Baby #2

I realize that I don't blog that often about being pregnant, but to be honest, sometimes I forget that I am. This pregnancy started off rough, but now things are so easy. (Besides fitting into clothes!)

We went to the doctor yesterday, and she said that she's scheduling us to have the baby on Friday, February 16th. Which means the boys will be exactly 18 months apart! (This is assuming that #2 doesn't make an early appearance.)

I can't believe I only have 11 weeks to go, and I have done NOTHING to prepare. I guess we need to get ready.

The one major thing we have not accomplished is picking a name. Barrett's name was so easy, but we just can't seem to find one we want for #2. If I'm not careful, we'll end up calling him #2 forever. (No, we're not going to name him Deuce!)

#1 has been keeping us busy. It seems like he does something new every day! Lately he's been loving brushing his teeth, wearing hats, and making funny faces.

This morning, he was sitting on the couch so content, I had to get a picture.

Here is one of his new faces. This is his surprised look.

He wouldn't cooperate to show you his new fake smile, but I am sure when we get our family pictures taken tomorrow, he'll show the photographer...

Thanksgiving

Things have been a little crazy around here, but we did have a good Thanksgiving. It was hard for me because this was my first Thanksgiving ever to not see anyone in my family. It was weird not to have the food I was used to having, but I managed to eat plenty anyway!

Here is a picture we took on Thanksgiving of the three of us. I didn't realize that I was looking so puffy until I saw the pictures. O-well, I guess that comes with being pregnant! I can't imagine what I'll look like in a few months from now!

Barrett loved seeing his Uncle Ray so many times this past week. I had coached him relentlessly so that when Ray was here, he would say his name. Well, I was successful in getting him to say Ray, but he ended up calling Ray's girlfriend, Kristin, Ray instead. I think he was pretty smitten with Kristin, and since it made her smile, he just kept saying it. I'm sure he loves his Uncle Ray too, but Ray's just not as pretty as Kristin. Barrett has always loved the girls! :)

One of the highlights of our week was seeing Doug's best friend Justin and his family. He has two adorable little ones, Ryan, who is 3 and a half, and Reagan , who turns 2 in a couple weeks. I enjoyed talking with Justin's wife, LeeAnn, about dealing with kids being 18 months apart, and Doug just liked having his buddy around.

Barrett seemed to really like both of the kids. He really wanted to play with Reagan, but she is in the "mine" phase. She went right to one of Barrett's toys and started collecting all the balls. When Barrett got near them, she would yell, "mine". Barrett would just go find her more balls to add to her collection.

Later, when Reagan went into the kitchen, Barrett grabbed some of the balls and started saying, "mine." At first I was concerned that he had picked it up from her, but then we realized he was calling Reagan. Apparently, he decided her name must be Mine since that is all she said. For the rest of the night, LeeAnn and I just giggled as she and Barrett exchanged "mines" meaning completely different things.

It was so nice visiting with old friends, but it also makes me wish we had more time for the other friends we don't see often enough. It's not that they are not thought of, life just goes so fast lately!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and as Christmas approaches this year, try to relax and enjoy the season. (I know, wishful thinking!)

Little Helper

Barrett escaped the other night when Doug took him out of the bath.

He obviously was listening earlier in the night when I was complaining to Doug that I am apparently the only person who knows how to unload the dishwasher.




Ok, so it's not really what I had in mind, but at least he was trying to help.

Our Favorite Seasons

I love the Christmas season, and I would be lying if I agreed with everyone else that the stores start Christmas too early. There is not much I like more than Christmas decorations, so browsing the stores actually puts me in a good mood.

Doug, on the other hand, loves this time of year for an entirely different reason. He gets all giddy because it is deer season. He's been up at 5 something every weekend morning the past two weeks to go look for Bambi's daddy. He didn't get to go to Colorado hunting this year, but he is definitely making up for it.

So, Barrett has been a perfect blend of Daddy and Mommy lately.

Barrett loves all the Christmas stuff out especially the trees. We walk the aisles looking at decorations, and he points, talks and laughs the whole time. It's almost like having a little me along for the fun, and I get to get a lot more excited because I have a kid with me. When you wander along alone all excited, people look at you weird.

Doug has been working hard to teach Barrett what a deer is, and Daddy is very proud that Barrett now points to all things deer and says, "Dee".

