Whoops

Ok so... I have been a procrastinator my entire life... And my "30 days of blessings" proves I still am one. I promise to do a post that completes my 24 days I missed. Preston, please don't adopt this quality from me!

Anyways...

The past three weeks have been a little nuts around here, but have been fantastic. Chip and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary at Horseshoe Bay which was incredible. It was two full days of golf, spa services, and great food; not to mention some incredible sleep as well. We also decided that Austin is a place we would both love to retire. It's absolutely gorgeous. Of corse the only picture we took the whole time was a mirror picture (lame, I know).

The following weekend Preston, Sari, Pappy, and I went on a 10 hour road trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to visit Gene and Cassandra. Preston could not have been more perfect on the drive there. He didn't cry once. We all took turns getting in the backseat (and it really turned into a fight on who got to spend the most time in the back).
We had a fantastic time visiting with them and we look forward to seeing them again soon. The only down side to the trip was Preston experienced his first ear infection. We took him to an emergency care center when his fever got up to 102. They prescribed his first antibiotic and he was not a fan of that one bit, but we managed to get it down him. That night he slept with me. I woke up around 2am to take his temperature and was so scared when it read 103.6. I got him up and a dose of Advil in him and within 15 minutes it had dropped down to 102. A few hours later I checked his temperature again and it was at 99.5. That morning he woke up with a huge smile on his face and was ready to play which was a huge relief. He did just as good on the trip home as he did there. I was so proud of our little man.

Last week was Thanksgiving week and it was an incredible time spent with my family. Unfortunately Chip had to work Thanksgiving day, but was home the entire day before which was so much fun. Preston and I went to my aunt and uncles house for lunch and brought back a huge plate of food for Chip for dinner. Hopefully next year we will be able to spend Thanksgiving with our Houston family, we sure did miss them this year!

With all the November excitement over, we are looking forward to Christmas! Our house is decked out in Christmas decor and the more the better in my book. Preston loves all the lights and gets excited every time I turn them on. I talked about how special Novembers are for us, but it doesn't beat December. Our sweet boy will be turning one. I can't start talking about it because I won't be able to stop. I'm sure there will be many post dedicated to my disbelief in the near future :)

Day 6

Seeing as yesterday was the 2012 Presidential Elections, I couldn't think of a better day to recognize my gratefulness to have the right to vote. I grew up in a family full of die hard republicans. Four years ago, when I was finally old enough to vote, I voted republican because that's what I thought I was suppose to do. I did absolutely no research on the candidates, I did not watch any of the debates, and I truly only voted because "heck, why not?". This time around was 100% different. I really took the time to listen and hear each candidate (Romney and Obama). After a lot of thinking and a lot of prayer I still chose to vote republican. Not because I felt like I was suppose to, but because that's who I wanted and that's who I chose. Obama won the election, and will remain our President for another four years. Even though i am VERY disappointed in the outcome, I will do my best to pray for President Obama everyday to be guided to make the best choices for Americans. I will pray that the people of this country begin to remember what values America was founded on and how it became the greatest nation in the world. Yesterday, the US voters said yes to the immoral slaughter of unborn babies and the immoral redefinition of marriage. They chose to have government fix their problems and to act on the jealousy for others who succeed. They chose a position of dishonor with Israel. All of things will have consequences, and from the bottom of my heart I will pray for mercy.
My love of country is something that I really did not have until I joined the Army and saw what the men and woman (and their families) sacrifice on a daily basis to serve and protect America. Chip and I have an American flag in our front yard that will continue to fly 365 days a year. We know that we will do our best to instill the same pride we have for our country in Preston, but know that he will form his own opinions and beliefs on politics, and that is ok. Thank you God for allowing my family and me to live in the land of the free.

