Ryan Turns ONE!

On Wednesday, June 6, we went to JC Penny's to get Ryan's one-year pictures taken. He didn't really smile for the gal, but we still got some cute pictures. Enjoy them throughout this post!

The thing I love most about Ryan is his giggle. There is nothing sweeter than seeing his eight teeth as he's chuckling. We love to tickle or surprise him just to hear his sweet voice.

Another thing about Ryan that has been a huge blessing to us is how well he sleeps. He typically is out for a solid 11-12 hours a night! Neither of my other boys slept so well or so soundly! And he still takes a solid afternoon nap besides. :)

That said, Ryan is not a great eater. He does not seem to enjoy trying new things and textures mag him gag at times. He has yet to bring it up like his brothers did, but I don't remember them being nearly this picky at this age. We offer and he will turn his head and close his mouth and resist! Even to drink milk - we've tried sippy cup, open cup, cold milk, warm milk, and it's rare we can get him to drink even a few sips. Oh, Ryan Josiah! Help a mama out! He also goes back and forth between loving and hating Cheerios, crackers, etc. One day he'll scarf everyone you give him. The next day, every last one will be thrown to the floor.

Speaking of throwing things on the floor and making a mess, that pretty much sums up Ryan's play fun these days! He is into everything and loves to explore. The boys try to help me keep their toys out of reach that have too many small pieces for the Ry-guy. They'll laugh at him pulling things down (like puzzles) and say "SCHNOOK!" He is a grabby little Schnook!

His favorite game is rolling the ball back and forth. We love to see his face light up as we sit and roll it to him and he's pretty accurate at rolling it back to us!

As far as talking, I really can't tell if he's saying words or not. At times it seems like he is saying things like Mama and Dadda and other times he's not all that vocal so I don't know if he was saying them about us or to us or if he was babbling. He was putting his lips together to make the b-b-b-b vroom vroom of a car type sound, but I'm not sure that he's linking the sound with the car or just doing it. At times I would swear he's talking and other days I would say that he definitely isn't.

With that said, he was doing "SO big!" with his hands and even waving, but he stopped them. He hasn't waved hi or bye to anyone for awhile. I asked the pediatrician if this was normal to quit a behavior and she didn't seem concerned. She said at times kids can decide not to demonstrate what they know, but it has me slightly concerned that we'll make progress and then he seems to decide he doesn't have any interest the next week.

Ryan had a well check-up on 6/11/12. The Wednesday before (or the afternoon after these photos were taken), I took him to get his blood work performed that is required before the exam. The lab tests for lead and a few other things. According to the pediatrician, Ryan's hemoglobin test results were not good. He is severely iron deficient, and she prescribed an iron supplement that is 300%  of a normal child's dosing. He is miserable on it (not to mention that he smells like a tin can!) and his diapers are filled with black stuff. Poor little guy. :( :( :(

Just as concerning to me were his stats:



Height: 29.25" (31.64%)
Weight: 20 lbs 9 oz (17.08%)
Head Circ: 17.24" (1.95%)

The pediatrician said that they want Ryan to be on the mediation for six weeks and then they'll re-test his blood. It could be from his diet at this age, but we'll know more in six weeks. I was devastated to see his head circumference was so small. This is the age when his brain is developing - is everything okay? He looks so healthy just to see him, but I guess he's the average size of a 6-month old vs. a one-year-old. In fact, saying this made me look back to his six month stats, which were:

Height: 27.5" (81.99%)
Weight: 17 lbs 8 oz (46.53%)
Head Circ: 16.57" (9.37%)

He really hasn't grown all that much. The pediatrician wasn't concerned about his height because that largely depends on how much he's moving and who takes the measurement, and she said that we just want to see him continue to progress and grow. Please pray for him! I'm terribly concerned! So, I'm giving him the iron supplement even though he's miserable. :(

Before the new medication, I would say that Ryan is the most easygoing baby I've known. If and when he gets at all upset, he simply sucks his thumb and seems to calm right down. He seems content to come along for the ride when taking the other boys places, and he's quick to smile and interact with us. He sleeps well, so though I wondered if he was really eating enough, I wasn't concerned before the check-up.