The other night, Doug's work buddy, Marsha, sent Barrett a stuffed deer from the movie Open Season. Doug quickly had Barrett trained to say, "boom," to the deer, and Doug would then make the deer act like it was dying. Barrett thinks it is hilarious.

Now, Barrett can entertain the crowds by being asked, "What do you say to a deer?" He will answer, "Boom", usually followed by a "blahhhhh" which is somewhat like the sound Daddy makes for the death scene this stuffed deer keeps reliving.

Today is when these two totally opposite new loves combined.

I was walking with Barrett out of the nursery at church when he saw a table decorated for Christmas. He pointed and yelled, so I walked him closer. The table was to recruit people to volunteer for something at Christmas time, and as we walked closer, Barrett saw the stuffed reindeer in the middle of the table.

As the nice man was trying to tell me about how I could help, Barrett pointed at the deer, and said, "Dee." The man laughed and commented how cute Barrett is. Then Barrett leaned in, said, "Boom!," and knocked the reindeer down. The man really didn't seem amused.

I'm pretty sure I am now signed up to help with whatever it was. Hopefully, I'll get an email reminder because I did not pay attention at all. I was so embarrassed that I just signed up, fixed the reindeer, and left.

I know the more he talks, the more I'll be embarrassed. At least it will make for some good stories...

Recyling with Daddy

I've been griping at Doug to get rid of his surplus of t-shirts he wears to the farm to "work". So, last night, instead of giving me a stack for Good Will or the trash, he brought them into the living room to cut up as rags. I swear, the man can't throw anything out!

Barrett was more than willing to help Daddy, but was quickly distracted by playing with the pieces. He was running around with shirts over his head and running into things laughing.

By the time I got the camera, Daddy had a new use for old t-shirt sleeves.

Barrett was just too funny with his new hat and t-shirt over his head.

I think Daddy liked the sleeve hat too!

Happy Halloween!

Barrett seemed to like Halloween, but mainly because it involved suckers.




We only went to a few houses on our street because even though the weather wasn't too hot like I was worried about, but the mosquitos were TERRIBLE! So, we made a quick trip then we came back in to give out candy instead.

Barrett liked the trick or treaters when they came to the door, but he cried and screamed when they left. Hopefully, we are done for the night because I can only handle so many mini fits.

Ok, now we are having a fit because Daddy turned off Wee Wees (Wiggles).

Ahhhh!!

Happy Halloween!

The First Real Haircut

Yesterday was a big day for Daddy!

Doug finally really won the battle for the official haircut.

I had really wanted to take Barrett to a place where he sat in a cool little car with all the cute little kiddo decor, but Doug insisted he go to the barber shop.

I am only going to say this once, and please don't ever tell Doug. Daddy was right. It was a great experience.

Larry, the man who cut Barrett's hair, also gave Doug his first haircut on November 18th, 1978. How do I know this? Dorothy, Doug's mom, kept the best baby book ever, so I know EVERYTHING about Doug's childhood. (That is a whole other blog I could write.)

Larry had cut Doug's hair earlier in the week, and he knew we were coming. He was so sweet to Barrett, and he was excited because Barrett was the 5th generation that Larry had given haircuts to. It's hard to compare the experience at Kids Cuts to that!

Barrett was great for most of the haircut.


He got a little irritated after a while, but he never screamed, cried, or tried to get away. Larry solved all the squirming issues with a lollipop.



After it was all finished, Larry gave Barrett a certificate that said he was officially out of babyhood.

(sidenote: The certificate had a copyright of 1972 which means Doug should of had one, BUT it is not in his baby book! So, I will actually have one thing for Barrett that Dorothy didn't keep! :) Although, either Allen had taken Doug and threw it out or Dorothy will read this, dig through filing cabinets, and deliver it to me in the next few days.)

He looks like such a big boy with his new haircut!

Please Let the Weather Man Be Right!

I love cold fronts!

I love when the weather starts getting cold for so many reasons.

When it gets cold, I know Christmas is getting closer, I have so much more energy, I don't have to change twice a day because I got all sweaty just walking into Target, but mostly, it is because I love pajamas.

I know I can wear jammies all year, but for some reason, they are better with cold weather.

Now that I have a child, cold weather is even better.

Since we are having a cold front tonight and my house might be chilly in the morning, Barrett HAD to wear jammies tonight.

