Mr Gables

Gabriel is the sunniest baby in the world--he is quick to smile, constantly cooing, giggling,
and seeking out companionship. His very first smile was for his Big Sister, Emerald,
because I sincerely doubt there is a single person in the world that adores him more than
she does. She is forever giving him kisses, loving on the baby with hugs and trying to
hold him, reading to him, sharing toy, and generally trying to make sure his life is as happy
as humanly possible.

He enjoys watching Baby Miracles, including Jonah and the Whale--its a video of kid's singing
church songs and classical music to the story of Jonah, as well as live videos of the things
Jonah would have seen while he was sinking (turtles, starfish, etc).

Mike likes to play a game with him called Tooty Airplane--since he is literally the gassiest baby there ever was, Michael flies him around the house increasing the speed every time he toots. Gabriel loves it--he thinks his daddy is so funny.

Back to School!

It's the first day of daycare for the Wearden duo, the second year for Emerald and the first for Gabriel! Needless to say, Mama was tense all day!!

We got up early this morning--I had packed as much as I could before going to bed, which means Emerald's lunch, diaper bags, etc. Emerald is in the monkey class (which I think fits her to a T!) and Gabriel is a caterpillar (he's so adorable!).

Emerald was really surly from the moment she woke up--she was never a morning person. Gabriel watched the Batman Animated Series while I changed and dressed Emerald--he is always very agreeable.

We left super early--Emerald snacking on apple bars--so that we could stop and see Rhonda on our way to daycare. Unfortunately, we didn't realize until we were at college campus (between our house and daycare) that Rhonda was home sick, So I took the kids to the financial aid office so that I could make sure everything was turned in (it is! awesome) and then off to school.

Maya is not in Emerald's class any more, nor is Cooper, but Drew and Mady are. Drew is the son of the director, and really chubby and cute; Mady was BBFF (Bald Best Friends Forever) with Emerald last year. She has the cutest headbands--thick things with giant flowers atop them. I wish I had as many as she does!!

Anyways, other new students include Sadie and Garrett (more about him later). Emerald we dropped off at class first, and she ran in and started playing, didn't look back once.

Gabriel we dropped off next--he was curious more than anything else, and I really worried about him, but his teacher said he was the sweetest little boy all day, and when I showed up, he was asleep in the swing.

After I got out of class, I went and got them back--Emerald started fussing the moment she saw me and insisted I pick her up. Her teacher said she wouldn't take a nap until she said "Pat, hold!" and her teacher Ms Pat rocked her to sleep =) She apparently was more fussy than Gabriel, and is being really clingy now.

We gathered all our stuff little Garrett (just precious little blonde haired boy, and the only baby I have ever seen that is bigger than Emerald) jumped up and ran to the door where Emerald was leaving yelling "BYE!! BYE!" and blowing Emerald kisses. Emerald, always the cool customer turns to him and says "Bye, Jake". Oooh, cool use of the "wrong name", doll ;)

All in all, we are looking forward to a great year!

~Andie~

Water Fun!

We randomly found a giftcard to Target in Michael's wallet, so Mike agreed to let me use that to take Emerald shopping for a first day of school outfit!

Unfortunately, we did not consider that this past weekend was tax-free weekend, and the next week signaled the start of school for many people. Target reflected that accurately--it was PACKED. We decided to split up--Michael to take Gabriel to look at electronics, and me and Emerald to pick out an outfit for daycare, and mabe (if we had money left over) a toy for good behavior.

Rhonda had just recently bought Emerald these adorable magenta colored Mary Janes, so I based the outfit around that, and I will post pictures of her first day (so I don't have to discribe it). But why, you ask yourself, are there pictures of a kiddie pool in a post about new school clothes?!

As the clothes didn't cost all that much, I decided to take Emerald to pick out a toy. I didn't know what I had in mind--her tastes are still developing, so I was trying to get her a variety of things, so as to not condemn myself to a life of backyardigans and blue's clues.

By happenstance, we wandered by the deserted pool fun section, where everything was 50% or more off. We got this inflatable extraveganza for dirt cheap, and Michael and I went home to nearly give ourselves strokes by blowing up all the individual pieces. But it was all worth it to see Emerald's face light up when she first saw it. There's a slide, a ring stacker, a rainbow cave (which you can reverse so there is a baby wade pool on the other side), and a blow up dolphin and palm tree.

