Rise and Shine

Well friends, it's day two of a feeding trial. Bricen has been up since 0530. Might be the norm for some kiddos but this is my baby that usually sleeps until 0830 or sometimes 1000. I can only assume he is hungry. I've offered almost every food in my cabinet to get the sweetest little "noo" in the sweetest little voice. This is where we have settled. 

Idk what character the cup is. We were at Target Monday and I went through the cup aisle. It's a normal stop. Maybe subconsciously I'm hoping there will be a magical new cup that works miracles. In reality we all know it's not about the cup so much. So he has swished and spit a few goldfish and then fed a few to the dogs. The vet said my dogs could stand to lose about ten lbs. Wonder why that is? ;) 

Here is a few pics:

Visited Grandma's church. He didn't do to bad. 

I've picked up a few items that were to be for Christmas or Birthday. The parachute I found on clearance and we had worked with one in therapy so I knew he would love it. My thought was, and I convinced my husband that we could get it out, let him play with it, then put it back up until birthday and he'd never know. He'd be just as excited. So we did, but it keeps coming back out! 

He was trying to put Brett's boots on kita. Never tried to actually put em on but sat them there by her feet. :)

For example, Monday he was still asleep at 1000 and I had to wake him up to get the day started. And I had worked all weekend so I wanted him to play with me. :) 

Holy moly look at that hair! I almost want to see if there is a longer haircut we might like so for now I'm just letting it grow. Ill prob get him a trim before his birthday. 

He was helping me air up tires on the jogging stroller and the sweet baby was trying to hook the hose up to his button! Idk if this is cute or sad. Lol We have to change his button out this week. No big deal except it hurts when we do. So I'm dreading it. But I know there's parent out there that face a lot worse w their kiddos.

So my moms Birthday would have been yesterday. My fam got together to have dinner. Bricen was sporting his IU gear for her. She would have been proud!

This is a Rita look. 

Daddy has taught him "nana nana boo boo, stick your head in doo doo". And that's what he's doing here. I had taught him the fingers on his head while talking like bull winkle like Joey did on Full House. Daddy sings about sticking his head in doo doo. Again, proud mom moment. Haha

These two were dressing up for homecoming week as characters from Dirty Dancing. I loved homecoming week in HS.

Of course after dinner the boys thought they'd play keep away in my living room. This was only after wrestling. Boys. We had a first for our family. We were running out of food and had to make some more. We usually always have way more than we need. My sister n I decided everyone must have been hungry. Haha I really enjoyed getting everyone together. It's exactly what mom would have wanted! 

Someday I'm gonna put some pics in a post just for her. But I don't want to be sad when I do. I print the blog out and I want those pics in there. She was pretty awesome and I want to have those memories forever. My point is that I will have to be in just the right frame of mind to do that and not be sad. Someday soon I'll get it done. :) Steve and his wife Molly are very good friends of Marty's. Molly sent this message to me yesterday after I put Bricens pick in his IU shirt on FB. 

"I just realized a few months ago that I knew ur mom. I worked with her b4 she got sick and had actually kept in touch for a little while when she had first gotten sick and in icu the first time. After that I never heard anything and didn't know that she had even passed away. I'm sure u hear all the time how awesome ur mom was but I just loved her!!! I was her secret sister for Christmas one year and it was the best Christmas for giving gifts that year cuz I had so much fun messing with her. She loved her girls that was for sure and now I know y when I realized who one of them was." 

How awesome is God's timing??? And this is so my mom to a "T". She loved things like secret sisters for Christmas and loved to joke around and have a good time! And she most definitely loved her girls! And they love her! I vaguely remember mom talking about Molly. This was when she was a CNA at Masonic Home, night shift and going to school to be a nurse and I was living on campus at good o Franklin College and working at Marsh. We shared a car. Pretty crazy at times. Ha sure did make me value that car even more when I finally got it! :) 

Few more pics I'm adding that Chelsi just sent me. Taken with the beloved cell phone so quality isn't super but they would have made my mom smile! 

We cracked up at this because Bricen looks like he could care less and Lyla looks like "IM SITTING BY BRICEN!" As if he's a super star lol.

Last night after everyone left I was folding towels. By folding towels I mean moving the clean pile off the bed so we could lay down. Bricen decided he did not want a burp rag that is his usual comfy rags. He needed a whole towel. I guess some days a small comfy just won't do! Well I suppose we will color. Another Christmas gift that shouldn't be out yet. Hey, it's an emotional roller coaster and no fun, these feeding trial days. By George, a few surprises aren't going to hurt the sweet baby. :) :) I have a feeling we are in for a long couple days. I know therapy thinks I'm crazy but the boy already feels skinnier to me. Heck, maybe I am crazy, haha! Who cares. Aren't we all? Some are just a little better at hiding it! Ha. Prayers are always appreciated. 

PJ O'Clock

It's PJ o'clock. We've got our PJs on and we've Praised Jesus so all that's left is for Bricen to wallor (can you believe my smartphone kept wanting to change that word!?!?) all over his Mama and drive me crazy playing with my eyebrow. Am I lucky or what? ❤

Alright, so I have a tendency to complain about people taking selfies and putting them on FB on the regular but this is different, right? Maybe? Maybe a little? :) 

Oh yes, I almost forgot this picture. We had lunch with these two teenagers today...

Livin on the edge people, I am livin on the edge. Moment to moment, that's me. :) Really, I was thankful we got to spend some time with Them. Bricen loves his great grandma! Must go now. It's been a busy week already. Have therapy Thursday and Friday and another bday party Thursday. Nothing to report in eating department. We do another trial next week. 

