Together

Love these two! And just love watching them play together!

~Whitney

Some Tessa

What do you get after a week+ of BynumFour sickness?

...Mass-multi-blog-updates!!

I have some fun pictures from the last couple of weeks that I just have to post...so I'm spending some time catching up!

Precious snuggle time with Daddy

darn flash...closes her eyes every time!

frilly...tutu and leg warmers ;)

just chillin

working hard at pt

~Whitney

OT Time

Here are a few things to share from the last couple of weeks of OT. Ms. Kayla takes Tessa every Tuesday and Friday morning to Occupational Therapy at The Children's Center. Tessa has made some huge strides since we started OT! And I just love it when Kayla snaps some pictures of her progress while they are there.

Here's Miss Tessa sitting up all by herself last week!

She did this several times for a few seconds throughout the session.

This is a new little Squiggles contraption they used today...

(well, "little"...it's a $1300 Early Activity System)

http://www.adaptivemall.com/lesqeaacsye.html

...works pretty fabulously!

Looks like we might need to get one of these for home!

We are so thankful for Kayla and how hard she works with our Little Miss! And thankful for the therapists at The Children's Center that are helping Tessa learn and explore new things!

~Whitney

Sick Girl

Please say some prayers for Tessa! We all got slammed by strep this week and Miss Tessa isn't doing so well. We did take her to the doctor yesterday and they gave her oral antibiotics for the strep and antibiotic drops for a terrible ear infection. She has been dehydrated for several days anyway just from being sick & in so much pain when she tries to swallow, and then yesterday she started throwing up. We're pretty sure it's just because the antibiotics are just too much on her system right now. It's just really hard to get her well when she struggles keeping food and medicine down. The more we can get her system replenished though, the better she'll tolerate her medicine and the quicker she'll get healthy again! It's stressful with it being right before a weekend, but we have a plan and that helps a lot!
I think the rest of us are on the mend ...thankfully ...because we have a 4 year old to celebrate tomorrow!!!

~Whitney

Random Fun Times

Just some random fun times for the Bynumfour!

Daddy's over-the-shoulder head control hold!

Yes, big brother makes for a fabulous horsey!

(his face makes it looked like we forced him...but we didn't ;)

Daddy and Tessa giggles are the best!

Parker determining that Tessa is getting a little big to hold these days!

Precious...that's all...just precious

Tessa's new trick...rolling/throwing herself off of her nap nanny...

we'll take movement however we can get it ;)

These two always have a grand 'ol time together

Proof of their bond...

More of Tessa's simple giggles...watching Daddy unload the dishwasher

(no dishes were harmed in the making of this video ;)

~Whitney

New Activity

A new favorite activity in the Bynum household:

a lightbox and water beads!

They are beautiful to look at and squishy fun to touch!

This is her serious face...but she is having fun ;)

~Whitney

Yay for Good Positioning!

We were lucky enough to get to try out a KidsFast demo over the weekend and it has been a huge hit! This is the exact stroller (except ours in pink) that we have on order for Tessa. Our PT got her hands on a demo and we have had lots of fun with it. It is just amazing to see the changes in Tessa when she has good positioning and is super comfortable. We got her out and about in it over the weekend and it was the first time in months that she didn't throw up while she was in her stroller. When Tessa's tone kicks in it causes her to shift around quite a bit in the strollers we've been using...all the shifting causes lots of pressure on her belly from the straps which causes her to reflux over and over again while she's in it. This new dynamic stroller holds her in the perfect position but also allows her some extension when she needs it, so she stays super comfy!

Here's her first reaction to the new stroller :)

I'm pretty sure she smiled the whole first 5 minutes she was in it!

She knows when things are changing...and changing for the better!

The stroller comes with a tray and has a tilt option

that makes it perfect for meal time

This was Sunday out to lunch after church...

...she has never sat up to the table like this!

It was amazing to have her so up close and personal

just look at the beautiful posture!

enjoying the outdoors

..and finally...a look at Miss Tessa joining us for dinner at the kitchen table.

She didn't quite know what to think being able to rest her arms on the table!

We got Tessa's stroller ordered in December, but we have to plan to give it 6 months. We might get the opportunity to continue using the demo, but it will all just depend. We are definitely making the best of our time with it now though!

~Whitney