Yes, Snugglebug placed each one of these.Then crawled off, leaving me to have to weave through the traffic.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Hummingbirds
We have been delighted with our hummingbirds this year. They are so beautiful and don't seem to mind us watching them from the opposite side of the glass. We have had several hummingbird feeders but settled on ones with a footrest for them to sit and drink. We had one feeder that I called a drive-thru because it did not have a footrest. The birds revolted and fought over the feeder that has come to be called the sit-down restaurant. Of course, the drive-thru is now out of business and has been replaced with a a third 5-star sit-down restaurant.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Milestones
We are getting closer everyday to Snugglebug walking. It has been a roller coaster ride to get to this point and I am overjoyed at God's goodness. He has put people in our path to direct us and teach us and Snugglebug. These people love our little boy as much as we do and have encouraged us while teaching us how to teach him to walk. Our physical therapist, who works with us through Early Childhood Intervention, visits us twice a month to work on motor skills. She has been so awesome that when Snugglebug walks, I am going to be sad to see her go. I know she will only be a phone call away, but she has been a wealth of advice on so many frustrating things that I am eternally grateful to her.
But, alas, the purpose of my post is to celebrate the milestone of first steps. For the last two days Snugglebug has been taking two little steps on his own. He did this for the first time in the church nursery and fortunately, I was working the nursery that day or I would have missed it. So, God works again in the small things. Today, I was taping Snugglebug sweeping, which delights me so much, and while taping he took 4 steps. I was amazed that I caught it on tape!
So, for your enjoyment....
But, alas, the purpose of my post is to celebrate the milestone of first steps. For the last two days Snugglebug has been taking two little steps on his own. He did this for the first time in the church nursery and fortunately, I was working the nursery that day or I would have missed it. So, God works again in the small things. Today, I was taping Snugglebug sweeping, which delights me so much, and while taping he took 4 steps. I was amazed that I caught it on tape!
So, for your enjoyment....
Who says good help is hard to find?
My little man loves to help me around the house. He helps me move the laundry from the dryer to the basket and from the washer to the dryer. And, when Snugglebug showed an affinity for helping me sweep, I knew this was something I had to seek-out. See, my broom is perfect for my five feet but not so much for his 28 inches. So, I set out to find the perfect broom for my little helper. After searching three stores, we found the perfect broom at the 2nd Wal-Mart that we went to. When I pulled the broom off the rack, Snugglebug's eyes lit up, and he reached out and grabbed it. It was perfect. He's been helping me sweep everyday since!
And, yes, he is shorts-less. This was the end of the day, and we had already been through two pair.
And, yes, he is shorts-less. This was the end of the day, and we had already been through two pair.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
One Cool Little Dude
"Hey babe, I'll lose the old lady, then we can go back to my crib and party."The picture was taken at the pool in Florida by Emily Fruge. The quote is courtesy Clay and Collette Ginn, two good friends of ours.
Gabriel was relaxing and yes, watching some girls playing to his right, when the mom of one of the girls asked to take his picture. I was cracking up and wishing my husband had come down with us, so he could take the picture. Alas, she not only took the picture but emailed it to me. Needless, to say we have had endless enjoyment from this picture. What was going through his little mind we may never know!
And just so you know it was his idea to sit on the step and lean back the way he is in the picture. I had been sitting him on the edge and bouncing him off into the water like he was jumping in. Then he decided he needed a break and scooted backwards and stretched out his arms. I was laughing so hard. I am eternally grateful to Emily Fruge for taking the picture!
Gabriel was relaxing and yes, watching some girls playing to his right, when the mom of one of the girls asked to take his picture. I was cracking up and wishing my husband had come down with us, so he could take the picture. Alas, she not only took the picture but emailed it to me. Needless, to say we have had endless enjoyment from this picture. What was going through his little mind we may never know!
And just so you know it was his idea to sit on the step and lean back the way he is in the picture. I had been sitting him on the edge and bouncing him off into the water like he was jumping in. Then he decided he needed a break and scooted backwards and stretched out his arms. I was laughing so hard. I am eternally grateful to Emily Fruge for taking the picture!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Our Vacation
We are back from Pensacola. I have a long to-do list related to Snugglebug's next round of doctor's appointments next week, not to mention a long list of household chores that require my husband's help. You know what I mean...the items that need to be fixed.
