Tristan is officially crawling. He's not fast yet, but soon.
Life will never be the same!
Of course he decided to master crawling while Chuck was out of town last week.
He also fell on his face and tore his frenulum while Chuck was out of town. A trip to the doctor confirmed that.
In case you're wondering or didn't know - injuries to the mouth bleed a lot. A LOT. There's just nothing quite like picking your baby up from a puddle of blood. I think Tristan handled it a whole lot better than I did.
He's totally okay. The doctor was surprised he was still sucking on his pacifier. He is one tough kid.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
A few months in pictures...
Gracie chillin' in Tristan's carseat
You can't see it, but that's his first Gerber puff
Toe snack
Jumped himself to sleep
Learning to crawl
Cutie
Tristan's mohawk... I don't think I've blogged about it yet
His hair does this all on its own... no help from us
He has two swirls on the top of his head that push his hair into a perfect mohawk
Chewing on everything
We had our furnace repaired and the 
A blurry Samuel
Reading a book
Working in the army crawl skills
Samuel on Chuck's skateboard
Noah... he was a natural on it
Tristan doing his jumping thing
They love their rollercoaster
He was new to sitting on his own in this pic
Roadtripping to Roanoke
Tristan's first rice cereal
What a face!
Us... very tired... and without makeup
First campout
They LOVE popcorn
Chewing on everything
We had our furnace repaired and the repairmen let the boys play with his flashlight
This is Noah
A blurry Samuel
Reading a book
Working in the army crawl skills
Samuel on Chuck's skateboard
Noah... he was a natural on it
Tristan doing his jumping thing
They love their rollercoaster
He was new to sitting on his own in this pic
Roadtripping to Roanoke
Tristan's first rice cereal
What a face!
Us... very tired... and without makeup
First campout
They LOVE popcornTuesday, April 21, 2009
Wearing Orange for Stellan
This morning me and the kids are praying for baby Stellan, who is having really risky heart surgery. You can stop by MckMama's blog to read about Stellan, pray for him, encourage her and her family, and get updates. If there isn't a recent post, scroll down and read the updates via Twitter in the left margin.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Wowza
10 years ago today I married the greatest guy in the world.
I really am the luckiest gal around.
And in 30 minutes we are going on our first real date since kids. I can't wait!!
I really am the luckiest gal around.
And in 30 minutes we are going on our first real date since kids. I can't wait!!
Puffs Update
Tristan ate banana puffs last night without any hesitation.
I'm guessing Jodie was right and it was a texture issue.
I'm guessing Jodie was right and it was a texture issue.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Anticlimactic
Up until today (and with the exception of trying rice cereal a handful of times), Tristan has been exclusively breastfed. I was really looking forward to introducing baby food, but when we went to the doctor at 4 months, he told me to wait until 6 months. At 6 months we tried out rice cereal the week leading up to the 6 month appointment. The doctor suggested not adding solids to Tristan's diet just yet because he doesn't need them. He is thriving. So, we decided to do just that. I realize that there are many opinions/ideas/schools of thought on this. Please trust that this wasn't a flippant decision on our part. We did our homework and have decided that this works for us. (That's my nice way of asking for no comments on this subject, thanks.)
However, we've been wondering if he might like to try the baby puffs. Keeping him happy while we eat dinner (he sits in his high chair and throws toys on the floor) has not been easy and we decided to give him some puffs while we eat.
I was really excited. What would he do? Would the puff really melt in his mouth? Would he like them?
So, we sat down for dinner tonight and put a puff on Tristan's tray. He of course picked it up and shoved it in his mouth because he does that with everything. ;)
And then he spit it out.
He did this over and over again. But, he did enjoy playing with them and they did keep him quiet while we ate, so I guess they were good for something.
The puffs were banana flavored. Chuck hates bananas. He's very proud that Tristan apparently hates bananas too. Lovely.
