FLOYD FAMILY

Blessed Life

2012-01-06T14:57:00.003-06:00

Ben and I have such a blessed life. It is amazing how children can add such joy and to think that we thought we were happy without them!! They are hard work, but when they say "hug mommy" or "Wuv you" without saying it to them first... it is all worth it.

Isaac is doing great. I almost got him to fall asleep in our bed last night instead of his bouncy chair. He LOVES his bouncy chair and will only sleep in that. I am going to be working on that cause we need him in his own room and I don't trust him in that chair not by my side.

Porter is doing great. He started school again this week and went in without even saying good-bye. We tried to potty train but timed it badly with the stressful holiday season. So we will be trying later in the year.

Christmas was wonderful we got to see everyone and it was really nice to see Porter interact with everyone.

Got into the charcoal outside. Doing an art project and Isaac just chillin in his chair

Isaac and Porter

2011-12-10T20:34:00.012-06:00

Thought I would give an update on each child.

Isaac at a month old:
- You are starting to smile (not because of gas but when we smile at you)
- You seem to be quite gassy and nothing can get you more upset than gas. (just like your brother at this age). This is the only time that you will cry besides wanting to eat
- You could go all day without your diaper being changed. Dirty diapers do not bother you in the least
- You LOVE to sleep, it is your favorite thing to do
- You have started to stay awake more but about 2 hours in the morning and you are over it and want to go back to sleep and will sleep until about 5 at night
- You are still a green bean but apparently a plump 10 pound green bean
- You have really long fingers and toes
- You love to stay warm
- Your favorite position is laying flat on your back and you can be under your play mat for about 30 minutes and be perfectly content
- You hate tummy time or anything having to do with using your tummy to support yourself
- You recognize your mommy and daddy's voice

Okay so about Porter now that he is 2 1/2 years old
- You are talking more and more every day
- You have a wicked left arm. When you throw a ball you hit your target almost every time and with gusto
- You have an incredible ability to throw a ball up in the air and kick it with your left leg. You hit the ball almost every time.
- You have amazing balance and when other kids would fall and break a leg or arm, you master whatever it is that you are doing
- You are not afraid of anything. You think you can do anything you want and do it without hesitation (we have to watch out for you)
- You are no longer getting that sick which is great. Just a cold every now and then
- You would rather take a bath in the morning than at night now. You have started to hate getting your hair washed but it still happens :)
- You sleep in a big boy bed without any problems and put yourself to sleep after saying your prayers with daddy
- You LOVE school. You LOVE your teachers and apparently really like story time and singing (but hate to sing at home, huh?)
- You love to go to church and walk into the nursery and then say "Bye mommy" and don't look back
- You love both sets of grandparents, but will not let your grandfathers breath when they are with you. You wear both of them into the ground. They are exhausted after visiting you.
- You have started to really like cars and nerf guns. You "hunt" your mama with your nerf gun and only thing it is fun if she is a moving target. It is one of the most hilarious things that we have ever seen. Gun safety will be happening early with you
- You know that Bo has time outs and you know where your time out chair is. Sometimes you put yourself in time out because you have done something that you are not suppose to do

I love both of my boys so much. I am so blessed to be surrounded by boys/a man that loves me. I couldn't imagine a better life. Your mommy is very happy.

Isaac at a Month

2011-12-08T18:42:00.003-06:00

We went to Isaac's 1 month old checkup today and boy has he grown. We were all betting that he was below 9 pounds but we were way off. He weighed 10 pounds and 8 ounces (that is a 4 pound increase since he left the hospital, that is 1 pound a week!!). He has grown 2 inches as well and is 22.25 inches long. WOW!! He is just perfect. He has to be the best baby on the planet and I have never seen a baby that could sleep as much as he does. Porter was NOT a sleeper at all. Isaac is probably awake 4 hours a day and only wakes up once a night (if you count the early morning feeding around 4-5 a day feeding). Porter did not do that either. You still get tired, but are VERY appreciative that he sleeps so well. He has started cooing, especially when he is eating. He enjoys laying on his back (probably his favorite thing to do). He hates being held chest to chest or anything to do with his belly being the primary support. In fact, I put him on his tummy for tummy time and he doesn't even try to raise his head. He will just lay there and suck on his hand.

So Porter was dying to get out and build a snow man yesterday. He did and then ate half of it! A little snow never hurt any of us. Here are some pictures.

In Black and White

2011-12-03T11:05:00.002-06:00

Isaacs 2 Week Old Pictures

2011-12-03T10:45:00.003-06:00

Here are the pictures that our church group friend Leslie took for us. Their photography website is www.elimurray.com. We are so happy with her pictures, they are amazing!!

Fun without pants!

2011-11-22T12:20:00.002-06:00

Please Meet our New Addition - Isaac Benjamin Floyd

2011-11-17T12:20:00.020-06:00

Isaac was born at 7:50 am on Monday, November 7th. We had an awesome experience with Isaac. I have to admit that I bawled like a little girl when I heard him cry and got to see him over the curtain during my surgery. I didn't get to experience that with Porter and I really didn't know what kind of feelings that I was going to have. Ben was right there by my side holding my hand and wouldn't leave me until I said that it was okay for him to get up and go see Isaac (which was right away cause I wanted to know that he was doing well). The operation only took 30 minutes and they gave me Isaac to hold as they wheeled me back to my recovery room.

He was 7 lbs and 6 ounces (a pound smaller than Porter) and 20.5 inches long (an inch longer than Porter). He has NOOOO butt at all and has the longest skinniest fingers and feet. His newborn clothes hardly fit him but are growing more snug as the days go on.

Porter was pretty timid at the hospital and didn't really know how to handle mommy in a hospital bed and this new being in a crib next to her. He has warmed up to him and likes to sit next to Isaac when he is on the floor on his play mat. Sometimes though he tells me that he wants baby to go night night and I need to put him down. When Isaac cries Porter does come over and pat him on the side of the head and says "baby okay, baby okay". He has really started to talk a lot here lately and it is wonderful to hear.

We got a TV for our bedroom (we have never had one the whole time we have been together) and Porter, Isaac and I all watched Wonder Pets this morning while I nursed and Porter woke up. It was so nice to just snuggle with both of my boys.

On Tuesday a woman from our church group came over and took pictures of Isaac for us (she is wanting to get into infant photography, so Isaac was the second baby that she has shot - they are amazing pictures and will post as soon as I get them). She and her husband do weddings as a full time occupation so she really knew what she was doing. He did so well too cause the shoot lasted for about 4 hours, Leslie was very patient and I can't wait to see the pictures.

Other than that, just getting used to napping at night for sleep and trying to figure out a new cleaning/picking up/laundry schedule for myself as well as time to play with Porter and time to hold Isaac. I think this whole school thing will be good cause that will give me lots of time with Isaac by ourselves and Porter will be learning all at the same time. I just want to make sure that Porter's needs are still met. There have only been a couple of times that while I have been nursing Isaac that Porter has really needed me (emotionally) so I hope that it won't happen too much cause it breaks my heart. I LOVE my boys (Ben included).

Ben and I before surgery

Isaac and Me after surgery
Ben and Isaac

Jean, Dad and Mom with Isaac

Nurse and Isaac

At Home

Then some of Just Porter having fun

Freaking Out

2011-11-01T19:37:00.002-05:00

Okay it is official I am freaking out.... Had to call my mom to come get Porter so he could spend the night at their house so I could calm down with a warm bath and mindless TV. Ha, didn't think I would be like this with the second one, but I guess with how things went with Porter I am really uncertain how this go around is going to work out. I just pray that everything goes smoothly and I am trying to believe that it will.

Boo at the Zoo

2011-10-21T18:31:00.007-05:00

I'm taking off

Daddy and me
Excited to get some candy

My buddy Dylan (aka Mickey Mouse)

Pumpkins!!!!!

Getting more candy

Videos

2011-10-09T21:08:00.001-05:00

I still can't post videos and I have the cutest one of Ben and Porter playing!!

I have some catching up to do once again. Over September 24th weekend, my mom and I had a baby shower for Isaac by going down to Dallas and doing some major shopping. Since Memphis and Little Rock don't have very many consignment store options, we thought the 4 1/2 hour drive wouldn't be bad. We got an awesome hotel off of hot wire and were able to stay in the Galleria Mall, even though we didn't step foot in it. I think we went to about 6 consignment stores, Bye-Bye Baby, Cheesecake Factory, and Barnes and Noble all in about 7 hours. I was pooped. Then we hit up Ikea before leaving on Sunday and man is that place Huge!! I actually had to sit down about an hour into it cause I was breaking out in cold sweats... only 4 weeks left!!! It was exactly what I wanted to do and we got a lot of good things for both Isaac and Porter. Thanks Mom for putting it all together!!!

Here is a picture of all our loot and then we got this chair for Porter at Ikea and he really likes it.

Porter has a new favorite place to play in the back yard. Who would have known this flower plant would be so popular. He likes to hide all his plastic bugs in it, we are losing them one by one to Bo, but until they are all gone it will continue to be fun.

Okay so Porter has started a Mother's Day Out program at Central Baptist Church here in North Little Rock. He started last Thursday and will go for 5 hours every Tuesday and Thursday. We wanted to get him in somewhere before Isaac gets here so that there aren't too many changes all at once. They said that he had a great first day and he seemed to really talk a lot more after that, so that was another reason why we wanted him to start cause we have been worried about his talking. He goes and sees his ENT on Friday to find out how his hearing is doing. (And Yes we had to wear the fireman's hat into class for the first time)

I go to the doctor for my 35 week check up on Thursday and after that I only have 3 weeks left. I have had some issues with my blood pressure, so I am hoping that it won't be high at my next visit. I think Isaac has dropped too. I will be really surprised if I make it till my c-section date. I just pray that if I don't, Dr. Wyatt is on call and will be able to deliver my son. I LOVE my doctor!!!

My mom brought Porter to a new pumpkin patch and apparently this place is the best one ever. We might be trying this one instead of the one we usually go to cause they have a bouncy house, feeding farm, hay ride, climbing hay stack and a pumpkin all for $7.00/person. Can't beat that! (we got the boots on our baby shower trip, he LOVES them!!!)

Trip to Florida

2011-09-16T20:12:00.005-05:00

To cover some things before we get to the fun trip pictures....

Porter was still limping around 10 days after we took him in to see his pediatrician so we called an ortho doctor to get him in to see a specialist. On Thursday, the specialist told us by just raising the xray to the ceiling light that Porter had a broken tibia. A BROKEN TIBIA!!!!!!!! To say Ben and I were devastated by this news would be an understatement. We were sooooo mad. How could his doctor have missed a break in his leg? I stood there thinking about how that little boy went without a cast or any kind of support other than ibuprofen for his whole healing process. The doctor didn't give him a splint or ace bandage or anything to help him. We just couldn't believe something like this could have been overlooked. It is unreal. We have had some other issues with his pediatrician's office. They kept telling us that he needed to get one more ear infection, just one more and after 8 with a ruptured ear drum they finally told us to go see an ENT. We trusted them with our son and they have let us down on 2 major things. So we have decided it would be best to change where we go. I know there is human error in every aspect of life, but these 2 major mistakes just can't be overlooked. I am venting, I need to vent. I can't believe he had a broken leg and no cast, it just breaks my heart.

Okay, so that is that. We went in for our OB appointment on Tuesday and Isaac had a great heart beat at 144. We are officially on the books at the hospital for November 7th. We can't wait. 7 more weeks!!!! I have started switching all of Porter's stuff to his new room and Isaac's stuff out of storage. We are looking at a new bedroom set for Porter cause he needs one and might go look at some tomorrow.

