Matt & Emily

Our Big Boys

2013-09-03T11:26:00.000-04:00

1 month stats: 11lbs, 23 inches

2 month stats: 13lbs 9oz, 24 inches

Our littlest man is doing a standup job of maintaining those chubby thighs. He’s smiling and cooing, although we’ve got to work for it a lot harder than we did with Asher. Atlas is a little more coy than his big brother ever was, but when he smiles, he smiles big – melts a momma’s heart. I don’t know if it has more to do with his personality or the fact that I’ve done this before, but Atlas has been a much easier baby – almost comically so. I joke with Matt that all I have to do is put him in his crib and he just falls asleep. Some days it really is like that. It’s kind of amazing. (Disclaimer: this doesn’t happen every day). I remember struggling a lot more with getting Asher to sleep and getting him on a schedule. I hope I’m not jinxing myself here, but it’s all just fallen into place with far less effort than I remember the first time around. At night, you can tell when he’s down for the count because when he falls asleep about 0930ish, he’s out hard - there’s no waking him, and he’s only waking once a night. We could have moved him out of our room earlier, but, honestly, I just wasn't ready. Turns out the decision was made for us when Asher ended up miserable in our bed with a nasty cold. I didn't want Atlas sucking in all those germs, so into his own room he went! No problem. I've been back a work for 2 weeks now, remembering how to be a nurse again and loathing that blasted breastpump. I know it’s trite to say that it’s gone by so fast, but it feels like it’s gone faster because I started my maternity leave several weeks before he was born, so he’s younger than Asher was when I returned to work after his birth. Speaking of Asher, today was the first day of preschool. All he has talked about for the past few weeks is going to school "like Daniel Tiger" (one of our favorite cartoons). He’s such a social butterfly I know he’s going to love it. He’s also been really excited about packing his hippopotamus lunch box. I think having a tiny man at home eases the reality of my first baby becoming such a big boy. And he’s only going two half-days a week, so we’ll still have plenty of days together like we do now. If anything it will probably be a welcome break for me and some one-on-one bonding time for Atlas and mommy. After all, Asher and I have had two solid years together, just the two of us. Atlas’s bond with me will be different because it will never be just us two, so I think these mornings with Atlas will be really special.

Atlas Kiran Nanney

2013-07-09T22:49:00.000-04:00

I suspect that no matter how many babies you’ve had, the first month (at least) is always going to be focused on survival and little else. Well, we all made it, and the fog of physical recovery, lack of sleep and general adjustment to life with a newborn is slowly starting to lift. We are venturing out into the world once again, and I finally found a moment to sit down and write about it. Let’s begin at the beginning – or the end, as it were. So my May baby became a June man. My due date came and went, as did another week and 3 days with no signs that baby Atlas was interested in meeting us. No dilation. No effacement. The man hadn’t even dropped not one bit into my pelvis. My hopes for a VBAC were crushed not because my body rebelled, but because my baby just got too fat and happy. At my 38 week appointment I scoffed when the doctor suggested that I might not go into labor on my own, that the baby was getting a little large for my pelvis. Now I knew for a fact that women much smaller than me had birthed much larger babies that I was surely growing. He estimated that he was probably already 8-8.5 lbs. Poppycock!, I thought. Asher was only 7lbs, 4oz. There was no way baby boy number 2 would be that much larger than number 1. Nonetheless, when I didn’t go into labor at 41 weeks and 3 days, on the day of my reluctantly pre-scheduled c-section, Matt and I took bets with the doctor on how much number 2 would weigh. Turns out, the doctor won when she pulled a 9 pound, 21 inch, dark haired and dark-eyed baby boy out and held him up high over the surgical curtain where we got our first glimpse of Atlas Kiran Nanney. And he’s still putting on the poundage! In his first month he gained 2 pounds and 2 inches, putting his one-month stats at 11lbs. and 23 inches. He’s definitely an eater, and thankfully ... so very thankfully, a good sleeper too. He barely whimpers every 3 hours at night. I feed him. He falls asleep. I put him in his bassinet. And I pass back out. Nights were not nearly that simple with baby boy number 1! We were fully prepared for hall walking, late-night rocking, endless burping, and SO much more crying. You always hear about how often babies get their nights and days mixed up. Asher Nanney was no exception. We were relieved to find that Atlas was born with his AMs and PMs in the right order. We can only hope he keeps them straight! So far he’s a sweet, sleepy, calm and good-natured baby, but we’re excited to see his personality really unfold in the coming months. We’ll keep you updated.

