Drooling

I was thinking of something funny last night. Todd is a world class drool er. It occur ed to me that he now has a bib as a part of his daily fashion ensemble (usually consisting of a onesie). Kind of like daddy's necktie. We also have t change his bib at least twice a day because he soaks it through and I have to leave them on a drying rack to dry out for the next use.
Todd had his first taste of solid food last week. He had some mashed bananas (made an icky face), then he tried some pears (icky face), then some brown rice cereal (made a not-so-icky face) since it had his favorite beverage mixed in - milk! I hope he gets to be a good eater. we already know how much he loves to eat!
Todd's had two teeth come in and he's in the middle of working on the next two. He and Claire were painting together (one of the photos is of Claire pretending to paint his back). He's also trying to make a bridge pose (like yoga) to learn how to crawl. Just like Claire he sees something and tries to move forward, but only suceeds in moving backwards. And that leaves much room for more foul language! Love to you all, Erika.

Todd's Fighting Weight

Well folks, I just took a look at the blog this morning and realized I missed a few entries - OOPS! Well here are some more pictures of the kids. Todd's first two teeth came through last week - much to the enjoyment of all around him. But now he's back to his regular insanely happy self.
Todd visited the pediatrician for more vaccinations and he tipped the scales at 17 pounds - wow! He looks like a prize fighter in the off season. He's measuring 25 1/2 inches long too - an all around big boy who goes off the height/weight chart for his age (that's our little over-achiever).
His last tests at the Vanderbilt children's hospital revealed that his kidneys are functioning and draining properly so no more tests until October when he'll get an ultrasound. Gosh he'll be 7 months old then...hard to believe. Hope you all enjoy the pictures. The last one is a picture I took today. Love to you all, Erika.
In the pictures, Todd is rolling over for the first time (while Claire runs around him), they are watching TV together too.

lots of pictures

Well I'm getting better at taking more pictures of the kids. Maybe because Todd is getting more animated now and photogenic. I just have to remember to keep posting them so I don't end up with so many to post - like this week. Claire put the Christmas bow on his head - she thought it was the funniest thing she'd ever done - and we did too. Claire actually wanted to hold him for the first time ever in the second and third pictures and now she wants to hold him all the time - except for when he's crying - then she says "mommy I want you to feed him!" hahaha.
We had a pretty good doctor's visit a couple weeks ago with the urologist. They were going to do a test called a renalgram or renogram, but couldn't get an IV started so we're going back on Friday to get it done. He did get a couple images taken of his kidneys and his kidney actually looks a lot better (meaning not as dialated) so I'm sure he's going to be fine. It sure is a lot to go through with an infant though. But as you can see from the pictures he continues to be a fountain of smiles and sweetness. We're heading up to Michigan on Saturday. It'll be Todd's first plane trip - and I know he'll be happy as long as he has his mom and her you-know-whats to accompany him. Love to you all, Erika.

Crib Moments

Well Folks, it's been a while since my last post - even the pictures I took are a week old, BUT we have all been sick with some kind of weird virus (except Todd - he only got about a zillion vaccinations last Tuesday). We're all better now though. The night I cam down with it was also the same day Todd had received his vaccinations - which had caused his legs so much pain from the shot points that he couldn't lay on the Boppy pillow to nurse. So I had to improvise and ended up sort of laying down on the couch with him almost on top of me to nurse. But thankfully the shots caused him to lose most of his appetite and unfortunately be awake all night. Oh the joy of children!
I showed you some pictures of him in his crib because that day he #1; put himself to sleep in it for the afternoon and #2; he really enjoys talking to the red flowers on the bumper. It's hilarious to hear him coo and gobble at innanimate objects - just like daddy! The two of them make a cute pair. The second picture of him on the boppy I took right before he starting fussing since he didn't know what he was doing there without eating. sort of like laying on top of the dinner table - only at this dinner table you have to eat by smashing your face into the plate!
Tod is weighing in at 14 lbs 4 oz and measuring 23 1/4 inches long. So we've basically got a two month old the size of a 6 month old. I don't know how we'll pick him up once he actually reaches 6 months of age - hope he's going to enjoy the floor! Maybe we'll invest in a hydraulic jack to get him in and out of the crib - haha. But he's a very happy baby - all smiles and drool. He has much better head control now so he doesnt try to launch himself out of your arms - a good way to throw out my back you can be sure. Hope you all enjoy the pictures - the second one is my favorite! Love to you all, Erika.

chubby little fatso

Well folks, the picture proves it - we've got a chubby little fatso on our hands. It's been almost seven weeks since little (haha...little) Todd entered this world, and I have to say it's really been a blast so far. I think it must be that with the second one you're pretty prepared for most things that occur so you get to enjoy the little things much more. With Claire I was so worried about every little thing that it prevented me from just sitting back and enjoying the peace that motherhood can give you if you just relax!
So I weighed myself last Thursday (Todd's six week birthday) and then I held Todd on the scale with me to see how much he weighed. Now I won't tell you what I weigh, but the scale said he was 13.4 pounds - yow! We are just thrilled to bursting to have such a fat healthy baby boy.
I think I'm going to need a bigger Boppy pillow - hah!
He's also started smiling all the time - and at everyone - most people think he just has gas...hahaha. But I finally got a picture of that too. Love to you all, Erika

Pictures from Last Week

My parents visited last week and here's some pictures since Easter Sunday. Todd is still growing like a weed and Claire is as cute as ever. Oh, and my parents are doing well too - loving the new little man. Love to you all, E

Todd's test results

Right now I am nursing Todd on the boppy pillow while I post this new blog - see? A mom can do two things at once - and that's pretty much how I get everything done nowadays.

Well I mentioned that Todd had an ultrasound scheduled in my last posting and I wanted to give you all a heads up on the results of that ultrasound - plus all the other things we've managed to find out as a result of this.
Todd's ultrasound revealed a couple of things. Number one, he has a VESICOURETERAL REFLUX in his right kidney. It is a grade II, which means that he has urine backing up into his right ureter, but not into his kidney (the right kidney looks very healthy). In his left ureter (the tube connecting the kidney to the bladder), he has a blockage (like a bubble in an old garden hose) that has pushed itself into his bladder. This is going to have to be treated with non-invasive surgery. They will go through a catheter to puncture this blockage so the kidney can drain. He is taking a low dose antibiotic to prevent any urinary tract infections because if he gets an infection it can cause some pretty nasty problems. The reflux should go away on it's own, but he will be monitored by ultrasound every three months to check for further dilation of his kidneys (which would mean that it's getting worse). He'll be going back in another month for an ultrasound because the doctor doesn't want to rush the procedure of removing the blockage in his left ureter since he'll have to be put under anesthesia - and the older he gets the better it will be for him. All in all, it gets pretty confusing, but the most important things are that number one, the doctor says it is a very mild case and that he's going to be just fine. And number two, that we really need prayer for him right now to be protected from infection, and for his reflux to go away as he gets older and grows. I think the procedure of removing the bubble is probably unavoidable, but I know God can perform miracles - I've got a little one sitting in front of me right now - you'd never know he had any of these issues. If you want more info just email me or zach, love to you all, Erika