I'm Back!

Well, I'm going to try anyway. 

Marissa Suzanne Herman was born on November 15, 2015, and right away, she was the easiest baby EVER!  She was so good at going with the flow.  She slept well, and she was SO happy ALL THE TIME.  Marissa's doctor even joked that she read the handbook about being the 3rd child, and she knew that she had to be a cooperative baby.  As I did with Adriana and Eric, I began taking pictures of her each week.

November 22, 2015 - 1 week old

I know I took this picture, but I don't know where it went.  I'll keep looking...

November 29, 2015 - 2 weeks old

December 6, 2015 - 3 weeks old

December 13, 2015 - 4 weeks old (1 month)

December 20, 2015 - 5 weeks old

December 27, 2015 - 6 weeks old

January 3, 2016 - 7 weeks old

January 10, 2016 - 8 weeks old

January 17, 2016 - 9 weeks old (2 months)

January 24, 2016 - 10 weeks old

January 31, 2016 - 11 weeks old

February 7, 2016 - 12 weeks old

February 14, 2016 - 13 weeks old (3 months)

February 21, 2016 - 14 weeks old

February 28, 2016 - 15 weeks old

March 6, 2016 - 16 weeks old

March 13, 2016 - 17 weeks old (4 months)

March 20, 2016 - 18 weeks old

March 27, 2016 - 19 weeks old

April 3, 2016 - 20 weeks old

April 10, 2016 - 21 weeks old

Marissa was truly the happiest baby.  Everywhere we went, someone commented on it.  She smiled all of the time.  Scott and I are in the process of having a house built.  When we first met our salesman, he talked about how much he loved our baby.  From then on, whenever we would see him, he would refer to Marissa as his favorite, and he would tell other people that he had never seen her unhappy.

And then something happened.  Marissa got sick.  Someone in our house was sick from March 12 until the end of May.  When it hit Marissa, it started as what seemed to be a bad cold.  Her pediatrician told me that it was a good thing I was nursing her because it was helping her to not get too sick.  She said she had seen some horrible cases with babies this year.

I wanted to take Marissa's 22-week picture, but she wouldn't smile.  She just felt too yucky.  I couldn't imagine taking a picture of my smiley baby without her smiling.  It just wouldn't be her.  I thought I could just wait a day or so and she would be really happy again, and I would just take her picture a little late.  That didn't happen.  Days went by, and I couldn't get Marissa to smile.  Days turned into weeks.  I was so worried about Marissa feeling miserable that I lost track of time.  The days became such a blur.

On May 15, my dad had a retirement party.  I remember my dad commenting that Marissa felt very warm on the back of her neck.  When I would take her temperature, though, it was normal.  Still, I knew she wasn't quite herself.

Sometime during the week, Marissa started doing this weird thing where she would drop her head.  One time, I was talking to Scott while I was holding Marissa.  He was holding a knife because he was cutting some food.  Marissa dropped her head and came within inches of hitting the knife.  That scared us, but we just thought it was a weird trick she was trying out.  On May 22, Scott was holding Marissa at a restaurant while we ate.  She dropped her head and hit it on the table.

On May 25, the vomiting started.  My mom gave Marissa the tiniest amount of Jell-O.  She gagged, then she threw up EVERYTHING.  This went on for days.  For a little while, she threw up every time she ate anything.  This got better.  She stopped throwing up if she just nursed, but she continued to gag and throw up every time she ate the smallest bit of solid food.  I looked up information online, and I found that some babies' digestive systems just aren't quite developed yet.  The advice was to just try again in another week.  Just to be safe, I also took Marissa to the doctor.  The doctor decided that it was a virus, and it was weird that she wouldn't eat solid food, but it was a good sign that she was at least nursing again.  She was still grumpy most of the time, which made me sad.

June 12 brought a new symptom.  Marissa started doing this weird body movement.  She would make a weird face and throw her head forward, almost like her body was folding in half.  It was violent, and it looked like she was in pain.  She would then scream.  This would happen over and over for about 5 minutes.

I called the pediatrician.  The nurse agreed it was weird, but didn't know what this could be.  She said if it wasn't better by Wednesday, I should call back for an appointment.  It wasn't better.

On Thursday, June 16, we went to the doctor.  Of course, Marissa didn't have an episode for the doctor to see, and I didn't have a video, so the doctor had to go only by my description of what was happening.  She thought that it was acid reflux, which Marissa had for a brief time as a newborn.  She thought it sounded like she was trying to squeeze in her stomach because it hurt.  I thought it was more of a pain in her head, but I trust our doctor's judgment.  She prescribed Prilosec and said to call if it wasn't better by Monday.

