Christmas 2010

Christmas was a lot of fun this year! He was much more into it, although after a present or two he was ready for a break:) We had a long day with lots of stops....but we made sure he got to take at least 1 good nap! I can only imagine what next year will be like:) Here are a few pics to document our day!

Santa made it to our house!

He even ate his cookies that we baked together!

This was present #1....notice the excitement:)

Tasker wanted to help too!


Sitting in his new chair from Grandpa and Grandma Arms!


Sitting in Santa's sleigh! (yes we know Mrs. Claus is headless!!)

Clothes!!!

With Alyssa! He left those bows on forever:)

Mommy and Daddy spent a few days reorganizing and putting away old toys to make room for all of his new ones....and we still don't have all of them out!

First Haircut

Owen got his first haircut a few days before Christmas. He was really needing it.....his hair hung down to his back when it was wet.....but I still almost called and cancelled before it was time to leave:) Tony was supposed to meet me there, but he got stuck at work! Luckily cousin Megan was there (her mom was getting her hair done) so it worked out that someone was there to take pictures for us! He started out pretty good....but was very interested on what was going on in the room (he is VERY nosey!!) so it was hard to keep his head somewhat still. Things got much better when we gave him a sucker! He sat like such a big boy....even letting her use the clippers! When all was said and done, it turned out great! He looks like more of a little boy now......just means he is growing up:(!!

Pre-sucker...wanting to look around at everything!

Post-sucker....sitting as still as could be!

Cutting off those long locks:(


Using the clippers? Oh I didn't even notice!

Vacation!

Part of why I am so behind on blogging is because Tony and I went on a short vacation to the Riviera Maya! It was SO wonderful to get away and spend some much needed time together. Officially it was for our 10th anniversary (which was actually in June). The weather was a perfect 82 degrees while we were there....I'm missing that now! We left Owen with Gramma and Grampa Wilson and went on our way. Our only trouble was coming back home.....that is when the big blizzard hit Chicago and we thought we were going to be stuck in Texas! Luckily we made it home just in time.....we met my mom at the hospital for his renal scan! It wasn't the best homecoming, but at least we made it:) Here are some pics

The pool.

The beach.

Enjoying ourselves in front of a Warm Christmas Tree!


Breakfast.

One of the many walkways through the resort.

We had a wonderful time.....looking at the pictures makes me want to go back!

B-day Celebration #3

So I know this is a little late, but I finally have time to get caught up on my blogging:) Owen had his 3rd birthday celebration on his actual birthday at my Great Aunt Shirley's house. He has lots of cousins that like to celebrate birthdays:) He did a little better with the cake, but still wasn't very interested! Here are some pictures:

He liked his little cake! It had a car on top:)

Still not too sure about the whole cake thing.....

MMMM, maybe I like it?

12 Month Pics!

So, I know these are a few weeks late....but wow have we been busy this month! I definitely wanted to get these up. We had Tony's friend Ryan Prouty shoot these pictures for us. We think they turned out really well! It was hard to choose just a few to post here:) Hope you enjoy them!

Our big happy boy!

Chillin' in the grass.

Posing like a big boy.


This is a favorite one of mine!

This is my favorite family pose.

My favorite with Tasker:)

Playing with Daddy.

Mommy and her boy.

Another favorite!

And yes family members....you will get a chance to see them all and make your choices:)

Renal Scan Results

So Owen had his renal scan on Monday afternoon. We arrived at the hospital (that was a trip in itself....but for another post!) and waited our turn. When the tech came to get us, she was worried that Owen was going to be too active to be able to complete the test. Apparently it is 2-20 minute tests that he has to lie fairly still for.....She went and checked and said that they only do it with "no meds" or under full anesthesia and if we had to do the "full" that we would have to reschedule. Needless to say, I wasn't very pleased with her because she got me all stressed out. Tony and I didn't really want to cancel the appointment, so we decided to go ahead and try the test. She first felt around for a good vein, then put some numbing cream on both of the insides of his elbows. We waited another 20-30 minutes for it to get numb. I was really worried about not being able to get the test done, so I sent Gramma to the gift shop for some suckers (thought that maybe they would distract him) and I called the Dr's office. They told us to go ahead and try it and even if he couldn't get it done, to go ahead and come in for our appointment later in the afternoon.

