London Bound

Uncle Benny takes off for London tomorrow afternoon.


He’s doing a semester abroad taking three classes and completing his business internship.

We are so glad you are taking this opportunity. We pray for safe travels and for an unforgettable experience that will grow you and challenge you.

We are so proud of you and all you have accomplished.

We love you, Benny!

Vacation Campfire- Orin's Version

Daddy wanted to help me roast marshmallows by the campfire. Too bad I couldn’t eat them. Maybe next year??

Vacation Random Pictures- Orin's Version

Here are some random pictures from our recent vacation to Minnesota. Enjoy!

Uncle Benny and Auntie Molls:


Auntie Molls and Mom:


Me hanging out at the weiner roast on Monday night:


Mom's cousins and Auntie Molls:


Family Picture:


Auntie, Uncle, and Mom:


Big Group Picture:


Great-Grandpa and one of his many fish:


Maria, Molly, Mom, and Grandma:

Update

Thank you to all of you who have spoken words of encouragement and who have prayed about Orin’s feeding situation. We have had two great days in a row! Today, he also took all of his bottles and only left a little bit of cereal and carrots behind. I just keep learning more and more tricks. It seems that they change daily. What works now probably won’t work tomorrow. But for today, he took 3-4 ounces in my arms as I rocked him, sang silly songs, made funny faces and dangled toys in front of his face and hands. Then the fighting began, so I burped him. After that, I laid him on his play mat where he could reach the toys and look at all kinds of things above his head. He did really well with the process. And it’s quite the process let me tell you! But we are doing better. It really couldn’t have gotten any worse, so we are gaining ground!

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I’ve gotten into a scrapbooking frenzy the last few days. Cleaning the office was on my list to do this week, and once it was cleaned and organized, I could actually get to all my scrapbooking stuff. So the office is once again a disaster area, but I see it as an organized mess complete with paper, scraps, cricut cartridges, albums, buttons, flowers, ribbon, etc. You get the idea. And I have completely finished one of Orin’s books. Titles and journaling are even done! I am completely done with February through June. Only about two months behind.

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Here are a few pictures of the munchkin from today. He’s getting so strong on those little arms! And he’s losing that baby look. I see more of the pre-toddler look in him now. My baby is growing way too fast!

Time for a little rest!

Okay Mom, I'm done being on my tummy!

Success!

This

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This

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This

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This

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4 Empty 6oz Bottles
1 Empty Bowl of Cereal and Applesauce
-and-
2 Empty Bowls of Carrots

Success!!

Happenings and 6 Month Schedule

A few things have happened this week:

First- I subbed for the first time ever! I put my name in last week, and was called Monday for a half-day in 2nd Grade. It went well. I'm excited to work when I so choose. I hope to sub one or two days a week. But I have found that I don't sleep near as well when I am laying there waiting for the phone to ring each morning or praying that it doesn't. :)

Second- My son HATES to eat! He doesn't take his bottles. He hates his cereal. And he refuses to open those little lips for his vegetables. I guess he can't be perfect all the time. He will take his morning bottle great because he is starving! But for his last three bottles, he will only take 1-2 oz. before he puts up his squirming, kicking, and squealing fight. Most of the time I am able to distract him with singing or shaking a toy above his head as he lays on the floor and drinks his bottle. It is like he gets his tummy full, and then he is bored of eating. He just wants to play and roll around. Usually, I can get him to take at least 3-4 ounces at each feeding. Sometimes it's 5 ounces, but rarely it's all 6 ounces.

After his morning bottle, he gets a bowl of cereal. For several weeks, he was eating oatmeal just fine. But then he started to refuse to open his mouth, and he would fuss and turn his head to the side. I started mixing in a little unsweetened applesauce. That didn't even help.

Same thing happened with his vegetables. For two days in a row, he took his squash perfectly. In fact, after the first couple feedings of eating one cube of squash, I moved him up to two cubes. Then on the third day, he refused to eat that too. So I tried giving him carrots. He does seem to like them better, but he still puts up a good fight. He is currently eating one cube of carrots after his 12:00 and 4:30 bottle. Yesterday, he ate it all, which is a huge improvement.

I dread meal times. I'm frustrated to tears at times. As his mom, I just want to be able to solve this issue. I want my son to eat and grow strong. And I want people to stop telling me that "He just must not be hungry. He's doing just fine. Look at him." I'm sick of hearing that. My son can't get by with only eating 2 ounces at each feeding. He won't be doing just fine then. The reason he is doing "fine" is because I sit there forcing him to eat at least 3 or 4 ounces while shaking a toy over his head. Feeding my child should not be that stressful or that big of a struggle. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who offers to feed Orin when he is home from work. Yesterday, he did the 4:30 bottle and offered to do the 8:30 bottle because, "You have to suffer through all his feedings everyday."

I called the Good Start company yesterday to check on their other formulas. Our nephew, Tucker, is on easy-to-digest Similac formula with already broken down proteins. There's a fancy name, but I'm too lazy to find it. But basically, Good Start said that all of their formaulas are easy to digest and have the broken down proteins. So that wasn't too helpful. But we do go for his 6 month doctor's appointment on Tuesday, so I'm hoping the doctor will have some answers.

