Mom's One Happy Camper...

Mom’s been on cloud nine since last night…In honor of my 8 month birthday, I thought I'd mark the momentous occasion with a new word and I said ‘Mom’ for the first time when she came to pick me up from school. Ms. Martha heard it and said, ‘That’s right, Heston, that’s Mom! Good boy!’ Boy, was Mom shocked and giddy like a school girl. I got TONS of kisses and praise for that! Who knew? Not sure why I waited to say Mom for so long…she IS, after all, the ‘milk lady’, the one that buys and prepares all of my food, shops for me and gets me cool toys and stuff for my room, bathes me, rocks me, reads to me 5 times a day, plays with me, makes up and sings silly jingles for every activity we do together, takes me cool places, and carried me in her tummy for 9 months! But because Dad is crazy and goofy and is good at playing peek-a-boo with me, he gets the biggest smiles from me and the honor of getting the first name out of me. So, much to Mom’s frustration, I said ‘Dad,’ Did-dee, ‘Did-dee boobie,’ and whatnot before even attempting one variation of ‘Mom.’ Sorry lady…but take comfort in the fact that every time you walk in the room when Dad is holding me, I get fussy, pucker my lips together, and make the ‘Maaoo maaoo’ sound because I want milk…that’s flattering, isn’t it?

Morning Bath Time is Fun Time!

It's my favorite time of the day! The day only goes downhill from here...

I look Good!

Dang, I look GOOD! I got this adorable jumper from my Great Grandparents, Great Nana B. and Bobpa. When I wore it to school a few weeks back, my teacher said I actually looked like a baby, not a pre-teen, because of the 'hip' clothes Mom usually dresses me in. Mom's been putting me in cute little numbers lately because I'm growing so quickly and she's not quite ready for me to be out of the infant stage just yet. Face it Mom...I'm crawling, almost standing on my own, and working really hard at walking (even though I have to hold on to furniture, it still counts, right?)...I'm officially a toddler, not an infant...I'm 8 months old in TWO days! Baby's growing up...and fast...

Where Did The Chub Go???

Well folks, I’m BACK and although I’m doing a little better and trying to put my game face back on, I honestly still don’t feel like my normal self…and Mom and Dad aren’t feeling too hot either! I’ve been battling a horrible rattling cough, I haven’t quite gotten my appetite back, I’m still occasionally nauseous and can’t always keep everything down, and I’m dealing with a MAJOR snotty nose…which I’ve said before is not a good look for babies. However, I do have a fun story to share. The other day, I rubbed my nose, which was a horrible snotty mess (ugh), and it smeared all over my face when I did that…but then it happened. I sneezed through my nose and blew a bubble the size of a small orange! It…was…AWESOME!!!! Probably 2 inches in diameter! I had no idea I was capable of such things. Mom stared at me in amazement and said, ‘Um, you got something right there,’ pointing to the area by my nose. ‘Who, me?’ I laughed, but the bubble didn’t pop but merged onto my face and stayed there for a few seconds until Mom ran and got a wipe to clean it off. I did it again later, but Mom’s been using this syringe thing to suck out all of the gunk, so I haven’t been able to do it since, unfortunately…

Mom’s devastated that my lack of appetite has resulted in the disappearance of my precious baby chub…my thighs are half their size! I’m a lightweight!!!! Not good…I’ll need to work extra hard once I’m able to eat again to pack it back on, so Mom has something to ‘nibble on’ when she attacks me with kisses…

I’ve been talking up a storm since I’ve been sick and haven’t made a pterodactyl sound in 2 weeks! I’m still doing baby babbles, but lots of decipherable words tacked on to it, like ‘Wa wa wa dada’ or ‘Ya ya ya did-dee’ or Mom’s favorite ‘Did-dee boobie.’ I’ve even just said ‘Dad.’ Every word I say these days is a variation of Daddy! And without coaching, either. Now when Mom and Dad talk and when I watch them eat, I move my mouth without making noises, like I’m copying their actions. I even have an Auburn football that plays the fight song and since every time it plays and Mom sings along to it, I’ve started moving my mouth too! I’ll learn to sing the fight song soon…and maybe teach my Dad the lyrics, since he seems to have a version all his own...and he claims to be a fan!

