Announcement

Well, it's official news now. The Cason family is moving to Michigan!

Some of you know this and have been praying for us as this whole thing has come together. We can't thank you enough and ask that you please keep praying.

For others, this may come as a bit of a shock. Especially since you probably know how we feel about the State of Michigan. I never in a million years thought I'd be heading back. But I am. And amazingly... I'm excited about it.

I'm excited about it because God has orchestrated this whole thing and I want to do what He wants our family to do. So, for that, I'm excited. I'm also glad to be close to family again. The whole three-kid-thing makes living close to family very attractive.

As I've thought about writing this post I've realized that who I was when I left Michigan and who I am now are two very different Juli's. So I want to write about that a little because it's actually a big part of why we are going back.

Up until I was 22 I drank. A lot. I partied as often as I could. I literally drank myself out of college. I drove my car drunk all.the.time. I was an awful daughter, sister, friend, and coworker. I was completely self-absorbed and emotionally and spiritually sick. In February of 99 I was arrested for drunk driving and that began a new path for me. I realized that I was drinking alcoholicly and made the decision to get some help. And getting help led me to God. And God totally met me right where I was at and put people in my path who could help me get to know Him.

In 2001 I became a Christian. Now, up until that point I would have told you I was Catholic. However, I didn't practice Catholocism. In fact, I never went to church - not even on the holidays anymore. I also realized that year that I knew nothing of having a daily relationship with God. Nothing. I learned that God loved me - just as I am - and wanted me to follow Him. So, I made the decision to try to do that. And so did Chuck. And so began our spiritual journey together.

At that time, Chuck was in the Coast Guard. Our life was not all roses as soon as we began to follow Jesus. We had a lot of past baggage to work through, both individually and together. We spent countless hours in marriage counseling, literally battling for our marriage. We were jacked and without God and some very Godly wisdom, we would not be together today, no doubt.

In 2002 we moved to Virginia Beach and were introduced to Forefront Church. We began attending and deepened our relationship with each other and with God. In 2004 I went to work for Forefront as an administrative assistant and began to understand why Forefront did things so differently than other churches. Forefront exists to reach people really far from God. Not people who know God already. Not people who might like to know more about God. Forefront reaches out to people who want nothing to do with church, people who don't like church. Once I gained this understanding, I came to really love our church and the mission of the church.

In 2007 Chuck was medically retired from the Coast Guard due to a back injury that led to surgery. And at that time Chuck went to work for Forefront to be the Campus Pastor of a new campus of our church. Chuck and I were so excited to extend Forefront further out in our area. The campus opened in October of 2007.

The following month we learned I was pregnant, while waiting for our twin sons to come home from Haiti. We had begun their adoption in 2006 and were unsure at that time if the adoption would complete. As the pregnancy progressed, so did our adoption, and our boys were ready to come home two days before Tristan was born on August 15th. Three weeks after Tristan was born, we hopped on a plane to Haiti and picked up Noah and Samuel who were nearly three years old. We had committed to adopt them when they were just 10 weeks old. Our family exploded in just three short weeks.

We've been parents for 10 months now and WOW is it hard! I realize that we were introduced to parenthood quite differenly than most, but we are just doing the best we can one day at a time. God's grace has been shown to us so clearly these past 10 months!

This past Sunday our campus of Forefront was closed so that we can all meet at one location in Virginia Beach. Heartbroken is a mild word for what Chuck and I are feeling about that. Our prayer is that everyone who can will join us at the Virginia Beach location, but we realize that some will not. I'd like to ask that you pray right now that they find a church where they can get to know Jesus. (Thanks for praying!)