Oh and today, he ate all of his multi-grain cereal with applesauce! I started him out in his highchair, he took two bites, and was done. But I wasn't done trying and I didn't want to waste all that food, so I put him in his carseat. I turned on a Baby Einstein video we had rented from the library, and he was mesmerized. He ate it all! So can you guess what I did this morning? I hopped online and ordered a collection of "Praise Baby" DVDs. I hear they are similar to Baby Einstein, but they play worship music instead. I'm not big on my child watching tons of TV, but if it gets him to eat, I'm okay with him watching a praise DVD for 30 minutes everyday while he eats his cereal and babyfood.

Also, here is his current schedule at 6 months. We changed things up a bit since I will be subbing. I used to not start his day until 8:30, mostly because I like to sleep. However, if I get called to sub, I will have to leave the house by 7:15. So here is what we do now:

7:30- 6oz bottle and cereal
9:30-12:00- Nap
12:00- 6oz bottle and vegetable
2:00-4:30- Nap
4:30- 6oz bottle and vegetable
6:30/7:00ish- Nap till whenever he wakes up
8:30- 6oz bottle
9:00-Bedtime

Author Orin

Today, Orin wanted to help Daddy work on his book. Ryan is in the editing stage, and his "office" is set up in the basement bedroom. I don't know how much help he was, but we sure got some cute pictures.

Vacation Swimming Part 2- Orin's Version

I got to go swimming again in the indoor pool, but this time it was with my grandma, grandpa, Uncle Benny, and Auntie Molly. We sure had a lot of fun! I love them so much, and I’m glad they take me to do fun things with them!!

6 Months Old

My sweet Orin Dale, today you are six months old!


Here is what you have been up to:

• You weigh around 17.5 lbs
• You wear size 2 diapers. Although, you could fit into size 3.
• You wear size 6-9 month clothes. But you need 12 month pajamas because you are so long.
• You still love your pacifier. You usually only have it when you are sleeping, but lately you have had a hard time making it all the way to naptime without being cranky. So I end up giving it to you earlier.
• One of your new favorite activities is to cuddle up with mama while sucking on your pacifier. You are not usually a cuddle bug, unless you have your pacifier. That is the only time you will sit still and let mama rock you and hold you. This has been especially true now that you are sick!
• You smile a lot and your little grin is the best thing in the whole world!
• You have started baby food. You have only had squash, but you really like it! You started yesterday with one cube for lunch and one cube for supper. Today you went up to two cubes. However, you didn't get to eat any for supper, because right when I tried to feed you, you threw up everything! You may have more than just a head cold.
• You are sitting more and more every day with assistance.
• Your hair is light brown and very feathery. It sticks up all over the place.
• You grab and hold your toes a lot.
• This past Sunday, August 16, is when you started really rolling over. Before then, you would roll over occasionally, but you never quite figured it out until this week. Now you roll over every time you get the chance.
• When you roll to your tummy in bed, you scream and scream. You like to roll over, but not if it means you are stuck on your belly!
• You continue to drool and gum like crazy. Maybe we will see some teeth soon?
• Your jumperoo is your favorite place to be. We even toted it clear to Minnesota on vacation. We think you could jump all day long and never wear out.
• You reach out for your toys and your bottle. In fact, when we sit down to feed you, you can hardly stand to see the bottle without reaching for it to pull it into your mouth.
• Your little hands grab onto our faces and you like to pull mama’s hair.
• You are big on giving kisses. We will kiss your little lips and you will open your mouth wide and stick out your little tongue.
• You still fight your bottle something fierce. It is a huge battle to give you your 24 ounces of milk a day. You will drink the first bottle of the day perfectly. For the last three bottles, you will take 1-3 oz. well (hence the pulling the bottle into your mouth). But after that, we have to lay you on the floor and use a rattle, toy, or singing to distract you while we feed you the rest of the bottle.
• You sleep like a champ. Great naps and all through the night.
• You are very ticklish. You laugh and laugh and it is infectious!
• Nicknames- Buckaroo, Mister, Little Man

You have grown and changed so much in six months. On the one hand, it seems like just yesterday you were born. And on the other, it seems like we have had you in our lives forever. You, baby boy, have completely changed our world for the good. Getting to call you ours is the greatest blessing we've ever received. We love you all the way to the moon and back. Times a million.

Vacation Boat Ride- Orin's Version

Mom and Dad bought me my very own lifejacket so that I could take my first boat ride.


I even got to help Grandpa drive. See??



I closed my eyes through most of the ride because of the wind.



I enjoyed my first time out on the lake. Thanks, Grandpa, for the ride!

Vacation Cuddling- Orin's Version

I spent quality time with lots of people on vacation. In fact, I got so much of it, that I wasn't too happy when I got home and they weren't here to play with me!

I got plenty of loving from my grandpa. Grandpa loved to cuddle, kiss, and tickle me! He makes me laugh.



Mommy’s cousin, Chris, got to hold me even though I think he was a little hesitant. He did a great job of entertaining me though!


Mama always gets to love on me, but this was a cute picture of us cuddling.