One month in

Well, we're one month into being a family of four and you know what, it's going pretty well. When people hear how far apart the boys are, 17 months, they tend to say, "you must have your hands full". We do, but we wouldn't have it any other way and we don't know any different.

Elias is a great older brother. He rocks Oliver, checks on him when he's crying and rips his socks off. Okay that last part isn't super nice. Sometimes Elias gets frustrated but that's to be expected. He tries to smack Oliver on the leg when he's nursing or pokes him in the head. Overall, not too bad.

The Big Man just turned 18 months old. He can pick out some animals when asked, knows some numbers and can say plenty. Mostly we don't understand what he's saying, but he sure gets a kick out of it. He also LOVES Wheel of Fortune. When we say, "Pat and Vanna" he runs to the TV. I know, I know kids are not supposed to watch TV but that's really all he watches and he shouts out letters, so he is getting educated.

Oliver, the Little Man, is getting big as well. He's just four weeks old. Since we're veterans in the parenting biz now our Doc said we could skip the one month visit and move right on to the two month. He was back to his birth weight by his 2 week appointment and looking good.

Brad and I and the boys have had plenty of adventures. Oliver is already a man about town. The Arboretum, the splash pad and about 500 trips to Target. He are some pictures and to top it off my lovely, wonderful, adorable boys!

Our little Tiger

neglect

Okay, so I've been neglecting the blog. I can't help it. We've had a lot of things going on recently. First, Little Man had his procedure. All went well but it was the scariest thing I've ever had to go through. I'm sure it will be followed by broken bones, stitches and many more trips to the hospital but he's still so little. He took it like a champ. The whole family spent the night in the hospital and Gramma Bette came down to help on Thurs. Little Man got to watch a lot of TV for a couple of days since he was supposed to stay off his feet.

We head back to the Doctor on Monday to make sure the plug is still in place in his heart and then he doesn't go back for a year. By that time the tissue should have grown around the plug and it is like another working part of his heart.

Also six months from now we should have a 5 month-old in tow. Baby Oliver is due in four weeks. I'll have to say, boy am I ready. This pregnancy, even thought it went faster, was tougher. No leisurely naps or sleeping in until 9 a.m., but in the end it will be all worth it.

So I'll leave you with Elias eating a Popsicle.

New, new, new

New haircut, new basketball hoop, new picnic table, lots of smiles!

Happy Easter

Hope everyone had a great holiday. At our household the Easter Bunny came and Elias did a little egg hunt in the backyard. He also got some wonderful things from the Grandparents.

I enjoyed the day waddling around behind Elias. Oh the joys of the third trimester. I had a nice bought of sciatica today that was nearly debilitating. I actually had to lay down for a while to be able to walk around. Thankfully it went away. Hopefully I can convince my Ob/Gyn to send me to message therapy.

I never had sciatica with Elias. I've talked to a couple people who've had more than one child and they've told me the second is much harder than the first pregnancy. I think the second is harder just because you're chasing the first (or second) one around. Just like other things in pregnancy I guess it prepares you for all the running around you'll need to do when you have two!

Slacker

Okay, so I've been totally slacking on the blog but I'm tired. Seriously! I haven't had a good nights sleep since November and I'm chasing a 14 month-old around. But enough of my complaining, here goes.

Elias is doing wonderful! He's walking like a champ. He can say about 20 words but his favorites are "I'm done", "down", "Mom", "Dad" and a whole handful of others. He can take our keys and try to unlock the doors, attempt to put on his shoes and socks and even tries to take his own shirt off. Elias knows how to comb his hair and is getting so big I'm thinking he'll be monkeying his way out of the crib pretty soon.

Elias had his first sleepover on March 21st at Gramma Sonny's and he was a wonderful boy. Mom and Dad got to go into the city have some lunch, shopping, dinner but that was the extent of it. Being six months pregnant doesn't allow for too much clubbing.

Oh and Elias loves to dance. When you sing "dancing, dancing, dancing" he'll move his feet like Fred Astaire. He has also developed an attachment to Elmo, which I find strange since he's only seen Sesame Street a handful of times. Those toy product designers really know their stuff.

The new baby is also growing, kicking and having fun with my bladder. He's different than Elias in that he does sleep at night and not have a soccer tournament but I still don't sleep. He loves to kick when he hears Elias talking so he already loves his big brother. I'm not too sure the feeling is mutual yet but hopefully in about 20 years it will be :)

Other than that we're headed out to visit Anna, Katie and new baby Mikey this weekend so Elias can flirt with the girls and meet a new friend.

I forgot to add Elias got two teeth yesterday. Count 'em, two!

Shout Out

Congratulations to Ken & Carla on the birth of their daughter Abigail. Check out Ken's blog for pictures and story!

