Packers win and Elias claps!

We're back

So it's been a long time since I posted pics and updated everyone. Couple of things prevented my blogging. One of course Marbs. It was very painful (and still is) to sit down and try and be clever, witty, funny, you know all the things I usually am. The loss was very hard on our family. I still cry when I think about him. The worst is going in the back yard. I spent 13 years worrying about stepping in poop. I never thought I'd miss it. Brad and I did plant an oak tree for Marbie right along the fence line that he loved to walk by. Elias and I are going to go and get a garden stone and put Marbie's name on it so it can go under the tree. It's next to the other tree Marbs used to eat all the time. So Marbie's got his own little grove in the back yard.

I thought I'd want another dog right away but I don't. I miss Marbie too much and I think I'm not ready to move on. Brad and I joke that when we do get a dog that poor dog will constantly be saying to itself, "who the hell is this Marbie guy and why do they keep saying, Marbie would never do that! Jeez!" Like licking. Marbie never gave kisses. Well if you had some meat on your face maybe, but otherwise no kisses. In a way we always wished for kisses but it really wasn't too bad. He didn't lick people. I think he didn't want to lower himself to that ;

Also our laptop died. We lost everything on it and it took a couple of weeks to get up and running. It's not too easy to tie yourself to a desktop long enough to post.

Anyway, I didn't post any pics from Vermont, Halloween or anything so here's a quick recap. Vermont was fabulous. Beautiful, relaxing, and all around fun. It was so great to see our nieces Shelby and Sophie. Shelby is a pre-teen, or as the kids say tweener. Ah it brings back the memories of me at that age. Reading, sulking, sleeping, and making fun of people. Well, I still kind of do that. Sophie is your typically two-year-old, full of energy, smart and too cute. We loved visiting.

Then this weekend was Halloween. Of course we really didn't trick or treat but had to put Elias in the obligatory laugh-at-your-baby-costume. He was a skunk and surprisingly he didn't mind the costume too much. He kind of melted down at the Great Grandparent's house but he had just spent three hours in the car (most of it not sleeping) so it was warranted.

We also went to my cousin Cory's wedding this weekend. He married a wonderful girl, Hannah, and the wedding was beautiful. Elias was very talkative during the ceremony but was very good at dinner. Our friend Katie came over and watched Elias sleep while Brad and I enjoyed ourselves at the festivities.

Finally, daylight savings time is a bitch. Trying to push back a nine month old's bedtime is hard. Elias is now waking up at quarter to five, yes that's right 4:45 a.m.! Not cool. Tonight I actually got him back to 7 p.m. It was a little dicey at time's but we prevailed. On that note, Elias is crawling, commando and now regular, he pulls himself up on everything, he eats everything, he has two teeth and smiles all the time. He is just the greatest and this pictures proves it!

Go vote, or you'll be left with your pants down!

I am 8 months old!

Guess what people I am 8 months old (35 weeks). Mom and Dad are having a heck of a time confining me to the blanket on the floor. I like to crab crawl and grab the radiator, the DVR the coffee table, well just about anything. I'm trying to pull myself up but I'm not quite there yet. However I do love yelling for Dada. Yup, everything and everyone is Dada. Dad loves it though. Mom keeps asking me to say Mama. I'm not there yet so she'll just have wait.

I can use my finger and thumb to pick things up now. Mom got me some Banana Smiley Snacks but I don't like putting them in mouth. She also has been coarsely blending peas and apricots so I get chunkier foods. At first I did NOT and I mean NOT like it. Gramma Bette was visiting and I was gagging, spitting and making faces to let them know my disgust, but they weren't getting it. Mom just kept trying to feed it to me. Eventually I gave up and now I'm eating the mushy stuff.

Gramma Sonny and I also do "So Big" as you saw from my previously posted adorable photo!

Tomorrow Mom and I are leaving for Austin to visit Leanne and Asher. It should be so much fun. My first plane ride. I think Mom's got some new hidden toys for me and I promised her that I would be as good as possible (yeah right)! Peace out...Elias.

So Big!

Elias is SO BIG at Ikea with Gramma Bette & Gramma Sonny. I'll post more pics from Gramma Bette's visit later this week. Then, Elias and I are off to Texas to meet Asher. Don't worry I'm sure we'll have way more pictures than anyone will want to see upon our return!

