Spring Break 2011

We had a busy and fun Spring Break!



We played in the backyard.  (Notice the little brother and big sister shirts.)

We went to the Birmingham Zoo.

Layne rode the carousel.

Sutton stretched his legs.

To end the day, Layne played at the splash pad.

 

 

Layne and I also had a girls day out.  We went to see the movie Hop at Bridge Street.  Then before we left, we had our photos made in the photo booth. 



Layne Goes to the Dentist



I took Layne to the dentist to get her teeth cleaned.  I was so proud of her.  She did a fantastic job!

Mrs. Beth is fantastic!  She showed Layne her x-ray.



Layne got in the chair and she was ready.

She watched Mrs. Beth with a mirror.

Layne had to see how the chair worked.

For being so brave, Mrs. Beth made Layne a giraffe balloon.



Look at that beautiful smile!








A Beautiful Weekend and a Stormy Monday

This past weekend was absolutely beautiful.  On Saturday morning, Layne went to Grandma and Verbon's house to fish.  The only person that caught a fish was Verbon, but Layne was still excited.  In the afternoon, we played on the swingset in the backyard.  Then we decided to make our first Easter treats of the season...lovebird peeps.  I hadn't realized that Layne had never had peeps, but she tried them and loved them.  Of course, she wouldn't even try the lovebird peeps, but she loved just the regular peeps.



Swinging in the backyard



Layne loves dandelions

Sutton swinging



Our lovebird peeps

We went to church on Sunday.  Sutton started out doing well, but I ended up taking him to the nursery about half way through the service.  Last week, he stayed in the nursery without me for about fifteen minutes, but that must have just been a fluke.  This week, he would not let me put him down.  He wouldn't even get down and play with the other children when I sat on the floor with him. 

After church, we went to Cracker Barrel to eat. I think it will be our last time eating out for a while.  Just like last Sunday, he was not happy in the high chair.  We ended up eating in shifts.  It's not very enjoyable, and not worth going out.
Sunday afternoon the whole family napped.  I love a good Sunday afternoon nap!  Then in the evening we all took a walk through Old Decatur.  Penny even joined us.

Yesterday Bobby, Sutton, and I planned to go to Bridge Street to look for coordinating Easter outfits for Layne and Sutton and go to the movies to see Limitless.  It was a terribly windy day, and it was suppsed to get stormy in the late afternoon.  We looked for outfits first, but we didn't have any luck.  We went on to the movie.  It was so good, but about an hour into the movie, I got a call from Church Street Academy that they were closing early due to the weather.  We grabbed our stuff and raced home to get Layne.  I hated missing the ending of the movie, but if the weather is going to be bad, I want all my babies in the house with me.

Wrapping Up March

We have had a really busy end of the month.  On Monday, March 21st, Sutton walked!  He had taken a couple of steps a couple of months ago, but they were forced. (We made him walk from Bobby to me, and Bobby sort of pushed him.)  This time we were in our back room.  Bobby and I were sitting on the floor, and he walked back and forth between us three or four times.  We were so excited!  We were clapping and yelling, and he joined in clapping and laughing.  Then later in the day Bobby put him down in the grass in the backyard and he took a few steps and fell.  And that was the end of that.  He was not happy.  Since then, every few days he will take a few steps between us when we forced helped him.  But today (April 1), he had a toy he wanted to give me and on his own he took a couple of steps to get to me.  So, we are definitely getting there.

On Friday, Aunt Marta and Uncle Charlie decided to make a spur of the moment trip to Alabama.  So, we invited them to eat pizza with us and Grandma and Verbon came to eat with us also.

Layne had an appointment at 7:45 on Monday morning at Vanderbilt.  Bobby was working, so it was just the kids and me.  We had to leave the house at 5:00!  It was a good visit though.  Layne had pictures made to send to the insurance company, and since Sutton was wit h us, Dr. Kelly went ahead and saw him also.  He decided to go ahead and schedule Sutton for surgery.  He is scheduled for Monday, May 2nd, at 1:00.  I am ready to get it over with.

After our early appointment on Monday, I took Sutton for a post-op visit with Dr. Metz on Tuesday.  Dr. Metz was very happy with Sutton's eye.  For now...no more eye surgeries!  Yay!  We are just going to continue to patch a couple of hours a day and see Dr. Metz in three months.  Needless to say, we are happy.

So, March was a good month, and I think April will be also.
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Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Thursday, March 17th, was St. Patrick's Day.  We invited Grandma and Verbon for supper and had corned beef and cabbage and  coconut cake for dessert.

Layne wore the same shirt this year that she wore last year.  It says Mom's Lucky Charm on it, and isn't that the truth.  She and Sutton are my two little lucky charms.  I couldn't find Sutton a shirt in his size, but I made sure he wore green.



This was the easiest dessert ever.  I just bought a Pepperidge Farm coconut cake and made a rainbow out of Skittles. ( I just couldn't make a homemade cake and not eat any.  I gave up sweets for Lent.)