Day 3, 4, & 5

Day 3
I am thankful for my strong body. I'm so blessed to not have any physical disabilities. I take so much comfort in knowing I can chase after Preston, do laundry, cook, clean, exercise, and the list goes on and on. I think now, being a mother, has given me a whole new appreciation for my body also. Going through 10 months of pregnancy, 13 hours of labor, a c-section, and then going home from the hospital taking care of a new born while healing is No joke!

Day 4
I am thankful for my strong mind. Just like my body, I have been blessed with a fully equipped brain. I have the ability to learn and reason, to feel and process, and to capture memories that I will never forget. I know that I take this one for granite, and I do not thank God nearly enough for this gift.

Day 5
I am thankful for coffee. Today I woke up feeling under the weather. I knew I had to wake up before Preston so I could get myself ready and get everything he needed for MDO before he woke up. I did not want to get out of bed, but I could smell the coffee brewing in the kitchen and that gave me that extra motivation I needed.

30 Blessings- Day 1 & 2

November is such a special month. I have always loved it because of Thanksgiving, holiday decorations and music, and the cold boot wearing weather. But this year the month of November has a totally new meaning to it. It is the month that Chip and I exchanged our vowels. It was the last month of just the two of us and anxiously awaiting the arrival of our Sweet P. Which brings me to the first thing I'm thankful for.

I am thankful for Plano, TX. Plano will always be such a special city to me, because that is where we had our first home. A 1200 sq ft apartment on the 4th floor, Apt 8422. It is where all my nesting happened in preparation for Preston. It's where we brought Preston home from the hospital. It's where we spent the first night as husband and wife. It truly was our first "home". Last November, while I was 9 months pregnant, Chip and I would make pallets on the living room floor and watch movies almost every night. We made countless ice cream visits to Stone Cold Creamery that was conveniently across the street. We would sit in Preston's room for hours dreaming of what our son would be like, what his personality would be. We were so excited. I will always have a soft spot for that city, because it's where 3 individuals became a family.

Day 2

Today I am thankful for my Preston's health. In his first year of life he has defeated Plagio, had one cold, and one 24 hour stomach bug. I am so grateful he is so healthy. I hear stories all the time of babies being sick so much their first year, and I thank God everyday for allowing Preston to not have to go through that. He just finished his first month of MDO and I am sure he will be coming home with bugs and colds all the time, but this first year has been a breeze so far :)

Double Digits

That's right... Preston has made it to double digits. I can't believe he turned 10 months old yesterday. It's even harder to believe that in 2 months... My little baby will be a one year old. Preston is 27 pounds and ALL boy. Everywhere we go someone always asks how old he is. When I tell them 10 months their response is always "Wow! He is a big boy!".

He is a total tease and already has a sense of humor. His smile and laugh are completely contagious.

He is squatting and trying to stand up by himself.

His favorite shows right now are Fireman Sam and Driver Dan. He still loves The Pajanimals before bed.

He is eating stage 3 baby foods as well as finger foods such as waffles, pancakes, cheese, crackers, fruits, and veggies. He loves feeding himself and trying to feed him with a spoon has become a challenge.

He is waving hello and bye-bye constantly.

He has become obsessed with dogs. He stands at the back door and tries to bark at Wrigley.

He loves being outside and gets excited every time a truck drives by.

He has discovered he can open cabinets. He has also discovered he can hide toys in cabinets.

He loves being chased and loves hide and go seek.

He still goes to bed at 7 but is starting to wake up early, around 6 am. He takes at least two naps a day, sometimes 3.

He is now in a rear facing convertible car seat. He loves the windows down in the car. He "sings" along to music.

He LOVES when Janie pretends to be a butterfly. He flaps his arms in a butterfly motion every time she does it.

He is wearing 18-24 month clothes and size 4 diapers during the day and size 5 at night.

He has 7 teeth and his 8th is about to break.

I still bath him in the kitchen sink and he loves playing with the sprayer.

If someone he knows walks by him and doesn't come over to play with him, he will start sobbing.

