Friday, May 8, 2009
Speech Therapy
He's going to start attending every Wednesday AM starting next week. She wants to add another day once a week to make 2 30 minute sessions per week. I'm excited, it can't hurt, but it can help in SO many ways! They want to first work with him on imitating. He really just by passed the imitation stage. He never REALLY played peek-a-boo as an infant, patty cake, or other similar "copy" games. They think if we can get him imitating us, facial expressions, gestures, etc. then we may get him to start imitating sounds and words.
He also has an "Early Intervention" therapist. (I think she's much like an Occupational Therapist aka "OT".) But she'll come to our house once a week for an hour and work with Mason on similiar things. She'll teach me how to work with him to help his speech. She gave the example of learning interactive songs (kinda like "This little Piggy") I guess.
Like I said, we're excited to have someone from the outside help. It gets frustrating for all parties envolved with the lack of communication. Had I known this was going to be a problem, I would have started him on signing earlier. We're going to start now, though, and include Nolan! I wonder if Nolan will speak before Mason ;-) Just kidding!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Early May's Update!
Okay okay okay. I get it, I'm not any good at keeping anyone other than my mom updated on a daily basis! Shoot me!
Let's see, let's see. What's new?
Nolan: What a guy! He's such a great baby. It's not easy compromising a routine with a 1-2 month old. He's stubborn, but I'm more stubborn! And mommy always (almost always ... eventually) gets her way. He is sharing a room with Mason. That is going great so far. They both have grown accustomed to each other's noises and wake up times. It's smoothing itself out quite nicely. We all go into the bedroom around 1930 and read two "stories". Mason will sit on Tim's lap on his bed and I'll feed Nolan in the glider. After the stories we tuck Mason and Nolan in and they're down for the night. Nolan will sleep 7-8 hours, wake for a feeding and go back to bed until Mason wake up around 0530 - 0600. Mason has been climbing into Nolan's crib to watch his morning cartoons, must be a better view of the tele. Who knows what that hair-brained kid is thinking! Back to Nolan. He had his 2 month check up last month and he weighed 12lbs 3.2oz (50%) and 22in in length (10% - shorty). I look at him now and he's SO big! Where's my little chik-a-dee go? He's a freakin' Turkey Buzzard now!
Mason: Still getting bigger. His 18 month appt last month said he was 27lbs! Fatty! ;-D There is definately a HUGE weight difference. One side of my body is stronger from when I carry them both at the same time! I'm lopsided! He's discovered climbing, as previously mentioned. He loves being affectionate with Nolan, but he doesn't know his own strength. He's UBER cute and we find him more and more amusing with the new things he comes up with! Like holding a Rock Band guitar and mumbling out tunes. He had a hearing test to help us determine if that was a reason he hadn't started talking (or even have a 10-20 work vocabulary like he should) but it came back EXCELLENTE'. Which is SUPER, don't get me wrong, just hard to accept that now there is no reason other than his laziness for not talking! ;-) I know, I know, "He will when he's ready. He'll start and you won't get him to shut up. Word Vomit. etc." We signed Mase up for swimming lessons on base. He starts June 2nd for 2 weeks. I'm excited.
Tim: This semester is almost over! For a "community college" his Speech class was very er, hard core. He did well and is expecting a good grade. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bug him to sign up for "a" summer course, just one (at least!). He tests for Staff Sgt (E5) this month, May 20th. Can anybody guess what day that is???? Work "There's not a whole lot going on. It's the same thing at Line D." - Tim
Stacy: Wants another itty bitty baby. But NOT A CHANCE!!! right now. We MIGHT start talking again when Mason is in school. Mother's day is in like 7 days!! I started back at stroller fit and feel GREAT! I'm losing weight and seeing a change. I also started doing yoga on base T and TH nights. That always feels good. I love the stretch! I've gone 28 days with out a coke (diet), chocolate or sweets of any kind and fast food. The sugar is the hardes, I crave brownies and Tim's chocolate chip cookies often, but I've been strong. Tim and I agreed after 20lbs I can get 2 new outfits (I'm half way there!). Yay. we're going out, BABY FREE, for dinner and a movie for our anniversary. We're going to Red Robin, YUM.
That about sums up the Berger Life to date. Thanks for reading. Here are some current pictures. Love you ALL!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
STATS!!
Yup, I know it's now been a week (minus a few hours) since Nolan Isaac was born. Here are some stats for those whom I haven't talked to personally yet:
Nolan: Born Thursday, 12 February 2009, 1309 @ Gulf Coast Medical Center in Panama City, Florida. He weighed 8 lbs 3.5 ounces (we say 4 oz) 20.5 inches long.
