sleep, starbucks, and skinny jeans

I have been so tired this week. Chris was out of town most of last week and when he got back on Friday, we all came down with a stomach bug. Yucky. Not how we wanted to spend the weekend.

Last Thursday was preschool registration and Coy got a spot! Registration began at 9am, and I got there about 10 minutes after 8. I was #11. I'm excited and relieved that he's enrolled in preschool for next year, but I know I'll be a wreck the first few days we drop him off.

On a different note, our princess has gone from a great napper/ sleeper...to a very bad one. I have no idea what has changed. My guess would be the teething thing, but I have no idea. I really feel that I'll never sleep a good solid 10 hours (yes, I need 10 hours) ever, ever again. Obviously, I wouldn't trade it for the world, but geez, I'm tired.

And to make it worse...I gave up my precious Starbucks for Lent. Maybe that's why I've been so tired this week ;). Chris calls it "Fivebucks" and gets on me because I drink it too much. I knew that during Lent I had to quit it. And isn't it sad that I've had serious doubts that I could go without coffee for 6 weeks? Don't answer that; I already know the answer.

Finally, I can't get enough of Cydney in this outfit...her first (and probably only) pair of hot pink skinny jeans.

with Aunt Sara...taken with my phone...
her eyes look green here...i have no idea why...

Does it get any cuter than that?

Hello, hello...

...did someone call Cydney?



...obviously, Coy thinks so!

seven months

Februray 17th marked 7 months since birth for Miss Cydney Marie. I can't believe it. She was just born yesterday. I literally want to freeze time some days. She can't get too big too fast...it'll crush me. She's my little baby doll and I want to keep her that way.

Baby girl,

We love you so. You are the completion to our family and a dream come true. You bring delight to our hearts and brighten our days. You were hoped and prayed for by so many. We are so blessed to have you.

At 7 months, you weigh 17lbs6oz and are growing everyday. You LOVE to eat your veggies, fruits, and cereal. You think your brother is hilarious and giggle so loud at him. You are sitting up and you still love to jump and rock. When on your belly, you can pivot in different directions and turn yourself around. You have two teeth and put absolutely everything in your mouth. You always fall asleep in the car, but you don't like going into your car seat. You love to be held by your daddy. You love to talk to him. You also have an attachment to your momma. If mommy leaves your point of view, big tears start rolling down those cheeks quickly. You sleep in your own bed and have been for awhile.

We love you more than words can say. You are our baby sister, our baby doll, baby girl, chicken nugget, and little diva.

We're forever yours,

Daddy, Mommy, and Brother

randomness

I actually went to sleep prior to midnight last night, and oddly enough woke up at 6am today. I know in a few hours I'm going to be kicking myself for not going back to sleep, but I kinda like this quiet time in the morning before both kiddos make me their short-order chef among other things. ;)

(Yes, Coy likes the smaller seat...go figure.)

I am so ready for the springtime to come. The weather is driving me crazy. Cold, rainy, yuck. I was just hoping for a tiny bit of snow if it was going to be so cold. Trust me, I wasn't asking for a blizzard...just a little bit of white stuff. Coy was wheezing pretty bad last Thursday night (worse than I've ever heard) which scared me. I brought him in Friday to the Pedi and she said it was 'weather related'. After a few nebulizer treatments, he's doing better. If only we could skip to mid-May...

Yesterday (Sunday) we finally had a beautiful day. We once again ventured out into the 'country'. Or otherwise known as the nature-trail that is in our (soon-to-be) neighborhood.



Chris loves the outdoors, he's a total wilderness man. I have a feeling that Coy is going to take after his daddy.

Preschool registration is this Thursday. I am feeling good about the school we've chosen. Will y'all pray that Coy gets a spot in the class? We are the last group to register since we are not members of this church nor was he in the program last year. If he doesn't get into the class at registration, then he will be put on a waiting list.




