Ski Copper!

Our friends Mel and Andy came to visit last weekend and we headed up to the Copper Mountain on Saturday for a couple days of skiing.  Mel's brother and sister-in-law live in Denver and the two couples were planning this ski weekend, and they were all gracious enough to invite us along.  They have a baby just a week older than Jack so we weren't the only ones weighed down with baby gear.

Brent isn't much of a skier, so he volunteered to wrangle our lil' critter while I skied.  What a good husband, am I right?  He moved up to Saint status when we weren't able to check into our condo until 4:00 that Saturday and had to check out at 10:00 the next morning, leaving lots of time for him to figure out what to do with Jack.  I probably only got 4-5 runs in each day, but it was enough for me.  I was pretty okay with Brent saying that he couldn't get Jack to stop crying around 11:30 on Sunday morning and that it was time to leave.  My gloves were too thin and I just wasn't prepared for such a cold morning.

Yes, please.

I had to pump in the car (always fun!) and get Jack and Brent settled in on Saturday, so I was behind getting up the mountain.  To get to the West Village where we skied most of the time on the green hills, I had to ride up the American Flyer by myself and sneak my way down on different paths.  It had been six years since I last skied and I just wanted a little hill to try first, but you had to go all the way up on the Flyer first.  There were several line changes until I found the nicest looking group to pair with and I finally sucked it up and hopped on.  

Geared up and ready to go on Sunday morning - now that we've found the car that was towed in the middle of the night.  

It's cold, folks!

"A helmet?  No, decline."  What dork wears a helmet skiing?  Um, everyone.  Note to self for next time.  I've never been offered a helmet as a standard in the ski rental package and it just never crossed my mind!

 

Cute!  And safe...in their helmets and all.

Hi, baby friend!  

The much anticipated return of "Baby on a Mantle".

 

Abercrombie & Fitch, you make a very sturdy shirt

This is the shirt Rob was wearing the night of his accident.  It wasn't given to us in a bag with the rest of his things that Sunday morning - (his belt, the jeans that were cut off him, and one boot).  Bob actually found it days later, at the scene of the accident, in a field.  There's a little hole on the right shoulder and a couple of faint blood stains, that I think I can still probably take care of.  Pretty amazing, really.

And so is Rob.  Tomorrow morning, he has an appointment with his orthopedic doctors, and if they lift his non-weight bearing status, we go straight back to Parkview for physical rehab. 

Thanks for all your continued support, and especially your prayers.  Rob, you're a miracle..... and your shirt held up pretty well too.   

Go Ahead Shelby.....

   .....you can shave now. It isn't that Rob couldn't have shaved before tonight, he just wasn't ready to. 

 And now to get rid of the stachio....

                                                           He's back!!!

For the record.

We had Jack's 4 month well-baby visit today (um, Happy V-Day, Jack!).  His stats are:

Weight - 13lb 9oz (17th percentile)
Height - 24 3/4 (36th percentile)
Head - 16 5/8 (42nd percentile)


There's probably not going to be a lot of smiling around here today or tomorrow while he's recovering from his shots, so here's a good one to tide us over!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day from one Heart Breaker to another!

The American Patient.....as opposed to the English Patient....okay, the Hickory Hill Hood Patient. 

  Since Lindsey is so busy working and taking care of our adorable and exceptional grandson, Jack, this will be a post from Mom   We just want to keep you all updated on Rob, who is recovering in a hospital bed, in our guest room.  (Lindsey's former bedroom - there's a wall of clouds behind him and lots of stuffed animals and some dolls)

Rob did come home from Fort Wayne via ambulance on January 30th, his 23rd birthday.  That same day, I delivered a birthday cake to the good folks at Parkview ICU.  It read:  " Happy 23rd Birthday Rob Pillers,  Thanks to God and Parkview."  One of the nurses on duty in the ICU just happened to be Andrea, who was his nurse on Sunday morning, December 11th.  Can you believe it?  Also, thanks to the nice people at the Kendallville Dairy Queen who gave Rob a complimentary ice cream cake for his birthday.

Bob and I are trying to be good nurses.  We learned how to flush his feeding tube, and how to give him his anticoagulant injections.  (I hate giving him the injections, so if Bob is home, he does it) Rob still doesn't have much of an appetite, although it is improving.   Milkshakes with some added protein powder are his current favorite. 

