Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!

Bubeaner visited the zoo for the first time today.  We had a great, though tiring day.  And we were thrilled that Dad was able to join us for this 1st for Bubeaner.  Well he did have to work in the morning, but, thankfully, he was able to do it from home.

Mom & Bubeaner waiting for the zoo train.

This is where Bubeaner finally woke up.

Dad waiting for Bubeaner.

(I just LOVE the red beard.)

Bubeaner sporting hat & sunglasses at the kangaroo exhibit.

He was lathered in sunblock (twice) just to be sure.

Bubeaner was intrigued by the horses, the elephants and the parrots.  The flamingos & penguins drew his attention for a little while too.  But mainly he was interested in the shrieking little girls.  Granted it was a little difficult to tune the screams out.  

Dad working on the blackberry while waiting 

for Mom and Bubeaner.

 

Bubeaner with the elephants.  

He was distracted by the shrieking little girl next to us.

Thankfully, the weather cooperated too with a mild warm day (80s), cool breezes, and clouds protecting us from the sun's heat.  We did not stay too long to avoid overtiring Bubeaner.  Still we were all worn out by the end of the trip and recuperated with a nice little nap.  

Bubeaner saying goodbye to the zoo animals.

Zonked out at the end of the day.

Our cute Bubeaner was exhausted.

Playful Day

Bubeaner spent most of the day playing with Mom and the pups (Sandy and Bevo).  However, he refused to be left alone.  He even wanted to take his nap with Mom holding him.  (I may have accidentally created a little tyrant with the cuddling earlier this week.)  Bubeaner has also been taking shorter and shorter naps every day.  We are hoping this is just a fluke from the changes to his schedule this week rather than a permanent change.  Those naps are when I get things done around the house.

Dad's first attempt at feeding Bubeaner.

It got EVERY WHERE...ears, nose, hair, back & even the legs.

We have a nice evening routine of late.  Aunt Pau feeds him his baby food (currently green beans & prunes) on her way to her home from work.  Dad gets the bath and clothes ready when he gets home & bathes him after Aunt Pau is done.  I, meanwhile, work on finishing dinner.  And while Dad and Aunt Pau eat, I feed Bubeaner before putting him to bed.  We are working like a well-oiled machine.  Bubeaner also appears to enjoy having some "alone" time with each person.

"Hi, Mr. Worm.  I have something to tell you."

"I am going to EAT you!"

"I almost got you."

"Man that was hard.

I am going to rest for a little while first."

It took him a good 5 minutes of attempting a military crawl to get to the worm.

Laid Back Wednesday

We took it easy again today.  Bubeaner continues to eat his green beans and prunes without a problem.  We now add the cereal to the baby food or to the bottle.  Bubeaner does not like to eat it by itself.  It appears there is not enough taste to it.

Bubeaner is also jabbering away most of the day.  He makes multiple sounds now.  And sometimes it really sounds like he is trying to imitate our sounds.  Dad was talking by 7 months (he could say 7 words).  So, it is a possibility.  Either way we just love hearing him talk, even when he's supposed to be sleeping.

Bubeaner crying...

...and crying at a horrible crime committed...

... Momma gave him PLAIN CEREAL!

How's a baby supposed to live like that!?

Pictures are Back

It's a good thing I found the camera's USB cord;  people really want their Bubeaner fix.  

Bubeaner had a pretty laid back day today.  It's fitting considering our hectic schedule yesterday.  He was pretty fussy during the night waking up a couple of times.  But it's my fault.  He really did not have good naps yesterday.  Mom was not feeling well today so we spent most of the day cuddling, napping together and just low key playing and talking.  Bubeaner appeared to really enjoy it.  He likes it when he gets all the attention.

Bubeaner & Mom napping after the morning feeding.

Dad snuck this one in.

Bubeaner and Mom playing with the camera.

FYI - We went back and added the missing pictures to the previous posts.

