Keeping up with the Hayses

Brandon is 4!!!!!

2012-01-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

B turned 4 today!!! It's so crazy to think that 4 years have passed already! I remember bringing him home like it was just yesterday, yet so much has changed. Such a strange feeling.

He's an awesome kid, really. He is very well mannered, really good natured, a jokester, hilarious and sweet. He is also very smart and has really surprised us with how quickly he has learned at school. It really shouldn't have been a surprise as he always seems to excel academically.

His stats are: 50 pounds, 3ft 8 inches.

He loves: spaghetti, race cars (hot wheels), playing my iPhone, playing computer or video games, READING, cooking/baking, going for walks, checking the mail, being a helper, bubbles and a million other things.

We had a party at the post bowling alley on Saturday. Mimi and PawPaw as well as MeMaw and PaPaw were able to make it. His best friend Elijah was there as well as his friend Jathan from school and our friend Carson and his Mommy Brittany. It was a great time and spiderman cupcakes were enjoyed by all.

This morning, Daddy and I woke him up at 5:22am TX time (12:22pm German time) and surprised him with donuts for breakfast. He got to blow out the candle since I had forgotten to take it with me to the birthday party. He loved getting the special attention and also loved getting to help me make cupcakes for his class at 6am. I took the cupcakes to his class this afternoon and he really enjoyed getting to share them with is friends. He kept telling his friends that he made the cupcakes and that they were super yummy. :) When Daddy got home from work we took him out to dinner. He requested spaghetti for dinner so we went to Boston's. He loaded up on carbs and capped the evening with a sugary treat. He even got serenaded by a bunch of girls and got all shy. It was really cute. To add to the excitement, he was given a balloon animal by a clown that was at the restaurant! He was super stoked.

All in all, I'd say his birthday was a huge success! He had a great time and there were lots of smiles and hugs of thanks coming my way.

In other Brandon related news, his teacher and I were able to speak today. He was recently tested for mid-year testing and he did AMAZING! He only missed 3 questions out of the entire test and is one of the top students in his class! He is successfully completing work that a 4 year old-5 year old should be doing and this testing was done a couple of weeks ago! We are SO PROUD of him!!!! His teacher wants to make sure she is challenging him and is starting him in a reading group as well as making sure the level of work he is doing is appropriate for him. She is very pleased with his skills and we couldn't be happier! Such an awesome kid!!!

Going to start the VERY slow process of updating this blog....

2011-12-30T19:40:00.001-08:00

So, I've obviously done terrible at updating this blog. Jackson is now almost 10 months and the last time I blogged he was 2 weeks. Ooops. Apparently, having 2 kids, being in school full time, having a husband that is deployed and assisting with the FRG doesn't leave much time for blogging.

SO, I am going back to my facebook page and going through my status updates to compile a post of each month so that I can enter the stuff into Jackson's baby book. THEN, my goal is to update at least monthly again in 2012. Fingers crossed that I stick to my plan....LOL

Here goes nothing......

April 2011

2011-04-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

April was a bit of a hectic month for us. Having a newborn, a 3 year old, a husband that is in Iraq, and being in school full time is a LOT of work! Thank GOODNESS for my Mom!!! She came to stay with me for a week because I was NOT handling the stress of a new baby and everything else well. Moms are great. I highly recommend having one.

Anyway, Jackson as a newborn is very involved. He is ALWAYS gassy! After speaking with his doctor, she suspects an allergy to Casin, a protein in milk and recommends switching to soy. After switching, he appears to be doing much better, but is still a very gassy baby. We suspect a touch of colic as it seems that he is very cranky between 4 and 8pm. The other possible condition is acid reflux and so we started prevacid. That medication is TERRIBLE! Jackson HATES taking it, and after tasting it myself, I do NOT blame him!!! It's strong, and NOT pleasant at ALL. He is also on nystatin for thrush and weighed in at 10 pounds on April 6th! Big boy! :) On April 10, he slept from 11pm to 5:45am!!! It was AWESOME, but ended up being a fluke. It didn't last, and was probably just a growth spurt. Little booger. He does seems to favor being swaddled to sleep and actually slept in his crib for the first time on April 22! He's growing quickly!!

Brandon is adjusting.....sometimes not so well, to his new little brother. He has some difficulty understanding that he cannot play with Jackson yet, and is often a little rougher than I'd like. We often remind him to use gentle touches, and try to distract him with other things. Occasionally, there have been some aggressive behaviors displayed and we are very quick to correct the problem. In other areas, B is VERY observant and is a little sponge. He is continuing to repeat things that we say, which sometimes comes back to bite us in the butt. He is so intelligent and he often surprises me with his questions. He asked me about the difference between boy/girl private parts, which was NOT a question I was prepared to answer! I DID answer, and managed to use correct medical terminology and keep a straight face and that seemed to suffice. We'll see......I definitely wished that Daddy was home to help field some of that, but he will be back soon enough.

Easter was a great time! The boys were spoiled rotten by the Easter bunny and had a great time exploring their Easter baskets. Our wonderful friends the Elix family (well, Sarah and Elijah) came over for a yummy Easter dinner and an Easter egg hunt for the boys. They had a great time and Sarah got some quality Jackson snuggles in. All in all, it was a successful Easter despite having a cranky baby and a deployed husband. :)

2 weeks!

2011-03-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

Jackson is 2 weeks old as of yesterday! Today was his 2 week check up. He weighed in at 8 pounds 10 ounces and is now 21.1 inches long! He has a little cluster of extra blood vessels on his tummy that the doctor said would resolve itself. No other major incidents to report from his check up.

He has been SUPER gassy/fussy lately. I suspected the formula to be the culprit, so I asked the WIC office yesterday if I could try a different formula. They switched us over to Similac sensitive, which I checked with the doctor this morning and was given the ok to start. Hopefully that will resolve the problem because I feel SO helpless! He scrunches his whole body up and screams and occasionally will be able to pass gas. Poor little dude. Let me tell you.....dealing with a screaming newborn and a 3 year old that needs juice/snack/attention by yourself is NOT easy!

Brian went back to Iraq on Wednesday. I miss him like CRAZY!!!! He will be home in approximately 5 months, which seems like an eternity, but I know will pass by quickly. I just hate doing this by myself. It is one thing when it was just B and me, but I am outnumbered! I need someone else in my corner!

Fortunately, my mom is coming to stay for a week the first week of April. Then, when the spring semester is over, I am going to stay with her for 2 weeks in May. I also have a month between the summer semester and the fall semester in July, so I may go stay with her for another 2 weeks. THEN, Brian comes home in August!! So, hopefully my sanity will remain as long as I have these little milestones to look forward to.

Anyway, I should be utilizing this quiet time to work on some homework and start studying. Ugh....is it August yet??

Jackson's Birth Story

2011-03-12T19:21:00.001-08:00

Our beautiful baby boy, Jackson was born Thursday March 10, 2011 at 7:03pm. He weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce and was 20.5 inches long. His birth was an amazing experience, and I wanted to put it all down in words so that I would remember all of the details.

His birth story begins with the perfect timing of Daddy's arrival from Iraq. Brian flew in for his R&R on March 7. Brandon and I met him in Dallas to avoid an almost 8 hour layover from Dallas to Killeen. We spent the next couple of days as a family of 3 hanging out. We went to the Zoo, went to dinner, played with toys, and of course there was a lot of snuggling. Wednesday evening my parents came in to keep an eye on B and be here for Jackson's birth.

Bright and early Thursday morning (4:30am) Brian and I got up to head to the hospital. We reported for my induction at 6am. After getting all checked in, I was hooked up to monitors and given my IV. When the doctor came in and checked me for the first time that morning, I was at 3.5cm and had thinned out a bit more than on my appointment on Tuesday. I was started on pitocin (at 2) around 8:15 and it was ordered to be turned up every 45 minutes. They said they were going to take it relatively slow since I had a c-section with B and they didn't want to put too much strain on my scar. After the pitocin was started, the contractions began to pick up slowly, but they weren't bad and I barely noticed them. Over the next few hours the contractions started developing a nice pattern of every 4-6 minutes and as the pitocin increased, the pain with them also increased. It wasn't unbearable, but there were definitely times that I had to stop and focus on my breathing when they came. I HATED being stuck in the bed, but because of my c-section they had to keep me monitored as much as possible. Thanks to the WONDERFUL nurses (Hanna and Jessica), I was able to be monitored via a "tube top" looking contraption that allowed me to sit on the birthing ball to relieve the pressure of sitting in bed. After they let me get out of bed, I was golden. At this point, my pitocin had been turned up to 10 (out of 20) and they were waiting on me to feel more pain before they checked me again. I asked at what point my water would be broken and the doctor came in to discuss it with me and check me again. The doctor explained that they could break my water, but that would mean that I was not able to leave the hospital and return for another induction and that if the induction was looking like it wasn't going to work I would be forced to go into a c-section. I was ok with that option and fully expected them to let me labor on the pitocin for awhile longer; however, they decided to go ahead and break my water. I was NOT expecting it to happen at that moment, but after the doctor checked me I was between 4 and 5 cm so I had made good progress and the doctor thought it would be a good idea to break my water around 3pm. After my water was broken, she checked me again to see if it had dilated me anymore and I was at a 5-6 cm dilated. While she was checking me, she noticed that Jackson had his hand on the top of his head, so she tried to move it. He stubbornly left it there and when she grabbed it, he grabbed back! She recommended that I turn on my sides to help move him and get him to move his hand. At this point, I requested the epidural, so the anesthesiologist was called. I was SO worried about getting the epidural because it was SUCH a terrible experience with Brandon's delivery and didn't work anyway. So, I was beyond relieved when the epidural actually worked this time! They had to stick me a few times to get the epidural placed correctly, but once it was in, and the medicine took effect, I was golden. The epidural went in around 4pm and I started having some blood pressure problems due to the epidural medication. They quickly remedied the blood pressure issue by lowering the head portion of my bed. The epi also made me really nauseous, but I will gladly take nausea over terrible contraction pain, so no complaining from me! Around 6 I started pushing. I couldn't really tell that I was pushing, but the nurse kept telling me I was doing well, so I just kept doing what I was doing. At 7:03pm, Jackson made his entrance into the world!! He was placed on my chest immediately after delivery and I cannot even begin to describe the miraculousness of holding your child for the first time. It is a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Jackson scored a 9 on his apgars and the nurses just kept commenting on how pink and alert he was when he was born. It was an amazing experience and I am SO grateful that I was able to successfully have a VBAC.

After Jackson was born I began to hemorrhage. My uterus would not clamp down and firm up. The details of that are kind of sketchy because everything seemed to happen so fast, yet so slow at the same time. The doctors and nurses were pushing and massaging my stomach so hard.....again, thank goodness for the epidural. The doctor that delivered Jackson asked for another doctor to come in and help. That doctor then called for the Staff OB to come in and help. There were a couple of nurses that took turns massaging my uterus along with the doctors that were massaging my uterus internally. They gave me extra pitocin in my IV as well as 2 shots of some medications that I cannot recall at this time. They continued to massage my uterus taking turns when they got tired. Another dose of one of the medications was ordered and they started discussing taking me back to emergency surgery to remove my uterus. Thank GOD my uterus started to firm up and things finally calmed down. I began to shake from the hormones/epidural and the nausea returned with a vengeance.

After things finally calmed down enough, I was able to hold Jackson and feed him for the first time. He latched on and began nursing like a champ. Soon after nursing Jackson, nausea reared her ugly head. Fortunately, my steadfast husband was there to help! Actually, it was MUCH less severe than with Brandon. I threw up every 30 minutes during my entire labor with Brandon and only once with Jackson. So, Brian got off easy this time. :)

All in all, the experience was amazing and I just cannot believe how lucky I am that all of my hoping and planning worked out. It seems like everything fell into place perfectly. Jackson is doing great. Nursing is my nemesis.....as it was last time with Brandon. We'll see how long I can keep it up, but it causes SO much anxiety for me that it may not be worth it. I stress about it a LOT and I'd rather be stress free because Jackson picks up on the tension and it makes it worse. Plus, with school this semester and summer.....aye.....I don't know. It stresses me out just thinking about it. We'll see. I am going to wait until my milk has officially come in before I make that decision.

I am off to get some sleep.....apparently newborns are not fond of sleeping at night, though they sleep for crazy stretches during the day. :)

First Movements!!!

2010-10-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post:

Tonight I felt baby kick for the first time!!!!! I remember what an amazing feeling it is, and am SO glad that I have the opportunity to get to experience the joy of pregnancy again! It makes it so much more real when you start feeling movement! I cannot wait to meet this little one!!!! I absolutely love being pregnant!!!

2nd Trimester and a family update.

2010-09-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

As of today, I am officially in my second trimester!!!! I haven't blogged about this pregnancy until now because it seemed strange at first. This pregnancy has felt extremely surreal.....so, I wanted to wait to blog about it. I did mention it on facebook, but blogger seemed so much more official to me.....I'm not really sure why. It makes no sense, but it made sense in my head....lol

SO, I am 13 weeks and 3 days today and am due March 19th. I've been so lucky this time around. I've had minimal nausea and other negative pregnancy symptoms. I've had many food aversions. So far, I cannot really deal with Mexican food, burgers, onions and garlic, Italian food (shocker).......in reality the aversions change depending on my mood. As far as cravings go, they are like the aversions. They change depending on my mood. I've wanted pineapple, mashed potatoes (same as with B), watermelon (which didn't work out so well), and Chinese food, particularly rice. I'm sure there have been more things I've wanted, but that is all I can think of right now.

On the baby front- everything is looking great! Baby's heart rate is typically in the 160s. I ~may~ have felt some light kicks, but I am not saying definitively so. All of my appointments have gone well, and at my 3 ultrasounds I have had so far, there has been lots of growth and development!

Brian and I are super excited to be bringing another baby into our family! We've tried explaining the concept to Brandon, but he is still not completely grasping it. I assume that is normal behavior for a 31 month old. When we first told him that Mommy has a baby in her tummy, he insisted he had a baby in his tummy too. It was very cute. Now, when I ask him where the baby is, he points to my tummy, so perhaps he is beginning to understand a little better. I plan on reading him a variety of books about the subject, and introducing him to as many experiences with babies as I can before this little one comes along. He's probably the most easy going child on the planet, so I am sure that he will adjust relatively well.

Brian deployed in the middle of August, and we have been adjusting to life without him here. We are adapting to the best of our abilities, but we do miss having him around. He will be gone until mid-August 2011....the time can't go by quickly enough. Brandon has responded quite well to him being gone. He asks about him regularly, and we talk about where Daddy is and what he is doing. He seems to be ok with the fact that Daddy is in Iraq working hard. We say Daddy Prayers every night, and kiss Daddy's pictures all the time. He has gotten to talk to Brian a few times and loves it every time. Hopefully, once Brian gets his computer, we will be able to skype with him and they will be able to see each other.

Brandon is growing like a little weed and is just the smartest little boy I know! He weighs about 42 pounds and is about 40 inches tall. He wears a size 4T/5T and a size 8-9 shoe. He is known as the "little Einstein" of his class and the education specialists are bringing in higher level (3-4 year) work for him to do because he is bored with what they are learning in class. Every time I hear someone compliment his intelligence, Brian and I are just filled with joy. He's amazing, and everyday he does something else to amaze us. Some cute little quirks he has lately are:
-singing the theme songs to his favorite shows
-calling himself, "so weird."
-telling me, "I told you" when he wants something. For example, "I told you I have to get juice." He gets that from me because when I tell him not to do something because he can hurt himself but he does it anyway, I tell him that I told him he was going to hurt himself.
-when he jumps, he leans over as far as he can, puts his arms behind him and stays in that position for a LONG time, then jumps.
-he points out EVERY tractor (and reminds me that they move sand), school bus, big truck, motorcycle (of bike as he calls it), and helicopter (pronounced helitocker) he sees.
-his favorite thing to do is watch the dump truck pick up trash.
-he loves Thomas the Train, Ni Hao Kai Lan, Yo Gabba Gabba, and Monster's Inc.
-he loves to color, play with play dough, lace beads, paint, run, jump, swim, read, and play with his trains.

He is an awesome little boy. :)

We are all doing quite well, and are looking forward to the new addition to our family!

Our Second Angel

2010-05-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to write this post for quite some time now. However, every time I attempt to attack the overwhelming emotions that come with this post, I find myself with nothing to say. Even now, I can't seem to be able to capture how I really feel in words. So, I suppose just simply stating what happened will be the best approach. Some of the specific dates are a little fuzzy, so bear with me.

Tuesday April 20th was my first OB appointment. The previous Saturday I had some light brown spotting, but I wasn't worried. Having had a miscarriage before, I knew that brown blood was not necessarily indicative of a miscarriage. It only happened the one time, and was not accompanied by cramps or anything else alarming. I went into my first OB appointment confident that everything was ok. I briefly mentioned it to the nurse taking my information, and she ordered a quantitative hcg and same day appointment with the OB. I went to the lab to have my blood work done and told Brian to go back to work. I was ~that~ confident that everything was ok. I went back to the doctor that afternoon thinking I was going to be given my hcg results and sent on my way. Boy, was I wrong. To my surprise, the wanted to do an ultrasound. My hcg came back as pregnant. The exact number escapes me at the moment, but it was substantial enough to be considered pregnant. During the ultrasound, the doctor did not see any fetal material in the gestational sac. The sac was there, but there was no fetal pole or material that could be discerned. During the pelvic exam, he noted that my cervix was slightly open and determined based on the ultrasound and exam that I was considered a threatened miscarriage. I was told to come back 48 hours later to re-do the hcg and ultrasound. At that point, hope was lost and we started preparing for the worst.

Thursday April 22 Brian and I returned to the clinic expecting to hear the worst. The hcg result was borderline acceptable, and the ultrasound was repeated. In the ultrasound, they noticed a small shadow that they thought could be a yolk sac. To our surprise, hope started creeping back in. So much so that we even started to get excited. Brian started talking to my belly and rubbing it telling our baby to grow big and strong. Brandon would point to my belly and say, "Baby!" It was really sweet. We were told to come back on Monday for a repeat hcg check and ultrasound.

Monday April 26, we went back to the OB clinic for another check. The hcg results did not perform to their standards, though they did increase close to what they hoped. They went from 3800 to 7000. The ultrasound still do not show much growth, and at that point they were concerned again. So, they requested I have an emergency ultrasound with radiology since they have better equipment. My ultrasound was scheduled for Tuesday, so fortunately I didn't have to wait too long. We were back to worrying.

Tuesday April 27 was ultrasound day. Oh my goodness, the having to fill my bladder and not pee was HORRIBLE!!! It hurt SO bad!! After the ultrasound I had to go to the OB clinic to get the results. The radiology ultrasound did not show any fetal material, but they still wanted to wait a few more days to make any conclusive decisions. They requested that I do an hcg repeat and possible repeat ultrasound Friday. The waiting is just beginning to be obnoxious at this point. Brian and I are both mentally exhausted and ready to get off the roller coaster.

Friday April 30 was decision day. The hcg did not increase nearly enough, and the decision was made to schedule a D&C. We scheduled the D&C for the following Friday, May 7th.

Many tears were shed over the course of all of the appointments. It was devastating.....exactly as devastating as the first time. It is incredibly unfair that these kinds of things happen. We are "ok", if that is even really possible, when losing a baby. We know that early miscarriages indicate a chromosomal abnormality and that it is for the best. It doesn't make it any easier, and doesn't make it any less a loss. I think that hardest part for us is the what now aspect.

So, what now? Well, the OBs have requested a fertility work-up for both Brian and I. I'm not sure what my workup entails, but we know that Brian's consists of a blood draw and semen sample. We will go get his labs done when he gets back from NTC (he left May 15th for a month) and hopefully my lab work can be done around the same time if not before. I actually go to the lab next week to check my hcg to see if it has reduced back to 0. If so, then I can begin my testing. I am not entirely sure what tests are going to be done, so I will update on that when I know.

We will be trying to get pregnant again over the next couple of months that Brian is home. He deploys to Iraq sometime mid August, so we have a couple of months to try. If it happens, great. If not, then we will just try again when he gets home.

So, it is with heavy hearts that we have sent another angel off to be with their sibling in heaven. We will love you and remember you always. <3

The latest......

2010-04-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

My radiology ultrasound was at 9am this morning. It was an interesting experience to say the least. I had to have a full bladder, which sucked! The strange part was the fact that neither Brian or I were allowed to see the screen during the ultrasound. Apparently, our appointment was scheduled as an emergency, so hospital policy is that the doctor must be the one to disclose the results. It was quite irritating.

After our appointment with radiology, we had to go to the OB clinic to have the results given to us. Surprisingly, we weren't waiting too long. The doctor that we saw today was really nice....another surprise. And, that is where the surprises ended.

The ultrasound didn't show any growth. Actually, I am still measuring at 5 weeks 5 days. There doesn't seem to be evidence of a yolk sac within the gestational sac either. That is concerning, but apparently not concerning enough to schedule a D&C.

So....what do we do now?

We wait. Yep....still waiting.

I have another appointment on Friday to recheck my beta levels and have another ultrasound. At that point, if there is no progress we will schedule a D&C.

While that may be a terrible result, I feel a huge sense of relief. I feel relief for a number of reasons. While the appointment was ultimately a negative one for the pregnancy, we got a lot of questions answered. If I do in fact have to have a D&C, the next step is a fertility workup for both Brian and I. Just knowing that they are taking my history seriously, and acknowledging that two miscarriages are concerning, helps ease my fears. Brian will have his workup done before he leaves for NTC at the beginning of May. Mine will be done after my hcg levels have returned to a non-pregnant number. The results generally take 2 weeks to come back, so by the time Brian gets back from NTC we should be able to go over the results with a genetic counselor. The doctor did mention that it is rare that anything concerning ever comes back, but it can't hurt to check. Another relief is that if a D&C is done, they will send the tissue off to pathology to have them test. It isn't extremely likely they will find anything other than a chromosomal abnormality as the cause of the miscarriage, but at least they are being proactive. Finally, and perhaps the most comforting aspect of today's appointment, we were told that when I do become pregnant, I will be considered high risk and followed closely in my first trimester. This makes me feel so much better as I was afraid military doctors would just lump me into the category of just another pregnancy. So, knowing they are going to take extra precautions and keep a closer eye on me....well, that makes me feel so much more comfortable.

So, while the outcome of this appointment may not have been what we were hoping for, it was productive nonetheless.

So, we are back to waiting.

Monday Update

2010-04-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

I had my OB appointment today to check my beta levels and have another ultrasound. I did my blood work at 10am and scheduled the OB appointment for 1:45. So, naturally, at 3:30 we were seen. Ugh. Anyway, my beta level went up from 3800 to over 7000. So, that is looking good. The problem is the ultrasound. There isn't anything showing up in the gestational sac. At this point, we aren't really sure what is going on. The OB recommended that I go to radiology and have an ultrasound because their department has better equipment than the woman's clinic. The ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 9am. I am sick with anxiety. I really cannot stand this back and forth business. I really just want to know what is going to happen.....either way.

At this point, there are one of three possibilities.
1.) It is just too early for something to show up on the ultrasound. (This is unlikely as I should be at least 6 weeks....but probably further along.)
2.) There is a fetal pole, but the ultrasound machine in the woman's clinic can't see it for whatever reason.
3.) I am having a missed miscarriage.

Ultimately, I am fine with either possibility. I would be thrilled if it were one of the first two, but if for some reason I am meant to miscarry this pregnancy, I know that it is due to some chromosomal abnormality. I would much rather miscarry than have an unhealthy baby.

So, I understand. I just need to know. I need to know if I can celebrate, or if I should start the grieving process.

Waiting is killing me.

Wow, what a few days it has been!

2010-04-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

And just think....it isn't over yet.

My first OB appointment was this past Tuesday. It was just a routine paperwork, bloodwork, congrats appointment as we were expecting. I mentioned to the nurse that I had some very very minor spotting Saturday night, but wasn't concerned because it was brown blood. The nurse told me to come back that afternoon to get my quantitative hcg results and let the doctor see me. After running to class to take an exam, I went back to the clinic to talk to the doctor.

