Sushi, Anyone?

We had a good day today. Momma woke up listening to the wonderful sound of Bubeaner and Dad talking as they watched ESPN and snacked on cheerios. Bubeaner was actually thrilled to be watching sports again after a two-week long hiatus. He's most definitely his father's son. Most of the morning we spent just lounging and relaxing.

Meme'Licia was able to join us today to help watch over Bubeaner as Momma and Dad attended a meeting in the afternoon. Aunt Pau was also able to join her and spend some quality time with Bubeaner.

Dad and Momma spent most of their meeting time sitting in quite uncomfortable church chairs not moving much.  Bubita took this as an opportunity to wiggle and kick to her heart's content.  And Dad was able to feel her move for the first time!  We were thrilled... and really did try to pay attention and not be distracted by our little gymnast for the remainder of the meeting.

For dinner, we headed out to our absolute favorite Thai/Japanese restaurant, which happens to be a few blocks away. Tammie and aunt Pau were able to join us. The restaurant recently added sushi to their menu so we were excited about trying it out. And it was great!

Momma and Bubeaner gorged themselves on sushi. Don't worry it was only cooked sushi which we enjoyed. Tammie, aunt Pau and Dad enjoyed the really good (raw) sushi.

Bubeaner did not hesitate to start eating his first sushi roll.

Tammie attempted to help him;
Bubeaner mistook it as an attempt by Tammie to eat his roll.
He gave her a nasty look.

After all, sushi is really supposed to be eaten with your hands.

Towards the end he allowed aunt Pau to help him eat the rest of his rolls. He tried the California roll along with multiple variations on the eel roll. His only complaint was how long it took to get them.

It's Good to Be Home!

It is so good to be home. For the past two weeks, Bubeaner and Momma (with Dad along for a weekend) were visiting family. The original reason for our trip was because Momma and Dad were going to baptize their first goddaughter! We were thrilled and honored to be chosen to be AnaLucia's godparents.

Momma and Bubeaner headed out almost a week earlier to stay with Bita and Papa Pepe on the pretext of helping out. It turned out to be a blessing too. A couple of days later the metroplex was hit by a true Artic Blast that blanketed the area under a record 12.5" of snow in 24 hours!


Poor Dad had to struggle to get to the airport and deal with all the delays and hassles of traveling under bad weather. We can't imagine how much more difficult that would have been with a toddler! Dad was stuck at the airport for 7+ hours, and it was so crowded that there wasn't any where to seat, including the floor!

Meanwhile, Momma and Bubeaner enjoyed spending quality time with family. Bubeaner really enjoyed seeing Bita again. But he was thrilled to see Papa Pepe and aunt Lari. He had not seen them since Christmas. Bubeaner, of course, decided he would change their names. He would say LariLariLariLari (rolling his 'r') in a singsong when calling aunt Lari. And he appeared to say Papa when calling Bito Pepe. This is probably because he really does not hear us say Pepe much, but he does hear all his aunts, Momma included, call him Papa (dad in Spanish). This is not a problem since he calls Dad, Dada. Grandchildren are the ones that finally determine what grandparents are called.

We were also able to spend some quality time visiting BisBis (Bubeaner's great grandmother). Poor BisBis has had some really difficult losses recently. Her older sister, great aunt Adelisa, and her baby sister, great aunt Pina, both passed away within 2 months of each other. We were glad to be with BisBis letting her know how important she is to us. And one of the nights, BisBis, Tia Carlota, aunts Lina and Lari, Bita, Momma and Bubeaner went out to dinner. Somehow we managed to stay out for 4+ hours. BisBis appeared to have enjoyed the time out.

Bubeaner and Aunt Lina

Bubeaner and Momma also took some time to visit Grandma. We were even able to enjoy lunch at Momma's favorite restaurant. Bubeaner also enjoyed playing with Jack (puppy) and Bela (love bird). He's pretty fearless with dogs. We actually believe Jack was more cautious about being around Bubeaner. As to Bela, Bubeaner loved imitating her sounds running around saying "tweet, tweet." Grandma even allowed him to pet Bela!

Dad was eventually able to trudge through the snow and join us for the weekend. Bubeaner was ecstatic when he saw him. We missed Dad terribly.

On Saturday, we all dressed up for the baptism. Bubeaner sported a blue, pin-stripped suit with tie and kerchief. It matched Dad's suit and tie! He even had proper dress shoes. And he did not even try to take it off. Both boys looked quite handsome and adorable.

