Friday, July 29, 2011

In Case You Misunderstood Me...

 

 

 

Fisher is still a baby-pimp. I didn't want my previous post about the way he was dressed to mislead anyone into thinking he might not be the coolest 6 month old on the planet. By the way, I have a big THANK YOU to everyone who sent me diapers for a baby gift. Ashley and Sara threw me a diaper party, and it has been the biggest help. I just bought my first box of diapers and Fisher is almost 7 months-old. So, if you are throwing a shower for a friend that already has a little one, do a diaper one...it has been so great.
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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Tonsils, Adenoids, Tubes in the Ears, and Nose Cauterized...again

 

the night before surgery
 

getting ready for surgery...knocking out some angry birds on the iPad
 

very annoyed by the hospital bracelet...and continued to be after he woke up
 

snoozing before waking up from surgery

Harrison got "the works" as the anesthesiologist called it yesterday morning. We took note of the other kids that were waiting in pre-op and they were just having one of the four things that Harrison had done. Albeit, that was Harrison last August when he got his nose cauterized. But here's the deal...getting your nose cauterized (even though you have to go under for it) is like spitting the water in the sink vs getting a root canal. Because Harrison had been under before, I imagined that when he came to, he would be my sweet little boy and take it like a champ...like last time. Took it like a boy? Sure. Sweet? Maybe...it was hard to tell between what seemed like a really bad dream for him. And I'm sure it was scary. He had no idea where he was or what happened. He remembered having to blow up a balloon (that is what they got him to do when they put a mask over him) and that monkey did it first. He said monkey didn't do a good job and would have to have his tonsils taken out the next day. The worst part was getting him to drink or eat a popsicle. He just flat out didn't want to...and I don't blame him. I'm sure it felt like a bomb went off in his throat. Once he threw up, ate two popsicles, we were allowed to go home. And he has done well. Here is what I've learned, just after 24 hours of having the procedure:
1. I'm going to have to break him of popsicles for every meal of the day as soon as possible. This is going to be an issue.
2. Pain medicine is a great idea...and don't try to push it.
3. Fill your medicine the night before and come up with a schedule for the next day of dosage that doesn't involve a middle of the night feeding.
4. At some point, we are going to have to go back to TV limits...this won't be fun to break him of later. At this point, I will embrace it as he has to be inactive for almost two weeks.
5. Cuddling your 3 year-old/patient is more rewarding for me than it is for him. I love that he wants me to hold him or rub his back or anything (other than full contact sports).
6. There is a tactful way to take pictures of your kids without seeming insensitive...you know who you are and you should put the camera down. I caught a couple of pictures of H around the procedure, but you are seeing my only pictures.
7. There is nothing more wonderful than a very groggy 3 year-old that only wants to see his baby brother and give him a kiss...melt your heart times ten.
8. It is hard to be prepared to see your child come to from anesthesia and no that he is totally undone about where he is or what has happened...you feel so helpless as a mom.
9. This is no big shocker, but Adam is super-dad. He went with us for surgery. He ran to get breakfast as soon as Harrison left our site. And when Harrison threw up lots of blood, Adam knew exactly what to do (whereas I felt a little queasy). And Harrison wants his dad to give him the medicine because he "likes the way daddy does it."
10. A big thanks to grandma Linda for watching Fisher while we were gone...that was a HUGE help. Now, if I had just planned to have a repairman to fix the garbage disposal, dishwasher handle, and ice maker that coincidentally broke on the same day, I would have been uber-prepared.
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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Dressed Like a Pansy


