So Much Going On

I haven't blogged in forever and there is so much news to share, some good, some not so good. We had a great weekend. Mom, Dad, Mark, Matthew, and Jackie all came for a visit. I helped Mom make an early Thanksgiving dinner. It was so wonderful to have the whole family together. We hadn't all been together since Labor Day weekend and we didn't have much time together then because Matthew and Mark were busy with Brandon's wedding. I looked around the table as we were eating, wishing that I could freeze time and that we could all stay together.

I got to see Mark for the first time since he moved back from Baltimore. I feel like there is a different look in his eyes and I hate that I can't make it go away. I will never understand why Darbi did what she did and I don't think that I will ever be able to forgive her. I really wanted to talk to him about it but I never really got a chance. All I can hope is that he knows that I love him and that I'm here for him if he ever needs to talk.


Uncle Mark wasn't too happy after this when Sawyer spit up on him!

Dad has taken a job in Wyoming. He starts January 1. His last day with Frito-Lay is this Friday. He will be working for an oil company and will be checking wells and submitting reports. He already bought this huge 4x4 Dodge truck and he and Mom are going shopping for his travel trailer this week. He is hoping to work there for nine years. Mom still has three years at the school until she can collect her retirement so she will be staying in Van Vleck. I can tell that Dad is so excited, but I am sad because I just don't know how often I will see him. It's difficult enough to make a 300-mile trip to Van Vleck with Sawyer. I can't imagine making a 1,600-mile one anytime soon.

Jackie is going to have a baby this summer. Matthew e-mailed me a few weeks ago and said that he had a secret but that he really wanted to tell me. I could tell he was dying to tell someone. I was so happy to be the first one to know (other than the two of them of course). They are planning to get married sometime in the next few months I think. I'm so excited that Sawyer will have a cousin just one year younger than him. I'm hoping that they'll have a boy so that they can play and grow up together. Whether it's a boy or girl there's no doubt that it will be loved.


Sawyer and the Parents-to-Be!

Aunt Tisha needs our prayers again. She's having surgery next month to remove more tumors from her liver. I wish this dreaded cancer would just go away and leave her alone already. This time of year seems to be so tough for her. It was this time last year when she found out about the first round of liver cancer. She has already beaten colon and liver cancer so I know she can do it again. She is one of the strongest women that I know and I love her very much.

Sawyer has been having some plumbing problems lately. I called a week ago Thursday and they told me to give him some water in a bottle. I tried that but he has decided that he doesn't want a bottle anymore. I bought him a cup to see if he would drink out of it but so far he seems to think that it's just another toy. I took him to the pediatrician Thursday. We saw Loyette so that I could let her watch me nurse Sawyer because he's been crying and straining while I'm feeding him. She said that he is constipated and we also found out that he had strep. She sent us home with a prescription for Amoxicillin. I told Lorne that it was like a flashback from our childhoods. We always had it in the fridge because we both had so many ear infections. Velma said Lorne had his first at three weeks of age.

Loyette also said that we should feed him oatmeal cereal and peaches or pears instead of the rice to get the pipes working again. He wasn't too sure about the peaches. Lorne said he must be the milkman's son because Lorne loves them. We tried pears last night and he LOVES them! I'm not too surprised since I eat oatmeal and pears pretty much everyday for breakfast. He couldn't get enough this morning. I actually made him another batch. I even snuck in some formula and he didn't seem to care. I can't wait to feed him again this evening to see how he does. I went crazy at Wal-Mart. I bought peaches, pears, green beans, sweet potatoes, squash, and peas. I abhor peas so I'm curious to see how he does with them. We're supposed to wait three days to introduce a new food so I think we'll try green beans tomorrow. I bought a book called Super Baby Food. It has lots of recipes for making homemade baby food which is something I'm thinking about trying. I'm here at home all day so I might as well.


Sawyer wasn't quite sure what to do with this new cup.


He was not a fan of the oatmeal and peaches.


"I know what you're up too Mimi and I'm not buying it!" :)

I got a key chain at Weight Watchers on Wednesday because I've lost 10% of my body weight. It is in the shape of a ten. I've lost 22.6 pounds and I'm back in Onederland which means that I weigh less than 200 pounds! That is such a great feeling! I keep telling myself that I will not get over 200 pounds with my next pregnancy because I will be more cognizant of my weight gain and what I'm eating. I need to keep journaling what I eat because that really helps!


I had to take a picture as proof of my accomplishment. I know, I am a DORK!

My friend Laura had her little boy, Logan Patrick, on Thursday, November 10. He and Sawyer are exactly 22 weeks apart. He weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs 3 ozs and was 21 inches long! He was also two weeks early! Sawyer didn't weigh that until he was seven weeks old! Sawyer and I went to see him last Monday. He is a cutie. Mom and baby are doing well. I need to call and check on her today because they have their first pediatrician appointment. I still remember how nervous I was about taking Sawyer out of the house on his first outing other than coming home from the hospital.


Logan already loves his bouncer!

Larry and Velma are coming up late tomorrow and staying with us through Sunday. I think that we may try and do some shopping while they're here. We've been sending gifts home with them so that we will have less to pack at Christmas. We'll be bringing everything but the kitchen sink as it is!