Nothing improved over the weekend, so I called the doctor on Monday morning.  Marissa was scheduled to have an upper GI on Wednesday.  I didn't realize how bad this all was until I called to tell my mom that the upper GI was scheduled.  I mentioned that Marissa was sad all the time.  My mom said, "but she still smiles, right?"  I thought about it, and I was so overcome with sadness as I said, "not much."  My happy little baby wasn't happy anymore.  I couldn't believe such happiness was gone, and I wanted it back!  I wanted my sweet, smiley Marissa back!

Wednesday, June 22, was the day of the upper GI.  Since Marissa won't take a bottle, they had to put a tube down her nose and into her stomach to get the barium in her stomach.  They then used an X-ray machine to take pictures as the barium traveled through her.  In between taking the X-rays, Marissa was allowed to rest.  She either nursed or just wanted to be cuddled.  She was miserable.  At one point, as they were taking an X-ray, Marissa had an episode.  I hated seeing her in pain, but I was so happy that we would know where the problem was.  I told the X-ray tech that whatever part of the stomach the barium was going through right then, that's where the problem was.  She said she would take it to the doctor right away.  But, at the end of the upper GI, nothing showed up.  Nothing was wrong with her digestive system.  I was glad to hear that she was healthy in this area, but I was so sad that we didn't know what the problem was.

I called my mom on the way back home.  She asked me what I thought it was, since we know now that it isn't her digestive system.  I said that I really think it's something in her head.  My mom said, "then you need to demand that they get her into a neurologist."

That night, after the kids were in bed, Scott and I sat on our phones all night, looking for answers.  We would type in every symptom we could think of to try to figure out what was wrong with Marissa.  Finally, Scott said, "it's like her stomach is spasming."  So he typed in "baby muscle spasm."  A few minutes later, he said, "I think I found it."  He handed me his phone.  At the top of the page, it said "Infantile Spasms."  I read the description, and I knew he was right.  It sounded exactly like Marissa.  One of the things it mentioned was developmental delays.  At this point, Marissa was 7 months old, and she wasn't rolling, sitting, or eating solid foods.  I started reading things like, "my daughter is 2 1/2, and she doesn't walk or talk yet," and "my son still uses a feeding tube, but now he can roll over."  I then read the worst statistic.  In one study, 31% of the participants died by age 3.  The treatment for Infantile Spasms was a drug called ACTH, and it suppresses the immune system.  Babies would get sick from other illnesses, and since the immune system was suppressed, a simple illness would kill them.  Fortunately, there was a new medication that could treat Infantile Spasms, but not all kids respond to it.

I called the pediatrician on Thursday morning.  She said that Infantile Spasms were really rare, and Marissa doesn't fit the description of a typical child with the disorder.  Still, she said she would trust my instinct and get her an appointment with a pediatric neurologist.  She said she wanted to do blood work just to rule out anything else.  I agreed to this.  I took Marissa to get her blood drawn later Thursday morning.  All of Marissa's blood work was normal.

On Friday morning, June 24, Marissa went to see her neurologist, Dr. Conrad.  The appointment started with an EEG.  After the EEG, we saw Dr. Conrad.  Dr. Conrad confirmed what we already knew:  Marissa has a seizure disorder called Infantile Spasms.  At this point, I had a video of one of Marissa's episodes, and when Dr. Conrad saw it, she said that it definitely a spasm.  The EEG also showed that Marissa has a hypsarrhythmia, an erratic brain pattern.  Finally, Marissa has developmental delays.  These are the three characteristics needed to diagnose Infantile Spasms.

I cried and cried.  My poor little baby.  We decided to put Marissa on the newer medication.  She would take 4 mL of Sabril twice a day.  This is a powder that I have to mix so Marissa can take it with a syringe.  This medication would not suppress her immune system, but it can cause vision problems.  Marissa will need to see a pediatric ophthalmologist regularly, so that if she starts to have problems with her vision, we can catch it right away.  If she does start to have problems, she will stop taking Sabril in hopes that her vision won't get any worse.

Marissa started taking Sabril on June 28.  On June 29, she woke up laughing!  Then she started rolling over.  This is her favorite thing to do now.  She rolls like crazy!  She pushes up with her arms and moves all around the room.  She laughs and laughs as she goes.

Marissa ate baby cereal on June 30!  She loved it, and ate all that I had made for her!  We were going to see my parents that day, and we left later than planned because Marissa ate for so long.  Everyone was thrilled that we were late!

