Sneak Peek

Every year about this time, I'm scouring the coupons trying to find a good deal on some professional portraits. Of course, I use the term "professional" loosely as I'm too cheap to go anywhere other than WalMart or JCPenney. Sometimes we get good photos... most of the time they're just ok. And I'm really good about saying "No" when it comes to all those "extras" they try get you to buy so really spending $9.95 for an 8 x 10, a couple of 5 x 7's, and the hundreds of wallet sized photos - that are always left over - isn't too bad.

But this year is different. I'm hiring a real "non-professional" to do Preston's 4 year portraits. Me! So after spending a morning "on location", I've got a few snaps that should look nice on our portrait "Hall of Fame" (literally, a hall of framed portraits). Isn't that what everybody does with their 8 x 10's? I couldn't wait to get home and edit a few, so here's a sneak peek. Enjoy my handsome little man!

I Suppose I Could Get a Pair of Stilts

"How's the weather down there?" "Mind if I set my drink on you?" "Hey shortstuff!"

Ok, ok I get it. I'm short. And if you're not family, you are probably asking, 'How short are you?'. I'm 4 ft 6 in. There's some debate over whether I am 4 ft 6in or 4 ft 8in, whatever. Short is short. Just know that I am not even 5 ft tall. It's ok. I'm ok. I've been this way ever since like what... fourth, fifth grade? I'm not sure, I just know I've always been short. In fact, most of my family is short so we think we're normal. Does it stink sometimes? Sure. Like when I'm in a crowd of people and all I see are people's belt buckles or worse yet, their navels. Or when I'm at the store and I can't reach something and I have to either ask a total stranger or go without. (And man, I really needed the cinnamon that day! Why do they feel the need to alphabetize spices anyway?) Fortunately I have a four year old who can stand in the cart and reach things for me now.

Speaking of said four year old, he's not all that tall himself. Preston just had his four year well visit and just like all the previous times we check height and weight and wait for the doctor to chart it and see how he's grown. I don't know if other moms have anxiety about the "chart" but I'm right there leaning over the doctor's shoulder just waiting to see where she puts that little dot. It all started when Preston was just a newborn and his weight was progressively decreasing. Once he started gaining weight again we found that Preston was just going to stay on his own little chart. Actually his height/weight ratio doesn't even get "on" the chart, he's always stayed below it in the less than 5% range. However, every pediatrician we've ever seen has always said, as long as he stays on his own chart everything is fine.

Well fast forward to last Monday and one of my worst fears was realized. He fell off his own chart. His weight was good, but he only grew an inch and a half over the last year. So his pediatrician puts on her concerned hat and recommends we get a "bone growth x-ray" to determine bone age. Basically, an x-ray is taken of a child's hand and wrist and then compared to "norms" for children of the same age. Preston had his x-ray done and the doctor determined that Preston's bone age is that of a 3 year old (he just turned 4 earlier this month). This means that his little body is just a little bit delayed when it comes to growth. The bad news would have been if his bone age showed that of a 4 year old, that would indicate that something was not growing properly. Fortunately he's growing, just a bit slowly.

This actually has a name: Constitutional Growth Delay. Sounds like some kind of problem you have in your high school American History class, doesn't it? It really just means that Preston will likely start puberty a year later than his peers and at the end of puberty we'll see his height max out to the projected 5 ft 5 in. Still not all that tall, but we'll take it. Hey, it's almost a foot taller than me! Cannot fathom one day having to look up to my son.

But being short isn't all that bad. I'm often mistaken for someone much younger. When I was much younger I could get the child discount for most everything. I trick or treated until I was 18. (I probably still would if it didn't embarrass my husband.) Being height-challenged definitely has it's ups and downs. Although I was kind of hoping to spare my children from the "down" part. I mean, I did all that I could. I married a man who is 6 ft tall just to "breed some height back into the family", just like my momma told me to.

Preston's 4th Birthday Party

We celebrated Preston's 4th birthday on Sunday September, 7. He wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese like we did for his 3rd. But this time we went to a "new" Chuck E. Cheese (basically just a different location than last years). Unfortunately only one of the few friends we invited was able to attend. I don't think Preston noticed, as he thinks everybody at Chuck E. Cheese is there for him anyway.

First stop, playing games. Notice the tongue, that helps you play better.

Checking out the air hockey table.

Air hockey rules!

Playing games with his Ra-Ra.

Time to open presents!

Discovering what is inside the box.

Yay for wriggly track! (This goes with his marble run)

Speed Racer cake which almost didn't happen.

(Ugh! I might be able to talk about it when he's sixteen)

Make a wish!

Our friend Corbin enjoying some blue icing.

Meeting Chuck E. Cheese.

Getting ready to dance with Chuck E. Cheese.