He is such a blessing and such a joy. I really don't know how we got so lucky to have him :)

It's true.

I have become my mother. The other day P and I went over to my parent's house. We were over there all afternoon so the time came for Preston to take a nap. After he was asleep, my mom, grandmother, and I were sitting in the living room. After a few minutes I looked around, and all three of us had our noses buried deep in the millions of Better Homes and Gardens magazines they have collected over the years. I started laughing and said "Wow, we aren't all the same person at all". Then we all burst into a laugh attack because it's so true. Us three are so incredibly similar it's scary. I catch my mom saying things all the time that my grandmother has said for years. Chip catches me ALL the time saying things my mom has always said. Truth is, I wouldn't want it any other way. My mom and grandma are two incredible women... And I'm not just saying that for the sake of a good blog post. They have a desire to help others like I have never seen in anyone before. They live in a personal world of peace, no matter what hard ships come there way. I know that peace comes from there amazing bond with the Lord. They know how to look past petty little obstacles and get past them with dignity and grace. They are southern bells to the core, and I hope that one day I will be exactly like them.

If you really knew me...

If you really knew me you would know that turning the music up in the car with the windows down makes me very happy.

If you really knew me you would know that I struggle with insecurity. You would know that when I was a little girl I thought that once you got married that insecurity went away. You would know I was wrong about that.

If you really knew me you would know that I would rather have candy or chocolate over flowers any day.

You would know I drink coffee morning, noon, and night. You would know that I hate scary movies and they terrify me to the point I can't sleep at night. You would know that I could lay in a bathtub for hours and that is my happy place.

If you really knew me you would know that my family is my world. You would know that I am a dreamer, and those dreams usually include the countless dreams I have for Preston. You would know that there is absolutely nothing I wouldn't do for my little boy.

If you really knew me you would know that I don't hide much. I am an open book and if someone asked me something, I will 9 times out of 10 give them the answer regardless how personal it is. You would know that my desire to help others is strong, and if a simple conversation can do so then I am game.

If you really knew me you would know I write everything down. You would know that I am the definition of a list maker, but almost always lose my lists.

If you really knew me you would know that I love a clean house. You would know it rarely is in a state of perfection and I am ok with that also. You would know that if it came down to folding a basket of laundry or being on the floor stacking blocks over and over just so Preston could knock them down, blocks will always win.

You would know I have a deep fear for the world we live in. The world is a scary place at times, but you would know I have peace in my soul that the Lord will protect us and I always trust His will. You would know that I pray every night over Preston's crib asking God to allow us all to have healthy and happy lives. I ask him to watch over our family and to keep us safe. You would know that I always end a prayer in "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, Blessed be the name of the Lord."

If you really knew me you would know I love to take long walks, but don't do it as often as I should. You would know I'm attracted to art and music, but it takes a lot for me to tap into a creative mind. You would know I love to cook, and I enjoy planning out meals for the week.

If you really knew me you would know that I am obsessed with changing sheets on beds. You would know I change them at least twice a week because there is nothing better than sleeping on crisp, clean sheets.

If you knew me- really knew me- you would know that I try to live each and every day as my last. I try to provide the happiest home for Preston possible and you would know that I could not imagine life without my two favorite men.

Crazy Week

In the past week two very memorable things happened to Preston. I will start with the not so exciting one...

Preston caught his first cold on Tuesday. He woke up in the morning like nothing was wrong, ready to play, and into everything as usual. Mid afternoon his nose started to run... And run... And run. Within an hour he was not feeling so good. I called his Dr. and she told me to watch his temp and just make him as comfortable as possible. Now, this is the first time Preston has had any type of illness at all... And I was freaking out. After telling the Dr ALL my concerns (and there was whole lot of them) she told me that I needed to relax and I would look back on this in a couple months and laugh... We shall see about that! After two days of hanging low and a dose of ibuprofen before bed, he was feeling back to normal by Thursday. He still has a little bit of congestion but at least he is back to playing non stop and happy.

