Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Oh yeah...well my son can sign!

Yeah, Yeah, I know what I said about not being impressed about signing. I take that all back. When Burke signed for milk it just made me so excited! While Burke was so sick he had to have Nebulizer treatments every two hours. Getting an 11 month old to sit still during a treatment was pure torteture on him and me. I found that he didn't mind the treatments so much if he could watch Immagination Movers and Baby Einstein videos. So we kind of got in a rut and have been watching the baby signs about once a day. I noticed a few days ago that he was trying to sign. He would do a lot with his hands while watching. And then it happened. While watching the video he saw the milk and did the sign!! Yay, Burke!! This morning when I was making his bottle he did the sign again for milk!

So yeah, my son can sign! And I am just thrilled!!!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Furke? Bert? Brooke?

I NEVER dreamed Burke would be a difficult name. I mean it is simple. At least we think. I know it isn't a common name. I know it is a surname. I realize it isn't on the top 10 or even top 100 names. But I love it!

I am totally amazed and annoyed with the people who can't figure out Burke's name. When I tell people his name, I say, "Burke, with a K". I usually get this response, "is it a family name?" Nope. Just a name we like! God forbid that the person asking be over 60. If they are over 60 you will never convince them his name is not Bert! Yesterday the health department called regarding B's whooping cough. This is how it went...
Me: Hello
Lady: Can I speak with Woolen's mom?
Me: This is Burke Woolen's mom
Lady: I am calling to get info on Woolen's Pertussis.
Me: Ok. My son's name is Burke his last name is Woolen..the lady paused.
Lady: I need some info on your son.

Now I knew Burke was a surname...but isn't Burke more of a first name than Woolen??

Another time Burke was called Furke! Really? You really think I would name my son Furke?

The doctor's office always calls him Brooke. Just ask me...I'll proudly tell you his name is Burke, with a K!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Happy 2010!

This blog has turned into a blog for Burke. I'm sorry if it bores some, but I don't have that many readers...so please bear with me!


Burke's first Christmas!

Where do I begin my little sweetheart?! I told Daddy I didn't need/want anything this year because I got the best gift in January! This was by far the best Christmas ever! It was wonderful to hold my baby boy on Christmas. To wrap presents for my baby boy. To bake things that my baby boy would taste. To see my baby boy sit on Santa. To hang my baby boy's stocking! To see gifts to my baby boy. It was PERFECT in every way. Well, except we got sick, but I'll get to that later. On your first Christmas Grandma and Grandpa got here about 2:30 a.m. Dec. 24! Auntie and her family came on the 24th around 1:00. That is when our house got super crazy! Grandpa and Mommy made bierocks. You didn't care for them. Which is ok...most kids don't like bierocks. We all ate and visited. You watched your cousins run around and you tried to keep up! You got pretty tired but refused to go to sleep. You really showed off that you run our house! You had Mommy and Daddy all worked up because you were just so excited and wouldn't sleep! Mommy got all kinds of advice from Grandma and Auntie. When I went to bed my head was spinning. I think I heard enough advice to last a lifetime!!

Christmas Eve we took pictures of us in front of the tree. Then we let each child open a gift. You got a dump truck and school bus from Grandma and Grandpa. You really liked it. You also liked the Barbies that Mommy got for Summer and Lilly! You finally fell asleep around 8:00.

Christmas morning you woke up bright and early! You woke up at 4:45!!! I think you were excited to see what Santa had brought you! You weren't too excited about your gifts. You weren't old enough to unwrap the presents and you couldn't make the connection that they were toys! Oh well...next year. What you did notice and like VERY much was Lilly's Barbie Dream Condo! You LOVED it!!! Forget your chair, bath toy, KU text book, Retro Rocket, Learning Easel, adorable outfit, Planet Earth Blue Ray, Giraffe rug/pillow, forget all that...you wanted that Barbie condo! All day Mommy heard this, "Auntie can you get Burkie?", "Auntie Burke won't leave us alone." You simply wanted that condo! Too cute! On Christmas you still didn't want to sleep. You watched your cousins and you tried so hard to keep up. You ate Peppernuts, Grandma's sugar cookies, summer sausage, crackers, pumpkin bread, poppyseed bread, and you loved it all! There was a lot of commotion but you kept going and going! Until finally you slept.

On Sunday, Grandpa made Biscuits and Gravy and you liked it almost as much as pancakes! You ate it up!

Our company was here until Monday! You had a fun time playing with Summer, Lilly, and Addy. I think next year you and Addy will be quite good friends. This year she was a little too old for you, but next year you will be older and able to stand your ground with her. You had a fun time with Grandma and Grandpa. You think they are both very neat and special. And you are right! They love you so much!

Everyone left on Monday and we slept! We all started battling a cough and cold. So on Tuesday I called the doctor and to my horror I found out you have Whooping Cough. OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had taken you to the doctor Dec. 22 for your cough and runny nose. They tested you for Whooping Cough but I never dreamed you would have it. I was shocked and still am that you got whooping cough. It appears that you got it from Daddy. Daddy had a bad cough for about a month and since we were on the delayed vaccine schedule you were not fully immunized against it. Unfortunately, you got it. I'm so sorry. So they started all of us on antibiotics and said we couldn't take you outside the house for six days! Oh boy! By New Year's Eve you were sounding much worse and we got scared. You were wheezing and running a temperature. So we went back to the doctor. Dr. Owen's said you got RSV/Pneumonia on top of Whooping Cough. You were one sick baby! You have been doing Nebulizer Treatments every 2-4 hours since. Needless to say your New Year's was not too exciting. You were asleep by 7:00 and Mommy (who was now sick too) was asleep at 8:00! Daddy got sick too and so did poor Grandma in Missouri!

On New Year's day we stayed home because we were all sick! We did Nebulizer treatments, gave you bottles, and slept all day. It was a crummy day!

Today though is January 4, 2010 and you are happy and feeling so much better! And so is Mommy and Daddy! You are napping away as I type this. You have smiled so much in the last 24 hours. I have been reading other people's blogs about their baby's first Holiday season and it makes me kind of sad. Sad that we didn't ring in the New Year together. We don't even have pictures of us on New Year's. But I know it is just another day. We will have many more New Year's together. And even though we were sick this was by far the BEST holiday season EVER! I so enjoyed sharing it with you and Daddy. You made me smile so much! Every time I look at you I am reminded how much I am blessed. I am so blessed to be your Mommy. I am so blessed to be able to spend every day with you. I am so blessed that your daddy is my best friend. We are a blessed family. You are the best Christmas present ever. I love you sweet boy.

Mommy