One of the many factors of the closing of the Chesapeake Campus has to do with where God is leading our family. In October Chuck was asked to speak at a retreat in Michigan. Michigan has been hit really hard by the failing automotive industry. Unless you have a deep understanding of how the automotive industry has fed Michigan for years or have been there recently to see the devastation, you just can't comprehend the depression that is going on there. To give a brief example of the pull of that industry, when I was in high school anyone who had a family member who worked for the auto industry was encouraged to go work in the factories instead of going to college. People are disillusioned and hurting by the collapse of the auto industry. They are losing their homes, their belongings, and their dignity. And for many of them, they have absolutely no hope in God. Michigan is predominantly Catholic, though most people from my generation don't practice Catholocism. Many of them are like me - they would tell you they are Catholic, but they have no tie to the Catholic Church. Well, as Chuck was researching the area and getting to know who he'd be speaking to, God just completely broke his heart for Michigan, particularily Southeast Michigan. He couldn't stop talking about it and it was all he thought about. He went there and the people he spoke to were hungry for the passion he had for reaching lost people. They want to be challenged. They want to turn the world upside down.

Chuck kept talking about Michigan and how he felt God was asking him to start a church there. It made perfect sense to me. You see, when my life began to change for the better, Chuck was relocated to Virginia and North Carolina. And I kind of just ran away from Michigan. I was glad to be leaving because I didn't like who I had been there. So, the fact that God is asking me to return doesn't surprise me. Perhaps going back will be God's way of giving someone else hope. I don't know. I just know that it feels right that God is asking us to return.

When Chuck first began talking about starting a church in Michigan I looked at him like he had 5 heads. Chuck is from Southern California. He is a surfer and total lover of the ocean. He HATES snow and all things cold. In fact, because his spine is fused, cold weather is painful for him. So, for Chuck to be talking about moving to Michigan... well, there's just no doubt in my mind that it's from God.

So, here's the deal. We are moving to Southeast Michigan to start a church for people who don't like church. We want to reach out to people in our age-range who have given up on church, but not on God. And even if they've given up on God, we're hoping that we can share some hope with them that maybe, just maybe God is worth a second chance. My eyes tear up just thinking about it because there just aren't churches like that in the area we are looking at. Yes, there are some very good Christian churches there, but they aren't completely focused on reaching out to people who don't want to be reached.

Almost everyone immediately asks us, "When?" And the answer is that we're not sure yet. We have a house to sell - that we just bought 19 months ago - in a depressed economy. We're not even sure if we can use a real estate agent because we're just hoping to break even. Before we can sell the house we have a number of small projects to complete... projects that are not easy to manage with three little kids under foot. We need prayer and help. If you sense God leading you to help us out with advice on how to sell this place or with projects, please email me at (julicason@yahoo.com).

If you are reading this and you haven't talked to me in years you may be wondering, "What the heck happened to Juli?!" And I just want to tell you that I'm still me. I may not do some of the things I used to do, but I'm totally open to talk - about anything. Just because my husband is a pastor and we're starting a church doesn't mean I'm going to try to shove Jesus down your throat. I promise. I'm having great time reconnecting with many people on Facebook and it's my hope that this announcement doesn't scare people off.

I would ask those of you who pray to please pray for us. The excitement of following God is paired with the heartbreak of the closing of the Chesapeake Campus. Just as we are adjusting to our crazy new life of being a family of 5 instead of two, we are now going to have to pack this party up and relocate. We are overwhelmed with the weight of all we have to do in the months to come. Just getting regular household chores done is a stretch for us these days. I'm not sure how we are going to keep our house ready to show at a moments notice and then pack it all up. And I'm not even ready to start looking for homes in Michigan.

All that said, I must say that God is good in all these things. And today my hope rests in Him and His power, not my own. He will be our strength through this. I know He's got it all figured out already. He has since the beginning of time, afterall. I will keep you updated on our progress and how to best pray for us.

Thanks for being there for us.

Love,
Juli

Transparent - The Ugly

I'm sure I've shared on here before that I'm selfish. I believe selfishness is something we all struggle with to some degree, but for me, well it's just a higher degree.

Becoming a mom has challenged my selfishness in countless ways. Losing the freedom to go and do whatever I want whenever I want has been hard. And sleep... I miss my dear friend sleep! But something that I haven't blogged about yet is how the kids "ruin" going places.

