It's been a while!!!

It's been almost two years since I was on my blog. Can you believe it Carter will be two in June. Well I decided to get back on the blog site to include family and friends in our lives and help as a stress reliever for mommy. I really love writing, however I got really busy right after I started blogging. As new mommy and going back to work, it was just too difficult keep up with the blogging. Well I am back and hopefully I can keep up with it this time around.

How's Carter? Well he is amazing, he's walking, talking, and just simply wild. He's had a crazy ride his first 20 months. A lot of sickness, multiple strep throat, 2 stomach viruses, RSV (twice), pneumonia, and many many ear infections. CRAZY!!!! He did go to Cook Children's Pediatric Surgery Center last week and had two tubes put in his ears. He is doing great, wilder than ever. He is also listening better and his word are more clear now that it doesn't feel like he is hearing underwater.

Yes, Yes the migraines are still here. Every single morning!!! I have tried every medicine possible, acupuncture ( I know don't laugh), chiropractor, I even tried 30 shots of Botox in my head and neck. The Botox did help with it a little, but they were still there. I haven't done the Botox in a while mainly do to price. It's $350 every 3 months if I've already met my deductible(other wise it's $750). I will say even though my migraines are everyday they aren't as painful as a year ago.

So how's work? Do I even need to go there? Well I teach two resource remedial math classes and still have inclusion( help in a general ed classroom)classes. The paperwork for special ed. has always been intense, but this year it's beyond anything we can handle. I feel like I am doing two different peoples jobs in an 8 hour day. Needless to say this will be my last year of teaching. I will miss many students and the people I work with, however I need watch my stress level and stay home with Carter.

My stress is out of control due to work. Since having Carter I have lost 47 pounds (26 of it was baby weight). I know how ridiculous do I sound,"Why are you complaining about losing weight?" I'm losing it quick and I'm not trying. My appetite isn't there, which makes me tired all of the time. I could tell something wasn't right, not to mention my hair was falling out like crazy. I went to the doctor and they did find out that I have a thyroid disorder. I am on medication and have notice a small changed my appetite has improved a little and my hair isn't falling out.... as much. The only other thing my doctor could think of contributing to this is my stress level. I know I will continue to have stress if I do not work, however that will be an elephant size weight off of my shoulders. I feel like I am drowning and there is nobody there to save me. Even though I am not coming back to work next year I still can't shake the feeling. It's because I don't want to do bad at my job even though it doesn't matter anymore. I shouldn't invest so much time, I won't be there next year, but it's not so easy. I do absolutely love some of these kids and I love my co-workers. I just can't do it anymore.

I want to end on a happy note. Being home with Carter is what I truly believe I am meant to do. I never knew I could love somebody so much, he is amazing. He brings so much joy into mine and Chris' life. Of course I'm going to mention my husband, I didn't forget about him. He is so great. With all of my migraines and other health issues he really has stepped up to help out.... a lot. He is AMAZING with Carter. Carter is so obsessed with him, I go pick him up from school and he smiles and hugs me, but the first thing out of his mouth is "Dada?'. Really?!? He just really loves his daddy.

I'm still going to make this blog about my family to share. However, I am so obsessed with Pintrest. So I will post from time to time all of the amazing things I find on there to this blog. Especially, the fashion!!!! If you know me, you know I can shop for hours and spend next to nothing so I'm going to share this!!!!!


Happy Reading!!! :)

Poop King

Everyone told me this day would come!!!! Last week Chris told me about he went to change Cater's diaper and poop shot up the back and almost reached his hair. I thought it was hilarious when he told me this because it happened to him and not me. Oh don't worry I got pay back in the worst way. The very next day, after my laughing session, I woke up with Carter at 6:30 am. He had a poopy diaper but not much. So I change his diaper and I turn to put the diaper down and I hear weird noise. HOLY SHIT, literally. The kid had poop go flying across the changing table and somehow got it on the wall (I still can't figure that out). So I'm trying to clean this up as quick as possible and boom he starts peeing everywhere. I screamed so loud it woke Chris up and he came running thinking something was wrong. Oh there was something wrong only he though it was funny!!!

Austin bound to first time shots

Last week we were in Austin to visit Chris' parents. We had such a great time with Chris' mom and dad, they just love Carter to death. I noticed while we were there that Carter started cooing more. It was so cute, he is talker now. While we were there he was making you work for his smiles. He didn't give it up easy, but this week man he is laughing like crazy. I love seeing his personality grow.