So about our Florida trip. We had a blast minus the limping child. We were busy every day and completely wore out pregnant mommy and little boy. Porter was ready for bed every night. Bo and Bessie (the Floyd's dog) spent the whole time playing together and were best buds after day one. I didn't get very many pictures of all our outings, but here is a summary. We went to the beach twice, 3 playgrounds, walks in the forest almost every day, swam in the swimming pool, went shopping of course and the best of all took Porter fishing for the first time. He had so much fun with the bait (live crickets) and the fish squirming out of the water. He just squealed like a little pig, it was the cutest thing ever. Oh and we also tried to get Porter's first hair cut. He sat in the car just fine but when the woman came at him with scissors, he was having none of it. So we paid for the full thing and left to let everyone else in the salon a relaxing time.

So here are some of the pictures that we did end up taking.

Boo-Boos

2011-09-01T09:49:00.003-05:00

So Porter had an accident this past Sunday which landed him getting x-rays on Monday morning at the doctor's office. His friend Dylan got to see him in all his glory (screaming of course, the doc just got done twisting and turning his leg which did NOT go over well with Porter).

Daddy was doing the airplane with Porter in his hands and was running to the back bedroom to play on our bed from the kitchen. Well, Bo had the great idea that he wanted to join in the festivities and run under daddy's legs and both Porter and he went tumbling. Porter hurt his leg and wasn't able to walk on it the rest of the day Sunday. Unfortunately, Ben had to leave for a company meeting that afternoon feeling absolutely terrible and distraught over what happened... thinking that he could have avoided it... but it was an accident and he and Porter were just doing their normal fun routine. Porter loves how his daddy plays with him and I kept telling Ben that and to not feel bad. You should see this child wait at the front door when I say the words "daddy is coming home"... he just sits there looking out the screen door for his daddy's truck to pull up. He can't wait to wrestle. The first words out of Porter's mouth are "down" - telling daddy to get down on the floor to wrestle. The thing is, they weren't even rough housing, Ben was just doing the airplane to throw him on our bed and the poor guy got hurt.

So had to say how the accident occurred. The doctor cleared him of all broken bones/fractures. He did say that Porter could have a sprain or a deep bone bruise so that would for sure limit his walking. He said not to push Porter to walk because a child will do as much as they can to get around, so if he is not willing to walk that means that it hurts.

Porter did finally start walking last night - a lot - so we had to make sure that he didn't do too much, no need for him to strain his hurt foot. That is the last thing we need before we leave for Florida tomorrow night. I am relieved though that he seemed to want to walk around and not to mention that daddy got back home from his trip last night and Porter wanted to play!!

So that has been an interesting first experience with a hurt leg. I am thankful that it wasn't broken... couldn't imagine a 2 year old doing well without being able to get around. I had already planned on getting him Toy Story and Car stickers to put on his cast.

Porter has made out like a bandit during all of this though. Grandma bought him a bunch of new toys at Toys'R'Us for his recovery process, ha! Mommy also bought him a few new things, but more for our Florida trip cause Grandma already got him stuff. He also got donuts, cakes and 2 trips to Chick-fil-a or anything else his heart desired cause you could tell that he was in pain. He might think getting hurt is not that bad when given the royal treatment.

Thankfully he was up walking this morning (with his limp and he can't turn very well, that seems to do something to him cause he loses his balance really easily when turning)... but at least it is walking!!!

Isaac

2011-08-26T12:16:00.002-05:00

So I went to the doctor on Tuesday for my diabetes test. I got the clear 3 hours and 3 blood draws later (never fun). His heart rate is 147.

We have gone ahead and decided to set my c-section date to be Monday, November 7th. We were going to wait until that Thursday, but my OB was really hestitant to wait that long seeing that it is going to be my second baby. We will have to be at the hospital at 5:30 and they will take Isaac at 7:30 that morning. I am just keeping my fingers crossed that everything will go smoothly and there will be no NICU stays.

Porter has been really changing here lately and has become a total blast. He loves to dance to his little kid tunes. I put them on in the afternoon to avoid TV. He would sit in front of that thing all day if I let him. We also has a great fondness of coloring. He is even coloring things like eyes or ears (of course not in the lines, but it is clear as day that is what he was trying to do). He is now obsessed with bugs.... any type.... any kind.... dead or alive (if they are alive, it's not for long cause he gets so excited he squooshes them). I can't say I am thrilled about this, but he seems to like that sort of thing and whatever gets his mind working and thinking is fine by me. BUT daddy will be picking up all the bugs for Porter to play with, I will just be an observer, ha!

Unfortunately, the short sale is not going as planned. We haven't gotten final word yet, but it looks like the bank wants 88% of the appraised value which we offered more, but on top of that they want us to pay their real estate fees, closing costs and all the money they are out of pocket on from the owner not paying late fees. Talk about a bad deal. We are just not willing to pay all of that for them. Heck, if we were to try and sell our condo, a buyer would NEVER be willing to pay those things for us. Oh well, if they end up not taking our offer after all... we are just going to wait until next year to start looking again. This whole thing has kind of broke our spirits for the time being. To say were were disapointed with the news last night would be an understatement. Wish it was different, but looks like I am going to finally be able to pull out Porter's old clothes and get everything ready for Isaac. Porter will just have to sleep with us and give up his room when we have overnight company... which isn't a big deal, but we would have really liked to have that 4th bedroom for guests.

That is about it. I am growing by the minute... yep there was another pound, just felt it come on, ha! I am glad Ben is willing to adopt, cause I am just not cut out for this whole pregnancy thing. I mean I LOVE the end result, but could do without all the swelling and weight gain. I just hope we get a chunky monkey.

Going Fishin'

2011-08-17T07:23:00.004-05:00

So my parents had this idea of adding fish to Porter pool so he could "swim with the fishes". He LOVES it and LOVE is an understatement here. Soooooo, mommy decided to try it out yesterday and it was a huge hit in his new bigger pool that is dog proof so far but pretty cheaply made so we will see how long it lasts. Don't worry they were bait fish and are still alive in his pool right now. Probably go swimming with them later.

So look at my big boy in his big boy pajamas. Doesn't he look so old!!!! He has been using the potty a lot here lately so we are really excited about that. Now if you ask him if he wants to use it, he won't so you have to pretend that you are doing something in the bathroom and he will go on his own as long as you are in there with him. Now he has stopped this past week and we won't be pushing him cause we don't want to hinder his good progress already. Any tips would be nice!

Isaac is doing well. I go for my diabetes test next Tuesday so that will be a load of fun! I am officially 11 weeks away from delivering. Can't wait.

Still waiting on word from what house we are going to be in once he is here which is getting kind of old at this point cause mommy is wanting to "nest". I need to start unpacking all of Porter's old stuff before it gets too hard to get around, but I guess patience is the key to this whole short sale process.... I just wish we were told accurate information half of the time that would make the long wait easier!! God is guiding us though so I do believe in that.

Oh almost forgot I go to the doctor today to find out what in the world I have done to my foot. I think I may have strained it because by the end of the day I can barely walk on it.

As still as he gets

2011-07-25T21:19:00.000-05:00

Sorrry

2011-07-25T20:51:00.002-05:00

My postings have been few and far between. We have a lot going on here at the Floyd household.

Porter has 2 molars coming in. I think these have been the most difficult of all the teeth that have come in (I say that every time it is a new set of teeth, but man the little guy is in a lot of pain). He had a good day today though and we kept him busy with some new GI Joe action figures, plus a army hummer and airplane. Awww, toddler toys... I can't believe it.

We go tomorrow to see how the baby is doing. Isaac is becoming more and more active with each day. Now Ben can feel his movements, but has yet to because he stops kicking as soon as he senses that someone's hand is on my belly.

Bo and Porter are best of friends. We moved Porter to his new big boy room this past week. It has been going well, but he does get scared when he wakes up and sees that I am not with him. Bo sleeps in the bed with him every night and takes naps with him every day. When we got back from our family reunion this past weekend, he just cried to see his puppy. Let's just say that Bo has been the best investment that we could have made for our little boy.

It has been HOT, HOT, HOT here and pregnant mommy is not able to get out in this heat. Porter and I have had a lot of play dates to keep busy so he doesn't mind missing the outside (or I should say doesn't notice it). It just has to be the hottest summer of all time here in Arkansas and we decided to be pregnant during it. Ha, hope I don't melt in August, j/k.

Overall, this pregnancy has been really great. I can say that my ankles and legs get swollen a lot easier this go around, but I think that has a lot to do with the heat. I feel like I am a lot more active with Isaac as well (you kind of have to be with a 2 year old boy). I have his crib bedding already in place and am working on what other things I want to get for his room. I am also going to get a new comforter spread for Porter's new room and some sports stuff to decorate with. Both boys with have a sports theme.

We haven't heard any more of the offer that we have on that short sale. It has been a very growing experience in patience. We hope to hear something before our lease is up and surely before we have Isaac. If we don't though, we are prepared to stay here for as long as necessary.

Okay well I think that is it.

It's Official, We Are Having a BOY!!!!

2011-06-29T22:23:00.003-05:00

Isaac Benjamin Floyd is due to arrive sometime after November 7th.. we just have to pick the day when it gets closer!!!! The ultrasound tech put the instrument to my belly and bam, there was our little guy. Porter sat very still (for the first 8 minutes, but I was thankful for that) and just let us soak it in. He is going to be a great big brother.

I went out and bought some outfits for the little guy but aren't really happy about them, it is hard pickens for November attire right now. I think I might just keep my eyes open for other "bring home from the hospital" outfits when I get out of the house with Porter.

So Porter has hit the terrible 2 stage. We actually had to put him in time out in the middle of our second living room and walk away. He kept trying to get up sobbing and we kept having to put him back and tell him that when he was done crying mommy and daddy would play with him. He was upset because we tried to make him eat dinner with us and put him in his high chair. I haven't used the high chair in forever because he eats at his kids table. We are trying to do better and eat dinner as a family, it is just something that he is going to have to get used to. We are doing the same battle with what movie he wants to watch after his nap. He will put one in and want to change it half way through and I won't let him and he will just sob until he gets his way. I have started saying no and if he continues the tv goes off completely. He just cries over anything. We can't afford to let him get away with it. I hate to hear him cry for 36 minutes straight, but hopefully the crying episodes will get shorter and shorter.

Bo has been the best thing we could have ever done for Porter. Porter just loves his puppy and expects Bo to take a nap with him every afternoon. He is the first thing that Porter asks for when he gets up from sleeping. Bo does really well with him too, he lets Porter do whatever he wants to him (I think it is because he knows he can snatch anything out of the poor kids hand).

I just wish we can get Porter talking more. He has started to want to read his books more these days and will go pick one out and sit next to me to read it to him, so that is really promising. I think I may need to look at getting more animal books, those are his favorite! Especially aquatic life.

So as for our house hunt. We got word this evening that the house we have had an offer on for over 6 weeks has finally been approved for a medical short sale (the bank couldn't get a hold of the seller and the seller couldn't get a hold of the bank to confirm that in fact it could be in short sale)... so the little step forward is good news for us. They are ordering a bank appraisal to compare our offer against and we are hoping that won't be another months process, but it probably will be knowing how slow these banks move... I just pray that they take our offer, we really like the house and it would be in a great school zone and a great location. Please say a little prayer for us, this house is really everything that we want in a place and we could get it at a really good price!!!

