Iron-Baby Update

So our little Richie isn't quite Iron-Baby just yet. His iron count has gone up (yay!) and is in the normal range (but just barely). Richie's red blood cells are still too little, so we are keeping him on iron supplements for a little longer. We'll follow up on this at his 12-month check-up.

(Along with the iron supplements, Richie is really good about eating iron-rich foods, and foods that help him absorb iron. So really, there is nothing to worry about just yet.)

But other than that, Richie is growing and growing!

He really is getting SO BIG!



And he is walking now! Just, not walking unassisted. If you put him in either his crib or his pack and play, he will pull himself up and just walk around in circles, while holding on to the rails. And he's learning how to get himself down from being in a standing position. (It's so funny to watch. He'll usually drop his binky, then slowly bend down and push himself back--like he's aiming for the binky, or throwing it down to see how far he has to go.)

Richie is also shaking his head at everything these days. I think he thinks it's a game. I'm trying to teach him that shaking his head means "no" and that nodding his head means "yes," but he just laughs and keeps shaking his head at me.

And if you blink at him, he'll probably blink back.

And he likes to stick out his tongue. Especially if you stick yours out, too. (But beware, he will want to touch your tongue. He thinks tongues are fascinating.)

The Richie, he is so fun.

Baby Blood Draw

Today, I took Rich in to the hospital so that he could get the iron levels in his blood tested.

Whenever we go anywhere new, or go do something unusual, I try to explain to Rich beforehand what is going on or what is going to happen. I don't know how much he understands, but I figure it gives me good practice for when he is older and understands more.

So I tried to explain to him what was going to happen as we drove to the hospital. "Now, Rich, when we get to the hospital, the nurses are going to prick your toe to get a few drops of blood so they can test your iron levels." This is what I said to him.

Except I was wrong.

They actually had to stick his arm and draw 10 mLs of blood from my little boy. I know that doesn't sound like much, but it felt like a ton! Especially as I held Rich down and kept him still so that he could be stuck by a needle and have blood drained from his little arm.

And poor Richie was crying so hard. He hated being restrained, and I think he was scared by the needle. (I would have been.) I held him and talked to him and tried to be comforting.

Now, usually, when Rich is very tired, or upset, or scared, I sing to him. Now, I'm not the best singer ever, but since I've been singing to him for 10+ months to help soothe him, I *think* Rich likes it. I sing "I Lived in Heaven" to him every night before he goes to bed, and that's my default song when he needs soothing.

While we were in the lab getting his blood drawn, I wanted to sing to him so badly! Maybe it would have made me feel better, and maybe it would have actually been soothing to him. I wondered if any other moms sing to their babies in semi-public close quarters. I wondered if my singing would weird out the nurses. (It is a church song after all.) And I wondered if it would be helpful to Rich.

But I couldn't make myself do it. So I just tried to be encouraging and loving.

And as I left the hospital, I apologized profusely to Rich for being wrong about what was going to happen. I felt like I had not adequately prepared him for such a scary experience.

So when we got back to our car, I sat with him in the back seat for a few minutes as he explored the sucker the nurses had given him, and I tried to help him feel happy again.

I think the sucker may have been more comforting than I was:

Just look at that cute boy!

We'll find out in a few days how his iron levels are. I know he need his iron levels to be up so that his body can grow and his brain can develop, but truthfully, I just hope they are up so that he doesn't have to get his blood drawn again!

Because really, Rich did handle things like a champ. I think the experience was much harder for me than it was for him. (Since I was helping restrain Rich, I didn't see them stick his arm with the needle. Nor could I see the  entry point in his arm. I'm actually quite grateful I couldn't/didn't see those things; I'm not sure how well I would have handled it.)

So here's to hoping we don't have to repeat this experience anytime soon.

Saturday Morning at the Farmer's Market

I can barely remember the last time I was at a farmer's market. In fact, it's entirely possible that the quick flash of memory I have in my head of my last time at a farmer's market is made up.

So, when Tyler told me he had a little extra time this weekend (hurray!!) and we could go to the farmer's market (double hooray!!), I was thrilled!

So, off we went this morning!

It was a beautiful morning to hit the farmer's market. And the park where it was held was just lovely. 

And there were tons of people! I mean, I guess it isn't crazy crowded, but it did feel a little overwhelming.

And there were so many different little shops. It took me a good few minutes of walking around to really feel comfortable getting up close to the merchandise and asking questions so I could figure out what I wanted.

But ultimately, some big, beautiful cherries caught my eye. (Grown in Orem, of all places!) And at $3/lb, I felt like I was getting a great deal for some fresh, locally-grown produce. (And holy delicious. They are so juicy and sweet!)

Richie was such a trooper. We ended up going to the farmer's market during his nap time, but he didn't complain at all. I think he was caught up in all there was to look at. 

We didn't buy much more. I grabbed some purple basil that smelled divine (hello, herb garden beginnings!) and some freshly picked GORGEOUS strawberries. Confession: the strawberries were a little pricier than I usually go for. But they were so pretty. And smelled so good. And were picked this very morning. I couldn't resist.

The nicest thing about the farmer's market was how friendly all the vendors were. Especially the lady I was talking to above. I really wanted to get some basil, and she told me how I could best take care of my new plants. 

And do you see that sign in the background for wolfberry? Does anyone out there know what that is? It must be awesome because it was selling for $14/plant. And people were buying it! (The plants were about as big as my basil, which I paid $1/plant. $3 total.)

Even Tyler had a good time being out there with me. (And he hates shopping.)

One thing that we love about Logan is how you can see the temple from almost anywhere in the city. Plus, it's such a pretty temple. I love getting to look at it.

