Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Cows, pigs and hotdogs - Oh My!

It's been a fairly cool summer, but that hasn't stopped us from having fun! The last few weeks have been filled with fun in the yard with our neighbors, a couple of trips to the pool, a trip to Aunt Jenna and Uncle Mitch's in Des Moines and the Burt County Fair!

Blaise is officially 16 months old, where has our baby gone!?!? He is very inquistivive, and loves "doing things" like putting things in buckets, or stacking or moving rocks from one place to another. He gets frustrated RIGHT NOW when he can't get something done or it doesn't go his way. He is very bull-headed. He would live every moment outside if he could. He still doesn't say too many words but has many ways of communicating with us and showing us he understands what we say. When I told him to pour water on his dads toes the other night he did. If you tell him to find his pacifier he will. If it's time to go outside, he will go find his shoes, and also find ours and try to put them on us- which means lets go outside. He pretty much copies just about anything we do these days. He has to eat everything we do. His eating has improved just a bit. He finally has two teeth- his bottom ones and his two front top ones are just about to come in. He has a few other buds in the back too. As of yesterday, he weighed 21 lbs 8 oz at the doctors office with all of his clothes on. He practically runs everywhere he goes now. Hotdogs are still his favorite food, as is any type of fruit! He loves carrying around buckets, especially buckets full of water. He has now fully conquered stairs too. As of this weekend, we've stopped giving him any bottles. This made mommy kind of sad, as my favorite time of the day was rocking him at night while he took his bottle.

He has had a bit of something the last week. We aren't totally sure what it is but he has had some diarrhea and a bad rash across his chest. After a week of this, we took him to the pediatrician yesterday. They aren't a hundred percent sure, but it could be a virus or possibly bacteria that he got from his time at the fair or from the water in his splash table. We are asking for a few prayers for this to clear up soon!

Speaking of the fair, Blaise absolutely loved it!  He loved the animals, he loved watching people, he loved eating there, and he loved that he could play in the dirt and everything else and do whatever he wanted without getting in trouble from mom and dad!! We spent 14 straight hours there on Sunday and he did awesome! He got a ride on the merry go round, and loved it so much that as soon as I put him on it he started spurring hte horse and bouncing his head trying to get it to go. He giggled the whole time, and after I put him on the ground after getting him off, he did a u-turn and a beeline back to the out-gate to try and get back on.

He actually knows where we are when he drive around now. Anytime we get to the city dump (which is about a mile from grandpa's cows) he get's really excited and starts pointing and yelling because he knows we are going to see the cows. Pointing at everything is is absolute favorite. When he saw the fair buildings he would point and get excited too!

His cousins from Aberdeen were here during the fair and he loved playing with them too! We made a trip to Des Moines and he did great doing lots of shopping with mom, grandma and Jenna. We are headed back there this weekend to go to the Iowa State Fair!

Now for the more serious part of this update- we received "the letter" in the mail yesterday from Children's telling us his next cardiology appointment is September 10th. I CAN"T believe it's already been six months since his last. Of course I'm already super, super, super nervous. I think he is doing fine- but the ECHO will tell us more. In the back of my mind it's hard not to think that we are nearing the next surgery already. I pray that this appointment goes great and they tell us not to come back for another six months and his next surgery isn't until he is three or older!   We ask that you say a few extra prayers for Blaise as this next appointment nears!

 Walking down my street before I got my haircut. I HATE getting my hair cut.
 Standing in a bucket of water. I got in here all by myself.
 Playing in the wood chips at the fair.
 Playing at the fair horse arena with my cousin Cooper.
 Helping my dad in the arena during the cattle show at the fair.
 Checking out the bunnies at the fair.
 Riding the merry go round at the fair.
 Cooking some blocks.
 I got here on the arm of the couch all by myself. I have no fear and love to climb.
 Here I am really helping mom cook. I was 16 month old on this day.
My babysitter Jesse took me to the flower shop and I got to ride this horse there. 
 
Helping mom open her birthday present. 
 At the park.

 In Des Moines with Aunt Jenna.
 Des Moines with Aunt Jenna and Uncle Mitch.
 Zonked out.
 A trip this early summer to hte zoo.
 This is me on my 14th birthday I got my first tooth this day.

 I throw all the rocks on the slides at the park. Slides are my favorite part,  and I go down them by myself now.
 I like to climb into my chair to read books.
 This was me on the 4th of July in my cute outfit.
 This was me at the lake on the 4th of July.

 Mom and Dad- I'm running away from home!
 Riding in dad's semi.
 I visited Grandpa and Grandma Hartwell when they were camping. This picture is on my 15th month birthday.
 Another tired boy!