On a different note, Carter got his first set of shots last week. I think it hurt me more than it hurt him. When she stuck him the first time I had tears in my eyes. I hated hearing him cry due to his shots. When they were finished we picked him up and he immediately stopped crying. I know we had more shots to go, but I don't think it will get any better for me.

We put Carter in his bumbo for the first time two days ago. He seemed to like it a lot. He can't sit in it more than a few minutes, I don't think his muscles are strong enough yet. We have been putting him in the bumbo for the past 3 hoping hoping to strengthen his muscles. I hope it works because right now he doesn't like tummy time. I think it has to due with his acid reflux. I was reading that when they have reflux they don't like pressure on their tummy's.

Well it wasn't colic

We have had a pretty busy week. My mom came back in town and stayed with us part of the time. Last Saturday Carter went to his first birthday party. My friend Mary's little girl Tatum turned two. She had a pool party for all of the kiddos. My mom came with us and we all got in the pool. Carter did the same thing as before, slept most of the time in the pool. He looked so cute though. After the party we went to my grandparents, my mom's parents, house since the party was in Arlington. My grandma, Nanny, was at the hospital when he was born and went to my house one day to see Carter. However my Papa hadn't met him yet. We had a good time it was great to see how they were with him.

Well, last week Carter started up his "colic" again. We didn't know what to do because he was also rejecting his bottle. He was crying so bad he was sweating so I took his onesie off. I noticed on his back a rash. I called his doctor and they told me to come it that day. It turns out his rash wasn't anything, it was baby acne, he is having withdraw from my estrogen. I noticed today it was gone. She also told us that it wasn't colic but reflux. That's why is was rejecting his bottle. Poor baby! She prescribed us some medicine he takes 3 times a day. It seems to be working. He hasn't been really fussy since or throwing fits. She also told us to start putting rice cereal in his formula and it will help with the reflux. We do this at night and he has been sleeping a lot longer. We usually only have to get up once in the night to do a feeding now. It's been soooo nice.

First time in the pool

We decided to take Carter to the pool today to see how he would do in water. On Saturday my friend Mary is having a pool party for her 2 year old little girl. I was worried how Carter might do so we did a sort of test drive today. Poor baby, the swimming diapers are too big. However I did rig them so that they stay up. Colter, our nephew, is 4 months older than Carter. Colter's mom gave us a lot of 0-3 month clothes including a bathing suit. Thank goodness because I couldn't find a swim suit that small. It is a little big on him but not too bad. He looked so cute in his swimming gear, the hat I bought for him makes me laugh. We also have a sling for the water that is SPF protected. My mother-in-law bought it for us and it worked out so great. We put baby suntan lotion, SPF 100 (I didn't know they made that). He did really well, just looking around and enjoying it. Then the next thing I knew I look down and he was asleep. Goofy boy! Carter woke up and started screaming because he was hungry, we knew it was time to leave. I can't wait to get him back in the water this weekend!!

6 weeks old...

Last Saturday night, July 5th, we decided to go to Chris' Aunt Vickie and Uncle Chris' house to watch the UFC fight. Yes, I actually like watching those fights, guilty pleasure. However, I had doubts about bringing Carter because of his colic. I went back and forth about going, I really didn't want him to throw a fit the whole time we were there. I decided to bring him and hope for the best. I noticed the night before that he really liked his swaddle blanket. Chris and I are both terrible swaddlers, he kicks his feet out and the blanket just falls apart. I did remember that my mother in law bought us a swaddle blanket that you Velcro him in. He loved it. I brought it with us hoping if he started a fit I will wrap him in the blanket. Surprisingly I really didn't need it, he was pretty good (slept most of the time), and no fuss! The next day for the 4th we tried to go watch fireworks. We went and found a spot near Lake Ray Hubbard, we live in Rockwall next to the lake. We sat there forever but no fireworks. We saw some really far away and thought maybe that's it. We decided to leave because we couldn't see them. On the way home we see a sign saying the fireworks on the lake were canceled, of course thats just our luck!

The next few nights he was still fussy, but not nearly as bad as he had been. He did still sound congested so we agreed it was time to take him to the doctor to make sure he was fine. We got there and they weighed him. He was 10 lbs. 3 oz. I couldn't believe it. He is getting so big! He is now in his 0-3 mo. clothes and size one diapers. Anyways, we told the doctor about the fuss and his congestion.

