Quick Update

We went back to the Dr. today to see if Caysen has gained weight over the past month since he's been having trouble keeping his food down. He is up to 14 lbs. 2 oz. which means he only gained 3 oz. in a month and 10 oz. since we got home at the end of August. So, the Dr. has decided we should go ahead with a few different tests.

Over the next two weeks, Caysen will have an MRI, a series of X-Rays of his shunt and line, and a UGI Swallow study. We are hoping and praying that we get some answers soon so Caysen doesn't have to go through any more medical procedures.

Prayers would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!

Everybody Out of the Pool

We took Caysen swimming a few days ago. He loved it! We started out in the baby pool, then floated along the lazy river, and Caysen kicked and splashed the whole time. I would post pictures, but the old point and shoot isn't getting as much attention as the new camera, so we didn't realize the battery was dead until Lance tried to snap the first picture.

We were all having a lot of fun...and then Caysen puked! He does that a lot unfortunately :( The pool wasn't very crowded and we happened to be off in a corner where no one saw it, but I thought I should probably tell a life-guard rather than pretending that it didn't happen.

The life-guard made everyone get out of the pool, so Lance, Caysen and I tried to stay casual acting as if we had no idea what was going on. Then Lance said, "I think this is our cue to leave," and we headed for the showers.

So, if you live in our area, and wondered why you had to get out of the pool for over 30 minutes on Saturday afternoon, now you know. My apologies ;)

Sugar Plum Fairy

Lance's parents took us to see The Nutcracker Ballet a couple of weeks ago.

I would say it was Caysen's first ballet, but he slept through the whole thing so I don't know if it counts.
I think going to a ballet is one of those things the men (and baby boys) do to keep the ladies happy ;)

Caysen's First Snow

Sixteen.

Caysen, you are 16 months old!

-First of all, whatever you are doing, whether it be eating, playing, or snuggling with mama or daddy, you require music. This means that I spend a lot of my day singing. I think I have sung Jingle Bells, Silent Night, and Deck the Halls at least a thousand times each this Christmas season, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

-When Lance and I have both worn our voices out, you'll accept Itunes ;)

-You are really enjoying your Jumperoo lately.

-You want whatever Mama and Daddy are eating. As soon as we start to eat, you smack your little lips together and look up at us like a little baby bird.

-You are surprisingly uninterested in the Christmas tree. You think it's ok to look at, but you are not a fan of the texture of the needles.

-Your current favorite toy is not a toy at all; if we give you a water bottle, you'll be entertained for hours!

-You have started reaching for Daddy. You just love the special time you have together in the morning before he goes to work, and in the evening after he gets home :)

-You have tried shredded cheese, cream cheese, pizza sauce, pasta, and jelly...and you approve of all of them.

-You have tried mashed potatoes and you weren't a fan.

-You are still a GREAT sleeper! Eleven or twelve hours a night and two naps during the day, we can't complain.

-You are completely ok with just being laid down in your crib when it's time to go to sleep, but Mama has been rocking you to sleep which you are ok with too ;)

-You are constantly kicking your little legs; they only stop moving when you are asleep.

-You experienced snow for the first time yesterday, and you thought it was pretty fun :)

Our sweet Caysen, we love you so very much!! What a light you are in our lives! Every day is so so so sweet because we get to share it with you :)

Christmas Elf

We went to my brother and sister-in-law's last weekend for my SIL's baby shower and while we were there, we had a little pre-Christmas. Lance ended up having to work at the last minute, so it was just Caysen and I (and my parents).
Jen and I both got Kindles and we were so excited!!

Oh my, look at this adorable little elf! Could he be any cuter!?!

Baby Steps

I got a new camera a few weeks ago, a Canon Rebel T2i to be exact. It has lots of buttons and dials so to say it intimidated me when I pulled it out of the box would be an understatement. First off, I read the manual because I knew I would get nowhere without it. Then I started taking pictures ;I just shot in auto mode at first, to get a grasp on the basic functionality of the camera (and because I was too scared to try manual mode).

I put the camera down for a few days, not ready to dive into it any more. Then, I read this post and it gave me the courage to begin the journey that will be learning my camera. I realized two things that changed my perspective completely:

1. I should not compare myself to anyone but myself. Hopefully over time, I get better, but I should focus on developing my own personal style and not worry about what someone else is able to do.

2. I won't master photography overnight, but I have to start somewhere. If I just take it one thing at a time, eventually I might just be pretty good.

With my newfound courage and determination, I got the camera back out and decided to tackle my first learning project...blurring backgrounds.

Here are my first manual-mode, blurred background images:

There are probably a million and one things wrong with them, but look how blurry those backgrounds are ;)
I didn't edit these photos so you (and I) can see exactly what I was looking at through the camera lens.
I'm going to keep working on this background blurring business for a little while before I move on to the next step.

I think I'm off to a pretty good start :)