Also, stay tuned for my post on our first night away from Little Man. We had a wonderful time and stayed in a sweet suite!

The Irony

I just clicked on the blog and lo and behold in the upper right hand corner was an advertisement for AirTran Airways having a sale. I find it funny that they decide to advertise on the blog after I ripped them a new you-know-what. Again, I repeat, DO NOT FLY AIRTRAN, EVER! I guess some companies will take bad publicity over no publicity!

Horrible Mother

Okay so I'm a horrible mother. I never did a birthday post. Well between planning the party, picking up the food, running around, then taking a weekend for us, I just didn't have time. So here's my birthday post a few days late.

The party was fantastic. Elias had lots of friends come over including Carla, Ken, Liza and her parents, Alex, Auntie Erin and Mike, all the Grandparents and more.

At one-year-old Elias can say, Dad, Mom, duck, all done, nite, and red. He's almost walking and actually brings me things on command. When he picks up things off the carpet I tell him, "bring them to mommy" and he actually does. He can also give himself a round of applause (clap), raise the roof (so big), dance (he's got major rhythm). He likes to sort things on his shelves at Gramma Sonny's and our house and like Gramma Bette he loves coasters.

Elias eats almost everything. Tonight he had pasta and spinach with Mommy for dinner. He also loves Gramma Sonny's beef stew, pizza, bagels and a whole slew of other things. He took to whole milk like a champ and loves his water during the day and snacks.

After dinner tonight Elias and I danced. He boogied to Lauryn Hill and Mark Knopfler. Like his Grandpa Bill he's got great taste in music (except country music, still yuck).

So here's some pictures from the party and Little Man having his first taste of sugar. Surprisingly he liked it but didn't go crazy. I'm proud of him for that. I'd love to keep him off sugar as long as possible.

Finally, I apologize for the late post. Our laptop is finally back up and running so it's much easier to post when Little Man is sleeping. Hopefully I'll be updating more. See you soon!

Another year

I can't believe Elias is going to be one year in 10 days. Wow, 10 days. The time has flown by.

Kids are amazing. I'll have to say Brad and I always talk about how our life has changed for the better and you never knew you could love something so much. We've adapted to parenthood quite well, I believe. I have to give my husband major props for being an all around wonderful dad. He watches Elias 3 days a week and I usually get a call around lunch time about all the fun things they've done that day. He puts him down for two naps, dresses, feeds him lunch and gives Elias plenty of Dad time. As a family we couldn't ask for anything more.

I of course love getting home at a reasonable time. Usually I get to be with Elias when he wakes up from his nap and we play, grocery shop, he helps me cook dinner and take his bath. Today he got a hold of the toilet paper while I was showering and wrapped himself up. He looked like a baby mummy.

Recently Elias has been waking (just the last couple of days) at 9:30 p.m. crying. I feel so bad for him because I don't know what he wants. Usually he comes into bed with us, falls asleep and then goes back into his crib. It's got me worried and frustrated so I had to rely on my infant rearing skills again on how to combat this issue. I told myself today, we've gone through this before just a LONG time ago (like 7 months but feels like ages). Tonight if it happens I won't take him into bed but rock him in his room, put him down and if he cries NOT take him into bed. See these skills are always needed ;)

Anyway, this is just a post on my reflecting. We're going to have a small party for Elias on the Sat. after his birthday. Nothing fancy, cake, food and great friends and family. E and I are also heading to Green Bay this weekend to visit some relatives who haven't seen Little Man in a while. I'm sure they'll be shocked to see he's not so Little anymore...

Buds

Erin and her big man Alex on Halloween. The clan misses you!

If you're happy and you know it...

Okay so Mom hasn't let me at the computer in a long, long time. She says I don't sit still long enough anymore to actually type a post, but I'll show her.

For all my peops, I'm crawling, creeping and almost standing alone. Because of all those things I bang my head a lot and I mean a lot. Mom, Dad and Gramma Sonny have a penguin ice pack on hand for my bruises and bumps. I think it makes me look tough Mom worries about someone called "DCFS". I can say dadda, hi and hey. They keep harassing me about momma so I keep stringing them along.

Also, I recently acquired the skill of clapping and man do I love it. My toys and Mom and Dad like to sing this song, "If you happy and you know it clap your hands" and darned if I don't clap my hands. I just can't help myself. Today I picked up the phone and said, hi. Hey they do it, why not me.

Oh and I got another tooth. Mom and Dad think it's funny because I didn't get the top front upper, I got the one on the side called the lateral incisor not the central so I may be chewing on the side of my mouth.


Like Dad I love cheese. I've been eating it a lot lately. I also like crackers, raisins, bananas (always have but know they're chunky) and bread. This food thing is pretty cool. Mom said that I can have some turkey and mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving. I can't wait.

