2 year well baby visit

Gus is almost a square!! 36 inches tall and 35 pounds! We went for his well baby 2 year visit today and the doctor said all looks wonderful and to keep up the good job mom and dad! Gus was a little apprehensive of the doctor at first, then he warmed up to him, but when it came time to undress and let the doctor give him a clean bill of health he lost it! In the doctor's words, "Mom, he is strong as an ox. He is 1 of 2 of my patients this age that is THIS strong. Mom, no need to workout?" There you have it folks, the boy is strong as an ox. Anyone up for a wrestling match??!!

Here is Gus in the morning before we headed out for his appointment. It is precious how he gets a book off the bookshelf and takes it to the bathroom and gets on the potty and proceeds to "read" the book!

And here he is after his wrestling match with the doctor!!!

The Verdict.....its not Eczema

It is Atopic Dermatitis, which from doing a little research is in the eczema family, but is not considered full on eczema. Basically Gus is coming into contact with something that is causing an allergic reaction on his trunk area. We went to the dermatologist today and Gus was such a big boy. He sat on my lap while I filled out the mound of new patient papers, gave lots and lots of sweet eyes to the girls behind the counter and when we got into the room he gave the doctor two high fives!! He let me take his shirt off and undo his diaper a little to show the doctor the rash. Since he was so good the nurse gave him a sucker. His face lit up when she walked in with it :-)

He was prescribed a topical cream and if we see no improvement by next week we have to go back to the doctor. The doctor suggested going back to using Dreft on his cloths/towels, etc. and to bath him in Cetaphil. He suggested we could have a biopsy done to see what is causing the reaction, but we don't want to put Gus through that at this time. Not to mention the doctor said if it were his child he would not do it at this point. We will exhaust all other options before taking that route. I will let you know how the cream works and if we ever get to the bottom of the irritant.

Under the weather.....

Today is Friday the 13th....for the most part I am not superstitious, I just hope for the best on Friday the 13th's! That is what I did as this day approached.....at 12:50am Jake and I woke up to a very sick baby. I will leave it at that. Gus needed to sleep sitting up so I slept the remainder of the night holding him in the chair. Thankfully we were able to get an appointment with his doctor before the weekend. Gus was a little apprehensive, but we manage to survive the visit and get out with a diagnosis of an ear infection in his right ear, and a viral infection that is causing him to have a runny nose that is dripping into his chest causing the croupy cough. We feel so bad for him, but his little voice is raspy and cute at the same time.

Though you may not be able to tell by these pictures, but Gus was running fever, has an ear infection and a croupy cough.

Having breakfast in the big red chair like a bog boy!!! Biscuit and Fruit Loops seem to be his favorite this week!!



Sweet baby boy reading Hickory Dickory Dock in the laundry basket!!

Not feeling so hot, but still managed to muster up a smile for mommy!! I love this child!

Well we are hoping for a better night tonight!! Gusley, tomorrow you will be 21 months old.... I can't believe how loving and genuine you are these days!! I love you and the sweet little boy that you have become!!

Well Baby Visit - 18 month check at 19 months!

09.23.09 ~ Gusley had to go for his 18 month well baby visit. I was off that day so he and I took a much needed nap together. Not thinking I would need to set the alarm clock, I should have. I woke up at 12:18pm and our appointment was for 1pm (20 minutes away)...ooops! I hurried and got myself together and paced for a bit hoping he would wake up on his own....not happening. I woke him up, dressed him and gave him a cereal bar to snack on in the car. He was in a great mood, thankfully! We made it to the doctor for 1:10pm and we were called back in no time. This was the first time that Gus got to step on the big boy scale and he was so proud.....30 pounds even! Then it was on the the room. The nurse asked that I lay him down on the table/bed to measure his height....he HATES this and when I say hate, I really mean it. He screams and turns red and gags and all that jazz. It is great times, really great times! She marked his head and then he began to squirm and kick, then she marked where she thought his feet were. Bless her heart. We love her so much and she always knows this is coming and she always jokes and asks if Gus has worked out before coming in to the doctors office because she can't get over how strong he is! So I digressed, but back to height measurement....she tells me 37 inches tall.......I thought, WOW, taller than a yard stick at 19 months old?? He really is a BIG BOY!! Not too long after this the doctor comes in and goes over the growth charts with me and says that Gus is in the 89th percentile for weight and 100th for height. WOW! When I got home and Jake and I were talking about his height we got out the yard stick and he is not taller than the yard stick, close, but not quite. I am thinking with all his squirming that the measurement was a little off and he is about 35-351/2 inches tall, still tall and probably in the 98th-99th percentile.