He always wears jammies, but long pants and sleeves are so much cuter. I mean, seriously, how cute is he?


He loves these new jammies because there are broom-brooms, aka cars, all over them. He kept pointing at the legs and saying, "broom, broom!" You can somewhat tell in this picture that is what he is saying.



Ok, so maybe I am getting ahead of the weather here, but I couldn't wait anymore. Don't worry, he won't melt. The AC is on in case the front doesn't happen, and we put him to bed with the fan on.

I realize this is a lot of trouble for a pair of pajamas, but he is SO cute in them. :)

Partying All Night?

I have no proof of what I am about to say, but I am pretty sure Barrett snuck out last night.

I'm not sure where he went, how he got there, who was with him, or any other details, but he had to of done something.

How do I know?

1. He went to bed, without argument, at 9:30 which is somewhat early for him.

2. I heard talking in the middle of the night. I assumed it was someone outside, and I ignored it. Obviously, it was a group of Barrett's friends.

3. The real proof: It is 11:03 a.m., and Barrett is still asleep. He NEVER sleeps for 13+ hours.

So, my kid must have snuck out. When I was young, the only reason I would sleep until 11:00 is because I was out all night.

Ok, he might also be getting sick, but to be honest, I'd rather think he was out partying than think he's coming down with something.

I am going to get back to the laundry while I can...

We Love Texas Children's!

We survived the appointment, and by we, I mean me.

The assortment of doctors were nothing but wonderful. They obviously know what they are doing. They all came in at once and asked some initial questions, and then they took turns coming in one at a time. Overall, it was a great experience, and I think they will help skinny man gain some weight.

The only scare came with the MD doctor. After talking about all of Barrett's eating, pooping, playing, and sleeping habits, she said she wanted to do a test for cystic fibrosis because apparently he has a number of the indicators. I'm not sure I heard much else she said. It's a good thing Doug was with me.

Luckily, when I got home, I called my OB and she said that I had the CF test with all the fertility genetic testing. I am not a carrier, so Barrett can't have it. I called the doctor, and she canceled the test. :)

They inquired about everything Barrett has ever eaten, and they didn't act like we had done anything wrong. The nutritionist was my favorite, and she had some great ideas. I don't know what will work, but we're willing to try anything.

The main change has already gotten Barrett's stamp of approval. All of his bottles now must have carnation instant breakfast in them which doubles the calories.

I gave him his first bottle this afternoon. He immediately sucked down the whole thing, and then came the real entertainment.

I asked him if he wanted more, and he said and signed, "more". When I reached for the bottle, he screamed! He then turned away with the bottle, took it over to his Mater truck, put it in the seat's compartment, and ran away pushing Mater.

I think he liked it so much that he was scared to give up the magic bottle. So, I got a different bottle, and made more. When I gave it to him, he tasted it, laughed, and drank the whole thing. I think it is safe to say that the first weight gain plan is going well.

We'll see how he adjusts to the meal time changes suggested by the behavioral lady. I don't think he'll be as thrilled.

So, for now, we'll make the suggested changes, keep a food log, drop off a poopy diaper at the med center for evaluation, and hope Barrett gains some weight before his next appointment in December or they will have to do lots of yucky tests. :(

I'll Be Honest, I'm Worried

Barrett started off a big baby at 9 pounds. He remained in the 95th percentile until he was 9 months old. Somehow, he went from the 95th percentile at 6 months to the 5th at 9 months old.

The doctors were mildly concerned until recently when he actually started losing weight. Apparently it is now a much bigger deal because tomorrow we are headed to a special grow clinic at Texas Children's Hospital that he had to be accepted into.

At first I thought it was a great idea because Texas Children's is the best, but I am worried about so many things. Will they blame Doug and I? Will they find something really wrong? Will I be able to figure out where to park?

I hate feeling like I am constantly being interrogated about how I feed my child. Do people really think we haven't tried to feed him anything and everything? It seems like everyone has an opinion on how we could be better parents if we just did what they've come up with. I know people mean well, but I've had enough. So, obviously I am dreading an appointment with all the experts.

Ok, with that said, I am sure the pregnancy hormones aren't helping here not to mention being scared something real could be wrong. I really do want to go tomorrow, but it's hard to admit something is wrong with your child.

