My Children's Good Health

 Thankfulness Day 16

Yesterday the kids all saw their doctor for a check-up---Jackson for his five-year check-up, Madelyn for her 3-year check-up and Owen for his 18-month check-up.  They all are healthy kids!  I know that good health isn't a given.  I thank the Lord that He, for the time being, has blessed my children with good health!

Jackson covers his ears as Owen gets 5 shots.  They did them quick and Owen forgot about it in about 10 seconds, but they is never fun to watch or hear.

All the kids' percentiles.  Owen, for now, is pretty short.  No wonder his pants are too long! (Correction on the percentiles-  I just recalculated Owen's and Madelyn because they seemed slightly off.  Owen is in the 51 percentile in weight, not the 95th, and in the 14th percentile in length, not the 9th.  That makes more sense!  Madelyn's was slightly off.  She is in the 77th percentile for weight and the 55th for height.)

Owen: 12-15 months

It is a little ridiculous that I haven't updated this blog in so long.  That is just an illustration on how busy little Owen keeps me!    He turned the big O-N-E on May 13th.  A while ago.  He seems to have grown so much since then!  He had a "Muppets" themed party because he loves that movie.  I will do another post about his party (I promise!).

 At his one-year check-up, his Iron levels had gone up to almost normal.  Yea!  We worked so hard at giving him iron-rich food for a while and it slowly went up naturally, without having to fortify his diet with liquid iron.

 Shortly after his one-year birthday, Owen took his first trip on a plane.  He did pretty good considering it was a 5-hour flight with several stops along the way!  He didn't cry at all on the way there and on the way back, only a few times, and it wasn't too bad!

 One of Owen's first words was "Kitty" and that still is one of his favorite words.  He loves to spend time with our kitties, although we recently had to give one away (pictured).  He also loves to say "doggy" and "daddy" very clearly.  He is now imitating his brother and sister as well.  Jackson thinks its funny to get Owen to say "hot dog" in a really deep, raspy voice.  Owen finds it amusing, too!  He is also saying "sentences," although we can't understand most of what he is saying.    As for calling me "mommy," he doesn't yet.  :(  He loves to say, "Daddy!" though!

 Owen got a water table for his first birthday and he loves to play with it!  It's the next best thing to Disneyland!

 One of Owen's favorite things to do is wrestle with his daddy and Jackson.  They get so into, giggling and grunting as they roll on the floor.  I love that they can experience this with their daddy.  What a precious memory!

 Owen took his first trip to the pool back in June.  He really enjoyed the water.  He loves splashing and floating in his little baby chair.

 Hats are entertaining to Owen right now.  He won't keep them one, but he thinks its funny to wear them!

 I think this photo illustrates Owen's sweetness.  He has such a sweet personality.  He seems to love to light up everyone's day!

 He also loves his siblings!  He and Madelyn have a sweet relationship for the most part, except for when he thinks its funny to pull her hair or she pushes him because he is getting into her stuff.  That is a brother-sister relationship for you!  He and Jackson have a great relationship as well.  They are always making each other laugh!

 Books are a regular part of Owen's life.  I have baskets and shelves full of them and he loves to sit and "read."  I treasure his enjoyment of them, even if he reads them upside-down.

 The park swings are definitely a favorite for Owen.  He loves to climb all over the playground as well. He is too, brave, though, I have have to be a step behind him!

 Owen quite possibly is the messiest eater I have ever come across.  He seems to think that what he is eating passes as hair gel.  That's right.  He puts what he is eating in his hair at nearly every meal!  It's a good thing I have washcloths near by.  Although, sometimes that is pointless and I just have to put him in the tub.

 This little boy gets a thrill out of animals.  He loved going to the OC fair this summer and looking at all the farm animals!

 Owen went into the water at the beach for this first time and he couldn't get enough of it!  He kept running in!  He is a bit too brave, so Troy had to hold onto him because otherwise who knows where he would have tried to run!

 Owen at 15 months.  He is a little ham.  He loves to smile at people and he will do so just to get a reaction from them.  He has proven to be very social.  Sounds familiar, doesn't it?  :)

 This is the same bear he started sleeping with at 4 months old.  He finally has shown attachment to it all of a sudden and snuggles with it when he is awake as well.  I love to see him show love for a stuffed animal!  So cute!

 These are the most recent photos of Owen.  He is always smiling.  Over the summer, he got "Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease" pretty bad and was somewhat miserable, but through it all, he tried to be happy and smile.  In the photo below, he is breaking through his first molar.  The only reason I knew is that he opened his mouth wide and I saw it.  He was still his happy self!

Owen is still a pretty small baby, but he has seemed to grow a bit since his 12-month check-up.  His one-piece outfits in 9 months are finally too small and some of his 12-month one-piece outfits are getting a little snug.  He still hardly fits into 12 month shorts/pants.  They have to be rolled up because he isn't big enough around the waist.  Oh-well!  I guess he gets to wear clothes longer than expected!
Some more facts about Owen at 15 months:
~He loves brushing his 6 teeth.
~He loves to run, especially when being chased.
~He climbs onto EVERYTHING, no matter how high or dangerous.  He favorite climbing spots are the kitchen tabletop and the top of the TV cabinet.
~He seems to love to watch Curious George, just like his brother and sister.
~He loves to chew on Legos, although if I catch him and ask them to spit them out, he obeys.