After a week on Sabril, Marissa had another EEG.  It showed that Marissa's hypsarrhythmia had improved, but it was not completely gone.  The doctor increased the dose to 8 mL twice a day.  Marissa absolutely HATES taking her medicine.  She spits, cries, and thrashes around.  But, she hasn't had a spasm since July 4, and that one was very minor.  We have another EEG tomorrow (July 13) to make sure that the hypsarrhythmia is gone.  Marissa also has her ophthalmologist appointment on July 18.  Finally, she has an MRI on July 28.  The MRI will tell us if there is a cause for the Infantile Spasms.  The prognosis is better if there is no structural reason for the spasms, so our hope is that the MRI shows nothing.

Regardless of what the MRI shows, we are so thrilled with the progress so far.  Our Marissa is back!  Our happy, smiley, sweet girl is back with us.  She laughs all of the time.  She smiles at everyone she sees.  She is so happy!  Scott and I love watching her laugh and smile.  It is so great to see her medicine working!  We feel hopeful that Marissa will be fine.  We know that she may have some struggles, but we feel like she's going to be happy, and that's what we want most for our little girl.

July 3, 2016 - 33 weeks

Since Marissa is happier now, I felt like it was time to get another picture of her.

July 10, 2016 - 34 weeks

I think it's going to be really important to keep up with Marissa's development, so I will be back to update her progress regularly.

Baby Herman #3: Boy or Girl??

Yes, I know...it's been forever.  I've been too busy being a mom to be a blogger.  I know other people can do both.  I can't.  But guessing genders is fun, so I'm back for a special post.

HCG Levels -I have to guess on this one because of how I found out that I was pregnant this time.  This baby was a surprise for us.  Eric was the one who let me know that I was pregnant.  Eric started getting sick, and no one could figure out why.  It had gone on for weeks, and I was almost to the point of having the doctor do blood tests to figure out what was wrong with him.  I got home from school one day, and Sue said he had felt well all day.  I nursed him, and he started projectile vomiting.  I was ready to pack the kids up and go to the ER.  By chance, I thought to call the on-call doctor (not his normal doctor) and asked if I should take him to urgent care.  She started asking questions about how often he would get sick (everyday, but not all day long, for over 3 weeks) and when he would get sick (after I nursed him).  She asked if I was pregnant.  I said no.  She asked if I was sure.  I said that I have gotten really sick with each pregnancy, and I didn't feel at all sick right now, so I couldn't be pregnant.  She said, "I think Eric is getting your morning sickness."  She told me to quit nursing him and to take a pregnancy test.  It turns out, it's extremely rare, but some babies are sensitive to the pregnancy hormones and it causes them to get sick.  With Eric's sensitive stomach, it doesn't surprise me that he would be effected.  Obviously, the doctor was right.  But, I have no idea how long I had been pregnant at that point.  Based on the ultrasounds, I was far enough along that I should have had a really dark line on my pregnancy test, but it was kind of faint.  When I had my HCG levels checked the next day, they were still pretty low.  In fact, they were so low that I asked the nurse if I needed to prepare myself for another miscarriage.  So, my best guess is that this baby is a boy.

Boy:  1     Girl:  0

My hair (on my head) - An old wives tale says that if your hair is shiny and full of body, the baby is a boy.  If your hair is dull and lifeless, it's a girl.  

I just looked back at pictures of myself pregnant with Eric in order to find this list of wives' tales.  In those pictures, my hair looked better than it ever has.  With this baby...not so much.  Most of the time, I hate the way it looks these days.

Boy:  1     Girl:  1

My hair (on my legs) - Another old wives tale says that your leg hair grows faster if it's a boy, and it grows at the same rate or slower if you're having a girl.  

This is what I wrote when I was pregnant with Adriana:  "For nearly 20 years, I have dealt with thick, black leg hair that grows at an astronomical rate.  I would shave in the morning, and a few hours later, I would have stubble.  It was like 5 o'clock shadow on my legs.  Except it appeared at noon.  I went through laser treatments, and some patches got better, but overall, I still had to shave on a daily basis.  A few months ago, I noticed that I didn't need to shave as often, and the hair that I did have was a lot lighter.  In fact, I can now go four or five days between shaving!"

This is what I wrote when I was pregnant with Eric:  "Now:  I wish!  I haven't gotten out the tape measure (although some days I probably could), but I would definitely say it's growing faster."