A Mobile Bubeaner

*** Still no USB cord. ***

Poor Bubeaner had a long day today.  We spent 7 long hours running errands.  Yes, we didn't even stop for his afternoon nap; he had to take it on the road.  And awesome Bubeaner that he is, he behaved and was patient with us.  He zonked out the moment we finished feeding him this evening.  But it does bode well for any long road trips we may need to take in the future.  

Bubeaner got a walker this afternoon.  He liked the walker because it is so low he can comfortably sit AND touch the floor.  He loves his jumperoo but it still does not fit his body comfortably.  He appeared to enjoy moving backwards.  He laughed when he did it.  Yes, we are aware of the current safety concerns regarding walkers.  But we also do not leave him unsupervised; if nothing else, we have 2 dogs at home.  We CAN'T risk to just look away for a little while even though they have not shown any aggression towards Bubeaner.  

Since he gave up the Paci,

Bubeaner has grown attached to his many loveys.

They taste good & are cuddly.

And they also make good pillows.

Obviously, they are far superior to the mere Paci.

This week we added green beans to Bubeaners diet.  Yucky?  Well, he does not appear to think so.  He ate the entire 2.5 oz and asked for more!  Usually he will not eat more than 1 oz if we are lucky.  He even had some prunes for "dessert".  He is growing up so fast.

Aunt Pau playing with Bubeaner while Mom loaded the groceries.  

Bubeaner was not amused.

Bubeaner's Date

*** DISCLAIMER ***  

I have misplace my backup replacement USB cord, 

so no pictures until it is found.... again. 

Bubeaner spent yesterday evening with Aunt Pau while Mom and Dad went on a date.  It was the first time Mom and Dad spent the evening out alone for longer than a couple of hours.  And we only checked on him 4 times!  That is self control!

Bubeaner goofing around before bath time.

Bubeaner also spent the night in the guest bedroom, bassinet and all, with Aunt Pau.  It was the first time he slept in a different room from us.

He has a new favorite game...

...the feet appear to be yummy.

Prayer Request

Please keep Kaleigh Anne and her family in your prayers.  She was born at 28 weeks weighing 1 lbs 1 oz.  Kaleigh Anne fought a brave and hard battle for 10 months, but she was called home Monday night.  Her life and strength were an encouragement to us during John's tenure in the NICU.  She touched our lives.

We're Rolling, Rolling, Rolling!

Bubeaner is rolling and rolling and rolling.  He had only done it once a long while back but never repeated it.  Then Aunt Pau got an afternoon with him and he's now a pro at it!  He did it so many times we were even able to capture it on video for Dad to watch later. (We could get it on here if Blogger cooperated.)

Want me to tell you something?

We also started him on his first food other than cereal.  The rice cereal and a week on the formula made Bubeaner a little constipated: no dirty diaper in 3 days!  So Bubeaner started on prunes.  The boy loves them!  He would occasionally make faces at the slightly sour taste.

This food stuff is AWESOME!

Momma has been holding out on me.

Blessed Day

Bubeaner was baptized today!  Aunt Pau and Uncle Jeff are the godparents; they were our maid of honor and best man.  His gown was made from the train of my wedding gown.  We were even able to use our unity candle.

Bubeaner paid close attention to Father Kennedy

(We have to thank Kelly from church for the top 2 pictures.

Everyone in our party had cameras 

yet we ALL forgot to get them out during the ceremony!)

He didn't really cry either.

This was also the first time Bubeaner was in the sanctuary 

for the entire mass.

The family.... 

we were just missing April

Bubeaner had a wardrobe change.

Here he is enjoying time with Aunt Bab.

We realized he was hungry.

Bubeaner was eating Aunt Delores' clothes.

Sarah loved caring for Bubeaner. 

Bubeaner is such a FLIRT!

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day.  I, and several others, cried, of course.  But, then again, I cry at all baptisms even more so this time.  

