Pinterest

Oh Pinterest......I've been obsessed with you.  I make lots of different crafts I find and recently started cooking/baking!  Who am I?? :))  I'm fully domesticated now!

I decided to try the "vinegar" soak for veggies and fruits to help clean them better!  It also supposedly helps them last longer.  So....I tried it.

Did I notice them become cleaner??? Not that much of a difference.  It could be because I wash my produce very, very well though!  (Working at Albertsons and watching little heathens pick their nose and wipe it on grapes completely turned me OCD with veggies and fruits being clean!)

I have seen spider webs on grape stems....but the coolest thing about this was watching a giant spider....the exact same color as the green grapes crawl out from hiding...and float away.

• I submerged all of the produce (had to do 2 batches).
• Water and organic vinegar
• let sit for 30 min
• rinsed and stored

Did the produce last longer than normal?? I noticed the berries lasted probably a couple of days longer...but nothing too exciting!

I also came across different deodorants to try.... I honestly prefer to wax because of the baby soft pits I get! Now I'm a shave on the go type of girl...but it always brought me in-growns and irritation... which is another reason why I prefer waxing.  I always used Secret.  I've been a Secret kind of girl since I started wearing deodorant.  I decided to try the Dove "go sleeveless.."  LET ME TELL YOU IT'S LIFE CHANGING!! 

Ha!

How can a deodorant be life changing?  After the second day using it...my arm pits are as soft as a baby's bottom!  It even looks like I wax!  I will never change to another one again! 

I'm getting a nephew!!

If you read my post about the "pineapple" dream...you've probably been wondering who's having a girl around me!  When I posted that...I knew my sister was pregnant, but it wasn't announced to the world yet.  I was willing to bet everything I have that my sister was having a girl....it turns out it's a BOY!  I was at the ultra sound when they found out....and yes...there was a little nub on the screen!  We only have two boys in our generation in our family....and now there will be at least two in the next!  Our family is overrun by estrogen....we need more boys!  I do know one other family member who just found out they're pregnant....I wonder if she's having a girl?

She is due November 23!  I will be throwing her a baby shower...along with my Aunt Bob (Barbara) in our NEW house the first week of September!  We finally decided on a theme and am very, VERY excited :))))

Isn't he handsome?

Maxson is still in his bed!

I CANNOT believe tomorrow is the end of June!  Tomorrow will officially be the last day of the first half of the year....  oh my.  The rest of the year is going to be HECTIC in the Hess household! I can almost see a huge wave coming towards me...but the only thing to do is ride it, right?I just read my last post!  Wow I've been slacking! I'm VERY proud to say Maxson has continued to sleep in his own bed from the first night until now.  The little turkey.  I honestly think it was harder for me to let go than it was for him.  It's funny watching him on our video monitor (I can't thank God enough for technology)....he's ALL OVER THE PLACE!  He's experienced a freedom in his own space.  When I'd sleep with him...it made my life easier, especially because I breastfeed.  I thought about waking up, walking to his room, and feeding him throughout the night and cringed.  The glorious days of just rolling over and attaching him to my boob were over.  He would roll over a few times a night looking for a snack....keeping me in a light sleep all night.  But when I put him in his own bed....he sleeps all night.  I've read in baby books how babys and parents sleep better when they're in separate beds...but now I actually believe that theory.  I felt better with him next to me.  The thought of a burglar (do people still use that word) or a fire made me more content knowing he was next to me and safe in the chance of an emergency actually happening.  But one day I heard him talking...so I went over to the monitor and he was teeter-tottering on the edge of our bed above our nightstand!  NO BUENO!  I decided he should be in his own bed for his own safety. And let me tell you....I feel so much better that he's in his own bed!!  I still get my snuggles in though....because we all know that's important!

I mean who can resist this face when he stretches?!  It's my absolute favorite!

We still pull him in our bed in the mornings and snuggle! 

Maxson in his own bed!

So for 7 1/2 months Maxson has been sleeping with me.  Every single night.   I know some of you who are reading this are either praising or scoffing at me...but I absolutely loved every second of it.  I love snuggling with him.  I love the way he smells, the way he cuddles up to me, the way he wakes me up in the morning by grabbing my nose and talking, literally EVERYTHING.  But tonight...and every night from here on....he'll be sleeping in his own bed!