The visit was nothing like I expected. I was prepared for them to give me some beta numbers and tell me to go on my way, or to come back for another quantitative to make sure the numbers were doubling. My beta was 21,000 so within the normal range. The doctor did an ultrasound to take a look at the baby, which I was really excited about. My excitement quickly turned into fear and devastation. After initially having difficulty locating anything in the uterus, an empty gestational sac was found. After the ultrasound, the doctor did a pelvic exam and noticed my cervix was slightly open. Based on the condition of my cervix and the lack of fetal material in the gestational sac, the doctor said miscarriage was imminent. He did reassure me that it could just be too early, and my dates could be off. He also said that he had a difficult time seeing through my bladder into my uterus, so that could have been a problem as well. He requested I return on Monday. I was devastated! I've been down the miscarriage road before, and it is a place I never want to go again. I left the doctor's office not knowing what was going on. I just knew that I was supposed to wait until Monday to figure out what was going on.

Only.....I SUCK at waiting. I called the clinic and got permission to have my hcg level rechecked 48 hours later. So, this morning, I went over to the lab, got my blood drawn and scheduled a 2:15 appointment to get my results. It was the LONGEST morning/afternoon of my life! Finally, Brian and I were called back to see the doctor. We saw the same doctor that I saw on Tuesday. Surprisingly, my beta level went up to over 3800. It didn't quite double, but it did go up significantly. Next on the agenda was another ultrasound. As I'm laying on the table, anxiously awaiting any glimmer of home from the doctor, he states again that he cannot see anything in the sac. So, we are back to the miscarriage diagnosis. Damn. Not ideal. He leaves to double check with some other OB doctors (did I mention that he is not an OB, but a resident?) and to also check into getting me some medication to start the miscarriage process. When he left, he didn't turn the ultrasound machine off, and the picture of the sac was still on the screen. I took a good look at it, and thought that I saw something inside of it. I showed Brian, and he saw it too. So, we decided to bring it up to the doctor when he came back into the room.

When he returns, he says that it appears that there is some fetal material in the sac, and that it is still possible that I am measuring early. The gestational sac has me measuring at 5 weeks 5 days, and based on the ultrasound I am right where I should be for 5 weeks 5 days. Whew!

We aren't out of the woods yet. I have another quantitative hcg check and ultrasound on Monday. For now, we are cautiously optimistic, but optimistic nonetheless.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We really do appreciate it!

6-ish weeks

2010-04-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! :)

I am approximately 6 weeks along. I say approximately because I don't quite remember if my cycle was to start the last day or two of February or the first day or two of March. My first OB appointment is April 20th. So, 8 days!! I can't wait!! I probably won't get an ultrasound or anything, but just knowing that I have something pregnancy related going on is exciting.

No symptoms to speak of really. My girls are a little sore. Sometimes I feel a little queasy, but it never lasts and isn't consistent. No heartburn. Minor tiredness. So, pretty lucky thus far. Although, if I remember correctly, my symptoms didn't really start with B until I was 7-8 weeks. We'll see. I'm torn because I want symptoms, but dread symptoms. I want the symptoms so this all feels a bit more real to me, but dread them for the obvious reasons.

I'm still dealing with the shock of this whole thing. I have moments of panic when I think about the fact that Brian will be deployed when this little miracle is due. To think that I will be here, with B and a newborn.....all by myself......for almost 9 months.....well, frankly, it scares the hell out of me. I'm not sure how I'm going to juggle a toddler, a newborn, school, household responsibilities, and dealing with a deployment by myself. It is going to make for an interesting time, I'm sure. Aside from the few moments of panic, I'm thrilled to be experiencing this again. I don't take it for granted for a second, and know how blessed I am to be able to conceive with such ease. My heart aches for those that struggle with fertility.

Cute B story- We told him the other day that I had a baby in my tummy. He said, "I have a baby in my tummy too!!!" Heh....he said this as he lifts his shirt and points to his belly. It was so cute!! :) He has NO idea what is in store for him. :)

Later, I will post a belly pic. I have to have Brian take it for me. I think I am going to try to do them bi-weekly this time around. It should be a little easier to keep track of and better for blogging purposes. :)

That's all for now!

Our Family is Growing!

2010-04-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce that we are now expecting baby number 2 sometime in early December 2010!!! While it was ~kind~ of unexpected, we are thrilled!

Originally, we were going to use natural family planning to avoid pregnancy until July/August. This would allow my body to be rid of any hormones in birth control pills, and we were going to start actively trying to conceive in July or August before Brian deploys to Iraq again. After discussing some options and re-evaluating, we were going to put off having a baby until Brian got home from his deployment in August 2011. I saw my OB/GYN and got a prescription for more birth control and was told to wait until my next cycle started before beginning it. Well, my next cycle ~should~ have shown up over the past couple of days. There has been absolutely no sign of the arrival of my cycle, and being the control freak, planning person that I am, I had to take a test.

Naturally, my obsession got the best of me at midnight last night. So, like the awesome husband he is, Brian drove to Walmart at midnight to get me a box of pregnancy tests. I requested the box of 3 because, yes....I am OCD like that. So, hubby comes home with said pregnancy tests and I hurry to take one right away.

TWO LINES!!! Holy crap!!! Nervous laughter set in at this point, and I called for Brian to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Nope....he saw them both. Clear as day really.

An hour later (so if you are keeping track, that would be roughly 1:30ish) I take another. Still 2 lines. Eeeek!!!

My thoughts and my heart were racing! I am a planner. How could I let an "unplanned" pregnancy happen? I feel like a huge hypocrite as I have always said I would always plan my babies. While technically, we knew what we were doing at the time and knew what the consequences would be, it wasn't our most organized plan. Ideally, Brian would be home for the entire pregancny and the whole first year. That is not going to be the case. He leaves July/August time frame. So, he will miss the birth and the first 7-8 months of the baby's life. It's sad. I hate knowing that he is going to miss everything again. It sucks. Stupid wars.

So, despite some of the unfortunate circumstances, we are thrilled to be welcoming another little miracle to our family! I'd almost say we are more excited now that we know the beauty and wonder a baby brings. We have been SO blessed with Brandon and knowing that we are going to see him in a whole different dynamic is exciting. He is going to make an excellent big brother! Now.....we REALLY need to get him potty trained! Hahaha

I present to you.....

2009-12-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

The Hays Family photo shoot!!! :)

Courtesy of Ruth Vasquez Photography.....and TOTALLY AWESOME! :)

A request.....

2009-12-09T17:05:00.000-08:00

One of my friends in blogger land has recently received some potentially devastating news. Their 2 year old son has been battling cancer (Wilms tumor) for quite a while now. His latest scans have revealed some spots on his liver that may indicate his cancer has spread. They are meeting with their doctors tomorrow and should know more detailed information tomorrow evening. I am desperately hoping that the lesions are merely scar tissue or something less concerning. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. It isn't fair. What their family has had to go through is not fair. Not. At. All.

So, this is what it feels like to breathe.....

2009-09-30T19:14:00.001-07:00

I must mark today as one of the best days of my life. Brandon had an appointment with an endocrinologist to discuss the potential health problem that we were facing. In an attempt to protect B's privacy, I won't go into great detail other than to say that initially, it was not looking good. Fortunately, as is the case with EVERY medically related issue B has faced in his short little life, it turned out to be a fluke! It is really quite astonishing! Let's recap, shall we?

-2 weeks old-ER visit for projectile vomitting-possible pyloric stenosis. Ultrasound of GI tract shows everything is normal.

-5 weeks old-hospitalization for virus, and discovery of prominent sacral dimple and told it could potentially be spina bifida. Ultrasound of spine shows that everything is normal.

-6 months old- Had markers for Down's Syndrome, pedi ordered karotype/chromosomal testing. 2 weeks later, test comes back normal.

-9 months old- Growth of head is faster than normal, so pedi suspects hydrocephalus. Ultrasound shows everything is normal.

-9 months old- Weak eye muscles in right eye, pedi refers us to an opthamologist. All exams have been showing marked improvement, but we may need to do patch therapy in the future.

-1 year old- The endocrinology issue arises. Today's appointment shows everything is normal and there is no real cause for concern!

PHEW!!! Seriously, after today's news, I am finally able to breathe!

So, today, officially 20 months old, I am hoping that this is the point where we can finally be done with medical issues for awhile! The occasional cold I can handle, but all of this quasi-major stuff has been STRESSING me out!!!

So, here is to a new day, and a new time in our parental adventure! I will say though, all of these health related issues have made an ear infection seem like a walk in the park! :)

Yay to Brandon for being a healthy little boy, and for following tradition in proving everyone wrong!

I just don't get it.....

2009-08-05T11:59:00.001-07:00

Beware-this blog may be slightly offensive, or judgmental. However, this is my blog, and a place for me to vent and share my own feelings, so that is exactly what I am going to do.

WHY do people have continue to bring children into the world when they should NOT?!?! I understand that everyone is entitled to have children when they choose, and that is one of the many freedoms we have, but WHY would you KNOWINGLY attempt to get pregnant when you were JUST planning on divorcing your husband? WHY would you KNOWINGLY have unprotected sex with someone when you KNOW that you CANNOT afford another child, or when you can barely afford to take care of the children you already have? WHY would you trap a man by getting pregnant and think that he is required to stay and provide for you and your child? WHY would you have a child when you are making no attempts to be self sufficient?

I just don't get it. In my opinion, it is SO easy.

1.) Pregnancy is NOT that hard to avoid. It is called being RESPONSIBLE. Protect yourself. I can understand not using protection if you are in a COMMITTED relationship, and are capable of providing for a child. I don't understand "accidental" pregnancies. I'm sure there are cases out there, in fact I know of a few; however, these cases are so few and far between. If you don't want to have a baby, PROTECT yourself. Easy.

2.) Babies are not accessories! Just because everyone in Hollywood is having a baby, does NOT mean that you should run out and get one for yourself. Babies are HARD work, and require CONSTANT care. Babies are expensive. Babies DO NOT FIX A RELATIONSHIP!!!!! Omg, I CANNOT stress that last one enough. You should NOT continue to bring children into the world if you are not at least making an attempt to be self sufficient. Yeah, if your husband takes care of you, that is fine well and good. BUT, what happens if he decides to leave you, or you decide to leave, or whatever? At least ATTEMPT to become self sufficient.

Ugh, I could go ON and ON, but I won't. I just don't get it.

18 months ALREADY?!?!?!

2009-07-30T18:30:00.001-07:00

Today B is 18 months old, and I swear it seems like someone hit the fast forward button on our life. At the risk of sounding cliche, everyday he amazes me even more! These past few weeks he has become SO interested in the things around him. Everywhere we go he has to point out various things, and say, "Wow!!!!" His vocabulary is amazing and gets better everyday. He is a little sponge, and picks up on things so quickly. He is turning in to such an amazing little boy and is completely crazy with energy! He certainly keeps me on my toes, and I never forget for a second how blessed Brian and I are to have him in our lives. He has enriched out lives more than we ever could have expected. He's amazing!

To keep track of a few of the latest milestones, I am going to list some of the latest and greatest!

At 18 months he can say: Mama, Dada, Ball, Car, Juice, Please, That, Hot, Cold, Meow, Ruff, Hi, Wow, Bye, PawPaw, Out, Me, Eat, Water, Yellow, and a ton of letters.

He is fascinated with letters. Everywhere we go he points out the letters. HE is particularly attached to the letters "R," "A," "O," "T," "D," "P," and "E." He is good about actually pointing out the letters "R," and "A."

He LOVES cars, and especially big trucks. Today, we waited for the dump truck to pick up out trash all while hearing him say "WOW!!" :)

He loves cats, and will point them out and say, "Meow" with this cute little scruntched up face. Heh...he gets his love of cats from his Momma. :)

His latest is pointing out Momma and Dada in all of the pictures he sees. He's been pointing out Dada for awhile, but added Momma lately. I've always emphasized Dada because Brian has been gone, so it is so nice that he started Momma on his own. Makes me feel special. :)

He loves to say hi and bye to himself in the mirror everynight when he brushes his teeth. :)

He LOVES to run around naked after his bath! lol He gets THAT from his Daddy. :)

He loves watching Barney, Yo Gabba Gabba, and The Backyardigans.

He gets in to EVERYTHING...ALL THE TIME!!! Hahaha.

He can point out eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, hair, head, feet, toes, belly, hands, and knees.

His favorite song is The Itsy Bitsy Spider and the babies and mommies verses of The Wheels on the Bus.

He loves when I point out the color of things. He will point to something (especially floors with different colors) and wait for me to say the color.

He will not say hello to someone on the phone, but he will say bye.

He loves to "read" anything.

He goes to bed around 8pm and sleeps until around 8-9am. He takes a nap from around 12:30-4pm.

He has 4 molars, 4 bottom teeth, and 4 top teeth.

He has the cutest dimples I have ever seen.

His eyes are still blue and green.

He weighs about 33 pounds and is about 37 inches tall. He wears 3T, and some 4T and a size 6.5/7 shoe.

I'm sure there are a ton of other things that I am leaving out. He is a wonderful little boy. Everyday is an adventure, and we are loving every moment of watching him grow and learn.

We thank God, or the universe, or the spirits that be everyday for allowing us the opportunity to have him in our lives.

Mommy and Daddy love you Brandon!!

I leave you with pictures of our little (big) guy and his half birthday cake! Enjoy!

Updates in Bullets

2009-07-27T19:14:00.001-07:00

There are so many things going on lately! So, to simplify, and prevent my brain from exploding in an attempt to weave everything together, I am going to update in bullet form. Here goes!

-Brandon is almost 18 months old! OMG!!! Where has the time gone?? He is getting SO big, and is learning SO much everyday! He knows SO many words, and loves exploring EVERYTHING....including things he should NOT. I'll update more on him on the 30th when I post a big 18 month update on him. He's wonderful though, and everyday I spend with him is a blessing and a gift that I am forever grateful for. Words cannot express how much I love being a Mommy! :)

-Brian started Warriors Leader Course (WLC) today! He enjoyed his first day and is excited to be learning things new and old. He is counting down the days until he is here! He should be here sometime around mid-September. I am hoping he will be here for our anniversary. It will be the first one that we get to spend together in 3 years. He has been either in the field or deployed for the past two. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

-Speaking of Brian and his job- we found out that the unit he is slated to be stationed with here at Fort Hood is not deploying again until October 2010! So, we are looking at being able to spend a whole year together as a family before he has to leave again. The optimist in me is hoping that by then, everything will be settled and he will not have to deploy again, but I am not going to hold my breath.

-Things at the house are great! B and I are LOVING our space and have adjusted quite well. Our household goods were delivered the week before last, so I have been a busy bee unpacking stuff. There are a number of things that I have had to sell on Craigslist because we have no need for it, or it won't fit in this house. I'm almost done unpacking, but it would be great for me to be able to get rid of our dining set and hutch because it is taking up a ton of room. I am getting rid of the coffee table, desk and a twin mattress and box spring this weekend. So that should free up a lot of space. It will be nice to have my garage back again! :)

-Speaking of the house, the blinds and alarm system were installed last week. The blinds are SO nice! They are wood and have a valance as well. So, that saves me the hassle of having to put up curtains! Hahaha The security system is a great thing, especially with Brian gone all the time. The other sort of update we have done is paint! I painted the living room and hallway a khaki/brown color and it is gorgeous! We have a ton of plans for the house and they will come to fruition as soon as we get the $8000 tax credit for purchasing a house this year. We will be putting in wood floors and ceramic tile to replace the carper and vinyl. Also, crown molding will be installed in the living room. We are also going to get new flat screen tvs mounted to the walls in the living room and B's playroom. The possibilities are endless with a house, and we are loving every minute of it! :) We have a ton more plans that will be accomplished as the funds allow. We're pretty stoked.

-I chose my classes for next semester and will be able to register for them on August 3rd when registration opens up. I start classes on August 31, and cannot WAIT! The only hesitation I have is B starting daycare. I am just so nervous about it. We are still waiting on paperwork from the doctor to be completed before he can be officially registered. Once he is originally registered I will begin transitioning him slowly. Well, that is the plan at least. Depending on when the paperwork is completed, and the registration is completed, he may have to be transitioned a little quicker than I would like. I guess naptime is one of my biggest concerns. I highly doubt that he is going to go to sleep for a stranger...especially on a mat instead of in a crib. We'll see. He always reacts to things way better than I think he will, so let's hope that trend continues!

-Brian and I are going to be Aunt and Uncle for the second time! Beth is expecting her first little one! She finds out her due date on Friday, so that is exciting!

Well, that is about all I can think of for now. I'm sure there is more, but it's getting late and I am sleeeeepy! So, goodnight world! :)

We're HOME!! (and anyone know anything about sod?)

2009-07-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I moved into the new house on Sunday! Yay!!! Too bad Brian left to go back to Germany on Sunday as well. :(

Brandon and I are adjusting to life in the new house quite well. I was worried about him having a hard time with the new surroundings, and not having his extended family around, but he has exceeded my expectations. As always. He LOVES his new playroom. Since our house hold goods aren't here until Saturday, he has been enjoying running around a mostly empty house. He is so cute. His bedroom is all set up, and is looking GREAT! We ordered a new glider, and it will be here tomorrow. One I have that set up, I will take pictures of his room and post them.

As I mentioned, the rest of our house hold goods get here on Saturday. When I get everything unpacked, I will take pictures of the house and post them for you all to see. I cannot WAIT to see all of our stuff again. It has been in storage for almost 18 months. So, it will be like Christmas unpacking everything!! :) Can't WAIT!!

Now on to the sod. We had sod put down on Monday. I have been watering it like a maniac, but it still has spots that are brown. Anyone have any suggestions? I will continue watering like crazy, but since it has decided NEVER to rain in TX, I am SO afraid that our sod is going to die.

Well, I am sure there are a number of other things I could talk about, but I need to go move the sprinkler, and then clean the house a bit. Thanks in advance for any advice on the lawn! :)

June 2009

2009-06-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

This month, or more accurately, summer 2009, has been our family's driving force since the spring of 2008. From the time we found out Brian was deploying, every decision we made, and every move we made was in preparation for summer 2009. When we made it to this summer, we knew that the deployment would be over, that we would soon be together again as a family, and that we would finally be debt free! The last accomplishment was mostly an after-thought, but is exciting nonetheless. Now that the time has arrived, we couldn't be happier. Granted, there have been a few minor changes to the "plan," but we're adjusting nicely.

On June 6th, Brian flew in from Germany to spend a month with us. It has been so great having him home, even if only for a month. Watching Brian and Brandon together is wonderful. The two of them are so silly, and watching them interact and play is amazing. Watching Brian learn all of B's little quirks, and discover how truly amazing B is has been a blessing. We are both falling more and more in love with our son everyday. The dynamic of our family, when we are together, is perfect. We make due when we are apart, but having us all together is such a wonderful feeling. Indescribably really.

In other Hays Family news, we bought our first house!!! We are SO excited to move in!!! It is a brand new, 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house in Killeen, TX. It is way small (only 1350 square feet) but it will work for us. We are already making plans for improvements, and can't wait to make our house a home! Our closing date is scheduled for June 30th, but we are hoping to close by the 26th so we have the weekend of the 27th-28th to move in. As of now, the only thing left to do in the house is the electrical and appliance install, the sod in the front and back yard, and the fence installation. We are waiting on the VA Appraisal, which can take place as soon as the house is mostly complete. Actually, the VA Appraisal can take place as soon as the electrical and appliances are installed, and the fence posts are put in. So, hopefully, our 26th closing date is possible. We were going to have wood laminate floors installed before we moved in, but the quote we got was WAY out of our price range. So, we are going to keep looking. There are a number of projects that we are planning to do with out tax return. For example, we are going to change out the vinyl in the bathrooms and kitchen to ceramic tile, change out the formica countertops to stone, and add a glass tile back splash. If we aren't able to get the laminate installed before we move in, we are also going to do that with our tax return. We cannot wait to make our house a home, and add our personal touch. In the meantime, I will leave you with the pictures we took of the house the day our offer was accepted.

BEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

So, I know this is a "family" blog, and this next post has little to do with our family, BUT I'm telling myself that Brandon will want to know about his Mom's love of music, namely Bush and Gavin Rossdale when he grows up. So, please allow me to gloat a little, and revel in the beauty that was Sunday night!!!

My 26th birthday present from Brian was tickets for Heather and myself to go see Gavin Rossdale!!!!!!!! ACK!!!!! Heather was going mostly just to go, and I was going because it is GAVIN FREAKING ROSSDALE!!!!!!!!! Haha.

A little background- I *LOVE* Gavin Rossdale. Love him. I fell in love with him during the infamous 1997 MTV Spring Break performance of Glycerine. From that moment on, he was it. Like any other teeny-bopper in love with an artist, I had a picture of him above my bed, surrounded by glow in the dark stars. Throughout my adolescence, he was always the favorite. Any new artist that came along never compared to Gavin. Heh. To this day, Gavin is always mentioned as my "it" guy. My celebrity crush. I <3 him!!! lol

Ok, I'm done gushing about him.

Anyway, rewind to a few weeks ago. I was driving home from somewhere, and heard that he was going to be at the House of Blues in May. So, I looked it up, and decided that I was going. I didn't care if I went alone, or if someone wanted to go with me. I was going. Brian decided to buy the tickets for me and Heather as my birthday gift, and the deal was done.

Sunday around 4, we pull up next to House of Blues and notice a bus. I joked that it was Gavin's bus, but didn't believe that it was. Heather and I had the valet park the car and we went to find the venue. We expected there to be a long line of people waiting for the concert since it started 3 hours later, but there was nobody there! So, we went down to the House of Blues restaurant to have dinner. After dinner, we went back up to the concert area, and there were 3 people in line. We sat down and held our place in line for the next 2 hours. While in line, we discovered that the bus WAS Gavin's and that he had come out of the bus and some of the people sitting next to us were able to get autographs and pictures with him! I was SOOOO jealous!!! Haha Once they opened the doors, Heather and I were able to get FRONT AND CENTER!!!!! The microphone was literally RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!! It was perfect!!!! The opening band, Nico Vega, came onstage around 8-ish. They were really good! I was pleasantly surprised. Then, after Nico Vega's performance, they took a few minutes to set up the stage for Gavin. I swear it seemed like it took an eternity. Finally, the curtain opened, and Gavin came on stage. It was an AMAZING concert! He played a great variety of songs including Bush songs, solo songs, and songs from Institute. During the performance, he climbed onto the railing RIGHT next to Heather and I and - yes, I did the typical teeny-bopper thing, and touched him! Awesome! Can I just say that Gavin has the hottest abs imaginable?!?! Heather noticed that his wristband (that he had thrown on the stage when it started to fall off) was stuck to his shoe. So, she grabbed it, and gave it to me. How awesome is my sister?!?! :) There were many times during the concert that he made eye contact with me, and at one point focused and was singing....ack!!! It was awesome!!!! After the show, Heather and I ran out to be near the bus in case he was able to sign autographs and take pictures. Heather was convinced that he wouldn't be out for at least an hour, but he came out shortly after we got there! He walked RIGHT PAST ME!!! As he walked past, I asked if I could have a picture, and he said (something along these lines), "Yeah, just a second. I have to go get something really fast." ACK!!!!!!! Gavin Rossdale TALKED TO ME!!!!!!! Hahahaha. His manager came out and told us all to wait along the wall and that Gavin would give everyone an autograph and picture. So, obviously, we waited! :) I was able to get TWO pictures with Gavin and an autograph. I made sure to tell him that it was my very first concert experience, ever, and that it was a birthday present from my husband who was in Iraq. (Ok, so that was a shameless use of Brian's service, but whatever.) Then, we proceeded to have a small conversation. Here's the breakdown:

Me: "This is my first concert ever, and is a gift from my husband who is in Iraq."
Gavin: "Oh really? When is he coming home?"
Me: "Two weeks!"
Gavin: "Oh, and then he will be home for good?"
Me: "No, he has to go back to Germany in a month because that is where his unit is stationed at."
Gavin: "You know, I never understood that. Why are there bases in Germany?"
Me: "I don't know. Leftover from WWII I assume."
Gavin: "Yeah, I know, but why are they still there?"
Me: "I don't know."
Gavin: "Yeah, I just don't get it."
Me: "Me either, but they are closing a lot of them."
Gavin: "Good."

