Adventures in Being Myself

It finally happened ( sort of ...) W e took Zane to the doctor this morning for a medical evaluation of lingering head congestion and a worsening cough. PG and I knew this would happen sooner or later; and, in our case, it was later. Z is nearly six months old and he has yet to run a fever or require medication of any sort (thus my "sort of" caveat at the beginning of this post ) But last night, when he woke up crying at 11:34pm, 12:22am, 1:47am, 3:04am, 4:44am, and 5:24am, his breathing sounded terrible and he had a wicked cough. Aside from increased fussiness when he is sleepy - and fighting it - you would think the congestion and cough ain't nuttin' but a thang for the Z-man. He is still our happy, smiley, talkative and joyful little buddy. I'm happy to report t he doctor's prognosis is excellent: his ears are completely clear; his lungs are completely clear; and he has no fever. What we've got here is a common summer cold. I am so thankful. We are sup...

This is what happens when Big Papa gets Zane dressed for the day. They are such hambones.

Zane is a super happy and content little man. He's even got the sophisticated chair-sit down pat. Yeah, he's cool like that. These pix are from this morning. PG and I are treated every morning to sweetness, smiles, happy coos and, in the last two weeks, full-on giggles! Chillin' in the La-Z-Boy. What'chu lookin' at? Just getting wound up... Here we go.... Look how big I smile! Starting to giggle... Giggle in full effect. It's amazing PG captured these shots. We were cracking up!

Look Mama! I'm swimmin'! ...okay, not really, but he seems to love the water. Of course, it was heated to 96 degrees - much like a bath - and he was with his Papa (Mama was taking pictures...) Look at that sweet face...I just love his crooked little grin in this shot. See those clenched fists? He is starting to unclench them now, just as "the book" said he would. He is growing so fast! My two very handsome fellas!

On March 22, 2008, PG and I had Zane baptized. I'm not a church-going gal, but I believe in God. If ever there were a time that I questioned "God," my questions were answered - and my faith in Him restored - when I learned I was pregnant with Zane. Despite all precautions to the contrary, here we are, two people who never thought we would have children, with a beautiful baby boy, and a life that is enriched beyond what either of us ever imagined. That is the power of God. It is very true that we both flipped our s*%t when two positive home pregnancy test results were confirmed by my doctor. It is very true that it took a little while for both of us to get our head around becoming "three." And, I believe this to my core, it is very true that God himself was - and still is - intervening directly in our lives. He said, "take that leap of faith...trust in me...and I will take care of you." And He did. I had an easy pregnancy until the last three weeks ....

Living in Southwest Florida has a lot of benefits - like going to the beach in mid-February. This was Zane's first trip to the beach.

Z and I are finally back in Fort Myers after our grueling 9-week-long sojourn in Tallahassee for Session. To say we are glad to be home would be the understatement of the century. It was quite an adventure: challenging, rewarding, sweet, frustrating and empowering all at once; and I am glad it is over. Zane did a LOT of growing in the last three months. At his 4-month checkup, he measured 24.5 inches long and weighed 12 lbs. What follows are several pictorial updates featuring our precious Baby Zane.