Monday, November 2, 2015

Hedwig

M loves, loves, loves owls so for Halloween this year he was an owl. :) Because I made the costume I decided to try to make him look like Hedwig. :) I love the way the costume came out...only downfall was that his wings were fairly heavy and kept pulling the neck of his shirt. We finally realized that if we pinned the wings on differently it worked better!!

We didn't actually trick or treat with M because of his allergies. Thankfully he had no clue that he was missing out on something. We had a neighborhood party in our cul-de-sac and M helped pass out the treats to the kids (non-food treats...we participated in the teal pumpkin project again this year!). Until the rain started it was a great night! The rain only dampened the night momentarily...a fun time was had by all!



Thursday, October 15, 2015

Today


October 15th...I wish I had the right words to use to describe how today makes me feel. I still have a hard time knowing that we lost Fred on this day three years ago. I was just reading through the posts from that time and it amazes me how the sadness comes right back. Yet, it also amazes me how much support I still feel from all of you when I read those comments. I don't think I'll ever find the right words to let y'all know how very much you mean to me!

I remember having my youngest brother tell me after one of the losses that someday it will all be behind us. That we will get to the other side. I am on the other side now and yet none of that is behind me. It's not in the forefront of my mind, but I don't think it will ever truly be "behind" me. It's a part of me...it's part of the reason I am who I am today. I don't think I would have ever known how much inner strength I possess if I didn't go through the losses.

Today I spend the day thinking of what could have been and what is. I am still in awe that I defied the odds of less 1%  chance of a natural pregnancy. M truly is our Miracle Man!


Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Almost Wordless Wednesday

I am so confused on what day it is...I was ready to type up a Microblog Monday post!
My in-laws were in town until yesterday to help us celebrate M's 2nd birthday. I promise a real post on that tomorrow. Today I leave you with a family picture from his party. SO much fun!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Almost there

I cannot believe that our little man is going to be 2 on Friday!! Where has the time gone?!? We have been testing recipes for his birthday party. I want to be sure that all of the food at his party is safe for him. Baking recipes that are wheat, dairy, oat, egg, and soy free is a challenge, but we are up for it! One day last week I wanted to make muffins during naptime but he woke up early SO M helped me make muffins. Oh my gosh...it was seriously one of my favorite moments with him.

Helping to peel the bananas

Mashing the bananas...dinosaurs were helping :)

M did great stirring the batter!

This is the face he wants to make when he wants a taste of something.

Please just one taste!
Hmm...maybe I shouldn't have tasted the batter!

Testing the muffins...Garnett is ready if M does not like them. M thought they were okay...we are trying the next batch soon.


Yesterday I tested another recipe for chocolate chip cookies...a little greasy but a lot better than the ones I made last week!


This is from today...trying one of the chocolate chip cookies we made yesterday. He is not a big fan of the chocolate chips.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Monday, August 31, 2015

Random Update from Our End of the World

I feel like I am never here anymore so anytime I update it's pretty random. :) Going to try to do better for y'all! So here's an update bullet style.

