Shaving Cream Mountain: moving picture

Shaving Cream Mountain was a great finale to Andrew's 1st birthday party! Aunt Teresa also put some footage up on their blog (Left side of page under family: Rich & Teresa). Too much fun!

Shaving Cream Mountain: still photos

Aunt Betsy & a not too sure Aaron

the big picture

Emma

Anna

Shaving Cream Mountain: the aftermath

Kalee

Mia

Anna

The Trash Bag Trio

My sister had just gotten her car cleaned (apparently not realizing the literal sense of Shaving Cream Mountain), so one of my other sisters made them these stylish trash bag ponchos & delivered them home in her husband's jeep.

MONKEY CAKE!

Andrew's Aunt Katie makes the coolest baked goods for birthdays & holidays.

We loved the monkey cake she made for Andrew

Andrew meets the cake...

...and he goes for it!

Let the good times roll

the party scene

Andrew opening the gift Lexi bought him.

Opening presents with Daddy...

...and with Mommy.

Birthday Fun

put-put (Aaron is working the green)

the ball pit was a kiddy pool at the end of the slide of the toddler play fort

(you can see the roof in the bottom right of this picture)

Mimi & Sierra bowling

Sierra going down the lane with the ball


Aaron joins the fun in lane

Face Painting, more birthday pictures

Mia & Emma

Mikala

Charley

Teresa & Liisa

Where to begin...

I like it! opening presents.

1 year old!

11 years old!

Andrew & Joshua: decade twins

Stay tuned... lots more pictures to come.

This is how a 1 year old sleeps

Daddy is not at all excited.

Gotta sleep in so he's ready for big fun at his party.

Funny Daddy

Sorry so slack lately with the updates. I think these two videos should redeem us. Andrew & Steve are so stinkin cute when Steve gets home from work. They are both so excited to see each other. Andrew now practically leaps out of my arms to go to him and then won't come back when I put my arms out. Daddy & Dizzy both think it is very funny - I don't know about that, I thought he would be a mama's boy a bit longer than 11 months : ) Seriously though, this boy is really this much fun all the time. What a blessing he is! Our last cardiology appointment went well - getting rid of two more meds - who0-hoo! I looked back to when we first brought him home & we were giving him meds 7x a day, now only 2x a day. Still not crawling or really scooting on his belly, but he gets around a bit with his weeble wobble butt scooting and we can now get him to stand up on his feet when we hold him up. What else, drinking more of his 'meals' with a sippy cup. Looking forward to changing from formula to pedisure when he turns 1 because that has more calories, so less volume per day. Right now it seems like we are eating all day long; doesn't leave enough time for other fun stuff (like mommy making him get on his hands and knees : ) We are looking forward to his big birthday & cannot believe it at the same time. What an awesome year it's been! We are so fortunate to have had you all there with us! God bless!

Play Ball!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

Andrew's famous funny face

Our big boy on his 11 month birthday

Okay, this is getting out of hand; 11 months old! Hard to believe, because these kids grow up so fast, but also because Andrew is doing SO awesome. We go to see the cardiologist on Tuesday so hopefully we will have an exciting update then. Andrew is such a joy. We are so thankful for him & for all of you and your amazing support over the past 11 months. Thank you!

Our Beautiful Boy

Here's a couple of the pictures from our family photo session a couple weeks ago with our good friend Lis. If you live in the area, we recommend her - www.lrphotographyonline.com Enjoy!

Teething will make you do crazy things...

We are so proud of our Andrew. He recently learned how to wave 'hi'. He also loves to make us laugh by showing us his funny face; it's a pretty mild show here, when he really gets going you can see the little gears in his mind going as he tries to make his face funnier & funnier. It really ends up looking about the same, just a bit more desperate. And this afternoon while he was helping me make cookies I heard a sucking sound, which was surprising because Andrew doesn't suck his thumb & has recently decided that he shuns his binkies. But as you can see it was something much sillier all together. Just can't get enough of this kid!

