6 month check-up

Stryker's 6 month doctor's appointment was this afternoon. Knowing he had to get shots made me nervous about taking him by myself. He weighed in at 16 lbs 4 oz (30th percentile) & 27 in long (70th percentile). Logan was glad to hear he moved higher in the percentile range for length. Logan's been worried about him having my height! Ha Ha! The pediatrician said he looked great & would be getting 4 shots (2 in each thigh). She also broke the news that he'd be getting a flu shot in Sept. How many shots does my little boy have to endure - sorry, the momma's coming out in me.

6 months old!!!!

Not sure I really like having our little grow older. Next thing you know, I'll be planning his first birthday! We celebrated by going to a cookout at Wallace for a baseball player/coaches/families welcoming dinner. Stryker & I met the players' families while Logan (aka: Coach Daddy) met with the players. Several of the parents' held Stryker - see what I mean, always stilling the show! We all came together to eat. The ball players thought Stryker's helmet was a real baseball helmet. The cookout was a success & got everyone in baseball fever. I love being a baseball coach's wife!

Splash!

Stryker went swimming!!! The pool is only 6 houses up the street. Logan, Stryker, & I went swimming right after the sun went down. We were unsure of how Stryker would like it. The minute his little feet hit the water, he began kicking. Then his hands starting slapping the water. He had the biggest grin on his face. There were times when he would splash himself. He would look a little confused at first & then start playing again. Guess, we'll be at the pool a lot! It is an experience when you see your child discover something new. Can't wait for more pool memories!

Changes, changes, & more changes

These past couple of days have been extremely busy & emotional. It all began at Hanger yesterday afternoon. Stryker was given his helmet which came solid blue in color. Logan & I sat there while the orthotist evaluated the fit of his helmet. Yes, I teared up watching our child have this corrective helmet placed on his tiny, innocent head. But quickly laughed as he developed a huge grin on his face. He loved it & hated for the orthotist to remove it! Logan immediately picked his little munchkin up so he could tell me that they could finally play rough since he has protection! Not so sure the orthotist found humor in that statement. There is a 6-8 day weaning schedule that Stryker has to go through before he reaches the 23 hr/day mark. We took the helmet by a sweet lady's house (a member at Vestavia Country Club) who volunteered to paint anything on the helmet. The idea was to make it similar to a Wallace baseball helmet. The front would have "WS" while the back would have a Wallace State Lion & "Stryker" written underneath. She was willing to have it finished later that afternoon so Stryker could wear it. While waiting, we drove to Gardendale to close on our house! Moving day tomorrow! Unfortunately, Logan & my mom had to move alone so I could still go to work. I rushed to our new home after work to help with the rest of unpacking. Poor Stryker; he had to be held the entire day. I guess the move & a new place made him a little nervous. The unpacking continues...day after day. We love all the room! Stryker has his own room & a playroom. What almost 6 month old has all that?! I am sad to leave all the memories of our first home but excited about making new ones in this home.

In the midst of all those changes, Logan had a switched careers. We definitely had to take a leap of faith & trust in our Lord for He opened these doors. Logan is now the pitching & catching coach for the Wallace State baseball team in Hanceville, AL. It is a junior college where he pitched. It is an amazing feeling to see Logan happy again about work. Thank you God for allowing this opportunity to come available. Fall baseball season is just around the corner & spring season is not far away. Go Lions!!!!!

Last day at The Learning Express

Logan & I would love to express our sincere gratitude for the care provided to Stryker 2 days/wk. The Learning Express daycare in Bessemer (off Morgan Road) has compassionate infant room teachers. Even though there were other babies in the room, they all made Stryker feel special. I dropped off Stryker in the mornings while Logan picked him up in the afternoon. I always said that was a little unfair b/c I was the bad guy leaving him & he was the good guy picking him up! When I dropped Stryker off for his second day (& the rest of the times), he would kick & get so excited about being at daycare. It broke my heart...making me feel as though he was not sad or going to miss me. But Logan quickly told me that we would rather him be happy while staying there than hating it. Guess, he's right. Mrs. Angela would be the first face he saw in the infant room. She would run to get him out of my arms. Stryker's big toothless grin would prove his excitement. Mrs. Angela would turn on music & want to dance. On our last morning, I got a picture of the Stryker & Mrs. Angela. She cried. Stryker kept looking at her trying to figure out why she was sad. She told me that Stryker would be held all morning b/c it was his last day. Mrs. Angela asked me if we really had to pull him out, saying Gardendale was not that far away! She wanted to make sure the new daycare was knowledgeable about his interests: dancing, playing on tummy time, & how he needs to be spoiled. I will always remember Mrs. Angela saying "you're getting too big, you need to stop that growing" every morning. We will definitely keep in touch. Again, thank you for all your love & support for our little boy.

It's a reality now :(

It's a reality now that Stryker will be wearing a cranial band helmet. This afternoon was extremely difficult for my family. I met Logan at Hanger around 4pm for Stryker's second head scan to determine whether our interventions have improved his head shape. As I sat anxiously in the waiting room for Logan, a mother came out carrying her young son. He was wearing a helmet that his mother had painted a fun design on it. My eyes began to water. I felt helpless. Logan showed up shortly after which allowed me to relax a little. We were called back for our appointment a few minutes later. Three head scans were performed to compare with the previous head scans. Unfortunately, his head scan came back with the same (& some slightly worse) results. Heartbreaking. No words to describe how you'll feel as a parent when someone tells you that something is wrong with your child. Immediately, I began to blame myself for Stryker's head shape. Thoughts of my body being small not allowing Stryker room to grow and Stryker being in a low position for 6wks before birth kept running through my mind. Logan & I took some time to hold Stryker allowing the news to soak in. We knew the helmet was the best option for Stryker. Logan & I chose a solid royal blue color for the helmet. Coco found a lady willing to paint a personal design on his helmet. Such a sweet gesture. We spent the night discussing Stryker & looking for designs. We decided to paint the helmet like a baseball helmet. On the front, it will have "S" overlapping "W" for Wallace State Baseball. The back of the helmet will have their mascot, a lion, painted in orange & white along with "Stryker" painted in white underneath the lion. He's going to be one tough looking ball player!!

Baby Dedication

This Sunday was a special & memorable day. Stryker was dedicated at church this morning! Logan, Coco, Stryker, & I loaded up headed to Union Hill Baptist Church in Oneonta. Brother Bill Barnett (who actually baptized me on April 25, 2009 - I have been a Christian for a long time but wanted to show it publicly on my 4 year anniversary of my car wreck - & who married us) had this honor. Logan & I were asked to bring Stryker to the front altar prior to the sermon. Of course Stryker loved all the attention & would not stop kicking! We had so many family members present. Stryker is loved greatly! Logan spoke to our family/friends & the congregation. He thanked everyone for all the prayers throughout the last 6 wks of pregnancy as well as other heart-felt words. There was not a dry eye in the church, including mine. Afterwards, we enjoyed a delicious meal at Uncle Cody & Aunt Loren's house with all the family.