Another One Bites The Dust...

Tom's down too! It's been a fun couple of days in our household...throwing up (sorry), fevers, coughing, and misery X 3!!! Yesterday, when Tom was sick, I was doing a little better (to where I could actually stand up), so I could take care of Heston while Tom was ill. Tom wasn't hit quite as hard as I was the first day I got it, so thankfully, he was still able to help out with Heston some when I needed to rest. He was about to go in to work this morning and I told him he needs to resist the temptation because he is still VERY contagious...his coworkers will thank me! We DO NOT want anyone else to get this if we can avoid it.

Poor Heston is still fighting this thing...he threw up again this morning...I thought we were finally past that! The doctor said it just needs to run it's course, so he's not currently on any antibiotics...

A quick thank you to Gram, Gaga, and Grammie for their wonderful and much needed food deliveries that saved our lives!

Heston's Doing Better, Me, Not so Much!

Thanks everyone for the kind words! Heston is doing much better...the swelling went down last night and this morning it was just a little pink in areas. Tom took him to the doctor for piece of mind, and the doctor said he had a stomach virus and thinks the swelling was due to a reaction to Motrin, not pedialyte . So he's on the mend, but still not his normal smiley self, poor thing. I'm hoping after a good night's sleep tonight, he will be back to normal.

Tom has had to take care of Heston all day today, bless him! I woke up in the middle of the night and was ill all night, like Heston was on Friday night...I now know the misery he has been in! Take your vitamin C and wash your hands regularly...this virus has apparently been going around and you don't want to get stuck with it!

A Note From Mom...

Heston continued to get sick off and on today and continued to have a fever...he didn't throw up that much, which was a relief, but also didn't have much of an appetite, so we kept him on fluids for most of the day. Around 3:30, Tom noticed the skin around Heston's ears turning bright red...I assumed it was because he was sleeping on them or had scratched them, but gradually over the course of 2 hours, the redness spread to the area around his eyes and nose, and eventually started to swell... 'swell' is a strong word...maybe getting really 'puffy' describes it better. Anyway, he looked like he was wearing a mask and didn't look much like himself! A little scary! Tom and I have been on the phone back and forth with the emergency medical staff at our clinic, and we were told to monitor his face throughout the night. The nurse originally wrote it off as a minor reaction to medication, but later called us back after speaking with the doctor and said that if it continues to get worse, to take him into Children's Hospital...REALLY SCARY!

For about another hour and a half, we kept a close eye on him and the swelling didn't seem to be getting any worse, so we finally managed to put him down to sleep. The doctors think the swelling could be caused from a few things: hives caused from the virus, a mild allergic reaction to infant Motrin (which he just got the approval for from his doctor a few days back), and potentially an allergic reaction to Pedialyte (maybe the dye?)...the Doctor already said at his last appointment that he appears to have sensitive skin based on a small rash that he has on his chest from drool... and because he's a redhead, his skin may be more sensitive than typical babies. Well, now we know he could have allergies and even a sensitive system and the smallest things could make him ill. I was told I could give him Baby Benadryl for the swelling, but I prefer to not keep pumping him with all of this stuff and not know if it too will cause a negative reaction! Whatever the cause, it's been a worrisome experience and I will have a hard time sleeping tonight, knowing I need to check on him to make sure his face (and mouth, tongue, etc.) hasn't continued to swell. It may seem minor to everyone else, but when it's happening to your precious little bundle, it can be freaky! Please keep Heston in your prayers for a speedy recovery! Thanks!

Day Two: Rough Night and Still Sick

I had a rough day yesterday and last night. Mom and Dad had to hold me ALL day long to comfort me...I was pretty pitiful. I couldn't keep anything down and eventually Mom called my pediatrician's emergency medical number with questions and concerns after it had been almost 24 hours. I was doing better about drinking my Pedialyte throughout the day yesterday, so I was hydrated, but my fever never went down and Mom was worried about the fact that I hadn't been able to keep any food down since that morning. So the doc gave a few pointers and Mom gave them a try. Mom made me a cocktail of one part Pedialyte, one part milk, chilled. Shaken, not stirred, please. Boy, can she can fix a mean mixed drink! It wasn't as heavy as milk sitting in my stomach, so I guzzled it down and Mom noticed a dramatic improvement in my energy level. That was quite tasty...can I have some more?