We had such a wonderful family outing, right in the backyard, with Emerald splashing and squealing with glee. Totally worth the effort involved, and maybe soon Gabriel can play with her in it too!

Gabriel's Day in June

Gabriel had a very up and down day today. He wasn't able to maintain the sleeping through the night two nights in a row. He woke up at 1am after having peed out of his outfit and all over himself, then again at 4.30am. It must have been very unpleasant and cold, being covered in your own urine, especially since Michael and I keep the fan on in our room. Dr. Stripling said a rotating fan may help prevent SIDS.

We got up earlier than usual because Gabriel had such a rough night, and went to Game Stop with a gift card we had been holding on to. Gaby Baby loved the extra time with Daddy last night and today--as a family, we have generally been splitting up, with Michael and Emerald spending more time together, as I have had to focus on Gabriel so much since his birth. He really does think Daddy is funny though--he has a rich, throaty laughter that is just delightful.

Unfortunately, he was still constipated today, and starting to get very uncomfortable, so he enjoyed an ice cold apple juice and two walks.

I know God must have heard my needs, because the weather was incredibly mild near our house--the wind was gentle and cool, and the sun wasn't beating down quite as hard today. He really enjoyed the fresh air and smooth, rocking motion.

I tried singing to him, but he is not a big fan of The Wiggle interpretation of Duke Ellington's "The Mooch" (basically me meowing at him).

Finally, just wanting to get the poor kid calm, I gave him a lavender scented bath. He really seemed to enjoy it, though he got chilled after a moment and had to be taken out. Emerald, when she was his age, bathed much more frequently, but he gets very greasy when we bathe him every day, and it is pretty disgusting. After his bath, I gave him a lotion rub and dressed him in these adorable, skintight long johns Aunt Amber got for Emerald. He had a toasty bottle, some Nystatin, and Mylicon and fell very asleep.

Luckily, all my efforts paid off today, and he is no longer constipated, and is sleeping like an angel. He is much happier, so maybe he will sleep again tonight!!

~Andie~

Poor Gaby

Seems like Gabriel is constipated, I assume because of the Nystatin he is on for the thrush. Worst part is, he either re-infected himself with the thrush (despite my sanitizing all his bottles, and buying him new pacifiers), or it hasn't cleared up in the first place. His bottom lip and tongue are completely white, and his voice is so pitifully cracked and hoarse. I hope that thrush can't do permanent damage--does anyone know?

Either way, today we will be braving the heat for walks, as the motion helps his uncomfortable-ness, and I will continue to bicycle his legs and rubbing his tummy and hope it passes.

I guess apple juice wouldn't hurt either....

=) hope your day is going better than his!

~Andie!~

Bath Time!

Emerald loves baths so much I can barely keep her out of them these days! If Michael and I invested in a kiddy pool for the backyard, she would just burst from happiness--she is quite the little fishy. The only problem is that she hates getting her face wet, which is completely understandable, but it makes her hair very hard to wash. Michael can wash her hair without getting any water in her face, but since he is at work, it falls to me now, and I just deal with her being angry. Poor girl.

She has made a very recent discovery--if she has chalk from her outside toys, she can doodle on the side of the bath, and it just washes away. Now art truly saturates every aspect of her life, and it so very sweet to watch her.

When I took this picture, she had drawn this very detailed picture and was telling me all about it--chattering at me "blah blah blah blah Dada and Gay!!!" It was adorable. I know she misses her father so much while he works, which makes Sundays her favorite day of the week, because Mama takes her to the park, just the two of them, and Daddy will split an ice cream sundae with her. She's a good girl.

Remy, who is never too far from Emerald, likes to sit on the side of the bathtub waiting for her to come out, and she will give him drinks of water, or let him lick her fingers and just peal out in laughter, but her favorite is drawing his picture (she always points and says "cat, cat" very clearly. I love watching those two interact, since she cares about him so, and he is her little baby.

I hope Gabriel bonds with Pepper or Oscar--I don't see us getting any more animals any time soon!!