I'll explain. There are some places that we go that are miserable because of how the kids behave. Church is currently one of those places. There are a lot of particulars that I'm not comfortable sharing publicly regarding church, but simply put, one of my kids is terrified there. Even if I'm with him. (I'm not looking for suggestions... not because I don't care... but because the situation is so complex and I'd need to share stuff I'm not comfortable sharing in order to get good feedback. Please take no offence.)

Each week I comfort my son and hold him and sing to him, etc. A special area has been created just for us. Some weeks I just bring the twins into the adult service because he's over-the-top freaking out even with me right there with him, assuring him I'm not going anywhere.

But, I have to admit... sometimes I'm just so over it. I'd like to be able to go to church without all the hysterics just once. I don't mind that I stay in children's ministry... I just wish it didn't turn into such an ordeal every.single.week. (Deep breath!)

Today we had another such situation. The same kid is afraid of thunder. Over-the-top afraid. Well, we were on our way to an adoption support group picnic when the rain began. The thunder began as we pulled up. Chuck decided that he would be the one to hold him while I took care of the other two. Chuck tried holding him on the screened porch for a while, and eventually went inside. He never calmed down for long. And the storm just kept on. I need to pause here and share that I had SO BEEN LOOKING FORWARD to this picnic. These are families that I love. We share likeness of mind when it comes to orphans and adoptions. We've watched their families grow through adoption. They were such a support to us through our long process. So, when Chuck told me that we should go I was just plain pissed off. Yes, I was concerned for my son. I know he was truly afraid. But I was selfishly angry, too. I did not want to leave. I found myself resentful when he was all giggles in the van (and I was sickened that my resentfulness was overpowering being relieved that he wasn't scared anymore). It's the ugly truth about me today. I was just over it.

I need to share that Chuck gives me all kinds of opportunities to have time for myself. I get out of the house at least three times a week by myself. In fact, Chuck wanted to take the kids home and send me back to the picnic today. He is just awesome like that. But I've been realizing lately that everytime I'm away I'm feeling totally guilty for being away. Even when I go grocery shopping I feel this way! And I'm sure that guilt just feeds the resentment that I was feeling earlier today when we had to leave the picnic.

I'm not sure what has possessed me to put this out there like this, but it's the truth. And I want this blog to be something I can look back on and remember, hopefully, how it really was. And hopefully I'll grow up a little between now and then.

Still Here

I'm still here. Blogging takes two things I don't have much of lately: time and energy.

I'm not a fast blogger. It takes me a while to type out a post, so unless I have a good stretch of time (and energy to stay awake!), I don't even try.

Facebook is much more my speed. A one line status report works better for me. So, I thought I'd share a few and maybe give a little background.

Juli doesn't think two hour naps are worth the night we had last night.
~Tristan took a marathon nap yesterday afternoon. I was thrilled. The kid usually naps for 40 minutes tops. Last night, however, was miserable. He was up repeatedly and stayed up from about 6:30 on.

Juli hates mosquitoes with all her heart, mind, soul, and strength.
~Mosquitoes LOVE me. I usually scrath a mosquito bite until it bleeds. Poor Tristan got 6 mosquito bites in 30 minutes yesterday in our backyard. It's one thing if the little devils mess with me, but when they mess with my baby, I get angry!

Juli may need to come up with a new plan for eradicating grey hairs. My current plan (rip the suckers out) just may leave me bald soon.
~Ummm enough said. It is sad.

In other news...

Noah and Samuel are doing awesome. They are getting so tall. And so loud. I think they may be out of their shells now. Thank God they sleep well! I need a break from all that constant energy. They are still taking 1 1/2 - 2 hour long naps, too. They are eating more and more foods and I would no longer call them picky. They are pretty daring and eat a variety of foods that most kids won't touch. Last night at dinner Samuel said, "I loooove green beans."

Noah is doing #2 pretty consistently on the toilet and is beginning to let us know when he is going #1. Sometimes he will ask to go #1 on the toilet. Samuel has almost no interest in going on the toilet. He's not afraid of it - he will sit there. I think what gets him on the toilet is the possibility of being rewarded for it. Currently the boys are allowed candy and a Cars pull-up with they go #2 on the potty. We don't really have a #1 reward because there's not much interest in #1. I know, I know, you didn't really want to read about potty training!

