Wednesday, February 24, 2010

3 Months

Harper is officially 3 months today.  I can't believe it.  I really can't believe it.  As for our little girl, Harper Anne is doing something relatively new and I noticed that it started a couple of weeks ago when she wasn't feeling well.  She screams before sleeping.  She'll fight sleep until she just flat out gives up.  She'll cry until she just sounds pitiful.  It upsets me and I know for a fact it upsets John.  It just plain sucks that she's obviously trying to tell us something and we just don't know what it is or how to help her. 

Tomorrow morning we have an appointment with an ENT in the medical center.  Hopefully we can identify the origin of her continuous snoring.  I'm starting to wonder if her screaming/crying before bedtime isn't a direct correlation to her snoring and not sleeping well.  I think it's obvious I'm grasping at straws.  :) 

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Too Long...

We have been very busy.  Harper and I went to Marshall to surprise my Mom for her birthday.  Harper has started doing this thing where she  fights naptime.  She screams and screams...it's wonderful.  Tylenol has become my best friend.  :)  Harper enjoys playing with her new piano courtesy of Landon/Meme & Pop.  She's our little prodigy.

This morning, I jumped out of the shower to find Harper sound asleep making lots of noise.  It was cute.  She was laughing, smiling and cooing.  I snapped this picture before she woke up hungry.  I swear she can smell me from the next room and not because I stink.  Babies are so funny that way. 

My new position with the CPR company is going well but I find myself getting overwhelmed.  I tell myself that I can only do one thing at a time so that's what I do.  In the morning I'll return phone calls, leave messages, eat lunch, answer phone calls from previous messages I've left, coordinate new classes for people needing certification and somewhere in there, hopefully I will have showered and fed Harper a few times.  Yesterday I was on the phone for 5 hours without a break!  Literally, 5 hours!  Recently I've been trying to recruit new CPR instructors with no success.  I'm going to have to change my gameplan but not sure right now how I'm going to go about it - especially in the other states.

Here is a picture of Harper with Evie.  I like to call Harper by her first and middle name, Harper Anne and it's funny that Evie's parents like to call her Evie Sue.  I'm going to post several photos of their playdate because they are just too cute!  I'm sure Crystal took some better photos with her fancy camera but all I had was my iPhone.  :)

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Really? Really?

This is the question I keep asking myself (sometimes aloud) because I'm still feeling under the weather.  Neither Harper nor I have a fever but our sinuses are going crazy!  I'm so leery to take anything since I'm breastfeeding but I think in this situation, medication is warranted.  I was even told that trace amounts of medication in my milk could help Harper.  We'll see.  We drove up to Marshall today to surprise my mom.  We were going to stop by her office and brighten her day but she wasn't feeling well either so she stayed home.
Harper had her Upper GI Contrast yesterday and the doctor stated, "she's perfect".  We could have told him that!  :)  She did so well at Texas Children's - John and I were so proud of her.  She slept the entire 1.5 hours we waited for her appointment and although she wasn't happy, she didn't put up too much of a fight when it came time to do the test.  They told me to be 15 minutes early to the appointment or else they would reschedule.  We showed up about 30 minutes early and then had to wait about 1 hour.  We did this test to make sure that her esophagus and stomach/intestines were functioning properly and not contributing to her vomiting/spitting up.  Since we've increased her Prevacid to twice each day, she has been better.  Her pediatrician mentioned that some babies simply produce more stomach acid than others and she may have to be on medication for a while.  As much as I hate to pump her full of drugs at such a young age, it does help her. 

On another note, my friend Crystal is one of four finalists in Lifetime's Clean Start Challenge Sweepstakes.  Be sure and vote for her.  She could win $10,000!  Her little girl, Evie Sue, is adorable and 3 months older than Harper.  Crystal is on a mission to learn how to cook and I am excited to help her with that very soon. 
VOTE FOR CRYSTAL HERE!

Monday, February 15, 2010

Although Harper and I are still sick,  we had a great weekend.  My mom and nephew, Landon came down for the weekend and we got to celebrate her birthday since we won't be able to visit them in Marshall on Sunday which is actually her birthday.  We were going to venture out on Saturday and pick up a few things but as it turns out, Harper had other ideas for us.  She absolutely loves her little coat.  Once again, thank you Aunt Ashley and Miss Sissy!  I have given myself a deadline of Tuesday night to do something about this laundry bomb.  When it comes to Harper's room, I've given myself a more reasonable deadline of February 28th.  I've found that I can't study with all of this stuff that still needs to be done around me!  Hopefully next week Harper and I will feel better and we can have our friends Eric, Crystal and Evie over for dinner.  I'm going to show Crystal how to make a few recipes - I can't wait!