Party hoppin'

September seems to be a very busy Birthday month around here. We've  been bday party hopping. 

And I have to throw in some random. Did I mention this sweet baby likes to cuddle? He takes those cuddles anyway he can get em!

Aunt Karen had a Bday. (But I think this pretty girl stole the show.)

Bricen found a bucket and Daddy helped him have some fun with it.

Another early bday present for Bricen. This time from papaw Dennis. He will be out of town for Bricens bday. 

A little unsure at first and then he loved it! 

Still loves him moms eyebrow (weirdoooo). 

See, he does try to love on Scruff too. 

I was in the kitchen and looked into the living room to check on Bricen and didn't see him. This is what I found when I came to the back of the house. 

Went to O'Charley's for Brett's bday. He has his official shin dig Sunday but I'll be at work. 

After we decided to join the guys for their usual bowling on Monday nights. 

Daddy let Bricen help him bowl. Took some persuading on my part since he was "having a good game." :) I knew he would love it!

Already looking back waiting on his people to cheer him on. Haha

This was cute for half a second until Scruff cut out. 

And finally Marty's bday. Of course at first Marty didn't want any fuss, no one to come over, blah blah. In the end he said he had a good time and was glad his fam came over. It was last minute so I'm glad most of his fam was able to make it. 

His mom made beans, we had fried potatoes and cornbread and some brownies. My moms favorite. Just add some sliced tomatoes and she would have loved it. 

And of course we got the teeter totter out for the kids to play with it. I think they will enjoy it more and more as they get bigger. My phone sometimes takes great pics, sometimes doesn't. My camera always gives people red eye. Maybe Santa will bring me a good camera...

Sweet Baby

This sweet baby is having a rough night. He was restless early on and then we progressed to me getting up doing the bottom pat and handing the comfy rag to him. Then we had that cry that said something is wrong. Gave him some Tylenol bc he kept rubbing his head and stuffy nose and he does have some molars breaking through. And gave him some gas drops bc maybe hes having some gas pains from that tummy going thru the food changes? Then about 20 minutes later I went ahead and gave about 1/3 of a feeding. Maybe he is hungry? Therapy would have said to offer him his sippy but we were past the point of being calm enough to drink. It was a risk, feeding at four am. In the past w later feeds  he was sure to puke it because of the acid that you get in the belly during the night. 

He's resting better now. I know some parents go for that Tylenol last. I'm a nurse. I pass out meds for a living. You hurt? Here's a pill. You can't sleep? Here's a pill. Your anxious and can't breathe? Here's a pill and lets get ya a breathing treatment. Ha No point in dragging out that pain when I have Tylenol to help!  In fact, I think it's almost mean. Lets just hope that ear infection isn't back or we aren't getting a cold. We all know his GI system is equivalent to a dramatic teenage girl and has to not tolerate feeds whenever he is sick. :) aaaand we all know that would stress me because of starting that set back a little on the hydration scale. I know I sound like I need medicated! Hahaha. Just some of my thought process. 

Speaking of sounding like I need medicated, I was about to wonder if we needed a sleep study. For a few weeks he didnt sleep well. I was riding it out bc he had the cold then I felt all four molars breaking through so I was hoping he was teething then finally took him back to the Dr and he had an ear infection. Add in there me catching that cold and neither of us were sleeping for about a month. I was rocking some pretty sexy dark circles under my eyes! They should really call those "mom circles". Anyways, thankfully he was sleeping like a dream these last few nights prior to this feeding trial. So praise Jesus, we threw that sleep study idea out the window...out the window of an imaginary 200 story building! :) My sweet baby seems to be back in dream land, probably dreaming about his mom again. ;) Love him. 

Uncharted Territory

The dog food bowl is still too hard to resist for Bricen. 

They get rather sad when they can't come out too . 

Lyla and Tiff joined us for a walk. 

We are on day three of three. We have done three day trials in the past but not just giving two tube feeds a day. Uncharted territory. So far it's not going so well. I was praying and hoping day three would be the trick. I realize its early. Something else I realize is on feeding trial weeks I'm going to have to plan all household chores and any other chores around those days. I've got a clingy fussy baby on my hands and I've seen some impressive fits the last couple days. In fact, last night at church he was licking on a mint and then put it all in his mouth which made me nervous. So i took it away. This sweet baby started hitting his mama! We had our first lesson in no hitting. And I will confess he got another one. Don't judge, it was 8pm and he had one feed all day and that was around noon and he wanted nothing to do with the food I'd offered before we came or the snacks I had.  As any parent w special needs kids will tell you, discipline is not always black and white. I guess thats the case with other kids too. I do remember my sister "sitting in the corner" with her wheelchair pushed in the corner because she pulled the baby sitting kids hair because she wanted the toy they had! Haha 

Anyways, I tried sitting at the table for breakfast. I've already given myself more than one pep talk about how I need to stay calm and happy. So now we are trying sittin together watching cartoons with a sippy cup and Cheerios. When he was sick a couple weeks ago two mornings in a row he went to town on his sippy cup. It was awesome. I know he can do it! We are always trying new things. I think the next trial I will have a few things and stick with them the three days. Therapy is just always suggesting things and we try to build off anything he shows interest in. But he's not really consistent. And every time I buy something new I am so hopeful that will be the one item he sits and chows down on. For a kid that barely eats he sure does add to that grocery bill already! Ha So, fam and friends, if we cross your mind today please say a prayer for us. I know I feel almost silly asking when there are babies fighting for their lives and we are talking about eating. It's no walk in the park but I know we can do it! :)