Other than this wonderful news, not much going on. We are just really excited to add another little boy to our household. Maybe in a couple of years the boys might have a little sister.

Baby No. 2

2011-06-21T21:39:00.002-05:00

So I know I haven't really blogged about my pregnancy very much, there just isn't a lot to report so far. I am feeling the baby more and more (but still not very much compared to Porter). So maybe this means it is a chilled child??? - keep my fingers crossed - ha, need one calm one!!

We go next Wednesday to find out what we are having. We have had a girls name picked out since the beginning of the pregnancy that I will share if it is a girl and we have talked about a boys name but aren't settled on it. I had a dream the other night that we are having another boy and have felt the whole time that it is a boy.

I really don't mind what we are having as long as the delivery goes smoothly and no NICU visits, as long as that goes well it can be whatever and mommy will be happy. Porter does have his mommy wrapped around his finger (the way it should be in my opinion).

I have been looking at nursery decor but have to wait to see what we are having. My friend Season should get a kick out of this... I am going for Owls I think, ha.. I know you are laughing and scared at the same time (maybe your cousin can tell me where she gets all her owls from???). We are just going to use Porter's nursery furniture for this baby and we will be getting Porter a bedroom set (probably off Craigslist, our best friend). I have been talking to Ben about the 4th bedroom in this house that we made an offer on (if we end up getting it). I thought we might be able to get a murphy bed so we can use the room as a play room and then a bedroom for the week or two a year that we actually have company. That would help all the toys not being everywhere all the time.

I am really looking forward to this addition to our family. Porter will be a great big brother and I know this baby will add a lot of joy and I have already had another chance to enjoy what I didn't get to fully enjoy with Porter. It has been a wonderful experience so far. This baby is a blessing just like Porter has been a blessing.

So now with Porter. He went in for his 2 year check-up today and he is in the 93% for height and 62% for weight. Everything looks good. I am going to wait to wein him off his paci seeing that he sucks his thumb raw when he doesnt have one but other than that we are right on track (minus some talking that we are working on, but I am not too worried about yet).

Okay that is it for now.

Celebrating Birthdays

2011-06-18T20:37:00.005-05:00

So today we celebrated our birthdays. Then we also realized that in less than 5 months Porter is going to be a big brother - what! - I know....

I am having trouble loading videos and they are cute, but hopefully that gets fixed soon. We went to five guys for dinner (yum, porter and pregnant mommy loved!) and then had cake at our house. He opened some presents and then passed out on the couch watching his dinosaur movie. Here are some pics of the day.

Porter's (and Mommies) B-Day

2011-06-16T20:34:00.006-05:00

So it was our birthdays today!!! Porter is officially 2 and I am officially 28, ahhh!! He had a good day overall minus some crankiness with teething (can't the teeth all come in at once!). I don't have any height or weight stats yet, he is going for his 2 year check up next week. He has been such a jewel and we love him so much.
So what did the precious boy get for his b-day?? Lots and Lots. Ant farm, ant book, playhouse, turtle game, skate board, tennis rackets, velcroe mits, music cds, clothes, buzz lightyear powerwheel and slip-n-slide. Wow!! Made out like a bandit!! Thanks everyone for the gifts.
Here are some pictures of his day. We went to Rock Creek to play in the tubes and then to Chick-Fil-A with grandma for a birthday lunch. After that we went down for a nap and then outside to play in our pool. The real cake celebration will be on Saturday with Grandma and Papa. Hopefully he will like his cake this year. Last year he was not impressed. So here are some pictures of the day. Oh, and he has started to talk!!! How nice is that, we have been so worried... but now he is repeating most of the words that we say - have to be careful now :) -

Ellie Lampe

2011-06-14T20:43:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to ask all my readers to pray for Ellie Lampe. She is a beautiful baby girl that was born to my cousin Tracy and her husband Evan on June 2nd. She had a little rough entry in to the world and has since been in a Children's hospital in Missouri. She could not have been born to better parents and older brother and I know they can't wait to get her back into their own home and have life return back to normal. Please be praying that she will keep improving and be able to go home as soon as they have found everything and have tested everything possible. Only good news!!!
Here is the link

Do my pants match???

2011-06-05T20:28:00.000-05:00

Finally a picture of Bo (he is hard to take a picture of because he is so dark)

2011-06-05T20:27:00.001-05:00

2011-06-05T20:27:00.000-05:00

Got my Camera Fixed!

2011-06-05T20:22:00.000-05:00

Porter

2011-05-11T21:35:00.000-05:00

So Porter has been a doll lately. We had to take him to the ER the first Monday of May and found out that he had viral bronchitis. I have never seen him so sick and luckily he got cleared from the doctor yesterday (but in the process of getting better passed it on to mommie). Since getting better thought, he has been soooooo happy. It is such an awesome feeling to have your son say "mommie" and then run up to you and wrap his whole body around you to give a hug. Oh it can just melt the heart and he does it all day long! Ben has been getting a kiss before bed every night and each and every time he looks at me and says "that's awesome!".

SOOOOO the dog!!! I finally had a breakdown today and when Ben walked in the door i stated that if he wanted his dog to live that he would leave with him for a couple of hours and get all of his energy out. He is up to 22 pounds from 10 pounds when we got him in April. He is about the same weight as Porter. SOOOO he wins most of the battles over toys and I was tired of Porter getting scratched and mouthed. I finally banished him to the backyard while I gave Porter a bath, but this loving dog sat outside the door and cried with his tail wagging (talk about feeling bad). When I let him in, he just hopped into my lap and wanted loving. You should see him walk with Porter when we go to Petsmart or something. He stays by Porter the entire time and walks between him and any other person or pet that walks by, like he is Mr. Protective. Porter still loves him scratches and all.

I go to the doctor for my 14 week check-up tomorrow. I really think this baby is a boy. I don't know, I just have a strong feeling that it's a little boy Floyd again. 2 more months and we will know for sure.

I have put off getting Porter a big boy bed until we get a new house. I can decorate for the new baby and Porter at the same time. We go this weekend to look at like 10 more homes in Benton/Bryant. I can't wait til we find something that we really like. Our poor real estate agent, but we aren't just going to buy something to buy something. I think we have given up on Little Rock just because we would have to send our child to private school and we might as well add that onto our mortgage each month, those are not cheap either!!

Well, other than that nothing is new. I still haven't gotten our camera fixed. Going tomorrow to do that!!!

Finally

2011-04-30T20:35:00.002-05:00

Wow a month has gone by and I haven’t posted. I have been busy, busy , busy.

This is the last picture I have of me in glasses. I had lasiks done at the end of January and it is amazing!! I can actually see without any glasses or anything. I just wake up and go, and I was blind… I mean blind!!!
So I am officially in my second trimester with our second baby. It is crazy…. And has gone a lot more smoothly than the one with Porter. I am not as anxiety ridden about it. So since I have to have a c-section because of all the complications we had with Porter, they will take this baby the first or second week of November. My official due date is November 13h, but they don’t want me going into labor so he said something about the 7th instead. His/Her heart rate was at 173 at our 10 week visit and we were able to see its legs which is just crazy.
About 2 weeks ago we got a chocolate/black lab. The breeder said he was 16 weeks old but our vet said there is no way, he is more like 12 weeks. He was gaunt… they did not take care of this little guy and he has gained 4.5 pounds in the past 2 weeks that we have had him, which is crazy. At first we didn’t think he was going to be a big dog but since he has put on some weight, he looks like he is going to be huge. Since he was the runt of the litter, he has a very submissive personality and that works great with an almost 2 year old.
Porter wakes up every morning asking for his puppy and you can tell that Bo misses him when he is at the grandparents house. They just love each other and Porter is at the perfect height to be a continuous snack giver (or Bo just takes whatever is out of his hands and then runs and eats it).
Porter has been getting his bottom canine teeth in and has been in a lot of pain for 2 weeks. Daddy and mommy are ready for this whole teething process to be over!!! I hate drugging him all the time, but if we don’t then he is just a walking/screaming unhappy toddler. Yuck!!!!!
We have started time outs instead of spankings and they seem to be very effective. He just looked at us when we spanked him like “that’s all you got” but taking his independence away is just torture. I remember being that type of personality growing up. Anything but grounding!
Well this is a short post and since our camera hasn’t been working, I can’t post pictures until I get it looked at. So hope everyone is doing well!

It's Been a While....

2011-03-13T22:31:00.003-05:00

So, it has been a while since I last posted.

Porter has been doing great. Since turning off the tv (or the big black box like we call it here because he understands the word tv), he has really started to talk. Never thought that was a problem until we tried it and saw that it really made a difference.

He hasn't really grown much just kind of bulked up a little bit more. He has really started to voice is opinion. Ha, it is mostly no's, but at least he can tell us that is NOT what he wants. We are working on yes, but that seems to be slow going. He is just the cutest thing ever. I have to say he has the intensity of both of his parents, but that will be his strength in the future, I just know it. It has to be harnessed in the right way.

We spend most (if not all of the awake time) outside. He hates being inside. He chases the birds and squirrels all day long. We just filled up his sand box and he loves it. We just have to figure out how to keep the sand in the sand box. It tends to go flying every so often.

Ben is doing great! I think he has been getting more and more comfortable in the manager's position, sales position, being a dad and husband... now more than ever. We seem to be having such a great time together lately and it is so nice.

I have been doing great. I have become really comfortable being a stay at home mom. It has taken some time and work not to be lazy or confused as to what to do with our time, but I love it. Porter seems to love it too!

We are looking for a house. We are going to see some homes tomorrow night in North Little Rock. We really like the area because we are close to everything and can still get to Burns Park in about an 8 minute drive. Plus, Ben is only a short distance from work... which is great for us.

Other news, I am going to just put it out there although it is very early. We are expecting baby no. 2 and hoping for a little girl, but any healthy baby would be wonderful. We are newly pregnant with a due date of November 15th. We go to our first doctors appointment on April 11th. I am scared to let everyone know just because of our previous miscarriage, but I am trusting in God with this one. I am not going to be detached because I am scared, I am just going to start enjoying it now because who says I need to be scared.

So some life changes, but good life changes. I am trying to teach Porter where the baby is in my tummy, but since he thinks he is still the baby, he isn't really picking up.... or he senses competition already, ha!!

Can't post without pictures. Here are some before I cut his hair. I gave him a military style do. Everyone his happy that it is growing out. I even think he got back at me for taking away his baby looks!

Batter Up Video

2011-01-30T19:08:00.001-06:00

I know It's late for Christmas

2011-01-25T21:16:00.000-06:00

Stayin at home

2011-01-25T20:55:00.003-06:00

Wow has my life changed in so many ways. It has been 1.5 months since I quit my job and I am still getting accustomed to staying at home all day and all night with Porter. I love him to death and I think we have gotten closer since the change. There are times though that I can't wait to see an adult. Even the cashier at Kroger is a nice visit. Good thing I don't live in Chicago cause there would be no talking to strangers there. I have signed up for 2 mother's groups. One is at Fellowship Bible Church and the other is at our church. They started this week and the one today was great. It was wonderful to hear other mothers talk about the same issues that I seem to deal with and that I am not alone in my struggles with comparisons and insecurities at how I am doing at my job. I can't wait to see where these studies go and our small group that we joined recently.

I bought a mini stair stepper for our house seeing that trying to get out and work out is a lot more difficult than I ever thought it would be when it is 30 degrees outside. When it gets warmer outside, I can't wait until we can go to Burns park for a nice walk outside or play at the park.