This time around:  I can't quite go four or five days between shaving, but I can definitely do three.  The hair takes a lot longer to start growing back, too. 

Boy:  1     Girl:  2

Morning Sickness - Supposedly, girls their moms sicker than boys do.  Of course, I've heard of all the exceptions.  Scott's mom was sicker with him than she was with his sister.  A woman at school was sick all nine months of her pregnancy, and she had a boy.  But, the old wives tale says that morning sickness means it's a girl.  

With Adriana, I was sick before I knew I was pregnant.  With Eric, I thought I was going to get away with not being sick at all.  And then 6 weeks hit.  I was sick.  Not as sick as I was with Adriana, but it lasted longer.  I think it finally went away around 18 weeks.

Thanks to Eric, I didn't get sick as early on with this baby.  But I did get sick.  In fact, as soon as I quit nursing him, I got really sick.  The kids knew that it was just part of the day, and they thought it was fun to go watch Mommy throw up.  Weirdos.  This one lasted the longest, too.  At 21 weeks, I randomly got sick one night, and I still don't feel great if I don't eat enough.

Boy:  1     Girl: 3

My butt - Apparently, if your butt grows, it means you are having a girl.  

It's huge.  It always is when I'm pregnant.  Thank you, Italian genes.  I don't know if it's as big as it was with Adriana, or if it's closer to the medium-huge that it was with Eric, I just know that it's big.  I would tend to say that it's more like it was with Adriana.  I'll just keep repeating:  "I've lost it twice before...I've lost it twice before..."

Boy:  1     Girl:  4

Baby's heart rate - If the baby's heart rate is 140 or higher, it's a girl.  139 or lower means it's a boy.

This baby wants to remain a surprise.  It's heart rate started off pretty high, and has pretty much always been above 140, but it hasn't been as high as Adriana's heart rate was.  At one doctor's appointment, the doctor was checking the heart rate with the Doppler and said, "it's lower than it has been...about 132."  I said, "yeah, we're starting to think it might be a boy."  All of the sudden, the heart rate shot up to about 150.  This baby keeps us guessing!  Overall, the average is a little above 140 though.

Boy:  1     Girl:  5

Carrying high or low - If you are carrying high, it means you are having a girl.  Carrying low means it's a boy.  

I have been carrying this baby low the entire time.  I think I have carried all of my babies low, and this one is no exception.

Boy:  2     Girl:  5

Shape of belly - If your belly is shaped like a watermelon, you are having a girl.  If your belly looks like a basketball, you are having a boy.

Scott thinks this one looks more like the shape of Eric.  I'm not sure.  I think I've started to fill out on the sides as well, but I'll go with Scott.  If anyone wants to argue that I should change this one, I'll listen to your thoughts.  (I don't necessarily agree with Scott.)

Pregnant with Eric

Pregnant with Adriana

Pregnant with Baby #3

*Trying to line up those pictures was ridiculous, and I've given up.
 
Boy:  3     Girl:  5

Where the baby kicks - In Norway, they say that if the baby kicks you on your left side more, it's a girl.  If it kicks on the right side more, it is a boy.  

My other two kids have been the exact opposite of this, but I'll stick to what the Norwegians think.  Overall, I think this one kicks on the right side more.

Boy:  4     Girl:  5

My face - If you gain weight in your face, or if your face swells, you are having a girl.  If your face looks the same, you are having a boy.  

My face is a little puffier, but not nearly what it was with Adriana.  I think it's a little bigger just because I've gained weight, and it tends to spread out more evenly.  Overall, I would say it still looks normal.

Boy:  5     Girl:  5

Chinese gender prediction chart - I got pregnant in February when I was 35 years old.  According to the Chinese gender prediction chart, this means that I am having a girl.

Boy:  5     Girl:  6

Mom's feeling - When I first got pregnant, I was positive it was a girl, just as I had been positive that Adriana was a girl from Day 1.  When I was pregnant with Eric, I was positive he was a boy right away, and then I started to waver, but I still basically thought I was having a boy.  This time, I'm wavering again, and I tend to lean toward feeling like it's a boy, so I guess I'll give a point to the boy side.

Boy:  6     Girl:  6

Dry Skin - If your skin becomes more dry, you are carrying a boy.


I didn't even include this with Adriana because I didn't realize it was a condition of pregnancy.  My skin was never dry at all with her.  With Eric, I had several dry patches.  I had a couple of times when it hurt to wear a shirt because my skin felt like it was being rubbed raw.  This time around, I don't have any dry skin.  Early on, I had a day or two where my skin was dry in some spots, but it went away quickly and has been back to normal ever since.  With Eric it was EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.  I'm going to have to say girl with this one.

