Birthday Planning Fun!

Bryce's first birthday is so close it's officially begun showing up as a countdown in my Blackberry calendar, my iCal calendar and my old school leather bound weekly calendar. It's time to get my butt in gear!

In case you don't live near or are just stalking us here is a copy of the invitation so you can see how cute they came out:


Front:


Back:


And that picture up at the top I had printed in little round stickers that I used to seal the envelopes with. I'm having way too much fun, I know!

We've also got a Dr. Seuss pinata, goodie bags for the kiddos and a daunting food preparation list already in the works.

I've you have ANY Dr. Seuss birthday ideas I'm all ears!! hint, hint

Precious Baby

Bryce has to be the best wake up call ever! I've never been a morning person and 6:45 a.m. might as well be the middle of the night as far as I'm concerned (proof is in the pudding - I'm writing this at 12:23 a.m. while everyone else is quietly settled in for the night).

But when I here Bryce moving and babbling I'm happy to rise and shine.

I'd been wanting to change the pictures above our couch from some I took on our trip to Europe a couple of years ago to some of Bryce. I figured he always makes me smile so what better to take up such large acreage in wall space smack in the middle of our home.

So I took the opportunity to seize on one of Bryce's endlessly happy, ridiculously early mornings last week to try to get something worthy of 12" x 12" prints in ever larger frames, museum matted in the living room.

This is what I captured...















Just try not to love him - I double dog dare ya!

Swim Class

Today, Monday May 24th, marked a new adventure for our little family - swim class! It's just 30 minutes, four days a week for two weeks but it's still a little daunting. Bryce is both the smallest and the youngest in the class for kiddos from six month old all the way up to three years.

But what he lacks in size and stature he makes up for in tenacity and plain old cuteness!




Here are some picks I took of the two of us just after class. Taking pictures of Bryce in the water just wasn't feasible, since it was just the two of us. This is a beginner class after all.



Bryce is a generally happy go lucky kind of guy but there are two things he just doesn't like: sun and wind. Not a great combination for Texas boy but he's laid back and takes it all in stride.

Our first class wasn't lacking in either department so Bryce compensated by keeping his head down and his eyes closed for the majority of the class. A couple of times I was able to turn his face away from the sun and despite the cold water he not only never fussed or cried but seemed to be hiding a little enjoyment even.

And as soon as class was over he was the happiest baby in the pool (if not the only baby in the pool). He smiled and babbled and tried to eat his towel with the best of 'em.



Wednesday is class number 3 and Daddy's turn to take him. I'm hoping my boys will fair well and bring me home some more pictures to share!

Let's Play a Little Catch ..... Up

So much has happened it's hard to remember what I haven't been able to write about. I'll do my best but forgive me if pictures tell the majority of the stories.

Bryce took his first trip out of town, he traveled all the way to the Woodlands, TX for a chance to finally meet his great grandma Jeanette. And it's true, she is great.

Bryce enjoying a stroll along the river.

Bryce & Daddy on the riverwalk.

Bryce giving good love (and slobber) to his Great Aunt Linda

Bryce hanging out with G2

The hotel wasn't bad either!

And then Bryce got sick again...yes again. I haven't even attempted to keep up with all the little colds he keeps getting. To be expected I suppose. But still no fun at all.

But then it was finally time for the March for Babies. We are so blessed to have so many come out in support of team BAM! (BAM = Bryce Alexander Moline) but in honor of all babies!









Bryce is growing so quickly and really making strides with his therapy.

We now have a full schedule of therapy each week: Speech Therapy on Mondays at 8:30 a.m., Physical Therapy on Mondays and Wednesdays at about 9:30 a.m. and Occupational Therapy on Fridays at 8 a.m.

Plus I have therapy once a week, on either Monday or Friday. And I work away from home Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, two of these days I drive him to Mary's in Dripping Springs and he gets to socialize with another baby. Little Miss Adalyn and he are so adorable together!

But Wednesdays Bryce usually gets to stay home with his daddy, which has really been the best for them both.

Oh, and Bryce sees his pulmonologist once a month though he no longer has to have monthly RSV shots. His pediatrician put him on a nebulizer treatment several times a day to try to keep his lungs clear which means there is another thing that needs to be cleaned and sanitized a million times a day.

But his first birthday is fast approaching so we've also been busy planning a big shin dig for that. All the while in the back of our mind is that the twice yearly neurosurgery check up is in June, as is yet another monthly eye appointment and most likely the pulmonolgy appointment where in which Bryce will be cleared for his urology surgery.

I dread the day, coming soon I know, when I will have to call to "voluntarily" schedule Bryce for surgery. As familiar as we grew to Bryce in the OR it's been a long time now and I'm just as trepidatious as the first time.

I'm grateful that the surgeon gave us the option to choose if he'd have the surgery at their outpatient surgical center or at Dell. For as much as I don't want to check in to Dell for any reason I feel equally safe there.

Since I began writing this much overdue update several days ago even more has happened! Bryce went on another trip where he experienced many "firsts" that I'll be back to tell about very soon - promise!

Played to Sleep

I left Bryce in his Bumbo long enough to brush my teeth before we left the house and this is how I found him when I returned.


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