i've realized that we're in quite a transition. there is much anticipation of your baby turning one, so much to look forward to around 11 months. people are getting excited, asking about parties and what last year was like at this time. then, there's the hype of the party and friends and family and lots of celebrating. but two weeks after mr. t turned one, i feel like it's not that exciting to people that he's almost 13 months. it just doesn't have the same ring as A YEAR OLD! and to many, he's considered a toddler now. a toddler? really? sigh...
but i can't express my joy of watching him discover the world. watching the wobbly little feet desperately try to figure out this walking thing. the unknown of what the day will bring. the all-boy that mr. t is. like smashing his face into mine if i dare to lay down on the ground to play. or rolling the cars on the floor or trying to learn to throw a ball. wow, he's brilliant. and i have the pleasure and privilege to watch him grow and learn. i love it! i've loved each stage and the newness that each brings. and i don't, for the most part, mind his little independent spirit. of course, he has his moments...some friends who read this know what i'm talking about; but don't we all? :)
and we're in the transition of looking for a bigger place to live for pure necessity of getting out of a one-bedroom apartment. it's been fun, but it's time! :) and my husband is looking forward to a bit of a quieter life outside of the big city where there's grass and taxes are cheaper.
it's transition time. it's hard sometimes. but good for growth. and a good reminder to keep things in perspective and not get swept away in the craziness in this thing called "life".
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Presenting...
A one year old little boy! While I'm sure you'd LOVE to hear all the details about the party-times, I'll let you enjoy the pictures from a party with the Hufford family (you know, his cousin is one day older than him!), birthday at the Chicago Children's Museum, and a Farm themed party with friends.
With Love, The Huffords
With Love, The Huffords
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Small Things
Sometimes it's enough to just acknowledge the small things in life that bring joy to the seemingly mundane day to day life.
*My desk by a window (which presently is seeing a sweet elderly couple helping an elderly man get into their van)
*The silence of nap time
*1st birthday cards
*Birthday celebrations
*A husband to help on a personal sick day
*The pleasantries of reading some of my favorite blogs
*Friends coming for dinner
*Knowing that you are loved
May you find the simple things of life especially joyful today.
(*More to come on Mr. T's birthday extravaganzas!)
*My desk by a window (which presently is seeing a sweet elderly couple helping an elderly man get into their van)
*The silence of nap time
*1st birthday cards
*Birthday celebrations
*A husband to help on a personal sick day
*The pleasantries of reading some of my favorite blogs
*Friends coming for dinner
*Knowing that you are loved
May you find the simple things of life especially joyful today.
(*More to come on Mr. T's birthday extravaganzas!)
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Four Firsts
Today was a monumental day of "firsts" for Mr. T. (This post is definitely more for myself to look back at than anything else.)
1. A 3hr. nap!!! When other mothers said their children took 2-3hr naps, I was shocked. My child NEVER took longer than an hour and a half nap. And many times when he was smaller, we were lucky to get an hour nap. I just succumb to the fact that Mr. T would only nap for 1.5hrs. And that was okay with me. It's enough time to get some stuff done around the house and have a little time to myself. But woohoo!! You can believe my excitement when I was able to have a whole three hours!! And it was on a day my husband was home! What a treat!
2. Foods: Slurping spaghetti (so cute) and biting off pieces from a slice a bread. :) (He doesn't do biting. He takes whatever it is, typically, and stuffs it ALL into his mouth.)
3. Building forts and tunnels. You should have seen this guy. I made two tunnels out of our couch cushions, and he just kept going through them! Again and again. :)
Happy Sunday! And happy day off tomorrow (to those who have it off)!
*So...I've finally nailed down Timothy's first birthday theme!! Excited is all I can say!
1. A 3hr. nap!!! When other mothers said their children took 2-3hr naps, I was shocked. My child NEVER took longer than an hour and a half nap. And many times when he was smaller, we were lucky to get an hour nap. I just succumb to the fact that Mr. T would only nap for 1.5hrs. And that was okay with me. It's enough time to get some stuff done around the house and have a little time to myself. But woohoo!! You can believe my excitement when I was able to have a whole three hours!! And it was on a day my husband was home! What a treat!