Hahahahaha.....I am such a nerd. There was a little more conversation, but I can't recall what was said. I got 2 pictures and an autograph! It was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a slideshow of pics from the concert. Please excuse my hair. It is a hot mess thanks to Houston humidity. I swear it was cuter before the show! Hahaha

Parenting Technique vs. Luck

2009-05-15T19:02:00.001-07:00

I must preface this post with a disclaimer stating that I do not intend to judge anyone on their parenting style, beliefs, or opinions. I am NOT an expert, and in no way, shape, or form is this post intended to suggest as such. This post is merely a means for me to take stock of myself, and note things that work and don't work for my son and my family. I understand that every child is different, and responds to situations based on their own unique personalities. I am basing this entire post off of my "vast" 15 month experience with motherhood (please note obvious sarcasm) and the things I have learned along the way. So, again, please try not to take offense to this post, and feel free to comment.

This evening, I was blown away by my son's willingness to follow instruction with little prompting. Yet again. From Brandon's birth, I have always voiced how Brian and I "hit the baby jackpot." He has always taken to every change so well, and has just generally been an easy going kid. Even despite my fears of whatever transition we are faced with, Brandon always exceeds my expectations. I am always so worried that he is going to not take well to whatever changes he has to adapt to, and am always so pleasantly surprised by his adaptability. Brian and I claim to be "lucky" and "lottery winners," but I question how much is luck, and how much is parenting technique. Granted, as I mentioned above, every child is different, and I am aware of this. However, I do believe that there are basics that, if in place, can help deflect some of the stress associated with parenting.

I believe that predictability and schedule are essential to parenting. Not only do I believe they are essential, I believe they are really the foundation of parenting and without them, it is quite easy to get "lost" for lack of a better term. From my own personal experience in parenting, and assisting with parenting some friend's children, I have learned that getting a child on a schedule they are familiar with and WORKS for THEM is vital. I believe that children thrive on predictability and routine. Now, obviously, some people take this to the extreme and do not allow any flexibility in the schedule and that is counterproductive. Brandon has had the same basic schedule since about a month old. It took that long to figure out what he was comfortable with, and what worked best for him. There have been changes to this schedule, obviously, as he has grown and developed. I believe that since he KNOWS his routine and knows what to expect, it has paid off. For example, this evening went as follows:

-dinner, bath, nightly hygiene, snuggle time in the rocking chair with his milk and a story.

After which, he was able to put his own cup in the sink, give Grandma and Grandpa a hug and kiss night-night, go to his room where he stood by his crib while I turned on his lullaby CD and then reached for me to put him in his crib but not without Mommy's hug and kiss goodnight. All of that is with very little prompting. I simply ask him if he is ready to put his cup in the sink and say night-night. The rest is all him. Furthermore, this is not the first night that he has done this. He has been doing this for weeks, and every night I am filled with pride for him and his great behavior. Again, I do believe that his willingness to follow the schedule is because he KNOWS what to expect. Now, the luck aspect may be that I have never had to "drill" any of this in to him. I simply started the schedule before he was mobile, and he just kept with the same schedule now that he is running around like a crazy toddler. I am aware that he IS in fact a crazy toddler, and he is not perfect (well, to me he is...haha) and he does typical toddler things....like running around the house naked because he figured out how to take his diaper off. I just think that the predictability of our routine has directly influenced his ability to start initiating some of the items on our regularly scheduled agenda.

Another basic I believe is essential is consistency. I've recently made changes to his routine that I thought were going to throw him off, and cause a tantrum, but was pleasantly surprised when it took very little if any transition. I started taking him with me to the gym daycare and it was a disaster the first day. The gym daycare was my precursor to when he has to start daycare full time in July. I geared up for a long, hard road to a peaceful daycare schedule. I began going to the gym regularly, with the intent to work out for a minimum of an hour; however, prepared to leave if he couldn't calm down. Imagine my surprise when after the third time he went, he didn't cry. He didn't shed a single tear, and when I checked in on him halfway through the workout, he was LAUGHING and PLAYING with the other kids!!! It was amazing to me. I was so proud of him, as was Brian when I told him. Again, I attribute this behavior to consistency. However, as important as I belive consistency is, I struggle with it in terms of discipline. I am unsure as to how to discipline Brandon. Brian and I know that we are anti-spank. (that may be controversial, please refer to disclaimer again) While we are anti-spank, we are not COMPLETELY against spanking if it is the only thing that Brandon responds to. We haven't really gotten that far yet. We haven't really gotten to any "hard" part of discipline yet. Everything he does is age appropriate, and we don't see a point in spanking him for acting his age. He is exploring the world that he lives in, and while we don't allow him to run rampant and destroy everything, we do allow him the independence to safely learn cause and effect. Even if that means we have a mess to clean up. Messes are not a big deal to us. It is more important for him to explore and learn things then it is for us to have to spend an extra 10 minutes cleaning something up. Now, that being said, we don't give him crayons and let him run around the house. The result of that behavior is crayons on walls, furniture, and anything else within toddler reach. Instead, we give him crayons in his high chair for now, and as he learns the concept of crayons (as we just introduced them) we will allow him a bit more SUPERVISED freedom. As precaution, the crayons are washable, so that helps too. :) Brandon does get the occasional swat on the hand if he is deliberately misbehaving (touching something he KNOWS he isn't supposed to while STARING at my as I warn him not to touch). We just don't feel comfortable spanking Brandon, yet telling him that he is not allowed to hit. It just doesn't sit well with us. There has to be a better, less degrading way. Again, I reiterate that we have not experienced much "hard" behavior yet, so I am not claiming to be an expert in this field. I have admitted to struggling in the consistency department as sometimes I will use redirection, and other times I will take something away without redirecting, and others I will smack his hand. I use my "Stern Mommy Voice" and sometimes I feel as if it comes across as too harsh. Sometimes I feel like my stern voice is more of a yell than a calm stern voice. I am contributing that to the fact that I was raised with yelling, so it is natural to me. I work on this, and do feel guilty when I raise my voice to him and he cries. I don't want him to be afraid of my punishment. Obviously, I believe a healthy level of fear is necessary in parenting; however, I don't believe that fear should be based on fear of punishment. I believe the fear should be of dissappointment, and understanding their own lack of responsibility. How to balance on this fine line, I am not sure. I just know that I always want Brandon to know that he can come to us when he has made a mistake and not be afraid that he are going to physically or mentally hurt him. We never want to hurt him. We want to instill values and morals that provide the compass for him to make his decisions, and when he falls short of his responsibilities (as we KNOW he will) he is aware of how his actions affect others as well as himself. We want him to be self-motivated and make his decisions as to not let HIMSELF down, as well as us as parents. Now, all of this sounds great, but like I mentioned before, I am NOT sure how to GET to this place. I suppose trial and error is in order.

I am sure that there are more basics that I believe are essential, but I am REALLY tired and if I go on any further I am sure I will stop making much sense. Not to mention, this post is already rather long, and I doubt that many will read the entire thing anyway. Before I close this post, I want to restate my intentions. Again, this blog was NOT AT ALL meant to point fingers or judge anyone on their parenting techniques. Obviously, there are differences of opinion and that is what makes our jobs as parents so wonderful and confusing. I have many friends that do things completely different from how I would do them. I know many people that co-sleep with their child. Brian and I are against co-sleeping in the sense that we wanted to establish a solid ability for Brandon to sleep in his own room, by himself. This example is particularly important to me because as happy as I am that Brandon can sleep 12+ hours in his crib every night, I am a little saddened by the fact that I can't put him in bed with me and have either of us sleep well. He tosses and turns too much to sleep with us, and sometimes I just want to snuggle him. :) So, while I am happy with my decision, I am jealous of the snuggle time you co-sleepers get! Haha. Perhaps when he is a little older, I can let him sleep with us on occasion. I am also all for co-sleeping when they are sick. Luckily, Brandon hasn't really been sick to where he has symptoms that make him so uncomfortable it hinders his sleep. So, I do think that if he gets sick and wants to sleep with us, we will let him. I guess the point of giving this example is that nothing is ever cut and dry, and that the ability for a variety of view points is one of the beauties of parenting.

Anyway...my eyelids are getting heavy. So, I am off to bed! Goodnight!

Funny Brandon Video

2009-05-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hahaha, he is SO funny! Who knew that kids could make you laugh so much. :)

Our Family Earth Day Resolutions

2009-04-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about Earth Day yesterday, and how I should have Brandon and I celebrate this day. I thought of the stereotypical things that we could do to better our planet, like plant a tree, and recycle. While these actions are monumentally beneficial, they are not practical for our situation right now, as we live with my parents and cannot force them to recycle, or plant a tree in their yard without permission. So, as a tribute to Earth day, and in an effort to make the world a better place, I am compiling a list of resolutions that we, the Hays family will begin to do to better our planet. I realize that the small steps that we take as a family will not drastically change the world, but it is my hope that we can raise Brandon and our future children to be aware that every little bit helps. Perhaps educating our children about the reality of pollution, and the impact that it has on our planet will bring them up to make smarter decisions and do their best to become part of a generation that aims to better the treatment of our globe. As a family, we will implement these resolutions when we move this Summer, and hope to continue to take steps to learn everything we can to be environmentally conscious. So, here are the steps that we vow to take in order to help better our environment.

1. Start recycling when we move to Killeen.
2. Plant a tree (or a few) in the yard at our new home.
3. Use our cloth bags EVERY time we go shopping. (We always forget we have them.)
4. Use all CFL lightbulbs in our home.
5. Buy each of us a reusable mug/thermos/water bottle instead of using styrofoam or plastic bottles.
6. Learn about and use cleaning products that do not contain chemicals.
7. Buy a water aerator to conserve water.
8. Buy a water filter or pitcher instead of buying bottled water.
9. Buy all Energy Star appliances for our new home, evenutally of course.
10. Use cloth towels instead of paper napkins.
11. Buy a water heater insulator to reduce the amount of electricity used to heat our water.
12. When we paint the new house, we will use no VOC paints.
13. Buy low-flow shower heads for all of the showers in our home.
14. Try to be aware of the amount that we drive and attempt to combine outings.
15. Reduce our junk mail by joining www.41pounds.org.
16. Use reusable plastic containers for food storage instead of buying pre-packaged foods/snacks.
17. Start having a "Meatless Monday" in order to reduce the amount we contribute to the processing of animals and the energy that it consumes.
18. Try to eat/buy foods that are the least processed to reduce the amount of energy that is put into the processing of foods.
19. Start a small vegetable garden at the new house to reduce our carbon footprint and to eat healthy produce. This activity will also bring our family together and allow us to have a common interest.
20. Put all of our appliances on Smart Strip Power Strips and turn them off when we are not home.
21. Install a programmable thermostat in the new house.
22. Look into obaining electricity from a 100% renewable Electric company.
23. Become more aware of the amount of electricty that we use by making sure that we turn off lights when we are not in the room.
24. Keep our cars tuned and well maintained to reduce their emissions as much as possible.
25. Regularly change our filter in our air conditioner.
26. Weather strip any window or door in the new house to ensure there is no air leak.

These are steps that our family is vowing to do to reduce our carbon footprint on the environment. We hope that by taking these steps, we can help create a better, healthier world for the future generations of our family and yours.

Easter!!!!!!!

2009-04-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

It's Easter time! I remember this time last year, we were celebrating Brandon's first Easter. It seems like SO long ago! :) This year, he will be much more active in the Easter festivities. He LOVES to put things "in" anything. So, the Easter egg hunt should be a blast.

Today, Grandma and I took Brandon to get his picture taken with the Easter Bunny. I was really worried that he would freak out when he sat in the Bunny's lap, but he did really well. He has recently developed a tendency to be scared of things, so I was relieved when he smiled for the camera. He started to get a little creeped out for a second, but when he looked at me, he smiled and was fine the rest of the time. I am adding the pictures at the bottom of this post. He wore an ADORABLE little suit. Of course, I bought it, and he will only wear it for Easter before he cannot wear it again. Houston is too hot for him to be wearing a blazer. Oh well. It was SUPER cute, and I waited too long so most stores were sold out of the Easter outfits. He is seriously the cutest baby boy on the face of the planet! Not to brag or anything (but I'm going to brag, heh) but we get stopped on a daily basis by people that just love him, and we get SO many comments on how adorable he is. He gets compliments on his eyes, and cheeks the most. He perpetuates the complimentsby hamming it up for everyone and waving, laughing and smiling. :) I am not biased or anything, but I have to agree that he is the cutest baby EVER!

Tomorrow, we are going to bake and decorate Spring/Easter sugar cookies. I bought some Spring-ish sprinkles, and we will see how many end up on the cookies. Heh, it should be fun. Then, we are going to dye Easter eggs. I doubt that we will be interested in the cookie decorating, and egg dyeing, but he will surely appreciate eating the cookies and eggs. Not together of course. :)

Sunday we are having a little Easter celebration. He will get his Easter basket from Mommy and Daddy Sunday morning. We got him a huge basket and filled it with puzzles, books, sidewalk chalk, colorwonder markers and paper, and some other toys. He can't really have candy yet, but we did get him a chocolate Easter Bunny. We also got some m&ms, but he won't get to eat much of the chocolate. Grandma and Grandpa Bennett got him a new swingset for Easter. He outgrew the one they got him for Christmas, and since he LOVES to be outside, a swingset was appropriate. Grandma and Grandpa put it together today, and he will get to play on it tomorrow. I am so excited for him! He is going to LOVE it!

Now, as far as pictures of Easter are concerned, I will post them as I take them. Perhaps I will make a little slideshow of all of the Easter pictures, we'll see. For now, I will share Brandon's picture with the Easter Bunny. :) Too cute.

Wow....we are going to be BUSY!

2009-04-04T19:20:00.001-07:00

I just posted the R&R blog, but I need to post a general update on our little familia.

Where to begin...

Well, after Brian's R&R, I had to turn my focus to figuring out what courses I needed to register for this Summer. In order to do that, I needed to call Tarleton State University in Killeen, TX and have them draft a tentative degree plan for me since Tarleton is where I was planning to go to school in the event we got stationed at Fort Hood. After submitting my list of courses I have already completed and speaking with the advisor, I discovered that the earliest I will be able to graduate is the Spring of 2012! The reason it is going to take so long is because Tarleton only offers the education classes in 4 class blocks, and there are 4 blocks. These blocks are only offered in the Fall and Spring semesters. So, after finishing up all of my undergrad and lower grad level classes, the earliest I would be able to start my education classes would be the Fall of 2010. Brian is scheduled to get out of the military in the Fall of 2011. So, we needed to do some decision making and decide what the next step was. After discussing with him the details of my school plan, we made the decision that he needed to re-enlist. We decided that he would re-enlist for 4 years (which will start the day he signs his enlistment papers) for an additional 2 years and 2 months added to his original enlistment. This will put him getting out of the Army in April of 2013. The benefit to this is that once I start teaching, we will have 8 or 9 months to put his salary in savings. Another benefit to him re-enlisting is that he will be able to choose his next duty station, so he can be guaranteed Fort Hood! That will take a TON of uncertainty our of the next couple of months. In the end, him re-enlisting is what is best for our family. So, that is the decision that we have made.

We found out yesterday that his re-enlistment and request for Fort Hood is approved. So, he is officially re-enlisting for another 4 years, with a guarantee of Fort Hood as his next duty station. Plus, he gets a $5,500 bonus! Yay!!! Things are really falling into place!

Another decision that we have recently made is to purchase a home in Fort Hood as opposed to renting a home. With the new $8,000 tax credit and the other benefits to home ownership, we just cannot justify throwing our money away in rent. Initially, I was really hesitant to this idea. I just did not see how it would be possible to purchase a home before July, especially with Brian only being home for the month of June, and me being in school all day Monday through Thursday while he is here. After some thinking, and discussing with Brian, we realized that it made no sense for us to move to Fort Hood and sign a lease, just to turn around and have to break the lease because we purchased a home. It is also ridiculous to move twice in a 6 month period. The new tax credit is only good for homes purchased before November 1, 2009. So, we needed to make the decision to buy a home, and start the process as soon as possible. So, Friday, I spoke to a real estate agent, and started our journey to home ownership. The tentative plan is to narrow down houses that we are interested in as per the weekly emails we will be receiving from the realtor. The realtor has our search criteria, and will send us an email containing the homes that match our needs. From there, we will narrow it down to a few houses that we are really interested in. After the first week of May, I will have a 3 week break from school, and I plan to go out to Fort Hood to look at the houses that we have chosen. I will then take more pictures, and have my parents look at the houses as well to make sure that we are not leaving out anything important. I cannot stress enough how lucky we are to have family members in the housing industry to help us out with buying our first home! Then, after we have narrowed it down to a few houses, when Brian comes in June, we will make our selection, and make our offer(s). We are hoping to close by the end of June, so that I can start the moving process by July. So, that is huge! We are both SO excited!!!!!

So, these next couple of months are sure to be very busy and exciting for us. In addition to all of the changes and events that are going to be taking place, we also will be starting Brandon in daycare. I am extremely nervous about putting him in daycare, but I am also excited for him. It is important for me to make sure that we are at Fort Hood with enough time for him to be transitioned into daycare. The poor guy is going to be going through so much that to just throw him into daycare may be a bit much for him, and for me. He is going to have to deal with having Brian home for a month, then gone again. Then we will be moving away from the only home that he knows, and he will not be seeing his grandparents everyday like he is used to. Plus, he is going to be in a new home, and new environment, so that is going to be a big adjustment for him. So, to just put him in daycare worries me. So, the plan for that is to slowly introduce him into daycare. To start off with, I will be with him at daycare, then I will leave him there for a short time and gradually increase the length of time that he is there. Hopefully, that will make that transition easier for him. I am very nervous about it. Yikes!

So, the goal for the next 3 months is to buy a house, go to school full time in June, get moved and set up at Fort Hood, get Brandon enrolled in daycare, and get registered at the school there. Whew! I can't wait!!!!!!!!!! :)

R&R

2009-03-30T09:36:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, Brian was recently home for R&R! He was home from March 3-22, and we had an AMAZING time together! I will start from the beginning....

Sunday evening (March 1), Brian called to tell me his flight arrangements. He was scheduled to land in Dallas early Tuesday morning (March 3) and was to catch a connecting flight and arrive in Houston sometime Tuesday afternoon. Impatient as we are, Brian's parents and I decided that we would leave Houston at 2am on Tuesday morning to meet him when he landed in Dallas. The original idea was that Brandon would just sleep in the car. Wow, were we wrong! Brandon decided that he did NOT need to go back to sleep, so he was awake the entire almost 5 hour drive from Houston to Dallas. When we arrived in Dallas, we had to figure out what terminal we were to pick Brian up in, and finally were able to get situated at the gate to wait for him. Shortly after we arrived at the airport, Brian's family in Dallas showed up to help us welcome him home. We were fortunate to only have to wait a short time before the plane landed and soldiers started trickling through the gate. It seemed like the entire plan deboarded before Brian came through the gate. FINALLY, he came through, and immediately I started tearing up and jumped on him! I was SO excited to see him! He said hello to Brandon, who was wearing his adorable "Welcome Home Daddy I Missed You" shirt, and then proceeded to say hello to the rest of the family. He was quite shocked to hold Brandon for the first time. The last time Brian held Brandon, he weighed only 16 pounds, and he now weighs in at close to 35 pounds. After the initial hello, we all decided to get some breakfast. After a lovely breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we headed back to Houston. Another 5 hour drive that Brandon decided he did not need sleep. He did fall asleep for about an hour toward the end of the drive, but overall, he didn't sleep much.

That evening, Brian and I had dinner reservations Maggiano's Little Italy and hotel reservations at The Westin at the Galleria. We enjoyed a beautiful evening of wonderful food, drinks, and music at Maggiano's and then went back to the gorgeous Westin. Around 8am the next morning, my mom called to tell us that Brandon was not feeling well the night before, and suggested that we make a doctor appointment for him. I got up and called his pediatrician, and we got an appointment for that afternoon. When Brian woke up, he was regretting his three drink the night before. He had quite a headache, and was not feeling too good. After some asprin, toast, water and rest, he felt better. We checked out and went to lunch before heading home to take Brandon to the doctor. Brandon ended up having a cold and was prescribed a decongestant. The rest of the day was spent hanging out.

That following weekend, Brian and I had a date night out, and we had a lovely visit with Brian's Grandpa, Aunt Debbie, and Uncle Ralph. Saturday evening, we had a date night planned. We had reservations at the Intercontinental hotel in the Galleria area, and were planning on having dinner and margaritas at Cafe Adobe, and follow up with drinks and games at Dave and Busters. Dinner and margaritas were amazing. Then, we headed over to Dave and Busters was a huge disappointment. We were under the impression that it was for 18 and up, but apparently if you ar with your parents, you can be there. So, the place was swarming with kids, and packed with people. So, all of the games had a ridiculous wait, and we were tripping over kids that were being left unattended because their parents were losers. I mean, really, who takes their kids to an adult arcade and keeps them out after 11pm? Craziness. The next morning, we went to visit Brian's Dad's side of the family. We visited with Brian's Uncle Ralph, Aunt Debbie, and Grandpa. One of the anticipated events of that gathering was getting a generation picture. It was so great to get a picture of the 4 generations of the Hays men. We all sat around and caught up on our lives, and just generally hung out. It was a very great day.

Yet another outing we had planned for Brian's R&R was a trip to Fort Hood. Brian was recently promoted to Sgt., and since I was not there to pin his new rank on him, we wanted to drive out to Fort Hood to buy some rank. Brian also wanted to eat at his favorite mexican restaurant there, and we wanted to drive around and narrow down the areas that we wanted to live in when and if we are stationed there. It started out to be a horrible trip because it was downpouring when we left Houston. About an hour into our drive, the rain stopped, and things were looking better. It was still FREEZING though. We had a great time at Clothing and Sales, and then went looking for areas that we wanted to live in. We met some friends in the area for dinner. We met with Seth and Jen James. Jen had twins 2 days after Brandon was born, so it was SO great to meet her babies and for her to meet Brandon. After a wonderful dinner, we headed home. We had an awesome time in Killeen.

The rest of R&R was spent doing random things that we wanted to do. We took Brandon to see the animals at the Bear Creek Park, and then took him for his first ice cream sundae. Brian got a "Mom" tattoo, we went shopping, rented movies and ordered pizza, and spent time together. I think my favorite memories of R&R were every night when we put Brandon to bed. Brian read Brandon a bedtime story while I rocked him and he drank his milk. Then, we both took him to his room, gave him hugs and kisses, told him that we love him, and put him to bed. It was such a sweet time spent together. We had such a great time!

He left Sunday March 22. It was sad to see him go, but fortunately he will be home again in June for a month. Then, he has to go back to Germany until the beginning of September. We just can't wait to have him home for a considerable amount of time.

Opinions please!

2009-03-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

I am having a bit of a disagreement, and would like some opinions for clarification. Please feel free to chime in!

The question:
Are all babies blessings?

For example, if a 16 year old girl gets pregnant, is her baby a blessing? Now, I admit that the initial fear a 16 year old must be faced with when she discovers she is pregnant is probably overwhelming. I acknowledge that fear, and understand the gravity of it. I am well aware that the situation is not ideal, and that she will have to figure out the financial aspect and a number of other responsibilities will need to be addressed. That being said, does that make her baby any less of a blessing?