Gus really likes the doctor and he 'talked' to him and played games with him, overall a good visit. We do have to go see a pediatric eye doctor because we have noticed Gusley squinting every now and then. It is not all the time or when he looks at certain things, so the doctor said to be safe he would refer us to a specialist. I am thinking all is well, but would like a professional opinion. This time Gus needed one vaccination and the flu shot. Again, the shots did not bother him, it was having to lay down on the table that got him. After October we will be done with shots, for a while unless he gets the H1N1 vaccine. I am still not sure about that one. Need to see a little more research.

Of course, after the doctor we went to Steak-n-Shake for a milkshake and we lucked out since it was 'happy hour'.....so our little bellies were happy, happy with that tasty treat!!

Well Baby Visit - 15 months at 16 months

Wednesday the 24th, Jake and I took Gus for his 15 month well baby visit (although he made 16 months on the 14th of June!). He was a little out of sorts and had not taken his usual morning nap, but did manage to fall asleep on our way to the doctor. He stayed asleep until they put him in the seat to weigh him, then it was time to lay him down for his height measurement....not good, not good at all. We managed to keep him happy with Cheerios, Fruit Loops, Water and 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, but it was no easy task. The doctor came in and said he weighs 27.8 pounds which puts him in the 80th percentile; he is 34 inches tall which puts him in the 97th percentile and he is in the 94th percentile for his head circumference! All good news to us! He said everything looks good and that he is doing just fine for me to stop worrying that he only has 8 teeth, and that as long as he is not eating chicken nuggets and chocolate milk his eating habits should be fine. (I asked him what is considered "normal" eating habits at this age b/c some days he eats way better than others and his response was no chicken nuggets and chocolate milk everyday!) Gus has had nuggets, but no chocolate milk. He asked if I was still nursing and I told him YES! He seemed to be pleased with that and said to keep it up, so that put a few more worries to rest. Then it was time for his shots. Thank goodness Jake was with us the last time and again this time, because this is sooooooo hard for me. The more Gus cries the more I have to hold back my tears. He was so upset this time that he was having to catch his breath and would have those long inhales and then a shaky exhale, pitiful, that is all I can say.

This was also a big day for Jake and I as we finally got a Tennessee Tag for the Element! We have been here almost 2 years and have not changed our plate, but we are official TN residents now. Jake did not want me to post about this, but it was too cute Gus helping his change out the plates, how could I not??

Later in the day we had supper then headed down to Franklin for an evening play date with Endi. It is just too hot during the day to take them out to the park so we went for a stroll to the park and saw TONS and TONS of lightening bugs and/or fireflies (whichever you choose to call them!) Endi and Gus had a great time playing and the mommies and daddies had a great time catching up and visiting. This was the first time that Gus actually liked the swing and lasted for more than 2 minutes! We took him out and he pointed and motioned to get back in!! Being that he is so tall so young, we may be riding some rides before long!!!!! I can't wait for that day!!!!

Well that about sums up our Wednesday, oh yeah, one last note, my little cousin Aimee turned 16 on the 24th so we hope she had a great sweet 16. I can't believe she is already 16, makes me feel old, since I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday.

Here are some pictures of our day.....

Daddy and Gusley waiting for Dr. Scott.

Taking the LA license plate off Daddy's hands!

Helping Daddy get the TN one just right!

Weeeeeeeee......

WOW...what a rollercoaster of a week we had....

Well.....just when I thought I would be able to catch up on my blogging, life as I knew it was about to change for a week. I will give the condensed version as I would need a totally separate blog for the entirety!