  • We were away for another three weeks...this time we went to Nova Scotia for a week for a friends wedding and then to MA for two weeks to see family. After three weeks away we were more than ready to come home. It was not easy moving all around for three weeks rather than staying put like we do in Belize. :)
  • I forgot how rude people in the Northeast can be...twice we received attitude when we asked for a highchair to be wiped down for M. We explained it was due to his allergies.  The first time I was sure to fill out the customer survey...surprise I have not received a response to that one. The second time we left the "restaurant"...it was D'Angelo's.
  • I saw one of my brothers while we were  home...really hoping we can repair some of the damage done after the huge fallout. It was a lot of fun to watch M play with his cousins.
  • M is talking more and more now...we don't have a lot of full words yet but we know what he is saying and he is babbling a lot! I can't wait for the real words to come out.
  • We are starting to plan his 2 year old party...how is that even possible?!?! I am really hoping to keep it low key. He obsessed with owls, bridges and balls...I think we'll go for the owl theme. :)
  • M is doing pretty well with his allergies...no major breakouts, so that is great! He seems to enjoy corn...prefers corn from the farm or farmers market over the grocery store. Can't say that I blame him! We really need to work on introducing more veggies into his diet...he really doesn't get enough.
  • We had one allergy scare in Nova Scotia when M decided to suck on the cover of the borrowed high chair. His face immediately broke out and don't you know it was one of the very few times I left the house without antihistamine in my bag. We made a beeline for our room and the Clar.itin! Happy to report that he was just fine. :)
  • All-in-all it's been a great summer...can't believe it's just about over. Thankfully, by being away for most of August it looks like we missed the days where it hit 100 or more in San Antonio! We haven't seen 100 since we've been back. Yahoo!!
I leave you with an abundance of pictures. :)
Low tide - we were in Freeport, which is part of the Bay of Fundy, with the huge differential in low and high tide.


High tide

M LOVED playing outside. :)

Exploring with Daddy during low tide.

Arts and crafts with Grammie. I loved watching M with my Mom...made my heart melt. :)

Another beach to explore!

One of my most favorite statues in Newburyport...a tribute to lost fishermen.
 

Early morning beach time...still in his pjs! He was up at 5:30 on this day!

So excited for his new Belize hat that his auntie mailed him!

Just as excited for his new owl shirt from Grammie!



Thursday, July 16, 2015

Had to Share

When we were in Belize this past spring we had a photo session with our most favorite photographers. They are the same couple that shot our wedding and they do amazing work. Recently they included us as part of their blog. So, I thought I would share it with y'all!

https://conchcreative.wordpress.com/2015/07/14/first-comes-love-then-comes-marriage-then-comes-cuteness-overload-in-the-baby-carriage-belize-photography/

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Monday, July 6, 2015

Our Weekend in Pictures

We had a great long weekend together...we spent time being productive and time relaxing. I am going to let the pictures do most of the storytelling. :)

This is the look I received when I asked M to look at me and say "Cheese" :) He melts my heart!!

M tried Rudy's brisket for the first time on Friday! He's a fan :)


Pressure washing the courtyard was a family effort :) M actually had a lot of fun and lasted an hour on my back!
 
 

We decided to have breakfast outside after we put in the effort to clean the courtyard. :)
I found an M-safe recipe for blueberry muffins...he kind of liked them. Mom and Dad only "kind of" liked them as well. Next time I'll use his GF all purpose flour instead of rice flour.

"Cheese"
(Yes, M desperately  needs another haircut!)
 
We spent our 4th of July at Aquatica - the water park at Sea World...it was so busy there, but we had a fantastic time! M was hit twice by another toddler girl, but was clueless about the whole thing. I have to admit my jaw dropped when she smacked him in the head while getting out of the pool. Thank goodness for his big hat...he never saw it happen, and if he felt it, he never reacted.
 

Ready to go cheer on USA for the World Cup, but it was not meant to be. The restaurant/bar we went to is an official soccer bar, so it was PACKED. M HATED the noise after the National Anthem and completely lost it at the first goal. We took turns being outside with him until we could get the bill paid. I felt so bad for him.


All in all, it was a great weekend...looking forward to another good weekend coming up...we are headed to Austin for J's birthday. :)
 

Friday, June 26, 2015

Allergy Update

I can't believe how long it's been since I've last posted...ugh! As always, I promise to try to post more. I know I can find the time. :)

We had M's allergen levels tested again this month. Having his blood drawn was nothing short of hell. It took two techs and having both arms stuck in order to have it happen. We started with Daddy holding him and then had to switch to me. In the end I think M recovered quicker from the blood draw than either of his parents.