What about the woman that has 5 kids and is on welfare and gets pregnant with her 6th child? Is that baby a blessing as well? Understandably the baby will be another baby supported by welfare, but is the baby any less of a blessing?

I suppose my point is, that the situation set aside, the circumstances aside, is the BABY any less a blessing because the circumstances are not ideal?

I guess I ask this because I feel that all babies are blessings. The mere fact that an innocent, beautiful baby is created overshadows the fact that the situation may not be the best. I am aware that not everyone is going to be excited about having a baby, but I cannot see how it makes the baby any less than a miracle. I believe that if one does not want to conceive a child, don't. I know that accidents happen, condoms break, some are not responsible enough to take their birth control, etc. However, there are WAY too many people that are damned with infertility for me to consider that babies are anything less than a miracle.

Also, it is not the baby's fault that they were conceieved when the timing isn't right. Why should that baby be forced to hear how they "ruined everything," or "forced [the parent] to grow up," or "is the reason [the parent] didn't have a normal teenage life or money for this, or whatever.

What do you all think?

B's first haircut!

2009-03-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

I know that I haven't posted any pics from Brian's R&R, but I want to wait until he leaves to gather a good collection of the best pics to share. I don't want to gloss over today's big event though. Today we had Brandon's hair cut for the first time!! His hair has been really long for awhile now, but I had been waiting for Brian to come home so he could participate in one of B's "firsts." So, today was the big day! Brian's family has been going to the same hair stylist, Edith, for over 20 years, so we took B to her for his first hair cut. It was quite sad watching her cut his hair. His hair is so soft and gorgeous! I LOVE his little curls, so Edith was given strict orders to leave the curls and just trim his bangs a little and trim a little off the length. His hair needed to be trimmed to keep it out of his eyes, so I am glad that it is done, but I miss my little baby! He looks like such a little man now. He still has the curls though! I made sure of that. Anyway, here are some pictures:

Sitting in Daddy's lap!

My two boys.

Daddy keeping B entertained.

Mommy and Daddy's big boy!

Before our world gets a little crazy......

2009-02-28T10:37:00.001-08:00

Brian is on his way home for R&R, so the next couple of weeks are going to be kind of crazy. It is definitely going to be the good kind of crazy though.

Speaking of Brian, let me share a little update on him. He was officially pinned Sgt yesterday!!! He went to the board on February 3rd, and passed. Then, he had to wait until the promotion points for February came out and once they did, we knew that he was going to be promoted. As of yesterday, he was pinned by his unit, and he is now Sgt. Brian J. Hays!!!! We are SO proud of him!!! He has definitely earned this promotion as nothing in the Army has come easy to him. So, his hard work, patience, and studying has paid off. Yay Brian!!!! :)

In my news, I'm still trucking along in school. I am taking Fitness for Life, US History II, Biology, and Ancient Literature. The fitness and History class are pretty easy. Biology is not too bad, and the Literature class isn't too bad either. Biology is a lot of technical, and complicated words, and Literature is a TON of reading REALLY BORING material. I am doing ok this semester, but doubt that I will be making all A's and a B like I did last semester. Oh well. I'm just trying to make it through as quickly as possible so I can start teaching. Other than school, there really isn't much else going on in my life besides taking care of B and waiting for Brian to come home.

Brandon news is good. He is getting bigger by the day! He has learned a ton of new tricks, so I doubt I will remember them all. For starters, he knows what it means when I say, "Can I change your diaper?" He walks over to his changing table. Haha. He HATES having a dirty diaper, so I suppose this is the main reason, and I doubt that it will last long, but it is cute while it lasts. He dances ALL the time, and when he is holding something in his hand and I ask him to shake it, he bounces his little tushy. :) SOOOO cute. He is understanding SO many new things. He started pointing to things, and points ALL the time now. He LOVES when I chase him around the house, and loves to tackle me. The smile on his face when I am dodging him is priceless. His best friend is still Leia the beagle. They play chase all the time, and it never gets old to him. He is just beginning to hold my hand to walk places instead of having to be held, although we move at a snail's pace. It is precious when we walk hand in hand. It is moments like these that I want to remember forever, as I know that he is getting big fast and I am going to miss these moments. He is perfect, and we love him more each day.

Well, to close this post, I am going to share a couple of pictures of Brandon's new rain coat that Nana and Papa sent him. It is a fire truck rain coat, so it fits him perfectly! :) It is a 3T and it FITS!!! lol Can you believe it?!? :)

It's been awhile....

2009-02-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

My last blog was February 2, so it has been awhile since I have updated anyone on life in Hays-land.

There really isn't too much going on.

The day after B's 1 year check up the pedi called with some interesting news. She referred us to a pediatric urologist. She didn't really give us a reason. It is common for circumcisions to cause minor complications that aren't easily noticed. So, based on my own vast medical knowledge (note the sarcasm), it appears that it is one of three conditions. I also discovered in my research (heh) that 2 of the 3 conditions are corrected with surgery, the 3rd condition corrects itself. The pediatrician recommened Texas Children's Hospital which is a world renowned hospital. Naturally, I called them as soon as I got off the phone with the pediatrician. Brandon was scheduled to see one of their pediatric urologists on February 23rd barring the approval of the referral. Lovely, wonderful Tricare did NOT approve the referral to the pediatric urologist with Texas Children's Hospital. Instead, we got a referral to a pediatric urologist in Pasadena, an HOUR away. Ugh. On top of that, they gave me the WRONG contact information for this doctor. When I FINALLY got in touch with him, Brandon was given an appointment date of March 19th. It is all so irritating. I just want him to be seen so I know if there is anything wrong, and if he will need surgery.

The whole thing was rather shocking. I kind of jinxed us though. This was the first well-baby check up that we had gone to and gotten a clean bill of health, and not the chance of a scary health problem. I was so excited about a great appointment and even said to Brian, "Yay, finally a well-baby appointment with no scares!" I guess I should have known better than to say anything. :)

I know I joke about how B has had "health scares" at every appointment, but we have been truly blessed with all of those potential scares ending up as false alarms. Brandon is definitely a healthy baby, and for that Brian and I are grateful. We both are aware of how blessed we are to have a healthy baby boy.

Speaking of the health of our family, Emily had a vet appointment the other day. We were concerned because she has a lump growing on her belly. It started out as a small lump about the size of a half dollar and has grown to about the size of a golf ball. The vet did a test on some cells from the lump and believes that it is just fatty tissue, so nothing major. We were so relieved! We could opt to have it removed, but with a cost of $850, I think we will wait awhile and see if it continues to grow. So, Emily is healthy too!

In other Hays family news, Brian's R&R is coming up! I am not going to say any specific dates due to operational security, but we both CANNOT WAIT!!!! It is going to be so neat to see Brian and Brandon interact again. I'm sure initially there will be some hesitance, but I have every confidence that Brandon will take to Brian rather quickly. Brandon is a very accepting, easy going baby. So, I'm sure that he will roll with it. The thought of Brian coming home so soon gives me butterflies! It has been SO long since I have seen him! I am seriously about to burst with excitement!

Speaking of Brian, he went to the board on Feburary 3rd and PASSED!!!! SO, he will hopefully be getting promoted to Sgt at the end of the month!!! I am SO proud of him! He studied really hard, and spent a bunch of time practicing everythine he needed to in order to be ready, and all of the stress and hard work was worth it! The best part about him passing his board was hearing the pride in his voice. He was so proud of himself! He doubted himself, but I never did. I always knew that he could do anything he set his mind to! I am so proud of him!!!

There isn't really much going on in my part of the family. I am just trucking through school, trying to do the best I can. I'm still loving being a Mommy, and enjoying every second I have being a stay at home Mommy. I keep thinking about what it is going to be like when Brian comes home and Brandon has to be in daycare all day. The thought scares me, and makes me want to savor this time I have with Brandon.

I think that is pretty much everything. I apologize that this blog is kind of choppy, but my brain is all over the place. :) Until next time.....

12 Month Appointment and Portraits

2009-02-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

Today was Brandon's 1 year checkup! He is getting SO big!!! His stats are:

Weight: 29 pounds 15 ounces (1 ounce shy of 30 pounds)
Height: 33 1/4 inches (almost 3 feet!!)

He has met and exceeded all of his developmental milestones, and is doing wonderfully. He has been given the green light on all foods!! So, I am going to make a shopping list and start him on some fun stuff soon! The pediatrician was happy with his development and was not concerned with his head circumference. If anyone remembers from his 9 month well-baby check up, she was concerned about the growth of head. She ordered ultrasounds and they came back ok. She still wanted to plot the growth at the 1 year check up to see the curve on the growth chart. All is well with that. He got 2 shots today. He was supposed to get 4 shots and a TB test, but I am splitting up the shots. So, on the 16th he will get the other 2 shots and the TB test. He was very unhappy with me after the shots and made sure he told me all about it. He quickly forgave me when I handed him the sippy cup. So, an excellent doctor's appointment!

He also had his monthly appointment with Mrs. Jennifer at the portrait studio. She had a whole party set up for him! She bought him a cupcake and got him some balloons and streamers. It turned out really cute! She also made him into Baby Cupid, which is absolutely adorable! My favorite picture is the nakey one. I just love his tummy! :) I made a little slideshow of the pics. Enjoy!

Some entertaining pictures...

2009-02-01T08:21:00.001-08:00

I have been a little camera happy since Brandon's birthday. In the process I have gotten some really funny/cute pictures. So, I thought I would share....

His birthday cupcakes....

His special cupcake...

I went into his room shortly after midnight on the 30th to take an official birthday picture. The flash woke him up. He always wakes up in a good mood....notice the awesome bed head.

Mmmm....funfetti and rainbow chip cupcakes....

We went to Papasitos for dinner. They did the little birthday song thing...he was NOT a fan of the hat...

His famous "Lemon face."

Of course, what would a birthday be without jokes from Mommy?

1 year old already?!

2009-01-29T23:24:00.000-08:00

It isn't quite the time of Brandon's birth, but I am going to post a birthday blog now.

At 12:22pm January 30, 2008, Brian and I welcomed our son, Brandon into the world. That day was filled with such joy and excitement. I cannot even believe that a year has already gone by! I can still remember how scare Brian and I were when we found out that I needed a c-section. I only vaguely remember Brandon's actual birth because I was on so much medication. I do remember crying when I heard Brandon cry for the first time. After my time in recovery, I was reunited with Brian and Brandon. Due to the side effects of the medication, I was extremely shaky, but as soon as I held Brandon for the first time, I stopped shaking. It was such an amazing feeling, holding my son for the first time. He was so perfect. I was overwhelmed with love and seeing him made me realize how truly blessed Brian and I were. There is not a day that goes by that I do not thank God for giving us a healthy baby. Brandon has filled our lives with so much love and has given us such wonderful memories. He brightens everyday with his smile and energy. Watching him grow this past year has been wonderful! He has grown so much and learns something new everyday. He never ceases to amaze us. So, Happy 1st Birthday Brandon! Mommy and Daddy love you SO much!!!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Last year at 9:15pm CST (so, 4:15am 1/30/08 in Germany)......

2009-01-29T19:55:00.000-08:00

I was having my water broken. After no progress on the cydotec and pitocin, the doctors decided to break my water. They had to do it carefully because Brandon was not low enough in my pelvis. They were concerned about cord compression, but it was successful.

THIS is where it started getting interesting. Around 5:30am Germany time, I got my epidural. What a joke. It never worked. Ever. Despite "boosts" to the medication, and completely changing out the medication with a narcotic based medication, the pain still persisted. To say that it sucked, or that it was painful is the understatement of the century. At that point, I was on the maximum dose of pitocin, so breaking my water brought my contractions on HARD and FAST.

Yeah, it was bad. Not fun AT ALL.

I will post a final "This time last year" blog tomorrow. Now, I must go get a tissue because I am blubbering like a baby. :)

And...THIS time last year.....

2009-01-28T22:21:00.000-08:00

I was starting the SECOND induction which FINALLY resulted in Brian and I meeting our son!!! It is 12:22am CST, which would make it 7:22am in Landstuhl, Germany. At 7:22am I was just checking into our room, and getting my IV and getting set up. So, nothing major had really happened at this point. I remember being extremely excitied to finally meet Brandon and anxious because we didn't know what to expect with the labor.

Remembering back, is so wonderful for me. It brings all of these wonderful memories of how exciting and new, and blessed that time was. The 29th-30th of January 2008 was a day that changed our life forever. We will never forget those days.

This time last year......

2009-01-26T20:10:00.001-08:00

As Brandon's birthday draws near, I am becomming more and more setimental. This time last year, I was being released from Landstuhl Labor and Delivery because my induction failed. After 2 days of trying to get me to go into labor via foley-bulb, pitocin, and cydotec (sp?), I was discharged from the hospital. I was SO upset that I had to leave the hospital without our baby. Officially 40 weeks 6 days pregnant, I was READY to meet our son.

My, how time flies! The days after the failed induction seemed like they took forever. I couldn't wait to meet Brandon. Now, the time seems like it is speeding by and I am powerless to stop it. I just want time to slow down. I want Brandon to be my little baby forever!!!

Nostalgia

2009-01-26T13:39:00.000-08:00

As Brandon's birthday draws near, I am becomming more and more setimental. This time last year, I was being released from Landstuhl Labor and Delivery because my induction failed. After 2 days of trying to get me to go into labor via foley-bulb, pitocin, and cydotec (sp?), I was discharged from the hospital. I was SO upset that I had to leave the hospital without our baby. Officially 40 weeks 6 days pregnant, I was READY to meet our son.
My, how time flies! The days after he failed induction seemed like they took forever. I couldn't wait to meet Brandon. Now, the time seems like it is speeding by and I am powerless to stop it. I just want time to slow down. I want Brandon to be my little baby forever!!!

Carseat Safety

2009-01-24T08:34:00.001-08:00

I came across this video while doing some research on carseats and turning them forward facing. Personally, I had been looking forward to Brandon's birthday and turning him forward facing! After watching these videos, I am now NOT going to turn Brandon forward facing until his maximum weight limit for his carseat. The maximum weight limit for his carseat is 35 pounds, and he is roughly 28 pounds, so he will be rear facing for a while longer. I wanted to share this with any other Mommy out there in the hopes that it may save a child's life, or at least educate in some way.

Considering that the American Academy of Pediatrics have had WAY more college and training than I have, I will take their advice over anything else. I just wanted to share this with you all.

Just a thought....

2009-01-23T23:08:00.000-08:00

So, my sister and I just went to see Revolutionary Road. It was a great movie, and I don't want to ruin it for anyone, so I am not going to give away any specifics. As obvious by the previews, the movie is about a couple that are unhappy in their life/marriage.

This brings me to my thought. Why is it that people never seem to be satisfied with their life? I mean, why is it that people are always complaining, or seeking some sort of "excitement" all the time. Don't get me wrong, I like excitement in my life, but I get excitement from simple things. Seeing my baby boy happy, and accomplish something new is excitement enough for me. Talking to my husband and cracking up together is exciting enough for me. I mean, sure, I'd like to take a crazy vacation, or take up some random hobby. Those things I will do someday. I just don't understand why people are so unhappy with their lives. Maybe I am bing naieve, who knows. I just think that life is what you make it. If you are bored at your job, GET ANOTHER JOB! If you are unhappy in your relationship, work on it, and if all else fails, leave. I understand that those things take effort and real planning and resources, but what is the alternative? Living a life that you cannot stand? Why? There is absolutely no point in being miserable. Besides, you have no excuse to be miserable if you make no effort to change the things in your life that you are unhappy with. I guess that people just like having something to bitch about, and if that works for them, so be it. It just seems like such a miserable existence. I'm not judging anyone, and I realize that there are some circumstances that require some amount of enduring some kind of unhappiness. Trust me I understand that. I am currently living in a situation that I do not find particularly enjoyable. However, the difference is, I try to find the positive in the arrangement. Brian will be home for R&R soon, Brandon is healthy and makes me laugh everyday. Honestly, just having him and Brian in my life is enough to sustain my happiness for eternity. Sorry, I got all emotional for a second. My point is, why settle for being unhappy and complaining about it? Especially when you are the one that is in control of your life? It just is so perplexing to me.

Just call me Mrs. Optimistic I guess. I just like to be happy as opposed to being bitter and grumpy. My life has WAY too many blessings to focus on the negative all the time. I will say that people should do what works for them though. I'm not one to tell people what to do, or how to live their life. Which brings up another subject.

WHY, OH GOD WHY, do people feel that their way is the only way? Seriously. I mean, I understand that people like the way they do things, and that is great. Your way works for you, great. But, my way works for me. To each their own. Why force your opinions on any given topic down someone else's throat? I mean, who made you God? I guess my point is, people should really attempt to not pass judgments on other people. Really, there is no reason to judge.

The last paragraph is kind of off topic, and a little of a tangent, but the main point of this post was to state my confusion of why people are never satisfied with what they have. Lord knows that I cannot be happier with the cards I have chosen and been dealt. I am truly one of the luckiest women on the planet!

The Smash Cake Video

2009-01-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

I just uploaded some video footage from Brandon's birthday party last night. It is the all important cake footage. Enjoy! :)

Brandon's First Birthday Party!!

2009-01-18T19:06:00.001-08:00

We had Brandon's first birthday party this evening! We were fortunate enough to be able to have the party at Grandpa Joe's Fire Station! We had a fire truck theme to the party, so the location was perfect! (Thanks to Grandpa Joe and his crew for being so hospitable!) The party was such a whirlwind. We were so glad to see all of our friends and family that were there! Some friends couldn't make it for one reason or another and we definitely missed them. Brandon had a great time! He got to eat brisket, baked beans, bread, and potato salad. He loved every bit of his dinner. Brandon was showered with tons of gifts and further spoiled rotten. :) He got to play with his friend Cara from gymnastics. They were SO cute playing together. They were both so excited to see each other and were all smiles. After presents, it was cake time. Brandon dove right into his cake. He made a HUGE mess, but it was all worth it. As he was eating his cake, he kept saying, "Mmmm...Mmmm." It was adorable! The party was a huge success, and full of wonderful memories. Now on to the pictures...

Dare I say.....

2009-01-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

we are bottle free??? I think I will!! So far, we are on day 3 of NO BOTTLE!!!! Instead, Brandon is getting his formula in sippy cups and is taking to it extremely well!!! He has not resisted at all.

I knew that I wanted him to be broken of the bottle by a year because I am not a fan of toddlers walking around with bottles. So, I started randomly exchanging the sippy for the bottle, and sure enough, it stuck!

Our little man is growing up so fast! It kind of makes me sad that he doesn't take a bottle anymore. I still rock him with his last cup of formula for the night. That is our special time, and I am not ready to give that up yet. He doesn't fall asleep to me rocking him, but he stares at me and I talk to him and just look at him. I look at his little hands and feet, and look at how long he has gotten. It is my favorite time of the day. I don't know if I am ever going to want to give up that time with him, but all good things must come to an end. Besides, how silly would it be to rock my 15 year old son at night??? Hahahaha

20 days until our little man turns a year old!!! :)

For your viewing pleasure....

2009-01-05T20:06:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that B is almost a year old. It seems like the past year has flown by. If this is any indication as to how the next 17 years are going to be, I want to make sure to cherish EVERY moment! He changes so much everyday. It seems like everyday he learns something new. So far, in the past week, he has learned to lift his arms when asked so Mommy can tickle him, clap when Mommy says clap or good job, say "aaaahhhh" after drinking something, stick out his tongue when asked, wave to the fan when Mommy says, "Say hi fan," and look for the dogs when I ask him where the dogs are. He is so curious and wants to explore everything. Like Mommy and Daddy, he is clumbsy. The thought of his clumbsiness and the injuries we are in store for gives me heart palpatations and I am sure that my hair is going to be grey very soon! His most recent injury is a busted lip. When he is crawling, sometimes his legs push him faster than his arms can move him. Poor guy. :)

Yeah, this blog is a little rambly, but I just have enjoyed watching him grow up so much and want to share it with everyone! Here's the video! Oh, please forgive the shaky filming in the beginning. I was on my bed and trying to get situated without him noticing me. :) Enjoy!

11 Months already!!

2008-12-30T22:23:00.000-08:00

Has it already been a month?? Wow. Brandon is 11 months old today!! Oh my goodness, time is flying by!! It is bittersweet. As much as I enjoy the time flying by because it brings me that much closer to having Brian home, I am sad because my baby is growing up.

As far as new developments are concerned, he is almost a pro at walking!! He has taken to walking a few feet at a time and is starting to prefer walking over crawling. It is SO cute to see him walking, yet so hard to believe. He can now clap his hands when asked to clap. The uncoordinated baby clap is by far one of the most adorable things ever! He sleeps until close to 10am almost everyday now, which is a blessing! His new best friend is the family beagle, Leia. When he sees her, he gets all excited and starts belly laughing. It is precious. He is doing great taking a sippy cup instead of a bottle. He still has his little temper streak, and it still has yet to get old. He has also learned that when he pushes buttons on some of his stuffed animals, they start singing.

I am working on planning his birthday party, and the plans are coming along quite nicely. It is scheduled for January 18th at 4pm at Joe's fire station. I have the catering lined up, and the cake picked out. I have to call the bakery and place the cake order, wait for the RSVP to finalize the catering, and order decorations. Other than that, the party is pretty much done. It is insane to imagine our baby turning 1!!! I will save my gushing about his birthday for the next monthly update, as it will be more appropriate then.

My how the time flies. Everyday is another adventure, and we are so blessed to be a part of it!

What a wonderful Christmas!

2008-12-26T08:28:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that Brian isn't here with us this year, Christmas was awesome! To say that I went overboard on Brandon's gifts is an understatement. Heh. Not only was this Brandon's first Christmas, it was also the first Christmas my and all of my sisters were together. Brandon and I also got to celebrate our first Fire Station Christmas! Brian has spent many Christmases at the fire station growing up, and this year Brian's Dad had to work, so our Hays Family Christmas was spent at the station. It was really neat. We had such a great day!

Brandon was super spoiled! Haha. Santa brought him:
a bunch of clothes
a bubble lawn mower
mega blocks
mega block fire truck
inflatable fire truck ball pit
block/music table
drum
tow truck and little cars
wooden fire truck
little people fire truck
dump truck
fish tank
and the bounce and spin pony.

Daddy sent him the new Elmo Live and he LOVES IT!

Auntie Beth got him the 2 in 1 Learning Kitchen. He loved opening it so much he climbed on the box.

Grandma and Pa Pa got him:
An outdoor castle swing set
soccer ball/football/basketball
mega blocks wagon
nascar car
Dallas Cowboys sweatsuit

Nana and PawPa got him the VSmile Baby, little people school bus, and a little people tractor.

Grandpa Joe and Grandma Kristi got him a Power Wheels Fire truck.

Great Grandma Lake sent him $25 to go towards his college fund.

The Lake family sent him some money to go into his college savings too.

Yep, I would say that B was a VERY good boy this year! Haha. Yeah, we went a little overboard, but he only has a first Christmas once right? :)

I didn't do too bad either! My family got me a new scrapbook to make for Brandon's first year, a 3600 piece scrapbook kit, a necklace, bracelet and key chain that you can put pictures in, a bath and body works Sweet Pea set, a pair of earrings, some more bath stuff, make up, and some money to put towards Brandon's birthday party and to start his 529 plan.

Brian's family got me a Kitchen Aid Mixer!!!! I have wanted one of those FOREVER!!!!!!

Brian, oops, I mean "Brandon," got me a heart-shaped diamond Mother's necklace! It is gorgeous! I must say, my son has great taste in jewelry! :)

We all had a wonderful Christmas. The best part was spending the day with Brandon and our family and having a great time. :)

Poor B (Updated)

2008-12-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

B is sick. Not horribly so, but definitely sick. He has a cold and is congested. This is his first official cold. It started yesterday with a little bit of a runny nose. Nothing major, just a little runny. Then, this morning, I woke up to a snotty, congested baby. He isn't running a fever, or coughing or anyting else alarming. Just the congestion and runny nose.