And after dinner Noah the scavenger ate the puffs that Tristan dropped on the floor. Super lovely.
The whole deal was rather anticlimactic. Maybe a different flavor will do the trick.
However, we've been wondering if he might like to try the baby puffs. Keeping him happy while we eat dinner (he sits in his high chair and throws toys on the floor) has not been easy and we decided to give him some puffs while we eat.
I was really excited. What would he do? Would the puff really melt in his mouth? Would he like them?
So, we sat down for dinner tonight and put a puff on Tristan's tray. He of course picked it up and shoved it in his mouth because he does that with everything. ;)
And then he spit it out.
He did this over and over again. But, he did enjoy playing with them and they did keep him quiet while we ate, so I guess they were good for something.
The puffs were banana flavored. Chuck hates bananas. He's very proud that Tristan apparently hates bananas too. Lovely.
And after dinner Noah the scavenger ate the puffs that Tristan dropped on the floor. Super lovely.
The whole deal was rather anticlimactic. Maybe a different flavor will do the trick.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
8 Months
Yesterday Tristan turned 8 months old. I know I say this all the time, but seriously - where does the time go?! Just yesterday he was this tiny blob that couldn't do anything and now he is all over the place!
Tristan has turned into a pretty mellow baby... except for when he's unhappy. Then he screams. But he's pretty mellow compared to his first three months of life. I was so worried he had my temperment (that would be crabby...), but he really seems to be a very happy little guy. He is such a joy. His little smile melts my heart and lets me know everything is going to be okay. He loves his big brothers and when he is being fussy they are able to make him laugh.
This month we've had all sorts of new things happen with Tristan. He got his first tooth last week and it is so cute! He is waking up a lot at night, so I know his gums are bothering him. Tristan is also so.very.close to crawling. He knows how to do it, but likes the speed of the army crawl, so he'll choose to do that after trying out the real crawl. When Tristan spots something he wants, he stops at nothing to get it. Tristan will still spend a decent amount of time in his Jumperoo - which is a good thing because he jumps while I'm making dinner. He is also spending longer stretches in the pack and play, just playing away. Just last week we moved Tristan up to size 4 diapers. The 3's still worked, but they were getting harder to close up. I also pulled out 12 month clothing since Tristan's 6-9 month clothes are getting tight. The 12 months clothes are roomy, but he'll be filling them out in no time, I'm sure. Just yesterday I weighed Tristan here at home and he was 20 1/2 pounds. His infant car seat only goes up to 22 pounds, so we may be buying a new car seat sooner than we like! Tristan also loves to swing. About a month ago we had a swingset put up in the backyard and got Tristan a toddler swing. He likes to sit in it and swing and has even napped in it. Late edit: We had to lower Tristan's crib all the way to the lowest setting (it was at the medium setting) because he is pulling himself up on his knees and chewing on the rail.
8 months is sentimental for us because we met the twins as they were turning 8 months. They were so tiny in comparison. Noah was 15 lbs and Samuel was 13 lbs - and they were some of the bigger babies in the orphanage! They really weren't doing very much physically - they didn't play like Tristan does. They weren't scooting around. In fact, I have a picture of Noah laying on his belly and propping himself up on his elbows. It's just night and day as I think about where the twins were at developmentally.
As we waited for the twins, we knew we were missing out on all sorts of milestones. But as Tristan shows us daily his new tricks, well it just kind of amplifies for me all that we missed out on with Noah and Samuel. It angers me. It makes me sad. I so wish we could have had them home earlier. That we could have shared in all the firsts. I pray and trust that Joel 2:25 will become a reality for us, that God will repay all the years the locusts ate.
Tristan has turned into a pretty mellow baby... except for when he's unhappy. Then he screams. But he's pretty mellow compared to his first three months of life. I was so worried he had my temperment (that would be crabby...), but he really seems to be a very happy little guy. He is such a joy. His little smile melts my heart and lets me know everything is going to be okay. He loves his big brothers and when he is being fussy they are able to make him laugh.