The results are in...we received both good and bad news. I'll start with the good!
M tested negative for banana, corn and coconut!! (coconut was not tested last time, but I thought he reacted when we tried coconut milk)

The levels for dog, soy and egg have all dropped! The number for dog went from 3.27 to 1.98...it's so nice to know that he is not reacting the same way to the dogs...especially considering he now likes to give and receive kisses from the dogs. :) We were advised to try soy again, but told to stay away from egg still. We can try it in a baked item, but for now I am staying away.

So the bad news...the levels for cow's milk, wheat and oats all jumped. Milk went from .24 to 1.36; oats went from .82 to 1.68 and wheat went from 13.8 to 20. We are staying far, far away from all of these and keeping our epi pens close by.

I'll leave you with a picture of M and J in Belize with the promise of telling you the story behind the picture on Monday. :) Happy Weekend!

Monday, March 30, 2015

#Microblog Mondays - Weekend update

 
All in all, our weekend and visit with Grammie was a great one. It had it's downfalls but we didn't let them get in our way of a good time!! Last Tuesday we took M to the pediatrician for a follow-up from his gastroenterologist appointment. (That appt could probably have it's own post!) We had been concerned about M's breathing rate and the doctor agreed with us that it seemed a bit too high. Of course we worry about asthma with him and all of his allergies. The pedi told us that his rate of breathing was a bit on the high side but he was passing good air (no wheezing!) and his oxygen levels were at 100% so no worries for now! However, M was diagnosed with a sinus infection, which led us to our very first round of antibiotics. Not fun at all...more than once I have finished with a lovely shade of pink on my shirt. I am happy to say that this morning it was much easier to give M his meds!

Our Mr. Shy Guy did  not let down his guard much with Grammie during her visit. It made me really sad that he wouldn't sit with her or let her hold him. Thankfully, both my mom and I understood why it was happening and we've decided to plan another visit for July. We are also planning on doing more face timing so M can "see" Grammie more often.

Looks like M is starting to wake up...this sinus infection has really knocked him for a loop...he sleeps A LOT! Three hour nap this afternoon.

Oh, did I forget to mention that our remodeling project is still going on? oh yeah...going to love the master bedroom, but it's not been a fun process.
Someone was having fun in the broom closet this morning :)

Mommy and M getting ready to ride the train at the zoo :)

Monday, March 23, 2015

Update from our end of the world

I cannot believe how long it's been since I last posted. I am going to do my best to get you all up-to-date on what's going on down here...will give y'all some bullets. Hopefully after today I can figure out a way to post at least once or twice a week!

* We are remodeling our Master Bedroom...it has needed to happen ever since we moved into the house but we finally started the project about three weeks ago. We started it with the goal of having it complete by March 24 at the latest. J is leaving for a quick business trip on the 25th and I did not want to be home with M and dealing with the mess of a remodel. Um, yeah, J is going to Minnesota and I'll be home with a remodel mess. Oh well...my Mom will be here and the weather should be good so we'll spend more time outdoors!

* We've tried a few more foods from M's allergen list. It looks like bananas are SAFE!!! We tried them for about 2 weeks and no reactions! We tried soy this weekend by cooking his turkey burger in soybean oil. Not really sure how it's going. He didn't break out right away but did start itching his cheeks while eating. He also developed a cough after trying that burger...but I think that was the start of a cold. :(

* M started swimming lessons a couple of weeks ago...he goes twice a week. J goes with him on Saturdays and I go on Mondays. I got the better day...only 3 other kids in our class and it's so calm. The teacher is amazing...she goes at the rate of the kids and not what her notes tell her to do.

 
* We booked our next trip to Belize!! I cannot wait to get back there. My goal is to print out pictures of the people we'll be seeing so M can recognize their faces. He's such a shy boy right now and I want him to have some facial recognition before he gets loved on.

* We got our annual passes to the zoo and to Sea World...when the weather allows we try to get to some place fun at least once a week. M loves riding on the carousels!