Fast asleep swaddled in his bassinet

A few pictures from our first moments together

BEFORE

AFTER

You read that right! 9lbs!

Meeting for the first time

The sweet men in my life

Awaiting Atlas

2013-05-30T12:49:00.000-04:00

I remember anxiously awaiting labor with Asher, being excited when the midwives told me I had already begun to dilate weeks before my due date and then the disappointment that followed when I was forced into a c-section due to high blood pressure and Asher’s distress in the womb. I had so many expectations for my birth experience with Asher – nearly all of them fell through. This go ‘round I decided a good strategy was to not expect any more than a healthy baby and healthy momma out of baby Atlas’s birth. That’s right, we have a first name: Atlas! Don’t ask us about the middle name ... Well, wouldn’t you know, Atlas is looking good, my blood pressure is fantastic, I’ve gained less than 10lbs the whole pregnancy, and I’m now 5 days past my due date. Everything is perfectly aligned for a natural, vaginal birth – that is, except for my tiny pelvis ... apparently. This baby boy is shaping up to be a bit bigger than Asher, and as such, the physicians at my practice are all agreeing that even if I did go into labor on my own (which they also agree is unlikely since he hasn’t engaged at all), it’s unlikely I would progress at all because he frankly just seems too big to fit through. So it looks like we can pretty much bet on June 4^th as his birthday and a repeat c-section. On the up side, the doc told me she would do a little cosmetic work on my scar while she’s at it – bonus! It’s not a bad scar, but she said she would fix it so it’s nearly unnoticeable. Can’t complain about that, but knowing the pain and soreness that lies ahead, I can’t say that I’m looking forward to being gutted like a fish to birth this baby. Still, Matt and I are beyond ready to meet this tiny man, see what he looks like and find out if his kick-butt and take names attitude on this inside carries over into the world on the outside. We’ll keep you posted!

Belly Update

2013-04-10T10:46:00.000-04:00

I’m happy to say that baby boy’s room is under construction and should be completed by next week! As such, I’ve boycotted cleaning the house until it’s all over because really, what’s the point? I’m also happy to say that I am finally well for the first time in months. Thankfully, Matt and I did not catch the heinous diarrhea monster that plagued poor Asher and my in-laws last week. A few weeks ago I had fevers over 101 with no identifiable source of infection. We spent most of one night in the hospital monitoring my contractions brought on by the high temps and dehydration. Thankfully, all’s well and baby boy is still in the belly. Those three days of non-stop contractions were no fun for this momma though! I’m hoping this warm weather brings with it wellness for us because I’ve never been sick this much in my life! With so much to do and so few weeks before we have a newborn in the house, we’re sort of scrambling here at house of Nanney. I want to do something special with Asher before baby brother gets here so we’re planning a trip to the zoo the next weekend I get a day off. I’m really hoping the weather is good and that I can keep up at 35 weeks pregnant. I joked with Matt that we may need to rent a hoveround.

E R Terrible Two's

2013-03-22T15:11:00.001-04:00

What has happened to my sweet, loving, snuggly and jovial little man? I mean, I know he’s still in there somewhere because I see glimpses of him on occassion throughout the day, but sometime in the last few weeks a tiny two-year-old monster has taken hold of him – voice and all. “Mmmmmoooooommy,” he said to me today in a deep, slow, drawn-out growl. At lunch, he straight-up looked me in the eye, picked up his cup of water, and without breaking gaze, turned it upside down, dumping a full glass onto the floor. We’re talking tantrums with tears and fits of fury, here people. But I suppose it’s just all part of the toddler process. At the same time, he’s become so much more verbal – so much more ... opinionated. A few of his favorite phrases lately are “How ‘bout” – as in Me: “Asher, let’s eat your sandwich.” Asher: “How ‘bout .... piece of chocolate!” and “Ummmmm .... No” – that one’s self-explanatory. On the other hand, he has a few cute ones as well. One of my very favorites is “E R”. The best we can tell, he’s trying to say “there it is” or “here it is.” We have a few word books, and we ask him to point to the table or the cat or the circle. He’ll scan the page and finally land his finger on the object and exclaim, “E R circle!” Anytime he finds something he’s looking for it’s “E R toothbrush,” “E R coat,” “E R Roxy dog.” It’s really quite adorable! Despite the terrible two’s being in full swing, we’re preparing ourselves to do it all again. 9 weeks and a little house construction to go before baby brother is here! No, his room is not ready. No, we don’t have a name yet, but he’ll still arrive when he’s ready in spite of it all. Despite all the opportunity for things to go wrong and my never-ending string of illnesses this pregnancy, the pregnancy itself seems to be right on track. My blood pressure is behaving itself this go ‘round. I had to go for a 3-hour round two of glucose testing, but no gestational diabetes. At one point, my belly was measuring nearly a month ahead of itself, but ultrasounds confirmed he is exactly the size he should be. So far, it’s looking like a VBAC might be a realistic possibility, but I’m not holding my breath just yet. I figure if I don’t set my expectations too high for this birth, I have less chance of melting down in the delivery room like a two-year-old. At least at this point, Matt will have had some experience mitigating these types of tantrums – as long as he remembers that when the nurse says “time out,” she’s not implying my nose should go in the corner! Ha! (sorry – medical humor!)