It's during these special family times that we usually miss our loved ones that have gone before us especially my younger brother Jose.  But not this time, at least not in the usual way.  Bubeaner's baptism was a poignant reminder of the life to come.  We do not know how exactly it will be (how can a simple human mind comprehend in full), yet we know, we KNOW we are called to another life and that we will meet again.  Oh, what a glorious day that will be when together we will be in His presence.  And we got a small present at the end of the ceremony.  The choir selected Song of Joy, without us knowing, as their last song.  A beautiful song, but it's the one song we most associate with Jose.  He sang it nonstop at the top of his lungs when he first learned it in 1st grade.  We could not have asked for a better way to end the ceremony.... together. 

Back To Basics

Bubeaner is back to nursing.  We had to wait 24 hours after Tamiwonderflu before trying it again.  (We waited a little longer just to make sure.)  He actually squealed when he realized he would nurse.  As I feared my supply diminished during the last 5 days.  Bubeaner was eating every 1-1.5 hours.  I am considering Fenugreek.  I am just hesitant of adding anything that may upset Bubeaner's tummy.  As it is, he is still a bit bloated.  It's unclear if it was the bottles or the formula even though it's hypoallergenic.  

Matt bathed Bubeaner by himself yesterday.  

They enjoyed some guy time.

Bubeaner giving me some 'tude this afternoon.

He does not like to be disturbed when he is busy.

I can't believe I failed to mention that Bubeaner now gives kisses.  Well, the precursor to the kiss.  He will open his mouth and put it against your cheek without trying to eat your cheek.  Bubeaner has been doing it for a few days primarily when Mommy is conducting a Kissing Attack.

Bubeaner eating cereal. 

He was not so clean this morning but ate all of it.

No Pork in This Home

We got the results back from the CDC this morning.  No $wine flu here!  WooHoo!  It was probably just a random bug.

Everything tastes better with the hand.

Cute Cereal Face

The 2nd cereal feeding was not so clean.

After the call, Matt immediately swooped in and picked up the Bubeaner telling him how much he had missed him and how much he loved him.  It was adorable.  Somehow in the list of things he missed the most I came in third behind the Bubeaner and the bed.  I am still teasing him about it.  But we do have a pretty awesome mattress.  

Matt happily returned to work today.  And we went on with preparations for the baptism this weekend.

He was not pleased with me and kept complaining loudly.

Suddenly he was quiet and I looked back to find this....

Cereal, Baby. OH YEAH!

Bubeaner had his first cereal today.  And he did an awesome job.  He was taken aback by the taste and different texture at first.  But he did not spit up/out except for the first bite.  Matt was able to watch this milestone but from the other end of the hallway.

Bubeaner AFTER eating cereal for the first time.

Notice his clean face; 

he did so well not spitting up.

We are still being careful even though Matt has been symptom free for 24 hours now.  He is thrilled.  He even executed a jail break earlier today just to drive around; he just needed to get away.  Bad Matt!  He also plans on going back to work tomorrow.  We expect that the test will come back tomorrow from the CDC.  Although, the news tonight mentioned that some cases are not being confirmed because somehow the virus sometimes "dies" before it reaches the CDC for testing.  We hope that's not the case with Matt.  An answer, any answer, would be good.

Onto some more good news, Bubeaner has not had any more coughing or sneezing episodes.  YAY!  He did have a tiny little spike to a low-grade fever again this afternoon.  But it was after we had been playing and laughing.  It went back down on it's own by the time we finished with bathing and feeding.  Not concerned right now.  And Bubeaner is back to eating more.  WooHoo!  It does make him mad because I still only make his bottle 2 oz at a time.  I was just wasting way too much formula; I would make 6 oz, and he would eat 1oz.  The rest went down the drain!

We debated long about still having the baptism this weekend.  But barring a positive test from Matt and more symptoms from us, we will continue with our plans.  We understand that this will probably mean some people will not be able to join us.  And, of course, we also would ask that anyone feeling ill or with cold/flu symptoms not join us to help protect our little Bubeaner.

A Little Bit Sick, Maybe?