Major Milestone

As Daddy would say, "I served under Major Milestone," but I'm not talking about that type of Major. We had a momentous day in the Nolan family. First, Elias started to commando crawl and on camera to boot. I was just sitting there video taping him and all of a sudden he came forward to me. He's going to be a crawling whiz in no time.

Secondly, he started talking a few days ago but today we heard a lot of "dadadada". We know he's not actually referring to Brad but it sure sounds like Dada. And guess what, I got that on video too. So here's a little treat for you folks, my handsome baby boy!

Picture Overload

Sonny Crocket - the early years...

Me & my Badger...sing with me...

The new addition to the Taco Bell Dollar Menu, the Baby Burrito. He wraps it himself!

My new toy, too cool.

Water torture?

So this weekend we set out to try and get Elias to sleep through the night. Our theory was, every time he woke up we would give him water in his bottle instead of formula. Well, the first night it worked great. He woke up, gave him the water, he fussed for 20 minutes and went back to sleep until the morning. Lo and behold, the next day he slept through the night! Not a small sleep, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. ALL NIGHT! Next night, slept through again. He cheated a little bit since we came back from Carrie & Matt's and he woke up before going down again but still through the night.

Then Sat. came. He woke up at 1:30 a.m., got the water, fussed with Brad for 20 minutes and back to sleep. But this time he slept for only 30 minutes. I always said I would only let him fuss for an hour then I'd relent and give in. He fussed for 57 minutes. Not straight but 57 minutes nonetheless.

I rocked him, gave him water (which he actually drank), he'd fall asleep and then wake up when I tried to put him down. We repeated this scenario several times. Finally he fell asleep and didn't wake up until the morning. The results were good though, he slept through the night again last night. All the way.

We don't' know what to expect tonight, tomorrow or the next night but at least we're heading in the right direction. Hopefully sometime soon we won't have to make bottles at night anymore and Little Man will get his rest. Keep your fingers crossed and wish us luck.

P.S. Check back for burrito baby!

I am 7 months old!

Hey everybody I thought I'd give you all an update. I'm seven months old today. I can sit up, scoot around and roll around like crazy. Mom and Dad can't leave me on the floor anymore because I like to bang on the DVR. I also love, love, love to squirm when they change my diaper. It's hilarious to watch Mom and Dad struggle to get my diaper on right. I'm eating a ton more solid foods and enjoy pretty much everything. I think I heard Mom talking about starting to blend the food they eat and feed it to me pretty soon. That will be too cool.

I still like to wake Mom and Dad up at night as well. It's just too much fun to see them at 3:00 a.m. to stop now. I'll give them a few more months. Oh I can also stand up. I'm a bit wobbly but I'll get used to it.

Also, I should be getting a tooth any day. I'm drooling like crazy and guess what, I learned to stick out my tongue and spit. I spit lentils and rice all over Mom yesterday and today I pretty much spit not stop.

I can wave and shake my head no, I also push my bottle away when I'm done and I like I said before spit food at Mom when I don't like it. These are all great new talents.

Grandpa Bill is coming to visit tomorrow and Gramma Sonny and Granpa Jim are coming over for a BBQ. We're going to see the beautiful Anna and Katie next weekend and Jon and Meera are also coming to visit. Then Auntie Erin, Mike and Alex are coming in Sept., Gramma Bette is going to visit and we're heading to Austin to see Leanne, Chris and baby Asher Clyde (he's bigger than I am!). Phew, we have a busy Sept. but I'm up for it. Plus I'm sure Mom and Dad will document our every move. Peace out...Elias

Patent Ductus Arteriousus

Sounds like a new fangled thing for your furnace right, but it's not. It is actually a congenital heart defect that we just found out the Little Man has. Before we get into the basics I'll tell you he is right as rain. Thankfully our wonderful pediatrician heard a possible murmur and sent us to a pediatric cardiologist who than diagnosed patent ductus arteriousus (PDA). Elias has had no outward signs of PDA besides the murmur. He is very active, very happy and very healthy. Actually he probably inherited it from Gramma Bette who also has PDA but did not learn about until she was in her 30's. That doesn't mean I of course didn't freak out, cry and have a breakdown (all outside the presence of Little Man).