I still woke up every two hours last night and refused to fall asleep every time. Mom had to rock me until I had drifted off...but once she started putting me in my crib, I would wake up and get really upset! Four rocks and unsuccessful attempts later, Mom had to call in Dad to do the second shift. Mom, Dad, and I are all zombies this morning, but I'm doing a little better and I don't have a fever right now...but still require rocking to sleep at the moment...

Mama Goes Out, I Get Sick!

Last night was the first time my Mom went out with friends for a 'night out on the town' in a year...since she was 5 months pregnant with me! Mom picked me up from school, took me home, fed me, and then once Dad tucked me into bed, she stepped out for a little fun while Dad stayed home for a movie night (Mom was going out to celebrate a friends 30th b-day! Shout out to Stephanie!) Around 11:00 p.m., I woke up and started fussing. And guess what...that cold I mentioned yesterday wasn't just a little cold! Dad went into my room to check on me and I had vomited all over my crib sheets and bumper pad! I've never done that before! Then, he took me down stairs, cleaned me up, and I vomited again...all over the both of us. So we both took a bath together (shhhh...I might have peed in the tub a little), and once we were clean, I vomited all over us again. Mom got the SOS call 45 minutes late because she was at a loud piano bar and didn't hear her phone ringing. When she rushed home, Dad was scrambling to find clean crib sheets. Mom took me downstairs and tried to give me pedialyte to rehydrate me, while Dad changed my sheets. I refused to take it, and then I vomited. So she cleaned me up, fed me milk, which I decided I would take, and then I vomited again all over Mom and Dad's bed and her nice outfit. So Mom gave me another bath. So 5 vomits later, 4 outfits later, 2 sets of sheets and mattress pads later, 3 or 4 baths later, and 2 hours later, I finally went to sleep completely pooped. I slept through the night and woke up not my normal spunky self. I took some milk and was able to hold it down, so encouraged , Mom fed me a little rice cereal. I wasn't that into it, so she did force feed. I was pretty pitiful. We went upstairs to 'rock' and then I took a good nap. Because of all of this, we had to cancel plans with the Abbotts, who were coming in town all the way from Auburn to visit us! (Shout out: Jenny is having a baby girl!!! My future girlfriend!)

So this sick thing isn't very fun...and when I wake up and my Mommy is not there, that makes it even worse! So I've decided Mom can't go out anymore. She had her one night of fun and that's all she's going to get...until I'm 18 and I've gone to college...Sorry Mom, you'll just have to deal...

Finally...Picture Uploaded Of Me With Santa

Mom's New Years resolution of 'not procrastinating' is not working out too well...she just now posted my picture with Santa! Check out: Heston with Santa

Shot? What Shot?

Mmmmm...Cheerios are lip smacking good!

I went to the doctor yesterday after two long days of fussiness and my refusal to take anything more than a 30 minute nap for 2 days straight. Mom had a hunch I had a little cold...a cough and continuous snot was a sure sign...and as it turns out, I also had a small fever (only 99.1). I originally only had to go in for the second half of my flue shot, but Mom thought she'd have them check me out because of the cold just in case. The doc looked me over, weighed me (20.4 lbs!) asked a bunch of questions, my Mom got 'approval' for my cheerio eating since I'm kind of young for that (GREEN LIGHT!) and then the doc gave me this cool flat stick to chew on. Fun! When she found out that I was already crawling, standing, and eating cheerios like a pro, she said I fall under the 'movers and shakers' category. Uh huh...She knows what's up...

Then a cute brunette nurse came in to give me my shot...I didn't want to look like a big baby, so I just kept chewing my new stick doc gave me and I didn't flinch at all. No tears! In fact, I didn't even acknowledge it! What shot? My meaty hamhocks are like thighs of steel...do not be deceived by the excess chub. I think the pretty girl took notice...

