Houston is 1 year old

Our sweet and precious miracle baby turned 1 year old on Sept 3, 2012. HARD TO BELIEVE!! One year since our 26 week 5 day old baby boy entered this world so unexpectedly and changed our lives forever.

Here are his stats:

Size 3 diaper

18 month clothes

22lbs 1oz

29.49 inches in length

45.7 cm head circumference 

Preemie growth chart:

Weight: 73 percentile

Length: 84 percentile

Head circumference: 60 percentile

Full-Term growth chart:

Weight: 34 percentile

Length: 33 percentile

Head circumference: 30 percentile

His pediatrician was very pleased with his growth and could not be happier with his stats and how he his in the 30th percentile on the full-term growth chart. He received 3 shots and we go back in 30 days for his second dose of the flu shot. Since his doctor or myself had any concerns with his health and progress we were in and out in very little time.

She did suggest we start to wing him off his bottles and by at least 15 months old be bottle free. Landon winged himself off the bottle at 10 months. Houston doesn't seem to be giving up his bottle on his own so we are going to have to start gradually taking it out of his day.

She also said to go ahead and give him whole milk and give up the formula. ;o) 

We stopped giving him baby food and are completely on foods that we eat and foods he is able to feed himself.

His favorite foods are:

YoBaby yogurt

cheese cubes

vegetable straws (vegetable chips)

graham crackers

green beans

carrots

strawberries

bananas

apple sauce

Gerber Yogurt Melts and Gerber Puffs

he pretty much eats anything you put in front of him ;)

6 teeth total; 4 on the bottom and 2 on the top

pulls to stand and started to cruise around on the furniture

says "ma-ma", "da-da" and "ba-ba" and a bunch of other sounds

He LOVES to play with BIG brother in his room

He LOVES to rub his face in blankets and snuggle with them

Does not take a paci or like to be rocked to sleep

Sleeps ALL night and gets up about 6am ready to eat a bottle but goes back to sleep till 8am

Houston at 1 day old

2lbs 7oz

3 months old

6 months old

9 months old

1 year old

Houston,

You light up our lives, you are perfect in every way. Even though you came so early and spent almost 3 months in the NICU I would not take it back for anything. Our journey with you has created a special bond that not a lot of parents can understand. Your daddy, brother and I were changed forever when you were born and we thank you for that. You are special and we are in awe how much you have over come despite what others may have said in the beginning.  You continue to amaze us each and every day. We love you and cant wait to see what year number 2 brings in your sweet little life. 

Love,

Mom, dad and brother

New blog name

I have been wanting a new blog name for awhile and I just could never think of anything catchy enough or a title that related to our family. Yesterday the boys were playing outside and both of them were covered in bug bites and boo boos. I turned to Jason and said "all I do is doctor bug bites and boo boos" and then it hit me. That is what season of life we are in right now especially raising two small boys, is taking care of bug bites and boo boos. So there you go I changed our blog name to Bug Bites and Boo Boos and I think it really fits our family right now.

Happy Friday!

 Houston's 1 year wellness visit went great I will update later.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for so many people and things in my life right now, but today I am most thankful for...

these two boys taking naps at the SAME TIME

I am also VERY thankful to all of the great family and friends we have who gave preemie clothes and blankets at Houston's 1st birthday party

I am thankful to be doing laundry this weekend so we can take these clothes to all the babies in need at the NICU

Houston's 1 year wellness visit is tomorrow morning. I cant wait to see how much he has grown and improved in the last 3 months. 

Big weekend at our house coming up. Post more later.

Happy thankful Thursday!

Forward Facing

We decided to change out Houston's car seat today and move him to his forward facing seat. He's over a year old and for sure over 20lbs which both our state requires. Plus he has already out grown his infant carrier. So we just went ahead and made the transition today.

I think he felt like such a big boy being able to sit forward like his big brother

He was looking around and smiling, probably thinking what in the world did they just do to me. I really think he likes his new view. He looks so little in his new seat to me.

Here's Landon in 2009, the first time he was able to sit forward facing in the same seat

I think they look a lot alike in these two pictures. Must be the lack of hair ;o)

Happy Saturday!

Side table makeover

I found this cute little side table a few weeks ago at a yard sale for $5.00. There were actually two and at the time I was thinking I didn't need it, but I wish I got the other one. Being so cheap I could have at least gave it to someone that needed it.

Here is the table before

Just a little to plain and dark for my taste

I have a good friend of mine vamp it up and make it more my style and to coordinate with our living room.

She sanded it, primed it, painted it turquoise and then scuffed it up a little 

I think it turned out really cute and I just LOVE the color 

Happy 1st Birthday Houston

Today our little miracle child turned 1 year old. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around that 1 year has passed since Houston arrived into this world so unexpectedly at 26 weeks 5 days and weighing 2lb 7oz and 15" long. 

Day one of life; Sept 3, 2011 

We had no clue what the next day held or even the next hour or minute at that moment

One year later was so far from our minds

Fast forward to Sept 3, 2012. We are celebrating our happy and most importantly healthy baby boy on his 1st birthday

He has come along way in a year, don't you think?

Big brother wanted to blow out a candle and be sung to as well

Our happy family of 4

Happy 1st birthday Houston. Mommy, daddy and brother love you very much. You still cease to amaze me everyday with your amazing personality, laid back attitude and your perfect health. You have reached each and every milestone that a full term baby would/should hit at your age. I know God choose you to join our family so early for a reason and I hope your story and our testimony can help another family someday. You complete our family and could not imagine you any other way.

Happy Birthday Houston!

Houston's 1st birthday party

Today we celebrated Houston's birthday with his 1st birthday party. We had it at the same place we had Landon's 1st birthday party 3 years ago, at an little outside pavilion right next to our local above ground water park.

Here is his birthday invitation. I mentioned in a previous post that his theme was Rock Star. We choose this because his doctors and nurses always called him a rock star. So that is how we wanted to celebrate his special day.

Rock Star cupcakes. His colors were blue, grey, black and white

Rock Star cookies

Part of the food table

Food table with a picture of Houston the day he was born and a scrap book of his time in the NICU

Drink table

Rock Star punch. I taped his foot prints, birth weight and length info from the hospital

Houston's smash cake

1st birthday balloons

Jason and our neighbor Glenn helping keep the flies away

Instead of presents we asked for our guest to bring preemie clothes and/or receiving blankets for the babies in the NICU where Houston spent the first 67 days of his life. Our family will deliver them to the hospital as soon as I can get them all washed.

All the clothes and receiving blankets for the babies in the NICU

Houston did get a few presents from this grandparents

Like this Little Tykes car

And his first backpack and lunch box from PBK

Now on to the cake

I knew this boy LOVED cake, but o my. He tore it up

Attempt one at a family picture

Attempt two. I really like how the boys are looking at each other

Attempt three

Smash cake is smashed

I am FULL

Thank you to everyone to came to Houston's first birthday party. He truly is our little Rock Star and are blessed to have him as apart of our family. 

He turns 1 in 2 days. ;o)