So here's the deal. Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a heart problem that occurs soon after birth in some babies. In PDA, there is an abnormal circulation of blood between two of the major arteries near the heart. Before birth, the two major arteries—the aorta and the pulmonary artery—are normally connected by a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus, which is an essential part of the fetal circulation. After birth, the vessel is supposed to close within a few days as part of the normal changes occurring in the baby's circulation. In some babies, however, the ductus arteriosus remains open (patent). This opening allows blood to flow directly from the aorta into the pulmonary artery, which can put a strain on the heart and increase the blood pressure in the lung arteries.

In normal birth-weight infants such as Elias the larger a PDA is, the greater the amount of extra blood that passes through the lungs. A small PDA might not cause any problems (such as in our case), whereas a larger PDA is likely to cause problems. PDA can increase the risk of bacterial endocarditis that is why Gramma Bette has to take antibiotics before going to the dentist. Bacterial endocarditis is an infection of the lining of the heart, valves, or arteries. In the case of PDA, the increased flow of blood can irritate the lining of the pulmonary artery where the PDA connects. This irritation makes it easier for bacteria in the bloodstream to collect and grow there.
A large PDA that is allowed to remain open for an extended period of time can cause the heart to enlarge and to have to work harder. Also, fluid can build up in the lungs.

If Elias' PDA does not close up on it's own he will likely have to have a procedure when he is one or two. The procedure is an out-patient catheter procedure explained next. Catheters are thin, flexible tubes used in a procedure called cardiac catheterization (KATH-e-ter-i-ZA-shun). Catheter-based procedures are often used to close PDAs in infants or children who are large enough to have the procedure. Your child's doctor may refer to the procedure as "transcatheter device closure." The procedure is sometimes done on small PDAs to prevent the risk of bacterial endocarditis. During the procedure, your child will be sedated or given general anesthesia so he or she will sleep and not feel any discomfort. The doctor will place a catheter in a large blood vessel in the upper thigh (groin) and guide it to your child's heart. A small metal coil or other blocking device is passed up through the catheter and placed in the ductus arteriosus to block blood flow through the vessel. Catheter-based procedures: Do not require the child's chest to be opened; Let the child recover quickly; Closing a PDA using a catheter is often done on an outpatient basis. You will most likely be able to take your child home the same day the procedure is done. Complications of catheter-based procedures are rare and short term. They can include bleeding, infection, and movement of the blocking device from where it was placed. If you want even more info this is a great website to check it out.

So that's the deal. I'm still taking it all in. Every time I look at my beautiful baby boy I see a healthy, happy baby and I am extremely thankful for that. It seems with or without the procedure Elias should be fine. Still, until you're a parent you can never realize the feeling of helplessness when your child is sick or diagnosed with an illness. In my heart I know he'll be fine. That doesn't mean for the next several months/years I won't be watching Elias like a hawk and I probably will need Valium if he has the procedure. However I do remind myself everyday how truly lucky and thankful we are to have him and for him to be as healthy as he is. Elias is the absolute best thing that I have ever done in my life. I love him more than anything and always will.

P.S. Shout out to Asher Clyde who got his first tooth at 4 1/2 months! Way to go Big Man! Elias is still waiting for his to poke through.

Gratuitously cute

Elias Tooth Results

Alas, Elias has yet to get a tooth and we're all out of dates. Gramma Bette came closest with today's date. However, we still don't have a tooth. As a consolation prize Gramma Bette received a clothes pin holder and dinner on us during her next visit.

Check back tonight or tomorrow for updated picks of Elias and my haircut story!

Et tu stomach flu

Sorry we've been distant lately but Elias is suffering from some sort of stomach bug. I'll tell you, being a parent is extremely nerve wracking. There is nothing more horrible than watching your Little Man vomit and there's nothing you can do for him.