Snow Day

2013-02-17T21:45:00.001-05:00

Asher had his first real romp in the snow today. It wasn't a lot of snow, but he had a blast. Afterward we went in and had hot chocolate, which was nearly as big a hit as the frosty stuff.

Asher Turns 2!

2013-02-14T15:43:00.000-05:00

Some days it's hard to believe our sweet Asher Orion is already 2 years old, and some days it feels like it was a lifetime ago that we spent those blurry first few days in the hospital in disbelief and awe that our little man was here. Most often we are simply amazed at the tiny person he's developed into with a not-so-tiny personality, opinions, and eccentricities. He's actually a really cool little kid (and I'd like to think we have more than a little something to do with that). He's definitely a people person and a lady charmer. He gives big hugs and sweet kisses. He talks non-stop, and awesomely enough one of his favorite phrases is, "Thank you!" And, in fairness, he does say "please" before he demands a bite of my cereal each morning. He loves to play outside. He loves to read. He still loves bath time. And he LOVES Mickey Mouse! He's recently discovered his love for chocolate. He doesn't get it often, but you wouldn't know that from how often he actually asks for it - haha. The first groggy, hoarse words out of his mouth when he woke up a few weeks ago were: "Piece of chocolate?!" It shouldn't be any surprise then what kind of cake he got for his birthday this year. I found an egg substitute that allows me to use regular box cake/cookie/whatever mix, which makes it a lot easier than trying to hunt down or piece together an egg-free recipe. Here's a look at the celebrations.

Birthday festivities started with a few presents before we got out of our jammies. "Walter the Farting Dog" is a big hit at our house before bedtime, so we got him the rest of the books in the series: "Walter the Farting Dog: Trouble at the Yard Sale," "Rough Weather Ahead for Walter the Farting Dog," "Walter the Farting Dog Banned From the Beach," and "Walter the Farting Dog Goes On A Cruise." After breakfast, we went with Grammy to Marbles Kids' Museum in downtown Raleigh for a morning of Asher-oriented fun. He always has a blast there, and it's fun for us to watch him having such a good time.

After nap, Grandma, Grandpa, and Auntie Ericka came over for cake and presents.

Grandma and Grandpa got him a "murse" kit since he likes Mommy's stethoscope so much.

He was super excited about his bike, but the hit of the day was the remote-controlled fire truck Auntie Ericka got him - I didn't have a picture in the camera roll of him playing with it though :(

Egg-free cake was a hit among all the party guests except Roxy dog who didn't get any since she doesn't need another run-in with "the shave paw."

She did, however, (begrudgingly) don a party hat for the singing of the birthday song.

We ended the birthday evening with a taste of margarita (shhhhh) at one of our fave Mexican restaurants.

Valentine's Day is always around the corner from my men's birthdays, so Mommy gets a little extra love too in the same week. We're not going to know what to do with a May baby, but it sure will be nice to be able to plan some festivities outside for once.

So Much To Celebrate

2013-01-03T21:29:00.000-05:00

It’s a busy time of year at the Nanney house between holidays and birthdays. We celebrated my 32^nd birthday *gasp* and Roxy Dog’s 5^th. Grammy’s was on Thanksgiving, and Matt and Asher’s are already in the planning process for next month. With Matt taking off a few weeks from work for the holidays, we decided also to undertake a major home improvement project. Rarely do we have this much time together, so we’ve taken on the task of painting our kitchen cabinets – a job that has proven more time consuming then we anticipated. I’ll go ahead and translate that for you to say we’re currently living with a cabinet doorless kitchen. We’ll get around to ... sometime in the next month. BUT so far, it’s looking pretty sweet. Speaking of sweet, we got the first glimpse of our sweet little one in the womb’s face AND a sweet shot of his baby BOY parts! That’s right, I’m about to be a momma of 2 boys – OH MY! I told Roxy Dog it was me and her for “Team V”! Matt and I have been convinced since the start that it’s a boy, so it wasn’t much of a surprise in the ultrasound room. I told Matt this just means we have to have a third so I can have my girl. One of the women I used to work with has this family tradition (an old wive’s tale) of holding your wedding band on a string above your hand to predict how many children you will have and their gender. Depending on what direction the ring swings, that means boy or girl. Once the ring stops swinging, it’s done predicting, and you’ve got your number. She says it’s been 100% accurate in her family for generations. The string told me I’d have two boys and a girl. So far, so good :)

Christmas morning

Asher found a use for Matt's compost bin right away

Mini M&M's were the stocking favorite!