We've had a lot of "stuff" going on here, and when I can post about it I will. I've been spending a lot of time praying and trying to stay close to God through it all and I think I'm succeeding with that.

I'm "Twisted"

Chuck would agree with that statement, though not for the reason I'm about to share!

I have had a tremendous amount of pain in my right hip since before Tristan was born. Last year Memorial Day weekend marked when the "miserable pregnant" feeling set in for me. Something shifted... or I grew... whatever happened I began to have sciatica on my right side. By the end of my pregnancy every.single.step hurt. My mom was here and wanted to go out and about shopping and I just couldn't do it because it hurt too much to walk around. One night at Walmart I broke down and drove one of the wheelchair carts (which was dangerous because I am not a good driver!).

I really thought all that pain would go away as soon as I had the baby. (I also thought all my swelling would instantly go away, but that's another story.) It didn't. I've had a lot of pain in my right hip. I've even seen my primary care doctor about it and she threatened me with physical therapy. She knows I don't have time for that!

We may have fantastic insurance, but it doesn't cover chiropractic care. So, even though I've known I need to see a chiropractor, I've drug my feet because I'm cheap. But I finally broke down and went today. X-rays were taken and things don't look so good in my lower back and pelvis. It seems I'm pretty twisted to the right. I had to turn my head a little to the side to look at the x-rays - that's how bad it looked. I cautiously asked the doctor, "Can you fix it?" And he seems confident that he can get me straightened out (too bad it'll only be my back and pelvis, huh!).

So I had my first adjustment. I'm not sure if I feel any better. We'll see. I'm just so grateful I'm finally taking care of this (though my wallet is not).

So yes, I am indeed twisted. But not in the way Chuck thinks!

Back from MI

We got back from MI this morning. It was a wonderful trip in so many ways and a hard trip in a lot of ways.

Chuck and I have made a pact that we will never again stay in a one-room hotel room with all three kids again. Never. No matter the cost. I was more sleep deprived last week than I ever was when Tristan was a newborn. This girl needs sleep to maintain sanity.

We saw so many awesome friends on our trip. We of course saw our family, but I also saw a lot of friends that I haven't seen in years. Facebook has proved to be quite the tool for connecting with old friends!

On Wednesday I hung out with my friend Christa from high school while Chuck slept (we drove Tuesday night). She has four little girls and had a ton of stuff for the kids to do. The boys had their first experience playing with a hose and running through a sprinkler. That night we got to hang with my mom and sister for a while before crashing early (since we drove all night).

Thursday we took the boys to the Detroit Zoo. We had a blast. It worked well to keep the twins in the double stroller. They felt secure that way while looking at all the big "mimi's" and "tutu's." We gave them their first ever ice cream cones and let them make a huge mess of themselves. That night we hung out with my sister and brother in law and after that I ventured out to see my friend DJ.

Friday I got to see Amanda, who I haven't seen in God only knows how long. I have been friends with her since second grade. Crazy! Chuck took the boys swimming and they had a blast. When naptime rolled around, Amanda and I took Tristan to the mall and met up with my mom and stepdad. We shopped and then headed back over to the hotel room after naptime was over. My mom cooked up an Arabic food feast for us so we chowed. After bedtime I headed out to see my college friend, Michelle. I haven't seen her in about 10 years. There aren't many people out there who know "Juli during college." Michelle knows and still loves me! It was great catching up with her and hearing where life has taken her (she has been ALL over the world... I'm so jealous!).

Saturday we hooked up with some of our very favorite people - the Antonucci's. Vince recently left our church to start one in Las Vegas. We miss them terribly and it was so cool that Vince was speaking in MI the same weekend we were visiting. The hotel they stayed in had a waterpark so we had some fun there.

And then it happened.