Naturally, Grandma is freaking out because her friend's grandson just passed away at 3 months old two days ago. That little boy had what started out as a runny nose as well, and it progressed from there. They think that it was either the flu or RSV. Based on what my pedi said, it sounds like the little boy had RSV as his airways closed. My thoughts are with that family as I cannot imagine the heartwrenching pain they are going through. I think of situations like that and am so grateful that Brandon is healthy and all of the health scares in the past turned out to be false alarms.

He is taking it all rather well. He is still his usual happy giggly self. So, I can't complain there! For now, he is sleeping with his cold mist humidifier and I made sure to spray saline nose drops in his nose and give him lots of extra snuggles. Hopefully, his little cold will be gone soon.

*Update*
I put a call in to the pedi because B was running a low grade fever (99.1-hey, I said it was low) after tylenol, and coughing Wednesday night. So, Thursday am I called the pedi and they prescribed him some decongestant drops. It is day 2 on the drops and he is doing much better. He is still snotty, and has a little cough, but he is acting better, and his nose is less runny. So, looks like we are on the road to recovery! :) Thanks for thinking of him!! :)

FINALLY!!!!

2008-12-14T10:35:00.001-08:00

Brandon started taking steps November 22, but I have never had the video camera handy. So, finally, this morning, I had the video camera out and waiting. Sure enough, he took some steps and I caught them!!! Yay!!! So, I present to you, our walking son, Brandon!!!!!!! Heh....

Haha, I love his little unsteady steps. He is getting SO big!!!

The Boy likes spaghetti.....heh

2008-12-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share an unbelievably adorable video with you all. Brandon has finally started feeding himself. So, last night, I let him eat spaghetti by himself. The results were hilarious.....

Isn't it adorable?? I love how he smashes his chubby little hands into his face....hahahaha. These are the memories I will cherish always!

Dr. Appointment today.....

2008-12-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

So, B had a doctor's appointment today to get his 2nd flu shot. Originally, it was supposed to be an in and out sort of thing, but I had a few questions that I wanted to talk to the pediatrician about. So, they scheduled us for a full appointment. Here are the details from the appointment:

B weighed in at 28 pounds! Yep, I said it. 28 pounds! He was 31 inches at his 9 month appointment, but they didn't measure him at this appointment. I am guessing he is roughly the same. Maybe a half inch longer.

His eye is doing great. In case you are unaware, he was bit by my mom's dog Felix. He had a bunch of scratches around his eye, and was put on an antibiotic as a precaution. The pediatrician said that his eye has healed well and she cannot even tell he was bit. I can still see a little scar, but it will probably fade away with time.

The main reason I wanted to speak to the doctor is because B has started to have little interest in his formula. He is more interested in eating big people food. At our 9 month appointment we were given the all clear to start giving him big people food. Obviously, we are to avoid peanuts, eggs, honey, chocolate, and seafood. So, those he hasn't had. He loves big people food! Loves it! So, I asked the pediatrician what his minimum formula intake should be, and it is 17 ounces. He gets at least 17 ounces, so no worries there.

The other question I wanted to ask was about self feeding. B refuses (or I guess I should say refused) to feed himself finger foods. I would put the gerber puffs, yogurt melts, goldfish, etc. on his highchair tray and try to get him to feed hinself. He refused. He would pick up the pieces, look at them, and drop them on the tray or floor. This was the dog's favorite part of the day. I began to wonder if it was a developmental delay as many of my friend's children fed themselves earlier than 10 months. So, today, as we are sitting in the doctor's office waiting for the doctor to come in, I gave B some goldfish just for the heck of it. To my surprise, he picks them up, and starts eating them!!! Seriously, he ate them like a pro! I was shocked!! So, when the doctor came in, I mentioned it to her and she got a good laugh out of it. So, apparently, all I needed to do was schedule a doctor visit for him to start feeding himself. It was quite hilarious.

Next was his second flu shot. I was waiting on him to start fussing before the shot, but he was too busy smiling at the nurse that was preping his little thigh for the shot. When she gave him the shot, he looked at her and made a curious face, but he did not cry! Not a tear! I was so proud of him! He usually cries like crazy after his shots, but not today! Such a big boy!!!

So, overall, a great appointment. Our little man is thriving and doing wonderfully!

Christmas Pictures!!!

2008-12-01T13:09:00.001-08:00

Brandon and I had our Christmas pictures taken today! They turned our wonderful. I created a slideshow for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

10 Months Old Today!

2008-11-30T20:30:00.000-08:00

Our baby boy is 10 months old today!!! Brian and I are amazed by how quickly the time has flown by. It seems like it was moments ago that we were holding him for the first time and looking into the eyes of our future. It is joyous and heartbreaking to watch him grow so fast.

He has started taking steps and his personality is developing more and more each day! His new favorite pasttime is to stand up and shake his head no with a little smirk on his face. It is absolutely adorable and impossible not to laugh at. He now can cover his own eyes for peek-a-boo and loves to hide his head under anything he can get his hands on. His kryptonite is still Mommy's cell phone and will stop at nothing to get it. He is interacting more and more with his toys and has learned cause and effect rather well. He knows that when he pushes the buttons on his toys that they make noise, so the buttons are getting lots of use. A new fear of his is the loss of his toys to the dogs. If one of the dogs have a toy, even one of their own, he cries because he wants it back. This is rather amusing when the dogs have one of their own toys and he is crying. He has learned the emotion of anger. When I prevent him from touching something he is not allowed to have, such as my credit card, he stiffens up his body and yells at me. This is a new development and so far has not lost it's cuteness. It is amazing how much personality our little man has already!

As he gets closer to a year old we are introducing big people food little by little. He loves everything we have introduced him to, especially mashed potatoes and spaghetti. His first Thanksgiving went well. He got to taste a little of everything, except anything that had eggs, nuts, or chocolate in it. He had a little ham, turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli and cheese casserole, cranberry sauce, and some roll. He loved everything he tasted, even the cranberry sauce! After dinner, we went to Grandpa Joe and Grandma Kristi's house and he tried some pumpkin pie. Since he is his Daddy's son, he loved it! Mommy doesn't really like pumpkin pie, so Brandon didn't mind eating most of her slice. Also, as he gets closer to a year old, we are working on breaking him of the bottle. He is really taking well to that, and actually prompted the transition himself. He doesn't do well holding the bottle at a table. He likes to lay down while he is eating his bottle, but he will hold a sippy cup and is getting better and better at tilting it up to get the liquid out. So, that prompted the switch to the sippy. He gets one feeding of formula from his sippy at 4pm along with a snack. So far, he is taking to it pretty well.

It is truly a miracle to have him in our lives. He fills our hearts with so much joy. He is an amazing little man and his zeal for life inspires us to be the best people we can be.

I will finish off with a couple of unbelievably adorable pictures of our big 10 month old sleeping peacefully. Enjoy!

So, I am joining the blog world.....

2008-11-29T19:44:00.000-08:00

Yep, it is true.

I have decided to create a blog for my little familia. We have a relatively crazy little life, and I figured that it would be neat to chronicle our adventures and allow for our friends and family to come along for the ride. I suppose this first entry should include a brief introduction of our family and description of our life. So, since I am sure you are on the edge of your seat with excitement, here goes:

Our little family consists of myself Rebecca (Mama), my amazing husband Brian (Dada), our gorgeous son Brandon, and our wonderful doggie Emily.* Brian and I met in 2001 working at a little daycare center in Katy, Texas. We struck up a great friendship and began dating about a year later. In December of 2002 we became engaged, and shortly after, Brian enlisted in the US Army. He left for basic training in March of 2003. In September of 2003 we got hitched and began our life together. After successfully surviving our first deployment to Iraq (2004-05), we were stationed in Germany in 2006. While in Germany, we decided to expand our family and started our journey to parenthood. On January 30, 2008 we were blessed with our first child, Brandon Joseph Hays. On April 9, 2008 Brian deployed with 1st Armor Division to Iraq for a 15 month deployment. Currently, Brandon, Emily, and I are shacking up with my Mom and Step-dad until Brian comes home (which cannot come fast enough!). My everyday life consists of toothless baby smiles, belly laughs, diaper changes, and instant messages from Dada. As if being a full time Mommy and wife is not time consuming enough, I am a full time student. I am enrolled full time at the local community college (keeping it classy) and working towards completing my Associates of Arts in Teaching in order to obtain my Bachelor's Degree in Education. I plan to one day teach 4th grade-8th grade.

So, I believe that about sums out the happenings in our life to date. I hope that you enjoy reading about us Hayses! Enjoy!

*I'm not biased or anything.

9 months old!!!

2008-11-04T15:37:00.000-08:00

From B's old myspace page:

Yep, I am 9 months old! Yay me! Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday I was born. I am growing and learning so much!!!

This month was a lot of fun! It is starting to become Autumn, and that means that it is almost time for the holidays!!!! I went to the Pumpkin Patch with Mommy, Grandma, Auntie Heather, Grandma Kristi, and Grandpa Joe! We had such a great time! I went on a super fun hay ride, and got to pick out my very own pumpkin!!! It was a lot of fun! I also went to Fire Fest 2008 with Mommy, Grandma Kristi, and Grandpa Joe. That was a lot of fun because I got to see Grandpa Joe in his Honor Guard uniform and march in the parade. I also go to see a bunch of fire trucks and classic cars. Grandma and Grandpa spoiled me rotten while we were there. They bought me a sign for my bedroom that says "Future Firefighter," a stuffed dalmation, a t-shirt that says "My Grandpa is a Firefighter, and a Houston Fire Depearntment t-shirt, a fire hat, and a fire badge. I saw some fire and rescue demonstrations, and got to ride a pony! It was a blast!!! We are going to go again next year with Daddy!!! I also had a carnival at The Little Gym with my other gymnastics friends! I got to play some games and play on the gym equipment all while dressed in my super cool Firefigter Halloween costume!!! I had a lot of fun there too!!!! I also got to wear my costume to Grandpa Joe's firestation to take pictures on the pumper!!! Grandpa Joe also let me sit in the driver's seat!! It was tons of fun!!!! The day after my 9 month birthday, I had my first Halloween!!! We didn't really go trick or treating, but we went to Mommy's friend Tara's mom's house, Mommy's friend Jamie's house, and Grandma Kristi and Grandpa Joe's house to show off my costume. It was fun, but I was sleepy. Everyone loved my costume!!! Overall, this has been a very fun month!!!

I've also learned some new tricks this month!!! I started out the month crawling, and I have perfected that trick! I also started pulling myself up to cruise throughout the house shortly after I started crawling. Now, I can stand without holding anything! I also started waving hello and bye to people!!! Mommy say that it is the cutest thing ever!! I saw Daddy on webcam the other day and I waved to him. It was fun!!! I have mastered real sippy cups, and am starting to learn how to pick up food and eat it myself. Yeah....I'm growing fast!!!

I had my 9 month well-baby check up today!! I weighed in at 26 pounds 14 ounces and am now 31 inches long!!! I was given my Hep B shot, and my first flu vaccine. I had my iron levels checked too. I held in like a trooper and barely cried at all!!! That made Mommy so proud. Mommy was given the green light to feed me table foods, which I have already been trying, but now I can really start eating once my teeth come in. Speaking of teeth, I now have both of my bottom teeth!!! None on the top yet, but I am sure that it is just a matter of time!!! Once my chompers come in, I am getting me a STEAK!!! Heh....

8 months old!!

2008-10-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

Yep, I am 8 months old today!!!!

Let's see....what have I learned to do since last month....

I have learned to fake cry. Mommy falls for it everytime. Heh.
I have learned to sit up by myself, even sitting myself up from laying down on my back or tummy!
I learned to scoot all over the place, which as of Sunday September 28 turned into CRAWLING!!!!
I have learned that if I wake up in the middle of the night that Mommy snuggles me back to sleep.
I had pancakes for the first time!!

Just making it known....

2008-09-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

I have the world's best husband!!!!! Seriously. I do not think that it gets any better. He is absolutely my best friend, and I am so lucky!!!!

It was not always this easy. Brian and I have had our rough times. If you would have asked me 3 years ago if we would have ever made it to our 5 year wedding anniversary, I probably would have said that I doubted it. It took effort, patience, and determination to get where we are.

Oh, and has it paid off!!! I look back to when our relationship was new and fresh. For those that are in a relationship, do you remember when you first started dating and there were all of the grand gestures of love and attention?? Things like poems, flowers, or something else particularly unique to your relationship that made you fall head over heels?? How long did you think that kind of stuff would last?? I never thought that it would last 5 years. Granted, there are lapses, but there are still little things. Even when there are breaks in the little gifts and poems, there are still little things that he does to make me feel loved and special. Brian, if you are reading this, sorry if I embarrass you....hahaha

He is so cute! Every morning, he kisses my forhead before he leaves for work. He also checks to make sure that I am still breathing...hahaha. I love it! He covers me up if the blankets are pulled down. He gives the best foot massages ever! He makes sure to keep the gas tank full. He always drives because he knows that I hate it. He carrys things so I don't have to. He still opens my car door, and any door that I go through. He pulls out my chair at resturaunts. He calls me Love. We still play together. We laugh at everything. We have the same sense of humor. We have many of the same beliefs, but when we have differing views we are ok with it. I don't have to agree with every view that he has. I don't believe things just because he does, and that is ok with both of us. He allows me to be myself without fear of judgment.

The list goes on, but my main point is, our relationship is great. We are both imperfect individuals, and that is what makes us work. He is an amazng person. He sacrifices so much for our family. He would give anything just for Brandon and I.

I guess that I feel like I need to clarify this fact because I don't want to defend him to people any more.

Let's all try to live by the mantra, If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all

Whew.....finally, a good night's sleep!

2008-09-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

Last night was AWESOME!!! I will preface this first:

Since birth, Brandon has always been an excellent sleeper. He started out sleeping in 4 hour blocks at night. Believe it or not, that is a great block of time. It allows to you get just enough sleep to function, especially considering that newborns sleep so much, and he would go right back to sleep after a diaper change (by Dad) and some nursing. So, it was nice. At about 2-3 weeks, he started sleeping through the night. He went to sleep around 11 and slept until around 5 or 6 am. He would then get a diaper change, and a bottle, and went back to sleep until around 8 or 9. That worked out great as well. Around 3 months, he started sleeping for 12 hours a night!! He went to bed around 9pm and slept util anywhere from 8-9am!!! He has comtinued to have the same sleep schedule since. It has been pure bliss. Anyone that kmew me pre-baby, knows that I LOVE my sleep!!! Haha. So, I am truly blessed with an excellent sleeper!!!

So, here is the problem. I should say that I feel bad for even complaining because I have been so lucky, but for the past week, Brandon has been waking up at least once a night. If he wakes up more than once, the first time is usually between 11pm and 1am. He usually falls right back to sleep after I pick him on and snuggle him a little. The second time he wakes up is usually around 4-6am. THAT is the bad one. He wakes up for good! I have been able to get him back to sleep around 4am, but it requires a great deal of patience, rocking, possibly a bottle, and time. All of which I don't feel like doing at 4am. I do it, because I am a Mommy, and that is my job, but it makes for a grumpy Mommy later that day. There are a number of reasons why he could be waking up all of a sudden. It could be that he is going through a growth spurt, teething, not feeling well, getting older thus needing less sleep, or trying to reach a milestone. I did not know that when a baby is getting close to reaching a milestone that it could interfere with their sleep, but I read that it can. They want to practice their milestone instead of sleep. Isn't that cute?? Anyway, I have been trying to figure out why he isn't sleeping as well, and I am still confused. I have tried giving him more formula at night thinking that he is hugry. This worked one night, but not again. I have tried making sure that he has tylenol and oragel when he goes to bed in case it is his teeth that are bothering him, but that has not helped. I am sure that the medicine is wearing off in the middle of the night, so it isn't really helping at 5am. I took him to the doctor to have his ears checked because he is pulling at them and smacking the side of his head sometimes, but he does not have an ear infection. The doctor said that it could potentially be allergies, so she started him on some claritin. Last night was his first night with the allergy meds. It says that they do not have any side effects, so it isn't supposed to cause drowsiness. She did say that if I gave it to him at night, if it DID cause drowsiness, it could help him sleep better. So, last night he got the meds. I also gave him tylenol and oragel because the doctor also said that his gums are swollen and he is teething. So, that was in my arsenal for the night. He went to sleep around 8:45-9pm, and slept until 8:15am!!! I took a long, hot shower, and went to bed around 10pm, and slept until 8am! Oh man, I slept SO good!!! So, I am hoping that this new regiment will be the key to getting him back to his normal sleep routine. It is so much more convenient when I have to do school work and study. A good night's sleep also helps in that department as well. Especially the night before my first exam......tonight, in Psychology. Wish me luck!!!! Oh, and THANK YOU BRANDON for sleeping so good last night!!!!

7 months!

2008-08-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

Things are super in my world!! Mommy cannot believe that I am already 7 months old!!! She says that I am developing well and getting SO big. I am not sure how much I weigh, or how long I am, but I am outgrowing my 9-12 month clothes, and am wearing 12-18 month clothes!!! I am sitting up all by myself now, and am trying to crawl. Daddy thinks that I will be crawling by the end of September. I hope so, because that would make it so much easier to get my toys when I want them. I started gymnastics with Mommy!!! It is SO much fun, but it is a lot of work!!! I have to balance myself on my arms, do flips, hold myself on the bars, stand on the balance beam, and shake a parachute. The best part is the bubbles and balls that we get to play with. The grown ups also sing songs to us. The other babies and I just laugh at them because they are so silly. Gymanstics is really fun. My other favorite thing to do is fingerpaint!! Mommy bought me these really cool fingerpaints and lets me go to town with them in my highchair!! It is SO much fun! I love getting messy. I am also graduating to the big boy tubby because I have outgrown my baby tubby. Mommy bought me some bath letters to play with, so that is fun. I got a new toybox the other day because I am getting so many toys that I was running out of room in the drawer they were originally kept in. So, now, I have lots of room for my toys, and plenty of room for new toys!!! Yep, thinks are going great!!! Now, if I could only figure out how to hold my own bottle......

Parenting styles...

2008-08-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

First, I must start this blog off by stating that in no way shape or form do I believe my parenting style to be perfect. I understand that there are a variety of parenting techniques and beliefs out there. That being said, please feel free to give me your opinion on whatever I duscuss. No judgments.

Brandon has developed a new habit. He has learned that he can scream at the top of his lungs. Like, screeching, ear piercing screaming. He is not crying. He is not hungry, wet, or hurt in any way. It is mostly to get attention and because he is bored. As soon as he is distracted with something else, he is fine. It is quite irritating, but I have become very good at tuning him out. I rarely hear him scream anymore unless he is really upset and crying. That being said, it isn't always the easiest thing for others to deal with. So, that is where the dilema lies. When I take him out in public, I am usually very good at distracting him and keeping him entertained. He is also very aware of our surroundings and when we are out and about he is very interested in what is going on, so he doesn't scream as often. The exception to this is when we are stationary for any length of time. For example, if we are in the dressing room, or out to eat. He will occasionally scream and I have to distract him. Usually, one of the million toys that I carry with me will work, or if we are out to eat, I will give him something to eat as well. Every now and then, those things fail, or he will become impatient when I feed him and the sceaming will start. In public, I talk to him and tell him that it is not ok for him to scream when we are in public and he needs to use an inside voice. I do not raise my voice to him, I just calmly tell him to stop screaming. At home, I allow him to scream. If I am on the phone, or having a conversation with someone, I will attempt to distract him. If not, he screams until he is tired of screaming. I try not to pay attention to him screaming because I don't want him screaming as a means of getting attention. Other people aren't the best at being patient with his screaming, which is understandable. Of course, when we are with other people, I am panicing in my head trying to think of ways to get him to stop screaming. My biggest problem is with other people trying to discipline him. Granted, relatives automatically feel a sense of entitlement when it comes to the disciplining. Especially my parents. They are the worst. I guess they feel like because they raised me, they should be able to raise my son as well. This gets under my skin like you would NOT believe. Mostly because their parenting styles are different from my own. For example, Brandon was in his highchair screaming last night while I was heating up his dinner. A family member (to remain undisclosed) got irritated with Brandon screaming and raised their voice to him and said, "Brandon, you need to stop screaming right now." The entire time they were scolding him, they had a mean look on their face. This made me really upset. Instead of losing my temper, I simply said, "That isn't going to work." Nothing else was said, and Brandon continued screaming. Duh. He is 6 months old and has learned that screaming gets people to talk to him. He is GOING to scream. My thought is, if I ignore his screaming, he will eventually learn that it doesn't get him attention and he will stop. Plus, he is just learning to talk and is practicing his vocal skills. So, I don't want to hinder that growth. As irritating as it can be sometimes, it is a phase. I realize that. I just wish that others would too. My biggest pet peeve is those that think that they can teach a child to stop yelling, by yelling. Or even better, teach a child not to hit by hitting. A little hypocritical I feel. Now, that being said, I am NOT anti-spank. I am a firm believer that if Brandon runs out into the street that he is going to get his little bottom smacked. If he does something that he KNOWS he is not supposed to do after being told NOT to do it, he will probably get a spanking. For sure, after he gets a spanking, Mommy and Daddy will talk to him and tell him why we don't want him to do whatever action caused the spanking and then tell him that we love him. I don't want to raise my child to fear me. Granted, a little fear in the sense of discipline is beneficial, but I don't want him terrified of his parents. I just don't believe in using spanking as the only form of discipline.

So, what are your thoughts? Any suggestions to get the boy to stop screaming?? lol The ignoring is working, but it hasn't conquered the screaming yet. Anyway, that is my soapbox.....

The goings on.....

2008-08-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I need to blog about the things that are going on lately....

So, here goes. I am going to attempt to make this brief because it is after midnight and I need to get to bed, but I have a tendancy to go on and on about things, so we shall see.....lol

August has been fun so far. Not a whole lot happened in the beginning of the month, but the last few days have been kind of crazy! Heather left for Sam Houston State on Thursday, so this past week was spent helping her get ready and spending time with her before she left. We capped off our time together with a traditional trip to the movies! We saw Pineapple Express and it was EFFING AWESOME!!! Hahaha it was SO funny! lol After she was officially out of the house, my Mom and I started transforming her old room into my new room! We had to prime the walls, paint them, paint the ceiling and trim and doors, fix the bed, get all of my stuff moved in and set up. I am finally completely in my new room and I am LOVING it!!!! I FINALLY have space for all of my stuff and it is such a relief! Brandon's room was getting cramped and his rapid accumilation of toys was not helping matters much. So, I am finally in my own space and things are SO much more peaceful!!! Yay!

I start school tomorrow!!!! I CANNOT wait!!!!! I am so excited to be able to start working on the main reason that I moved to Texas for the duration of the deployment in the first place. Is that sentence correct?? I can't tell, and I am too tired to analyze it too much. Anyway, I start school tomorrow! I am taking 4 classes this semester, and luckily they are all in the evening so Brandon doesn't have to be in daycare. On Mondays and Wednesdays I am taking Speech from 6-7:30. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I am taking History and Psychology from 6-7:30 and 7:50-9:10 respectively. On Fridays, I am taking Intro to Education from 6-9:10. So, I am hoping that almost everynight I will be home to put Brandon to bed. I am sure there will be some nights that he is already asleep, but I am going to try to be home before he goes to sleep everynight. My mom is going to watch Brandon while I am at school! I love the he is able to stay in his environment and doesn't have to be put in daycare while I am in school. My mom is under strict orders to video tape as much as she can. :) I hate the idea of not being with him for such a long stretch of time in the evenings, but I think it will end up being good for both of us in the long run. He's so wonderful, I hate to be away from him even for a second. Is it strange to miss your baby when they are sleeping??? lol Not enough to wake him up, but I do miss him when he is sleeping. :)

Oh, see? Did you catch me rambling that last paragraph??? lol Told you.