****BREAKING NEWS****

I finally said my first word! I had just eaten a delicious lunch and had successfully gotten half of my food all over me, when mom took me to the changing station for a quick clean up. She wiped my face, hands, hair, and then stripped me down to change my clothes. While doing this, she was singing the 'Naked Boy' song...one of my personal favorites, since getting naked is a favorite pastime of mine. Right after she finished saying 'boy', I repeated the word! We had been working on all types of words yesterday...mama and dada, dog, bird & frog (two stuffed animals in my room) and I started forming 'fra' with my mouth last night, so Mom was certain I was almost about to say frog. But then unexpectedly today, I said boy instead! Who knew?? A word we hadn't worked on! I like to be unpredictable...it's more my style...

Mom tried to get me to repeat the word, and I sorta did, along with a bunch of other baby gibberish, so it wasn't as clear as the first time...Maybe later we will try again and get it on video...

Right before lunch, we had just read my book 'Alphabet Animals' that I got for Christmas from Gram and Bobpy...paying attention paid off this time...I usually just want to eat the book...

Cake Walk....

Picture borrowed from Grammie's website Gracie and Co.

Major developments in the Cheerio department...I can feed myself! This time, it's not fist fulls of Cheerios, but individually selected Cheerios one at a time with my pointer finger and thumb. Mastering this skill was a cake walk...What else you got???

Sneak Peak of Photo Shoot!

Check out this sneak peak of my baby photos! We had such a fun time yesterday taking them! We have to do a reshoot because of the downcast day from the rain on Saturday, but our photographer has some AWESOME ideas for the next one. THANK YOU Aunt Alison and Uncle Chris for setting this up! http://www.shootstarphoto.com/blog

Photo Shoot Complete

We had my photo shoot today and it went well, considering the dreary weather and lack of natural light. There was also the 'great calamity' that happened the night before that threatened the feasibility of the photo shoot. The basement renovation for my future playroom took a turn for the worst, when tiles that were not level had to be broken up and the thin set had to be sanded down by Mr. Fix It. On the eve of my photo shoot, sanded thin-set went airborne and coated the entire house with a layer of white dust like it had snowed. It was EVERYWHERE and Mom was FREAKING OUT...it took her the entire night and the entire morning to clean it up...she had to mop the floor 4 times to get white grime off of a black floor...and she still didn't get it up all the way. Fortunately, it didn't mess up my pictures...

I put 'cute' in full gear and I worked it and I think the pictures will speak for themselves. I'm especially excited to see the Christening bonnet photos... goo-goo-ga-ga ...I epitomized 'baby' in that outfit! I even sucked on my pointer finger a few times for the ultimate effect...I thought I'd change things up a bit, since thumb sucking is so overdone. After a hard days work of looking precious, I was pooped!

Baby Photo Shoot

Weather permitting, I have a photo shoot tomorrow that my Aunt Alison and Uncle Chris set up for me and my parents as a baby gift. I plan to work the camera! My mom bought me some pretty smooth clothes at a few baby boutiques in town and I'll be better dressed than Mom and Dad combined! Dad was apologizing to me earlier for the outfits that I'll have to wear because he thinks they are too cutsie, but I'm totally cool with it. Throw on that crisp white christening outfit with a bonnet, dress me up to the hilt in a charcoal velvet jumper and white collar with knee high socks and lace up booties. I'm going to OWN cute tomorrow, so that I can be a complete baby supa-star. Maybe Mom will even submit the photos to Alabama Baby magazine or something...maybe I should aim high and go for Cutest Babies of 2009 list in people magazine? When you're born with a gift, you gotta utilize! The red hair gives me an edge to set me apart from the baby masses...just wait...

...watch out Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and Kingston Rossdale...You think you dress pretty well, Suri Cruise? You haven't seen cute yet...

Impressive Me

I went to 'school' today for the first time in two weeks...I hadn't seen Ms. Ruthia or any of my girlfriends in quite a while and was especially eager to show off my new mad skills! Dad told Ms. Ruthia that she would be very impressed with my many developments I made over the holidays...she said she was thinking, 'yeah sure, as if I've never heard that before!' But she really was and I heard her going on and on when Mom came in to get me today! She was amazed at how quickly I learned to sit, crawl, and stand...all since the Christmas party! She told my mom that most beginner crawlers stay in one area, but not me... I was all over the place and I even went over to the nap time area and was 'talking' to one of my buddies while he was hanging out in his crib. 'Look at me, I'm out here...look at you, you're stuck in that thing!' Ha ha ha...

