Goodbye 2007!

What can I say about 2007 as I reflect back on the year we've had?

First and foremost, we welcomed Chase into our lives! On May 25, a "tiny" 8lb. 7oz. bundle of joy entered our lives. And, since that day, we have watched him grow into the 20+lb. 7-month-old that he is today. He is a real Mama's boy, very laid back, and always full of smiles and giggles. What a joy he has been, and continues to be, each and every day! (Although, Cole might not agree so much!) Without a doubt, this is the single best event of the year for our family!

Cole has grown up so much over the past year! He mastered potty training, became a big brother, conquered his fear of riding in the '34 Ford, and got a brand new big boy room! He goes outside to play with his friends now, including inviting them over to play on his swingset or driving them around in his Gator. Every trace of his babyhood is long gone, with the sole exception of his beloved "blankie" that he still loves to sleep with.

He can now write his own name, and loves to use scissors and pencils to "write." He is even mastering his Leapster now and he looks so grown up with his head buried in a video game! He loves tools and spending time working in the garage with Daddy. They always have one project or another that they are working on together.

As I reflect on 2007, I realize just how much the boys have grown and changed. And, how fast it has all happened. I'm sure 2008 will be another great year filled with many new challenges and fond memories. And, while I look forward to watching the boys continue to grow and explore the world around them, I'd also like to figure out how to make it all slow down. They grow up too fast!

Goodbye 2007! It has been a fantastic year! But, now I'm looking forward to 2008 and all the new memories we will create! Here's wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

The day after....

I just love the day after Christmas! Its the one day out of the whole year where Cole doesn't need to be entertained. He just plays with new toys. All.Day.Long. Its awesome! It gives me lots of time to try to find homes for all the new gifts and clean up the Christmas aftermath. And, Cole is busy for the entire day!

I asked him what his favorite gift was this year and he immediately said it was his toolbox!!!!!! And, please be sure to notice his new Mater slippers which have not left his feet since he opened the box. He even asked to sleep in them! Those were a hit as well!

More Christmas Day Fun!

After playing with the new toys and gifts from Santa for a short while, it was time to head out for the rest of our Christmas Day fun! Our first stop was MomMom's and Big Granddad's house.

We had a yummy breakfast and LOTS more presents! To hit the highlights, Cole got talking tools, a chainsaw (which he promply used to try to cut down MomMom's Christmas tree!!!), and his most favorite gift of all this year....a TOOLBOX just like the one Big Granddad uses at the shop!

Chase opening a gift (he just loves the ribbon!)



Cole's favorite gift....a TOOLBOX!!!!!!!




A big "THANK YOU" hug for Big Granddad! Did I mention he loved the toolbox?!?!




Cole sawing down MomMom's Christmas tree.




MomMom and Chase


After opening gifts, we headed next door to Nonnie's and Baby Granddad's house. The entire Taylor family was there, including all of the boys' cousins! We had the traditional feast of homemade cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. And, then we opened many more gifts! (And, Mom and Dad forgot to take a single picture amidst all the excitement! Bad Mom and Dad!!!) However, the boys each received many more nice gifts, including clothes and toys!

And, as we just couldn't possibly cram any more Christmas into one day....our next stop was Grandma "NeeNee" and Herb's house! We had a nice lunch and even MORE Christmas gifts! By this time, Chase was pretty worn out and he took a short nap while we ate and opened gifts. But, he did wake up in just enough time to finish opening his last few presents!

All in all, we had a very fun (albeit exhausting!!!) day! Everyone ended up with WAY too many gifts! But, a great time was had by all! (And, thank goodness Christmas only comes once a year!)

Santa was here!

Christmas morning arrived VERY early with Mom up before 5:30am! Mommy and Daddy both got dressed and ready before Cole awoke, bleary-eyed, at 6:30am. He stumbled across the hall into our bedroom and asked if Santa had been here. We told him that we better go see! Of course, the Big Man HAD been here and Cole was very overwhelmed at all the gifts!

He had asked for a Leapster and Whack-a-Mole Tower, both of which Santa delivered. However, he was so overwhelmed with all the other toys that it took a good 10 minutes before he even realized that both of the things he asked for were right in front of him!!!!

Cole discovering Santa had been here.



Santa's delivery. The boys must have been good this year!




Oh....HERE'S my Leapster!!!!!!!






Chase and Cole playing with the LeapStart Learning Table.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

We had the Simmons side of the family over this year for Christmas Eve! We all enjoyed a big dinner, presents, and lots of fun! We were also lucky enough to have Aunt Robyn and Grandma both here as well! Here are a few pictures from the evening:

Grandma and Cole













Papa and Chase














Nana and Chase













Cole and Chase














Aunt Robyn and Cole (in his Christmas PJs!)














Poor Chase was too tired to even finish opening his presents! He went to bed in the midst of the fun. But, soon after everyone left, it was time for Cole to go to bed. We reminded him that he needed to go right to sleep so that Santa could come visit. We put a few cookies on a plate, poured Santa a glass of milk, and Cole carried them both carefully to the fireplace. Daddy even made sure to open the fireplace doors so Santa wouldn't have any trouble getting in! And, without any of his usual complaining, Cole went right to sleep!