2. Foods: Slurping spaghetti (so cute) and biting off pieces from a slice a bread. :) (He doesn't do biting. He takes whatever it is, typically, and stuffs it ALL into his mouth.)
3. Building forts and tunnels. You should have seen this guy. I made two tunnels out of our couch cushions, and he just kept going through them! Again and again. :)
Happy Sunday! And happy day off tomorrow (to those who have it off)!
*So...I've finally nailed down Timothy's first birthday theme!! Excited is all I can say!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Peanut Butter
I have always loved peanut butter. With jelly. With marshmallow fluff. With apples. On toast in the morning. But it may not be for our son.
This is our story (for our records and for other moms). Before I begin, this is just our experience. Your child may do great with peanut butter, and I really hope they do. This isn't for one side or the other of when to give PB. It isn't even a discussion on high allergy foods and whether that exists. This is to inform other moms of what they may see in an allergic reaction. Please take this as "informing" and not "scare tactics."
Background info: I've heard conflicting ideas about when to give children different foods (6mo. or a 1yr. old). I've read about "high allergy" foods, and we've had no problems with eggs or cows milk (both have the potential to be "high allergy" foods). Mr. T has been exposed to peanuts and peanut butter through nursing and has even flown on an airplane. :) I'm sure he's even eaten foods with traces of peanuts or peanut oil in them. One other piece of info: Timothy has eczema. This just means he has very sensitive skin and sometimes looks like he has a blotchy, red skin all over his body. (It has calmed down over the winter but was worse over the summer.)
As you can see, I wasn't too concerned about trying peanut butter out. This morning he was having blueberries and a bagel (he's already had both), and I put a little peanut butter on a few small pieces of bread. He liked the taste and continued to eat. I thought, "Great! We're going to do some PB sandwiches for lunch here soon." Yet, in about 15 minutes, I noticed redness around his mouth. (1st picture below) I wasn't too worried but my husband and I decided he was probably just having a little reaction and should stop giving it to him. Shortly later, he started getting little red bumps on his arms (2nd picture below-coming soon) and the redness was spreading to under his chin.
*Let me stop for a moment. You would think here that I might be freaking out. I really wasn't. I was calm. Said that it would just probably go away. I could just give him some Benadryl (previously okayed by the Pediatrician), and it would just go away in time. He wasn't wheezing, so I really just thought, "Okay, we won't try PB for a while." Honestly, I'm glad that I remained calm and felt that I was able to think clearly.
We did give him 2ml of Benadryl (okayed for his particular weight-24lbs), and I began to carry on with my morning. I took a few minutes to read "Baby 411" which said the following: "Allergic responses occur with in minutes or at most four hours after an exposure. A chemical in the body called HISTAMINE is released in massive qualities with an allergic reaction. Histamine can cause a tingling or itchy mouth, mouth or lip swelling, shortness of breath, and dramatic diarrhea. You may also see hives (raised borders of red plaques that look like mosquito bites with circles around them)." It continues on explaining a worse reaction where breathing is very difficult (ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION). Obviously, if he weren't breathing...I WOULD IMMEDIATELY CALL 911. For now, he had hives. Okay...I'm still doing okay, but wondering if I should give the doctor a call. After a recommendation from Dr. Pence (Franklin, TN Chiropractor), I called the doctor's office.
Here's the bottom line for us (this is after speaking with the doctor):
*He most likely was having an allergic reaction.
*If it would have been "life threatening", we would have seen the breathing problem in the first 30-45 minutes of eating the PB. (We were already at an hour when I spoke with him.)
*We need to get in to see an allergist to see what his reaction was to. It's not 100% the PB.
*And (a bit sad to me), we have to get an EpiPen. And I need to carry two with me every where I go incase someone gives him something or he has a different reaction.
*At this point, we just give him Benadryl for the present reaction.
*I was also given http://www.foodallergy.org/ to do some research into.
All this to say, I'm a little bit more concerned than I was before. :) But I'm thankful for knowledgeable doctors and the reminder to trust the Lord with this little boy he's blessed us with.