Our first child turned 5 years old!

What a tender moment

Happy Birthday waffle

We opted for peanut butter waffles this year instead of pupcake because, frankly, we've spent enough on what we call "the shave paw" (pancreatitis) in the past 6 months. We didn't want to trigger another bout.

Note the lack of cabinet door behind me and the missing knob on the drawer. It's in-process, people - in-process.

MONEY SHOT!

Fall Is Still Our Favorite!

2012-11-07T13:06:00.001-05:00

I suppose this will have to be a catch-up post for all our recent fall happenings. We’ve had so much going on and a recent ‘bout of ichiness that has all kept me from keeping the blog up to date. Most exciting around the homestead is that our chickens have finally started to lay eggs! And they’re blue! And yummy! So yay for not having to buy eggs anymore. “The Ladies” as we call them, are looking fat and happy these days.

We made our pilgrimage to the fair again this year. Asher’s favorite part turned out to the be kettle corn and blue grass band. He entertained quite a few fairgoers with his dance moves, but by the end of it, he nearly fell asleep atop Dada’s shoulders. He was a tuckered out little man at the end of the day.

And let’s not forget the first haircut! He was a champ! I was so worried he was going to squirm or cry that I packed all sorts of snacky distractions to aide in the hair cutting process. Turns out I didn’t need any of them. He was so excited about sitting in a chair that had a wheel he could turn that he didn’t mind the haircut a bit. The only part he didn’t like was the water spritz in the beginning. He sat so straight and so still the whole time. The fit didn’t happen until I had to pry him away from the toy trains he had found while I was settling up at the register. He looks like such a handsome little man now. I took him for frozen yogurt afterward where he proceeded to again draw a crowd with his dance moves to the music playing in the shop. He’s such a performer that kid.

Most recently, we went on a family vacation with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Erinn and Uncle Mike. In efforts to find a location between Raleigh and DC, we landed in Amherst, Virginia. It was in the middle of nowhere and we ended up driving quite a bit each day for activities, but the bed and breakfast we rented out was quite nice. There were horses, cows, peacocks and resident dogs. Much to our surprise and relief, the tiny man slept well each night and was a trooper through multiple days with only a fraction of a nap caught on the fly. With birthdays and holidays just around the corner, life is sure not to slow down anytime soon, so we’re buckling up for the ride ahead!

Asher's room and our room

Obligatory baby in the bath vacation photo - at least it wasn't a sink this time!

We celebrated Grandpa and Aunt Erinn's birthdays while we were there. Grandma even made an egg-free cake so Ashies could have a piece.

Best photo we could get - LOL

Happy Halloween All!

2012-10-31T20:50:00.003-04:00

From our little Yoda!

Trick or Treating in the wagon with Daddy.

Roxy dog "enjoyed" all the trick or treaters stopping by.

Stay at Home, You Say?!

2012-09-07T13:34:00.002-04:00

Lake Lynn

The swan

I don't know what this acutally is, but we call them "turkey ducks"

Some days you can feed ducks AND deer

We've seen several baby deer this summer

So pretty :)

I work full-time here too.