This month we've had all sorts of new things happen with Tristan. He got his first tooth last week and it is so cute! He is waking up a lot at night, so I know his gums are bothering him. Tristan is also so.very.close to crawling. He knows how to do it, but likes the speed of the army crawl, so he'll choose to do that after trying out the real crawl. When Tristan spots something he wants, he stops at nothing to get it. Tristan will still spend a decent amount of time in his Jumperoo - which is a good thing because he jumps while I'm making dinner. He is also spending longer stretches in the pack and play, just playing away. Just last week we moved Tristan up to size 4 diapers. The 3's still worked, but they were getting harder to close up. I also pulled out 12 month clothing since Tristan's 6-9 month clothes are getting tight. The 12 months clothes are roomy, but he'll be filling them out in no time, I'm sure. Just yesterday I weighed Tristan here at home and he was 20 1/2 pounds. His infant car seat only goes up to 22 pounds, so we may be buying a new car seat sooner than we like! Tristan also loves to swing. About a month ago we had a swingset put up in the backyard and got Tristan a toddler swing. He likes to sit in it and swing and has even napped in it. Late edit: We had to lower Tristan's crib all the way to the lowest setting (it was at the medium setting) because he is pulling himself up on his knees and chewing on the rail.
8 months is sentimental for us because we met the twins as they were turning 8 months. They were so tiny in comparison. Noah was 15 lbs and Samuel was 13 lbs - and they were some of the bigger babies in the orphanage! They really weren't doing very much physically - they didn't play like Tristan does. They weren't scooting around. In fact, I have a picture of Noah laying on his belly and propping himself up on his elbows. It's just night and day as I think about where the twins were at developmentally.
As we waited for the twins, we knew we were missing out on all sorts of milestones. But as Tristan shows us daily his new tricks, well it just kind of amplifies for me all that we missed out on with Noah and Samuel. It angers me. It makes me sad. I so wish we could have had them home earlier. That we could have shared in all the firsts. I pray and trust that Joel 2:25 will become a reality for us, that God will repay all the years the locusts ate.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Breaking News!
Literally.
Yesterday was a mometous day here at the Cason Home. Tristan's first toothy decided to break through and make it's appearance.
I would love to show you a picture, but Tristan does not like showing it off. He screams, actually, and not in a way that makes the tooth visible (cuz I'd totally take a picture of him screaming if it meant catching the toothy on film).
It is his bottom right tooth and I believe most process on the appearance of this tooth has been taking place between 11 pm and 3 am these last few weeks.
Let the drooling begin!!
Yesterday was a mometous day here at the Cason Home. Tristan's first toothy decided to break through and make it's appearance.
I would love to show you a picture, but Tristan does not like showing it off. He screams, actually, and not in a way that makes the tooth visible (cuz I'd totally take a picture of him screaming if it meant catching the toothy on film).
It is his bottom right tooth and I believe most process on the appearance of this tooth has been taking place between 11 pm and 3 am these last few weeks.
Let the drooling begin!!
In Addition...
I knew my post yesterday would ruffle some feathers. Honestly, I wanted it to. I really hoped it would make people take a look at what is driving their views on Madonna's situation. The smug cheers of people over this situation turn my stomach.
It's not my desire to debate this issue, because I have no desire to change my mind on this. I respect the thoughts and opinions of others, so I will post all comments on this. But I'm not going to debate this.
I purposefully didn't comment on the legal aspects, but I do have some thoughts on that as well that I will share.
Luke 16: 1-18 is the Parable of the Shrewd Manager and it is what drives my opinion. The take away that I pull from this parable is to use our worldy influence and wealth to impact eternity. That is what I see Madonna and Angelina Jolie and any other celebrity with a fast-tracked adoption doing. From this perspective, I don't care what the law says. If they are able to use their wealth and position to give an orphan a home, I don't care that they don't have to go through the same process as everyone else. No, it's not fair. But there is no promise in the Bible that I can find that says life will be fair.