He was also pretty well behaved. Well, he was until he saw Dad holding AnaLucia. He tolerates Momma holding other babies, but Dad holding another baby just crosses the line. He began crying and screaming in the middle of the ceremony.

Bubeaner did have a slight wardrobe malfunction once we were at the reception following the ceremony. We had removed his dress shirt and vest and left him in his pants and undershirt; it was a hot day. When suddenly, his pants just fell to the ground as he was standing near BisBis! Bubeaner just stepped out of them and continued playing as we all chuckled. He spent the rest of the afternoon in his undershirt and diaper.

Thankfully, AnaLucia was a perfect little angel throughout. She looked adorable in her princess dress and her baptism smock (previously used by her brother and sister) was precious. She did not even cry when she was awakened by the cold water poured by Father Julian. The ceremony was touching. And Dad did a great job following along even though it was in Spanish. Unfortunately, we did not get any pictures of the day, other than with the cell phone, since the camera battery was dead and we managed to forget our camera charger at home.

The original plan called for all of us returning home on Sunday night. However, we decided to make a little change considering the still bad weather at home, Dad's busy work schedule the coming week, and Bubeaner not having spent much time with Papa Pepe. Momma and Dad would fly back on Sunday, but Momma would fly back on Monday after the OB appointment. And that's how Bubeaner ended up half a state away from Momma and Dad for 36 hours! It was horribly difficult for Momma and Dad. Bubeaner only missed us during nap and bedtime. He was in a great mood the rest of the time. In fact, he was in his best behavior according to Bita's reports!

BUBITA!

We had our 20-week, level II ultrasound appointment with the MFM doctor today. Aunt Pau and Dad were able to join Momma. We were treated to 23 minutes of baby-sonogram time! The sono tech does the preliminary examination followed by an even more thorough examination by Dr. T.

And as bets were laid, we found out we are having a baby GIRL!!!! Dad could barely restrain himself since he was so excited to get his daddy's girl. Everything is looking great. She is measuring right on target. Her little brain (actually a big head, but have you seen Bubeaner?) was perfectly and uniformly formed. Her little kidneys were functioning and had proper blood flow. We were amazed to see her little heart with all four chambers AND clearly visible valves pumping away. We even saw the liver! Today's technology is quite amazing; though God's handiwork is just breathtaking.

The placenta appears fine at the moment with proper blood flow and no areas of concern so far. There is one area of concern with Bubita. We have a 2-cord placenta with 1 vein and 1 artery rather than 1 vein and 2 arteries. It happens in about 1% of pregnancies (of course!).

This sometimes means there might be birth defects or chromosomal issues. However, Dr. T was reassured by our quad-screen results, which we took at our 16-week appointment, and by the results from today's sonogram. There were no other markers that might indicate other issues. Right now, it appears that our main concern will be watching Bubita's growth since this condition can also lead to growth issues while in the womb.

Though concerned, we were thrilled to know we are having a little baby girl and that she is thriving. And yes, she still shows quite a feisty nature. The sono tech even laughed at her antics though Bubita did agree to cooperate through the exam. We are excited to know our family of four will include our Bubeaner and now our Bubita! (We haven't broken the news to Sandy, our current baby girl.)

Lessons Learned

We have learned there are some days that are just quite educational. Some of the lessons we learned today:

1. It is almost a guarantee that when you need more sleep your child will wake up many times during the night.
   
2. No child is too young to con his parents to get in their bed. In fact, the older they get, the better the con.
3. Do not give your child a sippy cup when he's in the middle of a tantrum; it really hurts to get hit in the head by a missile sippy cup. (Now Momma has a nice swollen bruise at her temple to show off.)
   
4. Do not let your child play with the TV control until you've set parental controls lest you look up just in time to notice your 15-month old purchasing an adult film. We are still trying to figure out HOW he got to that screen. (We later learned that he also somehow managed to tape a few random TV shows. He only had the control for less than 5 minutes!)
   
5. As soon as you start taking a shower, your child WILL wake up from his nap screaming to high heaven. This applies for bathroom breaks too.

But the best lesson of all: there is nothing more precious than watching your child peacefully sleeping at the end of a long, long day.

Crazy Busy Monday

Today was just exhausting. It started with an early rising Bubeaner. He woke up at 5a. He ended up going back to sleep, but we couldn't. And he was finally up again for good at 6a. From there it was just getting ready and starting our day. Bubeaner ended upn taking an unplanned shower with Dad. Lately Bubeaner's been having some incidents in the mornings. Even though the diapers fit perfectly fine, he might need a larger size for nighttime. Sigh. Of course, he was Momma got him naked a little too soon and he was crawling all around the bathroom floor. When he suddenly stopped, did not stir for a few seconds, then was off crawling again... after leaving a nice little puddle for Momma to clean up. Sigh... again.