Well, I am REALLY tired and I need to get to bed. So, that is all for now. I may add to this blog later, but that's it for now folks! Try to return to your regularly scheduled life. I know that my life is so fascinating and it will be hard. Hahaha....ok, for real....goodnight!!!!

"Da-da!"

2008-08-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

I said my second word today!!!!!!!!

I was playing on my tummy mat and Mommy had that video camera in my face again. While I was playing, I said Dada!!!!! I had been TRYING to say that one for awhile, but I couldn't get it out. I finally did, and Mommy was able to video tape it for Dada! So, yay for me!!!!!!!!!

Updates!!

2008-08-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

It has been quite awhile since my last blog. There have been quite a bit going on in my little world. Everyday I am getting bigger and working hard to learn new things. I have perfected my roll and can roll completely across the floor now. I suprised Mommy by rolling almost under the bed the other day! It was funny. One of my favorite things to do is jump in my excersaucer and my jumper center!! My exersaucer is very loud when I jump in it, which is the best part! Sadly, I am outgrowing my swing. It stuggles to swing me and will only swing me if it gets a push to start it off. Heh, I am a growing boy!

Mommy talked to the pediatrician and I was cleared to start stage 2 baby foods and juice!!! It has been so fun trying all of the new foods and juices!!! It took awhile to get used to the juice, but I am coming around. Mommy is going to buy me a sippy cup to start practicing with. I have two of them right now and I will drink out of them, but they are not my favorite and Mommy thinks that I will do better with a different cup. We'll see. Auntie Beth can't wait to feed me mashed potatoes, but the doctor said that I need to wait a little longer because the spices and seasonings are not the best for me. Soon though.

I went to North Carolina with Mommy and Auntie Heather in July! I got to meet Nana and Papa Selbe! They live on a farm and I got to see all of the animals!!! They have horses, chickens, goats, cats and dogs! Nana and Papa held me on their horse Dusty, I got to feed the goats leaves, and I got to pet the cats and dogs. The chickens were hiding out in ther coop, so I didn't get to see them. Maybe next time though. While we were in North Carolina, Mommy took me to the Aquarium! I had alot of fun looking at all of the fish that were there. I also got to pet a horseshoe crab and take lots of pictures. We went to an old Civil War fort, Fort Macon. It was really neat to see. It is right on the beach, and so pretty. Mommy took me to the beach for the first time. I was NOT a fan of the ocean, but I didn't mind sitting in my raft on the sand and sleeping. The waves and breeze is very soothing. I slept almost the entire time we were at the beach. The trip was really fun and I can't wait to go back.

The day we got back from North Carolina I had my 6 month well baby appointment. I weighed in at 22.2 pounds. I measured 29.5 inches long, and my head circumference is 19 inches. I am developing well and am a healthy little boy. Mommy asked the doctor to look at my right eye because sometimes when I look up, it is a little off. The doctor said that if it is still doing the same thing at my 9 month appointment, she would refer us to an eye doctor, but that a baby's eye muscles are not completely developed until they are a year old. So, overall, I am a happy, healthy growing boy. I got 3 shots that day and I was not happy about it at all. It hurt and I cried, but when Mommy picked me up, I was ok. My 9 month appointment is schedule for November 2, and I am not looking forward to more shots.

On a MUCH happier note, I said my first word the other day!!! It was July 30, and Mommy, Auntie Heather and I were in the Atlanta airport waiting to board our plane to Houston and I said it. My first word. I said MAMA!!!!! Mommy was SO proud of me!!! As soon as she confirmed with Auntie that she wasn't hearing things, she emailed Daddy to tell him, then she called Grandma and Grandpa Hays, and then she called Grandma Bennett to share the good news!!!! Now, I saw Mama all the time. Mommy keeps trying to get me to say Da-da, but I am happy just saying Mama for now.

Next week I am going to an introductory gymnastics class. My first semester starts August 27th! I can't wait to play with Mommy in gymnastics class and meet other little kids and their mommies. Mommy says that it is going to be good for me to socialize with the other babies and to get lots of practice moving and playing. So, I am excited to get started!!!!

Well, that is about it for now. I will have the pictures from my trip and start a new 6 month album soon. Be looking for them!!!!

It's blogging time again!

2008-07-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

So, it has been awhile since I blogged, so I figured that now would be a good time since the boy is sleeping. :-)

Things are going great!!! Brandon is growing like a weed and I am enjoying every minute of being a Mommy!!!! He is rolling over, talking like crazy (babbling), laughing all the time, and is fascinated with just about everything. He finally likes his excersaucer, which is a lifesaver when I have to clean the house!!! At 5 months, he is about 20 pounds and 27.5 inches long. He loves his food and when he is hungry, he will let you know! He wakes up at 8am, eats some oatmeal and a fruit and get a 7 ounce bottle, then eats an 8 ounce bottle every 4 hours until his 8pm feeding. The 8pm feeding consists of 1 ounce of formula mixed with rice cereal and a vegetable. Every night he is given the option between two veggies and he is very good about choosing what he wants to eat! :-) It is adorable!!! After he eats his cereal, he has tubby time and then gets slathered with lotion, gets his ears and nose cleaned, gets his gums brushed, gets his hair brushed, then gets dressed and watches his Daddy video while drinking the other 7 ounces of his bottle. He is usually asleep by then and goes down until the next morning at 8am. It is a great little schedule and it allows Mom plenty of "me" time and sleep!!! :-) Grandma and Grandpa Hays bought him a toddler carseat this weekend since he has outgrown his infant carseat. The new carseat is the lazyboy of carseats! He has tons of room and looks so comfortable!!! I took some pictures, so I will post them on his myspace page. He had his 5 month pictures taken on June 30th and those are also posted on his page. He is getting so big, so fast!!! It makes me sad and proud at the same time. He is an excellent cuddler, but I need to have a talk with him regarding his waking Mommy up procedures. When he sleeps with me, he wakes me up by slapping my face repeatedly. He LOVES to touch my face, but doesn't have the best arm control at times, so he will slap me. Brian thinks that it is hilarious, but it kind of hurts!!!! lol I would wake up to his little slaps everyday though because he is just so cuddly and sweet when he sleeps. He is adorable!!!! Being a Mom is GREAT!!!!!

Anyway, off of the Brandon development talk....

Heather, Brandon and I are going to North Carolina on July 23!!! I haven't been to NC in FOREVER and I am excited to go back and see how much it has changed. I am so excited to take Brandon to the beach. Of course, anyone that knows me, knows that I am NOT a fan of the beach. I will take him, and probably stay for an hour or so and then be ready to leave. I just want to get some pictures of him in the sand, and the water (with me clinging to him). I am also going to take him to the Aquarium, Fort Macon (a civil war fort), and maybe the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington. My Dad and Stepmom have a little farm, so I will take many pictures of him with the farm animals too!! It should be a fun trip!!! I am excited!!!!

School starts in August, and I cannot wait!!! I am taking 4 classes, all of which are at night. I chose night classes so I can be home with Brandon during the day and make sure that I can watch him reach as many milestones as possible!! I am SO ready to get this school thing on the ball. It will also help the time fly by and before I know it, Brian will be home!!!!

I am already planning Brandon's 1st birthday party. I have so many plans and am very excited about it!!!! He is such a pampered little boy!!!! lol

Well, I am done rambling for now, and the boy is waking up. So, that is about it for the time being. I hope that you are all doing well!!!!

Big boy carseat!

2008-07-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

Grandpa Joe bought me a new carseat today!!! I was getting too big for my infant carseat, so I have officially moved up to a toddler carseat. The infant carseat was for up to 22 pounds and 29 inches. I am almost 21 pounds and am fast approaching 29 inches. The new toddler carseat is super cool and will be good until I am 50 pounds. Mommy is sad that she had to take out the infant carseat, but proud that she has such a big boy. I will tell Mommy to post a picture of me in my new carseat tomorrow.

Sickie baby.....

2008-06-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

I have my first cold. It is not fun.

Last night, I woke up crying, coughing, and gagging on my snot. Mommy suctioned out my nose, cleaned me up, elevated my mattress, and rocked me back to sleep. I was fine after Mommy took care of me.

Mommy on the other hand, she was a nervous wreck. She was so worried about me that she slept on my floor.

This morning I am better. I have been coughing and am still a little congested, but my nose isn't runny anymore. Tonight Mommy is going to run my cold mist humidifier, and let me sleep with her so she can keep a good eye on me.

Hopefully I will get better soon!!! Being sick is no fun.

Rolling over!!!

2008-06-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

I ROLLED OVER TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first time I rolled over was this morning. I was laying on my back on my playmat and Mommy went to put her makeup bag to her room. When she came back into the living room, I was on my belly. Then, I rolled from my belly, back to my back. Mommy grabbed the video camera, but I didn't feel like doing it again. Later this evening, I was playing on my mat again and Mom had the video camera handy. She was taping, and I didn't feel like rolling over. She stopped video taping, and the urge to roll over struck. So, I rolled over. Ha. The joke was on her. Anyway, a few minutes later, I was put onto my back again and Mom brought out the video camera. It took some coaxing and patience, but Mom finally caught me rolling over on camera! She was so proud of me!!! I am proud of me too. Go me!!!!!

Tu-tus and memories

2008-06-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I went to Killeen this weekend to see the Willis family and Kelsey's ballet and tap recital. We had a great time. Here is the play by play.

We got to Killeen around 4pm, and were going to check into the Econolodge hotel where I originally made reservations. Thank GOD for Ginny because when I got to the Econolodge, I just could not bring myself to get out of the car. Luckily I was on the phone with her and she looked up hotels again and found a better hotel for just a few dollars more a night. Whew. The Econolodge was C-R-E-E-P-Y!!!!!!!!! If I wouldn't have had Brandon with me, I could have stayed there. I ~did~ afterall stay in the Fort Knox Inn in Radcliff, KY. THAT was bad. Bullet holes in the windows, a HUGE gap under the door that bugs could easily get through, and blood stains dripping from the mattress to the floor. BUT, having Brandon with me...NOPE. So, Ginny for the win on that one! Love ya Boo!!! :-)

Anyway, after the hotel situation, we met up with the Willis family. Kesley is almost 7 years old now and is beautiful as always. We finally got to meet little Kyla!! She is so cute, but is a little meanie! lol It's adorable. We hung out with the Willis family and got to catch up a bit. It has been about a minute since we last hung out. Saturday morning was Kelsey's recital. It was ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE. I have made an executive decision that Brian and I MUST have a daughter!!!! O.M.G. I NEEEEEEEED a daughter. I need to put her in dresses and tu-tus, and tap shoes, and glitter, and bows. It needs to happen. Oh, and to just fuel the fire even more, there was a, get this....FATHER/DAUGHTER dance!!!! It was probably the cutest thing on the face of the earth!!! I just sat there and imagined Brian up there with our little girl and I about lost it. The cuteness was overwhelming. So, after the recital we went to dinner with Tracy's Godmother, Anna. Then, we all went bowling. I taught Kelsey how to shimmy for good luck. Hahahahahaha, it was SO cute!!! She insisted on shimmy-ing before EVERY round. It was so much fun. Sunday was spent getting ready to come home as the Willis family came into Houston to visit their family here.

The only bad part about the trip was actually ~being~ in Killeen/Fort Hood. The entire time I was there, I was reminded of Brian. Every restaurant we passed made me think of the many times we went to dinner. I would imagine us sitting there, and try to guess what he would order. I thought about how when he gets back, we get to go find a place to rent while we are stationed there. I imagined us spending time together in a little house raising Brandon together and just living life normally. Nothing extravagant. Just boring, everyday stuff. I just missed him so much. He needs to come home. I miss him too much.

Overall, it was a great trip In conclusion.....Brian and I must have a daughter.

The End.

A Becky Update.

2008-06-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I haven't blogged for myself in awhile, so I figured now would be a good time.

Let's see....how are things with me....

Well, things are going well. I was recently able to visit with Stephanie and Camdyn a while ago. I also got to see Whitney, her husband, and little boy. It was so nice seeing everyone!!! Camdyn has gotten so big, and is pretty much the spitting image of Kevin. It was so much fun spoiling him and being able to hang out with Steph again. I had a great time. The weekend flew by way too quickly, but I will see them again I am sure.

Speaking of traveling, I have a very busy couple of months ahead of me. This upcoming weekend I am going to visit with the Willis family. My Goddaughter, Kelsey, is having a ballet recital, so I am going to see that. They will also get to meet Brandon for the first time and I will get to meet Kyla for the first time! I am looking forward to that. In July, I am going to North Carolina for the first time in 8 years. I was there in 2002 for Beth's graduation, but due to the death of my Pawpaw at the same time, I wasn't able to really do and see much. So, I will be there visiting with my Dad and Stepmom for a week. Heather is going with me, so during the day while Dad and Addy are at work, we will be sightseeing and going to the beach and having fun. I can't wait for that trip! That is all of the traveling that I am doing that I know of. I am sure that at some point I will be visiting a few other people, but those will be day trips.

What else is going on.....

Oh, I am officially registered in school!!! Yay!!! I start in August and am registered in 4 classes. Speech, History, Intro to Education, and Psychology. I am SO excited to physically be taking classes again!! The online class thing is just NOT for me. The great thing about my classes is that I was able to get them at night, so Brandon will not have to be put in daycare!!! I am SO relieved. I have a GREAT daycare that I can take him to, but I want to be with him during the day. I want to be there to video tape everything for Brian. I want to spend time with him. So, it works out well that I am taking night classes. I can't wait to get this show on the road!!!

I am officially on a diet. Bleck. Haha. Well, it is just something that I have to do for myself. I just need to. I plan on going to the gym after classes, so that will become my routine. I am going to start going to the gym with Heather on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and one day a weekend until she leaves for school. I am excited about that as well. I'm going to be one hot momma when Brian comes home!!!! lol

Speaking of the love of my life, Brian is doing well. He is getting situated in Iraq and dealing with the daily grind. Brandon and I got him a PSP for Father's Day, so he is loving his new toy. He gets to call every couple of days, and emails when he can. He talks to Brandon everytime that he calls, and everytime Brandon just smiles! It is the cutest thing ever!! It hasn't been like the first deployment where we could talk on messenger all the time, but maybe that will be an option later in the deployment.

Brandon is doing wonderful. He is getting SO big!!! I posted a blog on his page about his 4 month doctor appointment. He is 18 pounds 4 ounces, and 27 1/4 inches long. He started eating solids May 24th, and LOVES it. So far he has had rice cereal, green beans, sweet potatoes, sweet peas, and carrots. He starts squash on Thursday and then it will be time to start fruits. He is absolutely my pride and joy and the best part of my day. He wakes up every morning smiling and talking to himself and rarely cries. He is such an excellent baby. I love him so much!!! It is unreal.

Emily is doing well. She has adjusted well to the other dogs in the house. I was quite worried about how scared she gets, but she has taken to it nicely. She plays with the other dogs and is very good. She has become more fiesty, but I think that is more out of necessity than anything.

Anything else....
Eh, I'll throw in a little vent. I have just become so fed up with people's lack of responsibility!!! It is such an irritating quality for a person to have. I am sure that you all have met someone that just REFUSES to take ANY responsibility for their own actions. It's almost like they expect the consequences of their actions to NOT affect them. They blame everything on someone else and have an excuse for everything. These kind of people get under my skin and piss me off!!!! Especially when they involve me in their immaturity. One day....maybe one day, they will grow up and realize that if they would just step up and be an adult, maybe their problems would go away. Oh well. Such is life I suppose.

I think that is about it for now. I am going to take the boy and go cuddle. He has watched his Baby Einstein video twice so far, and is getting fussy because he is fighting sleep. So, we may go take a little nap. I hope that you are all doing well!!! Thanks for reading about my boring little life. :-)

4 months!!!!

2008-06-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

Well, as of May 30th, I am officially 4 months old!!! Yay!!! I am getting SO big!! I had my 4 month well baby appointment with my new pediatrician June 4th. I weighed in at 18 pounds 4 ounces, 27 1/4 inches long, and my head circumference was 18 inches. I got my shots and cried, but Mommy was there to cuddle me and make me feel better. Daddy was also there, in spirit and got to talk to me later that day and tell me how proud he was of me. I am wearing 9-12 month clothes and am SOOOOOO close to rolling over. I just love to smile and laugh at people and I do not stop talking. Ever. Mommy started feeding my baby food and it is good stuff!! I started out with green beans and after a couple of days had sweet potatoes. Yesterday I had sweet peas for the first time. I love my veggies!! Everyday I am getting cuter and I have all of these girls here wrapped around my little finger. I love being the baby!!!

Funny Baby Story

2008-05-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Brandon is teething. Yay. He has been REALLY fussy this evening and NOTHING that I do to calm him down was working. I tried all of the normal things and none of them were working. I tried teethers, oragel, tylenol, teething drops, rocking, shushing, playing, everything I could think of. After an hour of fussing, I decided to try taking him for a walk. The only thing that had seemed to calm him down was when we were walking around the house. So, I decided to put him in his stroller and go for a walk around the block. No sooner as I started walking, he fell asleep. He was out before we got to the culdesac about 5 houses down. hahahaha I kept walking a little to ensure that he was in a relatively deep sleep before going back inside. I would have walked longer but there was a storm advisory and I didn't want us to get caught in the rain. Since he likes walks so much, I may add a walk to our daily routine. Yay! Here is a picture of him crashed out in his stroller. Hahahaha.

RIP Kitters :(

2008-05-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Our precious Kitters passed away last night. I went out to have dinner with a friend and the house was empty, and one of the dogs got to her. I am not aware of the specific details as I did not want to know, but she is no longer with us. I came home and my Mom and Allan told me that she was dead. Naturally, I am devastated. She was my baby. I loved her so much and still have a hard time imagining the future without her. It still hasn't quite sunk it yet. I still cannot believe that she isn't going to meow at me when she wants some loving, bat at me when she wants some food, or climb on me and knead me as she falls to sleep. I am doubtful that I will ever own another kitty because I seem to have horrible luck with them. Maybe someday, but definitely not any time soon. She was such an important part of our family. Some people do not consider pets a part of the family, and those people are definitely not the kind of people that I can understand. Brian and I love our animals deeply and are heartbroken that we have lost our precious Kitters. She brought so much joy to our lives everyday. I will never forget her and her tummy. :) I know that I will think of her daily and that she will always hold a special place in our hearts. She will be greatly missed. So, RIP Kitters. Mommy and Daddy love you and will miss you always.

B update.....teething

2008-05-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

So, I am almost the big 4-months. Soon I will be driving! But, for now, I have officially begun teething and eating like a horse. The past couple of nights I have been waking up multiple times and wanting to eat and fuss. Mom isn't really fond of that. So, today, I got my first taste of rice cereal. Not bad. It has a much different consistancy than milkies, but I sure do like it!! Mom and Grandma can't shovel it in fast enough. I've tried telling them to hurry, but I don't think they heard me. I may have to yell louder next time. I have also been drooling alot and biting mom's fingers and everything I can get my hands on. So, I've heard Mom say that I must be teething. She started putting this weird stuff on my gums. It makes my whole mouth go numb, and tastes really funny, but it makes my gums stop hurting. Yep, I'm getting big. I'm thinking about colleges. I think I may be an Aggie. That would make Dad happy!

3 Months!

2008-05-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace:

Wow! So many things have changed since my last blog!! Mommy and I are in Texas now and it is GREAT here!!! :) I had a little bit of a rough flight because I had an upset tummy, but once I threw up on Mommy, everything was great!

I have met so many people since I have been here! I got to meet my Auntie Beth and Auntie Lora finally. Also, Mommy took me to see her friends at Childtime where her and Daddy met. I met my Great Uncle Ralph, Great Aunt Debbie and Great Grandpa Hays on Sunday. It was so much fun!! I have also been to Grandma's work, Grandma Hays' work, and Grandpa Hays' fire station! Mommy says that there are alot more people to meet, so it looks like I am going to be a busy bee.

I turned 3 months on April 30th!!! I weigh 16.2 pounds and am 26 inches long! I am eating 8 ounces every 4-5 hours and am doing SO good holding my head up. I am so close to rolling over!!! Hopefully I can get my butt to follow my head soon! Mommy bought me a Bumbo and a tummy time mat and I love them!! I also got a bunch of new summer clothes and am one styling dude!!!

All is well with me and Mommy!

Yet another update.

2008-05-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in awhile, so while Grandma is feeding Brandon, I figured that I'd post a new update. Here goes....

Brandon and I are doing great. We are enjoying being in Texas and seeing everyone that we have been waiting to see. We have visited Childtime, the grandparent's work, and Uncle Ralph, Aunt Debbie, and Great Grandpa Hays. We still have alot of people to see, most of which live farther away. I plan on making a trip out to Tyler, Killeen, and Austin pretty soon. I also have to go to West Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky sometime. All of this before July.....eeek. It may not all happen, but that is what I would like to do. We'll see. I also have to enroll in school soon, so that is going to make the out of state visits a little harder.

Brian is doing well. He has reached his final destination in Iraq and is getting settled in. He is ready to come home, and we are ready to have him home. We still have a long time, but we are being strong. If anyone would like his address, just message me and I will send it to you.

Other than the above, there really isn't anything else going on. Brandon is growing like a weed and I will be posting a blog about him on his page, so be sure to check it out.

That's all folks!

The flight from Hell, Walmart, and Sonic milkshakes

2008-04-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Well, Brandon and I have successfully made it to Texas. The trip was quite a disaster. Let me elaborate......

