****swoon****
I love this little boy.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
So precious...
Today during our morning cuddle, Jackson offered to share his bottle with me. I thanked him for being so generous. Then later this afternoon, as Jackson was playing on his music table, he would lean over to give me the sweetest hug, go back to playing and then hug me again.
****swoon****
I love this little boy.
****swoon****
I love this little boy.
Monday, October 26, 2009
He's on the move!
I took this video on Friday. He's been moving around for weeks now, but this was his first time really crawling on his knees. He's not very fast yet, but since Friday he has been ALL over the place. So much fun!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thank you, Dr. Ponseti
During our visit to Greeley this week for Jackson's foot checkup, we learned of the passing of Dr. Ponseti, the creator of the leading clubfoot treatment and a mentor to our doctor here in Colorado. He was 95 years old and still worked to help children with clubfoot.
When we were first told that Jackson had clubfoot, I was twenty weeks pregnant and was not prepared to hear anything like that. I left the ultrasound appointment with pictures of my beautiful baby, and big fat tears running down my cheeks.
Thank goodness for the internet. Not knowing anything about clubfoot, I turned to my computer and spent hours doing research. As I learned of Dr. Ponseti's method, I was drawn to it because of one main factor - it was non-surgical. If my child could be fixed without going under the knife, that is what I wanted. For years, it was common practice to treat clubfoot with surgery, which then often required numerous follow-up surgeries resulting in chronic pain in some patients. While treatments have changed, I found that while many use Dr. Ponseti's concepts, not every doctor follows the complete course of treatment Dr. Ponseti created. We were fortunate to find the only doctor in Colorado who has trained under Dr. Ponseti and is certified in Ponseti's treatment method. Fortunately Josh was already familiar with Dr. Hatch through work.
Jackson started his cast treatment with Dr. Hatch when he was 4 days old. The first few months were certainly trying. The first cast removal took 1 1/2 hours, but by the end we were down to 10 minutes (the secret - pruning shears).
Fortunately, Jackson only required minor "surgery" on one foot. A tenotomy is when the Achille's tendon is cut, then braced in a cast to heal. The foot is stretched in the cast to allow for greater movement of the foot/ankle. This procedure took 5 minutes in the doctor's office with only a local anesthetic. Jackson was his normal, happy self within minutes.
Now, at 7 months old Jackson no longer needs casting. He wears a brace and boots during his naps and at night (down from 23 hours a day the first few months).
The few times he's fallen asleep for a nap without his brace, he slept terribly. It has become a part of his routine, and it is his normal. He'll wear his brace for a few more years, and though it may seem inconvenient of tedious, I would much have him in shoes while he sleeps than have scars and scar tissue from repeated surgeries. He still has a long way to go, since regression can happen. You never know if he may need surgery down the road, but I'm glad he was given this chance from the beginning.
So, I want to thank Dr. Ponseti for his work. Though I never met him, he has made a great impact on our family. He has helped my son go from this...
to this...
in such a short amount of time and through it all, Jackson was able to be himself - the happiest little boy I've ever seen.
When we were first told that Jackson had clubfoot, I was twenty weeks pregnant and was not prepared to hear anything like that. I left the ultrasound appointment with pictures of my beautiful baby, and big fat tears running down my cheeks.
Thank goodness for the internet. Not knowing anything about clubfoot, I turned to my computer and spent hours doing research. As I learned of Dr. Ponseti's method, I was drawn to it because of one main factor - it was non-surgical. If my child could be fixed without going under the knife, that is what I wanted. For years, it was common practice to treat clubfoot with surgery, which then often required numerous follow-up surgeries resulting in chronic pain in some patients. While treatments have changed, I found that while many use Dr. Ponseti's concepts, not every doctor follows the complete course of treatment Dr. Ponseti created. We were fortunate to find the only doctor in Colorado who has trained under Dr. Ponseti and is certified in Ponseti's treatment method. Fortunately Josh was already familiar with Dr. Hatch through work.
Jackson started his cast treatment with Dr. Hatch when he was 4 days old. The first few months were certainly trying. The first cast removal took 1 1/2 hours, but by the end we were down to 10 minutes (the secret - pruning shears).
Fortunately, Jackson only required minor "surgery" on one foot. A tenotomy is when the Achille's tendon is cut, then braced in a cast to heal. The foot is stretched in the cast to allow for greater movement of the foot/ankle. This procedure took 5 minutes in the doctor's office with only a local anesthetic. Jackson was his normal, happy self within minutes.
Now, at 7 months old Jackson no longer needs casting. He wears a brace and boots during his naps and at night (down from 23 hours a day the first few months).