Despite all of the rapid physical development I've made (Can you say future NFL draft?!), still no first words to speak of (no pun intended). My girlfriend Blakely has already said 'Da da' and she's two months younger than me! I've continued to just make babbles and squeals and my dinosaur noises (loud screeching and grating noises). My Papa on my Dad's side says I sound like a Velociraptor and my Gram on my Mom's side says I sound like a pterodactyl...I guess that trip to see the dinosaur exhibit at the McWayne Center with my Grammie had a bigger impact on me than everyone thought! After school today, I've been babbling a lot and forming sounds that could potentially be words, so Mom and Dad eagerly await the first word to get here!

Another new thing that my Mom started doing with me is giving me Cheerios as a snack. Since I have 7 teeth, she figured I could handle it, and boy can I! I'm still trying to get the hand control thing down so I can pick them up with my thumb and pointer finger...I've been trying to shove my whole fist full of cheerios into my mouth instead of one at a time, but I'll figure it out soon enough. It keeps me occupied for a long time as I play and munch on the Cheerios. Mom was desperate for me to keep busy in one place yesterday after a loooong day without help when Dad was out of town. After I had been screaming and fussing for almost an hour, she put me into my high chair and I went to TOWN on the Cheerios...which kept me entertained for at least 45 minutes in silence...except for the munching, that is. Well played, Mom... well played. Mom also tried this little trick with peas on my plate and although I was intrigued, it wasn't as much of a success as the crunchy Cheerios. I like the feel of crushing the little things between my gnashing teeth (like a dinosaur!). So I got more Cheerios tonight when Mom and Dad went to dinner with my 'Aunt' Jenny (Who has a pea in the pod and my future playmate!). This was the first peaceful dinner out at a restaurant, with me in attendance, that they've had since I was born! They looked like they were enjoying themselves as much as I was with my new snacky snack.

Our Little Plan Worked!

Dear Dad,
I know you've been wondering if our little plan worked, and I thought you'd be happy to hear that it did! When you went out of town on business yesterday, I hadn't 'done the deed' in 3 days or so, as you well know. Well...let me tell you, from the time I woke up this morning to the time Mom dressed me for bed, I've been going NON STOP throughout the day...and all for Mommy to deal with, exactly as planned. Mom said that if she got a dollar for every time I pooped today, she'd be a very wealthy woman! So now that you'll be picking up some of the diaper duty tomorrow after you return, I imagine you can look forward to a little break in the dirty diaper department for a little while! Have a safe flight and we'll see you soon! Love, Heston

My Christmas and New Year's Album!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Standing Up and Chewing on Stuff

Now that I am a pro at standing, with a little help from hanging on the furniture of course, I do it every chance I can get. I especially love to grab onto the cording along the edge of my Mom and Dad's new leather couches for balance, which, might I add, is also the perfect height for chewing on! My mouth aligns with the edge of the couch when I stand up and the leather beats all of my other chewy toys for teething! Mom and Dad should have known better than to drop a wad of cash on furniture when you are about to have a toddler on the loose! I plan to leave teeth marks along all of the edges...

The parents finally bought a nice new rug for my benefit (Mom's very excited)...the other one shed like crazy and every time I played or rolled around on it, I got covered in tumbleweeds of wool! (Design tip from Mom: never buy hand tufted wool rugs, unless you LOVE to vacuum!). The new one is much better...it's vintage with a little bit of the 'worn' look going on, so I think the more I spit up on it, the better it will look. AND one of the shades of orange matches my hair! Mom says you should always incorporate colors in your house that you look good in...I always look good in everything, so for me, that doesn't really apply...but good to know, as I'm sure there will be many more photos of me on the rug in pictures to come.