The second thing (and the super SUPER exciting one) is that Preston is now helmet free! Before he started feeling bad on Tuesday he had a helmet appointment. At Preston's last physical therapy session, Cathy said she thought that he would be getting his helmet off this week because he has improved so drastically, but we wouldn't know until he got his head scanned and the numbers came in. When we got to his appointment his Dr said that it was too early to get his helmet off because he has only had it on for about two months and to expect to go home with the helmet on. Then it was time to get his head scanned... And everyone in the office could not believe his numbers. When we first got the helmet his ears were off my 9.9mm. The normal range is 0mm-5mm. Preston's ears are now at 3.3mm and his head has grown 12.5mm in the last two months. His Dr said he has never had a baby improve so much so quickly and told us that Preston's plageo is now 100% corrected! *Total proud Mommy moment*

When we were checking out and saying our goodbyes to Dr. Dwane and his awesome staff, a mother and father walked in with their 5 month old baby boy. The mother was almost in tears . This was their first visit to Dr. Dwane and their little man was about to start his helmet process. She looked at Preston and then at me, and we had a major mommy-eye language-code experience. Her somber looked turned to a smile as I told her it was the best decision we could have made and worth every cent. She told her little boy that he was going to have a round head just like Preston in a few months. There was not an ounce of me that was lying to her. It truly was that best decision. That helmet was the worst smelling, rash causing, annoying, BEST piece of plastic ever!

Nine Months (and letting go)

Yesterday Preston turned the big NINE (9 months) So much has changed in the past month. He has grown so much, learned so many new things, improved on other things, and our bond has hands down become so much stronger. He is cruising along side furniture, pulling up on everything in sight, has 4 legit teeth, eating finger food like a champ, and sleeping through the night with out a dream feed. He is learning how to do puzzles, starting to point at familiar object, giving hugs and kisses left and right, learning what no means, and turning into a little boy right before my eyes.

It's such a strange feeling having your little infant turn into a toddler. When they are infants, they need you for everything and have zero independence. Now that he is learning to be more independent, I feel more of a connection with him now because he chooses to want me. When he was a newborn, he just needed someone to take care of him, and he felt content in anyone's loving arms. Now, he wants his Mama. He wants me to be the one to put him to sleep, he wants me to be the one he watches tv with, and he want me to be the one who feeds him... And that is one heck of an incredible feeling.

Tonight I took a part Preston's bouncer and swing. I put his Bumbo chair and tiny little clothes that he has grown out of in boxes and they are now in the garage. I feel like I'm having to let go of my tiny little baby, but I know I'm gaining the most precious soon to be toddler. When I was pregnant everyone told me to enjoy every second of Preston being itty bitty because it goes by way to quickly. I am so pleased to be able to say that I did enjoy every single second. I took in every moment and stored it in the memory box in my brain, but more importantly in my heart.

Happy 9 months Angel, I love you so much.

Audios Physical Therapy!

Preston had a re-evaluation last week from his physical therapist, and it went wonderfully! His Torticollis is completely gone (but he needs to still be stretched until he is about two because his muscles will have tendency to tighten up again) and his Plagio is about 90% gone. She discharged him and he no longer needs ECI. What a blessing. I have so much thankfulness for his PT Kathy, I couldn't have asked for someone better to help Preston. I made her some banana bread and Preston and I made her a card saying how much we appreciated her wealth of knowledge and gentle spirit. Her husband is actually Preston's helmet Dr and they are so impressed with his improvement they are going to use his before and after photos for an upcoming seminar they are leading. Preston has a helmet appointment on the 25th of this month and he will get his head re-scanned to see how much he has improved in numbers. I am so glad the end of Plagio is in the hear future and Torticollis is gone! Praise the Lord!