Right now I'm making several slings.  I made a black one so I can wear Harper and still be stylish if we go somewhere nice.  I used it Saturday night when we went out to eat with John's parents for my mom's birthday.  I'm also making pacifier clips.  I know it's inevitable that the one we have for Harper will either get lost or will be covered in either vomit, poo or pee eventually and then we'll be S.O.L.  The one we have was given to us as a baby shower gift.  A lady made it out of some Auburn material and we've thoroughly enjoyed showing our Auburn pride every chance we get!

I finally finished her bow holder last week.  Her Nana got her a pink, wooden Princess plaque.  I wasn't too happy with the colors so I decided to paint some of the letters a hot pink, added some ribbon and attached some wooden cutesy designs that I also painted the same hot pink as the letters.  Here is the finished product.  I was really happy with the way it turned out.  I took back the shelves that were in her room.  Lowe's wasn't too happy with taking them back but after a short explanation, they were slightly more accommodating.  We installed floating shelves in her room that looked great.  The only problem with them is that they leaned down - even when nothing was on them!  In the middle of the night, I heard things falling and crashing on the floor.  Not going to cut it.  I got some shelves with some L-brackets and they seem to be fairing much better.  It's not the look I was going for but safety is much more important. 

John and I just found out that we have family that are opening up their home and their hearts by adopting two children from Ethiopia.  I am very excited for them.  Adoption is something that is very special and important to me.  John and I have talked about adoption before - when we were told that kids weren't an option for us.  It's still very important to me but we'll see where our family is in the next few years.  They have two children and will definitely have their hands full with two more!  They just started on their journey and we couldn't be happier for them.  They have a long road ahead with paperwork and all things that go along with international adoptions so please send lots of positive energy and prayers their way!

John and I have some great news.  We've decided that I will stay home with Harper.  I'm going to finish getting my nursing license but will work as the new Business Development Manager for Therapeutic Professionals.  I will coordinate and manage all things related to CPR.  This job will allow me to work from home and be with my little Harper.  Look at this face.  How could I not want to be with her every minute of every day?  I never would have thought I would want to stay at home but that's what it looks like.  I haven't worked for almost one year and we've somehow managed to tighten our purse-strings and make it work.  Now I will be working from home and that will take some of the added pressure off of John and I both.  When you want something bad enough, you do what you have to do to make it work and that's what we are going to do.  I'm very happy and relieved about our decision.  I'm so lucky that I have such a supportive husband!  I can't wait to see what the next year brings with this company.  Harper is taking a nap so I'm going to try to catch a few Zzzs myself.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Winter

It's February and while we usually have weather in the 50's, we are having weather in the 30's-40's.  Everyone is sick.  John and I are feeling better but our little Harper isn't fairing as well.  I took her to the doctor this evening and he said she had viral bronchitis.  Her temperature was down from 99.9 this morning to 98.5.  The 'crud' hasn't moved into her chest so we're going to keep doing everything we can to keep it that way.  The interventions for this illness are so similar to those we do all day, everyday for her reflux which makes me feel like I need to be doing more or at least something different.  This is a picture I took at her most pitiful point today.  Thanks Aunt Ashley and Ms. Sissy for the outfit.  It's too adorable!

I have so many adorable pictures that I would like to post but I'm exhausted and still have some CPR paperwork to get out of the way.  Mom is coming tomorrow so I need to do some laundry.  John would laugh at that last sentence.  :)

Friday, February 5, 2010

National Wear Red Day / Go Red for Women

If you ever wear the color red, today was the day to wear it.  In an effort to raise awareness that heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the US, the American Heart Association encouraged everyone in the US to wear red today. Here's a tidbit of history for ya about February and American Heart Month.  The following information is courtesy of the American Heart Association.  Check out their website for more info.  To urge Americans to join the battle against cardiovascular diseases, since 1963 Congress has required the president to proclaim February "American Heart Month."  The American Heart Association works with the administration to draft and sign this annual proclamation.  As we work toward that goal, we're working hard to change the perception that heart disease is a "man's disease." And it's working! Today, our near-term goal is nothing less than a 25% reduction in coronary heart disease and stroke risk by the year 2010.  

Unfortunately, mommy had nothing red to wear because nothing fits - still.  I think I would have lost more weight if the weather had been nicer outside the past two months.  The forecast for February doesn't look any better.  Harper, on the other hand, had some red that she just had to show off.  As I was taking pictures, she was smiling and laughing.  She was laughing so hard that she was turning her head back and forth and waving her arms.  It was adorable!

We went to our playdate this morning and met some of our new friends.  It's so great to meet moms who have little ones the same age.  I've already learned so much and can't wait for Harper to grow and play with her new pals.  Every time we go to a playdate, I always take my camera but somehow forget to take pictures.  Figures!