His loss of appetite starting a few days ago and then Saturday he threw up twice. I called the urgent care nurse and she told us he had to be seen within 24 hours so off to the ER we went. Now me, being the neurotic mother that I am, wanted an MRI a CT Scan everything done to make sure my boy was okay. All they did was say he's not dehydrated, give him Pedialyte and feed slowly. Okay, are you sure? I mean it could be an intestinal obstruction, brain tumor, anything. Brad of course has to calm me down because I'm a wreck. I used to do this with Marbie but now it's magnified by 5000! I truly have to learn to keep my emotions in check since I don't want Elias to feel my fear. I have to learn to be calm and collected and not Shirley McClain running through the hospital halls in Terms of Endearment, screaming, "Give my son his medication."

Okay, so here we are today. Last night Elias threw up twice, one little one and one big. I got my pediatrician on the line and she thinks because his little body had some sweet potatoes and pears that it may have been too much. Of course I wish they would have told me that in the ER. So he was up with me from 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. We played in bed until we both fell asleep. Brad came home and we all slept together to make sure the Little Man didn't vomit in his sleep. He woke up a couple of times, ate some more and fingers crossed, hasn't thrown up since. We're keeping him off solids for a few more days and hoping he starts to feel better. I guess being a parent not only teaches you patience and persistence but also how to keep your composure and helplessness. I just want to do whatever I can for my Little Man to feel better. It is so tough leaving for work when you wish you could take care of him. Thankfully he's in the loving arms of his Gramma Sonny and I'll be home soon.

Also, for and update on the Elias Tooth Game, no teeth yet so only Gramma Bette is still in the running!

Hallelujah

Elias slept from 7:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. this morning. I know that may not sound like a lot to you but it is a lot to us. I actually got 7 hours in a row of sleep. Thank you to my beautiful baby boy for giving your mom and dad some sleep. Now believe me we're not counting on that tonight, but we're taking it night by night!

Yum Yum

So yesterday Mom and Dad went out for dinner and I came along. They said it was an early anniversary dinner. We walked to Trattoria Gemelli. Mom and Dad ate and I sat in a high chair for the first time. I mostly smacked my hands on the table and tried to grab food but it was fun. Mom and Dad said I was really good. I didn't cry or yell, I ate some summer vegetables and prunes and oatmeal along with Mom and Dad. Earlier in the day Mom let me suck on a nectarine and it was really good too.

My new favorite thing is Mom's Cookie Monster voice. It is so funny. I go into fits of laughter everytime she says, "C is for Cookie". Here's a picture of me laughing.

I'm getting over a little cold but I'm starting to feel better. My nose was stuffy and it was hard sleeping. I still wake up because it's hard to breath. Friday we're going to Liza's new house so it should be fun!

Pcace out...Elias

Madtown

So we headed up to Madison this weekend for my buddy Alex's second birthday party. I have to say Alex is too cool. He can name is colors, say his name and do all kinds of other cool stuff. He was really, really nice and gave me kisses and hugged me good-bye. I'm going to miss him and hope I get to see him again soon. Mom took lots of pictures from his party. Here is Alex in his cool new hat.

Here is Daddy playing ball with Auntie Erin's nephews, Sam the guy batting and Anthony with the t-ball.

Me and Daddy hangin' while Alex opened presents...



And Alex and I chillin' the next morning.



On Sunday Mom and Dad took me into Madison. They said they were very nostalgic because that's where they went to college, met and fell in love. I guess I should be happy since I'm the result. So I say On Wisconsin to that. They took a lot of pictures. I'm not sure the places but Mommy told me so I'll try and remember to tell you.

This is where Mommy and Daddy (and Carrie, Becky, Nick and Auntie Leanne's) dorm used to be. There is one tower left but the other is gone. It was named Ogg. Funny name, but Mom and Dad met there. Mom lived on the seventh floor (near Carrie) and Dad lived on the sixth (near Nick). Mom was sad it was gone, Dad said he's sad but the place was really a dump. I'll have to take his word for it.

Here's Daddy hanging out outside where Mom, Dad, Carrie, Nick and Leanne used to hang out.

Here's me with Abe Lincoln at the top of Bascom Hill.

Here's Daddy and Me in the big chair on The Terrace.

Mommy and Me at Amy's where Mom and Dad had their first date and lots of other wholesome fun times, so they say.

Finally, a couple of me in my totally cool new Badger hat. Thanks Mom and Dad!