Speaking of Thanksgiving I get to see my cousins Sophie and Shelby again. We had so much fun the last time I can't wait till they get to see my pad.

Well I showed Mom and updated y'all so hopefully I'll be back sooner than later. Peace out...Elias.

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!

A "Swell" Weekend

So Elias and I set off for Austin, Texas on Thursday and I have to say he is a great baby. On the first leg, a two hour flight we sat next to a gentleman who had twin one-year-old boys and said, "If he cries, don't worry, I'm used to it". But Elias didn't cry, not once. He played, played and played. Grabbed people, newspapers and the in flight magazines, but never cried. He finally fell asleep about a half-an-hour before landing. On the second leg he continually grabbed an older woman sitting next to us but thankfully she didn't mind. The flight home was just as easy with him despite an additional two hour delay in Houston because of beautiful Chicago weather. Oh and I have to give him even more props considering he got his first tooth on the flight back. Yes finally a tooth! Only 6 weeks later than we thought. He also had a cold. He's a trooper.




So we arrived in Austin to see Leanne, Chris and Asher. The boys got along great and Asher is too cute! It is absolutely amazing to spend time with your friends' kids. When we were back in high school, or in Leanne's case college, you couldn't imagine having kids. Than as you got older it was a dream to still have such close friendships and then watch our kids get to grow up together. You can't ask for anything more!

So Thursday we arrived, had a little play time, ate some great burgers and Elias slept through the night. He actually slept through the night two of the four nights, only waking up when we entered the room the second night and because of his cold the last night. That made Mom too happy.


The boys got to do a lot of playing. They rolled on the floor, grabbed each other and tried to take each other's toys. Well, Elias tried to take all of Asher's toys.

Brad came into town on Friday and Leanne and Chris had a great BBQ where we got to meet all their friends (who I have to say are very fun and cool people).




(I do have a picture of the Johnson/English family that I will post here later, it got accidentally deleted at work so check back.)

We also have to thank Aunt Leanne for babysitting on Sat. night. Shout out to her for that. It allowed me and Brad to enjoy some Austin music at The Paramount Theater. Brad and I had wanted to see The Swell Season when they came through Chicago but it was too close to the R.E.M. show. So when Leanne's friends Erin and Craig said they were going the next night we jumped at the chance. We are very glad we did. They were wonderful. I would highly recommend seeing them. The songs were energetic and even there "new stuff" was really good. Glen Hansgard is great. He's funny, energetic and can see why they cast him in Once.

Sunday we made dinner for Leanne and Chris and just relaxed. It was a wonderful end to a great weekend. We really hope the family can make it up to Chicago so the boys can go to the zoo, we can listen to some Chicago blues music and again enjoy each other's company.

Oh I almost forgot, not only is Elias saying Dada but he's also saying Dad. On Sunday when Elias was sick I was snuggling with him in bed to try and soothe him to put him back to sleep in the Pack N'Play when Brad came in. Brad went to snuggle with Elias on the other side when Elias rolled over, grabbed Brad's shirt collar and said, "Dad" in the sweetest voice I ever heard. Again, I never realized you could love somebody that much. I love ya kid!

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.

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!

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

Haircut Story

So some of you had heard my haircut story but some have not so hear goes. Last week I had an appointment to get my haircut. I had decided to chop it all off. As you women know, this is sometimes scary and you have to work up the nerve to do. So I psyched myself all day to get it chopped. I entered my hair salon and said I had an appointment. This is were the craziness begins.

They tell me, oops its for next week, which was their mistake not mine. Again as you ladies know, since I had worked up the nerve the haircut was going to happen that day! I decided to find another place and see if they could fit me in. After several calls and searches on the Aveda website I found what I thought was a reputable place in a decent suburb. I checked out their website, called and lo and behold they could fit me in. Now let me paint the picture as I walked in.

First, it was in a strip mall. Not that all salons in strip malls are bad, I usually just don't happen to go to them. Second, there were a number of little old ladies getting perms. Again, nothing wrong with little old ladies but they tend not to frequent the salons I go to. Third, my hairdresser walks out and he visibly has Parkinson's. I know many people live long, happy lives with Parkinson's (look at Michael J. Fox) but you usually don't want your hairdresser to shake as he cuts 13 inches off your hair.

I almost turned around and walked out, but I'd come this far. It couldn't be that bad, and it wasn't! I actually got a cut I really, really like. He cut off 13 inches of my hair and I donated it to Locks of Love. My hair is easy, healthy and now baby-proof.

Even though I did like the cut I don't think I'll be returning. Not for any of the aforementioned reasons but they charged me for a blow-dry! Are you kidding me!

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.