But here's a snippet of our wonderful time on the beach!
But here's a snippet of our wonderful time on the beach!
Dolphin Cruise in Pensacola, FL
On Sunday morning, we went on a Dolphin Cruise. It left from Portofina resort and made a circle through the bay, under the bridge, by the lighthouse, and by Fort Pickens. We didn't see that many dolphins but the ride was beautiful. It was fascinating to see the sights from the water.
We almost didn't make it to the cruise. Snugglebug decided to go on a sleep strike. By the time Sunday morning rolled around, we had had 3 nights of very little sleep. We were extremely exhausted but we propelled ourselves out of bed and on our way. In the end, it was all worth it, and I was so glad we went despite our sleepy eyes!
One note: The picture with the para sailor is hard to see, but the parachute is a yellow smiley face.
We almost didn't make it to the cruise. Snugglebug decided to go on a sleep strike. By the time Sunday morning rolled around, we had had 3 nights of very little sleep. We were extremely exhausted but we propelled ourselves out of bed and on our way. In the end, it was all worth it, and I was so glad we went despite our sleepy eyes!
One note: The picture with the para sailor is hard to see, but the parachute is a yellow smiley face.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Fireworks
For those of you who love fireworks and have 1 minute 40 seconds to spare....
You might notice a blimp in some of the photos. He was flying right through the fireworks display. That advertiser got his moneys worth. Also the smaller fireworks in some of the photos are distant displays put on by other cities. Made for a very thrilling night!
You might notice a blimp in some of the photos. He was flying right through the fireworks display. That advertiser got his moneys worth. Also the smaller fireworks in some of the photos are distant displays put on by other cities. Made for a very thrilling night!
Vacation!!!
So we have had a countdown running for weeks leading up to my husband's vacation! And now we are finally here! We are in Pensacola Beach, Florida!! And loving every minute of it.
Snugglebug met the beach for the first time and as long as he was in his daddy's strong arms he was ok. But the minute his feet touched the water, it was all over, and he was ready to go home. The sand was ok, but not of great interest. The next morning I took him out alone while his Daddy slept and Snugglebug was having nothing of the water. So, we sat and played in the sand till naptime approached. He started rubbing his sand-laden hands against his tired eyes, and I quickly realized it was time to go.
The pool on the other hand is quite a thrill for Snugglebug. He can't get enough of the pool. The water is calm and warm as compared to the ocean that is rough and cold.
We have had a lot of family time which Snugglebug is enjoying immensely. He gets upset if one of us leaves the room or sleeps in. He wants us all together all the time!
We also ventured out to the boardwalk over the weekend. It wasn't too crowded and it was great to see it alive once again. We were here last shortly after the hurricane and it was quiet, and the shops were desolate. We had some lunch in one of the shops. I had a salad while my husband had a burger and Snugglebug at his favorite, grilled cheese. The waiter/owner was Greek with a heavy accent. I asked the man to leave the croutons off my salad.
"Okay," he said, "no cheese," he repeated as he wrote.
"No, I don't want croutons. The cheese is fine," I corrected.
"No cheese," he repeated and showed me his pad so I knew he had written it down.
My husband chimed in at this point and said, "No bread for her salad."
"Okay, no croutons," he wrote as he spoke.
So I ate a salad with no cheese and no croutons.
We followed up lunch with ice cream, and Snugglebug tasted chocolate ice cream for the first time. He has had vanilla but never chocolate. He liked the ice cream just fine but found it hard to focus on eating when there were so many interesting people to watch.
On the 4th, we watched fireworks from outside our condo. From the 8th floor, we had a glorious view, and I was able to put my new photography hobby into practice. I took over a hundred and fifty photos of the fireworks. I had so much fun! I'll post a few of them in a separate post.