Okay that is all the time I have for tonight. Hope you like the pictures... the black eye is from a level meltdown at Kroger one morning while trying to do a back flip while strapped into the cart. It made for a very short and very humiliating morning... once where probably everyone around me was thinking "why can't she shut that kid up"... oh how I thought that when I didn't have kids, ha! Never again!!!

Fixin my giraffe

2011-01-25T20:55:00.000-06:00

Didn't you know that Laundry time is party time???

2011-01-25T20:52:00.000-06:00

Bragging on my Sibling

2010-12-15T20:17:00.002-06:00

Got these pictures from Verena and I thought I would brag on her and my brother. Sorry Lee!!! ha!!!

FREEDOM!!!!!

2010-12-02T22:29:00.008-06:00

So I am happy to announce that I am officially a stay at home mom. Today was the last day that I was willing to go in and train the new girl. SOOOO what have I done so far after I got off work... nothing eventful but freedom none the less. I had church group tonight so that was fun getting to know a little bit more about all the new people. Then I came home and watched some tv while my parents are keeping Porter tonight. Dare I say it, but I will be sleeping in tomorrow and will be in no rush to go pick him up. I don't really know how to feel about God answering my prayers. He got me out of a bad work situation, home with my child, and a wife to my husband all in one shot! I am just so thankful, so very thankful.

I have not had any time to upload our pictures from Thanksgiving with the Floyd's in Florida this past weekend. Boy was it a blast. We had so much fun, I almost didn't want to come back... but it was good that we did cause evidently the grandparents went to bed that night around 8:00. We sure wore them out!

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-11T10:59:00.005-06:00

So this one is kind of late.... Porter (and Ben) had their first taste of the Hendrickson family tradition of pumpkin carving. The Hendricksons have been known to pick out the most extragavent picture to carve known to man just to accomplish something each year. I remember doing this all of my life. Ben later stated that it can be "our thing", looks like we may need to get him into the pumpkin spirit of things.

As you can see Porter loved telling them what to do, but would not touch the slimy stuff to save his life. After stepping on it, he would sit down until we scrubbed it off his feet.

I am trying to teach Porter how to use a spork to feed himself. He gets the concept and tries his hardest but will eventually break down and use his fingers. As you can see his aim is not he best, ha!!

And this one I just surpised him in the bath tub. Look at those eyelashes!

P.S. do not say the bath word in his presence if you are not fully ready and willing at that very moment to give him a 45 minute bath. He runs to it and tries to climb in fully clothed.

Everything is Changing

2010-11-10T16:10:00.002-06:00

So there have been a lot of things going on with the Floyds here lately.

1. I gave my notice on Monday, November 1st for the company that I have been with for 6 years. It is just time. Porter continues to get sick and we were just told today that he cannot go to daycare, the church nursery, Walmart, Kroger or any other rather populated area that might foster sickness for a whole 2 months. They need to see if eliminating the environmental conditions will make Porter get well or if it is just something wrong with his system. Either way, I am happy to be staying home with my son. It is going to be a hard job and we will have to sacrifice some things for this to happen, but I think we both feel that it is important at this point.

2. I am EXCITED!!!!!! It will be one of the hardest things that I do in my life. I know it won't be a walk in the park, but I can't wait to have a more intimate relationship with my child. I just can't wait.

3. I am open to a part time job for 2 days a week (not every day for so many hours). My mom would still like to keep him 1 day a week so I figured I could have some adult interation during that time and be making some extra money at the same time. There are prospects but I am not pushing anything.

4. I visited Chi-Town this past weekend and had such a good time catching up with some really good friends. My friend is due January 4th (her husband is guessing that it will come the day after Christmas), I can't wait to visit her again after she has the little one. They didn't want to know what they are having so it will be a great surprise. I also visited another good friend who lives in Lincoln Park and another by my hometown. Wish I could have stayed longer.

5. So far: Rats - 2 ; Ben - 0.... Haha, I know I shouldn't be laughing about having rats in our attic, BUT it is hilarious to see my husband come down those stairs with a look of disdain and confusion. I swear there was an avalanche of food on the last trap and every bit of it was gone. PLEASE, be thinking of us though... we don't like killing things, but they need to be gone.

6. Porter has started to say sentences... you can't understand them, but he pauses after saying something looks at you for a response. He has been doing that for a while, but you will catch a glimpse of a word every so often.

7. He likes to take your finger now and lead you to wherever he would like to go. It is kind of fun and we have a good time when he does it.

8. He refuses to say Momma... he will only point to Dadda and say his name, but when you ask him to say momma he only points at me and nothing will come out, nothing!!!

9. I am changing to cloth diapers. I have always wanted to try them and so far I am loving the Fuzzy Bunz. I am going to try to make my own, but we will see how that goes. Everyone looks at me like I am a crazy woman from the 1800's or so when I say that, but really we will be saving some $$ on diapers.

10. Other than those things, I will post some pictures of our little guy tomorrow. It has been a while and he is sure changing into a little boy.

Maybe we will try for another when I am at home full time, shhhh don't say anything to Ben, ha!!

Aftermath

2010-10-21T08:07:00.002-05:00

So Porter has been a completely different child since the surgery!!! Thank the Lord!! You can just tell in his face that he feels better and his spirits are lighter. No wonder, he was always in pain before. We are so excited to see this transformation and are so encouraged by it. Here are some recent videos that we have of him. The one of him marching is from last night.

Surgery

2010-10-19T11:04:00.001-05:00

Wow, I feel like I have just been posting about sickness here for the past year!!! Hopefully the tubes that Porter got today will make things a lot better. So we had to be there around 7:15 this morning and waited till the last minute to get Porter up because no food or drink before surgery… which means potentially grumpy child!!

We got there on time and only waited about 5 minutes before they called us back to ask questions about our experience with anesthesia because Porter has never had any, they based his reactions on ours. That was all the prep needed. They took him back in his own clothes and with his blankie. Talk about being a mom, even though this procedure was “harmless” it still hurt to not know what he was going through in there.

My boy is definitely a fighter when he is scared. He was kicking, screaming, biting, doing everything possible to keep anyone away from him right afterwards. I just wanted to be able to tell him what was going on and for him to understand it, but English is not quite his language yet.

The whole car ride was a fight home, but we pulled in the drive way, pulled the lazy-boy into the living room and turned on Sesame Street. Ben went out and got us some breakfast and Porter ended up eating most of my tater tots. He calmed right down watching Elmo with elephants and giraffes. I had to leave for work because I don’t have the time to stay home right now. Ben took off to take care of him and he just called to let me know that they are playing in the middle of the living room floor together.

The doctor said that his ear drum did rupture on Saturday and was just now getting a thin layer of skin healing over the whole as of today. She said that it was the 3rd out of 4th worst spot for something like this to happen. She went ahead and put the tubes in the places that she initially wanted to place them and took a sample of the liquid mixture in the ruptured ear to send to a lab. She said that is not the kind of mucus that is normal or what she likes to see, so we have to wait for the results to get back to find out what we are dealing with in terms of that.

He is on ear drops for now and should be able to hear things a lot more clearly now that the liquid is able to drain from his ears.

I know people say all the time that so many kids have tubes and it is not a big deal and I agree. On a scale of 1 to 10 of surgery’s for a child to have this is probably a 2, but it still hurts to see your child in pain and confused. No matter if it’s a 1 or a 10 a momma’s heart is still gonna hurt and worry!!

Uncle Lee Thanks for the Shirt

2010-10-15T16:19:00.001-05:00

Don't I look great for church... you should have seen everyone oohh and ahh over me this past weekend.

Porter Do the Crab

2010-10-13T07:59:00.002-05:00

Tubes

2010-10-08T12:15:00.002-05:00

So we just got back from the ENT and guess what??? Porter is getting tubes on Tuesday of next week. She asked me how often Porter had been on antibiotics and I started counting all the times since March and her eyes got really big. It's been a total of 12!! She said that she wasn't so much worried about the hearing aspect of things but more worried about how often he has been on drugs which is NOT good for his age.

So come next Tuesday he will be dozing off to la-la land and hopefully getting rid of all this fluid build up. I feel so bad for him, he is sick all the time. He came into the world fighting and still is. I just pray this will end soon!!!

Ta-ta

Maw-Maw and Pa-paws (Papa) Visit

2010-10-07T10:05:00.012-05:00

Wow, we had a great time with the Floyd's this past weekend. Porter just loves his grandparents. After they left, he walked around the house saying "Papa?", "Papa?".

They brought their daughter Brandy and she was so kind and gentle with Porter. It is like she knew that she was being handled by a child and let him do anything to her. We had to teach him "nice touches" so that he knew hitting her because he was excited was not a good thing.

Here are some pics of them playing (yes we did supervise, but really Brandy didn't do anything to him but play). She looked ready to go home though by Monday, ha!

We had almost Ben's entire family over this weekend as well. We were so happy to have a place where we could host everyone at one time with plenty of room to spare. Thanks you all for coming and celebrating with us. I know Maw-Maw and Pa-Paw loved seeing everyone!

On Sunday, we went to Montley's pumpkin patch to feed the animals and watch the pig races. Porter was SOOOOOO upset that we left (and very tired) that he threw a level 10 breakdown in the car. Nothing we did would soothe his disdaine for us leaving.

Here are some pictures of us feeding the animals, swinging and Porter's fight with a "mini" rooster

Here you can see Porter's favorite activity. The grandparents thought that we were exagerating about how much Porter loves doing this, but they quickly learned that we were not... I think it wore them out. Here it is

Have I mentioned that Porter can say the following: Turtle (first word believe it or not), Tiger (Iger), Cow, Dog (Og), Thank you (ank you), Bye-Bye, Crab (cab), Okay (oay), fish (fshh), monkey (oney)

He can also say the sounds with the animal when he sees them. For Tiger he goes "ROOOOOAAAARRRR"... I am not exagerating, he loves to do it and does it very well. For Cow he goes "OOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU", for Pig he snorts and I am now trying to teach him monkey which he sort of did last night.

Did I mention how smart my child is, well he is, ha!

He also loved Pa-Paw's hat.

And here is what they got us as a house warming gift, thank you!

I am realizing more and more how much our little "baby" is not a baby anymore. It is so sad to see him grow up so quickly. However, he is getting more and more fun as the days go on. He even looks so different than he did at this time last year.

Long Post, Sorry!!!!

2010-09-23T08:47:00.001-05:00

So it has been a while since my last update. WOW, have things been going on around here!!

First, Ben is having some complications from his lymph node removal. There seems to be a lot of fluid buildup that he needs to get drained about every other day. It has really taken a toll on him physically, emotionally and mentally because he just wants this to be over. Please keep him in your heart and prayers. If the drainage continues through this weekend, they are going to install a permanent tube drainage thing on Monday at 8:00. Please pray that it will stop over the weekend!!

That brings us to this weekend, we are moving!!! So my dad and mom have offered to help us repaint and clean the house. Thank goodness, Ben and I could have done it…. But it is sure nice to have some extra hands around to help with it. We got the two family rooms painted last night (thanks dad) and most of the kitchen cleaned (thanks mom). We have the bedrooms to paint tonight and then the bathrooms on Friday. Ben’s cousin Nathan has more than happily agreed to come help us move on Saturday. Thanks Nathan!!!! I don’t know how much Ben will be able to lift and pull and all the other good stuff that goes along with moving with his surgery complications.

