Trip to Idaho, birthday, and anniversary!

A couple weeks ago we were able to take a trip back home to Idaho. We haven't been back since we moved. We left on July 30th in the afternoon. Malone and I decided to drive all night to get to Idaho the next morning. It seemed like a good idea so that Mason could sleep most of the way there. Considering the long 20+ hour drive I was surprised how well Mason did. And Malone managed to drive the entire time too. We arrived in Rigby at about 11 the next morning and surprised everyone. We got to spend some time with my family that day and were able to go visit Malone's dad and brother too. The next day the boys went and played golf. Saturday we drove 3 hours to Bear Lake for the Bennett reunion. We had a really great time jetskiing and spending time with cousins. Mason got to meet all sorts of new people and did great! It was a long day. Malone had never jetskii'd before so it was neat for us to do that together. We also got to ride on a tube behind the boat as well, which we haven't done together since we first got married! Malone and I made the mistake of not putting on sunscreen soon enough and were both fried. I haven't had a burn that bad in a long time! The next day we went to my parent's ward and hung out and played games all day with my family. It's been a long time that we have all been able to be together!

Monday and Tuesday we drove up to visit Malone's parents in West Yellowstone. We hung out and watched a lot of movies while his parents worked the range downstairs. Whenever they got a chance they'd come spend time with us. We wandered around West Yellowstone and bought some things for Mason. It was nice to spend time with them and Mason loves his grandma!

Thursday I spent some much needed quality time shopping with my mom. That night we celebrated my dad's birthday at Perkins. He decided he wanted blueberry pancakes for dinner! Friday we said our goodbyes to my family and headed to Idaho Falls to see Malone's dad one more time before we left. We sure love our families and it was so great to see everyone! We won't be back for Christmas, so we aren't sure the next time we'll see them again.

Last week I celebrated my 28th birthday! I got so many phone calls and birthday wishes. It was really nice! Malone brought me some flowers and a beautiful birthday card. He also gave me some money to go get my nails done which was wonderful! I loved it! That evening we went out to eat at Logan's, which is basically like Texas Roadhouse. So yummy!

On the 23rd Malone and I also celebrated our 6 year anniversary. As a family we went to the Dallas World Aquarium that morning. It was super crowded but we had a good time seeing all sorts of fish as well as other wildlife like monkeys,  birds, bugs, reptiles, snakes, and even a panther. Our favorite part was seeing the big freshwater fish. They were huge!! The shark tank was really cool too. That evening Malone and I dropped Mason off with some friends so Malone and I could go on a date. It was the first time we have had a date alone since we moved here! We went to this little local Italian place in Flower Mound where they had live music. It was romantic and so nice to spend time together.

10 Months

Mason turned 10 months! He is a growing boy. Malone and I agreed that he felt heavier today, so I weighed him and he is 19 lbs! Two pounds heavier since the last time we weighed a month ago. He eats all sorts of new foods and has started to dislike foods he use to enjoy. For example, he use to hate peas and sort of liked green beans. Now he really enjoys them. He use to love pears and peaches and fruit of any kind really, and now he won't eat pears and peaches and struggles with his prunes. But he is really enjoying feeding himself when he can. We give him little bits of bread, cereal or whatever we're eating and he shoves it in his mouth.

Speaking of mouth, Mason now has 4 teeth! His second front tooth popped through while we were in Idaho on vacation. He was pretty miserable that day or so before it come through, poor guy. Now he's got the two teeth on either side of his front teeth coming in. One will be in any day now. So once again, we're going through teething. He's miserable, again.

Mason has been doing so great with his therapy! Last time I wrote he wasn't showing much interest in crawling and wasn't bearing much weight. Since then we've been working with his new occupational therapist (who's really great)  and he has made a lot of improvement! Mason bears a little bit more weight and will stand for a few seconds before sitting or just bounces a lot. His core muscles are starting to get stronger as well. He will be sitting there and is able to turn and play with toys to his side and can shift around behind himself to get to things. When I hold him I can feel him getting stronger because there is more resistance when he moves... I can't explain it. He made a HUGE breakthrough with army crawling today. We have been trying to help him learn to use his arms and legs to move forward. Today it's like he woke up and figured it out. The therapist came and he really showed off for her, because he was able to move himself forward over and over again! I was so excited, and felt a little emotional about it. This little boy just amazes me all the time and I feel like I am a witness to miracles all the time. Mason is such a blessing!

Mason continues to be a chatty boy. He makes Malone and I laugh all the time. I don't think he's figured out to call me mama and Malone dada yet, but he does say those words. He jabbers all the time and smiles a lot too. He is such a happy boy. He'll do or say something and then look at us and give a huge smile and give a chuckle. I think he's got a sense of humor already. He is such a doll!