Saturday, January 10, 2009~Today started out to be a good day...Gusley woke up clapping. We have never really shown him how to clap and he woke up doing it so now the song of the day is "If Your Happy and You Know It"! Then the phone rang at 11:30-11:45am, it was my grandmother, my grandfather has passed away back home in Louisiana. Irvin, your accomplishments and stories will never be forgotten, I think you did a great job of etching those war stories into our brains! You will be sadly missed and I am ever so grateful that you were able to meet my son, Gusley Norman and we will never let him forget the nick name you gave him at a mere 5 weeks old, "No Fuss Gus"!! Mom and dad are out the door and on their way down by 12:20pm. I have to commend Jake for a moment. At this point he took over so that I could get my bearings and deal with the news. Thank you, Jake. You were such a huge help at that time. By 3pm we were pulling out of the driveway going drop Buttercup off at Nanny's Kennel. Thank you, Nanny for allowing Buttercup to stay with you on such short notice. We really appreciate your accommodations for her! 4:18pm it is freezing cold outside, raining and we are on I-65 headed south to Louisiana. The ride down was not bad at all. Since the weather was so dreary, it was darker than usual at that time and in turn Gus slept a little more that other trips. It is now 1:45am and we are pulling in to Gi-Gi and Paw's driveway.......ready for bed! Once we get Gus out of his seat, of course he wakes up and since it is new surroundings he has to check things out! I believe we were finally settled on our air mattress and fast asleep by 3am.



Sunday, January 11, 2009~Happy 1st Birthday Vivian!!!! Today was Vivian's first birthday and her party. Although we were in town for such a sad occasion, we were glad to be able to celebrate Vivian's birthday with the family. On our way to the party we stopped at Maw's to visit and reflect on Irvin (my grandfather) and all his witty remarks, proud moments, war stories and to just reminisce. It felt good....much needed after the car ride down there knowing what we were going for :-(. Vivian's party was so sweet, all princess themed, and she was the bell of the ball!! Gus really enjoyed himself at the party and was able to play with and make a few new friends!! Not to mention, he had his very first taste of Ice Cream and Cake! He loved it!! Lucas got an awesome Jeep from Santa so he took Gus for a wild ride in the neighborhood!! The Jeep is complete with seat belts and a real radio!! Gus really enjoyed the ride and was ready to drive by the time it was all said and done! Maybe next year! After the party we headed over to Gi-Gi and Paw's for Sunday night supper....Jambalaya and green beans...yummy! Another first for Gus...Jambalaya!! Not sure if I mentioned anywhere in this blog, but this week there were a lot of firsts for all of us!! After a long day, we all tucked in a little early....11:00pm! Not our usual bedtime, but we were up visiting and taking pictures and having fun!





Monday, January 12, 2009~Today we slept in a little...8:45am! I woke up with and an awful pain in my upper right abdomen and chest and I could not take a deep breath. I just passed it off as sleeping wrong and/or on an air mattress, but after taking Tylenol and getting no relief, I figured it must be something a little more serious, but I still went on about my day dealing with the pain. Jake was bound and determined to take a spin on the mini bikes so Gi-Gi and Gus came out on the deck and watched us ride around the yard....Gus loved it!! After a few rounds I pulled up and parked in front of Gus and sat him on the bike with me....he immediately grabbed the handlebars and his face lit up like a Christmas tree!! I decided I would take Gus for a spin on the super mini bike, but I would just push it myself with my feet (no throttle)! He LOVED it and so did I....hearing his little squeals of joy!! We took the morning rather easy since I wasn't feeling up to par. Had a nice lunch with Gi-Gi and Paw...Pizza Express...a local favorite of the Cenacs'! Our afternoon was spent visiting, then we headed back to Maw's...by this time the pain was almost unbearable so Mom suggested Jake take me to Urgent Care and they would watch Gus. Off we went, little did we know what kind of night this would turn out to be.



Upon arrival at Urgent Care we were seen rather quickly. The doctor had me lay down on my back and I thought I was going to die, suffocate, hyperventilate, etc...it was horrible. They did a chest x-ray and recommended I go to the ER. **For those of you reading this that live in Houma, if you do not already know this please DO NOT GO TO TERREBONNE GENERAL MEDICAL CENTER EMERGENCY ROOM. I wish I had known that before. I truly believe Chabert would have been better (if you can imagine that). Anyway, after 8+ hours ( 2+ of which I was waiting to be seen), a filthy room, an ultrasound, a CT Scan and several doses of pain medication later, I was diagnosed with pleurisy and we were sent home at 2 am. Of course, they give me a prescription and the only two drugstores open are clean across town, so we head over there to be told that the computers were down and it would be about 10 more minutes..........3am we are home and Gus is still fast asleep. Thank you Sarah for making the trek across town to bring the breast pump, picking up Gus and waiting for the milk and taking him home with you and Gi-Gi. That really meant alot and I could rest knowing he was in good hands. Thank you Gi-Gi and Paw for keeping Gus nice and comfy and snuggly in bed with y'all until he woke! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!