Unfortunately our plan was changed yet again when Dad left both his blackberry and mobile phone at the house. And since we were already making the 45-50 minute drive to take them to him, we ended up staying for lunch. It was also fun to show Meme'Licia all the fun things that are on display at Dad's work. But with the drive, lunch and a little socializing (Bubeaner HAS to socialize with his Sally crew!), it was past 1pm when we headed back.

Thankfully, Bubeaner is an amazing boy and can take his nap anywhere, including his car seat. He slept from 130p-4p! And that included the times we got down to shop for larger diapers and Bubeaner pjs, buying some clothes for Momma and others, and picking up his chair. He did not even stir once.

Of course, once we were home, he was ready to roam. He was interested in his chair. Actually, the cup holder was what really held his interest. He really did not start enjoying his new recliner until we taught him how to get down. It was tricky since there is not much room for him to turn around. After that, he warmed up to it. So much so that at one point we found him not only climbing onto the chair but also STANDING up on it! Yeah, that is a little problem we never envisioned mainly because it never occurred to us to stand on our chairs.... Kids! Sigh.


Bubeaner was such a good boy all day that Momma decided to give him a special treat after eating his dinner: a couple of Dad's Thin Mints. Like father like son; he adored them. We had to hide the package because he kept asking for more.

He's now sleeping peacefully and hopefully tomorrow will be a little more calm and relaxing with a lot less sighing.

And Our Weekend?

We are not sure where our weekend went. It could be the frigid temperatures that made everything appear to go by faster. We went from 70s to low 30s in a week! Bubeaner spent today in his pajamas since it was so cold. And as tempted as we were to follow suit, we thought it best not to go to church in them. It would have been quite a sight though.

Bubeaner did pretty well. Although we had to step out into the atrium half-way through mass. We never go to the 11am mass because it's always packed and today was no different. Momma does not do so well being packed in like sardines. Needless to say we are sticking to our early morning mass... once the weather warms up a little more.

We forgot to mention yesterday how much he has improved in brushing his teeth! He would let us brush his teeth but when we introduced toothpaste, he regressed. We started TRYING to brush his teeth again every time we brushed ours. Dr. Z also recommended we give him two other toothbrushes to hold; he can't really snatch the one we are using when he has something in his hand already. Smart doctor! Although the best trick we learned on our own. Bubeaner will allow us to take as long as we need brushing his teeth if we make a "shshshshshsh" noise. He wants his toothbrush to make the same sound as ours (electric).

And today, Momma taught him how to climb up on the couch. It was coming. He was already climbing on and off our bed. But in full disclosure, it is a platform bed and thus much shorter. Dad and aunt Pau cheered until we all suddenly realized what it meant: a climbing Bubeaner! Oh well, we will have to be more careful when he is not in his play area.

We were able to Skype with uncle Tony (from Hawaii) tonight. Bubeaner was quiet at first. Then he warmed up and started showing off all his tricks. He even sent uncle Tony a kiss! We had to cut the call short because of Bubeaner's bedtime. And we are not messing with his bedtime; we like our sleep too much.

Talkative Boy

First, thank you for your prayers for Jennifer and baby Nolan. The latest we heard they were both doing as well as could be expected. We got to see some pictures of baby Nolan before he was transferred and he is adorable... and so TINY (2lbs 7oz and 15 in). Please continue to keep him in your prayers. Jennifer was being discharged today; leaving the hospital and being home without your baby is extremely hard. Please keep her in your prayers that she may have the peace and strength she needs. (UPDATE: You can leave messages for Nolan and his parents at his website.)

And no, we have not yet purchase another USB cord for the camera so only a grainy camera picture for today.

Our little munchkin has always loved his food. But lately, he appears to be eating more than usual. Maybe he is going through a growth spurt. Tonight, he didn't even give us time to cut his quesadilla. He just snatched it up from the plate and started munching. He ate 2 quesadillas, 1 flour tortilla, and 2 tablespoons of guacamole. Oh, and a couple of fries too. He ate more than Momma! We are convinced he has his Bito Pepe's metabolism; no matter how much he eats, he does not get fat.


We have also been working on re-educating (training makes him sound like a puppy) Bubeaner that waking up in the middle of the night is not a way to get into our bed. We have also been working on getting him to sleep a little longer in the mornings before he is up and ready to go. It has actually been working quite well, at least now that we have gotten past the first few nights of constant crying and screaming. The last couple of nights he's fussed maybe once but then gone immediately back to sleep. And more importantly, he is waking up at 6-630a again! You would not believe what a HUGE difference that extra hour to hour and a half of sleep makes to us.