I don't know why I didn't get any pictures at supper.  I wish that I had.  While we ate, Sutton cruised around the table trying to get somebody to hold him and let him throw things off the table.  I think he already knows that mom is a sucker.  She picked him up every time.

In the past week Layne has said some really cute things.  The other night in bed, she said, "Mom, I know Sutton and I are from China, but where are you and dad from?"  I answered her, "We're from here."  So she said, "I know, but where did grandma go to get you?"  So I just said, "Missouri."  Layne's eyes got huge and she said, "Wow!  She went that far to get you."  Then she asked me where all of her friends' mothers had gone to get them.

I was clearing the table after supper a couple of nights ago, and Bobby told Layne to pay attention because one day she would have to do it.  Layne said very seriously, "No, I won't.  I'll tell my husband to do it."  I like the way she thinks.



Eye Surgery

Yesterday, Sutton had eye surgery at Children's in Birmingham.  Everything went fine, and it's always a relief when surgery is over and your baby is back in your arms.

We had to be at the hospital at 5:45, so we told Layne she could either spend the night with Grandma or we would take her at 4 a.m.  Much to our surprise, she chose to spend the night with Grandma and Verbon.  Of course, she wanted to eat supper, take a bath, and put on pajamas before Grandma picked her up.



Mom picked her up a little after 7:00, she called home at 8:00, and then at 9:00 she came home.  She told mom she was scared and needed her mommy and daddy.  I was secretly thrilled she came home.  It's very odd to me to be home at night and not have both of my children with me.

Sutton was in a great mood before surgery.  He looked so cute in his little yellow gown.

Sutton was taken back to surgery around 7:30 and was brought back to us around 10:00.  He was so pitiful.  He had to drink clear liquid before we could be discharged.  He normally doesn't ever drink anything that is thin, but after he woke up a little, be drank six ounces of apple juice/water. 

After Sutton drank, we were immediately discharged and headed home.



He was a little grouchy the rest of the day, so we gave him pain medicine at bedtime and we were all asleep at 8:15.

I have to add this just because I think it's so typical of Layne.  Mom said at breakfast that Layne told Verbon that he is a guy and her grandma is a lady, so he has to say yes maam to her.  I really don't know where she gets her little saying.

It Has Been a Rough Week

Actually, I'm exaggerating.  It's only been a rough four days.  It all started Thursday morning.  I was getting the kids ready.  I had to get Layne to school and then take Sutton to Dr. Khouri's for his 18 month check-up/clearance for his eye surgery.  As I was getting Sutton dressed, Layne asked me why I always put her Woody (from Toy Story) doll on her pillows.  She said he's always in her way, and she doesn't have any room.  Well, first she only sleeps in her bed half the time (and I'm being generous).  Second, she is the one that wanted to sleep with Woody in the first place.  So, I told her she should just be thankful that she has a mom that makes her bed.  Then she said the unthinkable to me!  She said, "Well, you should be thankful for your children."  What??? How does a five year old even know what that means?  Talk about starting the day off wrong.
So, got Layne to school, came home and fed Sutton, and headed to the doctor.  Sutton is 23 pounds and 6.4 ounces and is 30 inches long.  He is in the 25th percentile for weight (was in the 10th when he came home), still not on the chart for length or head circumference.  He also isn't doing the things average children his age do...walk, stack blocks, feed himself, talk.  So, Dr. Khouri referred us to Early Intervention and is sending us to a nuerologist.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  As long as there is no health problem with his brain, we're fine.  It's okay if he's always going to be delayed, I just pray there is nothing wrong that will affect his health.
That afternoon we all went to see Mrs. Kristy for haircuts.  Bobby even went along for the ride.  Layne is never a problem getting her hair cut.  She loves it.  This was just Sutton's second haircut.  He absolutely hated the first one, but he didn't mind this one at all.  I think he actually enjoyed it.  Maybe it's because he got to go topless.  They both looked adorable with fresh haircuts!
I guess Friday was actually fine.  I actually can't even remember Friday all that well.  The only thing I remember is Bobby had to work nights, so the kids and I had a popcorn party and watched Monsters vs. Aliens.  I'm trying to help Sutton make the connection that food goes in your mouth, so I kept saying, "feed momma," and putting popcorn in his hand and then his hand to my mouth.  I don't know that it worked.
Something funny did happen though.  We have realized lately that Sutton likes to aggravate Layne.  A couple of weeks ago at church, he wouldn't stop kicking Layne during church.  When she got mad at him, he just laughed and did it more.  So, during the movie, Layne was sitting on my lap and Sutton got so jealous.  He had to be on my lap too, and he wouldn't stop pulling her hair and kicking her.  I don't know what we're going to do with the boy.
Friday was also the first day that Sutton ever ate meat.  I've always been disgusted by meat baby food, but I always worry that Sutton isn't getting enough protein.  So, I fed him turkey, pea, and rice compote.  He ate it all up.  Of course, he hasn't turned down a meal yet.  He actually can only eat through his Haberman feeder, so I make some wild concoctions.  Every bottle has three scoops of Enfagrow Premium, hot water to three ounces, a container of baby food, whole milk to 7-8 ounces, and either rice or oatmeal cereal to thicken.  Sound yummy?
Yesterday (Saturday) and today were both beautiful.  We spent lots of time outside in the backyard playing.  Layne and Sutton love to swing.  Layne also loves her sand box and fort.  I love it when we play outside.  I think it makes the kids exhausted.  Of course Sutton doesn't play too much.  He enjoys his swing for a little while, but then he just wants to be held in the yard swing.
Both yesterday and today, Layne pitched fits at supper about eating what was on her plate.  Yesterday it was Sloppy Joe meat and today it was peas and mashed potatoes.  Both days she got sent to her room.  Tonight it got so bad that she lost her computer, ipod, and tv priviledges.  It was a rough night.  Layne also told me tonight that she forgave me.  When I asked her for what.  She replied, "for cooking that food for supper."  I think it's understandable that she was punished.
Well, both of my beautiful babies are sleeping while I type this in bed.  They are both also turned the wrong way.  I better wrap this up.  Tomorrow starts another school week for Layne and Sutton has surgery on Wednesday.  It's going to be a busy week.