Porter is still having problems with his ears. The doctor said that he needs to go and see an ENT, so that appointment is made and hopefully tubes will follow quickly after that. Ben and I are sick of him getting sick all the time (not for our sake, but man could you imagine how Porter feels). We are worried about his coordination as well because he is falling all the time and we think it has to do with the continual build up of fluid in his ears. The Allergy and Asthma doctor did confirm that he is highly allergic to eggs and cats (on a 1-4 scale he is a 4 or higher on both). He is also minorly (I know that is not a word, but I think it works well here, ha) allergic to dogs (2 out of 4). So we have an allergy regimen that we go through every morning. One spray in each nostril of Nasonex and then 5 ML of Zyrtec. It has really cleared up the continual snotty nose and it is suppose to help with the buildup of the fluid in his ears as well. It seems to help him breathe more easily so that is always a good thing. The wheezing has completed stopped and so has the cough (don’t know if it is the complete removal of egg or the drugs).

We just have to wait and see if he stops getting sick so much after Coco goes to live with her new owner. Well, after we leave Coco with her new owner. They came over last weekend to get some measurements of the condo so we got to meet her boyfriend. They seem like really nice people and she seems to like nice things… so we are hoping that she will take good care of Coco and the condo. She travels a lot so that is the only bad thing when it comes to our little baby. Don’t know how well she will do with that. I think they will really like each other.

So now that I have explained all the medical issues, ha! I can go and explain our new rental home. The landlord seems pretty laid back which is nice. He said that he would take off our rent for all the painting supplies as long as we do the labor. We were going to paint anyway so that was a nice agreement. I picked a darker tan color for the living rooms, laundry room and hallway. It looks really good (at least in my opinion). We are doing 2 shades lighter of the same color in the bathroom and bedrooms because it would be way too dark in tinier rooms. We now have 3 bedrooms so when Ben’s parents come in next weekend they will have somewhere to sleep instead of in the living room. There is one downside, the bathrooms are kind of small and there are no ceiling fans in the bedrooms. We LOVE to have the fan on at night when we sleep, so we will have to go buy some sort of fan for that one. We aren’t painting the kitchen because it is already a nice shade of green and thought that it would do for now.

We took Porter over to the rental place and he LOVES the yard. He did not want to come back in and just kept going back to the patio glass wanting to be let out again. I think it is going to be great. It will keep him occupied and wear him out which is always a good thing. I have a feeling that we will have a dozen or so little tiny hand prints on the patio glass ALL the time, but that is a good trade off. I think it is really going to be a nice place to rent. I just hope our renter decides to buy our place at the end of all of it, or we can get another renter in quickly.

Other than all of the above, HMMMMM. I am doing well. I am pretty slow here at work which is no fun, but I have had a lot of time to get bills paid and utilities set up for the new place. I am also 6 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight and am thrilled about it. It is a slow process and it doesn’t help that I don’t work out at all anymore, but when I look back I will probably say “wow, it only took me 16 months to lose 90 pounds”. At least that is what I hope I’ll say.

Oh, another note. Porter has started to be defiant so we have had to start disciplining him. It breaks my heart, I just want to look at him and say “if you didn’t do this, I would not have to do that”. He started to hit me all the time in the face, so I have had to take his arm and slap it. At first, he just looked at me with this little face and it was almost like he scoffed at the punishment, but the more consistent that I am… the more he doesn’t want to hurt mommy. I don’t ever do it out of anger. I always slap his arm and then very gently say, “you don’t hit mommy…angry is not good” repeated with a hug and an “I love you too much to let you do that”. If I am angry, I just put him down and say no. I don’t want him to associate punishment with anger. I want him to know that there are boundaries and rules and we are the authority and we do not punish out of rage or anger, we punish because he disobeyed and we love him too much to let him get away with it. I mean that is what God does to us right. Wow, if He punished us every time He was angry with us, we would all probably be struck with lighting. I don’t want to do anything in parenting out of emotional reactions. I want to make sure that I am thoroughly thinking through what kind of ramifications will happen if I do certain things to Porter. I know he will have issues with me regardless, but I want to make sure that we raise the best man that we can possibly raise. I think installing a sense of responsibility along with love and care will be a good thing.

Children thrive on boundaries and I just hope that we set good ones. Say yes as much as possible because there will be even more times where we have to say no.

I have started to get teaching things like reusable sticker books and I would like to get a felt board with Bible felt scenes so he can place them wherever he wants and teach him the different stories, but man are those things expensive!!! So I am trying to figure out other hands on (eye hand coordination activities) that we can do in older to teach him the Bible. So if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

I also want him to be smart and so far he shows a huge interest in books. He just brings us a book, plops down in our lap and wants to point at an animal and then looks at us for the name and the noise that the animal makes. He could do that for hours and be perfectly content. He loves animal books. LOVES them!! Being athletic has it’s good points, but being smart is even better!!

Surgery, Ears, Cat and Condo

2010-09-10T14:28:00.001-05:00

That pretty much sums up my life right now. Ben just had surgery this past Wednesday to get a lymph node under his armpit removed. I have to admit that I was a little bit anxious about it because he is my honey after all. The pathologist that looked at it said that it looked benign so that was a BIG relief. It went out for more testing so we should know for sure next week. He has been recovering slowly because of where the incision is and how big it is.

This past Labor Day weekend was the stomach bug of 2010. I mean to tell you the last time I got that sick; I thought I had food poisoning. It was awful… Ben had it last night so it is still floating around us somehow! Porter brought it home with him from daycare. While Porter was suffering from that, we had noticed that he has been really lethargic, running a fever and over all just not himself. We finally took him in yesterday when he started to have diarrhea. Well turns out that he has a severe double ear infection, AGAIN!! They finally said that at his 15th month appointment on the 21st that they are going to refer us to an ENT because he has had so many in such a short period of time. About time, we hate to see him suffer like that.

Update on the condo front: This was absolutely a God thing. First we find out that a single woman is really interested in renting our unit (who could ask for a better tenant) and within about 2 days, we find out that she wants the place. She needs to move by October 1st… so that has sent us scrambling to find a new place to live (the rental home was also a God thing).

Well, I guess she made a joke about wanting to know if the cat came with and that was relayed to me by the leasing agent. I ended up emailing the agent late that night, saying I know I am shooting in the dark here… but if she is a cat lover, the cat can come with. I explained to her that we have been trying to find her a new home since learning that Porter is highly allergic to her, but we have had no luck. Guess what? She wanted our cat. Total God thing!

We have found a new place to rent in the Park Hill area of North Little Rock. We were so relieved to find a place so close to Ben’s work and about the same distance to my work. It is saving us a lot of money per month to lease our condo and rent for the time being so we are really excited. Plus, the place comes with 3 bedrooms, 2 living areas, a huge kitchen, a huge laundry room, and a huge/flat fenced in yard. Who could ask for more in our price range? The bathrooms need some updating. They are salmon pink and lime green, yeah 60’s (or was that the 50’s)!! With a good scrubbing and some bleach, I will feel better about it though.

The landlord is allowing us to paint so I will be able to put my finger print on the place and make it more warm and inviting. We are REALLY excited about this and can’t wait to get moved and living in our new place. Plus, now we can have lots of people over without having to worry about where they are all going to sit! Porter is going to love the backyard. We already have plans to buy him a baby baseball mitt and football.

Playing with Daddy

2010-08-30T10:33:00.001-05:00

Eggs and Cats

2010-08-27T08:24:00.003-05:00

What do these two things have in common? They both make Porter sick. We took him in to see his doctor after we noticed a persistant cough and girgling when he was breathing. Since his whole NICU stay was for his collapsed lungs, we are more sensitive to these issues then most parents. They had to do blood work on Tuesday and we got the results back yesterday. The nurses exact words were "he is off the charts" allergic to eggs and highly allergic to cats. Well, we have a cat and her name is Coco. We LOVE her!!!!!!! BUT... we love our son more. It breaks my heart to have to find her a new home because she is such a part of our family, but it is making Porter sick so what choice do we have? I went to the grocery store to find things that don't have eggs in them and believe it or not, a lot of baby food does. You would think they would make those things without most of the common allergy components but they don't. It wasn't as difficult as trying to find these that don't have dairy at least... it does open doors in that aspect. So, we are taking our time to find the right home for Coco and have eliminated all eggs from Porter's diet. Once we find Coco a new home, we will be able to see if there is a lot of improvement in Porter. It's going to be hard, but it will be the right thing to do.

So Sorry Just Had to Share

2010-08-23T14:45:00.002-05:00

This is a while back now (about 3 months ago), but I ran upon it today and just had to share. Look at that little butt!!! This will have to go in the photo montage at his wedding. Boy is he going to kill me when he gets older.

Getting Dizzy

2010-08-20T10:03:00.003-05:00

I also caught Porter trying to make himself dizzy last night. This is after he had been spinning around for quite some time... so he is kind of all over the place.

Getting Big

2010-08-20T10:02:00.000-05:00

So, everything went silent in our home last night. Ben was still at work so I knew Porter was up to something (probably not good)... and low and behold this is what I found. He had climbed his way into the drawer and was stuffing the lids into the empty cabinet below. Good thing he doesn't weigh that much or else that drawer would have broke. Every time I took him out, he got SOOOO upset with me. He was having a blast and mommy was ruining it.

We have also found out from his doctor that he may be allergic to all milk products. He goes in for blood work next week to verify this theory. He had been coughing for about 3 weeks straight and was girgling when he was breathing so we thought it would be a good idea to get him checked out. He has been sick straight since March. He has always drank soy milk because normal milk and lactose free milk always upset his stomach. We were, however, feeding him yogurt and cheese. Soooo, we have had to cut all that out as of yesterday and already his coughing has gone down. I went by and picked up some soy yogurt and vegan cheese from Whole Foods just to try them out and the yogurt is really not much different from normal but the cheese was AWEFUL!!!! He will not be eating that for sure. I also went around the store to find crackers and things like that without diary and nothing except Ritz. Poor kid, he just can't catch a break. Hopefully it is just a phase but seeing that his dad is lactose intolerant (he may even be allergic, we have to try cutting out diary with him too just to see if it makes a difference with him or not), Porter will probably not grow out of the phase, but I hope so because I know he will want to eat pizza when he is older.

He has started a new class in daycare which has brought on a whole new world of separation issues. I am sooooo glad that they have moved him up because now he gets to be with some older kids that can teach him new things that he just could not have learned with the younger children. All of his friends moved up with him so that was nice as well. They all really get along well.

We had a pool party last weekend with all of his little friends and completely wore them all out. They had such a good time and it was so fun to see them splash around with one another and then so good to see them pass out that night. Priceless :)

Ben has been working some LONG hours and has really been taking great care of his family. He is such a good provider and I love him dearly. He has really taken on some big things here lately and has to stay late to get everything done. You can tell that he wants to do the best that he can at his work. He really is a great father and husband.

A lot of you have emailed me about a condo update. We still have it on the market and also have it listed with a leasing agent in town. So far we haven't had any showings here lately to sell it, but we have had quite a few for rent. In fact yesterday we were told that a couple is very interested in leasing our space and were asked when was the quickest that we could move out... boy was I searching all the local Little Rock for rent adds. Found a couple but need to get the go ahead from our leasing agent before I request to look at anything. I also woke up this morning to find a crack in one of our windows. A outside wall of our condo is made of full glass and one of those pains (SP?) has a crack in it. NOT what you want to see in the morning, but hopefully Moses and Tucker can have it fixed quickly.