I will continue to keep you updated here with our story. Who knows...maybe it wasn't peanut butter. :)
This is our story (for our records and for other moms). Before I begin, this is just our experience. Your child may do great with peanut butter, and I really hope they do. This isn't for one side or the other of when to give PB. It isn't even a discussion on high allergy foods and whether that exists. This is to inform other moms of what they may see in an allergic reaction. Please take this as "informing" and not "scare tactics."
Background info: I've heard conflicting ideas about when to give children different foods (6mo. or a 1yr. old). I've read about "high allergy" foods, and we've had no problems with eggs or cows milk (both have the potential to be "high allergy" foods). Mr. T has been exposed to peanuts and peanut butter through nursing and has even flown on an airplane. :) I'm sure he's even eaten foods with traces of peanuts or peanut oil in them. One other piece of info: Timothy has eczema. This just means he has very sensitive skin and sometimes looks like he has a blotchy, red skin all over his body. (It has calmed down over the winter but was worse over the summer.)
As you can see, I wasn't too concerned about trying peanut butter out. This morning he was having blueberries and a bagel (he's already had both), and I put a little peanut butter on a few small pieces of bread. He liked the taste and continued to eat. I thought, "Great! We're going to do some PB sandwiches for lunch here soon." Yet, in about 15 minutes, I noticed redness around his mouth. (1st picture below) I wasn't too worried but my husband and I decided he was probably just having a little reaction and should stop giving it to him. Shortly later, he started getting little red bumps on his arms (2nd picture below-coming soon) and the redness was spreading to under his chin.
*Let me stop for a moment. You would think here that I might be freaking out. I really wasn't. I was calm. Said that it would just probably go away. I could just give him some Benadryl (previously okayed by the Pediatrician), and it would just go away in time. He wasn't wheezing, so I really just thought, "Okay, we won't try PB for a while." Honestly, I'm glad that I remained calm and felt that I was able to think clearly.
We did give him 2ml of Benadryl (okayed for his particular weight-24lbs), and I began to carry on with my morning. I took a few minutes to read "Baby 411" which said the following: "Allergic responses occur with in minutes or at most four hours after an exposure. A chemical in the body called HISTAMINE is released in massive qualities with an allergic reaction. Histamine can cause a tingling or itchy mouth, mouth or lip swelling, shortness of breath, and dramatic diarrhea. You may also see hives (raised borders of red plaques that look like mosquito bites with circles around them)." It continues on explaining a worse reaction where breathing is very difficult (ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION). Obviously, if he weren't breathing...I WOULD IMMEDIATELY CALL 911. For now, he had hives. Okay...I'm still doing okay, but wondering if I should give the doctor a call. After a recommendation from Dr. Pence (Franklin, TN Chiropractor), I called the doctor's office.
Here's the bottom line for us (this is after speaking with the doctor):
*He most likely was having an allergic reaction.
*If it would have been "life threatening", we would have seen the breathing problem in the first 30-45 minutes of eating the PB. (We were already at an hour when I spoke with him.)
*We need to get in to see an allergist to see what his reaction was to. It's not 100% the PB.
*And (a bit sad to me), we have to get an EpiPen. And I need to carry two with me every where I go incase someone gives him something or he has a different reaction.
*At this point, we just give him Benadryl for the present reaction.
*I was also given http://www.foodallergy.org/ to do some research into.
All this to say, I'm a little bit more concerned than I was before. :) But I'm thankful for knowledgeable doctors and the reminder to trust the Lord with this little boy he's blessed us with.
I will continue to keep you updated here with our story. Who knows...maybe it wasn't peanut butter. :)
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Top 10 of December
(I don't know how to start this post...I've backspaced about 4-5 times.)
I'm getting ready to give up this precious nap time when I typically shower to blog. Today, I'm just itching to blog. Shrugg. Who knows.
The best way to recount the last month or so would be through a brief, picture filled highlights. And boy, do we have some highlights!! (in no particular order)
1. Timothy's 1st Christmas (at our home)
2. Eric has a personal coffee station at work
3. I've been baking - A LOT!
4. What a special time to have five generations at Christmas this year
(To Timothy: Mom, Him, Great-Great Grandma Porter, Grandma Buck, Great Grandpa Owen)
5. Timothy is tall enough to reach Dada's piano
6. And he's into everything! He particularly likes standing in the frig. He can find his cup of milk, grab a drink, and put it back. :)
(Thanks to my dad for the following photos.)