Chris was dead set that he was congested and that's why he has been fussy. I 100% believed it was colic. The doctor told us it sounds like colic. He thinks that Carter isn't breaking down protein in his formula, but there is no way for sure to know what causes colic and how to fix it. He did recommend we switch him to Similac Alimentum. It's been a week now and I think it is working. I was worried at first that it wasn't but he said it might take a week. Now that it's been a week he seems to be doing better. Last night was the first night since he's been colic that he has slept through the night. It was so great! He only woke up for feedings and went straight to sleep. I really hope I'm not jinxing myself and hope this continues.

Chris' mom and dad came into town this weekend and it was nice to have guests. We had a wedding to go to on Saturday so they agreed to come visit and watch him for us. On Friday night his mom offered to take Carter that night so we could get some rest. I was debating whether we should or not.

On one had it would be great to have the rest on the other had I didn't want it to seem like we were pawning our kid off.

Karen insisted on taking him and said she didn't mind so we said yes. I'm so glad we did, it is the first night in 6 weeks we have slept though the night with no interruptions. I'm so thankful Karen took him, thanks Karen!!!!

Saturday was the first time we left Carter for a long period of time, but I had to go to Alexis' wedding. She has been a good friend of mine since I was 16. She looked so beautiful!!!!! Her whole wedding was gorgeous. She had it at the Dallas Arboretum. If you have never been there you must visit sometime. That is where Chrisand I had our engagement photos done.

I was so worried because it was an outside wedding and it had been sprinkling that day. Chris and I arrived about 30 min early and noticed it was lightlysprinkling. I was praying it would stop, and it did!!! Thank goodness, everything was perfect. However, they do say rain on your wedding day is good luck! I'm so happy for the two of them!!!

Colic, What the heck is Colic??????

I thought changing his formula last week was going to be a great idea. On my last blog I talked about how it didn't agree with Carter and we switched back. Well I'm not sure if it was a coincidence or if that formula just messed up his stomach. He has been a holy terror this week. During the day he isn't so bad, but only because he is trying to catch up on sleep since he is getting none of it at night. Believe me I'm trying to make him stay up during the day, but man oh man when he is asleep he is REALLY asleep. There is no waking this guy up, I just wish he slept this good at night. The first three weeks he was a dream baby, he would sleep all night and only wake up about every 3 1/2 hours for a feeding. Then that stupid formula came around and he is crying the night away. We only gave him a couple of bottles and switched back. I did make the nipple holes bigger, because the "bad" formula was thick. When we put him back on the original formula I didn't switch nipples. I thought maybe that's why he was crying, the size was too big. Two days ago I got him brand new nipples to see if there was a change. NOPE, nothing still a holy terror at night. He would literally stay up crying from 12-4 am. I read up on it and thought to myself, hey I think he is colic. Didn't really know what colic was so of course I google it because I'm the google queen. I also have books, so I'm reading up on it that way too (can't always trust the Internet). I read about Gripe Water. I, once again, google Gripe Water because I have no clue what that is. Then I remembered that I have a medicine kit for him I received as a gift. I pray that Gripe Water is in it (it was 2 am so I wasn't going to the store that night to buy it). Yes the kit had it hallelujah, it was there!!! I immediately give it to him. I swear within seconds he is calm. I did think to myself, it might be a coincidence since he had been screaming so long. So the next night (which was last night, also Chris' night to feed him) he begins to get that cry and turning red around 12 am (same time every night, that's what the books said it would be like). Before I go to bed I get the Gripe Water out and give it to him, once again within seconds he is calm. He also had a great night!!!! Holy cow this Gripe Water is amazing. Chris and I agree we are stocking up on this stuff!!!! ( the above pic is me looking for the Gripe water)

On another note, Chris' parents came in town yesterday to stay the night before going to Canadian for 4th of July. It was really great to see them, they are so good with Carter and love him very much. They could only stay one night, however they are coming back next weekend to watch Carter. My good friend Alexis is getting married on the 10th so they said they would drive up to watch him. As much company as we have had, I did like when we were on our own. However, I have to admit I do miss having people around. It's so hot outside I sit at home all day. If I do get out it's just to run up to Target. So needless to say it will be great to have them here next weekend so I can visit with them, plus like I said they are so great with Carter. ( Pic above is Carter with his grandpa)