He has an appointment with his orthopedic doctors on February 20th, and hopefully, keep your fingers crossed, he will go from their office to the Parkview Rehab floor that same day.  Since he will have to travel to Fort Wayne in an ambulance for this appointment, it will be really swell if this all works out.  Please continue to pray for his complete recovery, and that we will be able to move forward with his physical rehabilitation.  Also, if you have time, he would appreciate visitors, so stop by......I'm pretty sure he's tired of our hovering.

Four Months.

Mr. Jack, how are you four months old already?  You are so much fun.  You are spunky and such a sweetie.  As you get stronger, I see glimpses of the rough and tumble guy I think you're becoming.  I'm excited to see how you'll change in the next several months but don't want you to get any bigger, either!  You're my favorite little guy.

Weight - I'm guessing around 13 pounds.  We'll have another official weight check next Tuesday.

Length - You're getting longer all the time!  Look at those long legs!  

Head Circumference - TBA at your 4-month well-baby check.

Clothing Size - You're in all size 3-6 month sleepers now and I have some 9 month sizes washed and ready to go, mainly because of your length.  You're starting to bust out of your size 1 diapers and we should probably move you into size 2 now.  You're still wearing your BGs when we're at home (and if they're clean), and we leave 3 snaps in the middle.

Hair - You lost some of that gorgeous hair between months three and four.  You've got a little bald patch on the back of your head now.  

Sleeping - You are sleeping through the night pretty consistently now (::knocks on wood::).  You go to bed around 8:30 - 9:00 and sleep until 5:30 or 6:00, then usually go back down again an hour later.  You take two short morning naps and a longer two or three hour nap in the afternoon.  

Eating - You eat 4-5 oz every two - three hours. You have about 14-15 oz of breast milk first from what I pumped the day before and then we finish the day with formula.  Our goal is to get you to around 30-35 oz a day if you seem interested...and I've never seen you turn down a bottle.  You are now exclusively bottle fed.  We are mulling around the idea of starting cereal because you are very interested in what we're eating.  We'll talk to the pediatrician about it next week and then maybe give it a try sometime this month.     

Movement - You are an active guy!  You're always trying to get down from our laps.  I'm not sure what your game plan is, but we suspect that when you can crawl you will be constantly on the move!  Dad put together your jumperoo and while you're interested, you unfortunately aren't heavy enough to touch the ground yet.  Waa.waa.waa.  I think once you can actually jump you'll like it more.  Hopefully.   

"Watch out, 5 month sticker...you'll never make it through the next photo shoot"  

Milestones - You now consistently roll from belly to back whenever we do tummy time.  You've gotten to your side while on your back, but no back to belly rolling yet.  You're SO close and I'm hoping it happens when we're home with you so we can be the first to see it.  You can support yourself with your arms while you're on your tummy for long periods of time.  You started reaching for and grabbing your toys between months three and four, and you have been squealing at us quite a bit for the last week or so.  You sit well with support, and you love to stand.  You started laughing at us the last few weeks, too.    

You met your permanent nanny this month and so far all is going very well!  You seem to have good days with her and she makes up fun games for you.

I almost forgot - you've been holding your own bottle the last several days!  Not every time, but you get at least one hand on it each time.  So independent!

Favorite toys/activities - You like "This Little Piggy" and the game when I flip the end of the burp cloth back and forth between your hands.  Hey, whatever it takes.  Dad discovered a great chant that sent you into your first laughs..."Sleep Sheep!  Sleep Sheep!  Sleep Sheep!"  You like it best when Dad and I say it in unison.  You pretty much think that anything Dad says is great, but Momma has to work a little harder at it.    

Your favorite books at "Moo, Baa, La-La-La" and "Barnyard Dance".  I try to mix others into your repertoire from time to time, but you're not interested.  It might have something to do with the great animal sounds in those books. 

Dislikes - Being still, burping (which you despise even more than you did last month), an empty bottle.

What we love - We love your sweet face and your smiles.  You've been talking up a storm and our conversations with you are the best we have all day.

"Mom, have you seen these before?  I have feet!"

What we don't love - Fussy times, having to struggle with your very strong little body to burp you, and cold winter days when we can't get out for a walk.

What we're looking forward to - Checking on all your stats at your appointment next month, starting solids at some point, and the birth of another friend, LP Hetrick!