Thank you, Jesus

Great news! We just got a call from our pediatrician and Weston's bloodwork we had done last week came back completely normal. No indication of any enzyme deficiencies at all. They determined that the two previous tests were false positives so we, without a doubt, have nothing to worry about. And no need to even go to the geneticist. Thanks for your prayers for our sweet baby and Thank you Lord!


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While he should have been napping...

...somebody got a hold of the lotion & put it in his hair like Daddy's hair gel. LA Looks, anyone?




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All the way from "oo-ii-oo" (Ohio)

On Wednesday, BFF Alisha & her son Ethan flew down to visit for a few days! Jackson has been stoked all week about "E" coming to play and of course I have been excited to see Alisha.

Trip highlights:
1. Yes, three carseats can in fact fit into the backseat of my car. Didn't snap a pic to prove it, but that just means we can have three kids without succumbing to a minivan.

2. Alisha gave me a Moby wrap as Weston's baby gift. This thing is AWESOME. Weston loves being so snug in it and I love how secure and truly handsfree it is. Thanks Aunt 'Lisha!



3. Fun day at The Children's Museum. Our zoo trip got rained out so we hit up the museum. Ethan & Jackson ran from exhibit to exhibit and had a ball. Weston snoozed in the Moby most the time.

Mixing up batter for a birthday cake...


This was pre-spanking. Jackson refused to come down for a good 15 minutes despite my threats. He knew what was waiting on him.






Wet heads....





4. Baby Weston's photo shoot attempt...which is nearly impossible with two 2-yr-olds and a cranky subject. I hoped to use Alisha's photography talent to capture pics of West for his birth announcement but not sure if any will work, mainly because of this distraction...






5. Naked playtime outside on a gorgeous fall day! (and in the front yard, no less)










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1 Month Old

As I did with Jackson, I plan to take monthly pictures of Weston throughout his first year. However, it seemed cumbersome to wiggle him into a white onesie then attach the number, so I redneck-improvised and just put him in a diaper and stuck the number on his bare chest. We snapped a few dozen pictures and then I realized that while this set-up was easier on the front end, I now had to attempt to painlessly remove a large sticker from my newborns tender skin. Rip it or ease it?
I kinda went 50/50 and got that sucker off with minimal tears. Kinda.

At his appointment, chunky monkey weighed in at 12lb 4oz. He's 23" long, both of which put him in the low 90th percentiles. We think he's built like his daddy and will probably outgrow his big brother!

As a couple of you may know, Weston had an abnormal result for one of the genetic tests that were part of his newborn screening. We had bloodwork re-done last week and got the results back yesterday at his check-up. Based on the results, he still shows a lower than normal GALT enzyme (normal is greater than 60...Weston's was 46). Basically, this test screens for Galactosemia which is a genetic metabolic disorder where the body cannot process lactose into galactose.
Based on having a borderline reading, Weston could possibly have a duarte galactosemia, which is much less severe than classic galactosemia and typically requires little or no dietary changes, and is asymptomatic. Our pediatrician has recommended we see a Pediatric Geneticist but he is fairly confident that if anything, he has a variation of classic galactosemia. I am continuing to breast-feed and we hope to see the geneticist in the next week or so.

As I write this, I'm sitting at the children's outpatient lab waiting for Weston to be called back for bloodwork. They hope to have specific enzyme tests done and results back for our appointment in a few weeks. Pray for easy blood draw & a happy baby this afternoon!








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I love my job

I love being a Mommy. I love being home with my little ones, rain or shine, good days and bad. I love waking them up with kisses and hugs, getting that first smile of the day. I love having special breakfasts on the couch while watching Curious George and I don't even mind the temper tantrum that is a result from not getting to have a special breakfast on the couch. I love wiping sticky fingers, stinky bottoms and drooly faces.
I had mixed feelings about giving up the job that I loved to be at home full-time, but I know with full certainty that this is what the Lord has called me to do. I would not trade this precious time for anything and I absolutely love this season of life.

Deliciously Local

I'm quite obsessed with Groupon lately and have made more than a few impulse buys, some of which I regret. However, last month I purchased a "Sweetness Basket" from a local company called Milk & Honey for $20 (normally $40). Basically, the company delivers a cooler full of fresh, organic, local produce to members on a weekly basis, along with recipes & a week-long meal plan for the goods.

I scheduled my delivery for this week & could not be more impressed! The granola who delivered the produce came in and unpacked the cooler for me, explaining the optimal storage for each item. The items keep coming...romaine lettuce, baby spinach, an eggplant, crimini mushrooms, bartlett pears, ginger gold apples, a bunch of grapes, bananas, a handful of red potatoes, roma tomatoes, some sugar snap peas and ginger. All of it amazingly fresh and blemish-free (they boast about hand-picking the items). Check out these goodies....





Now all I need is to cook up these yummies in order to convince Ben to let me subscribe to weekly "Sweetness Baskets"!

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OCD?

While one would never know it from taking a peek into my house on any given day, I am a very organized person and like everything to be in its proper place. I like my closet to be arranged by color, then sleeve length; my sewing room has fabric neatly folded in baskets; shoes are to be lined up on shoe racks with their mates; the broom in the pantry must be propped against the left wall, never the right.

And isn't it amazing how much kids pick up? Jackson has developed a love for all things orderly & organized. He lines up his matchbox cars in rows, in a very specific order. Don't dare mess with them once they are in place or a meltdown will ensue. He fanatically puts his shoes in the closet as soon as he takes them off and is greatly disturbed if his shoe cubby is occupied with another pair. His pacis must go in the metal tin on his dresser immediately upon waking up to avoid panic. The fridge magnets must be lined up just so, and left that way. And if his hands get dirty & cannot be immediately wiped clean, be prepared for major chaos. Over the weekend, I made him a "parking lot" on the deck for his riding toys. He LOVED having a place for each of them.