A Blast From the Past.....

Today we were brave and went to Fernbank Muesuem. My sister, brother, and I had a 3 mo, 18 mo, and 6 year old!! Ofcourse my nephew Brian (6) loved it! Tanner was able to enjoy some of the brighly colored exhibits.  I was very surprised by how well he did, and actually seemed attentive. Going to the muesuem reminded me of when I went when I was little. I couldn't help but look forward to when he is a little older and doing some of the same things I did when I was little! Often these days, kids just watch TV or play video games. I want my son to be like me when I was little! Go outside and play all day, not coming home until the sun goes down! Watch "old" Disney movies and sing along with them. Visiting many different historical and neat places that my parents forced me to go to (Grand Canyon, St. Augustine, Biltmore Estate.) I can't wait to re-live some of my childhood memories with Tanner. I guess it is true what they say, having a child allows you to be a child all over again! Some days I think about what college he should go to, or what sport he should play; mostly I just think about the all the memories we will get to make, just like my parents did!

Sleepless Night(s ???)

While being pregnant, I never got any sleep during the night. I would either wake up dying of thirst, having to go to the bathroom, or sick. I was lucky if I got 2 consecutive hours of sleep. During the early months I just camped out on the bathroom floor, because it was pointless to even go back to bed! Let me take a step back..... I LOVE to sleep!! I could nap anywhere and almost anytime of the day. I was never one of those people that had trouble going to sleep...AT ALL. It was like a special skill or something; when my head hit the people, my eyes were shut! So when I became pregnant and did not sleep at all, it was a nightmare. Some days I was a complete zombie. Then I would always hear, "You better get your sleep now because when that baby comes, you won't sleep at all." I was so very excited to hear that over and over...NOT! I was definitely not getting sleep when I was pregnant so I was kind of discouraged. I guess I thought I could store up rest, if that's possible. Nope, not me. So when Tanner came and he slept wonderfully, I was very thrilled. Then he slept through at only 2 weeks old! I was a very happy mommy. I even told one person that I get more sleep now that he is born! The entire 9 months that I was pregnant, I prayed for a good sleeper and boy did God answer my prayer. He even takes a good 3 hour nap (most days.)
I say all of that to say this...last night was HORRIBLE!! Tanner had been sleeping in his bassinet. Well we thought it was time to transition him to his crib for the whole night. He already sleeps there for his naps. When we bought our house, my husband had the BRIGHT idea to want a house with the master room away from the bedrooms, so Tanner's room is all the way across the house. So when I went to go to bed last night, with the monitor on full blast and vibrate, I did not sleep at all. Every time I would try to close my eyes, I would hear a noise or hear him move. Then my mind wondered if he was okay, did he spit up, was someone breaking in his window to steal him, did he turn over (yeah right!) and is suffocating, and all the other things moms worry about. I finally went to sleep when it was daylight and he was ready to eat again and I just put him in his bassinet. Tanner did wonderfully, slept all the way through and no screaming or crying. Instead it was ME that was doing the crying! I know all of you veteran mothers are probably laughing at me. I always said my child will never sleep with me, well now I see why parents do that! We are going to keep trying and hopefully I will get adjusted. I never thought I would be the one that would have to transition, instead of Tanner! Tanner -1, Mommy- 0

Battle of the Spitup..are we winning or losing???

Those that know us well, know we fight a daily battle with Tanner. It is a battle of spit up! I some may wonder what in the heck I am talking about; how can spit up cause frustration? Well, my friends, when your 2.5 month old baby CONSTANTLY spits up ALL DAY, it becomes a battle! It is a battle  of laundry, fussiness, and medicine! Sometimes I feel like all I do is monitor his reflux and wipe his little body that is covered in spit up!
Who knew that something so small can create sooooooo much laundry!! Tanner goes through at least 2 loads of laundry a week, sometimes more! There are some days that we have to change the poor child about 5 times. Randall and I have learned that we cant change him with just a little wetness, no we wait until he drenches himself (which is often). It doesnt matter where he is! We have to constantly wash sheets, blankets, chair covers, and burp clothes. We freak out if we get low on burp clothes! It is such a struggle when you are the only one home...you cant just lay him down. No, you have to make sure you get a blanket or a towel, lay that down doubled over (so spit up doesnt go THROUGH the blanket) and then lay him down. He is no longer allowed to lay on the couch or our comforter with out something underneath him!! So as far as our battle with laundry..it is never ending! So I would say we are losing that one.

