5 Months and WAY behind!

I am way way way behind in my blog. Ever so sorry! In picking up where I left off, Keagan finally got better from the stomach bug...only to give it to me. I learned that I am not nearly as resilient as my child, and had the stomach bug (read: nausea AND vomiting) for two days...skip a day...then again. And wasn't completely back to myself for a week. Luckily no one else in the house got it. Just as soon as I felt "better" it was time to load up the car and skidaddle to Texas for Christmas. A 12 hour drive. Mhmm.. I know you feel sorry for me and Josh. I felt sorry for us. Oh wait, I am still not over this. Seriously, as much as we enjoyed ourselves with both sets of family (on Friday after Christmas we drove from Texas back to Owensboro to visit with Josh's parents...a mere 15 hours in the car that time) we have decided that Christmas will take place at our house from now on. We still haven't given Keagan his "big" present and there are still gifts under the tree for the kids! We haven't had time. And I remember how wonderful it was to wake up and open presents and then play with them all. Not pack them away in the car, only to be forgotten. So, anyways...new traditions for our family for this new year. I suppose it is time, we are a family now and we aren't a small family...and we don't travel light.

 

While we were gone Finley turned 5 months old. I don't like this. He will be HALF A YEAR soon. And I don't like that. However, 5 months is a fun, fun age and he is a very fun baby!

 

Finn is huge. He is in 9-12 month size clothes. He can still fit into some of his smaller duds, but they require a stretch from mommy. Stretching in width and length.

He loves to sit up and view the world, and sometimes gets an inkling to stand and will not flex his hips to sit. (all of this is with help, of course) Funny thing is he still will not roll. I say "will not" because I think he can, he is just lazy. And he screams when placed on his belly so we promptly roll him ourselves.

He is still quite passionate. I.e. if he doesn't want something he lets you know. With screams.

Finley chews on his bottom lip...sucks it up into his mouth and looks like a little old man. (teething?)

He is still waking during the night, and is incredibly inconsistent with how often (sometimes once, sometimes FOUR times). I often ask myself if I will ever sleep through the night again. It is painful.

He takes a great nap right in the middle of the day. He needs to nap a small bit in the afternoon and morning, but he fights it like there is no tomorrow and then is a cranky bear.

We lovingly call him Fat Baby. Bald Baby. Fussy Baby. Others have said he looks like Uncle Fester or Charlie Brown. Also, Sir Topham Hatt from Thomas the Train shows.

He is a very talkative baby, and his coos and conversations are sweet sweet sweet!

He is not an exceptionally smiley baby, he definitely makes you work for his smiles. I don't think this has anything to do with his happiness, I just think he saves them for certain people (mommy).

He is quite flirty with the ladies. Slow blinks, sweet smiles, resting his head on their cheeks, coos...

Finley is now in his own bed...he actually outgrew his bassinet. This is about the biggest milestone we've had in the last month.

He loves to pull hair. I think it is because he has little to none of his own.

He is very inquisitive and likes to reach out for anything and everything. He realized the "month" sticker was on his chest and within 2 minutes pulled it off. So much for those!

He absolutely adores his big brother. And thankfully the feeling is mutual.

Finn loves a good bath, and drenches everything within a 2 foot radius of him.

He FINALLY started taking bottles at daycare. It only took him being there 7 weeks (HA!). But he is a champ with them now and you'd honestly never know that his name was "Finicky Finley."

 

Here are some quick pictures I took the other night (just had to get it documented...)

 

Where'd your bottom lip go, Finn? 

 No bottom lip + smile = Happy Old Man look

Practicing for his first night in his own room and bed! These were taken in Early December

There are so many other blogs that need to happen...hopefully our family will remain healthy and life will get back on track quickly so I can get them on here. Stay tuned for blogs on Keagan's Potty Training...Christmas...Keagan's Ringers and Singers at church...Christmas...the boys' daycare Christmas pictures...oh my!

Until then, Merry (late) Christmas and Happy New Year! Here's to good health and happiness to you and yours from our family!

A Stranger's Kindness

The past, oh, 48-hours have been rough for the Owens household. And I am going to guess that we are just at the tip of the iceberg. Poor Keagan contracted a virus at school and has been so very sick. I have never seen my child this type of sick before and it scares me. The night before last he was up through the night with a fever (which started on Wednesday evening) and we were alternating ibuprofen and acetaminophen. I assumed he was getting his two-year molars because he was just a little clingy but otherwise normal. So I took him to school Thursday. When I went to pick him up yesterday around 2:30 in the afternoon, his teacher was just about to take his temp and call me. I looked at my sweet boy, sitting at pint-sized snack table, eyes glassy and cheeks red. His teacher said he had had diarrhea all day. The fever was not due to teeth. Last night at home was pretty much awful. Poor Keagan couldn't stay off the potty (we are potty-training...and I was actually going to post about that....but it will wait) or keep a dry diaper on. His bottom is raw from the diarrhea and clearly painful. His fever was only mildly staying down with medicine. He wouldn't eat and anything he drank ran right through him. We changed our sheets right before bed and then during the night we had to change Keagan's bed...and he came back into bed with us but on towels. No one has slept good for two nights. The baby has been very patient, thank God, but he is still a baby and needs a lot of attention. Somehow, we made it to this morning. Luckily Josh was able to stay home with Keagan this morning so I could work just a bit, then we switched roles this afternoon so Josh could go to work. I took Finn to daycare so Josh could focus on Keagan and when I dropped him off I learned that 4 more children from Keagan's class went home yesterday evening. The events and fatigue caught up with me and I started crying while talking to the director of Keagan's school. It is just so hard to see your baby like this (and he continues to be feverish and have diarrhea...add in vomiting this afternoon). I hadn't had my coffee or any breakfast yet so I decided to go through McDonalds drive-thru. I really wanted a peppermint mocha. The lady said their machine was down...now that was nearly enough to send this momma into hysterics. I was going to nix the whole thing and drive off, but then I decided to just get a coffee and a breakfast burrito. Whatever, it was something and I needed to get to my first patient's house. When I got to Window #1 to pay, the McDonalds girl told me the lady in front of my paid for mine. I was confused and asked did I need to pay for hers? Nope. The lady got mine. Just out of kindness. I cried some more. She has no idea how her act of kindness has affected me throughout the day today. It was only $2.43 that she spent on me. She doesn't know me. And she doesn't know my "story." But I have had a couple of the toughest days on record as a mommy and, although she will never know, her simple act of kindness helped me out tremendously. I am writing this blog because I want you all to know that kind people still exist. And today, I am so incredibly thankful for this. I needed a pick-me-up, a refresher (after-all I am now solo tonight with a sick baby and a little baby), a "hug" in a sense from a stranger. I rolled down my window, waved my hand and shouted THANK YOU!! to her. She replied "You are very welcome." Then I said to myself, "thank you. you have no idea how much that meant to me." And I thanked God for her and for my children. And cried some more (fatigue is a powerful thing). Sometimes it is the simple things that a stranger does that diverts the course of your whole day, and improves it. To whoever this stranger is, Thank You. My child may still be sick and I may have a difficult night ahead once he wakes from his nap and I pick up the baby from daycare, but I have this simple act of kindness to fall back on and remind me that God is looking out for me.

All I want for Christmas...

Let the Christmas fun begin!