Of course, this whole change in his bedtime/sleeping routine has caused some disruptions to his naps. We have learned that even though he is 15 months old he still needs 2 naps a day. He really doesn't function well without them. We are not sure how precisely to fix it, so we are just letting him guide us respecting his sleeping time even if it means he skips or delays his lunch or snacks. Dr. Z warned us it would be chaotic for a while until he settled into a new routine.

And of late, Bubeaner has regained his speech. He talks none stop. He still mainly babbles, but he is also saying a lot more words. Almost daily, he adds a new word or sound. Today he learned "fresa" (strawberry). He's also been working on "boton" (button). The B sound is a little harder for him. But his favorite pastime is saying people's names. Today's favorite was CzaCza (Sarah).

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

Please keep Jennifer and her newborn child in your prayers. Last night she delivered at 26 weeks. Jennifer was an amazing support and caring nurse for John during his stay in the NICU. The baby has been careflighted to Cooks.

A New Week

Ok, so we have not been as good as we had hoped in posting and keeping up with Bubeaner's latest adventures and Baby's updates. Our cord is still MIA (And yes, as Dad just commented; Momma has lost yet ANOTHER cord and suggested we purchase at least 6 cords for future use). We had been able to use Aunt Pau's for the last post, but it had to be returned. So pictures will have to be added at a later time.

In any case, things have been a little chaotic and out of our routine for a little while now. Bita returned home on Sunday after a short week-long visit. Bubeaner still has not figured out that going to the airport means no more grandma. But he did not have to worry about that yet because as we were dropping off one grandmother we were picking up another. At the same airport, and hour apart! Bubeaner is one spoiled little boy. He was pretty good loving and showing off for Grandma Ellen.

We did have an issue with his bedtime routine. During the past week, he had figured out Bita's night time routine and would wait for her to walk by his room to get her attention. Most days, as Bita later confessed, Bubeaner would end up sleeping a couple of hours with Bita in her bed. Last night he got tired of waiting and decided that maybe if he cried REALLY LOUD he would get someone's attention. And he did. We are not sure that the neighbors didn't hear him too. So, we are trying to teach him again that 2a-3a is not a good time to scream your head off. And that no, even if he cries, it will not mean an automatic trip to our bed. This is going to be a LONG week. Thankfully, Meme'Licia is here to help during the day when Momma may not be completely awake.

Today we decided to venture out and catch a movie with Bubeaner along after our weekly grocery trip. Meme'Licia and Grandma fed Bubeaner while Aunt Pau and Momma put away the groceries. And the hope was that Bubeaner would sleep through the movie like when he was a baby. And for the most part it worked that way. Overall, it was a good experience. And we thoroughly enjoyed the movie; it was hilarious.

On the way home, we stopped to get a celebratory mint chocolate chip, chocolate ice cream cake for Dad. And as a bonus surprise, Dad was home early too!

For now, Bubeaner has been sleeping for a couple of hours. And we hope that the night will be calm and restful for all. We promise pictures soon.

We are BAACK!

Yes, we are back. Bubeaner wanted to post for a while but we've restricted his computer access for now. The holidays and an unfortunate chain of colds/flu have slowed our posting, but do not fear, we have all the adventures and pictures to share with you.

Bubeaner had his 15 month check up on Monday. Dr. Z declared him in great health. He now weighs 22.3 lbs (25%), stands 30.25" (25%), and that gorgeous head now measures 19.75" (97%). And these percentiles are on the "regular" scale! Way to go, Bubeaner!!! And he's also doing great with his motor skills too putting things in and out of boxes, playing with his puzzles, and loving his legos. Bubeaner has also decided to resume talking again. His favorite words other than "Mama", "Dada", and "Pau" are "SANdeeee" and "Be-be" for baby. He's also occasionally says "VanVan" for uncle Ivan, "CzaCza" for Sarah, "Pepe" for Bito Pepe and, of course, "B-ta" for Bita Grandma. He once said "LaLa" for aunt Lari too. The cutest thing he does now is send kisses. He will smack his tongue against his teeth to make a kiss sound. He's not stingy with them either.


