The Bottle...It Makes Me Sad

Campbell has been having slight "tummy trouble" for some time now. Karson was NOT a spitty baby, so when Campbell arrived and started the splendid practice of spitting up most of her bottles...well, let's just say we were less than pleased. At first we thought it was just acid reflux. Dr. Boyd prescribed some medicine, she slept at an incline, we changed formulas, and endured THE SPIT. It seems things have progressively gotten worse. For the happy baby she is, feeding time is miserable. She cries through most of it and groans through the rest. It breaks my heart and makes me feel like I'm poisoning her.

Today I picked up yet another new formula to try. This is our last resort. If this one doesn't work, we have requested that she have an Upper GI scan performed to see if anything more is wrong. We've had one bottle of it already...it didn't go so well. She fussed like usual, and then proceeded to spit most of it up and choke in the process. Fun times. I called my sister (Tracey - the best nurse EVER), and she said to give it one more try. If she reacts this way again, we can offically say we've tried it and IT DOESN'T WORK.

Pray for our sweet baby girl and her tummy.

Update: She's trying to keep us confused! She has fussed off and on all day with the new formula. I don't think we're going to stick with it. We have the Upper GI scheduled for June 13th.

Lawn Chairs and Lemonade

Today we went to the Moseby's for the 2nd annual Lawn Chairs and Lemondade cookout. They are so hospitable and calm while hosting 150 guests! I'm telling you - I COULDN'T DO IT! Anyway, we had a great time and got to visit with friends and spend time outside (not something we do much with Campbell).

They had an inflatable water slide there for the kids. Last year we spent most of our day standing by it and helping Karson play (while we got muddy), and drying tears because..."that boy scares me". Needless to say, Rus and I were delighted when we had only been there a few minutes and Karson announced that she wanted to slide. Rus took her over and got in line, and few minutes later she came sliding down with...a smile on her face! She immediately got back in line (by herself), and did it again 3 or 4 more times. Who knows what happened, but after the 4th time down, she got back in line, and then started crying. Rus likes to refer to these moments as "girl drama". She then refused to slide again for the remainder of the time we were there.

It was very humid today, and Campbell was not dealing with it well, so I headed inside Shelbi's house to feed her a bottle. Karson accompanied me :). While I was feeding Campbell, I asked Karson what made her sad and not want to slide any more. The following is the explanation that my 4 (going on 16) year old gave me. It was all I could do to hold in the laughter.

"Well...I climbed up and when I got up there, I was like, this is so
fun. So then I slided down and it was fun so I did it again.
After I slided down again, I got in that line and while I was in that line,
I was thinking. I thinked...I can't do this, I can't do this, I can't
do this. And I got scared and it made me cry and then I came and got
you."

Oh my goodness...that girl keeps me laughing! I should have taken a picture of her in her cute flamingo bathing suit to post with this, but that would have required me to think ahead. And these days... that's just not me! Happy Memorial Day!

Getting Started

Hello! I've been a "blog lurker" for almost a year now, and I've finally decided to join in the fun! Actually, what has really prompted me to do this is the fact that my babies are growing so fast, and I'm realizing that I must start documenting these moments that I know I'll forget!

Let me begin by telling you (not that anyone is reading this) a bit about myself. My name is Melissa. I'm a wife to a wonderful man - Ruston Blake. He is the head baseball coach at Jenks High School. He is hilariously funny, tremendously talented, and an incredible father. I am thankful every day to be married to him!

I am also privileged to say that I am the mother of TWO precious girls! Karson Elaine is 4 1/2, and Marion Campbell is 3 1/2 months. Besides becoming a Christian and marrying Rus, the days they were born...well...oh my goodness, I just can't put words to the joy they brought!

Karson just finished her last year of preschool yesterday. Is it strange that I'm sad? Next year she will go to the Pre-K program every day (more than likely all day - we're still deciding on that). How has my baby girl gotten so big? Allow me to be her mother for a moment :)...She is brilliant! She is beautiful! She is hilarious! She is painfully shy! She is kind-hearted! She is MINE! What an incredible blessing it is to be her mommy. I truly don't know what I will do without her home all day with me next year. I know God has BIG plans for this little girl. I can't wait to see what the future holds for her.

Campbell is the happiest baby ever! Although she's only been here 3 1/2 months, I've already forgotten what life was like without her. She brings smiles to all who see her and tremendous joy to our house! She was born 3 weeks early and seemed so tiny when we brought her home. Well...she's made up for it! She has the sweetest chubby cheeks, and the most squeezable rolls on her legs. It cracks me up to hear people say, "Wow, she's filled out!" I just reply, "You can say it, she's chubby! We like it that way." She is daily doing new things and discovering this world around her. I'm reminded again, as I was with Karson, that life is such a miracle. I cannot understand how anyone who has been around children couldn't know that there is an AWESOME GOD who created them!

Tonight, Rus had to be at the field until late, so the girls and I were here alone (this is our usual status during the Spring and Summer). I had gotten the girls fed, bathed, and snuggled on my bed to watch "Snow White" while I took a shower. When I got out, I came to check on them. What I found was simply precious. There they were, both sound asleep...holding hands.

Lord, I give you the praise for blessing me with these 2 lives. I praise you even more that in a way that could only be Yours, that they have already, at ages 4 and 3 months, become friends.