Wednesday night, or more like Thursday morning, I went to bed at 2am and set my alarm for 3:30am because we had to leave for the airport at 4:30am. I intentionally set my alarm across the room so I would have to physically walk over and turn it off. Which is exactly what I did.....and then went back to bed. Ginny comes in and wakes me up at 5:30!!! So, needless to say, Brent and I were running late. We made it to the airport around 8:15 and found a parking spot relatively quickly. The problem was that we had 2 luggage carts and Brandon's stroller, but there was only two of us. It was VERY complicated pushing everything into the airport and to the check in counter. Luckily, a very nice man helped get us to the check in counter. After getting checked in I was told that we would have to take the pets around the corner and that they would have to be taken out of their cages. I asked Brent to go with the pets so I could pay for their plane tickets and finish getting checked in. My mind was running on little sleep and I didn't realize that Brent would be the one taking the pets out of their kennels. Poor Brent. First of all, he is allergic to cats and dogs. Second, Emily and Kitters are not the most comfortable with him. Emily refused to go back in the crate. He had to force her in the kennel and then felt bad afterwards. Kitters....oh, Kitters. She scratched the hell out of him and got loose. She ran into the scanner machine and wouldn't come out. The airport employees were not able to help him, so he had to climb into the scanner to get her out and then shove her back into her kennel. I didn't find this out until later because I had to leave and go pay for animals on one side of the terminal and then haul ass to the other side of the terminal to get to my gate. I ended up running to my gate. I had to go upstairs and went into the elevator, but it just so happened that the elevator didn't work. I found an escalator, but I really didn't have time to waste trying to figure out the elevator situation. I made it to the customs line and was let through thank goodness because the line was SO long. Then, I made it to the metal detector and didn't realize that I had to take Brandon out of his carseat because the carseat had to go through the scanner. As I take him out of the carseat, I realize that he has a poopy diaper. GREAT!!! Perfect timing!!! lol So, we make it through the metal detector and have to go through another check point. They asked for my boarding passes and I handed him everything they had given me and I was missing a boarding pass. I started flipping out and told the guy that I didn't have time for this and I needed to go, but he couldn't let me through. I finally found it, and was let through. I went to the gate (which was down a hallway that NEVER ended!!!!) and checked in. I had to change Brandon before we got on the plane, so I went to the bathrooms. Well, lucky me, they didn't have a changing room, and the women's bathroom was packed. So, I just went into the handicap bathroom and changed him. When I get done, I go inquire about pre-boarding and bulkhead seating. I was told that I would get to board early. Boarding early is a joke. They gave me all of a 30 second head start, which is nothing because when I got to the breezeway, I asked about bulkhead and they told me to check with the gate. So, I had to go back to the gate and ask. That is where I found out that they had Brandon and I sitting two rows away from each other. Such brilliant people that work at the airlines. Anyway, tehat problem was fixed, but there "was no room" for me in bulkhead seating. When I booked the plane tickets, I was told that bulkhead seating is reserved for pregnant women, and women with children that do not have a seperate seat for their child, but if there was room, that I would be next in the priority list. So, I expected there to be alot of pregnant women and children in bulkhead. Nope. There was a married couple on their way to a cruise, some 20 something men, and some women that did not have any handicaps at all. I know this because I sat in the row directly behind bulkhead seating so I could be teased with it. It was so ridiculous. Then, the brilliant flight attendants were asked to heat up Brandon's bottle so I could feed him during take off to help with the popping of his ears. The dumb ass brought me boiling water!!! Then, when I told her that it was too hot, she dumped it out and brought me an empty bottle. Finally she was able to get it right after I explained that I needed warm water. I understand that they do nit have the ability to microwave bottles, which is fine, but common sense will tell you that boiling water is not an option. Brandon did great on the take off. He ate his bottle, and I rocked him to sleep. About 30 minutes into the flight I was settling in and bracing myself for a decent flight. I could not have been more WRONG! First, Brandon had another 2 poopy diapers in the matter of an hour!! He typically only poops once of twice a day!! On the flight, he had 5 poopy diapers!! That is just my luck! About 45 minutes into the flight, the pilot informs us that the oil pressure gauge on engine 2 isn't working and that we had to turn around and go back to Frankfurt to have it fixed. Granted, I would much rather them find this out and fix it before we are over the Atlantic, but I was still upset. We get to Frankfurt and have to wait for the mechanics to fix it, then for them to test it, and then for the plane to be refueled. Finally, around 2 or 2:30 we take off again. Everything was fine for awhile and I was able to get a little bit of sleep. Brandon woke up and needed to be changed (the 4th poopy diaper) and fed. I got him changed and got his bottle heated up and started to feed him just as they started bringing out lunch. So, I had to put him in his carseat and finish feeding him that way because I was afraid that they wouldn't give me my meal if I asked them to bring it back after I fed him and considering my breakfast was a beverage, I was starving! The problem with feeding him in his carseat is that burping him was difficult because of the tray. He seemed to do ok. He fell back off to sleep about an hour after he ate. He woke up fussy and was up for awhile. He finally started to get really fussy and I thought that he might have been hungry again even though it was only 3 hours after his last bottle. I fed him, and sure enough, it was too early. About 30 minutes after he ate, he threw up ALL over me. I was COVERED in vomit. Covered. It was so gross. That was about 5 hours into the flight. So, for the rest of the 5 and a half hour flight, I was covered in vomit. I had brought changes of clothes for Brandon, but not for myself. I have learned my lesson! The rest of the flight was a blur. I had a headeache and was feeling disgusting, so I think I have blocked it out. When we landed, I was expecting my stroller to be waiting for me after I got off the plane, but it wasn't. I had to carry him in his carseat and carry my travel on, purse, and diaper bag all the way to customs which was about a 10 minute walk! I finally made it through customs and found baggage claim where I was expecting my family to be. Negative. Luckily, there was a nice employee that helped me carry everything out to my family. I was SO relieved to see them and for the flight to be over!!!! It was miserable!!!!

On a brighter note- I went to Walmart yesturday!!!! I was only there for a little while because I didn't want to spend every last dime that I had. I bought Brandon a couple things and some toiletries, but I didn't go crazy. I am SO glad to be back in the states!!!! I also had a strawberry shake from Sonic yesturday!! Mmmmmm. It was yummy. It was in honor of Brian as they are his favorite. I miss him SOOOOOOOO much and being back in Houston without is such a strange feeling. I am so glad to be here, but I feel so guilty that I am here and he is not. I can't wait until he comes back!!!!

I haven't gotten my nails done yet.....shocker I know. my mom had mentioned taking me, so I am waiting to see if that is going to happen today. If not, then I am taking myself because I need to get them done and a pedicure like whoa.

That's about it for now. I am exhausted just writing this blog and recounting all of the crap that happneded on the flight. Thank god it is over!

It's 2:15am

2008-04-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

and I am STILL awake. I swear, I am so tired, but I CANNOT sleep. Everytime I try to go to sleep, I lay there awake thinking about everything that I have to do in the next few days. Plus, my whole body hurts from lifting stuff. See, this is why my husband needs to be home. He usually does all of the lifting. Speaking of my dear husband, I got to talk to him today!! It was only a brief conversation, but it made my day. He is doing well, and just waiting to leave Kuwait (or Q8 as Ginny calls it...heh) and head to Iraq. I miss him SO much, and I feel REALLY guilty going back to the states while he is stuck in the sandbox. I know that I am going to have a great time there, all the while he is miserable in Iraq. That makes me sad. Blah. Tomorrow the movers come, so I've been spending this weekend organizing things and making sure that I seperate out all of the stuff that is going on the plane with me. That is HARD WORK!!! It is hard to think of everything that you need and what you may need for the baby, and what the pets need. I will be SO glad when this move is over. Although, it means that I have to leave some of my dearest friends here in Baumholder. Today, I went to lunch with my boo Ginny and my little man Dono and Missy. It was a great time and it made me sad thinking about leaving them. They are great people and I will miss them dearly. Thank goodness for the neighbor boy who carried all of my stuff that I needed taken downstairs for me. Plus, he carried everything from my car upstairs for me, took my trash out, cleaned Brian's bike and the cooler that I needed cleaned, and brought Emily's crate upstairs. He was a LIFESAVER!!! Two hours and twenty dollars later, I had about 4 hours worth of work done had I done it myself because of carrying Brandon up and down with me. So, yay for that. Oh, and if you are wondering why this blog is all over the place, it is because I took a percocet about a half hour ago and it has taken over my brain. I feel really drunk, but my body doesn't hurt. So, that is a good thing. I could totally crash right now, and I will momentarily, but I am waiting on the dryer to finish so I can transfer the final load of laundry. So much to do. Plus, I have to wake up at 7am or so to do my makeup before the movers get here. Yes, I wear makeup no matter what when company is around. So, I will wake up, do my make up, give Brandon a bottle, and fall asleep on the couch until the movers get here. I am hoping that they get here early so they can get done early and leave me a little time to run a few errands that I need to run. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Thank goodness for the Roberts family! They are being so kind as to let me stay with them starting tomorrow night, plus Ginny is keeping Brandon for me this week while I run a bunch of errands, and they are driving me to the airport. I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends! They rule. Whoa.....my head is all spinny.....lol. I should probably go. Yay for percocet-driven blogs. Heh. Good night everyone.

Friday + Good news = Happy Becky!

2008-04-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

So, THANKFULLY, I got some good news today!!! Actually, today was a day FULL of good news!!!

It started with Ginny's WONDERFUL news that Nugget is HEALTHY and is a GIRL!!! I am SOOO happy to hear that her little Nugget is healthy!!! Especially considering that the odds were really against her. I am also THRILLED to hear that she is having a baby girl! It's so perfect....one little boy, one little girl. It actually gives me hope that it CAN be done. lol So, YAY for the Roberts family!!!

Then, Brandon's passport came in today!!! FINALLY!!! After 9 weeks of waiting! So, we were able to book our plane tickets today!!! It is OFFICIAL!!! I am flying out of Germany Thursday April 24 at 10:05am!!! I will arrive in Houston Thursday April 24 at 1:35pm!!! I am SOOOO excited!!!! I cannot wait to get home and see my wonderful family!!! I am little nervous about such a long flight with Brandon, but he is an excellent baby, so I'm sure it will all be fine.

I have SO much to do to get ready for the move! The movers come on Monday to pick up my stuff. This weekend will be spent organizing the apartment and seperating the stuff that is going on the plane with me. Then, on Tuesday, I have to go to Finance, Tricare, SATO Travel, Sixt Rental Car, and get the car cleaned. Wednesday I have to sign out of my apartment, ship the car, take Emily and Kitters to the vet, and make sure that everything is in order for Thursday. Then, Thursday we head out! I am SO excited!!!

To all of my friends here in Germany, I love you all and will miss you all terribly!!! Ginny- I don't even know how to say goodbye. So, instead, it is a see you later!!! I will be back for the welcome home ceremony and I WILL see that beautiful baby girl of yours and my little Dono-man!! And Dita of course....oh, and I suppose Brenton too. Heh.

To all of my friends and family in Texas- I'm COMING HOME!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!

The latest.

2008-04-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

So, this blog is not so much of an update as it is a place to relieve some boredom.

Let's see.....

Still waiting on Brandon's passport. Scheduled household goods shipment for the 18th and 21st, so after Monday I will have a government bed, dresser, 2 lamps, a chair, Brandon's bassinett, our luggage, a broken laptop, the pet carriers, and a little tv that I am giving to the Roberts' after I leave. So, hopefully Brandon's passport will come in on Friday so I can schedule our plane tickets to get the heck out of here!! I scheduled the detailing of the car....and it's gonna SUCK!!! It is 120 EURO!!!! That is outrageously expensive considering the exhange rate, but it's my only option. There is NO WAY that I could detail the car myself, and the car care place on post doesn't have an opening until the 28th. So, the economy it is. I lucked out and don't have to hire someone to clean the apartment before I leave because at my pre-inspection today I was told that because we accepted the apartment as is we only have to sweep, clean the fridge, and the oven. That is easy enough, so I'm doing it myself. Actually, I already cleaned the fridge and I cleaned behind the oven today. So, I will only have to clean the oven, behind the fridge, and sweep. Easy enough. Kitters has a vet appointment tomorrow to get her rabies shot. Next week Emily and Kitters have appointments to get their health certificates as it cannot be issued more than 10 days from the date you fly out. That's about it on the move front. Just waiting, waiting, waiting.

Brandon will be 11 weeks old tomorrow!!! OMG....time has flown by!!! He is getting so big and is just beautiful. He smiles ALL the time. It's great. He even laughs in his sleep which is adorable. He is still sleeping great at night. He falls asleep in the living room around 8-9 and sleeps until bathtime which is around 10-10:30, then gets a bottle and goes to sleep until about 6-7am. Then, gets another bottle and a diaper change and is sleeping until 9-11. So, Mommy is LOVING that. His favorite things during the day are story time, snuggle time, playing in his swing, and playing with his little stuffed froggie. He has tummy time twice a day now, and is getting really good at holding his head up despite the fact that he HATES tummy time. He is eating like a little piggie. He recently went up to eating 8 ounces every 4 hours because he was eating 6 ounces every 3 hours and barely making it the 3 hours before he was starting to get really fussy. He is wearing his 3 month clothes and has been for about a month now. He's growing so fast. He is such a good baby. Brian and I really lucked out.

Brian is doing ok. He is still in Kuwait, and gets to call/get online every once in awhile. It isn't everyday, but we're making due. He's counting down the days until he gets to come home. We miss him like crazy and can't wait until he gets home.

That's about it in the Hays family life. Brian is hanging out in Kuwait and Brandon, the furbabies and I are just waiting to get back to Texas. I will update as soon as anything changes.

The good....and the bad.

2008-04-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

So, I'm a bad first kind of gal, so I'll get that over with first.....

I was REALLY REALLY hoping to get Brandon's passport in today so I could schedule our plane tickets, but it didn't come in. That SUCKS. Until I get his passport I can't do anything else to get moved. It has been 8 weeks today and I am getting REALLY frusterated!!!! All I can do is wait at this point, but as you all know, I am NOT a patient person!!!

So, now the good......

Brian made it safely to Kuwait and is doing ok. He is able to get on the internet and use the phones, but he has to have a buddy with him at all times. Since the majority of his friends are broke and the phone and internet cost money, nobody wants to go with him. So, he is getting online when he can, which isn't very often.

Also with the good, Brandon LOVES watching his goodnight video that Daddy made him!!! He will stop everything that he is doing (which isn't much since he is only 10 weeks old) and listen to Daddy talking to him and just smile. It's the cutest thing!! I can't wait for Brian to send more videos so Brandon can watch them too.

Also, he did tummy time yesturday and held his head up almost the entire time!!! He still hates it, but yesturday he didn't hate it as much as he normally does. He held his head up and was looking at me and talking and then looking at his rattle and smiling. So, we are making progress there!!! Hopefully soon he will be able to lift himself up and roll over!! He's getting SO big!!! I promise to post some more pics on his page soon.

That's about all that is going on here. I will post again when something exciting happens!

First Mom Crisis

2008-04-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

I had my first official mom-crisis moment today. Here’s the story:

As many of you know that I am moving back to Texas since Brian is deployed. The moving process is a difficult one in general, moving with the military is even more complicated, and moving with the military AND a baby is pretty close to impossible!!! lol

It all started when I set myself up for failure by expecting myself to be up by 8am. Yeah, that did NOT happen. My alarm went off, and realized that my son was still asleep, so I decided to seize the moment and sleep while I could. So, 10am I am awoken by my son’s babbling and fussing. Since I had to be home between 12-5 for the maintenance guy to come fix the dryer, I decided that it would be best for me to just stay home and if the maintenance guy left at a decent time to then try to get some things accomplished. Lucky for me, the maintenance guy came at 12 and was done by 1. (My dryer had two broken wheels, no wonder it was making horrible squeaky noises) Anyway, after he left, I got Brandon ready and fed him a bottle before we left. I knew that it wasn’t really time for him to eat, but figured that I’d "top him off" and feed him whatever he wanted. BAD IDEA!!! No more than a half hour after we left the house we were in the office inquiring about getting his name added to my orders, Brandon decided that he was going to throw up that entire bottle. He was chilling in his carseat asleep, and he woke up and was acting a little fussy, so I offered him his binkie but he didn’t want it. He was a little squirmy, so I figured that it was probably gas and since he wasn’t really fussing a lot I left him alone and continued discussing the orders situation. The next thing I know he had vomitted and covered himself and his carseat. Yay. I then entered panic mode! lol I took his jacket off and got a burp cloth and started wiping him down. I checked the diaper bag for a change of clothes, and like a dumb ass I hadn’t replaced them from when we were in the hospital unexpectedly a few weeks ago. Yikes. Panic had really set in at that point. I wiped down the carseat with the burp cloth and put him back in it. That was all I could do at that point. During this entire ordeal, I was being given directions as to how to get my son added to my orders. My brain was NOT in the right frame of mind to remember ANYTHING they were saying to me. Luckily, the guy was new and wanted to learn the process himself so he escorted me to the building I needed to go to and spoke to the people for me. Brandon cannot be added to my orders until his passport is in. So, basically, my move is stalled until his passport comes in. That bitch better come in tomorrow!!! Ugh, but that is a whole other story in itself. Anyway, I had another couple of places to go, but decided that I’d just go to one because I needed to get Brandon home and changed before he started stinking up my car with his milkiness. Once I went to the outprocessing building they sent me BACK to the last building I was at for the checklist I was inquiring about. Once at that original building they gave me a checklist for getting an ERD approved. I ALREADY HAVE my ERD approved. I wanted a checklist of things that I needed to do in order to MOVE. A list of things that I needed to do to CLEAR this post. Apparently, there is no such checklist. So, ALL of that in and out of buildings (6 buildings, so 12 times in and out of the car) for nothing. And, can I just say that carrying a baby in a carseat is HARD WORK!!! lol He is a heavy little guy and the carseat is bulky and hard to carry. So, I had an official mom-crisis moment with the vomiting and an official mom day by carrying him around all day. It just sucks that all of that work was for NOTHING. Ugh.

I wouldn’t trade if for anything in the world though. Especially when he smiles at me. Which he is doing right this second....only because he is making a dirty diaper for me to change. Hahahaha....well, I’m off to take care of diaper duty. I hope you had a good laugh at my expense.

And so it begins.....

2008-04-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

the most painful seperation imaginable. Please be forewarned that this blog will probably be all over the place as my feelings are overwhelmingly complicated right now.

Brian has officially left for Iraq. 16 months. Damn, that is a LONG time. I missed him before he left, but I miss him immensely more now that he is officially gone. I honestly do not know how to describe what it feels like to have to say goodbye to your husband, your child’s father, and your best friend. Incomplete. That is really the only word that comes close. It is almost surreal at this point. I almost don’t believe that he isn’t going to walk in the door in a little while and asks, "What’s for dinner?" Saying goodbye was hard. Not nearly as hard as watching him say goodbye to our son. My heart breaks a little more each time I think about it. I cannot possibly imagine what it must feel like to look at your baby and know that you will not be seeing them again for at least 16 months. It’s unreal. He is such a brave man, and is stronger than he is given credit for. I know that I am one of many wives/husbands that have had to spend an ungodly amount of time away from their solider, and I have dealt with deployment before. I know that I can handle the seperation. I know that I will eventually not cry everytime I see little things that remind me of him. But, for now, every little thing reminds me of him. Everything. Walking into our house and seeing his side of the bed, his "spot" on the couch, his toothbrush in the holder....everything. I’m doing surprisingly well. I’m actually quite proud of myself. For now.

It’s just not fair. It’s not fair that children must be seperated from their parents, spouses seperated, families seperated for this bullshit war. It’s just not fair. Not. At. All. All I can say is to PLEASE vote. Please educate yourself and vote. Just don’t sit idly by and expect things to change. Things will only change if people stand up and make them change.

In the meantime, I will vow to stay occupied to help the time pass by. From past experience, I know that keeping busy is really the only way to keep some sanity. It may seem trivial, but I am trying to find one thing everyday to look forward to. Even the small things keep me going. Tonight, American Idol is on. Tomorrow, more American Idol. Friday, Grey’s Anatomy. That, plus all the things that I have to do to get my move organized will help the time pass by quicker. Once I get to Texas, it is really all down hill from there. Between being a mommy, going to school, and spending time with family I’m sure that the time will fly by.

I just wish that we didn’t have to be apart. I just wish that I didn’t have to go to bed alone every night and wake up alone every morning. I wish that Brian didn’t have to watch Brandon grow up through videos and pictures. I just wish things didn’t have to be this way.

What a relief!

2008-04-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

It is official!! We found out today that my ERD was approved!!! It is SUCH a relief!! Especially because Brian is leaving for Iraq VERY soon!! It makes me feel so much better knowing that shortly after he leaves, I will be able to leave too. Now that it has been approved, we have to begin the moving process. Anyone that has moved with the military knows that it is a very lengthy process involving many briefings and appointments. First and foremost, we have an appointment with Transportation on Tuesday to schedule my household goods shipment. When Brian spoke to the transportation office today, they told him that the earliest they can ship our household goods is around April 16-17, and that isn’t guaranteed. Once our transportation appointment is scheduled, we can call housing and schedule a final inspection to sign out of housing. We can also schedule our flights out of here. Also, somewhere in there, we have to ship our car back to the states. We can’t leave until we get Brandon’s passport, which hopefully will come in on Friday. We applied for his passport mid-February, and we are still waiting on it. I called the passport office today and was told that the next pickup of passports is on Friday, so if Brandon’s comes in, we will be notified immediately. So, we are hoping that his comes in on Friday. Along with shipping our household goods, clearing housing (which involves ALOT of major cleaning because the Army is anal), shipping the car, and scheduling our flights, the Army requires us to clear a number of other offices. For example, you have to have the library sign off saying that you do not have any overdue library books. So, it is going to be interesting. I am actually grateful for the work because with moving and Brandon, I won’t have time to really think about Brian being in Iraq. I am just ready to be back in Texas with my family. As excited as I am, it is bittersweet because I am going to have to say goodbye to the Roberts family. They have been amazing friends to us, and it is going to be so hard to say goodbye. I hate goodbyes.

2 Month's old!!

2008-03-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

So, I am 2 months old today!!! Yay me!!!! Mommy and Daddy keep telling me how big I’m getting. I guess they are right because I have gained 3.5 pounds and grown 3.5 inches since I was born!!! Lately my favorite thing to do is to watch the mobile in my swing go around and listen to the music my swing plays. I love my swing SO much!!! Also, Mommy and Daddy started story time with me!!! I love to listen to the stories that they read me!! I am working on my tummy time, but it is definately not my favorite thing to do. I am getting much better at holding my head up when Mommy and Daddy hold me though. I love to smile and am laughing more and more often. I also love to eat my milkies!!!! Mommy and Daddy are shocked that I am eating 6 ounces every 4 hours!!! I’m still sleeping really well too. Mommy puts me to sleep around 11pm and I sleep until around 6am when Daddy gets up for work. Mommy feeds me and changes my diaper, then I go back to sleep until around 9 or 10am. I also take a few cat naps throughout the day. Sometimes Mommy snuggles with me during my naps. Those naps are my favorite. I have also been spending alot of time with my Auntie Ginny and BFF Dono!! They love me and I love them too!!! That is about all that is going on with me!!! I’m just working hard on growing and making Mommy and Daddy’s lives complete. It’s hard work being a baby!!!

2 Months!

2008-03-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

Today was my 2 month well baby dr appointment. I am perfectly healthy and thriving. Mommy and Daddy had a few questions for Dr. Sherman. They discussed the dry skin on my cheeks. Dr. Sherman suggested buying some Aveno lotion to put on it and to wash it with a sponge to get circulation going, but said that it is perfectly normal and would clear up on it’s own. She also recommended giving rice cereal anywhere between 3-4 months to help with iron levels because they naturally drop around that time. Iron and brain development go hand in hand, so Mommy may start me on rice cereal around 3-4 months. Mommy asked about allergies because I rub my nose alot, but Dr. Sherman said that there is no way to check for allergies in babies and even if I did have allergies the only thing that would be safe for me to take would be saline drops. So, Dr. Sherman recommended getting a HEPA filter. Mommy is going to buy a filter when we get to Grandma’s house. Mommy and Daddy also discussed constipation and hard poopies. Lately I have been struggling to poop, so Dr. Sherman said that I could have a little apple juice to get things moving. Mommy has to dilute it to one part juice, one part water. So, hopefully that will help with the struggling I’ve been having lately. I am exactly 8 weeks today. I weigh in at 13.2 pounds and am 25 inches long!! That is almost a pound heavier than last week, and an inch longer!!! I am definately growing fast!!!

After my appointment with Dr. Sherman, I had to get my shots. I was given the rotovirus vaccine, which is a drink. That wasn’t too bad. After the drink, I had to have my HIB shot and my DTaP shot. They were out of the prevnar vaccine, so I have to get that one next week. The HIB shot is the Haemophilus Influenza shot, and the DTaP is the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine. It was NOT fun getting shots, but I didn’t do too bad. I cried, but as soon as Mommy picked me up, I was ok. I am feeling icky today because of the shots, but Mommy and Daddy are taking good care of me. Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow.

Ultrasound results

2008-03-19T15:24:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

I had the ultrasound of my sacral dimple done on Monday. Today we got the results, and they are normal!!! Yay!!! I do not have spina bifida occulta!!!! Mommy and Daddy were SO relieved!!! I also had a check up and I am doing great!!! I weigh in at 12.5 pounds and 24 inches long! I am a growing healthy boy and Mommy and Daddy couldn’t be happier!!!

Follow up

2008-03-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

We had Brandon’s follow up appointment and ultrasound result appointment today. He had the ultrasound done on Monday. Dr. Sherman, his pediatrician, said that the ultrasound came back looking completely normal!!! Brian and I were SOOOO excited to find out that his little dimple is a "normal abnormality." He is super healthy, eating like a champ, and growing like a little weed!!! He was 12.5 pounds and a little over 24 inches long!!! He has his 2 month check up next Wednesday. He will be getting his first round of immunizations. I am making Brian go with me to that appointment because I cannot stand to watch him get shots!!! Poor little guy. So, yay for an awesome result to his ultrasound!!!!