Not a creature was stirring...Not even a mouse...

Life at our house.....

stays pretty hectic most of the time! And, the last few days have been no exception! Sorry for the break in posting updates!

Chase is still in the "adjusting" phase with his new helmet. Today is the last day that he'll be taking it off for any length of time. After today, he'll be wearing it 23 hours a day. In the meantime, he has done better with it than I thought he would. He doesn't like it by any means, but he's getting used to it.

We had to make an emergency trip to the doctor's office last night at 6:00pm to have his helmet adjusted. (Have I mentioned that we have the BEST orthotist in the whole wide world who stayed late on a Friday night and kept his office open just for us?? Not to mention, he also gave us his personal cell phone number just in case we had any other problems over the holiday weekend! Yeah...he's awesome!) Anyway, after doing a little trimming and adding another little piece of foam, I think we're good to go!

Cole has been sick for the past several days. He was diagnosed with a viral upper respiratory infection. And, for the past 3 days, he has been covered head to toe in hives! The doctor said he was most likely allergic to some component of the virus. However, today his hives are gone and we're hoping that he is now on the mend!

Amongst all that, we're trying to finish up Christmas shopping, wrapping, and all the other fun stuff that goes along with the holdiays! We'll be seeing most of you in the next few days!

Chase got his helmet today!

The orthotist called yesterday to say that he was holding Chase's helmet in his hands and that he wanted to put it on ASAP. So, we went in today instead of waiting until Friday!

All in all, it has gone much better than expected thus far. Getting the helmet fitted properly required the orthotist to take it on and off several times and, each time, do a little trimming of the foam inside in order to get the proper fit. So, Chase wasn't too thrilled with all of that. But, by the time we left the medical building, he wasn't crying any longer and soon fell asleep in his car seat on the way home. (But, that could have been from sheer exhaustion at that point!)

Over the next several days, we will be taking the helmet off and on throughout the day. He'll wear it for a certain amount of time, and then we'll remove it to check to see if too much pressure is being applied anywhere. If so, then we'll have to take him back to have the helmet adjusted. But, so far, so good. By day #5, he will have worked up to wearing it 23 hours per day (only removing it for cleaning and for him to take a bath). We're hoping he will only have to wear it for a few months.















Oh, and not to be outdone by his little brother, Cole also decided to wear a helmet today!

A sign of things to come?

Let's hope not! I tried to keep a hat on Chase all day today in order to prepare him for his helmet that he'll get next Friday. He pretty much hated it and spent the whole day fussing and ripping it off his head. Jeez...I hope 7 days is enough time to get him ready for the helmet! Yikes!

Gotta love this hair!

Is it just me? Or, does anyone else see the resemblence to those Troll dolls from the 1980's?

I just want to hold Chase between my two hands and twist him until his hair sticks straight up. Oh, wait. It already does! (He's so cute!)

Botox for Babies?

I had no clue! I thought Botox was only for those seeking the "Fountain of Youth" or for those Hollywood types that need to pretend that they are just naturally over 50 with no wrinkles. But, I found out otherwise today! Apparently, Botox is used at the Torticollis Clinic here in town (and nationally, I'm sure) on children who just aren't responding to physical therapy alone! Needless to say, I was shocked about that bit of information!

Obviously, Chase had a physical therapy appointment today! I was a little disappointed to learn that he has taken a small step backward over the last month. At the last appointment, Amy was pleased with the way he was keeping his head straight and center for long periods of time, even though he didn't have the full range of motion. But, today she noticed that he was tilting his head again, along with still not having full range. The trouble is that his neck muscle is sooooo tight that its just not allowing him to turn his head properly. And, he is so strong and fighting us so hard with the exercises, that he isn't getting a good stretch very often because he is tensed up and working against us.

So, I was presented with 2 options today: one is a Botox injection into that tight neck muscle. Of course, I was shocked and stunned for a moment that this is even an option! I thought about it for a minute and told her that I wasn't sure I wanted to go that route. Something about shooting my baby with Botox just makes me cringe. But, I did promise myself that I would do lots of research and see what kind of success this treatment has had. I'm not ruling it completely out, but I'm leery. But, the way it was explained to me today is that the Botox will relax the muscle for a certain period of time (days, weeks, months? I'm not sure.) which will, in turn, give us a chance to really push the exercises and get his neck turning properly. The thought is that when the Botox wears off, he'll be "cured" since he'll have gained the full range of motion. Again, I'm leery.

The second option was a neck brace which will create a "lump" on the side of his neck which will force him to keep his head center. Neck stretching without anyone physically manipulating his head. Some babies don't mind the brace at all, others scream the entire time it is on. Who knows where Chase would fall on that one! My first question was how long he would have to wear it daily because I was not going to have him in a helmet AND a neck brace all day long! But, she informed me that neck brace would only be worn for 20 minutes a few times a day. Okay....I can live with that. So, the measurements were taken and the neck brace is being custom made for him in the next couple of weeks. Of this two options, the neck brace just seemed like the most obvious first step. I think I'd rather try it out for a bit before moving on to anything as invasive as Botox.