(They gave all the kids free tickets after they danced.)

After the party we headed to Preston's first night at Awana. It's a weekly Bible based program for preschoolers and school aged children. They teach them scripture, play games, tell stories, have a snack, and sing songs. We got to stick around for the first night and Preston had a really good time. There's even another Preston in his class, which totally blew his mind. He looks forward to going every week. And it gives mom and dad a chance to hang out.

Happy Day!

Nearly four years ago (within the hour of me posting this), this special little guy entered our lives.

Happy 4th Birthday Preston!

Where Does The Time Go?

Has it really been over a month since I last posted? Bad, bad blogger. My apologies to anybody who still actually reads this thing.

Let's see, since there's been so much going on I'll have to update you with some highlights:

• We found out that we are expecting another little boy. I shall remain Queen of My Castle. The Lone Bearer of Estrogen. The One with the Most Shoes. Preston is just thrilled to have a little brother to play with, and we are too.
  

• We have been re-doing the hubby's office. We moved him into the guest bedroom, which means the daybed for guests needed to go. We decided to go ahead and move Preston out of the toddler bed and into the day bed. He looks so tiny in that twin size bed but as you can see he loves it. We still need to get him a comforter, the vintage Sesame Street sheets I've been hanging onto all these years finally came in handy. The old office will become the baby's nursery, so we'll be painting in there soon.

• Speaking of painting. We painted the new office (the old guest room) and Preston got to help. It's kind of a blue/gray color depending on the light of the day. I think we're happy with it.
  
  
  

• We've also been shopping quite a bit at our new favorite store. Thanks to my sister and her husband for putting up with us as we bought some bulky furniture for the office that wouldn't fit in our own car. They were life savers! And thanks to my friend Micki who helped us put it all together. I always knew having a friend who is a former Marine would come in handy someday.

• We've also since upgraded our internet, got rid of our landline, and found a new home for that old monster of a desk that we used to have. I still feel sorry for the guy who bought it from us. Especially after he told us that he was going to put it in his upstairs office. I hope he doesn't send us the chiropractor bill.
  




• Between visits to my OB (everything's great!) I've been to the dentist to get some long overdue dental work done. It's not been fun, but necessary. Take care of your teeth people!

We've also been getting ready for a certain little boy to turn four this week. I'll be posting more about his birthday party and events later on. Hopefully that things have calmed down a bit I'll be posting more.

Baby's First Photos

I had my first OB appointment on July 3rd and was fortunate enough to also get a sneak peek at the baby. Here a few ultrasound pics from Baby's first portrait session. Sorry I'm a little late posting these as we were having scanner issues. So, here's your first peek at Baby #2. And no Mom, we don't know if it is a boy or girl yet.

Here is baby waving for the camera.

Skeletor Baby

Baby had flipped all the way over by the end of the session.

Baby was very active and when the sonographer (is that the correct term?) first started the ultrasound the baby had his/her hand behind his/her head. Ironically, this is how we often saw Preston when we would have ultrasounds with him. Even after he was born he would put one hand behind his head when sleeping, and even still today when he's exhausted we'll find him like that. Too cute!

The appointment went well. My blood pressure was good (thank goodness!) and I'm right on target to deliver by c-section on December 27. This date may change as the doctor allows a 7 day window prior to due date, and with the holidays we might try to have the baby home by Christmas. My only issue at the doctor's office was when they tried to take blood. Apparently I have very deep veins and when the nurse couldn't find one, she went to find one in my hand. Well she found one alright, and she blew the vein while trying to get blood. I ended up with a nasty and painful bruise on my hand for several days aftwards. She felt really bad and ended up calling in another nurse who found a vein in my arm right away.

I have another OB appointment this week and we'll be having another ultrasound. Since I'll be almost 20 weeks we should be able to find out the sex... that is if the baby cooperates. We'll be taking Preston with us as he's all excited about finding out if he'll have a baby brother or sister. If you ask him what he thinks it will be, he'll tell you "I don't know, only the doctor knows." Preston's never been one for suppositions. Stick to the facts, man.

Cute or Creepy?

See that little widget on the left hand column? The one that says "Countdown To Baby!"? Well I added it a while back because I had seen it on other blogs and thought it was kind of a cute way to keep everybody informed on how the baby was doing. When I installed it, I played around with the due dates just to see how accurate the development of the baby in the virutal womb was. Sorry to disappoint but you won't be seeing much change in virtual baby. It pretty much looks the same now as it will at nine months. So even though my belly will be full with baby and there won't be much wiggle room, virtual baby will still look as though it resides in the world's largest uterus. Uhm... ok.



So what do you think of virtual baby over there? Cute or creepy? Keep it or lose it? I want to hear from you, you're the ones that have to look at it.