Dec 21 - From Under the Christmas Tree

Wishing you and yours

a very Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year.

May this year bring you

dreams fulfilled with

miracles untold.

From Under Our Christmas Tree

Erynn

May 19, 2007

2 pounds 12 ounces 14 1/8 inches

Christmas 2007

16 pounds 1 ounce 24 1/2 inches

Dec 15 - The Santa Man and Me

The Santa Man came to my house for pictures. I can't go out of my house because I could get very sick. Santa Man came to see me before other children could give him dangerous germs. I love Santa Man. He's so nice and considerate.

Santa Man: Erynn, what would you like for Christmas?

T-O-Y-S

Dec 7 - Tips on Napping from A Professional

Hello. My name is Erynn. I am a professional baby. I would like to share with you today some tips on napping your grandparents. First of all, they are usually quite unruly and unwilling to take a nap. They just want to look at you and play with your fingers and toes. Therefore, it is very important for you to develop your grandparent napping skills so that you can play with your toys unbothered. Method 1: Distance Napping For this method to work, you need a side to side cradle swing. I like my pink one. First, you sit in your swing and look very cute and adorable. Then, you stare directly at your grandparent. Your grandparent should be sitting directly across from you. It would be helpful if your put a blanket on your grandparent, but it is not necessary. Wait until you have your grandparent's full attention.

Then, you rock, and rock, and rock . . .

This is the best method that allows you to play while they sleep. However, it is a quite advanced method. Here's another simpler method.

Method 2: Close Up Napping

First, you have to get noticed and get your grandparent to pick you up. Then, fuss for a second (not too long, just enough to get their attention). Then, start napping yourself. They always fall prey to the sleeping hormones of professional babies.

Always.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. e

Dec 1 - Snow Day

Erynn: Good Morning, Mommy. I am very tired after our very long night. Something's, not right. You're not Mommy. You're Daddy.

Daddy: Erynn, its the first of December and it is snowing outside. Yes, it is Saturday and so both Mommy and I will be here today. And, it is snowing outside, so we will all stay home and play today. Erynn: Yay, SNOW DAY. . . . . . what's snow ??? Daddy: It's frozen rain. Oh, you don't know what rain is either? We'll open the door today and look at the outside. But, you will need to be careful because it is very cold. Erynn: I am so happy, I need to sing with my duck. Let's sing our three songs, Mr. Duck. (me,me,me,me) London bridge is falling down . . . . Old MacDonald had a farm . . . . Frerer Jacques . . . . Daddy: Erynn, it's time for a little lunch. Erynn: Daddy, spin my sailboats please. Daddy, my sailboats are not spinning. Daddy, do i need to get sad or are you going to spin my sailboats? Mommy, daddy isn't spinning my sailboats. Mommy: Erynn, it's time for a diaper check. Erynn: Why? I do not stink. Oh, never mind, I can feel . . . the yucky stuff. Mommy: Erynn, do you want to take a nap with Gina? Erynn: Yes, Gina, we need to snuggle in for our nap. It's snowing outside and it will be very cold. Daddy said so. Mommy: Erynn, what are you doing now?

Erynn: I am practicing for Christmas. I am pretending to be the manger baby.

Erynn: Mommy, what are you doing?

Mommy: Baby laundry. You've gone through five outfits, two sleeping mats, one blanket and eight spit diapers today.

Erynn: Good night, Mommy. I love you. Good night, Daddy. I love you, too (especially when you spin my sailboats.) kisses, e

Nov 22 - Thankful at Thanksgiving

Mommy says (you better listen) its important to say Thank You when people are nice to you and help you. And, it's really important to say Thank You for the small things that really, really made a difference for you. So, on this, My First Thanksgiving, I would like to thank a few people:

Miss Deb H: for being the first person to just play with me while Mommy was watching. Mommy didn't know how to play with me because I was sick for so long. Do you know that we play wiggly fingers all the time so that I can find new things in my house ?

Mary Rose and Bobby: for lending me their activity gym and special bouncy chair. I learned how to play with toys because I didn't have to lift them up. Did you know that most toys are very heavy or short? I couldn't see all the wonderful things that I could play with. I love the special bouncy chair because I can play and not reflux. This is a really big thing for me, really, really big.

Miss Kaylene T and Miss Natalie D: for finding me something to stop the tummy pains and conquering the "pooh monster" and the "gas monster". They still live in my world, but now most of the time they don't control me. I can learn and grow and play now instead of fighting the monsters all the time.

Miss Jan H: for letting me scream in her ears and tell my sad stories. It's hard being a baby. Everything is new and lots of time I don't understand what's going on.

Miss Lisa T: for showing me how to pump a swing with my upper body and helping me look to the left. I really like looking to the right, but my muscles need development on the left so I won't look funny in the future.

Mr. Spencer C and Miss Shawna H: for coming to hold me for Mommy and talking with my Grandpa when I didn't feel good. Sometimes its hard for my family not to feel bad when I feel bad. Sometimes, we have too many things to do and need a little help here and there.

Miss Julie T: for telling Mommy about pie-loric sten-osis and how to ask doctors to give you a test to prove you don't have something. Undiag-nosed problems can be really bad. It's better to know what's up than to keep getting sick. P.S. I don't have the pie thing (see above), but I do have dysphagia and reflux for now.

