Five months ago today I met the OTHER love of my LIFE!!

Jackson is 5 months and I cannot believe how quickly the time had gone.  Today is St. Patrick's Day and we decided to try our hand at cereal.  I figured since I am a SAHM for now I would make my son's food.  So on Saturday I bought a dedicated baby food coffee grinder and a two tier steamer at Kohls, I had a coupon and gift certificate of course! 

I ground up Quinoa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa) and cooked it on the stove and then I put it in the fridge for safe keeping.  Quinoa among other things is high in fiber and protein, gluten free and therefore easier to digest than regular baby rice cereal.  Bright and early Jackson awoke and I gave his a bottle and then I set up the kitchen table for his first feeding of cereal.  Here are some pictures of how it went!!

He seemed to enjoy the quinoa!

Done and DONE

Well we are officially done with the pediatric surgeon.  It turns out that Jackson doesn't have a hernia and he was discharged from his care completely...this means that we no longer have to see any specialists!!!!!  

A normal healthy baby boy!

Letter of Intent

Today I had to write my letter of intent to return to SOMS in September 2010.  I felt like I was going to puke writing it...the funny thing is, just this morning Chris and I were talking about me staying home longer.  Wish I could!

Returning the breast pump

Yesterday I returned the breast pump to the hospital.  It effected me in a way I could have never imagined.  As I got on the elevator I had a feeling of nervousness.  As the doors opened on the third floor and I saw the Labor and Delivery sign I felt sad that I was about to give up the only connection I had left to Valley Hospital.  I had never thought about that before that second but I started to get upset.  I wanted to be there having my baby again and hear the chimes go off.  I started hoping that one of the doctors, maternity/postpartum nurses, NICU nurses would come out so I could say hello.  I wanted Marnie or Jill (our favorite nurses Jackson had) to walk through the double doors and recognize me and ask how Jackson was doing.  I wanted to show them pictures of our little man and thank them!

The clerk came back to me with the receipt for my pump and in a matter or minutes I was back in the elevator pushing the L button to return to my car.  I didn't see anyone I knew, in fact there were a lot of unfamiliar faces.  I stepped into the elevator and began to cry. 

I don't want to go through the omphalocele part again, obviously, but being in labor, having Jackson, seeing his little face for the first time, saying his name, and holding him all swaddled up...YEP, I could do that again...now could Chris?!

SNOW, SNOW, and more SNOW

It has been snowing here in Ringwood, NJ since 5:30 am yesterday 2.25.10.  What better way to spend it then take cute pics of Jackson and Jesse James.  Chris is in the basement with Jesse right now blow drying him after his excursion!!

It does get easier, being sleep deprived and having a child with an omphalocele

I would be lying if I didn't say that I think about Jackson's omphalocele every day.  It isn't always in a negative light infact it is usually when I change his diaper and I see that pretend belly button the surgeon made for him and I think of my brother saying, "Well...Jackson is lucky, he will never have to worry about belly button lint!"  I smile everytime I think of that...but it is when I feed him and he takes FOREVER to eat, or spits up (which is so rare I feel lucky) that I think of his omphalocele and scar tissue, and what issues that can cause as he grows older.  It is when I see that tiny little protrusion in the middle of his belly that the pediatric surgeon thinks may be a hernia that I get a little weepy.


I can't help but wonder if the slow eating and the spitting up has anything to do with the little organs that were squeezed back into his stomach cavity and I worry when I  think that he may be having a harder time then most babies, it just isn't fair...but I also stop and think that many babies that were born totally normal act the exact same way.  It is hard to get all of these thoughts out of your  head when your child was born a little "different."  However,  when I read my fellow omphalocele mom's blogs and see that their little ones perhaps have hernias too, I know that we are not alone and that Jackson has so many friends out there just like him.


Thank you to the moms and dads who have been so brave to tell their stories and keeping everyone updated on their baby's life...the good, the excellent, and the incredible.  


I am so thankful to have my little man in my life and last night when my husband came home early from work and exclaimed, "I came home early because I wanted to spend time with my son," my heart swelled with great love for my little family!

 

This is one of Jackson's footprints on my brother's arm...aww Uncle Ian!

Dude...

Enough said!!