Nolan was 2 days late and was induced due to my elevated BP. We went in at 0630 and was started on Pitocin at 8am. I opted for an epidural (remember, I went ALL NATURAL with Mason, been there, done that, not too enthused about doing it again!). I was given that at 1100. And with a 5 hour labor, Nolan was successfully evicted, poor baby!
We started breastfeeding immediately and have been extremely successful. With Mason it took longer, since both he and I had to learn together. Nolan gave me a crash reminder course but he seemed to know what to do.
Nolan is a GREAT sleeper. The first night he was home he slept from 0100 to 0630! I had to finally wake him up and force the kid to eat! I said to Tim, "I hope we just add on to that time in 5-10 minute increments until he's sleeping 10-12 hours through the night!
We left the hospital Friday night and transitioned home easily. Tim's mom and grandmother, who had been staying with us for the past 25 days, left Saturday morning. I'm glad they were here and able to share in Nolan's birth. My mom leaves Friday, she's been here for about 2 weeks. I'm going to miss her, I already do and she isn't even gone yet!
Mason: What a guy!! I was so worried he was going to be the jealous type. After all, it has been only he and I all day since I quit my job last year. He has proved me wrong! He is so excited to have Nolan. When Nolan cries, Mason wonders over to me and puts his cheek to Nolan's cheek or his neck to Nolan's shoulder, giving hugs and trying to console him. It's SO incredibly endearing! He's loving and affectionate and very charismatic.
I keep getting asked "Is it hard with 2 babies?" It's not easy. You have to plan ahead more, you have to multi-task more, you can't just up and go like you can with a 1 year old. You only have 2 hands. Forget trying to do anything while breastfeeding! 2 babies crying is a lot harder to bear than 1. You have to choose which child is in more immediate need of "attention." Is it just a wet diaper, or did Mason fall out of the shopping cart AGAIN! (Yes, tonight we went to get some items and he leaned over out the back of the cart and was top heavy, go figure and toppled out and DOWN, landed on his back!)
Tim: Has the rest of this week off and goes back to work on Monday. He needed the rest of his vacation time for when we travel north in April. He's doing good with Nolan. It's easier than with Mason, he knows what to expect, how to hold him. He's a great burper ;-) and a great diaper changer! He also gets up with me at 2am and he'll changed Nolan's diaper before I feed him. He's been a super helper with Mason as well. I will definitely miss his hands when he goes back to work.
Our life won't settle down too soon. My dad and his parents are coming into town on the 3rd for a week and a half. Then we'll have 2 weeks until we fly up to PA for another 2 weeks. Once back though, we'll makes some changes and settle into our routine. THAT, I'm looking forward to!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
January
Lots going on. We've been busy busy busy. Here we go:
Tim: Had a "whoops" at work and for a couple days was really really worried about the repercussions that would follow. He did receive a write up for not carrying the proper manual in the truck with him - sounds silly! I know! He's actually moving shops too. He'll be going from Line D - hands on delivery of missiles to jets to AMK computer/office work. He's excited and looking forward to being in the air conditioning heading into spring/summer here in Florida. His car has having issues earlier this month so we went down to both using my Jeep while he figured it out. Much to my surprise he did fix it (a couple different times) and is using it regularly again. Tim's mother and grandmother are in town waiting for Nolan. They got here 21 Jan.
Me: My mom is coming into town 5 Feb. Seems so far away even though it's next week! I'm excited. I'm also grateful to have my Jeep to myself again! Call me greedy, but I am not made to literally STAY AT HOME all day everyday!
Nolan: We had another OB appt today and we also were blessed w/another U/S to try and get a more accurate weight and to see if we could get at least ONE decent 3D face shot. This late in the game it's super hard because he's head down and not a lot of wiggle room. We did see him and he decided to hide behind his hand, yet again.
Mason: He is learning something new everyday, I swear! We took him in for a speech evaluation after a survey I took of his "communication" was ranked lower than average. I wasn't concerned but still interested in what a professional had to say. He did great. He communicates in other ways than using words. But in the past few days I've noticed words forming. "goo'" for "good". "Tacy" for "mom" - yes, I know, he's calling me by my first name! It's cute, but a little concerning! I don't encourage it! But i think it's cute! A few others like "shake" are coming out too. He has started making a fish face and smacking his lips this past month. He's wearing 2T clothes - can you believe it!?
That's all I've got now - oh and I lost my camera! So we ordered a new one. Once I get that I'll post more pictures :-(