Weigh in

Andrew got measured today at the G-I doctor:
Height: 28 1/4 inches
Weight: 18 lbs 9 oz
Head Circumference: 17 3/8 inches

For 10.5 months that makes him about 25% for height & 5% for weight, but the dietitian said he's 92% in his ideal body weight range, so he's okay. We think he's doing great (of course we do, right?) since at birth he was only about 15% for height & 20% for weight, besides the 5 month hospital stay! We're going to give him some more food each day now since he's bigger in general, but also to give him more calories for when he gets moving with more scooting & then crawling. We already notice a difference in how hard it's getting to hold him - he's all over the place. It's good stuff : )

Chomp Chomp

Two Front Teeth

How much is that doggie in the window?

Andrew wears a sleeper for the first time.

Well, Andrew's two front teeth broke through earlier this weekend. It's hard to get a view of it because he's still pretty defensive of his mouth, but SO cute! Their names (the teeth) are (from left to right) Benjamin Ralph and Adam Paul, or B.R.,A.P. (Ha, ha! We love Papa!) So now it seems we need to revise the Christmas wish list : ). So here it is. We are asking that anyone who is planning on getting Andrew a Christmas gift, please consider Share a Night for the Ronald McDonald House. It's $15, the amount is to cover families who can't pay the $15 the RMH asks for a room per night (even though it costs the house $50/night to provide the room). [See the link at the top left of the blog page] As you can imagine this is an organization that is close to our hearts & we would love to have donations made in Andrew's honor for Christmas. If you feel you must get Andrew something, his birthday is just 2 days before. My request is developmental toys. Please avoid stuffed animals (not great for the respiratory thing) as well as blue clothes (not a great color for someone who has lower than normal oxygen saturation). We're trying to come up with a birthday party plan. Even though it's in the middle of flu season, it's too big a deal to not celebrate. We'll figure something out so stay tuned for details.

10 MONTHS?!!!

Didn't I just do an update for his 9 month birthday? Well, he just keeps right on growing up. Yesterday Andrew turned 1o months old & we had an adventure all the way to Longwood (about 1.5 hour drive) to see the ophthalmologist. He played all the way there & all the way home; and in the waiting room! He was being a little loud in the waiting room. It was funny, I had to get him to practice his whispering because there was 2 other babies there sleeping. Of course he made friends with all the ladies in the office, especially when we were leaving & they offered us this mini pair of grandpa glasses since he had his eyes dilated. As you can imagine most kids don't leave them on, but my Andrew, always the exception, flirted with his big cheeks hanging out for about 10 minutes before he decided he should eat them. I saved them though so we could get a picture when we got home. We got a good report from the ophthalmologist. Andrew's eye misalignment is due to the muscles, which is corrected with surgery (outpatient). I opted to take him back for remeasurement in 2 months to make sure they aren't changing before going ahead with the procedure. AND his cardiologist already gave the okay to have it done with the pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists. So there you have it. We were very happy that his eyes are healthy otherwise. Andrew needs those breaks every now & then : )
I think we captured his new tricks on the video I posted a couple days ago. Besides that Andrew is trying to decide if he really wants to scoot or not. I've worked with him on it a bit & now I'm leaving him to it. I just put him on the floor with a bunch of toys out of reach. Hopefully he'll take the leap soon because I think he can do it he just needs to realize it. Then we're really in for it. Can't wait!
As always, Thank you for your continued prayers and support. The awe of how well our little miracle is doing never wears off. What a joy!

DRINKING!!!

I am so excited, I can't stand myself! This happened about 1/2 hour ago & I had to put it right up. I haven't been able to get Andrew to really latch on to a bottle & lately he has been weening himself off the binkies too, so for the past week or so I have been giving him little sips backwards through a regular straw (you know, where you hold a little liquid in the straw by holding your finger over the opposite end). I tried the one-way straw a couple days ago, but it's hard plastic & he wasn't having it. Well, today (as you can see) he did it! HURRAY!!! He actually drank 1/2 an oz in that sitting - more than I've been able to get him to take in a whole day before. Hopefully he will like his milk that way! With his tube feedings he can now hold 3 oz in his belly at one time! All VERY exciting!