Tuesday, January 13th, 2009~Today was my grandfather's funeral. I woke up feeling a little better, but I still could not hold Gus for long periods of time and my arms were sore because the nurse stuck me 3 times before she was able to get a vein......anyway, we made it to the funeral with about 2o minutes to spare. Gusley was a little exhausted and really wanted me, but Jake did a great job of keeping me out of his sight during the funeral. Thank you, honey. The most touching moment of the day was when we were at the cemetery, the priest was saying his blessings and I was holding Gus, we were right at the casket and Gus just put his little tiny hand on the casket just about the entire time...I lost it at that moment...what a sweet heart. We went to Maw's after and that went well, Gus and I took a small nap together then we were ready to eat! I was finally able to satisfy my Wingstop craving that night! It had been waaaaaay too long and I enjoyed every bit of it!!



Wednesday, January 14th, 2009~Today I was still not feeling much better so I made an appointment with our old family doctor. Jake could not leave town without satisfying his craving of CeAna's down in Dulac. Gi-Gi, Jake, Gus and I headed down the bayou for lunch and it was delicious as always. Gus had his first French Fry over there. He did not know what to do with it at first, but he soon learned that he sure liked the taste!!! Jake and dad had to get back home for work so they left about 2:30pm to head back to Tennessee and mom took me to the doctor. The doctor told me that I had been misdiagnosed and I did NOT have pleurisy, but that I had a sprain/strain in my chest cavity. There are several criteria one must meet to have pleurisy and I did not have any of them. WOW! He gave me a shot and I began to feel better by late afternoon. Gi-Gi kept Gus so that I could go to the doctor and after the doctor mom and I went to Maw's for a visit and we ended up staying over there until about 9:30pm, but we had a nice visit and lots of laughs....something we all needed.


Thursday, January 15th, 2009~Mom, Gus and I all slept in until 10am. We were exhausted to say the least!! We headed over to Maw's for some more visiting, which I am so thankful for, because Gus was just a doll. He developed a deep love for Maw and she was the only person he would give open mouth kisses to all week! We would all ask, but she was the only one! I guess he knows where his bread is buttered!! We had a pleasant afternoon visiting and did not want to leave, but at 4:00pm we drove out of town headed for the hills! Of course, there was just one more stop we had to make.....Cafe du Monde for beignets...Another First for Gus!!!!


Friday, January 16th, 2009~HOME SWEET HOME at 1:14am. I am so thankful that I work from home and Gusley and I were able to just stay in our pajamas all day and unpack at our own pace. Well he stayed in his all day, I had to get out to the grocery store for a few vittles as the cupboard was bare!!


Now that you know what kind of week we had, I'm sure you can see why we are so behind on the blog. That is my goal for the week....CATCH UP!

Earache or not Louisiana here we come!!!

Gus has not been the "No fuss Gus" that he usually is the last few days so we took him in to the doctor today and he weighs 21 pounds even and has an ear infection in his right ear. Doc said should be fine since it is his first one. He and daddy are tucked in as I type this (I am suppose to be packing, but have some cute pictures to post before I can pack). Hopefully he will have a good rest and be on the road to Louisiana and recovery by day break!!!

See y'all soon!! Very soon!

6 month check-up

8.25.08 Today was Gusley's 6 month check-up. He is now 19.8 pounds and 28 inches long! All was good. He is in the 79th percentile for weight and 88th for height! Unfortunately this was a check-up where he got his shots....he cried for the first two and was a little better for the last one. Once I picked him up he was giving baby smiles and attempting to flirt with the nurse between sniffles....too sweet!

This is the first doctor visit Jake was able to come to and we had a really wonderful day....the three of us!

Making sure he is reading the scale properly

Daddy and Gus waiting for Dr. Scott to come in

Once we got home the remnants of Fay started so we were on rainy day schedule. Jake and I were looking forward to a nice family nap, which took us almost 2 hours to get Gus to sleep...he was so delirious from his shots and being off schedule, but when he is down for the count he is down...we all slept from 4:00 pm - 6:45 pm. That is just what the doctor ordered!!