Before I get into the subject of this blog, I thought I would update everyone (which I know you are on pins and needles waiting for) on Fisher's 6 month stats. I haven't had a chance to update, so here we go:
Height 28 3/4 inches (greater than the 95th percentile...off the charts)
Weight 17 lbs, 6 ounces (55th percentile)
I think it is safe to say he is long and lean.
Something else to address before I get into the subject matter. I said I would never dress my son like a pansy. Now I know there are plenty of people who do, who I am actually friends with, and it doesn't make me think any less of anyone. But once I lived in Colorado and saw life outside of smocked outfits...I thought I could never do it. Now, I live in the heart of smocked outfit city. And here is the deal...I think it is cute, but I just thought I would never do it. Until I forgot. I was on a mission for something with bold color for Fisher's 6 month pictures. And if you don't have a boy of your own, you can't understand this statement, but it is absolutely slim pickens out there for little boys' clothing. So, I was on my mission and I was at my friends clothing shop for kids (which has super cute stuff for girls and mostly pansy-ish type stuff for boys). I came across a beautiful turquoise color and I thought it would look beautiful with Fisher's eyes. I came home with it (it was 50% off) and immediately realized that I purchased a smocked turquoise "bubble" with a peter pan collar for my son. There are so many adjectives in that sentence that I swore I would never use as it relates to dressing my son. Not to mention it had star fish on it that allegedly look like flowers. And let me clarify, I am not wholly opposed to smocking (on boys under one year old), but I am wholly opposed to an outfit like I bought. I was stuck...it was on sale. So, when it came time for the pictures, I took a few outfits, including the one that I purchased since I did spend money on it. Well, Fisher decides to get real cute and smile a ton when he was in that outfit...of course. So, above is the "sneak peek" the photographer sent me. I saw her last night and she hasn't been able to edit any of them yet, but this is just one that she saw. So, hopefully, there will be some cute pictures in other apparel. Either way, he's cute...and let me stress...HE.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Colorado Part 3 (Final)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once headed back to Denver from Steamboat Springs, we stopped in Georgetown (Colorado) for a fun trip aboard a train. Harrison kept yelling "all aboard," and once asked if the engineer was the guy from Polar Express. Riding outdoors in a train in the Rockies was definitely a highlight of the trip.
We spent our last day going to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science as well as getting out some energy in Boulder. We love Boulder and just walking around in Boulder makes us so happy...but truly, Boulder could not be any more different than Pawleys Island (and we love both). And lastly, we had dinner with some dear friends on our final night. I'm not sure we realized exactly how rich our friendships were that we had while in Colorado. But we'll be back...at least once a year. Hanging out with Harrison was such a blessing on this trip. We look forward to many more vacations with him.
Favorite Harrison quotes of the trip:
*To the pilot before leaving Charleston for Atlanta, "Do you remember how to get us to Colorado?"
*Just before landing in Denver, "Mom...look at all those farms. That's amazing!"
*As we drive into Steamboat, "Mom, Dad...see those mountains...They are beautiful."
*After I told Harrison twice that he needs to wear his tennis shoes in lieu of flip fops for the gondola and hike, "Mom, I can wear my flip-fops. It might be okay. We'll see...watch...it will be okay." (uh...when did my baby get old enough to talk like this?)
*Once I told Harrison that he couldn't ride in a hot-air balloon, "I'm all done, mom. Let's go back to hotel. Wait. Let's just ask if I can get in the hot air balloon. It will be perfect. I'll just tell that man that."
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Colorado Part 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, after the legit, cowboy rodeo (tight pants and all...with no country accents...still an enigma to me), the next morning (way too early) we went to Steamboat's annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo. It was beautiful. We really wanted to get into the balloons. It was so interesting to see the culture as well as the "how" behind ballooning. If you ever plan a trip to Colorado in the summer, you must time it with this event. It is so neat. Next on our agenda, was the gondola ride to the top of Steamboat mountain. I mean, what's a trip to Colorado without this? I'll tell you one thing...it will save a heck of a lot of money to NOT get on the gondola...a tad pricey for a walk around the top of the mountain, but beautiful views nonetheless. Once we got to the top, we went on what I call a hike, but Adam calls a walk. It was in nature...on top of mountain...in the wilderness...possible bears and mountain lions...hardly any oxygen...I'm going with hike. Harrison and I climbed on rocks (while I tried really hard to not think about getting eaten by a four-legged predator) and had a blast.
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Colorado Part 1

 

 

 

 

 

 


Last weekend we were fortunate enough to take a trip to Colorado. Thankfully, I'm still working out there, so it makes it very easy to get back to visit. We hope to visit frequently with the boys, and especially with Harrison since that is where he was born.
The first picture is Harrison with a balloon...we are at a place called "My Brother's Bar." That was the first place Adam and I ate when we visited Colorado (before moving there) and we fell in love with it. It is a little hole in the wall downtown Denver that doesn't have any televisions (major plus). The other pictures are from the rodeo that we attended in Steamboat Springs. It was so fun, but I think Harrison had a blast riding on the fake horses. After driving to Steamboat and back to Denver, I quickly learned that my least favorite question right now is, "Mom...why is taking us so long?" as I may have heard it 2000 times. In fact, Harrison asked me that question yesterday in the car (and we're home) and I said, "Harrison, please stop asking me that." His reply, "because you might pop my hiney?" Um yes...or pull my hair out...whatever seems more appropriate that time.
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Thursday, July 7, 2011

Fish-a-lish



Harrison is in Charleston. He has been for a few days. We embark on a Colorado Adventure with him tomorrow, so leaving him in Charleston was an easy decision. Plus, he had zero desire to leave Nana's fun house and come home with us. Our house is much quieter now. And much more peaceful.
Having this alone time with Fisher has been so great for me. I don't have to worry about Harrison flying planes into his head or getting a little moody when he sees me spending time with Fisher. While at home with Fisher, I've come to realize that he really gets about 25% of the attention that Harrison received at his age. When your second comes around, you just don't have the same amount of time to give to him. I know this is no surprise to anyone. And it isn't to me, either. But being alone with him for two days with my undivided attention, I've realized just how big of a difference it is. I've also realized how much easier it was with just one child. I have no idea what I did with my time. But when you have one, you just can't see that. So, this time with Fisher has been so sweet. But we are ready to get the big brother back: we all really miss Harrison. He brings life to the house that is certainly missed when he isn't here. The night before last when Adam got home he said, "You know, I really miss the excited Harrison greeting me at the door with a big 'HEY DAD, HOW WAS WORK TODAY?'" Nana, thanks for watching Harrison while we get to spend time with Fisher...it has been really wonderful for us.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

4th of July Fun

 

 

 

 

We had a great time celebrating the 4th with Adam's family. Adam took the opportunity to get Harrison out on the sunfish and paddleboard as much as possible.
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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

6 Months Old!

 

 

 

Raise your hand if you are six months old and steal the hearts of everyone around you...go ahead, Fisher...raise your hand.
We can't believe our newborn is six months old. Un-stinking-believable.
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My Brantley Boys

 

 

I'm just wondering if everyone thinks their family is this cute...
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Murrells Inlet to Charleston

 

 

 

A few weekends ago, we took a boat trip down the Intracoastal from Murrells Inlet (our house) to Charleston (Adam's parents). We had a great time. Harrison wanted to get out and swim at every chance he could. It was such a fun day, but we only captured a few pictures of it.
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