Overall, it's about what's driving our heart as we look at this situation.
It's not my desire to debate this issue, because I have no desire to change my mind on this. I respect the thoughts and opinions of others, so I will post all comments on this. But I'm not going to debate this.
I purposefully didn't comment on the legal aspects, but I do have some thoughts on that as well that I will share.
Luke 16: 1-18 is the Parable of the Shrewd Manager and it is what drives my opinion. The take away that I pull from this parable is to use our worldy influence and wealth to impact eternity. That is what I see Madonna and Angelina Jolie and any other celebrity with a fast-tracked adoption doing. From this perspective, I don't care what the law says. If they are able to use their wealth and position to give an orphan a home, I don't care that they don't have to go through the same process as everyone else. No, it's not fair. But there is no promise in the Bible that I can find that says life will be fair.
Overall, it's about what's driving our heart as we look at this situation.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Disgusted - A Rant
So, Madonna has been in the news lately over her desire to adopt again from Malawi.
I was really sad on Friday when I learned that her adoption was denied. You see, we were matched with our kids and then had to go through the long process of adopting them. I can't imagine how hard it would have been if a judge decided not to grant our adoption. My heart goes out to Madonna.
I was sickened to learn that there are many people applauding the denied adoption. What??
In the news report that I listened to on public radio they suggested that Madonna support this little girl and her community instead. I absolutely hate how we take our Americanized ideas and experience and try to put them to work in other cultures! It just doesn't work. For example, this little girl and her community may become despised for having riches lavished on them while neighboring communities struggle. They may end up in a cycle of relying on others rather than working to meet their own needs. And the list goes on.
A Christian group that I almost aligned myself with last fall suggested that Christians raise money to support this little girl until she reaches adulthood. They were happy that Madonna's adoption was denied. The reason they didn't think the adoption should take place is because this little girl has extended family who should care for her. They suggested raising $160 a year (the average yearly income in Malawi) for this little girl so that she can be cared for by family. What does that say to all the other struggling families??
What bothers me the most about this situation is that there are two groups who seem to be the most happy about this denied adoption - some child advocacy groups and adopting parents.
If child advocacy groups truly care about the well being of MILLIONS of orphans, then why would they work SO HARD to stop an adoption? Why would they suddenly be looking to help this one particular little girl rather than orphans as a whole? Why would they wait to raise their voices until a celebrity tried to adopt?
Adoptive parents are also causing a stir. As an adoptive parent who waited a very, very, very long time for my kids to come home, I feel like I have the right to weigh in on this. If I truly know the heartache of wanting my kids to come home, of going through an adoption, of paying way too much money for paperwork - why would I want someone else's adoption to fail? Why would I point the finger and be angry about a fast-tracked adoption when it is really about what is best for the child? Why would I cheer and feel like justice has been served when another orphan will remain an orphan? It is sick and I'm disgusted by the behavior that I'm seeing.
And on another topic - why on earth was the press so aware of Madonna's court proceedings? I wonder if things would have gone differently if the press didn't cover it so extensively. I sure hope that Madonna appeals the decision. She has every right to do so.
In the Bible, James 1:27 tells us we are to look after orphans. So, I challenge you - especially if you are a Christian and have cheered for Madonna's loss - what are you doing to help orphans?
End of rant.
I was really sad on Friday when I learned that her adoption was denied. You see, we were matched with our kids and then had to go through the long process of adopting them. I can't imagine how hard it would have been if a judge decided not to grant our adoption. My heart goes out to Madonna.
I was sickened to learn that there are many people applauding the denied adoption. What??
In the news report that I listened to on public radio they suggested that Madonna support this little girl and her community instead. I absolutely hate how we take our Americanized ideas and experience and try to put them to work in other cultures! It just doesn't work. For example, this little girl and her community may become despised for having riches lavished on them while neighboring communities struggle. They may end up in a cycle of relying on others rather than working to meet their own needs. And the list goes on.