~He loves his daddy so very much!  He runs to him when he gets home from work, fusses when it leaves, and cuddles with him every chance he gets.  Troy eats it up!  So do I, as this isn't the norm for all babies his age!  He even sings songs about him in a sweet voice... "Daaaddeeeee....Daddy!  Daaaaadeeee!"  :)
~He makes the "vroom" sound when playing with cars.  I guess he got that from Jackson!
~His favorite foods are: strawberries, grapes, carrots, mangoes, pretty much any fruit, chicken nuggets, waffles, Trader Joe's Oat bran Muffins, frozen yogurt sticks, and anything with ketchup!
~He still takes two naps.  An hour and a half nap in the morning, and the same in the afternoon.
~He has really blonde hair.  It got lighter and longer over the summer.  It may be time for his first haircut soon!  He also has a little bit of curl in the back.

Hope you all enjoyed the update!  I will write soon about Madelyn's 3rd birthday and both Madelyn and Owen's parties.  Sorry it took so long!!!

Owen is 5 Months!

As Owen interacts more with Jackson and Madelyn, I enjoy seeing the dynamics of our three-kid family grow!  He loves to be in the mix of things, whether its in his jump-a-roo watching his brother and sister play, on the floor, rolling around with his siblings, or listening to a bedtime story with Jackson and Madelyn.  I believe Jackson has made Owen laugh more than anyone and Jackson offers to "watch" his brother on a regular basis.  This, of course, just consists of him sitting next to him while Owen plays with a toy.  Nevertheless, it's cute!  Madelyn always says, "Hi, Owen!" whenever she sees him and then proceeds to talk to him.  I'm not sure what she says, but it sure makes Owen smile!
It's been a while since I blogged about Owen, so here's a quick update to get you up to date: 
-He started rolling over from front to back a little over a month ago. 
-Just like his brother, he loves standing up.
-He now weighs a little over 14lbs.
-When I put him on his stomach, he tries to be very moblie, almost doing an army crawl.  He can get his butt up in the air, and he can lift his head, shoulders, and tummy up in the air, just not at the same time.
-Owen loves to hold onto something while going to sleep.  So far, he loves the Teddy bear that his Aunt Jenni gave him.
-He loves his jump-a-roo.  He just sits, there and plays.  He doesn't jump.  He actually is just content to watch what is going on in the world around him.

-Per his pediatrician's instructions to he would sleep better, we started Owen on cereal.  He now gets a healthy helping of oatmeal, applesauce, probiotics, and flax-seed meal at night.  Now to add the other meals!  (By the way, it didn't help...he still wakes up every couple hours.  We have to work on that!) 

-Owen sat up very briefly yesterday on his own, just long enough for me to snap a photo! (Pictured below)

-At two months, Owen was diagnosed with Infant Acid Reflux and given Zantac to treat it.  I have since discovered that this effected his digestive system, as his diapers were far from normal.  Per his pediatrician's instructions, we weaned him off the Zantac.  We then started giving him probiotics to see if that would help.  He seemed to be doing okay, but recently has started to violently gag again at night.  Hence, one of the reasons why he is waking up so much.  And so the sleepless saga continues!

-During the day, Owen is an extremely happy baby.  He always smiles at anyone and everyone he looks at.  He has such a sweet and easy-going personality and its been such a joy to get to see it develop!
-This past week, Owen waved hello to our friend at church.  I couldn't believe it when she told me, but she got him to do it again!  And, then we told Troy and he did it again!
Here are some photos of the last couple months for your enjoyment!

 On his way to Oak Glen!

 In the jump-a-roo

 Big, strong boy sitting up on his own!

 Brothers and buddies!

 UP....

 UP....

 And...

 Over!

 Owen's first feeding of cereal.

 Lounging at the beach!

 One of his favorite pastimes...chew on his feet!

Wrestling with his daddy.  He had him pinned.

We truly thank God for this little gift to our family.  We enjoy this little one so much and look forward to seeing him grow even more.  I must say though, I see how fast this growing happens, and it churns up bittersweet feelings!

Madelyn @ 1 Year: Happy Birthday, Madelyn!