For a few months now Asher and I have been going on frequent walks around a local lake. It’s fresh air and easy entertainment for Asher and a decent workout for me since it’s nearly a 3mile loop. We usually bring stale bread to feed the many, many ducks that gather. It generally just adds to an easy and healthy morning routine for both of us. This particular greenway is a popular walking path for many folks, and most people we pass pause to smile back, talk or wave to Asher. Today an older gentleman passing us stopped to wave at Asher and made the comment that Asher didn’t know how lucky he was to have a stay-at-home mom. He reiterated that point several times and just kept talking about me being a stay-at-home mom. It finally came to the point that I felt the need to correct him because I am not, in fact, a stay-at-home mom. Now before I stick my foot in my mouth with my stay-at-home momma friends, let me just say that I understand that it is, in itself, a full-time job. Raising children, maintaining a home, and feeding multiple mouths is hard work. You’re on the job 24-7. I know. I do it all week, and I would love to say that my time is wholly dedicated to that, but it's not. And I’m often left wondering why I get so fired up when people make that assumption. Stay-at-home moms rock. Plus, it’s easy to understand why folks would make that mistake. I’m fortunate to have a job and managers that are flexible enough to allow me to work full-time hours on the weekends and Mondays. That allows me to be home with Asher Tuesday –Friday. But I don’t get weekends to spend with my husband, enjoy family get-togethers, or parties with friends. I spend my weekends hard at work, clocking in back-to-back 12-hour shifts. Maybe it’s because I carry the expectations and responsibilities of both a stay-at-home mom AND a full-time nurse that I feel underestimated?, slighted?, depreciated? when one of those roles is not acknowledged. Don’t get me wrong, I count myself lucky that I can be at home with my baby nearly all week and still bring home a full-time paycheck. That being said, I’m not just a nurse, and I’m not just a stay-at-home mom – I guess I’m both. And I want my full credit for TWO full-time jobs, thank you very much! Hmph!

Mutiny!

2012-09-05T08:32:00.000-04:00

The only time he slept was when we got in the car. He was knocked out like 2 minutes in ... Mommy sat in the grocery store parking lot for half an hour so he could sleep. Thank goodness for smartphones!

We’ve had a night-night mutiny on our hands! Screaming going down, screaming getting up, waking up multiple times throughout the night, waking for the day at 530 and an outright refusal to nap. Let me make that clear: our 1-year-old went 8 straight days of waking early without a nap! I’m just glad we’re all still alive. To put it into perspective, he’s been sleeping a solid 12 hours at night since he was 4 months old. When he’s at home, you could almost set your watch by his daily 2-hour nap. We were blindsided. At first I thought it was teething, so we put him to bed with a dose of ibuprofen -nope. Then I thought it might be gas because when I went in at midnight one night to soothe him, he farted. We tried a simethicone nightcap -nope. I thought it might be a disruption in his schedule because he spent an extra day at Grandma and Grandpa’s – after multiple days of mutiny, not likely. Other theories: maybe he’s scared, maybe it’s growing pains, maybe he’s just developed a sadistic side. On day 6, with a seed another momma planted in my head about sleep disturbance correlating with neurological growth and development, I finally turned to Google. Though I’d never even heard rumor, there was a wealth of blogs, articles and momma message boards assuring me that a major sleep regression was a normal and almost expected part of any healthy 18-month-old’s progression. Whew ... I was also relieved to read that, in most cases, the captain(s) would regain control of the ship just as quickly as we seemed to have lost it. And like that *snap* ... on day 9, we’re once again sailing on smooth seas. Glad that's over and our little pirate is himself once again.

Our Big Boy!

2012-08-10T12:45:00.001-04:00

18 month stats: 25.1 lbs, 32.5 inches

How much has happened in the six months since Asher turned 1?! He finally started walking at 15 months, and now he can’t wait get his shoes on everyday to go outside. He loves practicing stairs on our back deck. We’ve got the “up” part, we’re just working on the “down.” He loves to say it, as he does it. He’s a talker, even though not all of it makes sense yet. Here’s a list of recognizable words we have so far:

“Mama”

“Dada”

“Dog” and “Woof, Woof”

“Night, Night”

“Light”

“Water”

“Bite”

“Up, Down”
"Uh-Oh"
"All done"
"The end"
"Feet"
"Eye"

Of course, “No”

And he sings “ee i, ee i ... oooooh”

We recently had our first big boo-boo. Asher tripped and hit his head on the corner of our brick hearth. Of course, Momma was at work, so Dad made a good nurse for the day. Right now his favorite things, other than going outside, are brushing his teeth and turning on the bathtub faucets, sometimes at the same time. He’s also starting to develop a sneaky side. Several times now, he’s managed to grab the bag of pita chips out of the pantry and steal away to our closet to devour them. Always the pita chips. Pita chips aren’t really on our list of common snacks, but every day when Dad comes home, he snacks on pita chips and hummus until dinner is ready. Most times he gives Asher a chip or two. So when Asher is able to grab the bag himself, I think he must feel like a big boy. It’s kind of hilarious to walk in on him huddled in our dark closet with a bag of chips, chomping away for all he’s worth! Speaking of big boy – we’ve been thinking a lot lately about a big boy bed for Asher, but I just don’t know if he’s ready. He recently hopped the crib rail, and we were only able to lower his mattress a few inches more. She’s a low as she goes, so if we have any more escapes from here on out, we won’t have much of a choice!

