Let Me Hold On Longer

"Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts: first smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst. But one day you will move away and leave to me your past, and I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts..."

One of my favorite books is Let Me Hold You Longer by Karen Kingsbury. It is actually a children's book but every time Noah and I read it I have to hold back tears. The book is about the fact that we celebrate all the "firsts" that come into a child's life, but we seldom remember their "lasts".

Jonah slept for eight hours last night, the longest stretch yet. It is very exciting, but in a way it is kind of sad. Even though I am looking forward to more sleep, I am going to miss my nights with him. I love our middle of the night feedings and the knowledge that I am providing for him everything he needs to grow. My heart breaks at the thought that the first night he sleeps through will also be the last night that I get to give him a middle of the night feeding and experience all of the cuddling and bonding that accompany them. It isn't that I don't want him to grow up, it is just that I want to make sure that I am cherishing every minute of his life and not rushing to get to the next stage.

My baby is growing up so quickly and I have no idea where the time has gone. "Let me hold on longer, God, to each and every precious last."

Seven Shots In One Visit

The doctor's visit went well for both boys today. Noah was seen for his four year old well child check-up. His vision and hearing tests turned out perfect. He weighed in at 62 pounds and was 45 inches tall. He really liked the doctor until time for his shots. Four shots in total, two in each leg. I thought it was hard giving him shots as a baby but at least as a baby he couldn't fight back! However, the doctor said he did very well compared to other children of that age.

Jonah's visit was for his four month check-up. He was up to 13 pounds 11 ounces and 24 inches long. Jonah had three shots and one oral vaccine. He did not like his shots but he thought Noah getting shots was very funny. Dr. Wheaton has suggested strongly that we do not return to the specialist. He thinks that the very first diagnosis of reflux was correct. He has put Jonah on yet another medicine. We are going to try this for a week and pray that it works. I have not decided yet if I am going to cancel my appointment for Monday with the specialist. I can't stand thinking that my child has gone through all of these procedures in vain. I want to wait and see how the next few days go.

Hopefully we are going to be getting Jonah better soon. The trip today was not bad but I do not look forward to the thought of making it every week. Before we even left home this morning Jonah had thrown up enough that I had changed my clothes twice and his three times. By the time we got to the doctor his entire outfit, the puke rag, and his blanket were soaked. Not to be out done, as soon as we got home Noah started coughing and threw up all over the living room carpet. If I had a dollar for every time I cleaned up puke I'm sure I would be a millionaire by now!

New Pediatrician

Tomorrow we go to the new pediatrician, Dr. Wheaton. He isn't really new. Noah saw Dr. Wheaton from birth to about age two. He then moved his practice to James Island and we didn't want to travel an hour and a half to get to the doctor. After struggling to find another good pediatrician we decided that an hour and a half isn't really all that bad. Both boys have appointments that include shots. I thought it would be a good idea to get them both out of the way all at once. This will be Jonah's first time seeing Dr. Wheaton. I am praying that he will be able to figure out what is going on with him. We see the specialist again on Monday. We had to discontinue the new medicine he had given because of the bad side effects Jonah was having. With or without the side effects the medicine was not working anyway. Jonah still vomits many many many times a day. The good news is that it does not bother him at all. He usually laughs the entire time. Noah thinks it is hilarious as well, but only if it doesn't land anywhere near him!

More About Soccer

Noah is still going strong with soccer. Although now that the new has worn off he is not quite as excited about it as he once was. The games however are still as hilarious as the very first one. Noah's team is undefeated but he doesn't even care about that. He just runs in circles and kicks in whatever direction he happens to be pointed in. We call this video "Two and a half minutes of Chaos!" Noah is number 6 in blue but it is easier to spot him by looking for the one who seems not to have a care in the world. I think his coach must have the patience of a saint. He still has three more games if anyone would like to enjoy a good Saturday laugh.

How Do Babies Do These Things?

A few weeks ago I put Jonah in his swing after comming in from town. I figured he could swing a few minutes alone while I started supper. When I went back to get him, this is what I found. No crying, no fussing, just Jonah lying contentedly under the swing. I guess there will be no more just setting him down without buckling him in!

