11 Months of Sweetness

One month away from one...  It just cannot be true.

In his 11th month, Elias:
Weighed 23 lbs.
Wore size 18 month clothes.
Wore size 4 diapers.
Did not like socks or shoes.
BUT when he wore them, he was a size 3-4.
Had lots of eczema breakouts.
Had a lot of rashes, one major one from cinnamon.
Was standing for minutes at a time.
Was taking 2-3 steps at a time.
Slept through the night most nights.  8+ hours.
Went to the Adventure Science Center with the Keens.
Visited with the Calhouns.
Attended his first Minister's School.
Favorite toy was his lion walker.
Celebrated his first Easter at church!
Took his first steps... to a Teddy Graham.
Daniel gave him his first push in the blue swing.
Had his first HIGH fever.  104.1.
Went to the doctor.  No explanation.
Loved taking a bath, throwing a ball, and getting into everything.
Ate all day, everyday.
Favorite foods were rice cakes, muffins, whole bananas, and french fries.
Disliked most sweet foods like applesauce.
Said ma-ma, da-da, ah, and oh!
Still took two naps a day.
Liked doing whatever his brothers were doing.
Liked baths, grass, and picking up small items off the ground.
Everything, and I mean everything, went into his mouth.
Liked tacos and sweet potatoes.

Playing at the Science Center with strangers.  :)

Sharing his Ark with Mikaylen.

Pushing his lion around.

Looking way too big on Easter Sunday.

Mommy and Elias on Easter

Loving on his Mimi

His 1st Easter basket from Mimi - 

full of Gerber snacks and goodies 

and a ball!

Taking his first steps.

Likes playing on Samuel's piano.

Eating a yummy chocolate chip banana bread muffin.

First time to play outside and 

to ride in the cozy coupe car!

All three brothers

First experience in the grass

He just kept touching it, ripping it up, 

and putting it in his mouth.

We have a climber.

Just a swingin'.

Eating at the Catfish House for big brother, 

Daniel's 4th birthday.

An Interview with Our ALMOST 4-Year-Old

Last Saturday, Daniel and I were the only ones awake during our ride home. Samuel and Elias were snoozing, and I looked in my rear view mirror to see him singing the words of a Christian song on the radio.  My heart filled with such joy as I realized how quickly he was growing up.  In a week, he'll be four, I thought to myself, and with that, I started asking and listening very closely as my sweet, almost 4-year-old answered my questions.

What's your favorite color?  Blue...  and green.  Well, all the colors.  I like when they're rainbow.

Favorite food?  Hmmm, all the food.  But I like Lunchables.  I like gummies the best.

What's your favorite song?  "Carry Me Now" (as he breaks out in song) by Josh Wilson

Favorite sport?  Oh, all the sports.  I like soccer the best though.

Favorite movie?  Day of the Diesels.

Favorite toy?  All of my tracks.  The ones for my trains, and for my cars, and the ones at Mimi's house.  I really like tracks.

Who's your favorite person?  Daddy.  Mimi.  You.  Grandpa.

What's your favorite Bible story?  Um, I like them all.  I like David and Golias (GoliaTH).  I like Daniel too with all those lions.

What's your favorite snack?  Ha, Ice cream and gummies.

Do you have a favorite brother?  Sometimes.
Well, don't you love them the same?  Sometimes.  I like Elias the most because he's little and leaves me alone.  Samuel likes to play with all of my junk, and it's mine.
You know, they'll both be your friend forever, don't you?!  Two friends?  That's great!

How old will you be on your next birthday?  On my last birthday, I'll be this many.
How many is that?  Four.

What do you want for your birthday?  Ummm, some tracks.  A jumper for my backyard.  Sports stuff.  A big boy bed.

Who do you love?  You.  and Daddy.  and everybody I know.

Elias Eats

1 month ago, Elias wasn't eating...  at all.

He would choke whenever we put (or forced) food into his mouth.  At almost 10 months old, we feared Elias had a serious problem.  So, he had a swallow study done at Vanderbilt per the request of his pulmonologist.  In the study, we saw that Elias aspirated when he drinks, eats, and even with his saliva.

Three days later, we were at our first feeding therapy appointment, where Elias was allowed to play with food, experience it while making messes and touching it with his hands.  The therapist's thoughts were that Elias has a hypersensitivity to taste and food texture.  He does aspirate and has created an aversion to foods and utensils due to his constant sicknesses and need for medications.  She recommended that we see two other specialists, buy all new utensils and foods, and start anew with Elias.

However, that afternoon on March 7th, Elias started eating...  a lot.

Whatever I put on his tray, he ate on his own.  Progress was made, and I couldn't be happier.

Since then, Elias has been on a feeding frenzy.  We've thrown out all ideas and plans we used with our other two, and let Elias take the lead.  We have no clue if he has allergies to foods, but we're certain this is what we have to do.  The plan for Elias is this:  there is no plan.  He eats what he seems interested in.  We give him things he can hold and feed himself.  We don't put a handful on his tray though; he gets one small thing at a time due to his aspiration issues.