The few times he's fallen asleep for a nap without his brace, he slept terribly. It has become a part of his routine, and it is his normal. He'll wear his brace for a few more years, and though it may seem inconvenient of tedious, I would much have him in shoes while he sleeps than have scars and scar tissue from repeated surgeries. He still has a long way to go, since regression can happen. You never know if he may need surgery down the road, but I'm glad he was given this chance from the beginning.So, I want to thank Dr. Ponseti for his work. Though I never met him, he has made a great impact on our family. He has helped my son go from this...
to this...
in such a short amount of time and through it all, Jackson was able to be himself - the happiest little boy I've ever seen.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Weekend Fun
Favorite new toy...
My little Guitar Hero...
After weeks of practice and working on his pincher grasp, Jackson has started feeding himself! As you can see, the puffs can get sticky (stuck on his chin in the 2nd pic), so we've also had him try soft diced pears, carrots and cheese.
Go Eagles!!
My little Guitar Hero...
After weeks of practice and working on his pincher grasp, Jackson has started feeding himself! As you can see, the puffs can get sticky (stuck on his chin in the 2nd pic), so we've also had him try soft diced pears, carrots and cheese.
Go Eagles!!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Baby Sign Language
Yesterday, Jackson and I went out to breakfast with some other moms and babies in my mom's group. At breakfast, we started talking about sign language for babies. I'll admit, for a long time I've been a skeptic about it and never thought I would try it with Jackson. One mom taught it to her daughter, and while we were there the 10 month old little girl signed "more" when she wanted more cereal, and when here mom pointed to the light on the ceiling, the little girl signed "light" and at the same time said "li, li."
I have to say that I was totally impressed. This all happened at the same time I was trying to feed Jackson, who was all over the place. I'm sure he was just distracted by the activity in the restaurant, but it made me think about how we communicate.
Right now, I try to determine what he wants by his actions, which can be very difficult to understand. Especially when it comes to eating. I'm not sure how much solid foods he really wants to eat, and if he finishes of the whole bowl, should I give him more? What if he is thirsty? He gets distracted easily, so sometimes I don't know if he is really finished with his meal, or just taking his time. Considering he won't be talking for a while still, this may become more and more frustrating for both of us.
Maybe sign language could be the answer us!
An internet search showed me many articles claiming that research done by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that children who are able to sign have more developed verbal skills than those that do not sign. Unfortunately, I did not have access to the actual journal article to see the research for myself. So that afternoon, I headed over to the library to get some more information. I was able to find Baby Signing for Dummies, which probably wouldn't have been my first choice, but it would do. The author's children were familiar with hundred's of signs. I don't think I will go that far, but I think the tear out cheat sheet that was included will be helpful.
Jackson is at the perfect age to start signing, which is around 6-8 months, though they say you can start at any time. He may not respond for a while, or he may catch on quickly. It is recommended that we try only 3-5 signs at the beginning. The signs that I would like to teach him are: Eat, drink, milk, more and finished. If those are the only signs he learns, I will be happy. This morning I tried to sign "eat" and "more." It seemed he was paying attention, so we'll see what happens!
I have to say that I was totally impressed. This all happened at the same time I was trying to feed Jackson, who was all over the place. I'm sure he was just distracted by the activity in the restaurant, but it made me think about how we communicate.
Right now, I try to determine what he wants by his actions, which can be very difficult to understand. Especially when it comes to eating. I'm not sure how much solid foods he really wants to eat, and if he finishes of the whole bowl, should I give him more? What if he is thirsty? He gets distracted easily, so sometimes I don't know if he is really finished with his meal, or just taking his time. Considering he won't be talking for a while still, this may become more and more frustrating for both of us.
Maybe sign language could be the answer us!
An internet search showed me many articles claiming that research done by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that children who are able to sign have more developed verbal skills than those that do not sign. Unfortunately, I did not have access to the actual journal article to see the research for myself. So that afternoon, I headed over to the library to get some more information. I was able to find Baby Signing for Dummies, which probably wouldn't have been my first choice, but it would do. The author's children were familiar with hundred's of signs. I don't think I will go that far, but I think the tear out cheat sheet that was included will be helpful.
Jackson is at the perfect age to start signing, which is around 6-8 months, though they say you can start at any time. He may not respond for a while, or he may catch on quickly. It is recommended that we try only 3-5 signs at the beginning. The signs that I would like to teach him are: Eat, drink, milk, more and finished. If those are the only signs he learns, I will be happy. This morning I tried to sign "eat" and "more." It seemed he was paying attention, so we'll see what happens!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Raising a Foodie, Part 1
Most people know that I am a foodie. I went to culinary school a few years ago because I love to cook. Okay, lets be honest. I went to school more because I love to eat. And boy, did I eat.