Auntie Erinn got married in May, and she had the most handsome ring bearer ever! Too bad he started walking the very next week!

Heavy Hearts Around the Homestead

2012-07-25T20:32:00.000-04:00

Whew, so much has being going on, we’ve not even had the time to reflect on it enough to share it here. Looks like our last post was about our new brood. Out of five chickens, we have one left that has joined a new group of 4 ladies. What happened to the first original four? Let’s just say it factors into the reason we are re-homing Rex. It’s not been an easy decision. Rex has been with us for four years now. He’s a member of the family and Roxy dog’s best friend. In fact, Roxy may miss him most of all. It makes me sad to take her best friend from her, but it’s best for both our broods at this point. Rex has become increasingly anxiety-filled over the past year. And truth be told, our patience for his shenanigans has thinned since the addition of a small child. We’ve tried him on daily medications with no noticeable improvement. With our jobs and Asher, we just don’t have the time to work with a dog trainer or attend classes. The last straw was not entirely Rex’s fault. Asher ran to him, excited to grab and hug his doggie, as he has done many times before. But for a dog that is on edge at baseline, his startle reflex got the best of him and he bit Asher. Now, don’t worry, it didn’t even break the skin. I think it scared Asher more than it hurt him. That being said, a momma can’t have a dog in the house that has bitten her child! So we’re trying to find him a new home. It’s proven more difficult than we thought. The ASPCA of Wake County has a six-month wait to accept a dog. Craigslist has been no luck. We feel we owe him more than taking him to the pound, but we’ve got to get him out of the house. Hopefully the answer appears soon.

Meet the Ladies ...

2012-05-01T22:01:00.002-04:00

*one of them is possibly a rooster ...

clockwise: Minnie, Charlotte, Selma, Maggie, and Sarah

That's right - we've got urban chickens! They're not laying yet, but in a few months, these ladies should give us 1-2 dozen eggs a week.

So Much is Brewing

2012-04-13T11:15:00.003-04:00

So much is brewing at the Nanney homestead - quite literaly! Both bathrooms are now occupied by beer and wine-making goings-on. I'll keep how I feel about that out of a public forum ... haha. We're quickly approaching an actual homestead over here on Hopper Street. We've got the worms hard at work priming the compost for our veggies, and we're even anticipating some baby chicks this summer! It's a shame our child can't eat eggs. Matt found a local chicken coup maker (if that's how you phrase it) on craigslist that is willing to trade a canoe we don't use for a coup. The coup's the expensive part - chicks are actually pretty cheep (no pun intended ... cheep, cheep ... haha). Our own baby chick is not so baby anymore. The transition to cow's milk was relatively painless and the struggle to give up the bottle only lasted about a week until I figured out that he'll only drink water with meals, but he'll take a "good morning" milk and an "afternoon snack" milk. This child definitely knows what he wants. Also, we've gone all straw around here. I felt like he was getting confused by going back and forth between a straw cup that you can't tip to a sippy you have to tip up to get anything. We're working on finger foods and using a spoon. He's getting pretty good, but there are a few foods that he still won't eat unless they're pretty blended. He's not walking yet, but we're expecting it to happen any time now. He can stand on his own and loves it when Momma and Dada clap for him each time he stands. He even starts clapping for himself. I'm telling you, this kid is such an ham! In fact, here he is hamming it up on Easter morning:

Weaned

2012-02-29T13:54:00.000-05:00

Just like every breastfeeding relationship is different, I’m sure every weaning experience varies. For Asher, the disappearance of the boob didn’t really seem to phase him. One week and done. I think I’ve struggled with weaning much more than he has. When I began to think about weaning, I read up. What I found was that for most duos the last and hardest feeding to drop would be the before bed feeding. While I’d continued to feed Asher every night before I put him in the crib, he’d not nursed for more than 2 minutes in nearly 2 months. I suspected that it might not be as big a deal for us, and I decided to just go for it one night. Turns out I was right. Asher is used to story time before daily naps, so instead of putting him to the breast, I simply read him a book, said “night-night,” and put him to bed. And that was it. I continued to feed him in the morning for a week after that, just so I didn't have to go cold turkey or pump. We had been down to only 2 feedings a day at this point, so I wasn’t getting engorged, but I’d never been entire days, let alone multiple days, without feeding or pumping so I had no idea what to expect. It’s not been terrible, but I have cheated since we stopped entirely ... twice ... only in the morning. I’ve had some crazy weaning symptoms ... twice my whole body has ached – muscles cramps and soreness like I’m getting the flu ... I’m not, by the way. So I’ve fed him, and it goes away. As of today, we’re 4 days out without a feeding and I’m feeling just fine. I think we might be over the hump. Though I didn’t necessarily approach weaning with any specific school of thought in mind, I think there’s something to be said about baby-led weaning. Don’t get me wrong, if I were to offer Asher a boob right now, I’m certain he’d take it, but I did wait until his fervor for the breast was mild at best before taking it away. I can’t believe our year has come to a close. It’s bittersweet, but I know this season of life will come again. And I’ll be counting down the months once more.