A year (and a week) ago, on August 26th, 2009, at 9:38am, I met Madelyn Sue for the very first time. She came a little early with the "help" of HEELP syndrome. At 7 pounds, 2 ounces and about 20 inches long, she had long, skinny legs and fingers. Her lips were perfectly shaped and she had a cute, little nose. I remember the first time I saw her little precious face. I could barely lift my hand because it was numb, but I managed to rub my finger across her soft head. After hearing her delicate heartbeat slow dramatically down a few minutes before, tears streamed down my face at the sight of this precious gift from God, even if this gift came via emergency C-section. The Lord was truly gracious to both of us that day.
A year later, Madelyn is now 20 pounds, 15 ounces and 26 1/2 inches tall. She is such a joy in our lives. She giggles and smiles and talks in her own language that somehow Troy and I, and even Jackson understand. Madleyn is walking now. She started walking the day before her birthday. Her hands wave in the air wildly and she smiles from ear to ear whenever she walks. Madelyn has a total of 4 teeth, and three are making their way through. Teething hasn't been easy for her, but, then again, who said teeth cutting through gums would be easy? Hyland's teething tablets take care of most of the pain, along with an occasional dose of infant's Acetaminophen.
Madelyn still has a lack of hair. As they say, good things come to those who wait. I hope that means she will have good hair. So far, the little hair that she does have is adorable. She has little curls at the back of her head! :)Madelyn absolutely adores her brother. Her face still lights up every time he enters the room. It still warms my heart every time I see that happen. They giggle and laugh together, and, when Madelyn allows it, they wrestle. Jackson told me today, "Mom, I'm so glad that Madelyn is walking!" He is really enjoying seeing her grow and accomplish things that he can do.
Madelyn also LOVES animals, especially kitties and doggies. "Kitty" was her first word, afterall! She gets so excited when an animal is around and shows a ton of interest in them. Cassie isn't sure what to do about this enthusiasm. Even though Madelyn is very gentle with her, Cassie would rather be left alone. This is why we decided to get a kitten (or two) for Madelyn's birthday. (More about that later!)
I don't know if I could say it enough---Madelyn is truly a joy to us. I can't kiss her little cheeks enough! My heart melts at every smile. Her bright blue eyes light up my days (as do Jackson's!). I can scarcely believe it has been a year since she came into this world. What a whirlwind of a year! I thank God for this darling little girl and I can't wait to see what this year of her life will bring. Although, seeing how fast this past year went, I will strive to cherish every milestone, every little moment, and every precious smile all the more!

Madelyn's 9 Month Check-Up

Madelyn had her 9 month appointment this morning. She turned 9 months on Wednesday. I can't believe time has gone by so fast! I don't know why I am surprised either because the same thing happened with Jackson! She weighs 18 1/2 lbs and is 26 1/2 inches tall, which puts her in 50 percentile for weight and 10-15th percentile of height. She's short---just like me. :) As far as her blocked tear duct goes, Dr. Berry is referring us to an ophthalmologist. She sees him on June 7th. Everything else looks healthy!

Birthday Boy!

On Friday, Jackson turned the ripe old age of 1. The time has gone by so extremely fast! He has become such a little boy is so little time! He is walking everywhere...no crawling for him! He says a lot of words, but his favorites lately seem to be "oh, wow" and "uh-oh." He is a smart boy. I will ask him at any time if he wants to sing a song and he will start to sing "row, row, row..." It is quite possibly the cutest thing!

Jackson had his 12 month check-up yesterday. He weighed in at 23 lbs and measured at 30 " tall. He is just above the 50th percentile in both areas. That is quite an improvement from 6 months ago! I am so glad he grew! Jackson also got five shots yesterday. I think that is one of the hardest things for a parent to watch. He did have a reaction to the Chicken Pox shot he got. It was just a rash around the area that the shot was given. It was almost gone about thirty minutes after the shot was given. The doctor had never seen a reaction like that before, so he asked us to stick around, and after 30 minutes, Jackson was given a clean bill of health! Speaking of health, Jackson got his first cold. He is a bit on the miserable side right now. We suspect it was from being around so many kids----and perhaps some sick ones----at his party. The doctor agreed that was where he most likely got it from. Green, snotty noses and little coughs are no fun---for either of us!
Well, enough about that...Jackson has been such a tremendous blessing this past year to both Troy and I. Troy posted a good blog on that subject. He mentioned four things he has learned this first year of Jackson's life. I have a list of my own:

1. God is so merciful, generous, and gracious in so many ways.
2. My husband is an amazing daddy.
3. Having Jackson to care for can make me forget about my needs. My spiritual, emotional, and physical needs matter, and I need to take time to tend to those needs in order to better tend to my family's needs.
4. There is no such thing as sleeping in once you have a little one (8 hours of sleep is a privilege!)
5. There is nothing that can melt my heart more than a little child showing that he loves me (giving me a big hug and smile, while affectionately patting me on the shoulder).

So there you have it. Now, to get to the fun part of the blog...the photos! Here are some photos of Jackson's birthday weekend!

Jackson with his one of his birthday presents from his mommy and daddy...a shopping cart!"Hello?" Jackson talking on his new cell phone.Jackson's favorite present......was so kindly given to him by our neighbor, Genny, who happens to have the same birthday.Jackson had a blast with the wrapping paper in bows!Jackson's was a bit worried about the whole birthday cake situation...

...but he soon got over it!

"All done!"

Uncle David and Jackson playing Jackson's first educational video game.
On his birthday, Grandma, Grandpa, Nonna, Uncle David, Aunt Robyn, Uncle Mike, Aunt Gen, Uncle Tim, and Genny all came over to celebrate with us. He got a lot of great gifts, and even some that we can benefit from as parents...such as an amazing umbrella stroller (Thanks, Robyn!!!). Who knew who convenient those things can be??? Jackson slept hard that night and woke up the next day to another "birthday"...