So we went back to the room and had two really nice "peds" nurses come in to start his IV. They wrapped up one arm and his legs like a burrito while Tony and I tried to keep him happy (didn't work very well!!) but they were able to get him on the first stick, so that was good. They reassured me that he wasn't crying because it hurt (she claimed he didn't even flinch when they stuck him, so the numbing cream worked) but because he was mad. We got him calm just long enough before the test started.....in which Tony and I wrapped him back up like a burrito, only this time his arms were out. He cried when they injected the die, but I was able to entertain him with the sucker....for about 5 minutes....then he was TICKED! He cried and screamed and cried and screamed for the next 25 minutes! No matter what we did, he was not a happy camper. He was really tired and we kept hoping that he would just fall asleep....he is a tummy sleeper, so being flat on his back was not helping! He finally gave it up with about 10 minutes left. It was probably the worst experience so far!

We could see the test as it was happening on the monitors in the room. The left kidney was definitely bigger than the right and it did not filter out the dye during the first portion of the test. During the 2nd portion, they gave him some lasix (sp?) and it did finally filter out most of it. We weren't sure what that meant.....so off to the Dr we went. She came in and said that the although the left kidney was slow, it responded to the challenge of the lasix test.....so that meant No Surgery.....for the meantime. We were happy with that. She said she would continue to monitor it by sono and if it came back looking the same as it has been, then we would just continue with the monitoring every few months. If at some point it would come back with any worse results, then they would just go ahead and do the surgery. So....we are in a holding pattern for now, which we are happy with at the moment. We go back in mid-April for a follow-up. Thanks to everyone for their prayers....they helped:)

12 Month Stats

Owen had his 12 month check-up at the pediatrician's office yesterday afternoon. Here are his stats:
Height: 30 1/4 inches - 50th-75th percentile
Weight: 20lbs 8 ozs - 10th-25th percentile
Head: ???? - 50th-75th percentile (I don't remember off the top of my head what the # was!!)

He also passed his lead and hemoglobin tests. We only got his 2nd flu shot and delayed all of the other immunizations until a later date. He appears to be hitting all of his milestones early or on time and got a clean bill of health! We are very thankful for that:)

We talked with our doctor about his birthmark and kidneys. He did a quick literature review and said that he believes the birthmark would only need to be removed for cosmetic reasons and that we should get a 2nd opinion. So they are referring us to the only pediatric dermatologist in the area (maybe the state). They are located in Springfield, so it will be a bit of a drive, but both Tony and I felt better about going to see someone else about it.

About the kidney: he said that they have had a few patients who have had surgery to repair UPJ's, but that we shouldn't get too worried yet because there could be a few more steps before we have to go that route. He also said that since Owen has not gotten any infections from it, that it was a good thing. So, he tried to alleviate some of our stress surrounding the situation. Needless to say, we are still a little worried but will try to not get to ahead of ourselves.

So, this is just a quick update from the appt. Will post his 1-year pictures when I get a chance:)

A Letter

Dear Owen,

As I sit here on the eve of your first birthday.....I just want to say "Thank you."
~Thank you for coming into my life and changing everything! Your daddy and I were pretty sure that you were never going to come, but finally the baby we had always hoped for was here! Even though our journey wasn't easy, you have been SO worth it!
~Thank you for being everything that I could have ever hoped, wished and dreamed for. I can't imagine my life without you!
~Thank you for filling my days with wonder and amazement. I love to watch you as you discover and learn new things!
~Thank you for making me smile! Your laugh is contagious and your smile melts my heart.
~Thank you for letting me hold you while you sleep. It amazes me that you were once growing inside me....now I have to settle for holding you on the outside:)
~Thank you for your cries. It lets me know that you still need me around.
~Thank you for your kisses. They are the sweetest in town.
~Thank you for loving me.....and thank you for letting me love you back.
~Thank you for being you.
~Thank you for making my life complete.....I didn't know what I was missing until you were here.
~Thank you for making me a mommy. It was a dream I wouldn't have achieved without you.
~Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I can't believe it has been a whole year already! It seems like only yesterday you were this tiny little thing and now you are a little boy....my little boy. The little boy who has touched my life in unfathomable ways. I love you more with each passing second. I can't wait to see what the next year brings!