Because he's not drinking well from a cup and I'm concerned about his weight, I've held off on completely weaning him from nursing. I fear that he's not getting enough to drink and I know he needs the calories. I'm also trying to feed him more and more often. I pray that he'll grow and be a healthy little boy!

While the above picture may seem sad, she snapped it because he REFUSED to stand up that day. He typically loves to stand and explore, but he wasn't too sure about getting his pictures taken and he didn't like the white chair. He wanted to crawl around rather than cruise, where he normally likes both.

I also loved that she took one with him and this ugly soccer ball in this picture with his brothers. The gal taking his pictures (one of my favorites) had gotten out the ball to roll with him a few times so that he would look at the camera when she put it up next to it. She had no idea how in love he is with little balls, and he was NOT happy when she took it and put it next to the camera. At first we didn't put the ball in (it's pretty ugly) but eventually I said that I'd rather have him with the ball than crying with out it. Haaa!!! Silly Schnookie!

Ryan never leaves his socks on. In fact, I rarely put them on anymore because I know that I'll just be looking for them later. While Ryan is easygoing, he is also STUBBORN!

Happy one-year birthday, my little Ryan Josiah! While I often will say I wish you could stay little forever, with these latest results, I realize I don't mean it. I want you to grow and live life to the fullest. But, I will miss having my newborn and barely sitting-up baby. I will miss the rockabye and snuggling. But, I will enjoy the next stages to their fullest. I LOVE YOU!

Here are some more of the pictures that we had taken that day - ENJOY!

Birth Order

 Dear Joshua, my oldest son, I could never replace you...

 Dear Caleb, my middle son, I will never forget you...

Dear Ryan, my youngest son, I will never leave you behind...

6+6='12

On Wednesday, June 6, we met Grandpa Georgia at 7:30 am at Oregon Dairy Restaurant. I got up before 6 am that morning, so I had accomplished quite a few things before leaving the house, including my hair and make-up (joking with him about having a "reputation" to live up to since his girlfriend said that I probably don't look unkempt even in my own house).

Even though they're not good for you, Oregon Dairy pancakes are out of this world with their brown butter syrup! Yum! The older boys ate really well (each having a donut, a bag of teddy grahams, half a pancake, a slice of bacon and one slice of Grandpa's toast). Ryan also ate well for him, eating some of my pancakes, most of his teddy grahams and fruit. Some of the folks were gaga over Ryan and others weren't too sure they wanted to sit near kids, which is typical of an older person restaurant. The boys were well-behaved, though.

 

We played tic tac toe before our food came, and Joshua is getting better and better at playing. I let him win the first one, but he was fine when we tied and even when I won one; and he did a great job of blocking, etc. Caleb decided it looked fun and asked Grandpa to play. The first time Dad blocked Caleb from winning, Caleb almost burst into tears and called him a cheater. Haaa!!! We seriously roared. Most times Caleb is so easygoing so to see him get so offended right off the bat seemed out of place and comical.


After breakfast, we went to the outdoor playground and the kids had a blast playing all by themselves out there. They slid down the slides, enjoyed the swings and even went across the monkey bars (with help).

When we left there, I stopped at home to print out a coupon and then we headed to the mall for Ryan's one-year pictures. After they were done, I told them that they could have some special play time at the indoor playground. There were only two other families there, both having kids almost identical ages to our kiddos. There were two one-year olds and a couple older boys that looked to be about Joshua's size. They all had fun together. Ryan highly enjoyed getting to play, too. He's getting so big!

Eventually it was time to go home, but I said yes to getting the boys their favorite "King Burger" for lunch since they had been good. It had been a super fun morning, and after naps I took the kiddos to the gym for them to play while I worked out and Daddy mowed the yard. When we got home, Ryan "helped" me sweep inside the house while the boys "helped" Daddy clean up the trimmings from the bushes out front. The neighbor boys stopped over seeing our kids out, and Joshua LOVED playing with a boy named Grant from across the street. This boy is WAY older than our kids, but he played so sweetly with them. Shawn & I were impressed with him and how he acted with our boys. They had a blast together. It was a fun summer day.