He'll see a nutritionist, speech therapist, behavioral psychologist, and a real MD doctor, and I know we're lucky to have such an assortment of experts to work with.

Hopefully we'll get some info tomorrow, but I really have no idea what to expect. I'll update as soon as I can.

I Need a Maid

Ok, I'm not the worst house keeper in the world, and a lot of my friends laugh when I say my house is a wreck. I realize in comparison to most the world, my house is actually really clean, but most the world didn't grow up with my mom.

Our house growing up was always spotless. I didn't even know what dust was until I went off to college, seriously, I didn't. I have no idea how my mom managed to get it all done, especially laundry.

Laundry never piled up in our hampers. It never sat in the utility room for more than a day. I'm sure my mom never had to wash a load twice (or more) because it mildewed in the washer before she got around to drying it.

Last night, I thought of my clean-crazy mom. I washed and dried something I'm sure she never did.

I was unloading a load of Barrett's stuff (yes, it has been washed twice!)including his amazing nap mat cover that ironically my mom bought for him. I noticed that on his mat was this weird clear jelly looking stuff. I was panicked that somehow I had ruined the nap mat that Barrett loves and that mom spent too much money on.

I called Doug in and he was inspecting the odd jelly that we realized was all over everything in the load. He sniffed it, mushed it, and almost tastedit before he told me to not put the nap mat in the dryer in case this jelly stuff could ruin it. I put the rest of the load in the dryer and put the nap mat over a chair in the kitchen.

As I was trying to go to sleep, I was trying to figure out what could have been in with his clothes. It's not like Barrett keeps things in his pockets, and even if he did, they are too small for this much jelly stuff. I finally gave up and went to sleep.

This morning as Doug was getting ready for work with Barrett at his feet, I went to make breakfast and unload the dryer. It was then that the great mystery was solved.

I washed and dried a diaper.

I have no idea how I put a diaper in the washer and transferred it to the dryer without noticing. Especially since I had inspected the clothes in the dryer for jelly before I ran it.

I almost didn't tell Doug because I knew he'd make fun of me. His only comment when I went to tell him was that I should use the diaper again since it's clean. I was so happy he didn't make fun of me because it was way too early to deal with it.

So, I learned that diapers make a big mess in the washer, but they have enough jelly stuff to cover everything in the washer so they obviously can absorb a ton of pee.

As Doug left this morning, Barrett was screaming for Dada to stay. Doug turned to him and said, "Don't worry Buster you'll live through the day as long as Mommy doesn't accidently put you in the washer."

So much for not being made fun of.

This never would have happened if I had a maid...

Help Me!

Our neighbor Sydney was over today to play with Barrett, and it seemed like she was constantly yelling, "Help me!" Barrett was trying to run her over pushing Mater, and he was being quite successful. I'm sure the bruises on her legs will pop up tomorrow.

In an attempt to distract him, she had me turn on Wiggles. They danced and laughed for a while, but then Sydney made a big mistake. She sprawled out on the floor, which to Barrett means an open invitation to attack.

Her second attempt at distraction was to ask him where his nose is. He quickly stuck his finger up his nose and pulled out a booger. She laughed until he used the same booger covered finger to show her where her own nose was.

Sydney then decided that reading together on the couch would be the best, least painful option.

Barrett had her read him the same book over and over again. He would use his sign language for "more" everytime she tried to close the book. Barrett is really getting into reading books even though he doesn't have the patience to wait on all the words to be read.

After reading to him for what seemed like forever to a four year old, Sydney informed me that she was sure he was ready for a nap.

He sure loves his NeeNee as he calls her, and I love her too because she can wear him out!

Reading with Daddy?

My favorite thing lately is watching Barrett with Doug. He is definitely a Daddy's boy, but it is the changes in Doug that I love the most.

At night, when he thinks I'm not paying attention, Doug sits with Barrett in the glider and reads books to him. It is so fun to listen to Doug read in different voices and ask Barrett questions about what they see. I actually like it so much that sometimes I tell Doug I need to go to sleep early, so I can sit in bed and listen to him read through the baby monitor.

This may not be a major thing for a lot of you mommies out there, but anyone who knows Doug will understand why it is a something I wouldn't expect.

In other Barrett happenings, he still LOVES Mater. He wakes up in the morning looking for him.