Oh, there's lots more people to thank for many things big (huge) and small and I'll have to write more later. But, Mommy says, sometimes people just don't know how important the little things are.

Thank you very much,

e

Note to reader: This week we received very, very complimentary and astounding (miraculous was used) comments regarding Erynn's progress in catching up to her adjusted age. She is on the path to catching up to her physical age also.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Did I just see Santa on the T.V. ?????? I am ready for Christmas and snow.

Nov 19 - 6 Months Old and Fabulous

Yes, that's the official word. I am doing fabulous. I am not perfect (say it isn't so) but I am getting very close. Last week, I got sick; I got shots; I got constipation; and I lost weight (that's very bad for me.) So, after Mommy interviewed the doctors for a very long time, we went home and tried some new things. This week, I gained back all my wieght and then some. I am now 13 and 1/2 pounds of energy. I am learning lots of things. I was so impressive for one of my doctors that they actually wrote done the "fabulous" word. I am on target for my adjusted age of 3 months in all areas. I used to be behind in a few areas (but what do they know). Now, I need to work on my strength and head control. (and, of course, my feeding disorder.)

Hope you have a fabulous day, too.

e

Nov 13 - I am Learning Something New

Can you read my t-shirt ? Can you tell from just my hairstyle what my t-shirt says ? It says, "Daddy does my hair". Now that I have so much less of it, I though it would be easier for Daddy to do my hair. I was wrong. I decided to take this picture, because I am growing and I won't fit into this t-shirt much longer. I am now starting to wear 3 to 6 months clothing. The clothes are HUGE on me. However, my 0 to 3 months clothing is getting to be too short for me.

My big announcement is that I am learning how to play with toys as well as playing with people. I am a baby, so I like to play with little toys. But, I like to play with all my little toys as once. These are all my toys that I can hold on to at once without them being too heavy. My pink baby bear and my little giraffe have rattles in them and my keys make lots of noise. I don't like lots of noise but sometimes I need my toys to make noise so that I can find them. (Don't you have to call your cell phone to find it, too ?) Another way I like to play with toys is to have them hanging in front of me. Then, I can see them and bat at them and they aren't too heavy for me to play with.

Can you see the spotty and stripey thingys ? I know these aren't toys, but I can't help myself. I love to look at these for minutes on-end.

These are my funny suns. They have toys that hang from the suns. I like to hold on to the hanging toys and look at the faces on the suns. I am a very lucky baby to have two suns to play with. It is very fun to play with toys. However, nothing beats playing with people. Can you find me ?

PEEK - A - BOO.

Hugs and kisses from me, e

Nov 10 - My Healthy Body

First of all, I'm fine. I just didn't feel very good for the last few days. I needed to cry every time I was feeding. I just needed to, I'm a baby. The doctors took pictures of my insides and examined my outsides and couldn't figure out what the problem was.

By then, I was so tired that I fell asleep and forgot to cry during my feeding. So, they sent me home with Mommy and Daddy. All the x-rays confirmed that I am a very cute baby, inside and out.

Mommy doesn't like it when I don't feel good. She gets really freaky. Daddy gets upset then cause Mommy and I don't feel good. Then, I get upset and yell at Grandpa. Then, he's sad and Grandma gets worried. Then, we call Grandma GG and she gets all worried. As she calls . . . and so on, and so on . . . .

I JUST DIDN'T FEEL GOOD.

I think I had a slight inflamation at the top of my tummy. I think my tube needed to be longer inside of me. Mommy fixed the tube and I am going to try it out tommorrow.

Anyway, we saw alot of very sick boys and girls and babies at the Children's Hospital in Seattle. I have fragile health right now, but I am very thankful for my healthy little body. I am very blessed just to have a feeding disorder. Hopefully Dr. Lynn can help me next Tuesday with my feeding. I am going to have a swallow test.

Hope you all are feeling good.

Love, e

Nov 8 - A Visit from Zipper, my dolphin pal

Hello, Zipper. Yes, I am very glad that you came to visit me during my afternoon gavage today. I don't feel good and I might be teething. Mommy said I could have my feedings by gavage for a little while until my mouth feels better.

Zipper, listen to me, you are not allowed to tickle me while I am gavaging. I may get sick all over you. It would not be nice. Let's pretend we are feeding you.

First, we put a little fishy in my fingers. Then, I hold it in front of you. Can you see it ? Can you smell the yummy fishy ? Do you want the yummy fishy ? No, no, Zipper. You can not have the yummy fishy until I tell you that you can have the ymmy fishy. It's the rules. You know "Mommy Says"rules. Okay, now you can have the yummy fishy. Was it very tasty ? You are a very nice dolphin. Oh, I am done with the gavage. Let's find Mommy and she will hold us for our nap. Or, maybe one of the Mommy's grandma friends will be over to hold us. How did we get so lucky to have a Mommy with so many friends who are Grandma's ? Are there other babies out there in the big world ? e

Nov 6 - Bushed and Balding

i'm getting old. i'm losing my hair. i'm going to crib. i can't deal with this.

e

p.s. erynn pulled out her feeding tube an odd number of times (yes, more than once) yesterday and so the feeding tube has switched sides on her face.