I told you this was random....kids are both doing their pre-wake up stirring so I better hit publish post. Hope you have a wonderful day!

hello, beautiful blue eyes

a big thank you...

...to all of you that have continued to follow our story and offered your love, encouragement, and advice. I deeply, sincerely appreciate every last word you write.

I haven't quite figured out how to answer questions left in the comments section. I feel so rude that it takes me days to reply, and at times, I completely whiff-out and forget altogether. So please excuse my tardiness if you've asked me a question or wanted more specific information and it seems as though I've disappeared. I haven't and I've been thinking about you. ;)

Coy has been MUCH better with the car seat the past couple days. If my memory serves me correctly, there was only one wrestling match between the two of us. And, sure enough, it was Friday morning...the morning that we were rushing out the door and his sensory brush was made up into the bed somewhere. A bed that I was unwilling to unmake.

Honestly though, I haven't been brushing him prior to getting into the car. I've found that he really responds to joint compressions (like almost immediately) and it's been a life-saver.

Also, per our OT, I've been verbalizing to him our schedule of events--and I break it down into smaller increments rather than the entire day. For example, "Coy, mommy is going to take off your pajamas, change your diaper, then put on your pants and a shirt." And, that can even be overwhelming for him. But it has helped a TON for him to know what is about to happen. I have found that when he is having an off moment, it decreases his resistance to the task and he actually wants to help.

I ordered a few items (a weighted vest and blanket) that I'm hoping will help with some of his sensory needs. I was talking to his ST today and we were discussing just how FAR Coy has come from a year ago when it seemed his SID was rearing it's ugly head. He has actually become much more calm and organized.

Where we're still needing more intervention and the level of concern is higher, is in a large group of people or in an environment where he is easily overstimulated (duh!). Chris and I have noticed for a while that 'our' Coy at home is a different Coy in a crowded or busy environment. At home, he is happy, giggling, laughing, playing independently, lovable kid (majority of the time, anyway). However, in a place where he is having trouble focusing, he avoids eye contact, is constantly whining or fussy, seeking comfort and wanting to be held (usually from his Grandparents if they are there), and is very fidgety. It was very frustrating to me because I could not figure out why this was happening...and it seems like a light turned on recently and it all is making sense now.

My hope is that a weighted vest will aid in organizing himself so that we don't see such a contrast in the two environments. Even if the vest adds a little help to him, it'll be worth it. And, obviously, I know that having SID, it will be a struggle for him for awhile. I don't think a weighted vest will be a cure-all by any means. It'll take therapy, hard work, and God's will for him to improve those neurosensory connections that cause him to seem 'out-of-it' in a busy place.

Good news today was that his recent (and only) EEG came back normal. I was very nervous when the Neurologist's office called. Praise God!

And, finally, here are more nature walk pics. Enjoy!

a busy weekend

For his Christmas present, Aunt Mandy (Chris's sister) gave Coy (and his cousin Ryder) a ticket to see Elmo Live! Ryder was really excited beforehand, but I don't think Coy really knew what he was going to see. Coy does like his Elmo doll, but doesn't watch Sesame Street much.



The show was Friday morning and it was great. Coy was fully engaged in the dancing, lighting, and music. I was nervous that he was going to be frightened of the 8 foot Big Bird, but he didn't mind it at all. He danced and clapped and covered his eyes when Elmo said to (I was really happy to see him do that).


Saturday was Chris's Rice Baseball Alumni game. He was pumped to take Coy on the field and let him run around. Again, momma was nervous that he'd get hit with a bat or ball, but all was well. Coy had a blast and ran around like crazy. He was picking up balls and bats and going every which way. The weather was gorgeous and it felt great to see some sunshine finally. Rice University is located directly across the street from the hospital that Coy was born in, spent 14 weeks in the NICU, and where I spent 14 weeks on bedrest. It was hard for me to think that just 2 short years ago, Coy was still in the NICU on a ventilator. It is just amazing to see how far he's come. I'm so proud of my little dude.