4th of July weekend

 On the morning of the 4th we went to our ward's social activity at the nearby elementary school. They provided breakfast, had a parade and games for the kids, and a little 4th of July program. We were able to socialize with a few members of the ward which was nice. Mason had fun too! Malone and I brought a blanket to sit on and it looked like many members forgot theirs, so we shared our blanket with some people. It was a great way to meet people apparently!

After the program we went back home and hung out, had lunch. Mason took a nap. That evening we decided to venture out and see about seeing the local fireworks. There were plenty of shows to choose from in the area. We ended up going back to the elementary to watch the fireworks from the parking lot there. When we arrived I saw that many members of our ward were there too. They were all sitting together and invited us to come join them all. We were able to meet and chat with many more members of our ward. It was nice to feel like we had a sort of ward "family" to enjoy the fireworks with. The fireworks couldn't hold a candle to the ones in Idaho Falls, but it was still fun. It made me miss home!! After the fireworks we were able to get home within like 10 minutes, no problem. That is probably the first time that has ever happened to us after fireworks ever!

The next day we went swimming in the pool here at the complex for the first time. It was really fun! Mason had a good time in his new swimming suit. Actually we all had new swimming suits because Malone and I had to get new ones too! It was a great time spending quality time with our little family.

And no... I didn't take ANY pictures. I am kicking myself!!

9 months old

 

Mason is 9 months old this month! I am a little late in posting, so he's about 9 1/2 months now. Mason had his 9 month checkup and he is 17.2 lbs, 27 1/2 inches long, and his HC is 48.9 cm. He is 11th percentile in weight and 17th percentile in length and 99th percentile for head circumference. Last time I posted I mentioned that his doctors at Scottish Rite Hospital were concerned about his weight. I mentioned this to his pediatrician at his appointment and she said she wasn't concerned about it. He might be a little light, but he looks good and healthy. And according to their records he's gained like 2 pounds since he had been there last. So he is growing!

 

A couple weeks ago we took Mason to see an ophthalmologist. At first I didn't fully understand why we needed to see an eye doctor at such a young age, but I come to find out that kids with hydrocephalus are more likely to have eye problems from the pressure in their brains. It can cause problems on the optic nerves. Luckily Mason's eyes are looking fantastic! And he was such a good boy at letting the doctor look at him.  

 

Mason is an expert at sitting up now and will sit for a long time by himself. I can put him in the cart at the store and he'll sit up there the whole time like a big boy! He jabbers all the time in his own language, often saying "da da" along with many other sounds. He doesn't bear much weight on his legs so he can't pull himself up to stand yet. And he isn't up to crawling yet. He just rolls. I think he rolls because it's easier for him. In therapy we have been working with him to get him ready to crawl. We'll put him in the crawling position and let him strengthen his arms We also give him exercises to help strengthen his legs so he can bear more weight eventually. We are expecting to start Mason on physical therapy in addition to occupational (not sure why we'd need both right now, we are still working it out!). I think physical therapy will be more helpful in getting Mason to bear weight. Mason eats everything we put in front of him. He eats really well and will insist he eat off our plates sometimes. Mason now has 3 teeth! His first top tooth popped through the other day. And I can almost see his other top tooth coming through. It's just a matter of a few days! Mason has learned to gimme five and has learned to clap this month. He is learning quickly! I love seeing him learn new things! He also has learned how to pick up little snacks and put them in his mouth.

 Mason has been sleeping pretty good at night. For a little while he was sleeping through the night, but then his teething started waking him up one or two times during the night.

 

 

Mason's first time swimming

Recently Mason has gotten to go swimming for the first time! We have a pool here at our apartment complex that we can swim in anytime. Mason really enjoyed it! There is a shallow part in the pool about 6 inches deep that he could just sit and splash.  

our attempt at a group shot!

 

I could go on and on about this kid and how amazing he is. He is always so happy and smiles all the time. His sweet spirit is such a blessing in our home!   

Celebrating Father's Day and update

The weather is warming up around here! Its going to be in the 90's all week. Last week we had rain for a few days making it feel extremely muggy outside. One day it poured so much rain I got a flood warning on my phone! Looking outside you could barely see the house across the way. So cool. And lots of thunder too. I loved it. Luckily no flooding, just a lot of water in the streets probably.

Malone and I are enjoying our ward here. I don't get to meet a lot of people because I sit in the corner playing the piano in Primary. So the lack of social interaction at church makes me more motivated to do my visiting teaching. I have never been a very good visiting teacher, so I am working on being better! I really like the girls I visit teach and I love my partner. They're all really great. Recently I had the opportunity to serve a member of the ward. It was no big deal and I enjoyed being able to be of help to someone. Malone is off the hook for webelos for the summer. I guess the boys don't do scouts in the summertime. Nice!