Poor Chase! This poor kid just can't catch a break!

Santa!!!!

The Big Man himself made an appearance in our neighborhood tonight...even braving the ice storm and fog! Although, I guess when you live in the North Pole, you are used to such weather.

Daddy and Cole trekked up to the pool area where Santa had stopped to visit the kids. The only good thing about the terrible weather was that there was no line to see Santa since everyone was hurrying home or didn't come out at all! Daddy said Cole started telling Santa what he wanted for Christmas, even before he had even sat on Santa's lap!! Cole asked for a Leapster, a Wack-a-Mole Tower, and a toy for Chase. (Wasn't that nice of Cole to think of his droolmonster brother?)

Santa gave Cole a candy cane and they were back home within 15 minutes! Much better than the 2-hour wait to see the mall Santa! :)

Growing up!

My baby just keeps growing up more every day...

We have officially put away the infant/toddler bathtub and Chase has now graduated to the big tub! Well, ok...he actually sits in an inflatable tub about half the size of the actual bathtub. But, still! Anyway, he took his first bath there tonight and just kept looking around wondering where he was! Cole was mad at first when Chase's bath water splashed out and (heaven forbid) TOUCHED THE VERY TUB THAT COLE BATHES IN!!!!!! But, he got over it pretty quick, I think. Mr. Drama.

And, at dinner tonight, I gave Chase the sippy cup for the first time and he LOVED it! He had no problem drinking from it and each time he sipped a little water, he just smiled really big and laughed! He was so proud of himself!!

Chase's Bad Day

Oh, it started off just fine. Chase woke up over an hour early, had an early breakfast and an early bottle. But, it just went downhill from there.... Today was the day he had a casting made of his head for the helmet.

He charmed the whole office and all of the other patients in the waiting room. But, that soon began to wear off as we waited nearly 45 minutes to be seen. Thankfully, about the time he was starting to let me know he was about DONE, the doctor called him back. Dr. K started out by taking measurements and pictures of his head. He told us that the amount of flattening was "significant" and that with a helmet we could hope for about a 60-70% improvement. Maybe more, maybe less. Just depends on the kid. While the doctor and I talked, Chase was entertaining himself by chewing on the doctor's tape measure. (Good thing the doctor didn't mind the drool!!!)

After all that was done, real fun began. He was stripped down to his diaper and the doctor put a stocking over his entire head, only cutting a hole for his mouth and nose. Of course, Chase FREAKED OUT about not being able to see and having this thing on his head. But, before he even got over that shock, the doctor applied wet strips of plaster on his head....across his forhead, over the top of his head, and down to back of his neck. Let's just say Chase wasn't happy. (I'm certain his screaming could be heard throughout the entire building!!!) After it dried, the cast was removed and Chase was very happy to be free from it! And, the poor kid was covered from head to toe in plaster!!!!!!!! I had to give him a bath right there in the doctor's office before we could even think about putting any clothing back on!

I wasn't able to take any pictures as I had to hold Chase in place during the process. But, here is a pic of another kid having the same thing done:















The casting will be sent to the lab and a custom helmet will be made for him. We go back on Decmeber 21 for the actual fitting of the STARBand. Just in time for Christmas. Oh, and we were informed today that insurance will not cover any costs associated with this treatment... Joy. Tell me again why it is that we pay those insurance premiums all year long???

Dadadadadada

Chase has started saying "da da da da" for the past week or so! He is also very close to sitting up now!

Oh, and in case any of you are considering any clothing items for him for Christmas gifts....he is filling out his 12 months size outfits already, so I'd say you better get 18 months so he can wear them a little longer!

As the lady at the pizza place told us on Sunday, "Boy...he sure hasn't missed any meals!!!!"

Good Grief, Charlie Brown!

A little background: Sunday night, Cole decided not to go to bed. We put him in bed at 8:30pm. He was up at 9pm and about every 30 minutes after that. Finally, at 11pm, we had had enough. When he ran down the hall yelling about sleeping on the floor of Mommy and Daddy's bedroom closet, we said, "Ok" and turned out the lights. At that point, he was (finally) begging to go to bed! He finally fell asleep, but was up at 5:30am the next morning. Needless to say, he was tired on Monday!

Thankfully, he was good for Nonnie all day. But, when he got home, he was a little on the grumpy side and trying everything he could think of to get into trouble. We were sitting at the table eating dinner, when Cole tried his hand at using some colorful language:

Cole: Where is that STUPID dog?
Mom: Cole!! We don't talk like that. Be nice or you are going to bed.
Cole: Mom....what do they say on Charlie Brown?
Mom: I don't know!! [thinking for a minute] Oh, I know! They say, "Good grief, Charlie Brown!"
Cole: Where is that GOOD GRIEF dog?

I guess that was Cole's attempt at using some bad language! Thankfully he didn't try to use any of the other colorful words he has heard around here!

94

94... That's how many pictures we had to snap of the boys today to finally get ONE good one to put on our Christmas card this year!

One baby who drools + one preschooler who is terrified to being drooled on = recipe for diasaster at picture time!