Finally, I'm catching up (maybe)!

Well, it's only March 10, 2011, and I'm already posting again. To say that it has been a while would be an understatement. I actually blogged while we were in China, but I used babyjellybeans.com. (You can't access Blogspot in China.). What can I say, I've been a little busy. I'll try to summarize what has gone on since coming home from China.
First, let me just say that my main purpose for keeping a blog is for Layne and Sutton. They say and do so many cute and special things. I want to be able to have a record for them and myself. I also want them to know what was going on in our family while they were growing up and how much I love them.
So, here we go. We got home with Sutton on September 4th, and we were so incredibly exhausted. The trip home had been so horrible! Leaving China is also always bittersweet to me. I love to get home, but I'm always sad to leave China. I think Layne actually feels the same.
We sent Layne back to pre-k pretty quickly. She was ready to go and see her friends, and we knew it would help her get back on schedule. Speaking of Layne, there could not be a better big sister. She loved Sutton immediately. She was a little jealous, but not near as bad as expected. I figure it must have been extremely hard to go from being the center of attention to sharing the limelight. Bobby and I are extremely proud of how she has handled our new addition.
Anyway, I'm going to try and summarize quickly. I'll just hit the high points. One of our big concerns for Sutton was getting all of his medical issues resolved. I took him to the Int. Adopition Clinic for every type of test and observation known to man. He didn't have any parasites, he had had no vaccinations, and no Tb. As far as his development, he was on the level of a four to six month old. We saw Dr. Grant and scheduled his first repair for November 1st. We scheduled an appointment with Dr. Metz for his eye and Dr. Kitchens for his circumcision( I'm very sorry Sutton. Blame your Dad.).
Let's fast forward. Sutton had the floor of his nose and his lip repaired. Unfortunately, seven days later his repair began to fail. It continued to tear apart for a month until finally all that remained repaired was the floor of his left nostril. Our poor baby was so miserable. I was terrified his personality was changed forever, but slowly(about a month later) his sweet little personality returned. So, we have ended up with a new surgeon, Dr. Kevin Kelly, at Vanderbilt. We are now waiting for circulation to improve and healing to take place to try another repair.

His circumcision was successful, but if I had known how horribly painful it was going to be, I wouldn't have done it. His tubes were successful, but he ended up with a bad ear infection. We were thrilled though that they did correct his hearing. Enough about medical, there has been so much more going on.
When we got Sutton he couldn't sit up or pick anything up.  Boy has he changed.  On Friday, October 29th, he started to really crawl.  Before that he would scoot on his back or do the Army man crawl.  He isn't walking yet, but he goes everywhere holding on to things.  He even walks around with his hands on the wall to brace himself.  He loves to crawl up the stairs.  He gets in trouble constantly for trying to go up the stairs.  Just today, I have started using a water bottle and a squirt in the face to try and get him to stop.  (I know it sounds cruel, but safety first.)  He loves to knock things off tables, toys that make noise, pull string dolls that talk, and the Fisher Price puppy.  He also likes to pick things up and drop them repeatedly.  And the sweetest thing he does is pick up Elmo and hug him and pat his back.  This baby is sweet!
Of course, my baby Layne is sweet as sugar also.  She is flying through pre-k!  This past Monday I registered her for kindergarten.  She has the best manners, loves to help, loves computer/ipod games, Scooby Doo, her scooter and bicycle, and her swingset in the backyard.  She has started drinking milk at
breakfast and supper, and she still loves her orange Crystal Light during the day.  She says so many cute things, that I will have to dedicate an entire post to just things she has said.
I think that is all I have for now.  I could write forever and never get caught up, but I'm going to try and post some pictures to fill in things I have left out.