~Andie~

Fresh Air

To keep the children calm (as well as their increasingly frazzled mother), I have been taking them on daily walks around the block in their double stroller. Quick side note: I ADORE this stroller. It is one of the most useful presents I have ever gotten, as it changes to fit our needs so well--it can hold Gabriel’s car seat if he needs to lay down (even though they are not the same brand), or he can sit up in the back and look around, and Emerald can sit, stand, or even utilize a jump seat next to me in the back. Greatest stroller ever!

Back to my story at hand (I get distracted easily--I apologize!).

Because the weather has been so lovely this year so far, and because it just makes all three of us feel so much better, we have been going on 2-3 walks a day. Once we even went on 5 walks in one day (Gabriel was having a particularly hard day). Emerald drinks her water or juice, and we talk and sing and observe the comings and goings on our street...all in all, one of my favorite parts of the day. Not to mention the definite benefit of getting me back to some semblance of my pre-baby figure!!

My issue has so recently become that, as it is June and so very hot here, we are unable to take very many walks. Sometimes we wait until later in the day, when it is starting to cool off a bit, but we still need the break in the middle of the day--it helps keep us all level headed and keep us from getting cabin fever.

Now, without these walks, I am not sure what we will do, both for exercise and relaxation and fresh air. That being said, I am searching for a new calming tactic. I am thinking about completely clearing the garage of all our boxes and such, and seeing about installing a window, and therefore a window unit to cool off the garage. Then, we can go out there to finger paint, do chalk drawings, have snack, or what have you. With the garage door open, we will get the fresh air, and it will be safer for Emerald to run around without the fear of burning out in the hot sun. It doesn't really get me exercise, but I will puzzle that out a bit more on my own later.

~Andie~

Day 1 of Potty Training

Today, Michael and I went and helped Emerald pick out her first big girl potty and "panties"!

As I have mentioned before, Emerald is showing definite signs of being ready, so I consulted my pediatrician's home guide that said she is a good age to give it a try and I got some general guidelines that might help ease the transition. So, this morning before Michael went to work, we packed up the kids and headed for Target.

The potty Emerald actually picked out sang a triumphant song every time she "goes" in her potty, but as it was twice as expensive, I have heard mixed reviews on the product itself, and we are not even sure she will take to potty training at all yet, we got the very practical transitional one--it can be a stand-alone potty, attach to the big toilet, and eventually become a stepping stool for when she is older. I don't really want her to view the potty as a toy, so we are holding off on the (somewhat obnoxious) singing toilet.

Per advice in my guide, I went ahead and picked up a package of the off-brand pull-ups for girls. Side note—pull-ups are EXPENSIVE!! Back to our story--she so loves her new big girl "panties". We are hoping this is the last pack of big diapers for her, as well as the last pull-up package. Once she shows noticeable headway with the potty training, we are going to have a special "party" in her honor--I know it's dorky, but I like celebrating milestones. I am going to get McDonalds for us three, put up some balloons, and bake a cake for the big girl--she will even get a present of us taking her to pick out her first big girl undies. Yes, I realize she will probably mess in those, but if I let her stay in the pull-ups for too long, I also know that she will have little incentive to progress.

Today, all we did was have her sit on the potty in front of her Wiggle show, fully dressed, so she can get used to it.

I will keep you updated on the progress!!

--Andie--

Spring Has Spung!

I could not be more ecstatic--my roses have come in!! I have been trying to care for those I knew about when moving in--the house is a lovely yellow, and there was a bush on the walk-way out front with lovely pale yellow roses, so I would water those and try to prune them a bit...Now we have the pale yellow, as well as sunset peach out front, and the loveliest red, pink, and white out back. I have fresh roses in my house nearly every week now!

Nothing could grow out at my house back at home, so forgive my excitement. :) 

--Andie--

Gabriel's Got Thrush!

Oh, goodness--Mr. Gabriel Lynn has thrush!

In case you don't know what that is, it is a very common infection where the normal yeast in your mouth starts overproducing, usually due to a adjusted climate in your mouth (specifically, when you begin taking oral antibiotics, which kills off the good bacteria that balances out the bad bacteria in your mouth). Lots of babies get it, but it is very contagious, so Michael and I can't kiss on him for four or five days. L

Its really not serious--the saddest part is that the bacteria went down his throat, causing soreness and so his little voice is all cracked and pitiful. He can barely cry, and he refuses to be set down at all.

