Theo's Eight Months Old

Theo is EIGHT months old! This last month flew by! Theo and I were able to visit Josh’s family in Wisconsin and my family in Ohio. We also kept busy with all Theo’s doctors appointments, another “fast MRI” at the hospital, and an interview with Early Interventions. Due to Theo’s aneurysm he is automatically qualified for EI and he will be having evaluations done by the Physical, Occupational, and Developmental Therapist within the next few weeks.

I have already seen improvements in Theo’s motor skills since his first brain surgery. He is starting to reach for his toes, kick his legs a lot more, put his fingers in his mouth, and feel different fabrics (like his soft blanket or my sweatshirt). We celebrate even the smallest improvements around here!

[Theo letting us know how he feels]

We still try to work on tummy time and he STILL HATES it!

[His neck is tight so I try to help him stretch it out. Once the Physical Therapist comes I'm hoping she will show me more effective ways to help him stretch]

[March 14 was PIE DAY! Even though I am doing Nutrisystem I was able to participate!] 

[Grabbing this toys and telling me all about it]

[I have to keep track of all of Theo's doctors visits so I can make sure the bills are correct when they show up. This stack is just from the last few months] 

[He LOVES his cow!]

[It's hard to feed Theo because he can't hold up his head so we tried to feed him in his bouncy chair. It would have worked it he liked the rice cereal!] 

[Trying to stretch that neck out] 

[Talking some more]

[FaceTime with Daddy!]

[Theo figured out that if he kicks the gym his toys will move]

[He LOVES his binky and holds it on the side of his mouth]

[Finding his fingers]

[Happy Easter!]

[On Easter we went to Josh's boss' house to have a "Southern Crawfish Boil"]

  

 We love you so much Theo! I can’t wait to see how much you grow during this next month! 

Don't worry, Josh and I continue to live our lives too!

Josh is still doing really well at his job and is liking it, even though some days can be pretty stressful. We try to FaceTime whenever he has time. He works long days but we are so grateful to have him come home to us every night!

Side note: As of March, we have been together for SEVEN years!

[He's so handsome in his full PPE!]


My mom collects pins from all the places she visits, so I thought that would be a great idea for me too. Pins take up very little space and it's a fun way to see where you have been. A few years ago I mentioned to my mom that Josh bought me these two cloth maps and I was going to get them made into blankets so I could display my pins. My mom thought that was a great idea so she did it too! My super talented Aunt Janice Neilson made these beautiful quilts for me and I spent a few hours adding my pins to them. They look amazing and I am so excited to add more pins to them someday! 

[Europe, Africa, and Asia pins]

[Pins from our honeymoon Down Under"]

[Pins from the western United States] 

[Pins from our six week long Epic Fall Road Trip] 

Carpet Issues in the Raptor

We have two large slides in the Raptor that leak if it rains a lot. Over the last year they have been leaking so much that the carpet has been getting saturated. A few times it was so bad that we had to get our fans and towels to help dry the water so we don't get mold. After this last rainy season, we decided that it was time to take a look at the floor boards and make sure that the wood wasn't rotten or growing mold. 

While Theo and I were in Wisconsin, Josh tore out the carpet, cleaned the wooden floor boards, painted the boards with wood hardener, and then added sealant. 

THEO'S SLIDE:

  

FRIDGE/CHAIRS SLIDE:

The chemicals were very strong so we decided not to go back to the Raptor after we got home from Wisconsin. Instead, the three of us headed to a hotel in Bolingbrook for a few days while the sealant dried and the smell dissipated. 

[Hanging out at the hotel. I really miss having a couch sometimes!]

This last weekend Josh finished the job by laying down new carpet and sealing the slides from the outside. Hopefully this will prevent water from getting in in the future.

THEO'S SLIDE:




FRIDGE/CHAIRS SLIDE:

[While Josh was working Theo took a nap in our bed]


[I love him so much]

Thanks Josh for doing all this hard work (while working six days a week) and making our little Raptor a great place to live!