Also, he just started clapping this past weekend. I think it's so cute how proud he is of himself for doing it. I am impressed he does it upon request. He jumps on request too (in the jumperoo). My smartie pants : )

AND - the motherload - he now says mama. I love it! He just started saying it in the past week or so & is really starting to master it. I've been joking since he was very little that I would get him to say mama first even though kids usually say dada first. ha ha! We are working on dada too. I have a feeling Andrew will typically be squealing that one - he gets so excited when Steve is around.

p.s. I just gave Andrew his 6 pm 3 oz feeding & he drank the first 1/2 oz through the straw!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Adventure

FYI

So there are a couple things I need to let everyone know about

FIRST: Andrew is still the cutest thing ever! He is tolerating tummy time now (hurray!) with very few spit up episodes. He has mastered scooting around like a hand on a clock and, much to his frustration, is beginning to scoot backwards - away from his target toy : ) He is starting to say mama (hurray!) - mostly when he is crying. Yesterday we went to the pediatrician & he weighed in at 18.5 lbs & was 27.5" long. He was in about the 20% for a baby boy 9 months old, which is kind of cheating since he will be 10 months next week, but we'll take it.

SERIOUSLY: Most of you have already heard that we are increasing security for flu season. Here is the official statement. To put it simply: it's a double whammy for Andrew because (1) he is more susceptible to illness since it is questionable that his spleen is functional (why he's on antibiotics all the time & gets synagis shots year round (to protect against RSV)) and (2) his heart / lung system is a delicate balance and any kind of respiratory illness (even just chest congestion from a cold) could disrupt this balance. We love our friends over at the hospital, but we much prefer to just visit them from time to time when we are over there for a check up! We know no one wants our sweet boy to be in danger so we are confident everyone will help us be diligent. So here are the guidelines (his pediatrician actually wrote it out on a script):
(1) Andrew is to be protected from public exposure. Nothing new, though I have to say, I can't think of anyone I'd rather be on house arrest with.
(2) No visits from airplane travelers (especially from foreign countries). It wouldn't be a bad idea to wear a mask on the plane (& very stylish, I might add) and we are thinking a month symptom free after a plane ride should give us a safe window.
(3) Flu vaccine for all. I know most people aren't crazy about getting extra shots, but take comfort that more than 1/2 Steve's and my families have gotten it already (thank you!) and the worst anyone's experienced is a sore arm for about 2 days. Plus, the word is that after getting the shot you should be rewarded by getting ice cream or extra broccoli at dinner! The information is out there & I've got a few links at the upper left of the blog page that you can check out. Check with your employer and throughout the community for free / low cost flu shots. Christy was just telling us about Catholic Social Charities (I think) that was providing free shots in Cocoa. Publix, CVS, etc usually have days you can get one for $ (about $20).
Also, if you have allergies, please take extra care to stay on top of them since we always have to err on the side of safety. Vitamins and good nutrition are also our friends AND wash hands like it's going out of style (Wow, I guess our mom's told us so). We can't control everything, but we have to do our very best to protect Andrew's life. And as a bonus, we will all enjoy being healthier for the holidays. If you are feeling like you may be starting something, please avoid spreading it to anyone in the family.
Thanks you all so much in advance! This is just one more way we have experienced incredible support from our friends & family. We could never fully express the blessing you all are to us.

Out of the House

Rachel & Luv-Ann.

Andrew had a good time talking to Rachel across the room.

Playing with Aunt Teresa.

Hanging with Uncle Richie.

Sitting with Mommy at the cookout.

Anthony & Mandy visiting with Mimi & Andrew.

Chatting with the ladies.

Yesterday Andrew & I went next door to Vince & Sue's for a family cookout. Uncle Richie & Aunt Teresa (& Kalee) are down for the weekend. He LOVED it! Luckily he is still young enough to be content to sit on Mommy's lap and look around & talk to everybody. (Don't worry, Mommy was armed with hand sanitizer on her belt loop - I'm a dork) Steve couldn't come because he has some kind of virus going on right now. He is very sad to not be able to hold or be close to Andrew - he is quarantined to the library of the house for another day or so. Anyhow, Andrew was so excited I had a time of it getting him to settle down last night to go to sleep. Even though he was exhausted he just kept smiling and talking and flailing his arms & legs around. It was sweet.

JUMP!