Congratulations ... It's a Syndrome!

2012-02-24T14:39:00.003-05:00

If you've read our post "Asher gets the Ick" then you know about the violent and prolonged vomiting we experience with eggs. Multiple pediatrician visits have left us with the impression of egg an intolerance. I've never been truly convinced though, so the pediatrician suggested that we hold off until his first birthday and draw some blood for allergy testing along with the routine CBC he'd be getting anyway. Both arms, multiple sticks, and many tears (admittedly a few of mom's too) later, the phlebotomists couldn't get a vein to give up the goods. So we made an appt with an allergist for a skin prick test. We tested for milk (which I knew he wasn't allergic to because he drinks at least 8oz a day with no problems), peanuts (why not), and eggs (the offender). Verdict: not allergic to a single one of 'em. That is, based on the skin test. But what the allergist DOES believe is happening is FPIES (Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome). Side note: this dude has been doing it for 35 years and was director UNC's pediatric allergy program for a bazillion years - still teaches there. Point being - he knows something. The clinical presentation matched pretty spot on with what I'd experienced with Asher. It's not really anaphylaxis because of the means by which the reaction occurs, but the end result can be the same in terms of shock. Heavy stuff! I found a few resources in my internet wanderings. Here is a video made by the momma of a FPIES kid allergic to soy. The docs didn't believe her at first either - kept telling her it was a "stomach bug." Hmmmm ... sounds familiar. Be warned, the video is a bit vomit-intensive, but the reality of what it looks like when Asher eats eggs.

The good news is, most kids outgrow this reaction by the time they're five. AND it's just eggs. While eggs are a very rare trigger for this syndrome, many of the kids that have it are triggered my many many everyday foods and have trouble thriving, are in and out of the hospital and even sometimes get feeding tubes or TPN. We're actaully crazy lucky it's just eggs. The allergist said he would wait until he's 5 to rechallenge him on the eggs. So for now, it's positively NO MORE EGGS FOR ASHER!

(I also discovered today he's got a skin allergy to almonds ... just the skin ... around his mouth, but no more almond butter for Asher either).

Asher Turns 1!

2012-02-12T11:35:00.001-05:00

We took Asher to Yogurt Mountain on his birthday.

He LOVED the balloons Grandma and Grandpa brought him

Frozen yogurt is SOooo cold!

Party time!

Cake!

Unsure about his cake thing at first

But then he got into it ...

I think he loved the feeling of it squishing between his fingers best of all - hahaha

Happy Birthday!

2012-02-09T08:01:00.001-05:00

Today we celebrate our sweet Asher Orion’s first birthday. It’s been a full year since he took his first breath in the OR at UNC Hospital. That first cry was surreal, particularly since I heard him a full couple of minutes before I ever saw him. He was still behind the surgical curtain while they cleaned and swaddled him. And I think every first-time parent has that moment of panic right before they’re discharged from the hospital: Wait, you’re just going to let us take this baby home with us? We don’t know anything about raising a baby! What do we do with it?! How do we care for it?! How do I feed it? OMG! We were no exception. So it is by the grace of God and with a little help from our friends and family that we’ve kept him alive for a whole year – hahaha. It’s true what is said about there not being a manual and every baby being different. So as much advice as you get, both solicited and unsolicited, it just takes time to get to know this little life you’ve brought into the world – what works for him and what doesn’t. It’s been an amazing experience going from survival mode and just trying to make it through the night without a breakdown to those first smiles and then first words and then an explosion of development. Despite the major life change that is parenthood, Asher really has been a wonderful baby: slept through the night at 4 months, goes down to bed without a fuss, eats his veggies, smiles at strangers, and gives kisses to his “Mmmmmama” every day. Do I even need to mention how increadibly stinkin’ cute he is?! Matt and I could not have picked a sweeter baby than the one we were gifted with. Happy Birthday, sweet boy! Momma and Dada love you more than we can put into words.

