What I'm Thankful For

This Thanksgiving was certainly not the funnest one we've ever had. Rob had been asked to take call for the day, so I had not even bothered to buy a turkey. Who wants to cook all day for themselves? Well, late on Tuesday it was discovered that Rob could NOT take the call due to a glitch in the paperwork. Okay. So there we were, no turkey, no time to thaw one even if we bought one, and no place to go. A family from our church had graciously offered to share their turkey with us, and we called to accept. Thanksgiving rescued, right?

Wednesday night, my poor little baby started getting fussy. Then really fussy. He didn't sleep well that night--this is unusual for him, as he's usually a champion sleeper (he's even started sleeping through the night on occasion). Thursday morning dawned to a nasty temperature, head congestion and swollen, watery eyes.

We kept hoping he'd rally in time for turkey, but it was not to be. He went from bad to worse. We called and declined our dinner invitation (however, Rob is a champion and whipped up this fabulous ham dinner--thus saving us from McDonald's), and began combing the Internet for ANYTHING that could help our baby. We spent a nasty night with the humidifier, holding him upright, and sitting in the bathroom running the shower on hot to create a steam-room. By 4:30am this morning his fever was still climbing, and it was time to pay a visit to the Emergency Department of Arkansas Children's Hospital. As far as ER visits go, it was exceptional service; we did not wait in the waiting room AT ALL (I think someone tipped them off that TJ was the doctor's kid)-- the entire visit took about 5 hours. The doctors were very good, and did a thorough work-up. I am thankful to report that, although I have a very sick little boy, he does not have any of the dire diseases common to small infants. His fever still hasn't broken, but we have been able to make him comfortable enough to sleep, and his fever is now under control. We have had to cancel our trip to Houston; but the important thing is that our baby is going to be okay.

As we left the ER, I joked with Rob that holidays just aren't that good for us lately: last Christmas we almost offed the dog, and this Thanksgiving, the baby. Apparently we should have stuck to house-plants, or some anaerobic organism.

The Week In Pictures

Monday: Was the day we sized-up in diapers.
This boy is G-R-O-W-I-N-G.

Tuesday: Was one of the first baths that was not a Scream Fest. Although, as you can see from his face, he's still not sure if he actually LIKES this bizarre ritual.

It's much better to be dry...
and clothed.

Wednesday: Was a hard day for my little boy. It took a good long cuddle to feel better.
Thursday: Was a nice long run. Check out the Boss in his ride.

I just thought this outfit was cute.

Friday: TJ had to come with me to do my Visiting Teaching. This is what he thought of it. You could say that I was bawled out by the Boss.

Later I consoled him by letting him order me about.

I sure hope everything meets his approval.

Blinded by the Light

TJ has this thing for blinds. In the morning, we get up and open the blinds together. He stares at them in wonder, and some mornings he'll just smile and smile at them. Today, he was super-fussy and nothing was calming him down. I put him down on the bed for a moment... and he stopped crying. The magic of the blinds has worked again!

I Heart Running

I love mybecause it allows me to run during the day, while is at

This has the added bonus of helping me to lose the baby-fat-- without cutting

from my diet-- all while spending time with

The Boss

Rob and I joke that our blog now exists for the sole purpose of showcasing our cute baby. I guess it's not much of a joke, but really more of a true-ism. So here are a few more pictures of the Boss:

Everyone keeps asking me who he looks like. I'm still not seeing it...

So today was TJ's first Bumbo experience.
I'm not really sure if he liked it. He stared at the green arm rests with intense interest for about 3 minutes, then progressed to wildly waving his arms and legs around.

But he never did cry, so I don't think he DIDN'T like it. Oh, the world is just clear full of new things...

Jet lagged

I'm back from China and it's great to be back with Mel and TJ. The trip had it's share of ups and downs. Due to chicken pox, pneumonias and several other ailments, over half of our cases were cancelled. Nevertheless, the work we did do was rewarding and the Great Wall was incredible.

One, Two Three...

How many fingers can fit in there?

A Conversation and Baby-House Recovery

While introducing TJ to one of the kids in my Valiant 9 primary class (children's bible study class for 9-10 year-olds), TJ became a little fussy. I was talking to TJ, trying to calm him, and I said, "Yes, it's just so HARD to be the baby. Life is hard."
My primary boy responded, "It's NOT hard to be the baby; everybody does everything for you. Life doesn't get hard until at least kindergarten."
I stand corrected.

Quote of the week:
"Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions; all of life is an experiment." Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am almost 7 weeks postpartum now, and ready to get moving; to repair the damage done to my body while it acted as a baby-house. I've gradually been increasing my mileage, and yesterday I ran 3 miles (well, I more kinda shuffled along; this is no time to work on increasing my pace). I'm looking forward to the challenge of getting back in shape, and I'm excited for the chance to bond with TJ as we charge down the trails with our jogging stroller. I hope he's prepared to log many miles.
I'm also starting to incorporate some deeper poses back into my yoga practice. It's funny to feel my body settling back into old, familiar poses that now feel strange: there are all sorts of new fat rolls in my way. But, again, it just feels good to get moving. I missed sweating.

Good Morning Dad!

Just a few pictures for my dad so he doesn't forget what I look like. Aren't I just cute? You ought to hear all the sounds I'm starting to make, too. I'll be excited to see you.

Love, TJ

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Say Cheese

For days now, I've been trying to capture one of TJ's smiles on camera, and every time I just miss it, or the flash makes him grimace, or something. But then, this morning: SUCCESS!!!

I was telling him how much his daddy loves him when he gave me this beautiful grin:

Rob- note his new outfit. This morning while he was napping, I packed up all the 'newborn' sizes that he's outgrown, and got out a bunch of the 0-3mos sizes. My little baby is growing bigger!

No Tricks, Too Many Treats

So we didn't have a single Trick-or-Treater last night. Not even one. This is REALLY unfortunate, because TJ decided not to sleep last night. All. Night. Long. And that bowl of candy kept me company while I nursed, rocked, paced, swayed, and soothed. All. Night. Long.
Today? Not much candy left, and I feel R-O-T-T-E-N.