Since having Jackson, I've thought a lot about food, and how I want to teach him about it. I was really hoping to breastfeed, partly because I knew he would be getting a taste of different flavors from the food I ate. That didn't work out too well for me, so once we got the go-ahead from the pediatrician to start solids, I have been all over introducing new foods to Jackson.
It was a slow start.
But I was patient and waited until he was ready. I started with Top 100 Baby Purees for recipes and ideas. Here is how I made my first purees:
Peel and chop vegetable and just barely cover with water. Steam covered until soft.
Strain the vegetables and reserve the cooking water.
Puree in a blender (I use the Magic Bullet) with enough of the reserved cooking water to get your desired consistency.
Fill ice cube tray with puree and freeze.
Once frozen, pop out the cubes and store in a freezer bag.
So simple! I've done this for countless veggies and fruits. For winter squash and sweet potatoes, however, I bake them in the oven instead of steaming. When he is ready to eat, I just defrost the cubes in the microwave, stirring often until they are at or above room temp.
After Jackson had his first tastes, I would mix different cubes together like sweet potato and apple or acorn squash and peas. I've also added simple spices to the cubes, like cinnamon with his pears or basil with zucchini.
So far, I have only purchased 2 jars of baby food, just for comparison. The carrots are still in the cupboard, and Jackson didn't seem to like the jarred apples.
I started Jackson on solids consistently at around 5 months. I did this after discussing everything with our pediatrician, and knowing that there are no food allergies on either side of our family. I still waited 3-4 days between each new food just in case. So far, Jackson hasn't had any issues and I now introduce new foods every 2-3 days. To help keep track, I posted a food list sorted by age on my fridge, and I mark off when he has tried a new food or spice.
Next up: Chunkier purees and introducing proteins...
Since having Jackson, I've thought a lot about food, and how I want to teach him about it. I was really hoping to breastfeed, partly because I knew he would be getting a taste of different flavors from the food I ate. That didn't work out too well for me, so once we got the go-ahead from the pediatrician to start solids, I have been all over introducing new foods to Jackson.
It was a slow start.
But I was patient and waited until he was ready. I started with Top 100 Baby Purees for recipes and ideas. Here is how I made my first purees:
Peel and chop vegetable and just barely cover with water. Steam covered until soft.
Strain the vegetables and reserve the cooking water.
Puree in a blender (I use the Magic Bullet) with enough of the reserved cooking water to get your desired consistency.
Fill ice cube tray with puree and freeze.
Once frozen, pop out the cubes and store in a freezer bag.
So simple! I've done this for countless veggies and fruits. For winter squash and sweet potatoes, however, I bake them in the oven instead of steaming. When he is ready to eat, I just defrost the cubes in the microwave, stirring often until they are at or above room temp.
After Jackson had his first tastes, I would mix different cubes together like sweet potato and apple or acorn squash and peas. I've also added simple spices to the cubes, like cinnamon with his pears or basil with zucchini.
So far, I have only purchased 2 jars of baby food, just for comparison. The carrots are still in the cupboard, and Jackson didn't seem to like the jarred apples.
I started Jackson on solids consistently at around 5 months. I did this after discussing everything with our pediatrician, and knowing that there are no food allergies on either side of our family. I still waited 3-4 days between each new food just in case. So far, Jackson hasn't had any issues and I now introduce new foods every 2-3 days. To help keep track, I posted a food list sorted by age on my fridge, and I mark off when he has tried a new food or spice.
Next up: Chunkier purees and introducing proteins...
7 months old!
Jackson turned 7 months old yesterday! The weather was horrible, so we had to our photo shoot inside with no natural light. I managed to get a few good pics. He also had his first taste of chicken yesterday, which I think he liked. I definitely had fun making it! I'll post later about how I make Jackson's food. Enjoy the pics!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Ah, I love fall...
Last weekend we took a family trip to the Pumpkin Patch. We were there on the last day of the festival, and the selection of pumpkins was pretty slim. I managed to pull a few together for some photos. Jackson was adorable that day, and I was very happy he was getting over his cold. We ran into some friends who happily took some nice family shots for us.
It was a great festival with horse drawn carriages, scarecrow stuffing, blacksmith demonstrations and much more. We just went for the photo op, but I was thrilled when, on the way out, we saw apple cider donuts for sale. So thrilled, I ate two.
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