Change

I have been thinking about this blog and even more about this blog post, a lot.
So much that I have six, yes, six post drafts that I have been trying to complete all on the subject I am about to talk about. 
Truth is, I started this blog as a continuation of Preston's baby book, and strictly a scrapbook to document new, exciting, and funny things Preston has done.

But, I want more. 

I want this blog to be something that he will cherish when he is older.  Something that he can say "This is from my mom"
Of course I will continue posting all the wonderful things he does on a daily bases and gushing over how much I love him and cant get enough of him, but I am also going to post about things that make me, me.  Issues that our family goes through, the good and the bad. 

I can confidently say that my mom and my dad are two of my best friends.  If you would have told me those words would be coming out of my mouth a few years ago I would have said you were nuts.  But it's true.  I can, and do, go to my parents about almost everything.  I ask for advice, and they give it to me.  Not just advice I want to hear, but the raw truth.  I could ask my parents for help if I needed it, and I know that they would do everything in their power to help me and our family.  I can count on them, and that is a great feeling.  My mom is my mentor, and she is who I look to for answers.  With all that being said, I always wonder how they got to be the people they are today.  How did they make it through life, and all that encompasses that word.  I want to know, I long to know.  I hope and pray that we will be those people one day for Preston.  I hope that he can read through this blog and take something away from it to help himself in the future. 

And that is why this blog is changing.

I have so much I want to tell him, on so many different levels, and I can't wait to let it all out on Hodges Inc.   

Thank you

Lately I have been wondering what you think of me. Other than the fact that I am your go-to gal for every tiny and important thing you need to survive, I can't help but wonder what you really think. I know every single thing about you. What makes you laugh, what makes you scared or sad, what makes you feel secure, and what every cry, babble, or whine means. I watch you grow and learn every second of every day, and I feel so blessed to be able to. My absolute favorite thing you do is stare at me. Sometimes you stare when your are happy and excited, and I can totally feel that coming through your eyes. Other times, when you are sad or you bumped your head and it hurts, you look into my eyes and cry. As much as I hate seeing you sad or in pain, I love that you look at me and know that I can make it all better. I never knew I was capable of loving someone so much. I always had an idea of what motherhood would be like, and always expected to love as deep as I do, but feeling and expecting are two completely different things. I would do anything to be able to know what you are thinking behind those deep brown eyes, that your dad and I refer to as your "shark eyes". That time will come soon enough, and until then I want to thank you for sharing your love for me through those eyes. I want to thank you for being the absolute joy that you are and for showing me that you are happy I am your mom. Even though your father and I provide you with everything you need, you do the same for us. You give us purpose and determination for everything we do. You are the string that connects our family and the glue that holds things together when times are tough. Thank you for being you sweet boy.

Our Big Boy

So a few weeks ago I posted about how surprised I was to walk into Preston's room and see him sitting up in his crib... Well today I was even more shocked to see him standing up in his crib. I really shouldn't be. The kid is as strong as an ox and as independent as they come. Even though I shouldn't be surprised, I love that I am every time he does something new. He really does amaze me. He knows what buttons to push on all his toys to make sounds. He copies the sounds we make. All the little things he does brings so much excitement to my heart. Today he started another new thing... And this one is by far my favorite. He gives me kisses. Open mouthed, super slobbery, PERFECT kisses. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about them and I can't wait for him to wake up in the morning so I can get more sugar from my angel.

Another new adventure with Preston is table food. While Chip and I were in Houston Preston broke his first top tooth. It is the cutest tooth I have ever seen. Today he had some cut up avocado and tonight he had some cut up turkey breast. He is also becoming a pro using a sippy cup for sips of water. For the past week Preston has not woken up at 10pm for his dream feed. Another step towards independence. So much is happening so fast, and I'm loving every second of it.

What a busy weekend. Chip left for Houston on Friday to spend time with his family. While he was gone Cassandra and Gene drove all the way from Alabama to see Preston. We spent all day on the floor with Preston laughing and playing. This was Cassandra's second time to see Preston and Gene's first. It was such a great visit and we can't wait until we can all get together again!