My Heart is Breaking

2010-08-06T08:53:00.002-05:00

Well, I just read a post from a blog I follow about Jedidiah, a little boy battling cancer. On that same post, I found at that a little boy of a couple that used to work for Ben's uncle, his name is Jaxson, found out that their son's cancer has spread to his lungs. What a small world we live in. My heart just breaks for them.... I could not begin to understand the emotions that those families go through. I mean what if that was Porter, I would trade my life for his in a heart beat. I could not imagine not being able to take away his pain. Please take a moment to pray for those two little boys. Jaxson is only 17 months old and Jed is 4.

That being said, my post about Porter seems so insignificant. Porter has been struggling to stay healthy since starting daycare. It has only been 2 months, I have to keep telling myself and to just give it time... but even though it is a stomach bug and today is the first day that he has been able to keep down 4 ounces of milk since Saturday, my mind just thinks about him ALLL DAYYYY!!! Poor guy, he has been sick more than he has been well since March. I know it will pass, but I wish it would pass a lot quicker.

Ben has come down with about everything that Porter has come down with. I have only been sick once thankfully... I feel horrible that Ben has been so bad.

About the church search, we have decided to go ahead and go back to RockCreek. We haven't found one yet that really feeds our spirit and since Ben is the leader of our household I will follow his lead no matter how many reservations I have about it. I just tell myself that God is good and will lead us to where we need to be.

We have a showing today for our condo which is awesome news! It has been a while since anyone has shown any interest in it. I just pray that they will fall in love with it. Right now Porter's routine is to play downstairs with his ball in the lobby so we can get out at night. (it's just too hot outside to go for walks right now) We have made a lot of friends that love our son and stop by and say hi to him. I will miss that interaction, but we will have neighbors that will hopefully be just as nice when we get a home.

I don't have any recent pictures of Porter downloaded off our camera so I have chosen to use some old ones. Can't post without pictures.

Porter and His Uncle Brad

2010-07-26T13:37:00.002-05:00

This is the first picture I got from out trip to see Ben's family. It was a good time just Ben and I were worn out for some reason. Glad we got to go and see everyone.

Toy from Joe and Alexis

2010-07-14T12:59:00.001-05:00

Do I have Something Tasty in My Belly Button, Sabe?

2010-07-14T12:59:00.000-05:00

Who Couldn't Love this Smile?

2010-07-14T12:57:00.000-05:00

Friends and Sickness

2010-07-09T13:06:00.001-05:00

I had my best friend and her husband come in for the July 4th weekend and we had a lot of fun just lounging around. She is 14 weeks pregnant so I don’t think that she minded. We went and saw a movie, rented the UFC and then watched the fireworks at the River Market. Porter LOVED their dog Sabe (she is an English bulldog) and just walked behind her the whole time and said “dog”, “dog”, “dog”…..
Unfortunately for all of us, Porter started to get sick on Saturday. At first, we thought it was from the dog so we sent him to stay with my mom that night. On Sundays he woke up and looked like someone had punched him in the face. So Sunday morning was spent in the ER waiting to hear what in the world was wrong. He had goop pouring out of his eyes and they were purple from being so swollen. They informed us that he must be having an allergic reaction, sent us off with a prescription of Benadryl and eye drops and we were on our way. My mom took him again to her house because we thought it was his allergies. Well, low and behold, I woke up Monday feeling terrible. My whole body ached, my ears, my eyes, my throat, my nose, my neck, everything. So Porter and I stayed home from work and daycare and went to our doctors on Tuesday. Porter developed a double ear infection and was put on some ultra strong medication to clear it up along with his eye goop. My doctor called me in some amoxicillin and now Ben went in to the doctor today and was put on it as well.
I officially have 3 days of vacation now (which I need to keep in order to take the whole week of Thanksgiving off) since I took one day on Tuesday… I just pray that Porter starts doing well in daycare and builds up his immunity because some days when he is sick…he just wants his mommy!

Silence for Cohen

2010-07-01T09:41:00.000-05:00

Finding a Church

2010-06-29T12:28:00.001-05:00

I guess I have had the urge to find a new church ever since having Porter, knowing that where we raise our son determines what kind of relationship he is going to have with the Lord. Wow, that is intense. I want to make sure that it is a place where family is encouraged.

So, Ben and I have tried two different Methodist churches in our Little Rock area. One was just too small while the other one, we are going to try again next weekend. The second one has an unbelievable children’s ministry. I have never seen the children’s section decorated like the one we went to on Sunday. So we are going to try the traditional service next Sunday to see if we like the sermons or not. Trying to feed 3 different types of souls is going to be fun to say the least.

What really got me last Sunday is that this church took the time and made the effort to drop a loaf of bread off at our “front door”. WOW! I have never been to a church that did that. It really hit home that they are making an effort to extend a true “Hello” to their visitors and it made me want to be a part of that kind of atmosphere.

So we will see how it goes and I hope that we can find a church soon because we want to make friends with more people who have children around Porter’s age.

Maw-Maw

2010-06-22T09:07:00.008-05:00

So here are some miscellaneous pictures of presents and Maw-Maw's visit.

Here is Porter opening the gifts that Lee and Miss Verena sent Porter for his birthday (My brother and his wonderful girlfriend)

Maw-Maw and Porter opening their presents and Brad's present (Ben's brother)

Visitng with Maw-Maw

Father's Day

Porter's Birthday

2010-06-21T12:52:00.013-05:00

Porter had a wonderful birthday despite waking up and not feeling well that morning. Ben's mom, Jean, came in to see him and I have to say that Porter loves her. He kept trying to get her to come in the floor and play with him. We were so happy at the turn out and really appreciate all the people who took time out of their busy schedules to celebrate our son's birthday with us. It really meant a lot. I can not believe our son is 1 already. It is crazy to think that he is officially a toddler. Yikes! Here are some pictures of the fun

Charlene and Porter's favorite bud John - Showing Porter how one should eat cake (Porter wasn't too fond of his birthday cupcake probably due to not feeling that great). Isn't he the cutest thing ever, good job Charlene!

Cynthi and Kevin's daughter Katie Rose. Isn't she adorable? And she has personality to boot too!

Jonathan and Rachel's son Dylan. He was just fascinated with all the "new" toys he found. Look at those baby blue eyes.

Tony and Jaime's daughter Kylee. She helped Porter open his birthday presents.

Grant and Gina's daughters, Addison and Ansley. Ansley was hamming it up there and was as cute as can be and look at Addison accessorize... I have to say she puts me to shame :)

Porter and Grandma after eating cake

Porter and Mawmaw

Aunt Diane and Aunt Susan

Porter not eating his cake :(

Porter Opening Presents

Mom, Dad and Porter - Couldn't sit still - - too much to do and see

Birthday Buds

2010-06-18T12:34:00.000-05:00

Ready to go Bye-Bye

2010-06-17T09:45:00.000-05:00

Porter Walking

2010-06-15T15:30:00.004-05:00

First Duck Call

2010-06-15T15:30:00.000-05:00

Helping daddy with my toy

2010-06-15T15:29:00.000-05:00

1st Time with Blueberries

2010-06-15T15:26:00.000-05:00

Cleaning Lady

2010-06-14T09:08:00.003-05:00

Sooooo... I have picked up a side job as a cleaning lady for our company. I figured since I am there early, I might as well make some extra money while I am in. It starts with a big clean this Sunday afternoon and continues once a week after that. I am actually looking forward to it. Plus, they don't care when I clean as long as it gets done once a week. Since I get in about 15 minutes early now since Porter goes to daycare, I figured that I could do one thing each day with the garbage on Fridays before I leave work. I am actually really looking forward to it and am very thankful for the opportunity to earn some fun money. Ben has been so supportive of me and is willing to help me clean on Sunday so it can be done faster. They wanted us to do it on Saturday, but Porter's big 1st birthday is Saturday.

I am soooooooooooo excited for his birthday party. I have already tried out his birthday cupcakes that I will be making and they are DELICIOUS!!! They might not be the most brilliant design that has ever been done but they taste wonderful! I will be more than happy to share the recipe with anyone that is interested (after the party of course). It's a cake recipe but I decided to make cupcakes instead. Ben was very surprised by it when he got home on Sunday. I have all the party supplies in our laundry room and the menu is prepared. I am going to order his bday present today or tomorrow so he can open it on Wednesday (which is our actual birthdays). I can't believe he is one.

Sorry I haven't posted pictures here lately, my usb cable has not come in yet and once it does, I have a lot of things to post.

1) Porter is officially walking, EVERYWHERE! He prefers to walk now and doesn't crawl much at all anymore. It was soooo cute this morning, he had his little blanket and was walking around and sucking his thumb holding it at the same time. I have to remember to take pictures of that, because it sure won't last long.

2) He has started to sing. At first, I didn't really know what he was doing, but my mom pointed out to me that he was singing. You can catch him doing it all the time now and once he starts, he goes on for a while. SOOOOOO stinking cute!

3) He has learned how to shake his head "No".... I could have waited for this one. All weekend long, everything was no. Do you want your bottle.... no (5 seconds later he would take it)... Do you want your dinner.....no (5 seconds later he would take it) Can you give mommy a kiss.... no! Do you want this toy.... no. Do you want to take a bath....no. Do you want to get up....no. EVERYTHING was no, and once he shook his head, he would get this big grin on his face like he was funny. For now, it is not disrespectful... but we know things change very quickly when it comes to his temper. So we will keep an eye out on this, but it is stinking cute (for now!).

4) He received a personalized duck call from a man here at work and LOVES it. He can't blow through it to make the noise so he keeps it pointed up to my mouth until I am blue in the face from blowing it all morning long.

5) He loves to share. The best thing that he shares and the one I personally look forward to the most is the soggy, half eaten slobbered on rice cakes... MMMMMMM! Yummy. The things you will do for your child. I just have to swallow those things in one gulp so I don't spit it up along with anything else I have in my stomach at that time. So come on over and get some for yourself... I won't mind sharing those :)

Other than those big mile stones, he is doing well with daycare and is an all around joy to have. Ben and I are so fortunate. We have already talked about when to try to have another one... Don't worry it won't be for like a year.

Daycare

2010-06-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

So Porter started daycare this past Tuesday and luckily he is at our home today with his grandmother. I am lucky that my mom still wants to keep him one day a week so that will give Porter a break and me a little peace of mind. I wish I could tell you that I didn’t cry on Monday or Tuesday morning, but I would be lying. I had a really bad attitude about the whole thing and honestly did not want to hear one person say that it would be good for him. However, I am going to try my best and embrace the change. It is not the end of the world as I know it 

So Ben came with me to drop him off yesterday morning and to help me lug all of his supplies into his room. We met his teacher, Reba, and she seemed really sweet and when I called to check on him around 11:00 in the afternoon, she told me that he was only a little fussy (he refused to eat any of his breakfast) and that she had been holding him most of the morning so he could know to come to her if he was upset. That made me feel good (although I didn’t like him going hungry, but that was out of their control). I left work early so that I could go pick him up, I just couldn’t stand it. He was in the floor playing and when he saw me he crawled over and grabbed onto my leg. The teacher, Laura, said that he did really well for his first day, a lot better than any of them expected, and that he was all ready to go home.

So I packed up my little man and talked to him all the way home. He was exhausted and went to bed early around 7:00. His whole schedule is about to change, I have a feeling…. I don’t mind him going to bed so early so that I can get things done around the house, BUT I don’t get to spend much time with him if that happens. Which I will miss terribly.

The true test will be when he goes back tomorrow morning. If he goes down like he did on Monday, then I will feel better… but I have a feeling that might not happen since he woke up REALLY agitated and grumpy today. He didn’t want to see me leave the room at all and demanded that I hold him after his daddy left for work. I think the separation anxiety might strike again.

