11 months old

You turned 11 months old on Friday.  You learned so much during your 10th month that we could barely keep up.  Every day you had a new trick to show or a new way to communicate. 

My favorite part of this month was you said your first word, "mama!"  I loved it.  You say it all the time when you see me or even when you are crying and/or mad at me.  You made plenty of babbles before this word, but you had never labeled anything until mama, so I think that makes it your first official word.  Your second word, probably more of an expression, is "uh-oh."  You say it all of the time.  You will pick something up and drop it on purpose, look at me, and then say "uh-oh."  I laugh every time, which is probably encouraging you to do it more.  You also definitely know what "no" means.  You really, really like to open drawers, but you know this is a no-no (because you smash your fingers).  You will touch the drawer, look at me, and then shake your head "no."  Or touch something you are not supposed to have and shake your head no.  It is pretty cute. 

You finally figured out how to crawl.  You have been army crawling and cruising around the furniture and walls for awhile, but one day you decided to crawl.  You walk along as far as you can, then drop and crawl to the next place that you can stand.  A week ago you took your first steps.  You can walk about two or three steps before you decide to either crawl or sit down.  You spend 99% of your time trying to chase Ella.  She lets you catch her sometimes, but then when you pull her tail she walks away.

You are still eating great and loving lots of new foods.  I have been trying to give you formula at times.  One reason why is we have it and I don't want to waste it.  Also, I want you to get used to having milk at meal times and weaning those nursing sessions.  Thirdly, I am pretty sure you don't actually drink much when we nurse, so I am hoping the formula will substitute the additional nutrients that you need.  However, you really don't like it.  You only have one more month and then we can do some cow milk. 

Our schedule did not really change this month.  You still have two naps most days, nurse four times a day and have two snack times.  I have started going to a Women's Bible study on Tuesday mornings, so you are back with your mom's day out teachers from 9:30-11:30 on Tuesdays.  Dad has started to watch you on Tuesday evenings while I work.  Madison is your Wednesday sitter, and you love her! 

You and dad watching the New York Rangers hockey game

You have SO much hair.

We traveled to Batesville for Christmas with the Pharr side.  You got to meet your second cousins.  They loved having you to play with.

We still go on walks and this stroller (really a bike wagon) is great to block you from the wind.

This is a typical dinner...and you usually eat it all

I made a "ball pit" for you to play in while I clean or whatever, so you can't roam the house and get into things.  You mostly just throw the balls out and talk to me while I work.

We got you a new bath seat this month

Still your favorite toy.  You love to push it around the house.



We still have lots of cuddle time in the mornings

Sometimes, you come with me to my office and get to play with the toys

You are getting so big (22lbs!)

Your favorite book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?

You love to look at yourself in my camera phone.  This is one of many of your new faces.

A rare moment of you sitting still

We went to Crystal Bridges on a play date with Nora and Ashton

Dad went out of town so you sent him this picture

This is your play area in the living room...however, you rarely stay there because you are usually cruising the furniture.

Trying to make a break for the kitchen (food)

 

You have to see it to believe it

This post is an update on my mom and how her treatment is going.  I don't write about it much on this blog because I keep one for her on a different site.  However, I wanted to post a couple of images and the other website does not allow that. 

My mom went in on Monday for her radiation follow up.  She was having some pain in her left hip so they decided to do a PET scan and see if there was an area there that could be treated with radiation.  I liked this idea because I feel the PET scan has been very helpful for us before and it is a reassuring visual to know where the cancer is and where it has or hasn't spread. 

This first image is from my mom's PET scan in October.  It was on the year anniversary from her diagnosis and there was not much change while on hormone replacement therapy.

So, what you are looking at is my mom with her arms raised up by her heard.  A PET scan uses glucose to create the black spots.  The brain, heart, stomach, kidneys, and urinary tract all pick up glucose and are not cancer spots, but the other black marks are cancer cells that have picked up the glucose.  If you look at the image you will notice that almost the entire spine is black, there are many spots in her ribs, and even a lot of places in her pelvis, legs, arms, and elbows. 

Now here is the image after being on chemotherapy for 4 months. 

It is like looking at a different person.  The spine, hips, legs, arms, ribs, pelvis are almost clear.  The larger black spots are the kidneys, stomach, urinary tract and bladder, and the brain.  I had hopeful expectations for the chemo treatment, but this is amazing.  It just proves to me how powerful our God is and how all of our prayers are being heard.  Thank you for continuing to walk with us during this fight. 

My mom returns to the oncologist next Friday and I will have a more detailed update then about our continued plan for getting rid of this cancer. 

Praise God, and thank you for your prayers!