5 week hospital stay

2008-03-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

From B's old myspace page:

I just got out of the hospital today. I had to be admitted on the 8th because of a fever. It all started around 6pm Friday evening when Mommy noticed that I felt really hot. She took my temperature and it was 102! So, Mommy, Daddy, and I went to the emergency room. I had to have all kinds of tests run to make sure that I didn’t have anything really serious. I had to have blood drawn, a spinal tap, a urinalysis, a influenza culture, and an RSV culture done. Because I am only 5 weeks old, they had to hospitalize me and keep me on IV antibiotics and fever free for at least 24 hours. The doctors couldn’t get the IV in my arm or hand, so they had to put it in my head. It was not fun at all! After being admitted to the pediatric ward, the pediatrician checked me out and commented on the dimple that I have above my tushy. It is called a sacral dimple and Mommy and Daddy were asked if I had an ultrasound done to check for spina bifida occulta. Mommy and Daddy were very worried because nobody had mentioned anything to them before about it and spina bifida is a very serious disease. They were hoping to have the ultrasound done before I was released from the hospital, but we couldn’t get an appointment. So, my appointment is scheduled for March 17th to have the ultrasound done, and the results will be given and my follow up appointment on March 19th. I was finally released today, and the diagnosis is a virus. I am feeling much better now and am very glad to be home.

Our Poor Baby Boy!

2008-03-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well, we jut got home from our 3 day hospital stay with Brandon. It all started on Friday. I noticed Friday evening that Brandon felt really hot. I took his temp and it was 102, so I called Brian and we headed to the ER. When we got there, his rectal temp was 100.5. Anything over 100.4 is your body fighting an infection and with him being only 5 weeks old they were concerned. They ran a number of tests to include a spinal tap, chest x-rays, a urinalysis, blood tests, influenza culture, and an RSV test. He was admitted to the hospital to be monitored, and to make sure that none of the labs came back positive. The initial labwork came back shortly after we were admitted and was all normal, but they watch some of the tests to make sure that nothing else grows within 24-48 hours. Poor guy was hooked up to an IV which had to be done in his head because the vein in his arm blew and the vein in his hand collapsed. We were told that it is normal for babies veins to collapse or blow because they are so tiny. His temp went down shortly after we got there with the aid of tylenol, but he had to be fever free for at least 24 hours. He was put on IV antibiotics every 6 hours. The last evening, his IV stopped working, so they had to remove it and instead of sticking him again with an IV needle, they decided to give him shots of the antibiotic. It was so hard watching him get poked and prodded at the whole time he was there, but we know that it was for the best. He is doing great and is back to his smiling, happy self. They are guessing that it was a virus because all of the labwork did not show anything to worry about. The only concerning thing that we were told at the hospital was about the little dimple on his back. He was born with a dimple on his back right above his butt. Apparently, they forgot to mention to us that it could be a sign of spina bifida! The pediatrician doesn't seem too concerned because all of his reflexes are normal and the spinal cord and nerve endings are not exposed. There is a condition called spina bifida occulta which is an extremely mild form of the disease. In this particular form of the disease, no other symptoms present themselves and many people have it their entire life and never even know. So, I guess if he does have it, that there is not a lot of reason for concern. We are scheduled to get an ultrasound to get it checked out on the 17th. We hate waiting that long, but that is the military healthcare system. As soon as we get the results, we will let you all know. So, we are glad to be home, and that Brandon is healthy. Thanks to everyone for all of your concern and help!!

A super special thanks to the Roberts' for watching Emily and Kitters for us on such short notice!!! We love you guys!!!! :)

Oops....

2008-02-26T13:17:00.000-08:00

I forgot to update everyone on Friday. All of Brandon's labs came back normal, so he is doing great. He is also doing really well with the 4 ounce bottles every 4 hours or so. We have pretty much completely transitioned him over to formula and so far so good. He hasn't had anymore vomiting incidents and doesn't appear to be getting too gassy or constipated from the formula either. So, it looks like we are in the clear!!! Yay!!! It is SO hard to believe that he will be a month old on Wednesday!!! He is getting so big already!!! He has started smiling a little here and there. I will post pictures of him smiling as soon as I can catch one! lol He's quick, so it's hard to get a good picture. That's about it for now. Take care everyone!!!

2 Weeks old

2008-02-20T15:22:00.000-08:00

From B's old myspace page:

I had my 2 week check up today! I am actually 3 weeks old, but that’s ok. My doctor had alot to say about me. My neck is a little kinked from being cramped in Mommy’s tummy, I have a hydrocele, I have a hernia in my belly button, and my eyes are a little clogged. My neck, hydrocele, and belly button will heal on their own. Mommy has to put drops in my eyes to help them unclog. Yesterday I threw up and Mommy and Daddy took me to the ER. I had an ultrasound done to my belly to make sure I didn’t have pyloric stenosis. Thank goodness everything came back looking normal. I had to have a bunch of labwork done, and all of that came back normal too. I have grown alot too!!! I am 11 pounds and 23 inches long!!!

Brandon, Brandon, Brandon.....

2008-02-20T13:14:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!! We have had a VERY busy couple of days!!! As some of you know, we have been transitioning Brandon over to formula. We started with one feeding a day of formula and after a day or two, we increased it by another feeding. We were up to three formula bottles a day, and he was taking between 4 and 5 ounces a bottle!!! He was doing great for about a week. Well, yesturday he projectile vomited after his afternoon feeding. It flew from the coffee table, to the couch!!! It really had some air to it. Anyway, we called the 24 hour nurse line to see if there was anything that we should look for, and she recommended that we take him to the ER to make sure that he wasn't dehydrated. So, we took him in and they said that he looked great, but they scheduled us for an ultrasound on his tummy to make sure that he didn't have a condition called pyloric stenosis. From what I gather, the condition is caused by a weak connection of the stomach to the small intestine and the remedy is surgery. We came home thinking that it was probably a fluke, and were suprised when he projectile vomited again after his evening bottle. So, then, we were really worried. We weren't sure if he was vomiting because his stomach doesn't agree with the formula, he was eating too much at one sitting (he was taking between 5-6 ounces last night), or he had a virus. Brian and I didn't sleep at all last night because we were so afraid that he would throw up and ingest it into his lungs. We went in for the ultrasound this morning and got the results at his 2 week check up (even though he is really 3 weeks today). The ultrasound came back negative for pyloric stenosis, but they suspect that he may have a little acid reflux. The pediatrician also noticed a few other problems. He has a cogenital defect in his neck from being so big and cramped in such a small space for so long. It will be corrected, but will require a little physical therapy. He also has a hydroseal, which is a pocket of fluid on the testicle. Apparently, it isn't anything to be concerned about because the body will reabsorb the fluid. However, you have to be careful with hydroseals because they can hide herias. So, we have to keep an eye on it and make sure that it doesn't get bigger. He also has a hernia on his belly button, which is also completely normal and will also correct itself. The only thing the pediatrician was concerned about was the vomiting. She recommended feeding him smaller portions more frequently using the same formula that we had been feeding him. If he projectile vomits again, we are to take him to the ER and he will have to be admitted and have an upper GI test done to see if they can figure out why he is vomiting. If he spits up, but it isn't projectile then we are to swtitch him to soy formula and see if that helps. Tomorrow he has his audiology appointment and he has to have a bunch of labwork done. He has to have a couple of blood tests, a urinalysis, and an electrolyte panel done. Then, we have an appointment with the pediatrician on Friday to follow up on the lab results and more importantly to check how he is eating. So far, so good though. He ate a 2 ounce bottle and hasn't thrown up yet. That was almost an hour ago, so it is looking good. I must say that having a sick baby and trying to figure out all of this formula stuff is NOT fun!!! I just Brandon to be his usual happy self. I will post an update on Friday with the lab results and any more info that I am given.

Little Hays Family Update

2008-02-14T13:13:00.000-08:00

I have a few minutes while Brandon is sleeping and I am waiting to make a phone call, so I figured I'd post a little update.

Brandon is 2 weeks and 1 day old!!! He has lost his umbilical cord stump, and his plasti-bell circumcision thingy. So, he is free from all of the attachments from the hospital. We started tummy time to give him the opportunity to strengthen his neck muscles and hold his head up. He can hold his head up for a few seconds, but gets tired easily. At his WIC appointment the other day, he weighed 10 pounds 11 ounces, so he is gaining weight beautifully. We are still mostly breasfeeding, but I am just NOT having a good time with it, so we are gradually switching over to formula. We started the transition yesturday and will substitute one feeding a day with formula for a few days and gradually add another formula feeding until he is completely on formula. It makes me sad to stop, but I just can't do it anymore. It is very draining on me and causes me alot of anxiety which I am sure that he can pick up on. He has his 2 week check up on the 19 (even though he will be 3 weeks) and I will post an update after that appointment to share his weight and length and anything else that is neat.

As for me, I am hanging in there! I had a few rough days having some panic attacks which sucked. I think that it was mostly due to such a huge adjustment, plus my mom went back to the states. It is rough having a newborn. I wouldn't trade him for anything, but I can say that I am looking forward to him sleeping through the night!! I am quite attached to my sleep, and newborns make that virtually impossible. He doesn't get up too much though. Usually, it is every 4 hours or so, but last night after giving him his first formula bottle he slept for 8 hours straight!!! THEN, he woke up, got a diaper change, nursed a little, and went back to sleep for another three hours!! It was GREAT!!! Hopefully he will keep that up!! Brian and I were LOVING getting 8 hours of sleep. Although, for me the sleep was broken because I kept waking up to check on him. It was still nice to sleep for so long before having to get up and take care of him. Oh, AND...I am 10 pounds UNDER my pre-pregnancy weight!!! WOOHOO!!!! My pre-pregnancy jeans fit, and they actually fit better than before I was pregnant. That's awesome news!!! I was pleasantly suprised when I put them on for the first time today. I did a little happy dance and called Brian into the room to show him. Heh, it was great.

Brian is doing great too. He is absolutely the best dad EVER!!! He gets up everynight and changes Brandon's diaper and gives him to me to feed. He will take Brandon in the mornings and let me sleep for an extra hour or two. He will hold Brandon when he is fussy, and loves to play with him anytime of the day. I really couldn't ask for a better husband. It makes me so proud to be his wife and also so grateful to have such a wonderful husband and father for our son.

Emily and Kitters are adjusting. They are getting much less attention, but I know that will change once a real rountine is established with Brandon. Right now, we do everything on Brandon's time. They seem to be understanding for the most part, but every now and then will get really clingy. I try to make it a point to cuddle with them a little everyday. I'm sure that things will mellow out a bit in the next couple of weeks.

That's about it on the Hays homefront. We are hanging in there and taking in one day at a time. We are loving spending so much time with Brandon and watching him develop a little personality already. We can't wait to see him smile and hear him laugh. Oh what fun we have in store!!! Anyways, I better get to making that phone call and get myself to bed since I sleep when Brandon sleeps!! We love and miss you all!!!!

1 week old!

2008-02-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

Brandon is 1 week old today! I swear it seems like it has been so long since he was born, yet it seems like it was yesturday all at the same time. He is doing great. When we were discharged from the hospital on Thursday, he was slightly jaundiced, so we had to have his levels checked on Friday. His levels had gone from 10.5 to 12. The pediatrician wasn't worried, but wanted us to have his level rechecked Monday at his 5 day check up. On Monday at his appointment his level had gone from 12 to 8.4, so all is well with that. He has lost about 4% of his birth weight, which is excellent considering it is perfectly normal for them to lose weight after birth, they just don't like to see them lose more than 10%. We've been having some trouble with breastfeeding, but we are being persistant and he is latching better and better everyday. It still hurts, but not nearly as bad. My milk came in about 3 days after he was born, so that's great as well. He sleeps great and usually only wakes us up once a night to be changed and fed. His schedule pretty much consists of waking up, Dad changes his diaper, Mom feeds him, and he goes back to sleep. In the afternoon/evening he will stay awake a little and we play with him and snuggle him. He is a delight and we fall more and more in love with him everyday. My mom, Allan, and Heather have been visiting since Friday and they have been an AMAZING help!!! It's going to be sad to say goodbye to them this Friday. Brian's parents fly in on Friday and will be here for 2 weeks, so they will get to meet the little guy and help out. It's great to have so much help right now. We had portraits done yesturday and I will post them tomorrow when I get the disc. They are adorable and I can't wait to share them with everyone. Well, that's it for now. I hope that you are all doing great!!!

Brandon's Birth Story

2008-01-31T09:08:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have a few minutes while Brandon is sleeping, so I'm going to try to share Brandon's birth story.

On Tuesday I went in at 6am for my originally scheduled induction. They started out with a full oral dose of cydotec. After a few hours, I still hadn't made any progress. I was still only dialated 3cm, 50% effaced and Brandon was still sitting high up. Then they started me on pitocin again. After a few hours, I still hadn't progressed any. Around 4:15am on Wednesday they decided to break my water. They had to help guide his head down while breaking my water so he didn't drop too quickly and compress the cord. After the broke my water I started making steady progress. I was dialating about a centimeter an hour. I got the epidural when I was around 5cms dialated. I was expecting more pain relief, but no such luck. When the contractions really started picking up I could feel everything. In my opinion, either the epidural was put in wrong, or I just don't respond to the medicine. Basically, it sucked. They tried adding a number of boosters and other medications to the epidural, but none of them had any lasting effects. Around 7am my progression had stalled at 9cm with just a small lip of cervix. Brandon was sitting right where he needed to be, but I just couldn't get past the final little bit. By 8am I was screaming because I was in so much pain. They had called the anesthesiologist so many times for me, and there was really nothing much more they could do for me. I was SO tired and in so much pain that I was begging for a c-section just to get some relief. The nurse came in and wanted to do a few practice pushes. It still didn't help get me over the hump, but I needed to get a feel for pushing anyway. I started pushing around 8:30am and pushed with every contraction for 3 hours. After pushing for so long, the doctor gave us the option to use either the vacuum or forceps. I wan't really comfortable with either, but I felt more comfortable with the vacuum. Hospital policy is that if they try it three times and it doesn't work, then they go to c-section. I gave it my all those last three times, but he just wasn't coming out. So, our only option was to go into c-section. They prepped the room and Brian and I got ready. We went in and everything there after is a bit of a blur. Brian had to get dressed in scrubs, I was wheeled into the operating room. There were tons of people in there to assist, and I was REALLY nervous. Brian came in and sat next to me and I instantly felt better. They did the test pinches and I could feel them (more proof that the epidural didn't take) so they had to give me more meds. I could actually feel the incision, but it was more of a sharp sensation and because of all of the pain meds I was on it didn't hurt too bad. At 12:22pm Brandon entered the world and completely stole mine and Brian's heart. Brian got to see him first and got to bring him over to me. As soon as I heard him cry I started crying. Brandon's apgars were 8 of 9, and he was taken by Brian to the Transition room to be weighed and all that fun stuff. I was stitched up and then taken to post-op to be watched for about an hour. Throughout the entire labor, the epidural was making me shake uncontrollably. I also spent the entire labor vomitting, so I had to drink water so I would always have something in my stomach. It was definately not pleasant, and after the c-section, I was still shaking uncontrollably and vomitting. I was given more pain medication to help me stop shaking and vomitting. The medications were successful in getting me to stop vomitting, but I was still shaking like crazy. Eventually, they took me to the mother-baby unit where I got to meet up with Brian and Brandon. As soon as I got to hold him, I instantly stopped shaking and calmed down.

Brian and I are adjusting to parenthood as best as we can. It is really hard after a c-section because it is hard to move. Brian has been excellent and has been changing every diaper and bringing him to me for his feedings. He has been really fussy today, but I think we figured out the problem and now he is sleeping like a rock, until the next feeding in three hours.

I'm going to try to get some sleep while he is sleeping. I hope to post some more pictures and updates soon.

So, I'm home.

2008-01-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

Which means that they decided NOT to keep me today. Here's the play by play of today's events:

8am- I wake up and call Labor and Delivery like I was told. They have no idea what I am talking about and tell me that they will call me back in a half hour.

10am- Labor and Delivery still hadn't called me back, so I called them. Apparently they got really busy all of a sudden and forgot to call me back. They said that to call back at noon and they would let me know when they wanted me to come in.

10:15am- Labor and Delivery called me back and said that they thought that they were too full to take me, but apparently I was on the list to come in, so to come in whenever I wanted to.

12pm- We get to Labor and Delivery (I had to get ready first) and they send me to the room and hook me up to the monitors.

12:45pm- The doctor comes in and says that baby is looking great on the monitors and that I am still not having contractions. She checks me and I am still only 3cm dialated. She strips my membranes and says that I can come back tomorrow.

Here is where it gets frustrating.

I asked her, since she was the one that was going to be working in Labor and Delivery tomorrow what the plan was. She said that she was going to start out with pitocin because my cervix is soft enough for it to work. I asked her what would happen if the pitocin doesn't work. She said that she couldn't really tell me. So, I said, "Well, I will be leaving here with my baby, right? You wouldn't send me home, right?" She said that it just depends on what my cervix does and if I am making any progress at all. I asked about them breaking my water, and they said that because he is still high, if he doesn't move down any more that they would not be able to break my water because when pushing, his head could squeeze the umbilical cord causing the oxygen he is receiving to be cut off. So, that may not be possible. Ultimately, a c-section sounds like the only thing that is going to get this child out of me. It's not what I want, but it is looking like I don't have much choice in the matter.

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!? OMG. I just may murder someone if they try to send me home without my baby!!! I am FREAKING 10 days OVERDUE!!!! So, basically, if they TRY to send me home before Brandon is born, I am simply going to refuse to leave. I will tell them that they can either give me a c-section, or have security escort me out. This is beginning to get ridiculous. It is NOT healthy for a baby to be overdue by so much. Eventually, the placenta starts deteriorating, and baby gets so big that a vaginal delivery is impossible. So, I am trying very hard to be positive and hope that the pitocin will actually do what it is supposed to tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone that has been praying and thinking of us. We are trying very hard not to get upset about all of this, but we are ready to meet our baby. We do appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers!! Hopefully, the next update will be letting you all know that Brandon is here and all is right with the world.

Tomorrow's plan.

2008-01-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post a quick blog about tomorrow in case I am unable to get online for a couple of days.

Yesturday, the doctor told me to go in anytime tomorrow to have Brandon monitored for a little while, to have my cervix checked to see if I've made any progress, and to have my membranes stripped again. After getting home, I started thinking that there really is no point in me going in tomorrow afternoon/evening, just to be sent home and to go back at 6am Tuesday morning. So, I called labor and delivery and asked them if there would be anyway that they could just get things moving tomorrow evening instead of having me make two trips there within such a short amount of time. I told them that I didn't know how much difference a few hours made. The lady on the phone was very nice and checked the calendar and informed me that there was very little going on Monday, and that they may decide to keep me just because they are so empty. So, I'm hoping to go in and just have the induction started tomorrow instead of Tuesday. There is no guarantee of that happening of course, but I can hope right?

So, hopefully, I have made some progress on my own and they decide to just keep me tomorrow and get things rolling. I hope that the next time I post I will either have already had Brandon, or will be in the process of induction. Wish me luck!!!!

Still pregnant.....again.

2008-01-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

I went in on Friday hoping to be induced, but as most of you know it was kind of up in the air because they wanted my cervix to be "favorable." At my appointment before Friday, I was at 1cm, 50% effaced and at a -2 station. Friday morning at 6am, I was still the same, but the doctor decided to try anyway because she was hopeful that we could work with it. So, I got the IV and signed all of the forms and got settled in the room. Around 8am they inserted a foli-bulb(sp?) to try and get my cervix to dialate some more. It was successful, and I dialated to 3cm in a few hours. After that, they started me on a pitocin drip. That did pretty much nothing. I was having contractions, but they weren't regulating or strong enough. They continued to up the dose and it still didn't do anything. So, around 8pm they decided to take me off the medicine, let me eat and get some rest and they planned on starting up around 4-5am this morning with more pitocin. So, this morning they checked me and I was still at 3cm, 50% effaced and at a -2 station. They hooked me back up to the pitocin around 5am. They continued increasing the dose all day until I reached the max, and I still wasn't having regular or painful contractions. The doctor came in and said that they wanted to try to insert the cydotec (sp?) pill but had to wait for an hour after the pitocin to see if my contractions would slow down. Apparently, the cydotec (sp?) cannot be given if you are having more than 2 contractions every 10 minutes because it can cause contractions to come on too quickly and cause distress to the baby. So, after waiting the hour, I was having exactly 2 contractions every 10 minutes. They gave me the cydotec (sp?) and said that it could take anywhere from 4-6 hours to start working. So, four hours later, I was having ZERO contractions. Nothing. So, the doctor decided that I just wasn't ready to have Brandon yet. She decided that it would be best for us to go home. She said that technically, there is no medically necessary reason to do a C-section and if they keep pushing the induction methods it could cause uterine damage, and distress to Brandon. So, the plan is to go in on Monday and be monitored for a couple of hours, have my membranes stripped, and if no progress has been made I will leave and come back on my originally scheduled induction date of the 29th. On the 29th, I will officially be 41weeks 3 days. She said that at that point, it would be medically necessary to try every angle to induce and if I fail induction then they will be forced to do a C-section. So, on Tuesday, she will start the entire process that I just went through for the past 2 days all over again with hopefully a better result and if that fails, C-section it is. I cannot begin to express how upset I am. I NEVER in a MILLION years thought that we would be leaving the hospital without our baby. I know that he "will come when he is ready" but that just does NOT make me feel better about the whole thing. All I can do is wait, which I am NOT very good at doing. So, that's my update. I'm a sad panda.

Still pregnant.

2008-01-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!!!! Brandon still isn't here yet. We are actually still in the hospital. This morning when they checked me I was still 1cm dialated, 50% effaced and Brandon was still at a -2 station. Luckily, the doctor on call decided that they could work with that. So, I was set up with an IV and later they inserted a Foli-bulb(sp?) into my cervix. A foli-bulb(sp?) is basically a balloon that they insert into the cervix and inflate with water to put pressure on the cervix to help it dialate. It took a few hours, but it got me to 3cms. Around noon, they started me on a pitocin drip. It didn't really help me dialate much, but I could sure feel some contractions!!! They were VERY uncomfortable!!!! I slept on and off all day while they monitored me and Brandon. Around 7pm they decided to wait until 8pm to let the pitocin work in my system for 8 hours. At 8, they decided to take me off of all of the monitors and medicine and let me rest for the night. They plan on starting the pitocin back up tomorrow morning around 4am and are hopeful that with some rest my body will respond better tomorrow. So, we're still here and hopefully our little guy will be here tomorrow!!! Thanks to everyone for all of the wonderful and kind words that you have sent us!!! Also, thanks for keeping us in your prayers!!! We are just so blessed to be experiencing this wonderful event!!! We will post pictures of Brandon as soon as we can. Take care!!! We love you all!!

Please, oh please!

2008-01-24T09:03:00.000-08:00

At my last appointment, Dr. Holland changed my induction from the 29th to the 25th. The conditions are that the doctor on Labor and Delivery must feel comfortable with the condition of my cervix in order to induce. At the last appointment, Dr. Holland said that I was on the border of being favorable. So, tomorrow morning I am supposed to call Labor and Delivery at 5am to let them know that I am coming in and I am to arrive by 6am. Once there, the doctors that are working will examine me and determine if my cervix is favorable enough to induce. If so, then they will start the induction process. If not, they will send me home. I am SOOOOOO anxious!!!! I am REALLY hoping that my cervix cooperates and that everything that Brian and I have been doing (walking, sex, birthing ball) have paid off and things have progressed a little more. I just don't know if I'll be able to handle it if they send me home tomorrow. It wouldn't be a huge problem if family wasn't coming on the 1st for three weeks. I DO NOT want to be in the hospital up until the day before family comes. I would like to have a few days at home alone with Brian and Brandon before having to entertain family. So, please keep us in your prayers and hope that little Brandon decides that tomorrow is the day he is ready to meet the world!!!! If I don't post anything tomorrow, chances are that I am in the hospital having our baby!!!! Wish me luck everyone!!!!!!! We are SOOOO ready to meet our son!!!!!