First Birthday!

2010-05-26T09:46:00.007-05:00

So my dad is leaving for China on Friday and will be gone until the end of July.... meaning that he is going to miss our birthdays in June. So we decided that we would celebrate them this past Sunday and Porter loves his presents. He got a basketball hoop, which he loves to dangle on, a walking, roaring dinosaur and a talking chunky puzzle. Can't beat that, ha!

I will miss you dad!

Here is Porter opening his presents

Here he is with his puzzle while we are out for dinner at Olive Garden. He got this early to keep him sane at the dinner table. For some reason he was really wired!

Here we are playing with it later

Putting together the basketball hoop. As you can see, Porter wanted to do a lot of it himself

So about 2 weeks ago, I bought Porter a bathing suit for our pool downstairs. It has been really hot here the past few weeks so we have gotten some use out of it. He was pretty scared of the water and wanted to be as close to our faces as humanily possible. He lasted for about 10 minutes and we were soooooo proud of him and didn't push him past what he could do. Next time I am going to get some blow up balls to bring with us. Cause he loves anything that is round!

Our Little Boy

2010-05-18T14:01:00.004-05:00

Oh my, our little guy is growing up so quickly. I have just been in awe at how much he has changed in such a short period of time. It is truly amazing!

Porter is now pointing to places he wants us to take him or climbing into his stroller when he is ready to go "Bye-Bye". We find that he gets fustrated easily with not being able to get across what it is that he wants. I wish I could make this easier on him, but it is part of the learning process. He has officially began throwing temper tantrums and a quick "No" (consistently, yes it takes a couple of "No"s in a row to get the point across) and he stops and moves on. He has started to climb on everything! He is also trying to walk, but lacks the confidence to really be gung-ho about it.

He is just perfect. The new and cutest thing that he has done lately is... wrinkling his nose when he smiles. Oh, it just makes my heart melt and makes me want to protect him from all the little girl babies... who could resist a smile like that, ha!

He starts daycare in 2 weeks and my heart is breaking over it... I wish it could be different, but I am sure that he will really enjoy the company of other little kids and he will be with his friend John Michael soon enough (he has to start walking for them to be in the same class).

So other news besides my little man. I am finally beginning to feel normal again. "Normal" meaning non hormonal or non crazy! Ha, It has been a long time and no one really prepares you for those types of emotions at all. I told Ben this past weekend that I was going through the motions because I knew I was suppose to but not because I wanted to. It's been hard to get over all the complexities of having a new child but I finally feel like I can get my life back to where it should be. So to all you new mothers out there, it just takes time. You are perfectly normal for feeling everything from sadness to anger to pure happiness all in the same day.

Ben and I have decided to start attending a new church. The Lakewood United Methodist Church in North Little Rock. We were going to go last weekend, but since Porter did not take a morning nap with the grandparents he was in desperate need of one when he got home Sunday morning. So we opted to not make him more upset by taking him to a new nursery that morning. We are really looking forward to the children's programs that are offered there and to get more connected with a church. We made a few good friends at Rock Creek and will always appreciate those. They also have a school and we would really like for Porter to go to a private school.

Well I can't post without pictures of our little guy.

And here is the infamous temper tantrum in progress

DIRT!!!!!!!!

2010-05-07T10:02:00.003-05:00

2010-05-03T12:53:00.013-05:00

We are finally back from our big trip to California and it was awesome… Now if we could only have a vacation from our vacation!

We arrived in California on time despite many weather delays on Saturday, April 24th and went out to have some alone time with my brother before everyone else arrived. We met is notorious cats – Kerfluffle and Vela (they are BIG cats). Porter loved them but I cannot say the same for the cats. Everyone finally got in that night after many delays. On Sunday we went to the zoo and Porter had such a good time. We then went to fisherman’s wharf and had dinner.

On Monday we headed out to Yosemite. Unfortunately the weather was not that nice while we were out there and it kind of hindered our ability to see the park. We just drove around and got out when we wanted to see something. I was really worried about getting out with Porter because he was still getting over and ear infection and I really didn’t want him getting sick while we were out of town.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we drove around some more. It was beautiful. BUT on Wednesday, Yosemite was hit with a snow storm and we got stuck on the side of a mountain and had to all get out and push the van to safety (that was a very stressful hour). At least my dad, grandmother and Jean went back with Porter before it hit so we didn’t have to worry about him.

Thursday was the most fun. Since a lot of the roads were closed due to weather, we thought it would be a beautiful hike to the sequoia grove. We hiked 2 miles uphill in the snow and then another mile from the entrance of the grove to see the Grizzly Giant. My brother was really happy that we went as well. It was a BEAUTIFUL hike. We couldn’t have asked for a more scenic view.

On Friday we were back in San Jose so we went to the Monterey Bay aquarium. Porter loved it and I have to admit it was a really nice aquarium. Afterward we had a really nice dinner and got to meet my brother’s girlfriend Verena. Verena we LOVE you!!! She is the sweetest thing possible and I am sooo happy that I finally got to meet her.

So new things with Porter while we were out there: He has started to walk to people if he can hold onto something. I think we will be taking his first steps really soon. He has learned how to say “Ball” and “Bear” and finally referred to Ben as “Dadda”… I thought Ben was about to cry. He has decided that he no longer wants his bottle during the day because it reminds him of going to bed so he has been drinking out of his sippy cup. He got 2 more teeth while we were out there so that brings the total to 8 with another 2 going to come through any day now. He is eating big people food. We are going to transition him to milk this week. I know he is 10 ½ months old, but he has stopped eating all baby food so we are making the transition.

Helpful hint to people who have babies that are teething. If they can eat finger foods, get some string cheese. It is soothing to them because it tastes good and it’s cold so it helps their gums. Porter LOVES it. We gave him some every time we noticed that he was uncomfortable and it calmed him right down.

Oh, another big thing that scared us half to death yesterday, Porter choked for the first time. He was eating his Kix like usually and started to choke. Luckily Jean noticed it over Skype and Ben had to put his finger down Porter’s throat to get the Kix out. So I am signing us up for CPR classes today!

Here are LOTS of pictures from our trip

At the Cabin

In the wild

In Mariposa Grove

At the Aquarium

Milestones

2010-04-14T08:10:00.003-05:00

Porter has been having some big milestones here lately and I would like to share them with you all. 1st - He has started saying "momma", "dadda", "papa" and "baba"... the "baba" he says when he is having fun with something. The rest are in reference to us. Oh how sweet!! 2nd - He can now point to pictures in his book when you ask them where they are. He can point to the cat, dog, ball, banana and we are working on duck. He is SOOOOOO smart! He points right to them when you ask him where they are. I hope he loves to read. 3rd - He received his first hair cut this past Saturday (4-10-10). He was sporting a comb over because I was afraid that if I cut it, it would look like he didn't have hair, BUT since I cut it, it looks like he has even more hair 4th - He has started to feed himself at every meal (not sure how this is going to work in Cali because we are not bringing a booster seat). He LOVES strawberries, pears and bananas. He still hates peaches! He also loves the canned diced potatos, carrots and peas. He wants to feed himself to... he doesn't like when you try to feed him (unless it is his jarred food). 5th - He is a cheerio and kix junkie! He has to have those in his walker at all times and in the tray of his stroller at all times. HE LOVES THEM! 6th - He loves his Tommee Tippe sippy cup (to all moms out there, they really are spill proof, I love them... and I tried over 4 different types of sippy cups). We are going to slowly progress him to drinking his milk out of one, but he has to get the flow down first (his still chokes sometimes becuase it comes out so fast). 7th - He has started to talk behind his walkers and stand on his own. Oh my, it is only going to be a matter of time before he is walking... I can wait for that. 8th - He loves everything to do with toilets, yes toilets.... gross.... I know.... When it goes silent in the house we know that he has found himself a toilet and then a few seconds later we hear water splashing about. We finally have had to keep the doors to the bathrooms shut because those kiddy proof things are too hard to use. Okay so I think I have everything. Here are a few videos of him lately. Oh doesn't he look big already!

Roger and Brad's Visit

2010-04-08T12:25:00.002-05:00

My in-laws came in last weekend to see Porter and unfortunately he was sick over the weekend. We took him for his 9 month old check-up on Tuesday and the doctor said that it looked like he was getting over a throat infection of some sort, poor guy! Here are some pictures of their visit.

Porter's Time at the Park

2010-03-30T09:08:00.003-05:00

So we bought Porter some sunglasses for our trip to Yosemite in a few weeks. We thought that we would try them out this past weekend at the park. We really need to get the boy used to shoes, but he hates them. We sung on the swings and then went down some mini slides. He seemed to really enjoy himself.

Obsession with Toilet Paper

2010-03-24T08:13:00.001-05:00

So do all children love toilet paper at some point in their lives?

2010-03-18T11:40:00.002-05:00

Teeth, Teeth and More Teeth

2010-03-18T09:18:00.003-05:00

Porter is really teething, poor fellow... but he is handling it really well (except he has started to wake up at night, which mommy and daddy could do without but enjoy being needed!) He officially has 5 teeth. 2 on the bottom and 3 on the top.

On the topic of being needed, has grown independent of me unless he is unsure, sleepy or cranky... other than that he has started lifting my hands off his toys, yelling at me if I am bothering him (yelling is being used loosely), and just wants to get into everything he possibly can. Oh, If I can be honest, it hurts a little bit because I know that this desire for independence will only get stronger and I will have to let him become an adult at some point... that is the goal I have to keep telling myself. I have to raise a man that is strong and confident and he can't be those things if I am always demanding to be wanted... Oh, it hurts though (already and he is only 9 months old!!!!)

How things change....

On to other things. Ben and I got a new washer and dryer installed in our condo today. For 3 years we have been hanging up clothes after being washed because the dryer never worked and if you came into our condo during the weekend you would be amazed at the clothes hanging from the entertainment center, chairs, couches, bed, lamps, etc. It was everywhere. I am sooooooo thankful that we finally found out that we are able to use a vented set-up and all we have to do is add this attachment that makes it ventless... If only we had known that sooner (since no non-vented dryers work, we decided not to invest in one if we were just going to have the same problem)!! I was telling my co-workers today that I can't wait to get home and do a load just to feel what it is like to have warm clothes come out of a dryer (oh the small things in life can really make you happy once you realize how nice they really are). I am sooo excited!!!!!!

I can't post and not include pictures of the little fellow

Gorgeous Weekend!

2010-03-08T10:34:00.004-06:00

Wow was it a beautiful weekend this past weekend. We finally got out with Porter and I was able to take some pictures with him (since I haven't lost all the weight yet, I HATE being in pictures, Ha how vain right?) Can you see his hit two bottom teeth? He is getting a monster top tooth and he has been in a lot of pain, but it is easy to distract him. He seems to really love being outside and we hope that we can take him out more this week, but it's suppose to rain

We are so blessed

2010-03-01T13:46:00.006-06:00

As I sit here and think of how sick my child is at this very moment. I cannot help but think (and read) fellow blogs of people who's children are not only sick, but dying. I know Porter will get over this bug, that the dirty diapers will disapate, that the crankiness will end and that he will become the happy little boy that he usually is in a couple of days.
How sad it is for the parents whose child will not get better, who will stay sick until his/her last days. As I sit and read about a little girl (Layla) whose family thought they had months with her but have come to find out that it is days, I can not help but wonder how I would react to that type of situation. Would I become angry, resentful, bitter? I think I would.
I would want to say that I would be like the parents out there who praise God for the short time that they had here on earth with their baby, but I don't think I would be that strong. Porter has brought a joy to my life that is unimaginable. No matter how bad of a day it has been, all he has to do is smile and everything just melts away. He is perfect, he loves unconditionally, he is authentic, genuine and innocent. I don't know what I would do, I really don't.
Some of the people develop Christian websites, some of them adopt other children so they have a second chance, some of them turn to their old ways, and some of them just stop being heard from. How fortunate I am to not have to worry about how much time I have left with my child, how to manage his pain to make his death more comfortable, how to try and explain to him what is on the other side, etc. I am sooo fortunate that my only worry today is how will I get my child to feeling better. Once I have accomplished that, we can go on to the next fun step in this journey. I can not imagine, I just can't imagine.
Please take a moment to pray for the parents who have to face these tough decisions each and every day. Please also take a second to thank God for your child's health, that the only thing you may have to worry about today is what kind of food to buy him/her at the grocery store or what to make them for dinner.
How very blessed I am, how very blessed.