Overall I had a blast. I can't wait to go back to Madison to see Alex and go to a Badgers game. It was a fun weekend and I'm still kinda tired so I'm off to bed. Peace out. Elias

The Elias Tooth Game

Come one come all and let's play,

Elias will get a tooth any day,

Take a guess on the date and leave it in the comments,

and that may be the end of this little sonnett.

But wait it's not over yet,

There will be a prize so do not fret.

Brad and I have not yet figured it out,

However there will be a reward without a doubt.

We have picked August 5th,

That's a special day for us and that's not a myth.

So everyone pick one day*,

You never know it may pay!

*Please check the comments to make sure you date has not yet been taken.

If it has you'll get no bacon!

Grills away.

So Mom and Dad had a BBQ on Sat. and lots of my peeps came. Liza's Dad said it turned out more of a play date instead of a BBQ but us kids sure enjoyed it. Let's see if I can remember who came. As you saw above Liza came with her parents' Gus and Michelle, Lucy & Charlie (yes they know the Peanuts reference) came with their mom Heather, and James & Charlie with their parents' Becky and Mike. Mom and Dad's friends Rachel and Oren and Jon and Meera came too. Also Gramma Bette, Gramma Sonny and Grandpa Jim along with Great-Aunt Brooke and cousin Michael. We all had a blast. Mom took lots of pictures, mostly of the kids. You can also check them out here.



I know you have all been dying to hear what I've been up to as well. I'm almost sitting up. I can do it for a few seconds then usually take a header into the floor. Mom always catches me so I don't get hurt. I love to make dolphin noises. Mom and Dad say that I may be messing up the dolphin tank at the Brookfield Zoo but I'm sure those dolphins are fine. I've learned to yell. This morning I sat in my crib and yelled and yelled. I didn't cry, just yelled. I can also roll and roll and roll. And what has to be Mom's favorite is I can spit. I put my lips together, and sometimes stick my tongue out, and blow. Either spit, bubbles or sometimes food goes flying. Speaking of food I've enjoyed rice cereal, bananas, sweet potatoes and much more but I HATE peas. I will spit peas at you if you try and give them to me. What else, what else, oh I can stand. My legs are getting really strong and I like to stand up a lot. I'm still not sleeping all night but after the BBQ I slept from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. and the next night I slept from 7:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. but last night I got up at 1:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. But hey, give me a break, I was very wet at 4:30. My sheet was wet, my PJ's were wet and it sucked so guess what, every one's getting up.


That's all I can think of right now. Gramma Bette is going to take me for a walk. I like to chill in the stroller and look at scenery. Peace out...E

My Little Chirper

Rise up this mornin',

Smiled with the risin' sun,

My little bird Pitch by my doorstep

Singin' sweet songs

Of melodies pure and true,

Sayin', ("This is my message to you-ou-ou:")

Mmmmm, highchair

So I like sucking on my highchair, sue me. I also like sucking on my bug, my Bumbo, my blanket, my, wait I like sucking on everything!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but Daddy has been out of town and Mom's been keeping me busy, not the other way around of course. I miss Daddy but he's coming back tomorrow. Mom, Gramma Bette and I have been keeping busy. For instance I now like to roll and roll a lot. The only problem Mom says is that I roll onto my stomach and cry. Yeah, that's right I forgot how to roll back. I used to do it all the time but I've had a lot on my mind. It's just easier to cry, make Mom get out of bed and come roll me back over. That way I get to see her every 20 minutes in the morning. Just wait until Dad gets back, than he can play that game with me!

Oh, I've also been laughing up a storm. I love it when Mom hides under my highchair and then pops back up. Man is that funny.

We're heading up to Lake Geneva on Thurs. and Mom and Dad are really excited. They say they need a "vacation" real bad. I'm not sure what this "vacation" is but I'm sure I'll enjoy it. Mom got me and Ava, that's her on the left, life jackets for the boat. If I fall off, which Mom said she'll have a grip on me like a steel claw, but if I DO happen to fall off it makes my head stay up and me on my back so my face isn't in the water. That's pretty cool. I may not post a lot but I know the 'rents are bringing the video camera. Peace out for now. Elias.

Portrait of a five month old.