The only thing Bubeaner refuses to do is walk by himself. When he is distracted he will stand on his own and take a couple of steps. However, the moment he realizes what he's doing, he grabs on to the closest thing or sits down. That does not stop him from demanding walks, more like almost sprints, around the house holding on to your hand. Lately he has also started demanding walks (holding on to your hand) outside. He's been able to walk almost all the way around the block! Dr. Z told us not to be concerned because he's actually "walking" and occassionally doing it on his own. She told us that eventually he's going to just let go and probaby not stop.


As to Baby, Bubeaner has not yet figured out what we mean. He knows what babies are and loves to kiss pictures of babies as he says "Be-Be". We have tried pointing at the belly and telling him it is Baby, but he will look at Momma's belly and then look at us as if we are nuts. Maybe he might understand better when there's more of a belly and he can feel the baby move. Or he may just wonder what Momma ate.


Baby is doing well and without complications. Baby has been more active the last few days moving, or kicking, Momma. Dr. S, our OB, transfered our care for the duration of the pregnancy to Dr. T, the MFM doctor. We were not thrilled in the sense that it meant we had to ackowledge there was a real risk, but we agree that we cannot be in better hands right now. Momma and Bita met with Dr. T today. We discussed a basic plan of care for the pregnancy. He feels at the moment that our risk is not as high as the 10% he originally quoted us, but that he will keep a careful watch over our pregnancy. Of course, it's reassuring, but we also remember that our risk of a placental abruption was <1% and of placental accreta was 1 in 2500 pregnancies last time (We still have not gotten any stats for actually having both)....

For the moment we are well, healthy, and happy. We see him again in 4 weeks when we will find out if Baby is a princess or prince.

Goodbye Bevo

Today we received the horrible news that Bevo had been put to sleep. Bevo had been the Del Rio Molinars dog until they moved to El Paso and we took him in. He was the most loving and cuddly beagle anyone had ever seen. We adopted him into our family and began the soul-crushing and yet rewarding experience of trying to train him into controlling some of his destructive tendencies. Many of my happiest memories of having a dog came when I returned home from work and found Bevo immensely happy to have me home, circling and running with more energy than 5 normal dogs. I also loved having him sleep beneath me, nuzzling my hand for attention in the morning. Bevo loved us and we loved him.

After we had spent almost two years and over $1000 trying to get Bevo trained, he unfortunately bit John severely on the mouth. I made the painful decision to have him leave the household immediately and my friend and assistant Debbie took him in these last couple of months. Unfortunately much as she loved Bevo, her home and 4 other dogs could not accomodate him so a co-worker with many years experience with dogs took him in and tried to make him a part of her household. Due to some unfortunate experiences the last two days, she had him put down today.

I will forever remember Bevo's soulful eyes and loving nature and will regret forever that things turned out this way. I love Bevo, and I always will. Rest in peace my first boy.

Plain and Boring

We had our appointment with Dr. T, the MFM doctor. He's highly recommended, which could be why everyone was willing to patiently wait to see him; he had an emergency and was running 3 hours behind!

The wait was completely worth it to hear that the antigen Kell issue was only due to the transfusions NOT due to Momma's body attacking Baby. Actually, Dr. T called us "plain and boring".... and two such words could not have been more beautiful to hear. We still have our original risks for placenta accreta and placenta abruption. But compared to the danger of the Kell issue, we are relieved. Amazing what a change in perspective can do. We'll go back at 16 weeks and 18 weeks for blood work and sonograms. But for now, it appears Dr. S will continue with our care.

We also enjoyed watching Baby on the sonogram. At first Baby was just chillin' with one arm behind the head facing up. Unfortunately we needed to see the profile for the NT measurements. So after Momma did some jumping jacks and walked around the office Baby finally moved. And boy was Baby moving! Baby was one ticked off little baby. It really looked like Baby was punching and kicking Momma with some anger. This bodes "well" for when Baby's out. The child might have quite a temper.

Thankfully, Bubeaner stayed with aunt AA and uncle Gary during our appointment. We are grateful since he would not have been as patient waiting. Instead he enjoyed the extra attention and spoiling. He particularly enjoyed playing with cousin K and eating (slowly) his dinner. Bubeaner was so exhausted from playing that he went straight to bed once we got home.

Still Sick

Bubeaner has been attempting to feed himself using utensils. He tried eating his waffles with a fork this morning. He couldn't quite get the fork to the waffle. So he would pick up a piece of waffle, put it on the fork then eat it from there. He did this for a while until he got tired and just started eating it using his hands.


He also found his brush today and immediately started brushing his hair. He had much better success with this. And of course, he loved all the praise he got about being such a smart and handsome boy. But his favorite thing to do above all is brushing his teeth. He LOVES to brush them. He will walk around with his toothbrush brushing and brushing. We sometimes worry he's going to wear his teeth down from so much brushing.