Bubeaner with some coughing and sneezing.  He still continued not eating well as well as being fussy.  He is usually loves cuddling, but he preferred to be in his swing.  We, Pau and I, ended up taking him to see the pediatrician.  Dr. Z believes it may be a stomach virus or cold which would explain the vomit and reluctance to eat.  And his tummy was a little bloated.  She did not believe it was the flu because he did not have a fever.  But even Dr. Z noticed he was pretty "limp" when he usually is flirting and talkative.

I ended up going in to see the doctor too.  I had a low grade fever, extreme fatigue, sore throat and occasional coughing.  The flu swab came back negative.  YAY!  It appears Bubeaner and I may have the same thing.  But at least it's not the flu.

This picture is from yestarday.

We didn't actually take any pictures today...a rarity in our household.

But doesn't he look cute?

He did do a lot better this afternoon eating.  We just decided to feed him 2 ounces at a time as often as he would take them.  It appears to be working.  Bubeaner did have a low grade fever before bedtime, but, after some Tylen0l, he was fine by the time he was asleep.

Matt continues to improve.  Poor guy is going stir crazy!  Can you imagine spending 4 days in the same room only leaving to use the restroom?  He was not thrilled because the doctor said we may not get the results from the CDC until Wednesday instead of Tuesday.  

Mommy Wins!

Well, not so much Mommy wins as hunger wins.  But it got the same result.  Bubeaner started taking the bottle again.  He makes his displeasure very clear, but at least he is eating again.  And the fact that Aunt Pau was giving him the bottle rather than Mommy may have helped too.

What are you doing Mommy?

He didn't even last 5 minutes in the jumperoo.

He was tired.

We may still calling the pediatrician in the morning.  Bubeaner has been pretty lethargic today as well and he threw up (projectile vomit that soaked my shirt and almost got the dogs too) a few times in the afternoon.  Thankfully, he is eating again.  Currently he is sleeping semi-peacefully.  We'll see how the night turns out.

Something we have learned about formula: dirty diapers are something else now.  WOW!  I can't wait until he goes back to breast milk.  Stinky!

He eventually even held his own bottle.

Matt continues to feel better and a little claustrophobic.  But he has been getting a lot of work and reading done.  But above all he misses loving on his Bubeaner.  Hopefully, this won't last long.

This was right after I tried feeding him the first time.

Is that a smug look?

Did you notice he has three different outfits in all?  Yup, it was a long day. =)

But it was not as long as the day Jenevieve endured.  She was in labor for 16 hours, pushed for 4 and had a C-section, but in the end they welcomed Adelyn Grace (6lbs 15oz, 21").  Thank you for remembering them in your prayers.

No More Bottles!

"No more bottles!  No more bottles!

I want to NURSE!"

I believe that is what Bubeaner keeps trying to say to me.  He did really well with his feedings yesterday. But starting this morning he has fought me with the bottles and instead tries to nurse.  

His temperature is within the normal range and he has not had any more coughing.  And he is also in quite a sunny disposition once I stop trying to force feed him the formula.  So I am assuming that he just doesn't want the bottle.  And we have tried several types too.  He doesn't want any of them. 

Even in the NICU he preferred nursing to the bottle even though he started out on the bottle first.  Ah, stubborn little monkey!  For now, he is still getting some formula down so we are not too concerned.  And  I imagine he will start to eat more when he is hungry.  So, we will give him some time.  

Eventually he will learn Momma wins... well at least some of the time.  The teenage years will be quite interesting with his temper, impatience and stubborn streak.  Oh the joys that await us! =)

Matt continues to feel and sound better.  Either the medicine really should be called TAMIwonderFLU or it was not the flu after all.  We are still hoping it wasn't the flu.  Otherwise, Matt continues in quarantine until the end of the week!

And Uncle Dave is being released from the hospital today!  YAY!  There really is no place like home to rest and recuperate.  Thank you for keeping him in your thoughts and prayers.

And little request, a friend's wife, Jenevieve, is currently in labor with their first child.  Please pray that labor will progress without complications and they will soon be welcoming a healthy baby into their family.  