 

My Birthday :)

My birthday (June 5) fell on a Tuesday. The Saturday before, we received a package in the mail from Mamaw & Papaw with a gift for me (THANKS!) and the outfit below for Ryan. It said "Beach Hunk: Local Cutie on Duty."

On Sunday, Mamaw watched the boys so Shawn & I could do a late lunch/early dinner. We ended up at the Cove near our house because it was the only place relatively close that was open and offered outdoor dining. We went at such an odd hour that we got right in and we were able to sit overlooking the water. And while it was the dirty Conestoga, it was still a lovely afternoon. I love my kids, but I also adore time with just me and my hubby! Mamaw left her bag of gifts behind and told me to wait until Tuesday to open them. The boys kept wanting to peak in the bag, but I insisted we wait.

Daddy took the boys to pick out gifts for me while I was teaching Monday night. When I got home after 10 (when this class ends), Caleb heard the door close and came out of his bed to greet me. He is a night owl! He said "Mommy! Mommy! We have gifts hiding for you underneath your bed! Here let's get them." Shawn scolded him while I cracked up! Joshua picked one place that Mommy wouldn't think to look for her gifts, and Caleb was about to take them out for me the night before. Such sweet innocence! I told him to wait until the morning, but I was just as happy at his excitement as the gifts themselves. :)

In the morning, Joshua came in before the crack of dawn and suggested getting the gifts out immediately. I smiled at their excitement. Joshua had picked out a magnifying glass to find bugs with, and Caleb had picked out a device that was supposed to launch cars and an airplane (although it didn't seem to work). Ryan had picked out a puzzle for us to do together. Love kiddo gifts! Shawn bought breakfast sandwiches for us and an unsweetened iced tea for me to enjoy before he left for work. We met him for a brief lunch that afternoon after the gym.

Unfortunately, our babysitter had a death in the family so our plans for the night got a little foiled. But, we ended up going as a family to Red Robin. The boys eat well, and I enjoy the food. I wore the dress Mom had bought me for my 30th birthday and I was excited to fit into it again. The boys did relatively well, and my sandwich was free for my birthday. After the kids were in bed that night, Shawn gave me some roses and gifts he had gotten me, including new running shoes that I desperately needed. :) It had been a relatively average day, but I so appreciate all the effort Shawn & the boys put into the day. The only thing that would have made it better is even more time together. :)

Keep Believing...

A lot can change in one year!

Surgery Scheduled

On Monday, May 21, Joshua had his routine dentist check-up with Dr. Aaron Miller. While we had taken him to Elizabethtown previously for insurance purposes, he was scared to go there (let alone the driving!) and he actually enjoys going to the Millers. They make dental visits fun with all the toys, stickers, prizes and their exuberant personalities. I find the way they talk to be overwhelming, but I think that's the idea - get the kids thinking about how strange they are so they're not concentrating on the fact that someone is cleaning their teeth. They'll tell all sorts of stories about cats or eating cookies for breakfast or meeting Thomas the train and the kids just listen as their teeth are being "counted."

This is the first visit I remember where Joshua LOVED the horse! In the past he'd get on it, but he didn't want it to go because of the movement. Caleb's still not sure of the horse and didn't get on at all. But, Joshua thought it was AWESOME this time! He kept asking for it over and over again.

The other toys he really liked were the wind-up toys. There was one with a mouse that walks and then flips that cracked Joshua up. Another one was a pair of shoes that walked on their own after being wound up, and one was a lady bug whose wings flapped. He thought these little things were neat-o. And, of course, he loved the remote control Mater and Lightning McQueen cars.

At this visit, Dr. Aaron gave us tips on good brushing, flouride rinse and eating at specified times of the day but not throughout the day as the mouth and teeth need time to recover for at least an hour in between meals. I thought that was interesting. He took x-rays of the Bean, and we left feeling like it was a decent visit - no cavities. BUT, I received a note that there was a question on the panorex and could we come back in for a consultation with the Bean.

