Smiley and Sleepy

Nolan is teething so much these days. He has had a few sad days, but has been a trooper for the most part. He has been waking up earlier than normal because of his pain. His bottom gums are swollen, and we really hope those teeth pop through soon!

Here, Nolan is his usual smiley self...

Here, Nolan is so sleepy!
So sleepy that he fell asleep while eating his breakfast this morning!

Now that's a sleepy baby!

Rolling and More

Nolan is doing so many great things these days! He is such a happy baby!

He loves his tongue!

He loves to kick and move his legs!
He loves to look around!
He enjoys doing his ab workout!
He loves to smile!
He loves to roll over...again and again and again!
He loves drinking water out of his cup (he loves to hold it, too)!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Belated Mother's Day! We had a great day! We went to Noni's house for brunch with Daddy's family and then to Aunt Mar and Uncle Ron's house for dinner with Mommy's family. Motherhood is the greatest gift in the world, and Mommy is so thankful for Nolan on her first Mother's Day!

Nolan and Mommy before going to church

Noni and Nolan
Nolan playing with his cousin, Henry
Nolan rolled over while playing with Henry
Nolan rolling around with Pops
Nolan and MoMo
Nolan and Mommy before heading home for the night

Six Months Old

Nolan turned six months old on Friday! We cannot believe it! He is such a big boy, and he is doing so well! He went to the doctor on Monday for his six month visit, and his stats continue to be impressive. He is 21 pounds 4 ounces (95th percentile) and 26 inches long (25th percentile). His head is 45 centimeters (75th-90th percentile). He is a very healthy baby! He loves everything! He is such a good eater and loves being around people. He is a good sleeper and loves to check out everything in his environment. It is so fun to watch him grow and develop! He has become quite the roller and laughs so much when he is encouraged to move! We love Nolan so much and can't remember life without him! Nolan was protesting when we put him in his infant carrier car seat, so we had his new seat installed on Friday (the carrier is good until a baby is 22 pounds or one year old). Nolan reached the weight requirement long before the age requirement! He loved his visit to the Oak Lawn police station to get his new seat installed.

This is the last picture of Nolan in his infant seat...Mommy cried but knows the new seat is much more comfortable!

Nolan, the king, in his new car seat. He loves it and is happy with his new views. He can really check everything out now!
Nolan loves the windows open, too!
Nolan is six months old!
He takes his baths in the kitchen sink. He loves to splash!
Nolan still sleeps in the car...even in his big seat!

Swinging With Shades

Nolan LOVES his swing now! He loves it so much that he played outside for about three hours yesterday! He looks so cool with his red shades! He was so happy to be out in the fresh air! We love spring!

MRI Results

We heard from the nurse at the neurosurgeon's office tonight. The MRI results are in, and Nolan is recovering well from his fall. The three hemorrhages have dissolved (been absorbed by his brain matter). The skull will need more time to heal, probably two to three months so that the bones can fuse back together. The arachnoid cyst is there, and it is stable. It is not a tumor or cancer. It is something that Nolan was born with and will have for the rest of his life. As the neurosurgeon said, he or I could have a cyst and not know it because we do not have CT scans. But, since Nolan is a baby and we know about it, we have to monitor it. A small percentage of arachnoid cysts grow, a small amount get smaller, and most of them stay the same size. It would become an issue if the cyst grew in Nolan's brain. We have a follow-up appointment with the neurosurgeons in May, and Nolan will most likely have another MRI in six months and then every year for a few years. The doctors will study and measure the cyst to determine if there is a change in size, etc. It may be a blessing that Nolan fell last Friday because now we know about the arachnoid cyst that was only visible on CT scans and the MRI. Thanks again for the great prayers, thoughts, good wishes, phone calls, emails and cards. We are very lucky to be have such caring people in our lives. Nolan is such a brave, strong baby who is doing very well. We will be extra careful with his head for a long time, and we certainly learned to always use the brakes on our strollers!

MRI Day

Nolan had his MRI on Tuesday. We have not received any results yet. He did extremely well. We had to wake up Nolan at 4:30 a.m. to give him a bottle. He could not have another bottle until about 2:00 p.m. That was the hardest part since Nolan LOVES his bottles! We kept him amused all morning so that he would not think about eating. The doctor gave Nolan gas to fall asleep before starting the IV. It took two pokes before finding a good vein for the IV. We were able to give Nolan some water when he woke up after being sedated. He recovered well and is acting very appropriately. We will let everyone know when we receive our results...hopefully we will hear from the doctor soon!

Mommy giving Nolan his bottle after the MRI...he was soooo hungry!

Nolan and Daddy relaxing at home
Nolan with his band-aid...his IV was in his left arm this time. Nolan is such a brave little boy!
Nolan wore his White Sox jammies to bed. He is such a big Sox fan!