Since he was in the NICU for 31 days...I felt like he needed to have extra lovin from mommy when he came home!  Of course I visited him everyday and held him....but I couldn't wait to just lay him on my belly and chest in the comfort of our own home!  Well that mommy lovin extended until now!  Jacob was also deployed until he was 4 months old...so it was just me and the little guy.  Of course he slept with me!

When Jacob got home he immediately expressed his opinion of Maxson sleeping in his own bed.  We put him in his crib that night...but I woke up a few hours later with Maxson in between us! Jacob either couldn't resist Maxson's charm or didn't know how to put him back to sleep... :))  Either way, Maxsons been in OUR bed this whole time and we both LOVED it.  It would've presented problems if we both weren't on board!

Why is he in his own bed now?  Because we felt it was the perfect time to do so.  He can roll from belly to back...so that helps me with the whole SIDS issue.  He can't quite sit down on his own yet and can't pull himself up...

We want to start trying for another little rugrat towards the end of this year... and I can't imagine having a toddler still in our bed AND a newborn.  I see DANGER signs everywhere!  Then I imagine trying to transition a screaming toddler to his own bed and it does not sound like a fun time to me. If Maxson were going to be the only child....he probably would've been in our bed until he became a teenager!

On a normal day, I let Maxson take his naps on me for as long as he wanted.  Sometimes that would last up to 3 hours.  3 hours of not going to the bathroom or anything!!  I would always kick myself in the butt on those days for not visiting the loo beforehand.  At night I would lay down with him until he fell asleep and try to sneak out of our bed.  Some nights I would end up falling asleep with him because every time I tried to leave he would instantly notice and I'd have to lay back down!  Why don't I just rock him you ask?!? That would be because he's CONSTANTLY trying to eat from me.  He even latches on my chin! lol  But I didn't mind any of that because I'm a stay-at-home mom now...and this is my job.  I am blessed enough to have the opportunity to lay down with my son at night...without any other worries in the world.  So why not, right?

The little turkey is currently sound asleep in his crib....and already had his 3 naps in there as well!  Now we can really get our moneys worth from the baby video monitor we have :))))))

Cedars-Sinai it is!

Thank God for technology!  We got to have an "appointment" this morning on Skype with the director of the Children's Hospital pediatrics plastic surgery.  His name is John Reinisch ....he invented the Medpor (one of the options for reconstructing an ear with microtia)....he taught at USC and worked at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles for a long time.  He's been doing this about 30 years!  I was worried to be referred to him at first...because everything I find on his accomplishments is about the Medpor reconstruction.  I love that he's the mind behind that idea...but I was more concerned about Maxson's face at the moment!

We were told if he didn't get his macrostomia (lips) and cheek fixed soon he'd have speech problems.  Obviously that scared us and didn't want him to have delays because we didn't take an initiative. The Dr. from Texas....Dr. Fearon....said to let him develop more and it's only cosmetic.  Dr. Reinisch said the same thing today.  Makes me sad other doctors are telling people their kiddos need unnecessary surgeries.  For that reason alone....I get my education at the University of Google!  I will not be scared or pressured into doing anything to Maxson that I don't research first and/or feel is necessary.  Don't get me wrong....I know doctors are obviously educated...but they are human and make mistakes like anyone else.  And doctors don't know everything...that's why there are specialists...who are also still human.  Maxson doesn't have a voice or say....but that's where I come in.

I learned some interesting things today!  I learned that since Maxson has his whole ear...it's just folded....that they could POSSIBLY just open it and reposition it in the place it's supposed to be (since it's 14mm off).  I didnt' understand how that was possible since his ear is closer to his jawline...and he has an ear canal....but apparently the ear canal is almost always in the correct spot...it's just the outer part of the ear that's off.  In all my researching and speaking to other doctors no one has mentioned that!  It was like a light bulb went off in my head!  I was worried they wouldn't be able to do anything to his ear in the future because of the ear canal...most people with low-set microtia have atresia (no ear canal) so it only made sense how they could fix their's..but Maxson's was a different story! I get it now!

I also learned that Maxson's cheek can be fixed!  All they do is inject fat into it to make it even with the other side :))))  Dr. Reinisch did a split screen on the computer and showed me before and after pics of  other patients with the same facial anomalies.  He also said his mouth is an easy fix.  I was expecting at least 6 surgeries.....he said Maxson's ear, cheek, and mouth can all be done in one surgery!  Hearing that was like music to my ears!