Malone continues to work hard at work! Recently he found some kind of a construction gnome statue on his desk that someone had put there. I guess the office passes around this gnome to people who have been doing a great job. So it was such a nice compliment for all the hard work Malone puts in! It seems like he never got the recognition for his effort at his old job, so that was really nice. Even if it was just a gnome on his desk... it's the thought that counts. Malone often goes to lunch with coworkers and clients who come to the office about projects. The office does this lotto lunch where a few random people are chosen to go to lunch together, it's a great way to get to know other people in the office. Malone enjoys meeting new people. From what Malone describes, this is a really nice company to work for. Very friendly environment and everyone has been so nice.

This past month has been a lot of fun! To celebrate father's day, Malone, Mason and I went to Medieval Times in Dallas. It was a blast! Medieval Times is a dinner and live show watching knights jousting, horsemanship, and falconry. You are assigned a knight to cheer for and sit in that knight's cheering section in ringside seats while your wench or servant brings you a 4 course meal. Our knight was the black and white knight. For dinner we had chicken, potato halves, tomato soup, garlic bread, and ribs. And you have to eat it all without utensils. I guess maybe they didn't have utensils back in Medieval times? Its a 2 hour show, so I was a little nervous of what to do with Mason during that time as far as feeding goes, but it worked out okay. Mason had mixed feelings about the show. He cried a bit, but I think he was so very tired. He actually managed to fall asleep for part of the show. I don't know how he did that with all that noise! Malone and I had a great time together. It was nice to go out and do something fun together.

We continue to go on walks now and then. There isn't anywhere within walking distance to go from our apartment and we live along a busy highway here. So we will go after Malone gets home or on Saturdays. But it tends to get really hot in the afternoon so we don't go often. We went for Family Home Evening yesterday and took Altivo with us. He doesn't get to go for walks much so he is fat and lazy and he got super tired on our walk. It was good for all of us to get off the couch and get a little exercise in!

Speaking of exercise, I am still doing my T25. I am just happy to be consistent even though I'm not perfect at it. I continue to slowly lose pounds and inches and continue to have increased energy. I think it's best for everyone when I exercise because I am so much happier the days that I do! So it's a good motivation to continue to be consistent. The challenge with my group on line is over, so I'm on my own now! I don't think I did too great with the challenges from the group, but I try to do better everyday.

Mason continues to do great! Recently his second tooth popped through, so now he has two teeth on bottom. He loves to eat his baby food and to help momma in the kitchen. He loves to do whatever mom is doing! Mason still doesn't really show any interest in crawling, but he gets around fine with rolling. He manages to get into trouble fine. The other day he managed to get into Tivo's water dish! H is such a happy boy and always makes me smile. He's my little buddy and I love taking him with me everywhere.

8 Months Old

My baby is 8 months old ! We had a spina bifida clinic appointment yesterday where Mason met with his development specialist, a dietician, and an occupational therapist. He also had a renal ultrasound where they ultrasound his kidneys and bladder to make sure he is healthy. Well the appointments went well! The ultrasound showed his kidneys and bladder are healthy. The occupational therapist and the development specialist are both happy with Mason's development so far. The dietician, however, informed us that Mason didn't gain any weight since we last visited SB clinic (back in April). In fact they said that he even lost a couple ounces. I was in shock. How is that even possible? I feed this kid all the time?! I felt terrible about it. I had to go over his eating schedule with the dietician, every detail, which made me so nervous. I was so afraid I had done something wrong and that I was a bad mom! Even now after her telling me what to do, I still felt like I hadn't done anything wrong because her suggestions were what I felt I was already doing. I guess I will work on being consistent, because some days we get busy and he misses his solids sometimes. Anyway...

Mason continues to roll everywhere. It's how he gets around. I have been working on getting him into crawling position just so he can get a feel for it. He sits up on his own pretty well, still gets tipsy and will fall over sometimes. But he has been using his legs a little bit, so I expect we might be hopefully seeing some army crawling sometime soon.

One huge development for Mason is he has a tooth! It just popped through three days ago. You can barely see it, but you can certainly feel it. It's exciting! My baby is getting so big!

A few weeks ago I had a friend take some pictures of Mason for me. They turned out really great! I am excited to get them printed out.

One year ago

 

Today I am reflecting back to this day a year ago. A year ago I learned something that would change my life forever. It was the day I found out my baby has Spina Bifida.  Looking back I remember Malone and I were completely heartbroken and scared. We felt so helpless.  I blamed myself for his condition. I had never felt so devastated.  I had a very vague idea of what to expect with my son's condition. I had so many fears for our future.

 

If only I could have had a glimpse of what my life would be like now, a year later. Our lives have been so blessed by this child. He is so beautiful and perfect just the way he is. Malone and I are so in love with him. He is developing and growing pretty much like any other kid would be. I am so thankful for him and the sweet spirit he is in our home. He is such a good baby and is always happy. We love him so much!

 

I have learned so many lessons this past year that I can't even begin to explain. I think the biggest lesson I have learned is trusting in my Heavenly Father and having faith that he has a plan for me. Though our journey has not been easy, we have been tremendously blessed.