He also loves the Wiggles still. He will grab the remote and say, "Wee wee," and if we don't quickly turn it on, he gets mad!

This afternoon, we were all lazy watching football. Doug started playing with Barrett's hair as he commented that he needs a haircut. Needless to say boredom took over, and Barrett was sporting a new do in no time.





It's funny now, but when he's fifteen I'll die if he does this! :)

Barrett Update

Barrett finally is starting to walk. He has been taking one or two steps, but not consistently. On Tuesday, which was my birthday, he started walking. He went from one or two wobbly steps to walking across the room. He is so proud of himself! I'm not sure how great of a birthday gift it is, but I was so excited for him. He still tends to use crawling as his main transportation, but he likes his walking too.

I've tried to capture the Frankenstein like walking on film, but it's not easy when he is walking right to me. Here is the best shot I've gotten.




Barrett also loves to go outside. He is definitely his father's son. The other day we had been playing almost all day inside, and I guess he decided it was time to get out. He took a box that was in the living room and pushed it to the door, and then he made his attempt.


After he saw the flash, he knew he was busted!


I guess I need to buy the anti-kid door knob things...

It's Another Boy...

We had our ultrasound yesterday, and we found out that Barrett will be getting a little brother!

Blogger won't let me post pictures right now, so the Barrett update will have to wait! :) Hopefully, it'll work soon.

Wee wee wee

Last night Doug and I were watching tv, and Barrett was amusing himself playing in the living room. One of Barrett's favorite pastimes is climbing on me. So, it didn't take long for him to be on the couch treating me like a jungle gym.

He started playing with my feet which normally would bug me, but lately, he's been jumping on my ever growing belly so the "break" was nice. I was pretty much ignoring him (I know, bad mommy!) until I realized what he was doing.

He was wiggling my little toe and saying, "Wee wee wee."

I started waving at Doug to get his attention before Barrett stopped, and the both of us were cracking up. Since we were laughing, Barrett started laughing too. I asked him if he was playing piggies with Mommy's toes, and he started wiggling my big toe and dancing. While he did that, I started the whole little rhyme. He actually did the whole thing right.

He thought it was really funny (so did we). He would clap for himself like he had just accomplished something incredible. I think Doug was more impressed than Barrett was.

**I did take that opportunity to point out what Barrett and I obviously do all day long since sometimes Daddy thinks Mommy is watching soaps and eating bon bons. :)

1 Year Pictures

I finally got around to getting Barrett's 1 year pictures taken today. This picture should tell you exactly how it went.



After we finished pictures, Dorothy, who was with us, wanted to buy him a shirt at the Gap that said, "Little Terror". Need I say more?

Splashing with Sydney

Yesterday was such a nice day here. Even though the high was in the 90s, there was no humidity, so we spent a lot of the day outside. Once Sydney got home from school, she and Barrett played in the front yard in his pool while the mommies layed in the shade and enjoyed the nice weather.

At first Barrett wasn't thrilled, but once Sydney reminded him how to splash, he had a ball attacking her.

Barrett lasted a lot longer that I thought he would, and he definitely had a good time.

When they finished in the water they joined us in the mat in the shade for a snack. We had fun playing with Barrett's hair. It's amazing what you can make it do when it is wet.


I just can't see why Doug keeps insisting he needs a haircut. What would I do to amuse myself after every bathtime?

School Days

Barrett started school yesterday, and to say he liked it would be an understatement.

We loaded up his nap mat, lunch box, and backpack, and he seemed to know something good was going to happen. He sat with his stuff by the door almost begging me to hurry. Here he is waiting on his mommy.

When we got to the church, he was so happy. Then, when we got to his class, he lunged at his teacher and went right to her. She put him down to play while I filled out a little paperwork, and he NEVER looked back. He was the first one there, and he was perfectly fine having all the toys to himself.

As I finished my paperwork, a few other kids arrived. He seemed excited with each new arrival. Since he was fine, I was happy to run and enjoy my free day!

I really got nothing impressive accomplished, but it was great to have time alone for a change.

When I went to pick him up, they said he had a great day. He was so happy! As we walked down the hall to leave, he was waving and talking to everyone. He even continued his socializing as we shopped a little on our way home. I am so relieved that he obviously loves with his new little world! (Besides, I am thrilled with some guilt free alone time!)