Unfortunately, we are still sick. Bubeaner's cold appears to not be getting any worse. But Momma's cold took a turn towards a sinus infection. So after a quick trip to Dr. A and the pharmacy we stayed home. Bubeaner was not very understanding nor patient. He's been getting a lot more attention and love during his illness and wanted the same today. He did not want to be alone, so Momma took a nap in his play area while he played. Well at least attempted to take a nap since Bubeaner thought it was great fun to body slam onto Momma. He also enjoyed pulling Momma's hair and opening her eyelids to see her eyes. Eventually, he wore down and also took a nap.

Cleaning and Babies

Hi, this is Bubeaner again. It's hard to get away from Momma and post. Momma won't let me touch her LeapFrog. I've asked Santa for my very own. And she insists on keeping me by her side and within eyesight at all times. I am beginning to think she doesn't trust me to be on my own.

This is a new game I like to call
"throw things and make Momma pick them up."
You should try it. It's a blast.

We haven't really done much since Momma and I are sick; we caught Dad's cold. It's not fun, but I get more Momma love during the day. I just start rubbing my eyes and do a few pretend coughs and she picks me up. I learned how to pretend cough a few days ago. Momma falls for it every time; although she does laugh when I do it.

Momma and I took a little trip to see Dr. S. Momma had been complaining of tummy pain so they took a picture of her belly. Nothing must have been wrong because she was very happy afterwards. She showed me the picture of her belly but something was wrong with the picture because it all looks like blurry smudges. Can you see anything?

San Diego

Hi my peeps! It's me, the Bubeaner. I have taken over my blog since Momma has gotten behind in posting my latest adventures. We can't have that going on, so I've taken matters into my own hands.

We have been MIA for a while because we snuck away for a little break. Dad was speaking at a conference in San Diego. Momma and I decided to tag along so he would not miss us so much. It was an adventure, but not the one we had planned. There were TONS of mishaps with our hotel, which is actually supposed to be a good one. But I can't complain too much all the ladies working there gave me extra attention and said I was cute. Duh!


Dad says I am a great traveler because I don't cause them any trouble. I cooperate dealing with all the fuss going through security. I have to since 90% of the items we took were mine. I gotta travel in style. And it's not hard behaving on the plane. I really enjoy napping during the flight. I did give Momma a little trouble when she stubbornly insisted on changing me in the crowded and tiny airplane restroom. Really, a little poop doesn't hurt much and it was so COLD and LOUD in there!



You might hear rumors of the Infamous Night of Poop. But they might be exaggerations. It was only 4-5 poopy diapers. Momma called it diarreah. And, it was not my fault that Momma and Dad were not careful enough and had to change the sheets, comforter and blanket on the bed three times. It also was not my fault that Momma insisted I needed a bath at 230a. I was fine!


The bath just got me wired. I had to crawl off all that energy. They could have gone back to sleep. In any case, Momma and Dad were not to mad since they still took me to meet Shamu. I don't see what all the fuss is all about. I was not too impressed. I did really get excited about the dolphins. They like to play peek-a-boo and jump out of the water! They are cool! But that does not mean I want to get too close to them. Have you seen how many teeth they have? Momma, Dad, and the trainer insisted on feeding them and trying to get me to touch them. No way was my cute hand getting anywhere near that mouth-of-teeth!


I did enjoy eating some french fries and chicken strips for lunch. Junk food is fun! Of course, there was this seagull that wanted my food. She actually got pretty close. I guess she thought I was an easy target. Ha! She obviously did not know you don't get between a Haltom man and his food. She learned the lesson. I also learned that sea lions sound a whole lot like Bevo!

I also got to meet Momma's college friend Danette. She was nice and liked me. Momma and Danette took me to the San Diego Zoo. It was HUGE! Nothing like our zoo at home, which I still like. We took a golf cart around to see the exhibits. There is no way Momma would have lasted that long walking. I liked waving at everyone I saw. They thought I was cute and waved back. My favorite animal was the rhino. Momma says it's because we both like to ram our heads onto things. I just think they look cool.


We had plans for the last day of our visit but instead decided to stay in the hotel. It was pouring outside. The only time we ventured out was at lunch to see aunt Lorraine. All the adults got soaked. I was smart and stayed under the blanket. I like my aunt Lorraine. I was on my best behavior at the restaurant even though I really did not eat much. I actually did not eat much during this trip. The food just did not taste like home. Well, I did make an exception for my morning pancakes. I LOVED them! Momma mentioned I'm a carbs junky.