Saturday night I took a late flight to Houston to join Chip and the rest of the gang. Preston got to have a two night sleep over with Janie, Sari, and Pappy. We had a great time in Houston but we were so excited to get back to Dallas and pick up Preston. We got back in town around 1:30 and we spent the rest of the day playing and loving on our Bambino. When Preston's bedtime rolled around we decided we would let him stay up a little later so we could get some good cuddle time in. We laid in bed and watch The Pajanimals for about an hour. Then I took him in his room and we rocked, and rocked, and rocked some more. Preston falls asleep on his own every night and so we haven't rocked in a while, but let me tell you that this rocking session was exactly what I needed. As I was holding him it brought me back to when he was an infant. When we would rock for hours and hours and how much he loved it. As we were rocking tonight his face was resting on my chest, his legs curled up in my arms, one little hand holding my thumb, and his other rubbing some lose strands of my hair... Total heart melting moment for me. Every couple of minutes he would lift his head up and look at me with those gorgeous dark brown eyes and ridiculously long eye lashes. He would just stare at me, and I could feel him telling me that he needed this rocking session as much as I did.

I realized in those 45 short minutes that I would not change my life for anything or anyone else's. I have the most incredible, smart, beautiful, and happy baby boy who adores me. As a new mom I sometimes find myself questioning, and at times doubting, my ability to be the best mom possible. I sometimes wonder and ask myself, do I have what it takes? Do I have the ability to raise this little angel the way God wants His precious angels raised, and tonight that answer was perfectly clear. I absolutely 100% have what it takes. I look at Preston and there is no doubt in my mind that I am doing something right.

Lately

The past two weeks have been unusually busy around here. Chip and I went out a mini weekend getaway with some friends to the lake. It was a great time but it seems that two days away from our bambino is too much for us. The second night we were there all we could talk about was getting home and giving Preston a huge hug and kiss. That same weekend Grandma Mike came in town. We were able to squeeze in a couple dinners with her and the Walsh's which is always a good time and a treat. Chip was offered a new job at Brook Hollow Country Club which was such an answer to prayers. He is starting at the end of the week and is thrilled. Two other things that has happened is Chip and myself are both another year older. This birthday was by far the best. We did nothing exciting, and we didn't even exchange gifts. Instead we bought Preston a few new toys. Our logic was that watching Preston get excited and happy is the best present we could ever ask for. It has also been Chip's two week break from school and having him home during the day has been A MAZ ING. Chip has been waking up with Preston in the mornings and keeping him entertained while I was able to catch a few extra ZZZ's. It is so much fun having us all together and we definitely don't take it for granted. Chip and I are both in the process of getting ready to go back to school next week. Preston was suppose to start MDO the same time, but we are waiting a couple more months until he gets his helmet off. His helmet Dr said that the only thing to worry about with having Preston play with other babies with the helmet is that they tend to head but each other... And with the helmet, Preston will always win. So we both think it's better to be safe than sorry and start him in MDO when his noggin is helmet free.

So all in all things are continuing to go fantastic and our lives are continuing to be enriched everyday with Preston. We can't wait to see what the next year brings.

Back To School

Starting August 27th all three of the Hodges will be in school. Chip is going to be starting his junior semester at the golf academy, I will be going back to school for speech pathology, and our little man will be attending Mothers Day Out at Lakeside Baptist Church Mondays and Wednesdays. I am so excited for all of us, but super excited for Preston. I grew up at Lakeside. I started Mothers Day Out there the same age as Preston and I still have memories from it. I am excited that he will be able to play with other children. I am excited that he will be able to learn about God and hear stories that will stick with him through out his life. I hope he loves it as much as I did.