Last Call

2012-02-07T23:02:00.000-05:00

Weaning is under way at the Nanney household. Wow. I can’t believe that after a year of worrying every hour of the day about maintaining my milk, I’m actually on the road to drying it up. I knew that my feelings about breastfeeding likely might change when the time came to give it up, and I was right. It’s not that I’m not itching to finally have my body to myself, and I’m certainly not going to miss stressing out over the volume of my production – which I’ve been doing for the past few months. If you’ve read this blog before, I don’t even need to tell you my feelings on pumping. If it weren’t for the fact that I anticipate needing it again in the future, I’d go all Office Space on that breastpump! That being said, I had a moment the other day. Asher had been fighting his morning nap and I finally went in to soothe him. I thought maybe if I breastfeed him for a few minutes, he’d calm down enough to realize how tired he was (this is something that I’m going to struggle with stopping). When I looked down at him, quiet and relaxed, a thought popped into my head: there is going to have to come a day soon that I decide to breastfeed Asher for the last time. I guess I always assumed that it would be out of my hands, that Asher would reject my breast once I went back to work, that I would not be able to keep up my supply, that necessity and not choice would bring breastfeeding to an end. My heart became unexpectedly heavy when I thought about making that decision. That’s when it became real that this relationship is about more than nutrition. Soon after we brought him home from the hospital, I remember how strange it felt handing him to someone else to hold, placing him in his bassinette to sleep. I had held him inside of me for 9 months – felt every turn of his head, shifting of his arms and wiggle of his toes. He felt so foreign outside of me. It felt so uncomfortable to go a moment without touching him. I’m reminded of this same sensation each time I feed him a bottle during the day, as I’m working on only putting him to the breast first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I guess over the past year, breastfeeding has continued to nurture that mother/baby intimacy. It has meant that our physical link was not wholely broken. Once I’m done breastfeeding, he’s truly separated from me. I know I’m his momma and that we’ll always be connected, that he’s going to need my hugs, my kisses, my voice and my touch for years to come, but this weaning thing might be a lot harder than I thought.

What Do All of These Objects Have in Common?

2012-01-27T13:36:00.000-05:00

peg on guitar case

door stop

my toe

my knuckle

the top of his toy fire engine

the knob on his puzzle piece

Yesterday our child attempted to get milk out of all of these things. It was gross and hilarious all at once! You should have seen him laying on his belly, turning his head to get the right angle to nurse on the door stop! Do you think we're hitting a growth spurt?!

Just like a Cat and a Cardboard Box

2012-01-24T22:47:00.000-05:00

I grew up with cats in the house, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you can buy them all the stuffed mice and scratching posts in the world, but nothing compares to the joy and fulfillment of a cardboard box. I am learning that babies aren’t much different. Remember how we cleared out a room for Asher’s toys? Well he’s barely touched any of them in over a week. I put him on the floor, surrounded by playthings, I turn my head and he’s half-way down the hall. He’s all about doors! The only thing in the playroom he actually plays with is the door – open, shut, open, shut ... swinging back and forth, back and forth. His bedroom door, the dryer door, the door on his dresser, the pantry door, our closet door, the dog crate door. He spends his days making rounds, opening and closing all the doors he can reach around the house until it’s naptime. Also, Matt’s parents bought him this really cool walker for Christmas. To be fair, it rolls away from kind of swiftly, but he ‘s found an old stool of my grandmother’s much better suited for the job. Does this mean we can just toss his toys in his room and reclaim ours again from the dogs?

Bad Egg

2012-01-24T20:14:00.000-05:00

Turns out we’ve not got some super bug plaguing us week after week, leaving Mommy covered in vomit – THANK GOODNESS!!! I was becoming concerned about our little man’s immune system. Instead, we’ve been experiencing a food intolerance, according to the pediatrician. It took me a while to connect that each time he had these horrendous episodes of vomiting, he had eaten egg yolks. I was worried when I made the appointment this week that he was actually allergic to eggs – that I was gonna have to be THAT momma that carries around an epipen and doesn’t let her child eat the snacks at school or the cake at birthday parties. The doc suggested we wait a month and try him on eggs again. I guess that means we’ll be doing a vegan birthday cake, but I understand there are some killer recipes out there.

Happy Birthday, Roxy!

2012-01-13T13:51:00.000-05:00

I do love a good retrospective these days, and our sweet Roxy Dog turned 4 years old recently. We celebrated in typical fashion with pupcakes – this year it was zucchini. As in previous years, complements were given to the baker!

It all began here:

Our sweet girl on the day we adopted her

Her first birthday: carrot pupcakes

Her second birthday: Laid out on the floor after eating two slices of pup cake!

Third birthday: carob banana pupcakes

This year brought new a new party attendee!