Momma had ordered a crib for me in the room. She's so funny. She actually thought I would sleep there. Dad got my back, though. That's why he made sure we had a king-size bed. Ah, it was nice to sleep between Momma and Dad, the way it's supposed to be. Momma didn't mind so much since I spent most of the night right next to Dad. I had make sure he didn't move in the middle of the night so I made sure to touch him all night long. I like having my Dad around so much this trip.


Momma also discovered that I am not really entertained by cartoons. She finally acknowledged I was a man. I want to watch some ESPN or football. She did not mind for too long.


All in all, it was a good break from home and I had tons of fun. But it was nice to be back home, see my aunt Pau and Sandy and eat my own food. Ah, it's good to be home!

Artic Blast

Ok, so the cold weather is just starting to get here. And it's not yet officially REALLY cold, but every year Dad and Momma enjoy joking about which TV station will be the first to over dramatize a cold front with "ARTIC BLAST COVERAGE". It never fails to amuse.


Of course, it's not so funny when your home thermostat is not working (AGAIN). We are NOT pleased. First, the A/C maintenance company's 15 minute response time for emergencies was more like 60+ minutes. Second, it's the SAME problem from last time. And third, they can't send anyone over until tomorrow, maybe. Displeased, does not even begin to cover our feelings right now.



Thankfully, the day was not all bad news. Bubeaner went to his GI check up today. Dr. O was pleased with Bubeaners growth and weight gain. We are going to start weaning him off the Nexium! And he was able to "help" Momma decorate the Christmas tree. We are keeping the decorations to a minimum this year. But Bubeaner does not seem to mind.

No More Bita

Bita left for home today. The house feels so empty without her. Bubeaner has not yet really noticed because we've been busy outside the home. Tomorrow will be pretty interesting with no Bita and aunt Pau back at work.

Bubeaner did decide to show off today for aunt Pau. He was practically running while holding on to only one hand. And he was running! Of course, he refused to cooperate on Dad came home. We are convinced that Bubeaner will be walking on his own before Christmas.

Bubeaner's face actually looks a little worse today. The scratches are healing great but the bruises are starting to really show up. It looks pretty bad, but it does not appear to be painful and bother him.

We are still missing Bevo. And Miss Debbie has been great in giving us daily updates on how he's doing. Bevo has a new fan in Miss Debbie. And we are discovering that Sandy is not as innocent as we thought. She has been acting up.

More Changes Still

It still surprises us how life can change in a heartbeat. We had a terrible scare Friday morning. Bubeaner was crawling around the office when we assume he must have stepped on Bevo's tail. Bevo turned around and gave a him a warning snap. Unfortunately, Bubeaner's face was too close and Bevo actually cut Bubeaners lip and scratched his cheek. The lip bleed quite a bit. We took him to the children's hospital's urgent care facility to make sure it was all indeed superficial. Thankfully, it was and by then even the lip had stopped bleeding. They sent us home with a general antibiotic prescription just to make sure Bubeaner did not catch any infections.

Bubeaner eating chicken nuggets after our ED visit.

The nurses and doctors confirmed our suspicion that Bevo had not meant to actually harm him because of the superficial nature of the wounds and how close he had been to his face. However, it was devastating for us. We had assumed that if we were close by supervising while Bubeaner interacted with the dogs he would be safe. However, Bubeaner had been literally next to Momma's leg (touching it) when the incident happened with Bita only a step further away. And even then we couldn't react fast enough to stop him from hurting Bevo and Bevo from hurting Bubeaner. Disheartened we made a decision to find Bevo a new home.

We ranted and raged at his antics all the time but just assumed
we would be ranting and raging at them for the next 10 years.

We were blessed that Miss Debbie recommended a close friend that would be a good match for our Bevo. He is single with no children and lives in the country with a large fenced-in yard. He was excited about Bevo. That same afternoon we packed Bevo's favorite toys, bowls, bed, food and medicines and took him to Miss Debbie. We had to do it at that moment our we would change our mind. To most people Bevo is just a dog, but to us he is an important family member. But we could just not take the risk of it happening again...with possibly worst consequences. It broke our hearts to let him go.

Bubeaner's wounds are healing fast, and he appears to not have many bad memories of the incident. He did have a nightmare last night, but acted normally around Sandy today. We miss Bevo terribly. But it helps to know that Bevo is in a new home where he is the center of attention, with a huge yard to play and run around, and taking pickup truck rides to go see the cows with his new dad. We sincerely hope he does not miss us at all.