As you can see below, we had to strip our sheets and his car seat!

I can say that as far as his fussiness, we are finally getting ahead. Used to we would have days where mommy couldnt put Tanner down because he was so very irritable and in pain. He would scream (no, not cry) for hours. It took God and God alone to help me keep my sanity.  As a new mom, I of course wondered what I was doing wrong!!! Being the person I am, I didnt want to ask for help and admit that I struggled. Poor Randall would work all day and as soon as he got home, he would have to hold little Tanner just to give me a break! Now, I can look back and see that my poor angel was hurting!! That is one thing that I would recommend to parents, dont be scared to take your child to the doctor. If your instinct is telling you something is wrong, something is probably wrong! Now we mostly have good days! He smiles, plays, and is fun to be around! He still has his moments, but he is just a baby! I am not ashamed to say, that I am finally enjoying spending time with my child.  I know that may seem awful to some, but when your child screams and there is nothing you can do...it does not make for an enjoyable day!

    We have taken Tanner to the pediatrician and a GI doctor at Emory. After switching his medicine and trying several different formulas (including the most expensive one!) they have concluded that he has BAD reflux that he will have to grow out of. The medicine he takes will only help the acid not the spit up. We are trying different strategies to help, but it still is a daily battle for us. Some days are worse than others. Its funny, people think we are exaggerating, until the spend 30 minutes with Tanner and then they realize what we were talking about! One thing that does bother me is that he is not gaining weight consistently, he is less than 25 percentile for weight. We do have to go back to Emory in July to follow up on his weight.

I know that he is in God's hand and He is watching over my child. Ultimately, Tanner will be ok and is healthy! I just pray that God continues to give us the strength and patience to fight this "Battle of the Spitup" so that one day soon, we will WIN!

Its true...it IS the small things that count!

Now, I have always been one to love and look forward to ALL big events and exciting happenings! I would get butterflies just waiting for that one big special moment (i.e birthday parties, vacation, and shopping sprees). The only thing is that those BIG events eventually end and they are over. Being a mommy has taught me that it is truly the small things that count. Everyday I look forward to what new "little" thing my son is going to do. Today, Mr. Tanner has taught himself to roll his tongue and make this gurgle like sound. I know to some it may not seem a big deal, but to me it is hilarious!! While he does this he seems to amuse himself, so he cracks himself up! He also cracks mommy and daddy up (and he knows it!) I promise you Randall and I sat there and watched/listened to him for 30 minutes straight as he "gurgled" and talked. It seemed as if the whole world stopped and all that mattered at that moment was watching my baby amuse himself with this new found skill of his. Spending this precious time with him is a memory I will never forget. Just like I will never forget the night that he first giggled and played with his dad! Going shopping and getting an outfit (which is a BIG thing for mommy at this point) may satisfy me for a moment or week; but watching my child teach himself new tricks will amuse me forever. This one small moment of the day means and excites me more than any trip to Florida ever could! So it truly is the small things that count!

A New Beginning

Okay, so I realize that the name of my blog is a corny reference to a Disney movie; but I just love that movie! I have started blogging to help track the milestones and special moments of my little one. Two and half months ago I became a new mom to the most wonderful, handsome, and special baby! I realize I am probably bias. It has definitely taking some getting used to over the last two months. I am still learning everyday the needs and wants of my child. One thing I have struggled with since his birth is (not the lack of sleep, personal time, or being in shape), but his constant spitting up. It is an every day battle, but that is a whole other post for another day! Something I know for sure is that I can not wait to experience all the special moments and memories with my sweet baby boy! Welcoming Tanner to this world has completely changed my entire life for the better. For some reason my marriage is more fun and stronger! I guess we depend on each other to face each struggle of a newborn and keep each other sane! The is the best New Beginning!!!