Long Fussy Saturday

Bubeaner was pretty fussy this afternoon.  We are not sure if he was unwell or just missing Daddy.  Yes, he is in the same house, but we can't have any contact.  Bubeaner will hear Matt's voice and turn to look for him.  He did finally settle for a nap in my arms and after a nice bath and warm bottle is currently sleeping through the purple-cell thunderstorm.  

Bubeaner and Daddy earlier this week.

He is holding his duckie lovey.  

He is so cute because that's how he holds him 

when not trying to eat it.

Bubeaner no longer likes his paci for some reason.

He will only take his lovey.  Thankfully he has 3 to rotate.

I have been taking his temperature during every other diaper change.  Thankfully, it's been within the normal range.  Bubeaner did cough three times this morning but nothing since then.  And Matt's cough is so much better tonight.  YAY!

And some more good (well maybe just fun) news.  Bubeaner decided to chew on his toe today.  He was sitting up and found his toe.  After some time considering his options, he just dove down with open mouth and in went big toe.  He looked quite adorable.  Bubeaner had just this past week started grabbing his legs while he was on his back.

He also decided last night that he would not take baths reclining.  It appears that big boys have to SIT while bathing.  He still needs assistance staying up, but he won't have it any other way.

And really exciting, he practiced crawling today.  Well, it was mainly an alignment of his legs in position, his bottom up, and doing a pushup while he moved his leg forward.  It was AMAZING!  Granted, that immediately resulted in losing his balance and face planting.  But it's a great step forward.  Our baby is growing up so fast!

He got tired of grabbing him with his hands

and decided to just go in for the bite. 

Wouldn't You Believe It!?!

We wanted to advise everyone of our small part in the H 1 N 1 play.  Matt's executive assistant became the first confirmed case of H 1 N 1 ($wine Flu) in Denton County.  (What are the odds of that you ask?  According to the news tonight, it's 1 in 27,000.  Poor Miss Debbie.)  

As luck would have it, Matt came down with a sore throat and fever yesterday.  (Yeah, we are that lucky!)  Off to see Dr. A Matt went this morning.  The swab performed at the doctor's office was negative.  YAY!  But, unfortunately, there is a 50% error rate on those tests (interesting how in previous years they failed to mention that).  But because of his symptoms and close proximity to a confirmed case Dr. A took the conservative approach recommended by the CDC.  He is currently in Tamiwonderflu and is quarantined from both work and us.  He is currently living in the opposite end of the house as us until he is both (a) symptom free for 24 hours and (b) until the more reliable DNA test comes back negative from the CDC.  The test should be back by Tuesday.

Bubeaner with Daddy this past weekend 

BEFORE he got sick.

And to be on the safe side, I was placed on Tamiwonderflu (sense the sarcasm?) also.  Not only does it give you nausea reminiscent of my all-day pregnancy nausea but I can't nurse Bubeaner!  That was quite a hard pill to swallow.  I had a pity-party of one for about an hour, but then resolved that I will go back to pumping until the time (10 days) when I can nurse him again.  So far Bubeaner has taken well to the bottle and formula.  And on the bright side, we will find out for sure if he does indeed have a protein allergy now that he will only be on formula.  

Assuming that Bubeaner and I do not become symptomatic and that Matt's test is NEGATIVE on Tuesday (Pray! Pray! Pray!), per the doctor there is NO reason we cannot proceed with the baptism as scheduled.  We'll update everyone on the plans when the tests come in.

Bubeaner covering his face & going to sleep.

We had been playing and he just got too tired & decided it was nap time.

For now please pray for Miss Debbie's health, that Matt does not have H 1 N 1 or any other flu, and that Bubeaner and I do not catch whatever it is that Matt has or anything else going around.  ANY respiratory illness is a HUGE deal for a little one.  So please keep our precious Bubeaner in your prayers.

And before I finally head off to sleep, thank you for remembering Uncle Dave in your prayers.  The procedure went well and all indications are that everything is headed in the right direction.  Please continue to keep him and his family in your prayers as he recovers.