Love,
Mommy

Birthday Celebration #2

Today we had Owen's birthday at our house. We had several family and friends over to help us celebrate our little guy! We had a lot of fun with everyone and were so thankful that they could all come. He STILL wasn't very interested in his cake....hmmmm, he is more like his daddy everyday! Cousin Alyssa snapped some good pictures for us to share:)

Reading a card with mommy.

Books are one of his favorite things!

Clapping for his present:)


Daddy helped with this one!

The cake I only went back 3 times to get right!

Look at all these crazy people singing to me!

Hmmmm, haven't I done this before?

Yep, and I'm pretty sure I didn't like it then either!

Ooh, but it is fun to rub my hands together:)

Just a side note: Blue frosting stains the skin:)

Kidney Update-Corrected!

Owen had his follow-up ultrasound on Wednesday morning. The doctor was out of the office that day, so we were not able to get the results until this afternoon.....after I called of course! Unfortunately the news was not great. His kidney's appear to be growing well, but his left one is still "debilitated" as the nurse put it. So that means that he will have to go in for a renal scan on the 13th. During this test they will inject a dye into his system that will travel to the kidneys. Then they will take various pictures over the next 20 minutes or so to see how the dye moves and where the blockage/kink is....if there is something to see. Those results will determine what our next step will be. So, continue to keep him (and us) in your thoughts and prayers.

UPDATE: I called the nurse back because I didn't really like that they said his kidney was debilitated. Good thing, because it was Dilated! Which makes it not sound as bad:) It is working, but it still has some hydro-nephrosis due to a blockage, they believe. Hence the reason for the scan. I also scheduled an appt to talk with the doctor after the test instead of just waiting for a phone call. This way, Tony and I can both be there and ask questions together.

Swim Lessons

Our local YWCA offers swimming lessons, so we thought that we would give them a try. We asked Gramma if she would be interested in taking him one day during the week (she said yes) and then we take him on Saturday mornings. His first lesson was this Wednesday and daddy skipped out on work a little so that he could take him to his first one! I got to go and watch on Saturday. He really enjoys the water! Gramma and I snapped some pictures of his first 2 classes that I thought I would share:)

Wednesday Class Pictures

His 1st class! I think maybe he is enjoying himself:)

Sitting on the edge....well kind of:)

Saturday Class Pictures

Splashing on his tummy and swimming for his toy!

Finally getting to the toy.

Floating on his back.

Kicking away!

Very sleepy at the end (naptime!!)

Being Thankful

So, I know I am a day late, but I wanted to make sure that I did get on and make this post:) I just looked at my post from this time last year. I remember being so filled with excitement at the impending arrival of our new little man.....and now to fast-forward a year later, I am again filled with excitement as we approach his 1st birthday. It amazes me how fast the time has gone and how SO much has happened in just one short year....but I am still very thankful for everything that I have!

I have a wonderful husband who has turned into the most wonderful father that I could have ever imagined, a supportive family who loves us more than we probably know, friends who are amazing, and a little boy who has touched my heart in more ways than there are numbers. I am SO thankful for everything and looking forward to another great year!

B-day Celebration #1

Well, Owen had his first 1st Birthday celebration:) We had to do it early due to some travel/work schedules of some on my side of the family. We also celebrated my "Unky Don's" birthday too:) My Aunt Debbie always makes the cakes and this time she did a great job for his first one.....it was a Monkey Cake made out of cupcakes! We did light the candle, but didn't really get it close enough to him....we had a bad experience with one of my nephews (sorry Aunt Deb!!):) He did a good job, although he really wasn't too interested in the cake. He liked smashing it around in his fingers, but didn't really get into eating it. We wondered if he wasn't very hungry since it was shortly after dinner. It will be interesting to see how he does the next time around!

Monkey Cake! He even had balloons.

Owen and Aunt Deb with the cake.

Getting his fingers dirty....finally!

Squish, Squish!

Kind of getting into it with a little help from Daddy:)

Grandma tried with a spoon, but he was done:)