Collie Cakes Update

Yes, yet another nick name for Nicolas. I've lost count on how many nick names this child actually has. Wesley finds Rollie Pollie Collie and Collie Cakes the most amusing so I say those the most.

Cole is 6 weeks old now and bigger than ever. He is 12 pounds 4 oz at his last appointment and today we was 12 lbs, 7oz. He grew 2 inches in a month and gained 3 pounds (came home from the hospital weighing 8 lbs, 13oz). WOWERS. They keep asking how nursing is going... I guess well :).

We had some specialist appointments the last few weeks. So far everything is going well. As I wrote earlier he can hear some out of the left ear and the right ear is perfect. Today we talked to several different specialist and we have another appointment with the rest of the doctors in a couple weeks. We just keep getting good news. Today was a balance of good news and ok news. Either way it could be so much worse we are very thankful and blessed.

Here is a summary of what has happened so far, some old news, some new news:

His left ear did develop internally but we don't know about the canal. From the outside the ear is completely closed. At about 2 years old or later they will do a CAT scan to take a good look at the ear and look at the tissue to see what developed.

The OK news is: His jaw, cheek and double chin are smaller/slimmer on the left side than the other. It is slight (it could be a lot worse that is why this news isn't great but just OK). When he was thinner weeks after birth it was more noticeable. . I have always noticed it, others say they have to really look hard to see the difference. The doctors noticed right away today, but that is also their job. Often this happens and is related to the underdeveloped ear. There are a couple things that could happen. As he grows the left can catch up to the right and look even and normal. Another situation that can happen is the right will grow normal and the left remains smaller this could be slight or extreme. It isn't an extreme difference now so it probably won't be extreme later... praying and fingers crossed this is the case. It actually already seems to be evening out to me. If it is an extreme case this might be jaw surgery later... only in bad cases. We did talk braces though. Good chance he will need them if his mouth and jaw are smaller on that size. Who thought at 6 weeks you'd be talking braces... he doesn't even have teeth! :)

He has had milk come out his nose more times than I can even count. This has stopped within the last few weeks. We were concerned that his pallet didn't develop all the way and might bring another batch of problems. It is hard to say for sure but the pallet feels normal, if it keeps happening they will take a closer look. It seems that he might have a little reflux for the milk to come back with such force to go thru his nose but once again this hasn't happened for a couple weeks so we think he might have already grown out of it. PRAISE!

Cole though is such a cuddly baby. I love him so so much, so smitten. He is great. He gives the best smiles. Around 10am every morning is his happy hour. His smile is already so infectious I laugh with almost every smile. He has dimples! I am a sucker for dimples. Wesley has dimples too, Wesley are not eve and I love them that way. I really only see a dimple on Coles right (chubbier cheek)... so cute! I can't get over how sweet he is, I forgot how wonderful it is to have a baby in the house again.

I know most of these posts are about Cole and not Wesley but still to date Wesley has far more posts than Cole, so it is ok :). Wesley still makes me laugh more times than I can count each day. He LOVES having me home and makes me feel loved when I spend day in day out with him. He is full of "I love you"s and hugs for me, LOVE IT! He makes me feel appreciated... at such a young age he is ever in touch with the people around him. He has been the harder one lately but it is expected, his life has changed... for the better. He LOVES LOVES Cole, I couldn't ask for a better response to the baby. These boy bless me and drive me crazy.

this is wesley changing his "babies" diaper.

I can't find it anywhere.

I can't find it! I can't find it anywhere. There is a silent alarm that sounds when I start to clean... something only dogs can hear or something like that but for children. I swear it is around here somewhere but I just can't seem to find it. I can't hear it either so this quite the chore. I can sit down at the computer (like right now [in the living room, that is probably why]) and they are fine. Both happy UNTIL I pick up a cleaning rag or start to put away laundry or do the dishes. Then all the sudden all h*** breaks loose. What happened?... who is dieing?... why are you acting as if your arm just fell off? Has any mom out there been successful in finding the Children Alarm in their house? If so, where do you suggest I look? I think I might loose my mind if I don't find this alarm and that will not be good for anyone. This alarm must be found and destroyed!!

(If you are a mom of 1 you might not be aware of this alarm system, I swear we some how we brought the alarm home when we brought the baby home. Maybe the hospital is in on it. Perhaps they want me to go crazy, so I am admitted back into the hospital and they can get my money. They smuggled it into my bag or something... or slipped to Wesley when I wasn't looking. It is a conspiracy, I swear!)

OK... now back to cleaning or should I say attempt to clean. Lunch break is over.

Boring Not Bored

I have been in this place before. I feel boring but definitely NOT bored. I don't think I will be bored again for years and years. I felt like this when I was off when Wesley was born too. I am so use to having work or other outside things to talk about. I've been away from that for awhile now I just have diapers, feedings, toddler tantrums, and the recent article in Parenting magazine to talk about. These things keep me busy and I don't find them boring but you might. I can talk your ear off all day about how much I miss chocolate and about all the delicious chocolate things I would eat if I could. I could tell you about the cute top I passed up to buy diapers instead. I could also tell you how I am not sad about leaving the top behind because Cole and Wesley bring me so much joy... keeping them happy is an easy sacrifice. I could tell you about the huge diaper blow out Cole had or how many outfits he went through yesterday because he was on a spit up fest. Also the time they were both crying in the store and the funny things Wesley says daily. There are only a select few of you who could converse on one of these topics, all the other would probably sit there silently. This is why I find myself feeling boring at time... like I said boring, not bored. I can't find the time to watch the news to talk about current events or to read a book you might read and I have had the same movie from netflix on top of the tv for about a month.

I hate feeling like I don't have much to contribute to a conversation but on the other hand there is a happiness high that makes me not care. I don't care that you might get bored talking to me, I am still going to make you talk to me. I don't care that you might get bored hearing about the kids but they are my "job" now. I actually don't believe that I bore any of my friends because everyone seems to genuinely love my family and kids... but the other day I told Levi the same simple story 3 times. I thought to myself "wow I have run out of things to talk about"... never thought that would happen :)!!!... then I realized I might be a bit boring to talk to but it isn't because I am actually bored.