The other day I went to get Preston in the morning out of his crib. When I walked in I was shocked to find him sitting up playing. I knew it was time to take the bumpers off so I did. This morning I went in to get him and he was sitting up, and trying to pull himself up on the crib railings. So I guess it's time to lower the crib mattress as well. Preston's 7th month sure is a big one for him.

Pictures!

Here are a few of our favorite pictures of you lately

Preston Happenings

Your two bottom teeth are in

You go to bed at 7pm and wake up around 7:30 everyday

You take 2-3 naps a day

You have started to fall asleep on the floor

You talk all day! You can wave bye and say "Ba-Ba" while you do it

You are wearing size 3 diapers and 12-18 month old clothes

Your outfit of choice is still just a diaper

You are currently a low-crawler. You like to follow me all around the living room

You are starting to pull up on furniture

You LOVE to stand and that is the quickest way to make you happy

You are eating stage 3 baby foods 2-3 times a day

You love carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, yogurt, and all fruit except for peaches

You are a climber

You do not sit still unless you are sleeping

You no longer use your baby tub and you love bath time

You are starting to try and pull your helmet off. You and I will both be so happy when you no longer have to wear it

You like to hold a diaper when I am changing yours

You love taking sips of water from your sippy cup, but refuse to drink milk from it

Your favorite shows are Bob the Builder, The Pajaminals, and Barney

You are a very independent player.

You love going to the store with me and sitting in your grocery cart cover

You love baby puffs (cheddar and banana flavors are your favorite)

Your drooling has gotten better but it is still flowing

Your hands are in your mouth less and less each day

You Love books and being read to

You have a stash of toys in your crib that keep you busy for 30 minutes when you wake up in the morning

You sleep with your bottom in the air, and Dad and I love watching you sleep

You are turning into a little boy right before our eyes. You continue to bless our family and home with your constant smiles and laughter. We love you Preston Ryne!

1st Tooth

This past Monday I noticed something extremely sharp in Preston's mouth... It was indeed his first tooth! It looked like a tiny piece of white rice on his gum. Today I looked at it again and it is growing it perfectly. The past few nights he has been waking up every hour wanting his paci, but other then that, the teething process has been pretty easy. I hope the rest come in with this much ease!

Helmet Time!

So on Preston's 7 month birthday he got an extra special present... His helmet. Chip and I were both nervous the night before that he would hate it and it would be uncomfortable, but our worries were quickly taken away when we got into the Dr's office and he slipped Preston's helmet on with ease. Preston literally had no idea it was even on his head. He laughed, smiled, and continued to play with the Dr while he told us all about the care and treatment of the helmet. We will go in every 2-3 weeks to get the inside of his helmet shaved down to make room for it to grow in the correct way. The Dr said that he will need to wear the helmet anywhere between 3-6 months, depending on fast he grows. We started out with 1 hour on/1 hour off schedule, then built up to 2 on/ 2 off and now he is wearing it 23 hours a day and is doing great. One of my big concerns was how he was going to feel sleeping in it, but it almost seems like he sleeps better now. He still rolls around and climbs and attempts to crawl just like when he had no helmet. Needless to say I am not concerned one bit anymore, I am just very very thankful for whoever invented the helmet.

Silly Baby

I was holding Preston when his Plagio Dr called me to discuss his helmet payments. After it was handled I hung up the phone and told Preston that he was an expensive baby. He then laughed, screamed, and slapped me in the face.

