Friday, April 29, 2011

Eye Doctor

Caysen had an eye exam last week.  He has to go every 6 months because it's only a matter of time before he'll need glasses due to near-sightedness.  At our last visit, the dr. was a little concerned about his eyes turning inward, but she felt like it would get better in time.  Well, this time she felt like it was actually worse (especially his right eye), so we have been referred to a pediatric opthamologist a few hours away.

Caysen's regular eye dr. thinks it's very possible he will need surgery, but she said the opthamologist may choose to try a less aggressive approach first, like glasses.  We have an appointment set for May 15th, so we'll find out then if he's going to need surgery, glasses, or another treatment.  We're really hoping that it can be corrected without surgery, but of course, whatever is best for Caysen is what we will do.

If you think about it, please say a little prayer that we'll get good news when we go for our consultation.  It would be very much appreciated.  Thanks!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Adopting a Boy

Easter

 Here are a few pictures from our first Easter with Caysen:
Poor guy was so tired. 
Not so springy weather. 
First Easter Basket...yep, I kept it healthy ;)

The quality isn't great because I left my camera in the car and it was raining/snowing/sleeting outside so I just used my phone for pictures.  I tried to take pictures earlier in the day with my good camera, but Caysen wasn't feeling it so none of them turned out, oh well ;)

I'm excited to do the activity mentioned in this post when Caysen is a little older to help him understand what Easter is all about.  Such a good idea!!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Splish Splash

 Someone gets pretty excited when he hears the bath water running. :)


Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Twenty.

It's that time again.  Caysen, you are 20 months old, Wow!  Today was one of those days where I was overflowing inside!  I'm thankful for you each and every day; but I guess sometimes I just really think about it a lot and take time to really absorb all of the little things that make our life so sweet.  Here's what you're up to:

You have four teeth (all on the bottom), but you are working really hard on a whole buncha' top teeth.  They're poking out everywhere, just haven't broken through yet.

You have become much more vocal.  You're still pretty quiet natured, but you do love the sound of your voice and all the different noises you can make. :)

You still sleep great, other than a few nights here and there when your teething gets the best of you.  Even then, I can't complain.

You are a total copy cat!  If Dada or Mama say something, you say it right back (or at least give it your best shot).  ;)

We haven't had you measured in a couple of months, but I definitely think you have gotten taller.

You are wearing mostly 9 and 12 month clothes, and only a few 6 month.

You really enjoy your walker!  I think your favorite part about it is that it enables you to reach so many more things, usually things that are off limits. ;)

You usually take 1 nap a day, but sometimes you still need 2.

Your favorite activity is pulling up on anything and everything!

You still LOVE music!  If you aren't in the best mood, I just turn some music on and it cheers you right up. :)

You spend a lot of time up on your hands and knees and have crawled a few times; but only about an inch at a time. ;) You are getting so close!

You are pretty particular about different textures.  For example, you are not a big fan of grass.  We're working on it slowly; I'm sure you'll come around eventually. ;)

You are happy 99% of the time, except during church.  When you were younger and still in Taiwan, Christel Hatcher took a video of you and in one part,you cried at the mention of church...I guess we're still working on that. ;)

What can I say, you are the most perfect and precious, sweetest baby boy ever!  Love you so much!!

A Message From Caysen

Hi Auntie C!  Mama helped me write you a message:


I really liked using a marker for the first time!  Maybe next time Mama will let me use it all by myself. ;)
Hope your day was special!!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Little Foodie

Caysen and I are having a sick day today, so I'll post some pics from earlier this week when we didn't have
red noses and watery eyes. 

Caysen's not into baby food so much anymore, so we've had to get creative since he still has a VERY sensitive gag reflex and can't handle most solids.
He wants whatever we have, so I just stuff it in the mesh feeder and let him go to town!
I had pancakes (gluten free) with peanut butter and strawberries, yum!

He thought it was pretty ok too!!!

Regardless of how tasty it was, he still gave me the "are you done snapping pictures" look.  ;)



Wednesday, April 13, 2011

What I love right now...

...in the kitchen.

Seriously, thank you Justin for inventing your delicious nut butter, particularly the maple almond butter variety!  The 1.5 oz packs are 200 calories of pure deliciousness, and perfect for on the go!!

Plain Greek Yogurt with agave nectar and granola, yum!

These chips are splendid, and gluten free!

Cinnamon Raisin toast, need I say more?

Source
My sugar replacement.  Oh. So. Good.


Source
I heart carbs. :)

If you're noticing a gluten free trend, that's because there is one.  I have an auto-immune "thing", not a big deal, just something I live with.  My regular dr. gave me a pretty drastic option at a recent appointment and I wasn't really into it.  So, I went back to a naturopathic dr. I've seen before and she made me swear off gluten and sugar.  The tricky part, I am constantly trying to gain weight, so I have to get the calories, without the carbs.  I have to say, I've been staying away from gluten and sugar for over a month now and I feel great (and I've even gained a few lbs)!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

A Hairy Situation

 Caysen has a LOT of hair!

A lot of wild and unruly hair.
It's an adventure each morning when I go to get him out of his crib; I never know what to expect.
I feel like it needs to be cut every week, but as you can see, I let it go for a while before we try to get it (somewhat) under control again ;)

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Healthy Kitchen Quick Tip

When I want a snack, I don't want to go to a lot of effort.  Usually I'm busy and want to be able to grab something and go.  

Most quick snacks such as packaged crackers or potato chips are packed full of all kinds of garbage ingredients that have no health benefits (and some actually pose a health risk), so I really try to avoid keeping them around.

Buying fruits and vegetables is a good start, but letting them rot in the crisper drawer doesn't do much good.  I hope I'm not the only one that's ever been guilty of this ;)

After a trip to the market, I unload my goods and cut them up right then and there into my own little "fun size" snacks.

I've found that we actually eat our fruits and veggies if they're quick and convenient.  It's not rocket science, but it is a quick and easy thing that can be done to ensure we're making healthy choices.

Friday, April 8, 2011

We had Caysen's PT review this week.  It went really well. :)  He met the goals we set over the last six months and we got to set some new goals for the next six months.  We have also decided to add in speech therapy once a week, so he's going to be a busy boy.

I absolutely love that the therapists come to us.  I can't imagine having to take Caysen to two appointments every.single.week!  Of course, if that was the only option, we would make it work and probably wouldn't think twice about it...but it's so nice that we don't have to.

Caysen's physical therapist is great with him and I'm so happy.  She makes him work and pushes him to do more, but she also gives him a break and doesn't expect him to go and go and go!  My fear was that I would have to watch him cry through every session, but he doesn't seem to mind it at all.  He's such an easy going little guy.  :)

I'm also really excited that his speech therapist has an adopted daughter from China!  I can't wait to get her input on how to introduce a little Chinese!

Caysen is moving forward and progressing every day and I look forward to what the next 6 months will bring...but really, he can stay a baby as long as he wants. ;)

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Now You Know.

Don't you think Caysen needs a brother or sister?  We do!  That's why we are on the list to adopt again.  :)  We aren't expecting a referral for several months so we're not really in "adoption mode", but it's still exciting to be on the list and wonder what our baby will be like; boy or girl, shy or outgoing, sassy or sweet (or a little bit of both)? God picked perfectly with Caysen, so we're just going to let him do the picking again.  Only time will tell...but it's fun to imagine ;) 

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