Mason's First Thanksgiving!

Mason's first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 

Fort Smith, Arkansas.  

Son, 

Today is your first Thanksgiving and there is so much I am thankful for.  First off, I am thankful for your beautiful mother who has been by my side through many years.   She is such a hard worker, going to class and clinical numerous hours a day, and then coming home to care for you while she studies long and tedious hours.   She also gave me the most wonderful gift in the world, you!  

Our Family Thanksgiving Photo

Dear Mason...the word at the moment is "Generous"

Son,

A few days ago we attended a pre-holiday, Thanksgiving luncheon at the office of Midtown Apartments.  While there, we saw a special someone who adores you, Joanna.  After meeting her you could easily define the word Generous.  

Its so easy for you to bring joy into someone's life

He loves to talk

Mason talking up a storm

Dear Mason...no one is perfect, except you.

Son,
It is about 4 am and you woke up our entire family....again.  So to make you feel better, your mother and I changed you, fed you, burped you, and laid you down to sleep.

Afterwards, we had a long discussion about taking precautionary measures to ensure your safety.  Neither one of us want any harm to come to you so we discuss ways we can be better parents.  We both know we cannot always be with you every minute of your life, but there are things we can prevent to ensure you stay out of harm's way.  It is critical we have some sort of plan put in place to keep you out of danger.  Your mom and I only want what is best for you.

Mason @ one week old

As you get older you will realize no one is perfect.  However, I believe you have been the perfect child for the past 14 weeks and no nothing will change my mind for the next 18 years or more.  You see, you are our son, and your mom and I have a lot of learning to do on this long, fun, and life-changing journey of parenting.  All of us will make mistakes, overlook things, or hit a bump in the road.  But remember it is important for our family to come together and help one another.  Life is a not fair, nor is it easy; no one can get through it alone.  So do not forget, you will always have your mom and myself here to assist you in anyway possible.  We both love you very much.

Love,
Dad

The little turkey is 14 weeks

It is going to be a wonderful Thanksgiving.  

Figuring out the correct formula

Until recently, we have been having a difficult time finding the right combination between formula and feeding bottles for Mason.  Ever since the first day he began consuming formula, he has been really gassy and fussy.  We tried Similac Advance first which is the general type everyone uses.  But he did not like it, so we thought since Phan has a history of being lactose intolerant, maybe we should switch to the Similac Soy formula.  The results were pretty much the same.  We spoke to our pedatrician who recommended the Similac Sensitive formula.  It helped a little but Mason still had a hard time digesting and kept on grunting at night.  So we finally tried the Similac Expert Care Alimentum formula.  We have been on it for a month and have had positive results.

Some people stated Mason's gas may be from the bottle he is taking.  We have tried just about every type of bottle from the expensive, Tommee Tippee...Playtex drop-ins (which are really easy to use)...Playtex Ventaire advanced...Avent.  But Mason's preference is Dr. Brown's.  Some people may think its too complicated to use, but it really isn't.   There just two extra parts that insert inside the bottle which is convenient and easy to clean.

Mason did not like the regular advance, it gave him a lot
of gas and he was always straining at night.

The soy formula, did not change anything...
pretty much same results.

The sensitive formula helped a little, since it was
specifically directed towards fussiness and gas.

The expert care formula gave the best results and this
is what we are currently feeding Mason.

This is Mason's preference in bottles, Dr. Brown's.