Snugglebug met the beach for the first time and as long as he was in his daddy's strong arms he was ok. But the minute his feet touched the water, it was all over, and he was ready to go home. The sand was ok, but not of great interest. The next morning I took him out alone while his Daddy slept and Snugglebug was having nothing of the water. So, we sat and played in the sand till naptime approached. He started rubbing his sand-laden hands against his tired eyes, and I quickly realized it was time to go.
The pool on the other hand is quite a thrill for Snugglebug. He can't get enough of the pool. The water is calm and warm as compared to the ocean that is rough and cold.
We have had a lot of family time which Snugglebug is enjoying immensely. He gets upset if one of us leaves the room or sleeps in. He wants us all together all the time!
We also ventured out to the boardwalk over the weekend. It wasn't too crowded and it was great to see it alive once again. We were here last shortly after the hurricane and it was quiet, and the shops were desolate. We had some lunch in one of the shops. I had a salad while my husband had a burger and Snugglebug at his favorite, grilled cheese. The waiter/owner was Greek with a heavy accent. I asked the man to leave the croutons off my salad.
"Okay," he said, "no cheese," he repeated as he wrote.
"No, I don't want croutons. The cheese is fine," I corrected.
"No cheese," he repeated and showed me his pad so I knew he had written it down.
My husband chimed in at this point and said, "No bread for her salad."
"Okay, no croutons," he wrote as he spoke.
So I ate a salad with no cheese and no croutons.
We followed up lunch with ice cream, and Snugglebug tasted chocolate ice cream for the first time. He has had vanilla but never chocolate. He liked the ice cream just fine but found it hard to focus on eating when there were so many interesting people to watch.
On the 4th, we watched fireworks from outside our condo. From the 8th floor, we had a glorious view, and I was able to put my new photography hobby into practice. I took over a hundred and fifty photos of the fireworks. I had so much fun! I'll post a few of them in a separate post.
Busy Month
I just realized it has been almost an entire month since my last posting but what a busy month it has been. We have had 4 doctor's appointments, 2 therapy appointments, 1 birthday party, 1 family reunion/camping trip, 1 baby shower, and now we are on vacation.
July will be just as busy as June. It never really seems to slow down. I always think that once summer gets here things will slow down but they never do. This summer is even busier than the ones before since we have added so many doctors appointments and now physical therapy. I have decided that one child with special needs is the equivalent to four or five healthy ones. While healthy children go to the doctor with an ear ache or the flu, we go for hearing issues, growth issues, and digestive issues. I am incredibly thankful that Snugglebug has been healthy in all other ways. To add the flu or chronic ear infections to the already extensive list would be too much to handle.
I am learning more and more about 7q11.23 duplication syndrome. I am learning that most of Snugglebug's health issues are related to that duplicated gene. I also am finding myself amazed at the intricacies of genetics...that just one duplicated gene can wreak havoc on the system in so many ways is amazing. Granted, Snugglebug has more than one gene duplicated in that region but it all ties in together. Makes a person wonder how anyone could ever believe in evolution.
So much more research needs to be done on 7q11.23 duplication so that parents like me can have a better understanding of what life will entail. I pray for those scientists everyday that they will have a growing passion to seek out answers for the rest of us.
July will be just as busy as June. It never really seems to slow down. I always think that once summer gets here things will slow down but they never do. This summer is even busier than the ones before since we have added so many doctors appointments and now physical therapy. I have decided that one child with special needs is the equivalent to four or five healthy ones. While healthy children go to the doctor with an ear ache or the flu, we go for hearing issues, growth issues, and digestive issues. I am incredibly thankful that Snugglebug has been healthy in all other ways. To add the flu or chronic ear infections to the already extensive list would be too much to handle.
I am learning more and more about 7q11.23 duplication syndrome. I am learning that most of Snugglebug's health issues are related to that duplicated gene. I also am finding myself amazed at the intricacies of genetics...that just one duplicated gene can wreak havoc on the system in so many ways is amazing. Granted, Snugglebug has more than one gene duplicated in that region but it all ties in together. Makes a person wonder how anyone could ever believe in evolution.
So much more research needs to be done on 7q11.23 duplication so that parents like me can have a better understanding of what life will entail. I pray for those scientists everyday that they will have a growing passion to seek out answers for the rest of us.
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