one month short of a year

i cannot believe Heath is almost a year old! time flies. WE've had a very rough month. On the 11th he feel backward off a little baby chair about 6 inches off the ground. With his height it was probably a total of 3 feet. We let him lay there a few seconds to make sure nothing was broken. He let out about 5 seconds of crying. then flipped himself onto his knees and took off in his crab crawling style!

Fastward 3 hours. to 8 pm We fed him 8 oz and put him to bed. 30 minutes later he woke up vomiting. He's never puked before. ever. We didn't think much of it until he threw up again with in 15 minutes. We called the doctor's nurse. They said anytime a child hits their head and then throws up within 4 days they should be seen. We loaded him up and headed to the ER about a half hour away. He threw up twice more on the way up there. By the time it was all said and done he threw up 15x!

He got a CT scan (no cracks, fractures, or bleeders). They finally managed to get an IV in his arm - which he kept trying to yank out. He got saline and anti-naseua meds. We finally got to a room at 130 am. He and I spent the night. In the morning the doctor came around. Pronounced a concussion and sent us on our way. It was a scary night!

Then last week I got a call from the sitter that he had a fever of 102. Also something he's never had. That was on Tuesday. He wasn't fever free until Sunday! He had no symptoms other than a fever of between 100-102. Poor guy was crabby crabby crabby. The doctor said it was a virus... possibly hand foot and mouth disease. He never did develop any sores (yay!). BUt he does have 4 new teeth!

Now that we are finally over the fever he has a diaper rash making him look like a red butted baboon. Very little sleep has been had around these parts.

He's now 11 months old. I cannot believe it! Today, he waved bye-bye independently. Now he waves at everyone including the dog. He loves to chase the dog around the ottoman shrieking the entire time. he creeps along everything - actually more like speeds. He likes to hang on with just the littlest of grips. He loves anything electronic or valuable.

He's an eating machine. Devouring puffs and crunchies. He likes to have a crunchie in each hand. He'll bit one in half visciouly and while crushing the one in his other hand to dust. He's adorable. I love him to bits!!

I want another one!

Eye Candy of the Junior Mint

One of my nicknames for his is "The Junior Mint".

On this morning I noticed my son is GIGANTIC!!! Where did my baby go??

I spend my days separating him and the dog. They just want to love on each other but it ends with one or both of them getting PO'd! Plus nothing is as much fun as a dog toy right?

His last month's birthday portrait. Attitude all the way! He ripped off his sock and flipped up his collar!

Is he going to bite me or kiss me? It's hard to tell. LOVE LOVE LOVE him!!

It's been forever

I know. I'm a horrible blogger. Heath is 10 mo now. He's creeping along the sofa and anything else that is nailed down. He can pull himself up. He's not yet taking independent steps. He does this crab crawl where he has his right leg up. He can REALLY move!

The dog is terrified. They're about the same size. Heath has a snotty face cold. Several times yesterday the dog was trying to lick him clean. I had to separate them. Of course if I tried to get snot off his face he screamed bloody murder. The dog though? Peals of laughter.

He's got his two bottom teeth and his top four front teeth. He's working on more. I think it's two more on top!

He's an eating machine. He loves the Ger.ber crunchies and orange foods. He's not real excited about mixes of stuff. From the way they smell I can't blame him.

His birthmom has moved with no forwarding address. We're still FB friends so I follow her on there. I'm putting pictures and letters in an envelope for her for if/when we see her again. I'm tagging photos for her and she hasn't been untagging herself.

We went to a bank dinner last night. Old high school friends of my parents were there. They have 4 adopted children. They used Cath.olic Charities in the late 60's and early 70's. They went and met with someone for the diocese for about an hour or so. Then they waited. And a few months later they had a newborn. SEriously. I think the way it is now is MUCH better. ONe of their children (that she mentioned) is in contact with her birth grandmother. The birth parents refused to see her or have contact with her after she wouldn't list them as grandparents in her son's baptism program. I find it interesting how many people I know that are touched by adoption that I never knew.

5x7 Folded Card

Picture In Portrait 5x7 folded card

Shutterfly offers custom St. Patrick's Day cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Vacation!

We went to Maine. It was awesome. Heath did great on the plane. Not a peep. He charmed everyone along the way.

We are so blessed!

Random Thoughts

Hey everyone! We do still live and breathe over here (and squirm and shriek and giggle and cry). Heath is doing awesome although he has a hacking cough currently. Hopefully, it's a cold and not allergies. The pollen count is out of control in these parts.

• I'm really working to get him to say "mama". I will be crushed if he says "papa" first. Mr H has already had 4 chances at that. This appears to be my only chance.




• Heath's birthmom has lots going on. I'm concerned she's going to move and we're going to lose contact with her. i try to write things down for and save pictures she posts for Heath in case that does happen.




• I see she's sold the bed we bought her - which of course is her right, it's her bed but I'm annoyed because getting the damn thing was a three week and very costly drama last summer.




• Heath is allergic to fruit. Every single thing I've given him has caused blotches on his face and head. We'll try again in a few months.




• He's eating 1 to 2 containers of Gerb.er stage one veggies a day. He's still drinking probably 40 oz of formula and is having a handful of puffs.




• He loves to stand and to bounce. Of course he can't do any of those unaided.




• MC hasn't asked for a visitation and she's got so much going on right now that I don't think it's a good time. I'm not sure if I'm the one that should suggest visits or if it's up to her. I realize there's no rules or guidelines. It's kind of like with Mr H's kids' mother I don't feel it's my job to enforce visits with her. ugh.

Practically 7 months old

Jr is practically seven months old.

I can't believe it!

He sits up on his own (sort of).

He eats squash, sweet potatos, peas, and appears allergic to bananas.

His two bottom front teeth has broken through.

He's the light of my life.

I don't know what to say. I'm just being a parent. I don't think about the adoption all that much. I tell him about his birthparents. I wonder about his birthparents. I try to decipher their FB stati (plural of status). I cringe when I get an email from them because it's usually a plea for money. I did send her a phone card last month. I helped her to find local resources to help her out. I did not give her cash like she requested repeatedly. She told me she loved us anyway.

I can't make her make good choices.

I think about the type of relationship we have. I don't know what it is. I send her updates and pictures monthly. She asked for videos of him. I took a bunch and sent them today. She doesn't share much - which is her right. I wish I knew more about her. Things I could tell her son. She's not a letter writer or an emailer or much of a talker (at least with me). Truth be told I don't think we have much of a relationship.

So these are the things I do think about. It's draining. I know she misses him and loves him.

I read a birthmother blog today where the write posted that she believes adopted parents realize that the child is never "fully theirs". So now I'm ruminating on that.

I know this is all over the place. Maybe because I'm out of practice.