathan that I wanted to use it once again. I hope you enjoy the video and the music, click on the arrow in the bottom left corner of the video to start it.
Here is a video of some of the pictures David took. I put them to Elizabeth Rhyno's song "Hand of God", this is the same song I used for the 3D ultrasound video. This song just so perfectly speaks what my heart feels when I look at Nathan that I wanted to use it once again. I hope you enjoy the video and the music, click on the arrow in the bottom left corner of the video to start it.
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Hope Growing
I can't believe that Nathan is a month old already! Everyone tells you that time flies when you have a baby and now I see just how true that statement is! This has been quite a month. I'm not sure that I completely believe that this incredible little boy is ours to love and care for. There is part of me that is waiting for Nathan's parents to come pick him up and then I remember that we are his parents. So here are some updates on Nate's progress this month. Nate is now 9.2 lbs and is transitioning out of his newborn clothes and into 0-3 month sized clothes. He is also transitioning into the next size of diapers. While these are exciting changes it hit me a little hard. I found myself crying in the kitchen when I finally admitted to myself that his newborn diapers and clothes were too small. He's growing up so fast!
Nathan now smiles - it is up for debate as to whether or not these smiles are true smiles or if they are just gas bubbles but I believe they are mainly real smiles. I'm including a couple of pictures Look carefully at the picture with the bottle, he's showing you the "I love you" sign. As far as rolling over goes, Nathan does this more accidently rather than intentionally at this point but that will come soon enough. We are still working on the whole nighttime sleep thing. We have not perfected that yet. My folks are heading back to California tomorrow so it will be just Rob, Nate and I here at the house so we will be starting to work on getting Nathan to sleep in his bed so that Rob and I can sleep at night. We'll see how that goes.
Nathan now smiles - it is up for debate as to whether or not these smiles are true smiles or if they are just gas bubbles but I believe they are mainly real smiles. I'm including a couple of pictures Look carefully at the picture with the bottle, he's showing you the "I love you" sign. As far as rolling over goes, Nathan does this more accidently rather than intentionally at this point but that will come soon enough. We are still working on the whole nighttime sleep thing. We have not perfected that yet. My folks are heading back to California tomorrow so it will be just Rob, Nate and I here at the house so we will be starting to work on getting Nathan to sleep in his bed so that Rob and I can sleep at night. We'll see how that goes.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Hope Updated
I can't believe that Nathan is 10 days old already. People tell you that time flies by quickly once a baby arrives but you really don't understand just how true that statement is until you actually have a child of your own.
I've been asked by several people to share the story of Nathan's arrival so here we go. On Monday, March 1 I came home from work, prepared dinner and settled in on the couch for a little rest. All was going to plan until I had my first contraction at 9:30 PM. That one contraction broke my water and we were off to the hospital. As we drove to the hospital my contractions grew stronger and began coming every 3-4 minutes. My labor progressed well until the morning of Tuesday, March 2. At that point Nathan decided to do some gymnastics in my belly and somehow turned himself face up in my belly effectively stalling my progression. I was finally allowed to start pushing late on Tuesday morning. Unfortunately this process took a lot longer than I would have liked. After nearly 5 exhausting hours Nate made his grand entrance. I've put together another slideshow with a bunch of pictures from Nathan's first first few day's with us.
Here is a quick testimony of God's grace. After his birth the doctor discovered that Nathan had, at some point, tied a perfect knot into his umbilical cord. Now the amazing thing is that despite this knot, and 19 hour labor with nearly 5 hours of pushing, Nathan's heartbeat never faltered. His heart beat strong throughout the entire process! He never showed any signs of distress. God's hand was on this child protecting him throughout the long process. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Enjoy the slideshow!
I've been asked by several people to share the story of Nathan's arrival so here we go. On Monday, March 1 I came home from work, prepared dinner and settled in on the couch for a little rest. All was going to plan until I had my first contraction at 9:30 PM. That one contraction broke my water and we were off to the hospital. As we drove to the hospital my contractions grew stronger and began coming every 3-4 minutes. My labor progressed well until the morning of Tuesday, March 2. At that point Nathan decided to do some gymnastics in my belly and somehow turned himself face up in my belly effectively stalling my progression. I was finally allowed to start pushing late on Tuesday morning. Unfortunately this process took a lot longer than I would have liked. After nearly 5 exhausting hours Nate made his grand entrance. I've put together another slideshow with a bunch of pictures from Nathan's first first few day's with us.
Here is a quick testimony of God's grace. After his birth the doctor discovered that Nathan had, at some point, tied a perfect knot into his umbilical cord. Now the amazing thing is that despite this knot, and 19 hour labor with nearly 5 hours of pushing, Nathan's heartbeat never faltered. His heart beat strong throughout the entire process! He never showed any signs of distress. God's hand was on this child protecting him throughout the long process. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Enjoy the slideshow!
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