A Christian group that I almost aligned myself with last fall suggested that Christians raise money to support this little girl until she reaches adulthood. They were happy that Madonna's adoption was denied. The reason they didn't think the adoption should take place is because this little girl has extended family who should care for her. They suggested raising $160 a year (the average yearly income in Malawi) for this little girl so that she can be cared for by family. What does that say to all the other struggling families??
What bothers me the most about this situation is that there are two groups who seem to be the most happy about this denied adoption - some child advocacy groups and adopting parents.
If child advocacy groups truly care about the well being of MILLIONS of orphans, then why would they work SO HARD to stop an adoption? Why would they suddenly be looking to help this one particular little girl rather than orphans as a whole? Why would they wait to raise their voices until a celebrity tried to adopt?
Adoptive parents are also causing a stir. As an adoptive parent who waited a very, very, very long time for my kids to come home, I feel like I have the right to weigh in on this. If I truly know the heartache of wanting my kids to come home, of going through an adoption, of paying way too much money for paperwork - why would I want someone else's adoption to fail? Why would I point the finger and be angry about a fast-tracked adoption when it is really about what is best for the child? Why would I cheer and feel like justice has been served when another orphan will remain an orphan? It is sick and I'm disgusted by the behavior that I'm seeing.
And on another topic - why on earth was the press so aware of Madonna's court proceedings? I wonder if things would have gone differently if the press didn't cover it so extensively. I sure hope that Madonna appeals the decision. She has every right to do so.
In the Bible, James 1:27 tells us we are to look after orphans. So, I challenge you - especially if you are a Christian and have cheered for Madonna's loss - what are you doing to help orphans?
End of rant.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Special
I find myself constantly thinking about what I was doing this time last year. I've been doing it basically since a year from when we learned we were pregnant (late November). So much has changed that I can't help but think about how different life was just a year ago.
Well, the first week of April last year we knew we were expecting a baby boy. I was in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, so I had energy and no pain :). (That third trimester was killer on my back.) I also spent the week with my Dad. I had a flight voucher that I needed to use up so I went to visit my Dad in central Florida. The weather was not yet too hot. And I relaxed.
I mean really relaxed.
My personality type is such that I never sit still. There is always something to do and I feel guilty if I'm not working on something. I had no projects or work to do while visiting my Dad. We slept in, watched TV, ate out a bunch, did Sudoku puzzles, and hung out with some of his friends. We went to the beach and to Busch Gardens and celebrated Dad's birthday. It was an awesome, relaxing time. It was also one on one time with just my Dad and I loved that. It was a really special week - both as it was happening and in retrospect. I know it will always be a time I look back on fondly.
So, Dad, if you're reading I just want to thank you again for a special time last year. A lot has changed since and I'm so glad we got to spend that time together. I will always remember it and be thankful for it.
Well, the first week of April last year we knew we were expecting a baby boy. I was in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, so I had energy and no pain :). (That third trimester was killer on my back.) I also spent the week with my Dad. I had a flight voucher that I needed to use up so I went to visit my Dad in central Florida. The weather was not yet too hot. And I relaxed.
I mean really relaxed.
My personality type is such that I never sit still. There is always something to do and I feel guilty if I'm not working on something. I had no projects or work to do while visiting my Dad. We slept in, watched TV, ate out a bunch, did Sudoku puzzles, and hung out with some of his friends. We went to the beach and to Busch Gardens and celebrated Dad's birthday. It was an awesome, relaxing time. It was also one on one time with just my Dad and I loved that. It was a really special week - both as it was happening and in retrospect. I know it will always be a time I look back on fondly.
So, Dad, if you're reading I just want to thank you again for a special time last year. A lot has changed since and I'm so glad we got to spend that time together. I will always remember it and be thankful for it.
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