If I didn't say so before, I CLEANED UP at Christmas...I got tons of loot to keep me well dressed, well read, and entertained over the next few months. I'm chewing on my new Yo Gaba Gaba stuffed animal I got for Christmas from Santa and also playing with my learning laptop from Mom in the pictures...she got it so I could be like my Dad and Mom when they are on their laptops, but I've decided I don't want to be a complete computer nerd like both of them. Every time they open it up for me to play with, I shut it. I've got better things to do, people!

Christmas and New Year's albums coming soon!

Standing Up In My Crib

Last night, I was pitching a fit because my Mom and Dad would not come get me in the middle of the night...If you think you've read this before, you HAVE...because it is a reoccuring battle between us! I usually sleep through the night these days, but sometimes I wake up and Mom's a softy and can't bear to hear me cry for too long...she's always worried that I'm in discomfort because of my teething, or I may have a fever because I felt warm earlier, or I might have a wet diaper, or a poopy diaper, or whatever potential misery I could be in. But typically, I just want my midnight snack...and won't let up until I get it! So she usually sends Dad up to get me (Dad says she needs to get tough or I'll be waking them up for the rest of their lives) and then she gives me milk and I'm happy for a few more hours. But she let me cry it out for an hour last night...I'd doze off and then wake up with a vengeance and then doze off again and wake up furiously. After what Mom thought was the final time I'd gone to sleep, she tip-toed upstairs so she could cover me with a blanket so I wouldn't get cold. Mistake, lady. I heard her coming and so I started screaming again! When she never came in to get me, you'll never guess what I did...I gathered up all of the strength I could and grabbed onto the rungs of the crib and lifted myself up. I was STANDING!!! Mom saw me in the monitor wailing and rocking back and forth on my feet. GIVE...ME...MY...MILK!!!!! Then I didn't know how to get down, so I let go and crashed sideways into my mattress like a humpback whale crashing into the ocean. That was fun...so I tried it again. Finally, Mom sent Dad in to get me...CHUMP...and he brought me downstairs to Mom who gave me milk. Then I was happy and I went to sleep for the rest of the night...I was so tired because I wore myself out! But it's a good thing Mom and Dad moved the crib down to the second level yesterday...I went from sitting to standing in one day! That's one New Year's resolution scratched off the list...

Hello, 2009!!!

2008 was a good year and I can't help but reminisce on the many wonderful experiences I've had. I spent the first half of the year in utero...Mom fed me well and I was reluctant to leave a good thing, but I admit things only got better once I made my grand entrance into the world. I became the first grandchild and the first great grandchild for both of my parents families...So I brought a whole new meaning to the word SPOILED!!! So things started out great and only continued to get better...I guess from being so darn cute and getting a lot of attention for it. Maybe it's the red hair...maybe it's my adorable smile...or my irresistible chubby cheeks (both pairs)...or my big baby blues...or my impressive chompers...or my suave demeanor...or my muscle? I could go on and on, but I don't have the energy after my wild night of New Year's Eve partying at Grandma and Grandpa's...so to sum it up, 2008 was a good year for me and a good year for my family because they got ME. ME being the operative word! So I expect great things from 2009...

I had a few major achievements of note before the New Year rang in...First, I got another tooth...that makes 7 teeth in 7 months. Then, I mastered the art of sitting to where I'm no longer wobbly...I can even go from rolling around to propping myself up on my arm to the sitting position without any help. Then on the 23rd of December, I started crawling! It was small hesitant crawls at first, but now I almost have it down. I can't do it too quickly, and after about 8 steady crawls, I usually wear out, but Mom and Dad are already preparing the household for the destruction that is about to ensue. I've also started grabbing onto things to lift myself up onto my knees...my Dad found me doing this in my crib...I even reached up and ripped the cord to my baby cam off the wall! I know, right?! Impressive! Sometimes I don't know my own strength. Mom freaked out about that one. My parents had to drop the crib down to the 'stage two' level, so I can't throw myself over the crib edge. They had to do the same thing with the pack-n-play. All my baby stuff...the rain forest floor mat, the 'miracle chair' bouncy seat, the crib mobile, and one or two other things got packed up today because I'm too advanced for them. AND...I'm wearing a size 3 diaper...although I've been wearing that for probably 2 months, I just thought I'd mention it.

So World, watch out in 2009!