Over the loud speaker we heard, "Due to an unfortunate event, we will have to close the pool for 45 minutes." We were not happy about that. I mean really - why would they close the pool for that long? What's the deal? And then I had this sick feeling in my stomach and asked Chuck to check the boys' diapers. Samuel was fine. Noah, umm not so much. I held tightly to Tristan and asked Chuck if he would take care of it since I had Tristan. I'm glad he did because from what he told me I don't think I could have handled it. We were so completely embarrassed and probably apologized to every employee twice. That evening Vince spoke at a local church and Chuck went with him. Me, Jen, and the kids went to Olive Garden. I never go out to eat with the kids alone and I'm so glad Jen is understanding and helpful. It was stressful... and of course the boys cried over silly things multiple times. By the end of the meal I had all three kids sitting next to me somehow. Tristan was thankfully in a good mood. I just felt bad for the people who had to sit near us. Note to self: Don't dine out with the kids without Chuck until the twins are in middle school! That night we met up with a family that started a church outside of Detroit a few years ago. Our church was involved with getting that church started, so it was neat to meet them and hear how things are going. They also have twins (2 1/2 year old girls) so it gave me some new perspective on parenting twin toddlers. It's just not easy whether they are adopted or not!

The following day Chuck went to check out the newer church while I stayed with the kids. We had talked about going as a family, but Chuck wanted to go super early to see them set up and Tristan woke up with a fever. So, I stayed back while Chuck went. After lunchtime Chuck loaded up the kids and took them for a drive (aka naptime) while I slept in the hotel room for a few hours. Tristan went on some kind of sleep strike and by Sunday I was losing it from lack of sleep. That was wonderful! That evening we hung out with the Antonucci's and the family with the twins. We had pizza, roasted marshmallows, and talked for hours. The kids had a blast and we're pretty sure that Samuel ate a bunch of sand. Don't ask why we think this. It is gross.

Monday morning we met up again with the Antonucci's one last time for breakfast. Then we packed up our hotel room and Chuck went to sleep at my sister's house while I went and visited some high school friends. The boys had a blast playing and it was just like old times seeing my friends Randy and Jenny. Jenny was a surrogate last year for a couple and I just think that is amazing.

Last night we left my sister's house at about 8:15. I drove for the first four hours and then Chuck took over and drove all night. We pulled in at about 7:45 this morning. Both Chuck and I have had naps but we are so ready for bed!

All in all, it was a good trip other than the sleep situation. Seriously, I wish we could "warp" like we did in Super Mario Brothers because driving to MI is not fun. I'd go back a lot more often if I could warp!

Wearing Them Out

That's what it's all about with twin 3 year old boys. We look for ways to wear them out.

We assumed they were too young for an outdoor trampoline.

We were wrong!

A few weeks ago we visited some friends and our boys tried out their trampoline and had an absolute ball. Thanks to the generosity of many people, we've been given money for stuff for the kids. We've kept it tucked away and waited to see how we should use it. After seeing all the fun the boys had on the trampoline, we knew that would be our next purchase. And a few days later our BJ's coupons came in the mail and there was a $40 off coupon for a trampoline with an enclosure. So, Chuck went and bought it on Friday, put it together yesterday... and it has pretty much not stopped raining since it went up :( Seriously, the boys got 5 minutes of jumping in and the rain started.

It's supposed to be sunny by tomorrow afternoon and I assure you that I will be out back wearing those boys out!

$89.34 Makes Me Grateful

I just wrote a check for $89.34 to the hospital. That amount is greatly reduced from the original 18K bill we first received for having Tristan.

Growing up, I lived outside of Detroit when the automotive industry was booming. Excellent health benefits were one of the bonuses of living in that area. I never knew that some people just don't have health insurance until I moved to the South in 2000.

Thankfully, we live in the South and have excellent health insurance. With Chuck's early retirement from the Coast Guard, we will never go without health insurance. And today I am so thankful for that.

Pulling Up

Well, it began yesterday.

Tristan is pulling up on anything he can get his hands on: the crib, the pack n play, the box of diapers, the end table. If he can get a grasp on it, he's going to try.

Unfortunately he's still pretty wobbly and has already suffered a goose egg on his head because of that.