Plagio Update

On Tuesday Preston, Sari, and myself headed up to Children's Hospital for our scheduled appointment we made with Dr. Loa several months ago. Dr. Loa is one of the best Plagio specialist in Dallas and she immediately made us all feel so comfortable. Preston got a laser scan of his little head and lots of profile pictures taken. The scan showed that Preston's ears are off by 10mm (right ear further forward then his left). Dr. Loa said that if she was to walk in the store and see Preston that she would not think that he had Plagio and that his improvement with physical therapy and repositioning has been incredible. She also said that his head will never revert and get worse, it can either stay the same or get better. This honestly was not the answer I was looking for going into the appointment. I wanted a yes he needs a helmet or no he doesn't. She said that he is in the middle category of Plagio, not mild but not severe. She gave us tons of paperwork and phone numbers and said to think about it and try to make a decision within a week. Well it's been two days now and we have made our decision. Preston will be getting a helmet. Although this is 100% cosmetic, this is not for Chip and me. We think, and know, that Preston is perfect. Our fear is that when Preston is older he will look back and ask why we didn't do everything possible to correct the Plagio. So that's what we are going to do, and feel completely confident in our decision. We are waiting to hear back on the specific dates, but it will be soon.

In all of this I still feel so incredibly blessed. Being at Children's, and seeing babies, even infants, with trachea and feeding tubes really made me realize that this is nothing. Modern medicine is such a gift and we are lucky there is something out there to correct Preston's condition. I'm sure he will get some stares, but who cares. We think his helmet will be adorable :)

Cockroach

So I really love summer time, EXCEPT for the every now and then cockroach that ends up finding his way into the house. I despise cockroaches. They are dirty and creepy and I really really don't like them. Well last night Preston woke up around 1am and was hungry (this has happened for several nights in a row now and I'm thinking it is growth spurt time). I went and made him a bottle and stumbled into his room half asleep to give it to him. We sat on the glider and he was almost done with his bottle when the worst thing ever happened... I felt something crawl across my foot! I immediately freaked out, jerked my leg, and saw the unwanted house guest crawl under Preston's crib. Oh boy, OH BOY! Talk about an inner emotional breakdown that was happening. I knew I couldn't wake Chip up because he had school super early this morning, so I had to tap into my self efficient mind and take care of it. I put Preston back in his crib and he fell right to sleep, and that's when my 30 minute mid night adventure began. I went and got a shoe (very important in cockroach hunting) I moved Preston's crib out from the wall and of course there was no cockroach. Then I moved the glider and the ottoman, no cockroach. Ok now I was getting irate. I moved his ridiculously heavy changing table and there he was. Needless to say he is no longer with us, thank goodness! Just another exciting night in the Hodges' household!!

Sweet Cousins

Last week Preston and I went over to Aunt Kelly and Lexi's house to play. Lexi entertained us all with her dancing, and even taught me a few moves! Preston LOVES playing with Lexi and always has a huge smile when he is around her. Thank you Aunt Kelly for the great picture Of these two!!

Rolling over

For the past several weeks when I have gone in to Preston's room to check on him during naps he has been on his stomach. I always put him on his back so I knew that he was rolling himself over in his sleep. As of two days ago all day while we are playing he goes from sitting up, to his back, then to his stomach. He is one step closer to mobilization, and I have a feeling he is going to be all over the place!

3 in 1 day

So the time came for Preston to start eating in his highchair, be introduced to meat & to start weaning off the bottle. Of corse I decided that these should all happen in 1 day. I cried on the way to the store, on the way home from the store, and even shed a year while I was putting the highchair together. The next morning Preston woke up and I went to make him his first morning milk in his stage 2 sippy cup. I brought it to him, he grabbed it from my hands and immediately started drinking. This only lasted about 30 seconds though. He started to get frustrated with the extra work it takes to get the milk out. So I ended up putting the formula in his bottle and tried it again at lunch. Same thing happened. We will keep trying and working at it, but I am in no rush. He gives himself his bottles and will also take them if I'm feeding him which is great. For lunch that day I made him puréed chicken, broccoli, and carrots. This was his first time eating meat and I thought it was appropriate he did so in his new highchair. He took a few bites of the meal, and surprisingly enough he loved it! He had it again today for lunch and loved it even more.

As much crying the I did before this all happened, I was pretty shocked with the fact that all I felt was excitement during the actual events. I could not grasp the idea that he was going to using a sippy cup, but it is so much fun seeing him learn new things. What a blessing this little boy is!!