7. My Ppa built Timothy a wagon.
http://buckfamily.smugmug.com/Holidays/Christmas-2010/15310317_or9r3#1145558431_k3c3E
8. Waiting on Christmas morning!
http://buckfamily.smugmug.com/Holidays/Christmas-2010/15310317_or9r3#1145561063_V9o6Q
9. Matching Christmas Pajamas with my sister and mom
http://buckfamily.smugmug.com/Holidays/Christmas-2010/15310317_or9r3#1145561735_txgpg
10. Timothy's priceless expression when ripping the Christmas paper.
http://buckfamily.smugmug.com/Holidays/Christmas-2010/15310317_or9r3#1145563281_3NmeA
I'm getting ready to give up this precious nap time when I typically shower to blog. Today, I'm just itching to blog. Shrugg. Who knows.
The best way to recount the last month or so would be through a brief, picture filled highlights. And boy, do we have some highlights!! (in no particular order)
1. Timothy's 1st Christmas (at our home)
2. Eric has a personal coffee station at work
3. I've been baking - A LOT!
4. What a special time to have five generations at Christmas this year
(To Timothy: Mom, Him, Great-Great Grandma Porter, Grandma Buck, Great Grandpa Owen)
5. Timothy is tall enough to reach Dada's piano
6. And he's into everything! He particularly likes standing in the frig. He can find his cup of milk, grab a drink, and put it back. :)
(Thanks to my dad for the following photos.)
7. My Ppa built Timothy a wagon.
http://buckfamily.smugmug.com/Holidays/Christmas-2010/15310317_or9r3#1145558431_k3c3E
8. Waiting on Christmas morning!
http://buckfamily.smugmug.com/Holidays/Christmas-2010/15310317_or9r3#1145561063_V9o6Q
9. Matching Christmas Pajamas with my sister and mom
http://buckfamily.smugmug.com/Holidays/Christmas-2010/15310317_or9r3#1145561735_txgpg
10. Timothy's priceless expression when ripping the Christmas paper.
http://buckfamily.smugmug.com/Holidays/Christmas-2010/15310317_or9r3#1145563281_3NmeA
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
3rd Anniversary
I realize it's been over a month since I last wrote, and I know that I need to get some pictures up of our Christmas. I will get to this (hopefully) within the week. We've been trying to get settled back after two family Christmases and traveling.
As for today, I just wanted to give a shout out to my husband. We've been married three years today, and I know that I am all the better of a woman because of him. I've learned more about patience and grace from him than I ever could have expected. I've realized he's so funny and intelligent and doesn't mind investing time to learn a new trade. He helps me remember that each day is a blessing and not to dwell on what's not "perfect" or hasn't gone the way I planned. He is willing to try crazy food I make and lends encouragement when I say, "I just need affirmation." And what a pleasant surprise to see him as a father. We never could have expected what it would be like to be parents, but he's rockin' it out. (One of the sweetest moments of my day is when Eric turns the lock on the door, and Mr. T goes bolting on all fours to see Dada. He follows Dada while he washes his hands and waits to be swept up and hugged by Dada. They are quite buddies. I almost don't exist to Timothy when Dada gets home.)
So here's to you, my love. May we keep on loving and living in the joy and blessing of this marriage!
As for today, I just wanted to give a shout out to my husband. We've been married three years today, and I know that I am all the better of a woman because of him. I've learned more about patience and grace from him than I ever could have expected. I've realized he's so funny and intelligent and doesn't mind investing time to learn a new trade. He helps me remember that each day is a blessing and not to dwell on what's not "perfect" or hasn't gone the way I planned. He is willing to try crazy food I make and lends encouragement when I say, "I just need affirmation." And what a pleasant surprise to see him as a father. We never could have expected what it would be like to be parents, but he's rockin' it out. (One of the sweetest moments of my day is when Eric turns the lock on the door, and Mr. T goes bolting on all fours to see Dada. He follows Dada while he washes his hands and waits to be swept up and hugged by Dada. They are quite buddies. I almost don't exist to Timothy when Dada gets home.)
So here's to you, my love. May we keep on loving and living in the joy and blessing of this marriage!
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