Today (Sunday) we took a stroll through a nature trail in our soon to be neighborhood. It was beautiful and so peaceful. Now that I've discovered it, I'm sure I'll be back more often to practice photography. It was so relaxing that Coy and Cydney both fell asleep in the stroller and slept the entire walk.

Whew, now off to sleep to rest up for a busy week!

average wednesday

Coy had gymnastics again tonight. He really enjoys it and does so well (most of the time). He's been really scared of the trampoline, but he actually liked it today. I was really proud to see him stand and attempt to jump rather than drop to his knees and try to get off of it. He's making progress and that's awesome. He's the only boy in a class of 12...and he's already kissed 2 of the girls. A few times. Our son is definitely an affectionate kid.

Terrible twos seems to be in full effect in our house. He has been in (what we call) 'destroyer' mode. He can make the house seem as though a tornado has struck in about 5 minutes. I love his curiosity and exploration and I don't want to kill his will for it, but I also don't want to repack my cabinets, closets, and drawers every few hours. We're still working on the discipline thing...it has been a trying experience for us. Time out was effective at one point, but now it seems as though he just thinks it's funny. Oh, the joys of parenthood. ;)

Tried to get some natural light photos of this doll today... I missed on one with the bad shadows and funky limb chomp. Still struggling with b/w conversions as well. Well, actually, I'm struggling with lots in photography, but I guess that's why I'm just an amateur trying to teach myself! That's what practice is for, I suppose.



Off to brush my little dude with his sensory brush. He loves it and it calms him down. Thank goodness for that.

fresh start

I am needing a fresh blog start...so I decided that I would start anew. I love prayforcoy and it's not going anywhere, but I think it was holding me back a bit. I feel it's purpose now is to give encouragement and hope to those who are facing the impossible. I love how many emails and comments we get about how it's inspiring to others with preemies. It's humbling and I am so thankful that we could/can provide that. But, I want to blog more from our 'family' aspect and a new blog sounded like the solution for me. So...from here on I think I'll document our life on this blog and leave prayforcoy as is. sound good? Don't hate me.

I also want to be more open and spontaneous with blogging. I am actually a very reserved/quiet person so the fact that people were reading my thoughts kinda made me self conscious about it. Now, I'm just wanting to document our lives and invite you to read if you so desire. I mean, we're boring people, but I know that everyone wants to keep up with the kiddos and I understand that.

Today we toured our 2ND preschool...and I didn't like it. It seemed cluttered and disorganized and chaotic. Not an environment I want to send my easily overstimulated sensory issued kid into. So, the search continues on. Still praying about it.

Coy had OT today and did great. I expressed all our concerns to our OT and she agreed with things that I've seen. His transitioning has been just awful...I mean terribly awful. Getting into a car seat looks like a wrestling match between him and I. Let's just say it's not pretty. I literally have to hold him down with one hand and somehow get the strap hooked and then do the other side. It seems that Chris allowed Coy to sit on his lap the other day (while the car was off, duh!) and play with the steering wheel. So, now, every time we get into the car, that's what he wants to do. Yes, almost every time. It makes going places the past few days absolutely no fun. I looked at Chris the other night as Coy was jumping on our bed at 1030 and said, "this has to get better right?" Don't answer that.

Cydney is the most precious beautiful angel I've ever seen. She is so chubby and round (16.5 lbs at 6 months). She is so happy and so dramatic at the same time. She can go from this...

to this...
....in a matter of a few nanoseconds. All woman, I tell ya.

She loves to be talked to. She loves to be held. She loves to bounce and jump. I still look at her and am amazed that she's mine. All mine. Well, Chris's too. But you know what I mean. I could just kiss and cuddle with her all day. I want to freeze time. They grow too darn fast.

Don't you just want to squeeze her?
And, BTW, it's literally impossible for me to get a good picture of Coy these days, hence lack of good pictures of him lately. Not because I favor Cydney, but the girl has no choice but to sit and pose for me. For now, at least.