Child/Adult Proof Doors

I knew when I went to bed last night that I didn't feel quite right. When I got up this morning, I could barely swallow. Since Jonah was still sounding a bit congested, we both went to see the doctor. Jonah has an upper respiratory infection and I have strep throat. I hope this is the end of sickness for a while and it does not get passed to the rest of the house.
When we got out to the car after getting our prescriptions filled, Jonah decided he could wait no longer for a meal. Usually when we are around town I nurse him in the front seat of the car. Today there was a lady in a wheelchair blocking my way to the driver's door. Instead of waiting for her to move I simply got into the back seat and proceeded to nurse Jonah. While I was back there I kept wondering why I never nursed him there before. It is much more private and there is even more room. When he was finished, I buckled him into his car seat and went to open the door to get out. This is the point where I remembered that my back doors are equipped with child locks. When the child locks are activated the back doors will not open from the inside. Here I was, locked in the back seat of my Expedition. I had two options. I could beat on the window until a passer-by opened my door from the outside or climb over the front seat. I immediately decided to climb over the seat since the other would be entirely too embarrassing. About halfway through my climb I realized that the last time I had climbed over a seat was probably ten years, two children, and about fifty pounds ago. Somehow I ended up wedged in the front seat with my back/butt to the steering wheel. Every time I tried to move, I ended up blowing the horn. After much squirming, several lengthy horn blows, and more strange looks than I can count, I finally got myself turned around. In comparison, I think my other option would have been much less embarrassing!

My Favorite Toy

A few nights ago just before bed, Noah threw his arms around me and said, "Mommy, you are my best friend." I asked him about Joe, Jonah, his grandparents, and Dixie Jane. His response? "Well they are my best friends too!" Pa was the only person who didn't get that title. When I questioned this he said, "Pa is not my friend - he's my favorite toy!"

The Wonder of Chuck E. Cheese

Jonah had an appointment with Dr. Kline (the gastrointerologist) today. The Dr. has decided to try a new medicine to see if we can stop some of the vomiting. We will try the medicine along with some changes to my diet for two weeks and then go back to reassess where we are. Jonah is still gaining weight fine. He is now up to 13lbs. 4oz.

I had told Noah that if he could listen all day and not whine once, we would go to Chuck E. Cheese on the way home. I felt very safe in saying this since I knew even I would not survive all day without whining about something! When we got to the appointment, the office was packed and about 85 degrees. Noah sat on the floor (there were no chairs left) and watched the fish in the aquarium. We were there for TWO hours before even seeing the doctor! The entire time as I was trying to keep Jonah happy, Noah sat waiting patiently. I could not believe my eyes. As I stood there watching him I actually began to get worried that I was going to have to brave Chuck E. Cheese alone with an active four year old and a sick four month old. In the end, we wound up at Chuck E. Cheese. It is now the end of the day, both boys are asleep and I am so glad I didn't back out of the Chuck E. Cheese promise. It was exhausting trying to keep up with Noah and tokens while carrying Jonah but the wonder on my son's face made every minute worth it all.

Noah is playing soccer

Just wanted to share some of Noah's news. He was able to get on a soccer league for the spring session. His team is the "Carolina Strikers". He is six months younger than anyone else in the league but you can't tell it by looking at him compared to the other players!! He loves practice and playing in games. The games are hilarious as only two of the players on his team have ever played before. Noah's strategy is to run around in circles and confuse the other team. He scored his first goal two Saturdays ago and even though I am pretty sure it was by accident, I was one proud Moma! This past Saturday he scored another goal, only it was for the opposite team. Anyway, I am including his game schedule if case any of you would like to attend.

February 23rd 2:00pm
March 1st 9:00am
March 8th 9:00am
March 15th Noon

*All games are played on Boyles Soccer Field, just outside of Hampton, behind the old Bi-Lo.

Yes, I am now writing these things down

This is my very first attempt at a blog. So many times since Noah has been born, I will tell people something cute he has said or done and they immediately say, "I hope you are writing these things down." I usually hang my head and say that I am getting around to it. Well here it is. I hope to be able to put all those precious moments here so that I won't loose them. I now just have to find the time.