He ate baby food last night for the first time in 5 months!  It was huge.  He ate yogurt AND sweet potato baby food.  Elias hasn't eaten baby food ever.  It's one of those texture sensitivities he has, and randomly, we tried it last night and he ate it...  Almost half a jar of it.  I'm still amazed.

Here is a random list of foods Elias has eaten:

• Gerber puffs
• Oatmeal from a spoon
• Diced pears
• Graham crackers
• Chick fil A nuggets!
• Saltine crackers
• Vegetable straws
• Corn flakes
• Yogurt bites
• Banana Bread
• Cantalope
• Strawberries
• Popsicles (he dislikes these and all things cold)
• Yogurt
• Enchilada casserole
• Ice cream
• Anything found on the floor (paper, markers, bandaids, shoes, etc.)

I write all of this to praise God and show that prayer works.  It does.  We weren't sure when or if Elias would eat without assistance from therapy.  However, he eats now, and he eats all of the time.  I'm so thankful today!

Elias' Eating Experiences in Pictures:

October 2012

His first time eating or actually NOT eating.

This is the face he'd make anytime he saw a spoon.

November 2012

He just became defiant.

Elias would hit the spoon when we'd put it

near his mouth.  He would NOT let food 

get in his mouth, and if by chance we could 

"force" it past his lips, he'd get choked immediately.

At this point, the doctors told us to NOT

worry about feeding him anymore.

February 2013

Holding his own watermelon.

Not liking it, but atleast trying it.

First Week of March 2013

Interested in Eating Graham Crackers

like his Big Brothers

End of First Week of March 2013

The afternoon following feeding therapy,

Elias went to TOWN on eating.

April 1, 2013

Elias takes his first steps...

not to Mommy or Daddy, 

but to a TEDDY GRAHAM!  

:)

Manners, or the Lack Thereof

After asking to be excused from the table, Samuel leaves the kitchen, returns, and boldly proclaims, "I don't wanna be excused. I just wanna sit here. I want to eat... and no laughing!"

Meanwhile, from the living room, we overhear Daniel, exclaiming, "Peanut mustache!"...  for no good reason at all.

(Tuesday, April 2, 2013, at Mimi's house)

20 Days to April 20th

If you were to ask Daniel when his birthday is, he'd tell you, "April twenty."

If you were to ask Daniel how old he'll be on his birthday, he'd say, "This many."  You'd then ask him how many that actually is, and he'll proclaim, "Four!"

If you were to ask Daniel what he wants for his birthday, he'd exclaim, "For my last birthday, I want a big, big, BIG jumper for my yard.  I need some more tracks.  I want a a big kid bed because I'm big now.  I want a sandbox and bubbles."

If you were to ask Daniel about his upcoming birthday party, he'd say, "It's going to be sports.  You know, a baseball, basketball, football, and maybe soccer.  And tennis too.  And hockey skates."

He's not exactly making this easy for us.

"You can get me a big cake.  I want my party to be at Monkey Joe's.  I'm gonna tell all my friends to come."

When we tell Daniel that he's sharing a party with Samuel (because their birthdays are only a month apart), he'll say, "Will you make me those Oreo balls?  Because they look like basketballs."

When we ask Daniel who he wants to invite to their party, he is particular, "Mimi, Grandpa, Ca and Natalie. Mrs. Jennifer and her daddy (who actually is her husband).  The crazy girls.  Mrs. Debbie and Courtney and Shannon (our next door neighbors).  Addy and Korbin too.  Kallie, Kenley, and Karlee (his cousins).  Brother James (who lives in Alaska).  Shia and Gavin and Samuel (his own brother).  Oh, and you and Daddy and Elias."

At this point, Samuel always chimes in, saying, "We should tell Sister Donna to come too."  Sister Donna keeps the boys during Wednesday night bible study.  They both really love the adults in their lives.  We are blessed with God-given friends, family, and church.

No joke, this fourth birthday is bigger than I imagined.  Daniel is really into birthdays and parties at this age, and his is a big deal to him.  He is so excited.  He came home from Mother's Day Out screaming that Mrs. Ann had his birthday on her chart at school!  He has talked about his party for months...  MONTHS.  It is something we talk about every.single.day.  He asks every morning if it's his birthday yet.  I finally made a birthday countdown to make it visual for him.  We cut a link from the birthday rope every night getting closer and closer to the "Daniel is 4" sign at the top of the door!  I cannot believe we have an almost 4 year old.  I feel like we were just finding out we were pregnant in August of 2008.  Here's to the joy that he has brought in our lives!  Thank you, Lord, for teaching us to number Daniel's days and enjoy every moment we have with him!

20 Days until Daniel is 4