Bevo sensing something was not right on the car ride
to meet Miss Debbie

Sandy is still with us. She's a lot slower and has almost no teeth in her old age. However, we have made some changes in regard to her too. Sandy is placed in the office behind a baby gate any time Bubeaner is crawling anywhere around the house. And when Bubeaner is in his playarea, sleeping, in his highchair or being carried around she is allowed to roam free. She doesn't appear to mind the new changes. In her old age, she sleeps a lot. It really doesn't matter much to her where it happens. This is not how we imagined things would work out, but for now it's what is best.

Jazz, Sandy and Bevo in April 2008

In less then two years we have lost two of our puppy babies.

Happy Thanksgiving Day 2009

We hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day enjoying a great meal with your loved ones. We traveled to aunt AA and uncle Gary's home for Thanksgiving dinner. That meant we thankfully did not have to worry about preparations.

Entertaining Bita during a work break

But we still worked on our To Do List around the house on wednesday. And Bita and Momma almost have the craft room completely and totally organized. Bubeaner loved the day's activities mainly because it meant he was in the middle of chaos for most of the day. Yes, our child appears to like chaos. Lots of things to see and attempt to grab. Do not fear; he was kept safe in his pack-n-play. He was not thrilled with it at first but eventually settled down.

Sleepy boy awaiting his late dinner

Sadly with all the work, we got off our regular schedule. Bubeaner's dinner was a little late. He was falling asleep at the table. He forgave Momma and truly enjoyed his dinner. And then he proceeded to enjoy Momma's dinner and Bita's dinner. Bubeaner is turning into a bottomless pit; he can eat and eat and eat. And it always appears to taste better if it's on Momma's plate. He's beginning to earn the title of "Pancitas," little belly.

The messier the face the happier the boy.
Bevo assisted Bubeaner in cleaning up afterwards
much to Momma and Bita's dismay.

Bubeaner put his new-found eating ability to good use at Thanksgiving dinner. He had breakfast early with Dad, then a mid-morning meal with Bita followed by a light lunch. And he still ate some turkey, dressing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, peas, and an entire roll for dinner!

Momma, I'm stuffed!

We assumed after such a meal Bubeaner would immediately fall asleep. But we did not take into consideration his love of an audience. He was exhausted and clearly ready for a nap but refused to sleep. He would make faces, and sounds, and, at one point, even used tears to get people's attention. Bubeaner was fine staying in his pack-n-play. He just did not want to be ignored.

Trying tears to draw attention

Eventually, we had to move his pack-n-play into a hallway away from everyone. Bubeaner wailed and cried in complain but soon fell asleep for his much needed nap. That made all the difference. He was then able to play some more and amuse us with his antics and smiles afterwards reminding us how truly blessed we are and of the many thing we are thankful for this year.

The Problem with Being Unique...

Bubeaner spent most of the day alone with Bita. And once again did not miss Dad or Momma. Our ego is really taking a beating. Bita related that he did not give her any trouble, of course. He played, ate all his food, and took all his naps without any fussing or crying. Bubeaner ignored us at first when we returned. But he soon warmed up and allowed us to play and spend some time with him. He had worn out Bita from playing together all day and he was still full of energy in the late afternoon. He is currently loving jumping up and down where ever he is and people don't get in his way. Dad's tummy took quite a bruising. Bubeaner also entertained us with his peek-a-boo. Although mainly, we were kept busy walking with him from the kitchen to the living room.

Momma's Child
He loved snacking on a lemon slice

And regarding Baby? Well, we somehow ended with another unique pregnancy situation. Momma's lab work showed she was antigen Kell sensitized. It causes similar problems to baby as the Rh antigen where the mother's immune system sees the baby as a threat and attacks it. The first step was for Dad to get some blood work done to find out if he is positive for the Kell phenotype. If he's not, then my reaction is to the blood transfusions (4 units) from the placental abruption & emergency C-section last year. This would mean less complications to the baby and our current hope. If he's positive for the Kell phenotype, it means the baby probably is also positive and my body might attack the baby which obviously is not the ideal situation. We won't know the test results for a couple of weeks. Surprisingly, we took the news... if not well, not devastatingly. We know the risks, possible additional complications and dangers. Yet, He taught us during our pregnancy with Bubeaner and later Bubeaner's stay in the NICU, that we can only take things one day at a time. There are many unknowns. As of right now, Baby is healthy and growing, Bubeaner is healthy and growing, and we are well. So we just put one foot in front of the other and keep walking.

Got Milk?
Surprisingly, he drinks about a gallon a week!