Here is Andrew just a little bit ago. He's actually just winding down after about a 1/2 hour of hard core jumping. Probably most 9 month olds have been doing this sort of thing for a while, but this is the first time Steve & I have ever seen him get really coordinated with both feet. Usually he does the river dance or rocks back & forth. It is also a decent amount of time for him to be so physically active without needing to stop for a break. I tell you what - I never cease to be amazed at this kid.

I got the blues (because Daddy is playing them for me)

Sorry the lighting is so crappy, but I thought this video was cute of Dizzy singing the blues with Daddy. He's also into discovering & looking at things in different ways lately. At the end of the video he went back to looking from one picture to the next throughout the room (something he did for about 10 minutes when he & Daddy first went into the music room). He also tilts his head to the side & moves closer & further away from things now to get different views. Also moving toys around in different ways & studying it close. And in the past week he has decided it's okay to be on his belly (whoo-hoo). We have even turned around to find him on his belly (when we left him sitting up) in attempt to get to a toy / Tuskers. So we have motive; mobility, here we come! We are so proud of our little comeback kid!

9 months old!

blue eye baby

my monkey on his 9 month birthday

Well, my big boy turned 9 months old yesterday. It was a good day too. We went to see the cardiologist (& then up to see our friends in the CVICU) & Andrew was such a little man. He barely fussed at all. He did act shy when we went up to the cardiac unit at Arnold Palmer, but we didn't leave before he gave some of the ladies a smile. My boy really is a flirt. The cardiologist was very happy with how well Andrew is doing. We got rid of two more meds & cut back on two more. He has to get some blood work done (sorry buddy) in about 2 weeks to make sure he's tolerating his new regimen. Steve & I are so excited to hear the good report. We see how awesome he's doing day to day, but it's still encouraging to hear the doctors happy with his heart function.

Non-medically: Andrew is still the cutest thing ever & SO much fun. I think he's trying to cut another tooth. He is in his bed right now (just woke up) chomping away on his binkie. This morning he got Mommy couple times too. Which brings me to discipline - can you see it, I try to keep a straight face - Andrew got scolded the other day for trying to play with his feeding tube (he almost pulled it out & I just reacted), but he understood, which took me by surprise. I had a hard time keeping a stern face because he looked so heartbroken. Now when I am feeding him he puts his hand as close to the tube as he can without actually grabbing it & just looks at me - and so it begins : ) He doesn't have to be on the feeding tube throughout the day anymore, instead he gets little 'meals' through his tube every other hour. We're up to 2 oz at a time. (whoo-hoo) This gives him more freedom to play (& less opportunity for trouble : ) For this reason, the ban on shirts and shorts is now lifted. He still has to wear a onesie to bed because he's on the tube all night, but it's actually easier now to have him wear shirt & shorts during the day. It makes him look like such a big boy! Wow, that's a lot of stuff. I'm sure there's more, but I have to go play with him now. Thanks again to everyone for your prayers and support! Every day is like a dream come true!

Crack up!

Here's a great video of Andrew busting a gut. This past week he got visits from both Machie & Grandma Dawn - at the same time! As you can see it was good times. Machie was sneaky getting this video of him laughing because he usually stops whatever cute thing he is doing & just stares at the camera when it comes out. I think most kids do that. This kid is just too much fun! The Heart Walk went well yesterday. Andrew's Aunt Katie went with me & we enjoyed out 5K stroll with the other Precious Little Hearts. Hopefully Andrew will be able to join us next year because it was great to see our little red cap survivors.

Count Down to Heart Walk

So it's a little big.

This Saturday is the American Heart Association's Heart Walk which I am participating in with the other members of the Precious Little Hearts of Central Florida and our friends / family. Thanks so much to those of you who have already donated! If anyone still would like to make a donation, just click the link at the top left of the blog (it says Mommy's Heart Walk Page). We are planning on meeting up with the team from the Congenital Heart Institute (where most of our children receive cardiac care) for the walk. We are excited to walk in honor of our Precious Little Hearts & hopefully work toward raising awareness & support for the #1 birth defect, Congenital Heart Defects. I'm not taking Andrew this year, but I'm pretty sure the shirt will fit for some time : )

Nothin like a good book

...he also likes to eat them : )