I mentioned before that we were going to start on trunk control. Thanks to Aya and Rusty, we started today.  She loves to sit up like a big girl and the bumbo chair allows her to do that without mommy or daddy in her face all the time.  She had a great time.  We put her in it for a few minutes before bedtime tonight and boy was she exhausted.  I'm hoping we'll have another good night.  :)

Thursday, February 4, 2010

What? Babies shouldn't snore?

I was asking this question to a dear friend of mine who worked as a NICU nurse several years ago.  Harper has been having reflux issues and though they were getting better, she was still having reflux that smelled very acidic, far more often than I thought she should while on this medication.  He increased her Prevacid to 15 mg twice each day rather than once a day.  He is referring us to a gastroenterologist and an ENT specialist with the possibility of seeing a pulmonologist, depending on the ENT results.   We are scheduling an upper GI contrast procedure to be done when they call me back.  Her pedi is hoping that her airway inflammation is caused by her reflux but her snoring and occasional gasping for air concerns her pediatrician so a pulmonologist may be in her near future.  When I was 5 months pregnant I was interviewing this pediatrician where we spoke very openly and frankly about my history of asthma and how I still struggle with it to this day.  He told me to prepare that she may have breathing problems and that they would probably manifest around 18 months of age.  We'll see what happens.  I'm just trying to stay positive!

On Tuesday we went back down to Kemah to look at Harper's pictures.  She is so beautiful and this photographer took some of the best pictures.  She's so talented.  I can't wait for April when the bluebonnets are blooming - I'm hoping Harper will have at least some trunk control so she can be photographed outside in the field of blue and white.  Bluebonnets will forever remind me of my Meme.  She always took pictures of bluebonnets in fields and would always order seeds from different companies and plant them all over her yard.  I'm thinking if Harper doesn't have trunk control, maybe John can take a half day and we can hold her.  We will just have to practice sitting up until then.




Here's a picture of Harper in one of her Lime Green Softbums diapers.  She's such a happy baby! 

This photo is one of my absolute favorites.  She looks so big and I don't even think it really looks like her.  She loves it when you turn the lights off and turn the lamp on. Props to daddy for capturing such a great moment!

Monday, February 1, 2010

What a weekend!

Saturday, Harper and I laid down to take a nap and John woke us up around 7pm.  He needed to get some things from the store and so did I so we decided to make it a family affair.  I thought I'd take along the new sling I made for her since the one I purchased when I was 6 months pregnant didn't fit.  Here's a picture of a very sleepy mommy with an even more sleepy Harper.  She slept the whole time we were at the grocery store and I was so proud.  I had an overwhelming sense of pride wearing my baby who was also wearing cloth diapers!  Friday night was officially the first time she slept through the night.  Most of the time she'll wake up once but Friday night she turned a corner and has slept through the night for 3 nights in a row!  This, of course, doesn't mean mommy slept- I kept waking up checking to make sure she was still breathing.

Yesterday John's parents came over.  We went to lunch and they hung out for a while at the house.  While we were out to lunch, Harper ate what was almost a 5 oz bottle.  Less than an hour later, she ate a full 5 oz bottle and about an hour or so later, I fed her for about 20 minutes.  Then 3 hours later, she ate again for about 30 minutes.  I couldn't believe it! 

This is a picture of what I think is the cutest little jumper.  I'm not sure if you can tell but there are horses, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, lassos, and cowboys riding horses with lace trim. 



She was starting to get frustrated because we were taking pictures and moving her around.  She typically is only smiley and giggly right after she wakes up for about 15-20 minutes and then you better be ready to feed her.  The photo on the left is what happens when you aren't ready to feed her when she's ready to eat.  Just getting one more picture is next to impossible!  All we wanted to do is see if one of the 3 cowboy hats she has fits.  She still has 1.5 months left until the rodeo and we just had to try all of them on!

I finally got the pleasure of experiencing what most cloth diapering moms call 'cloth diaper stank'.  I know why they call it stank and not stink-stink doesn't do this smell justice.  I'm pretty sure I used too much soap a time or two, or maybe, just maybe, it's the diaper rash cream I used while cd'ing.  I ended up stripping them which was much easier than I expected.  All I did was wash them like I regularly do, two extra rinses and threw in a cup of vinegar with one of those rinses.  They came out bright white and smelling very clean!  It's amazing how much money we save by using cloth diapers.  And to top it off, they are so much cuter than those disposables!  Here's a picture of Harper with her Nuclear Pumpkin Soft Bums cloth diaper and a knit Auburn hat a friend of the family made for her.  It's a little big right now but that just means she can wear it when she's older.