And he's so dang proud of himself when he pulls himself up! We are too.

Tomorrow Tristan will be NINE months old. How is that possible?

We love this little guy so much. It is such a blessing to watch a baby grow. You know, not through pictures like we did with the twins.

That's all for now...

MI

Hey Michigan peeps!! I'm going to be in MI soon (not gonna share exact dates on the internet) and would like to try to get together with as many people as I can while there. Please send me an email at julicason@yahoo.com if you'd like to try to get together.

Thanks!

I'm just gonna put it out there...

I had a great Mother's Day. Breakfast in bed and all that kind of jazz doesn't happen when your husband is a pastor and has to leave the house early. That's okay, though, because I'd be freaked about getting crumbs in the sheets. I did get surprised after church with Chuck taking all three kids home and letting me have some time to myself after church. I went to lunch with my friends Dana and Samantha. Samantha is moving to Las Vegas on Tuesday to help start a church, so getting some hang-time with her was a bonus. We went to Taste Unlimited (local place and my first time) and it was yum.

I also got the Wii Fit and a bunch of accesories for it. I had asked for the Wii Fit and then unasked for it after researching it some. Chuck got it for me anyway and I'm glad he did. I had fun trying it out yesterday before we went to the oceanfront. We took the boys to see monster trucks at the beach. It was a lot more fun than I expected. It was really fun to walk on the boardwalk with the kids. It helped that they were all in good moods. We left promptly when Tristan started screaming.

Yesterday I got no less than 10 text messages with some sort of Happy Mother's Day message. I love technology - especially the ability to text message. I think it eliminates all kinds of useless chatter when you just have a simple question or statement. Chuck and I use it a bunch and it helps us stay connected throughout the day when we use it.

However, there is something not so warm and fuzzy about getting a text message that obviously went out to all the moms programmed in your cell phone. In fact, it felt more special when two separate strangers at the beach wished me a Happy Mother's Day.

I'm not posting this to shame anyone. I plan to stick to the good-ole-fashion telephone or card for special occasions. Maybe I'm wrong. Or old-fasioned. Just my opinion.

Toothy #2

This morning I noticed that Tristan is getting another toothy - right next to the first one.

Maybe that explains the screamfest last night.

BUBBLES!!!!

Okay...this is Chuck. And I'm temporarily comandeering Juli's blog. Today, the Cason's had a really cool day. Minus some minor trauma due to "Crash n' Burn" getting hair cuts (they fussed so badly that Papa was emotionally traumatized to last a lifetime). Anyway, to help heal the rotten memories of the day, I decided to do some extra amounts of play time (yes... extra... like in addition to the already obscene amounts in the normal schedule). This flowed right up until bedtime. The weather has been so sweet here, that I totally wanted to rock it in the back yard with them. Well, after Crash, Burn, and I had thrown the ball around, whacked the crap out of every tree and bush we could find with little LaCrosse sticks, and royaly wreaked havoc on the yard in general, we were ready for something a little more mellow. Juli's mom (The Judemeister) had bought the twins this automatic bubble blower device. Just pour in a little bit of bubble juice, turn it on, and let it rip. The boys were going so nuts over the whole scene, I had to go in and get the video camera. They were diggin' it hard. The footage below is the mellowed out, already getting old take. Had I been holding my camera for the first 15 mins, my lil JVC digital buddy might not have survived.

Now, for all of the parents who have seen Finding Nemo way too many times, like us, you are well acquainted with the scene where Nemo is first observed in his new tank, vs. the open ocean. He meets a character here that has an unhealthy facination with bubbles. He sees the little treasue chest open up, and chases the uprising bubbles, yelling, or maybe chanting, "BUBBLES!!!!" This is what both of the twins were yelling, no...quoting, as they were chasing the soapy deviants. Good times. Hope you enjoy the vid. And then you can all have your Juli back. Peace out.

He Crawls, He Falls

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.

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

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 popcorn

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.

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!!

Puffs Update

Tristan ate banana puffs last night without any hesitation.

I'm guessing Jodie was right and it was a texture issue.

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.

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.

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!!