Sick and Sicker

2010-03-01T10:56:00.002-06:00

So Porter went to Mother's day out again last week and guess what? He got REALLY, REALLY sick! My mother-in-law came in this weekend to see us and he acted great on Friday and Saturday despite the projectile vomit and diahrea, but on Saturday night both Ben and she got the same thing. So far I have been able to get by without catching it, but I am thinking that it is only a matter of time. My mom got it as well, so everyone is sick. Then on Sunday, WW 111 broke out and Porter went through 8 outfits and two crib sheets with how sick he was. Called the doctor this morning and they want to see him because it isn't normal for a normal stomach virus to make a baby this sick. So we will see what they say....

Feel terrible that my mother-in-law ended up getting such a bad bug instead of being able to enjoy her time with her grandbaby. She and Ben both slept all day long on Sunday and I can't blame them, this thing was awful!

Nothing new going on with the family besides that.

We are going to be putting the condo back on the market in about a week or so, so that should be exciting. Hopefully this thing will move and we will be able to get a house. It's all in God's hands now.

Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Sick Days

2010-02-23T10:07:00.003-06:00

Porter was attending a Mother's Day Out Class on Wednesday (and will be going back tomorrow), well he got sick... and gave it to everyone else. I haven't felt so bad in years, poor little guy. I felt so bad because you can't explain to them why they are sick or that it will be over soon.... they just have to live through it.

He has been doing so well... he is letting go of holding onto things and trying to stand on his own without any help. Of course, that only lasts for about 3 seconds and down he goes, but at least he has learned to fall on his butt. He is crawling like a champ and putting everything in his mouth.

The funniest thing happened the other day... he thought if he stared at us and took the remote slowly off the ottoman that we wouldn't notice what he was doing. He had that look on his face where he knew what he was doing was wrong but thought he wouldn't get caught! He is only 8 months old!!!

He is really going through a mommy stage right now. If I am home, he is on my side. Daddy can distract him if I am not in the room, but as soon as I return he is back to my hip. I know I will miss this stage!

Here are some updated pics.

Only 2 more months until we go to California... we are soooooo excited to go on a vacation!!!! Let's just hope that Porter will feel the same way!!

Updates

2010-02-04T10:51:00.008-06:00

So Porter has started a Mother's Day out Program 1 day a week. It will hopefully increase to 2 days a week when a spot opens up on Mondays. He has made a good friend named Ryder and his teacher's name is Ashley. He seems to have a lot of fun there and comes home exhausted.

He is crawling and pulling up and standing and just growing! He is into everything as well. He can't sit still for any length of time, he is a go-go-goer!!

He also loves to play with loud objects and he and grandma have a blast together. Those are fun phone calls (you can't hear anything because of the clanging of metal)

Eventually he will take a nap with his best friend Coco
He is also now in a phase where he just wants Mommy. I can say that I love holding him and being with him, but I can't do much of anything else while I hold him. I think I have become his security blanket. Even if he is in my lap, I am not close enough. He has to be cheek to cheek with me. I love it, but at the same time it would be nice to be able to take a bath or get things done around the house. I am sure he will grow out of it pretty quickly and I will probaly really miss these times.

Another video for the grandparents!

2010-02-02T09:38:00.002-06:00

Porter Crawling and Fun with Daddy

2010-01-27T07:47:00.004-06:00

2010-01-25T14:17:00.002-06:00

2010-01-22T08:28:00.003-06:00

Miscellaneous

2010-01-21T15:49:00.004-06:00

Anybody see a tooth?

Porter has a pretty big lower tooth coming in and has a second one on the way. He has been doing sooo good seeing that he is getting teeth. Motrin works wonders, let me tell you.

He also had a play date recently with our friends son. They had a good time together but he needs to grow a little more to be able to play better. He still topples over pretty easily

and just plain cute...

Pictures of Porter

2010-01-14T08:34:00.002-06:00

Porter's accomplishments

2010-01-12T09:32:00.002-06:00

Ever since Porter came back with me from Chicago, he has been a new baby. The trip was a nightmare with him, but maybe it changed something... I don't know. He has started to sit without any support and loves to play with his toys. His definition of playing is throwing them and having us pick them back up and giving it back to him. He also loves to walk in his walker. It is like bumper cars in our condo. He has learned to go backwards, forwards, and to the side. He sees something that he wants to go touch (like the clothes drying on our chairs) and goes over and pulls all of them down. He has also started crawling!!!! He crawled across the floor lastnight and our cheering actualy terrified him. He has also started to sleep through the night and we feel like new people! It is amazing. I actually woke up at 4:45 this morning and worked out. I even bought some more work out videos to do in the mornings while everyone is asleep and can't wait! Wow how things can change so quickly, who would have known? It is like night and day in a week time span!!!I love

Blessed to Have Wonderful Friends

2010-01-12T09:20:00.006-06:00

So, we have been traveling a lot ever since Thanksgiving and last week for New Year's Eve, I had the pleasure of being in my dear friend Season's wedding. Wow it was weird being back in the home town without a home. I remembered quite quickly that I really don't like being cold. I missed nothing about it at all (except my friends of course)

It was a beautiful wedding, I just wish that I had taken more pictures

Then I went and got to see my dear friend Alexis with her husband Joe.

Then we went by and saw my friend Chris and his family. I forgot how much fun I have with all of them.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T09:52:00.019-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year filled with family and fun. First we celebrated Christmas with my family at our condo on December the 19th because they were going out to California to see my brother.
Here is Porter in his Santa outfit

Opening presents

We are pretty sure Porter enjoyed the wrappings better than he did the presents

Here he is on his new zebra

Mommy and Daddy

Grandma and Grandpa

Then we had the Floyd family Christmas on the 23rd
Maw-Maw and Porter

Great Ma-Maw and Porter

Brad, Ben and Porter

Porter opening presents

Pa-Paw and Brandy

So on Christmas Even we went to Ben's Aunt's house. We had a good time with everyone and luckily we were able to make it down there and back (the highway there was closed due to flooding)....
4 Generation Picture

The Men

Floyd Family

Mommy and Daddy

Then for Christmas we were in Murfreesboro with the Richardson side of the family. We had a blast and Porter got his first tooth on Christmas Day!!! Yeah!!

Maw-Maw and Pa-paw

Porter and Buddy

Porter and Susan

Porter and Di

Maw-Maw and Susan

Porter and Addison

Brad and Porter

Richardson Side and Porter

Rice Cereal

2009-12-18T09:36:00.000-06:00

So Ben and I finally made the call this past Monday to start adding cereal to Porter’s bottle at night to help him sleep. I am just throwing out measurements so that anyone interested in starting this can have a beginning point because we sure didn’t. We use Dr. Brown bottles and LOVE them!! The perfect amount for us is 2 tbsp of rice cereal to 8 ounces of formula. We did more than the 2 tbsp and Porter wouldn’t take the bottle so we backed it back down to 2.

Last night I was researching this to make sure that it was okay to do. I went to my favorite baby website which is www.babycenter.com and typed in rice cereal in bottle.

It was a shame everything that popped up. All these tired, worn out mothers were asking for something that could help their baby sleep. Some were being nasty to the women that wanted to add cereal to their bottles in order for them to get sleep, calling them selfish and irresponsible.

I hurt for the women that wanted encouragement and acknowledgement that it is a hard thing to work through. I hear you. It has been 6 months since I have had a full night’s sleep. The first 3 months of Porter’s existence I was doing it all by myself at night. I remember waking up with him and tears would run down my face because I was just so exhausted and just wanted my son to give me a break. I would just sit and cry and then feel guilty that I was thinking of myself when my son obviously needed me. How could I be such a selfish person?

Women do not need other women to tell them that they are being selfish because they need sleep. You can not be a good mother, good wife, good employee if you are running on zero ALL THE TIME! After I went back to work, Ben started waking up and helping me with Porter, which was a BIG help, but then we had two exhausted parents in the home. At least when I was tired, Ben was sane to help calm me down. Now with us both being tired, I can’t imagine it being a positive experience for Porter or anyone else around us. Come this past weekend we were both to a breaking point of utter exhaustion. Waking up 3-6 times a night is A LOT! Especially after 6 months!
So we decided to start a schedule to help out about a month ago (I wish I had done this sooner because it helped with his crankiness during the day, but honestly didn’t do anything for him at night). Then we started bath time at night to help calm him down which was also a good thing but didn’t help him sleep through the night. So this past Monday we did the rice cereal and I just prayed to God that it was going to help because Ben and I were going to kill each other or our son (now you know I am not serious) and it worked! Praise the Lord! He has only been getting up around 1:00 for the rest of the rice cereal bottle and then falls right back to sleep and stays asleep until around 5:30 and we are up anyway getting ready for work.

So the mothers out there that are running on zero, you are not alone, you are not selfish, you are loving mothers that realize that in order to be a good mother, a good wife and a good employee (when this applies) you need to get sleep. You are not selfish or irresponsible for realizing that you are at a breaking point and need something more than just formula. It isn’t a bad thing, I am happy that we were able to last 6 months without having to resort to rice cereal, but Porter wasn’t screaming bloody murder at night nor was he really upset, he was just waking up and wanting more to eat… I can’t imagine if he had colic or was just a disgruntled baby. I can’t imagine… my heart goes out to you.

More Pictures of Porter

2009-12-14T13:53:00.003-06:00

Here are some random pictures of Porter... thought I would share

Visit with Maw-Maw

2009-12-08T09:32:00.004-06:00

Maw-Maw came in this past week for her sister's (Our Aunt's) 50th birthday. Porter just loved her! They got to spend a lot of quality time together, I just wish that Porter wasn't teething so badly. He has really gone through a rough patch this week and we have resorted to using Teething Tablets to get past the pain (I know, I know Pediatricians hate them....) She got to feed him his breakfast and dinner and he just loved her. She even got the full effect by the spending the night with us and got to see what our lives have been like the past 6 months with a little one. I know she wouldn't have traded it for the world. He sure does love his Maw-Maw!

Here is Porter with Santa Clause. This was taken a while ago at the Holiday House but we just now got the pictures from the photographer. My mom got it done while she was there and I think they look great!

Daddy and Porter Playing

2009-12-01T10:36:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving with the Hendrickson Clan

2009-12-01T10:26:00.002-06:00

Here is our four generation picture at my grandmother's house (we have taken many pictures of these stairs)....
Here is daddy playing outside with Porter

We had a wonderful time at my grandmother's for Thanksgiving. I just wish that I got to see all of my family more often than once every 2 years. That is such a long time to wait to see everyone! Love them all!