 
 
More random pictures for you :)
 
M finally got to eat at Rudy's - yay for turkey! He's been several times but two weekends ago he finally got to eat their food. :)

M on St. Patrick's Day...we ended up at Friday's. I really wanted to go out for fish & chips...after finding out the wait for dinner was 45 minutes we buggered off and ended up eating a very non-traditional St. Paddy's day meal.



M has started smiling for the "camera" (the phone).

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Big boy haircut

We went this afternoon for M's second haircut. It didn't go quite as smoothly as the first haircut, but he was a trooper and made it through just fine! The best part for him was using the squirt bottle to get Mommy and Daddy! Best part for me was the Dunkins iced coffee afterwards. :)

Here are some pictures of our little man:
 
Before (hair was literally getting caught in his eye lashes!):
 
After (he looks like such a little boy!):

I promise a real post soon...I have to admit that lately during naptimes I have been complete couch potato...chasing after this little guy leaves me wiped out!

Monday, February 2, 2015

#Microblog Mondays - Patriots Win!



We had a great time watching the Patriots in the Super Bowl last night. M did great...he stayed awake for the first half and was super easy to put down last night. I was back out in the living room before halftime was over. I am still surprised that I did not wake him up at the end of the game. What a crazy end to the game!

 We splurged at the store yesterday and bought M the Patriots balloon. :)
 
(He's getting a haircut this week...you know it's past time when his bangs get caught in his eye lashes!)

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Blueberries :)

I am super happy to report that blueberries agreed with M and he seems to like them. :) Now to find a pancake recipe that works for him so he can learn to enjoy blueberry pancakes as much as me. I've tried a recipe with a gluten free mix but the olive oil does not seem to work very well with it. I think next time I'll sub the oil with apple sauce and hopefully he'll like it more. So far  his pancakes have been expensive dog treats!

Next food to try is beans...we need to make sure he is not allergic to stewed chicken with rice and beans so  he'll have something to eat during our  next trip to Belize. :) We are hoping to go back in May and are already worried about what he'll be able to eat while we are there. I need to try chicken with him again, as well. Last time his face seemed to react a bit...not horribly so, but definitely got a bit red and itchy. Hopefully some chicken from Trad.er Joe's or Who.le Foo.ds is better for him than the local grocery store.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Update from Our End of the World

It feels like it's been forever since I've posted. Going to try to update you on what's been happening in our end of the world. Really hoping to find a niche for myself in the blog-world in 2015. For now some bullets :)

* We stayed in Texas for Christmas this year. It was fun...not as relaxing as last year but a lot of fun and neither of us regret not travelling for the holidays. There is still family drama going on with my side of the family and while it did not stop us from going I was glad to not have to deal with it. Plus it was nice to keep M away from all the germs...seems like a lot of people of both sides of our families were sick over the holidays.

* Knock-on-wood...Maddox has yet to have a major cold or infection yet...just the food allergies!

* Speaking of medical stuff...I have had my own to deal with that I have not mentioned yet...possible diabetes. :( Dr. H has not liked any of my numbers lately so she's put me on meds to treat it. She told me my PCP would not consider it diabetes but she wants to nip it in the bud. Really, really hoping that once I lose weight the issue will disappear. So far I am down just under 20lbs. Need to keep going! M and I got out for a walk yesterday.  Hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow for another walk.

* M has switched formulas...now he's on a fancy pants one that is not cheap. Thankfully our new insurance will help cover it. Just called the doctor's office to get that ball rolling.

*We are trying blueberries today! He better not react...I want him to love blueberries as much as I do. :)

* M is now a full-fledged toddler! he's all over the place! LOVES pulling the plastic mixing bowls out of the cabinet. Walks all over the house with the dog bowls. Loves giving the dogs treats when they come in from outside.

* We are working on getting down to one nap a day...it went well over the weekend. Not so much yesterday and today.

* I am debating on joining a Moms group - I found one for moms over 30...I think I may step out of my comfort zone and try it.

I will leave you with some pictures of our little man.