We are really concerned that Emerald is going to catch it, because she loves to "share" with Gabriel--she will take his pacifier or give him hers, finish his bottles, and smother him in kisses. The last thing we need is a re-infection cycle starting up between these two!

--Andie--

Memorial Day

 

This past Memorial Day, Rhonda and Ken bought Emerald an inflatable froggie swimming pool, and this adorable striped swimsuit. Can you believe it's all ready a 3T?! The previous attempts at getting Emerald to swim had been a little unsuccessful--she enjoyed floating in the water at my parent's house in Tyler last July, but she was still very tentative.

This time, you couldn't keep up with her! She ran from the pool, to the slide, to everyone outside, and back again all night! It wasn't that big of a surprise then that she ended up eating TWO AND A HALF of Rhonda's grilled Bratwurst, plus sauerkraut, potato chips, peanut butter crackers, lemonade, and some of the delicious blackberry sundaes. She must really be showing that German Huse/Black!


Michael wasn't able to be there--he had to work every day this week, and it is really wearing on him. He can't wait for Sunday, when he finally gets to kick back and relax. I feel sorry for him--he would have loved to see Emerald splashing around, and I know that he is sick to death of my "thrift" meals (I'm a little too frugal for my own good some days).

Gabriel didn't seem to be feeling well--even though he is generally a very active baby, he was content to sleep in Grannymom’s arms the entire time. Poor sleepy little guy.

I guess all that play wore on her--on our walk home, she fell asleep on the ride, and stayed asleep almost the rest of the night.

She is so super cute!!

--Andie--

Gabriel's Birth

Welcome to our Wearden Family Blog! Hopefully, this will help us keep everyone more up-to-date on the comings and goings of us--Michael, Andie, Emerald, and Gabriel.

Since we have been hermits for the last few months (years), the next couple of posts will probably be catching up to the point we are now--Emerald is 20 months old, Gabriel 3 months. First, Gabriel's birth!

Gabriel was due February 24th of 2009, or Rhonda's and Marian's (Gigi/Granny) birthday. Unlike my pregnancy with Emerald, it didn't look like I had gestational diabetes, which was a huge relief, as it was an inconvenience more than anything else. Unfortunately, they were wrong, and due to Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR)--meaning Gabriel was not able to grow--and the diabetes, they wanted to get him out as quickly as possible. His lungs were "severely underdeveloped, due to miscalculated due date and uncontrolled diabetes", which means instead of being born on February 12-14, he had to bake an additional week and a half.

It ended up being a godsend that we had to delay the birth of the baby, because Emerald chose that moment to develop the flu, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), double ear infections, and antibiotic-related yeast infection and had to be kept away from me and the little baby until she was no longer contagious.

Michael was the only one that got to know the baby's gender, and therefore he was the one that got to choose the baby's name. He later told me that he had narrowed it down to three boys’ names, three girls’ names--Alexander, Dylan, and Gabriel, and Aeris, Myka, and River. I love all those names--my husband has wonderful taste!

We did the c-section at 1pm on February 20th (a Friday), and it was a bit of a fiasco, to be honest. The nurse in charge of me was having quite the difficult time, resulting in multiple attempts to insert my IV, a veritable gusher of my own blood all over the hospital bed, and administration of amoxicillin (to prevent infection during the surgery), to which I am allergic. So, I was a little panicked when I actually ended up in surgery, but it all turned out fine in the end.

Gabriel Lynn Wearden was born 6lbs, 9oz (the exact same as his big sister had been, and 1 oz lighter than I myself had been) and 19 inches long (1/2 inch longer than Emerald). He had the loveliest olive skin, big dark grey blue eyes, and a dusting of the silkiest dark hair.

We stayed in the hospital for the standard three days after the c-section. He did not have any trouble when he was born--no jaundice, no blood sugar issues (despite the diabetes), nothing. He was perfect. J

Now he is the happiest, gassiest 3 month old baby boy, and in the next few days he will be joined by his new best friend, Baby Boy Bevill!!

--Andie