We finished our morning by stopping by the Kim and Ryan's and chatting for a little while. Even Richie got to have a little fun with Robbie and Matt and Tyler as they passed a football around.

But the best part of my morning?

Returning home to find this!!!

About a week ago, I was cutting up an apple (for my tuna salad) and noticed that the seeds in my apple had already germinated. I thought to myself that it would be fun to see if I could get an apple tree growing. I may not get to keep the apple tree with me, but I'd love to learn about growing things.

And look!! Sprouts! I was so so excited. Three little seeds, growing (in one tiny cup). I'm not sure what the next step is, but I'll have to figure it out pretty soon. You know, before I have three trees growing in there. Straining for room. 

Best Saturday morning yet? Absolutely.

Pears: Food of the Gods?

I've eaten more pears this summer than I have in my whole life combined. True story.

In fact, after discovering this summer how much I love pears, I ate more in one week than I had in my whole life previously.

They are the perfect summer fruit, I think. (As are peaches. But I haven't had any peaches yet.)

They are sweetly succulent, crisp without being crunchy, juicy but not drippy. They have just the right amount of flavor.

Growing up, I never appreciated pears. I thought I didn't even like them. (What a fool I was.)

I eat a pear topped with cottage cheese almost every day for lunch. If I had told myself even a year ago that this would be my summer fling 2012, I'd have thought I had gone crazy.

And who knows, maybe I have.

What's your favorite summer fruit?

(I'm still waiting for some good peaches to come my way. I feel about peaches the way I feel about pears. Times a million. Except, a good peach should not be crisp or crunchy. But juicy, succulent, and sweet? Oh my, yes.)

Happy Father's Day!

To my very own, very wonderful, Dad!!

I found this picture of us from 2000. Dad took me with him to the mall and then we hung out at Gameworks together, just him and me.

Now, I'm not sure that I remember what games we played. Or even how long we stayed at Gameworks. But I know we had fun.

Two reasons why I know we had fun:

1) I always have fun being with my dad.
2) I wrote about it in my journal and kept the picture we took. For 12-year-old me, that's really saying something.

Now, to be really honest, what I really wrote about in this particular journal entry is how once we got home from Gameworks, Dad set up an email address for me. I remember being so excited to finally "be online" like the rest of my friends.

I wish I had recorded more about our daddy/daughter dates. I know that I always enjoyed our one-on-one time. Hanging out with dad was the coolest! (Especially when we went for a ride on his motorcycle. That was probably my favorite.)

One of the things that's hardest (I think) about growing up is moving away from your family and friends. And it's especially hard when you only get to see the people you love once a year (if even). This is why I'm so grateful for the chance to "be online" and catch up with my dad through emailing/facebooking/texting/calling/sending pictures/etc.

I am so grateful for my dad! I look up to him in so many ways. I admire his work ethic, his determination, and his sense of humor. Also his ability to tell a story well. And his physical fitness. (I know that sounds really weird, but it's true. I don't know if he still runs regularly, but I know that he used to. He ran a stinkin' marathon! This totally amazes me. Currently, I can't run for anything. But I want to. And I want to like it. Or at least like how I feel afterward.)

Anyway.

I'm so glad you are my dad.

I love you, Dad!

Richie and The Stairs

He can climb the stairs by himself now. (Crazy.)






Sorry about the video split. It looked like Rich was falling, so I wasn't watching the camera (phone) and hit something which caused me to exit the video. But I wanted to end this adventure happily and show Rich reaching the top.

Rich loves to climb the stairs. It's a full body workout for him, but I think he would do it until he collapsed if I would let him.

In other news, I've found recently that Rich loves to watch me sweep the kitchen floor. He gets so excited when I bring out the broom. In fact, I half-wonder if he isn't dropping food on the ground just so I'll sweep it up. I wouldn't be surprised if this were true.

Except, it really seems more like dropping food on the floor is Rich's way of saying, "I'm done eating, Mom. Let's clear off my tray."

It's insane how fast Richie is growing up. Every week seems to bring some new change. But he's so fun to watch.

And to look at.

(Thank you instagram for turning my regular photo into an awesome photo.)

And yes, Rich's eyes really are that blue.

Updog

What's updog, you may ask?

Not much. What's up with you?

No but for reals. Not a whole lot has been happening over here lately. Our fridge was fixed (thank goodness), and we are replenishing our food stocks. (We're still lacking ketchup. But truthfully, we really don't use ketchup that often.)

Richie is growing and changing like crazy. He's beginning to pull himself up on to things and he is loving learning how to stand. He really gets such a kick out of it.

Proof:

Standing:


(With his new muscles and his desire to explore, Rich is falling/bumping into things more. Makes me feel like a terrible mother every time it happens.)

He also gets a huge kick out of drinking water:


(Note: As of Friday, I've chopped my hair off again. I went to a new salon here in Logan. The salon was nice. My haircut is ok. But I miss my hairstylist from Provo. The point of this parenthetical note is that these videos, though recent, aren't entirely accurate.)

Tyler finished his 4-week term with flying colors. Monday he'll begin a BRUTAL 7-week term. He will be knocking out two math classes in a measly seven weeks. I think he's a little nervous about it. But, I have 100% confidence in him that he will do well. Because he is awesome.

Anyway. It's mostly the same old, same old around here. Good thing we like it that way.

And I can't believe how fast Rich is growing up. But it's so fun to see him learning and exploring new things!

(Like ice cream. Rich tried some of his daddy's ice cream, and loved it. Too bad Mom thought it was too sugary to let Rich have more than a couple bites. Rich probably would have been happy to eat the whole thing!)