Upon going back in (with all three kids since Daddy was running late from work - he ended up meeting us there), we learned that Joshua has an infection underneath one tooth. I'm not sure how it got there, but it affects either the root or the nerve or something like that. Anyway, in speaking with the dentist about it, we all decided that it was best to have Joshua sedated than to try and remove this tooth without anything. Dr. Miller recommended the oral surgeon who extracted Joshua's teeth after his fall. After the tooth is removed so that they can clean out the infection, we'll have to go back to Dr. Miller for a spacer to be put in because that tooth won't grow back in until he's 10.

I was heartbroken upon hearing the news. First, no child should ever have to undergo as many surgeries as Joshua has. He's already had trauma with his teeth and is already missing too many out of his mouth. What is up with this random infection? There was no concrete answer of where it comes from or why it's there. Praise God that he's not in any pain and there's no current swelling, but if anything occurs like that, Joshua will need to be put on an antibiotic. So far, we wouldn't have even known it existed except for the x-ray.

So, please pray for Joshua. Pray that his adult teeth would be wonderful, that God would protect him from further surgeries, and that this one would go well. It's tentatively scheduled for June 26, BUT that's if all goes well with getting the insurance to review the procedure. If you think of it, please pray for that too!

Scooters for Tooters

Is this picture of Ryan not so adorable? I love his expression, and I love this outfit. We've had it since Joshua was a baby, and it reminds me of Shawn with the grey t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts.

When we first put Ryan on the grass, he used to be not sure how he felt about it. But, with summer here, he's gotten used to it. We enjoy soaking in the sunshine!

When we were at Kyler's house on May 18, we ended our morning playing in their driveway with their bikes, trikes and scooters. Well, Joshua thought the scooter was AWESOME! He told me that he really wants to have a scooter (and I think he remembers the story of the scooter from the Franklin book/movie). I told him that maybe he could ask for one for his birthday if he wanted it that badly.

When we were with Mamaw that weekend, he told her how much he enjoyed riding Kyler's scooter and how he would LOVE to have one. She told me that she tried riding Grace's scooter one time and that they are really fun. Within the next day or two, I had an email from her saying that we should expect a package in the mail with a blue and green scooter for the older boys.

The next time Joshua begged for a scooter, I told him about Mamaw's generosity and how there just might be one delivered to our door. He was SO excited! I wish I would have been able to capture the expression on his face when he found out the news. He jumped up and down and his smile just beamed! He gave me a big hug and said "That's SO NICE!!!" He asked almost hourly if it was time for the scooters to arrive, and I told him not until Wednesday, which seemed like an eternity thereafter.

But, sure enough, when we got home from the doctors on Wednesday, May 30, there were two boxes at our doorstep. When Shawn got home that night, he gladly assembled them for our sick little buddies who were begging to see them. Within a day of being on antibiotics, they both perked right up and asked to get outside to ride them. Of course! I told them that just like bikes, we must have our helmets on for scooters. And I tried showing them how to put their weight on the foot that stays on the scooter and to push off with their other foot. They had fun in the driveway and going down the sidewalk with them.

We've had plenty of scooter fun since then! Thanks for the scooters for our little tooters, Mamaw!

Missing More Than Sunshine

Joshua asked me the other day, "Why haven't we gone to Florida in awhile?" He's right - this September will mark two years since we were last there. I tried to explain that airplane tickets cost a lot of money for a family of five, even with Ryan being free. We don't have the extra in our budget right now to take a vacation.

At this he got really excited, "Money?!?! If that's all that's keeping us back, I have plenty of money. Let's go dig in my 'fidgety fish' (bank) and I'll pay for all our tickets to go!"

I smiled and sighed, hating to burst his excited bubble. I told him that all the money in his piggy (or fish!) bank would not be enough to get one of us even one way to Florida. He was sad. We often say in the winter, I could use a trip to Florida about now since there's sunshine there year round. But, it's sunny here now and I know he's missing more than sunshine. He misses Mamaw & Papaw.