The cherry on the whole conversation though was when he explained to me about opening his ear canal more (it's like a cone right now....it's wide then becomes narrow)... apparently alot of patients who have an ear canal but it's narrow...get it opened and then can hear better!  I explained to him his CT results (he was NOT happy they gave him a CT scan...he said it's pointless to do CT scans on babies with that much radiation when they can't do any surgeries at the moment anyways) but he said even though he was born with the stapes embedded in the soft tissue....that was when he was 2 weeks old and that could've changed by now!  Oh man I'm hoping!

I have to call his office on Monday to set up an appointment with him to have a consultation the same week we'll be at the Ear Conference.  There's 2 ear conferences going on...one at the Terranea Resort and the other at Disneyland.  Apparently Dr. Reinisch and his colleagues will be at the Disneyland one...but I already paid and signed up for the other one :/  I could POSSIBLY get a refund...but it's going to cost the same either way and I'm sure I'll learn the same things at both.  It's not like I can hang out with and talk to the doctors I choose.  I also need to call the Balboa Craniofacial Center and get that referral!!  They'll write one since we'll be seen in California.  I can call our case worker here and Maxson's pediatrician and start the paperwork!

We're very excited!!  It's the best news I've ever heard in m y life!!  One surgery and possible restoration of his hearing!  I couldn't have wished for anything more!

If you want to see how the surgery is done....here's the video.  It's a tad gory for me...

Here's another video of his work!

Lots to do!

Lots of stuff have been going on!  We took a trip to Ridgecrest this past weekend for the Burroughs graduation!!  For the first time ever it was NOT in June!  But I kinda think they're onto something...it was also the first time EVER it wasn't extremely windy!  They tricked Mother Nature this time. 

We hung out with family and friends...and Maxson got to meet some family members he's never met....still have a few more of those  to go..

He's 7 months old now!! I can't believe it!  So far he loves bananas and pears! He rather enjoys being outdoors.  He's really trying to crawl!  And he loves bathtime! 

He met his new pediatrician yesterday!  He wasn't too bad...but I did like him more than the last one.  Unfortunately he's getting out of the military in August...so we have to find another one! Every time  we go there we get lectured on his vaccines...it's a bit annoying.  I wish we could afford to go off base to a pediatrician we choose ourselves. 

Dr. Granger...his current pediatrician...is submitting the paperwork to enroll us in the EFMP (exceptional family military program).  It keeps us stationed near his hospital and won't PCS us to a remote base...such as Edwards AFB or anywhere overseas.  We have to be stationed near medical facilities for Maxson. We did discuss the possibility of getting referred to Dr. Fearon in Dallas...but there are some sticky situations involved.  They need to look into the surgeries...how often we'll have to go there...ect.  If it's more than they like...they'll station us closer to the hospital.  The next part is going to make me sound terribly selfish....but I don't want to move over there. When I lived in Colorado...it was hard not seeing family that often...and Texas would be further away.  Now that Maxsons in the picture I feel like it would be harder to be away.  My moms also going through some medical issues...and I would hate to be so far away from her right now. Jacob also just got a job that guarantees he won't deploy for 4-6 years....but if we move he can deploy again.  Our house will be done next month as well.... I finally feel at home here and have been happy.  Does that make me a bad person?  I know that makes me selfish.  I should be ready to jump and move anywhere for Maxson.  Afterall, wherever your family is you can call it home...

I decided to finally start actually researching and speaking to other options in California.  I have a phone interview on Monday....a Skype interview with another director of a Craniofacial team on Saturday... I contacted the Seattle Children's hospital to see who they recommend in California...they gave me another hospital I've come across a few times..so I'll be calling them today.  Things are set in motion now to find him a hospital nearby that we feel comfortable with...if it ends up still being Dallas...then it ends up being Dallas.  I'll suck it up and get over it. But we want to be prepared with an alternative option just in case our insurance just flat out says no. The military switched insurance companies in April and they're still working our kinks....but we were told they they are a tad bit cheaper right now...the military is taking a lot of money cutbacks. 

Our house will be done next month!  It ended up being later than expected...so we had to make up a grown up decision and cancel another wedding invite and my best friend's birthday weekend :(((. So now that's 1 birthday and 2 weddings :/. Sometimes it sucks being an adult!!