Boy:  6     Girl:  7

Headaches - If you are more prone to headaches, you are having a boy.

I had no headaches with Adriana.  I had headaches early on with Eric, and they continued off-and-on for the entire pregnancy.  This was one thing that caused me to shift from thinking girl to thinking boy early on.  I started getting headaches toward the end of my first trimester.  But then they went away.  For the past 20 weeks or so, I haven't had any headaches.  So, overall, I would have to say girl with this one.

Boy:  6     Girl:  8


Previous child's first word - If your previous child said mama first, you will have a girl.  If the first word was dada, you will have a boy.

Eric said Mama first.  He was such a Mama's boy when he was a baby.

Boy:  6     Girl:  9

The mask of pregnancy - I haven't found this one on any list, but a woman I used to tutor for swore by this test.  She said that if you get the mask of pregnancy, you are having a boy.  If not, it's a girl.

When I was about 16 weeks pregnant with Adriana, she told me it would be a girl because I didn't have the mask.  She said she has never been wrong with her predictions based on this.  With Eric, I definitely had it.  It looked like I was blushing constantly.  This time around, my cheeks aren't nearly as red as they were with Eric, but it is definitely there.  And it gets darker at times.  One night, Scott asked me why my cheeks were SO red.  I said, "I guess because I'm having a boy."

Boy:  7     Girl:  9

The actions of little boys - If a little boy is interested in your pregnancy, it's a girl.  If a little boy shows no interest, he is worried about competition and doesn't care about the pregnancy.

When I was pregnant with Adriana, Brandon's boys were so into the pregnancy.  They asked about the baby all the time.  They always wanted to know how big the baby was, how big I was, and wanted to feel the baby kick.  With Eric, it was almost funny how little they cared.  I could be around them for hours before they would even mention the baby.  Sometimes they forgot that I was pregnant at all.  When my mom said stuff about the baby, it wasn't uncommon to hear "what baby?" from the boys.  This one is pretty much the same.  For the most part, Eric also ignores this baby.  When I was having Eric, Adriana constantly made comments about the baby, and she still cares about this one.  Eric, though, barely mentions this baby.

Boy:  8     Girl:  9

So I think...it's pretty unclear.  Adriana was clearly a girl (with a score of 3 to 9).  Eric was clearly a boy (his score was 14 to 3).  This one is pretty equal.  If I could find one more test, it would probably indicate boy, making it a complete tie.  I've said from the beginning that if I were having twins, I would know for sure that it was a boy and a girl.  Every ultrasound has shown only one baby, though, so I think it's safe to say we are having one total surprise in a couple of months.

Happy First Birthday, Eric Anthony Herman!

Dear Eric,

I feel like you have come so far in this past year.  In the beginning, life was not so kind to you.  You had a horrible case of acid reflux when you were born, which made it difficult for you to eat.  As a result, you were often pretty unhappy.  It hurt you to eat, so you would cry, but it was also uncomfortable to be so hungry, so you would cry.  I spent a lot of time feeling so sad because I couldn't help you no matter how hard I tried.  We put you on medication, I cut out all dairy from my diet, and you were still in pain.  I can't imagine what that must have felt like, and I am so sorry that you had to go through that.  Because you were in pain, you looked to me for comfort a lot, and you quickly became a Mama's boy.  That habit of needing me still continues today, and I'll admit, there is a part of me that loves it!

When you turned four months old, it was like you were a different kid.  Suddenly you were happier.  The doctor says it's because your digestive system was maturing and you were able to process food better.  Whatever the reason, I was so happy!  You liked being around Daddy more and more.  As the months went on, you got more used to being around others, and eventually, you came to love attention from others.  When you were about 10 1/2 months old, we went on vacation to Disney World, and you saw how wonderful it was to get attention from other people.  Suddenly our shy little Eric became outgoing.  From this moment on, you smiled at everyone in an effort to get them to smile back at you (they always did).  I love to see your face light up every time you see a new person, and it is fun to see how much people love you.  I can't take you anywhere without hearing what a cute little boy I have!

And smart!  At your first birthday, you had said 12 words (you are currently up to 16).  You could say hi, bye-bye, Mama, Dada, boom, oops, fish, Nemo, no-no, bird, up, and go.  You now also know poop, bubbles, puppy, and clap.  You can tell us that a kitty says meow and puppy says "aarf aarf aarf."  You let me know when you are done eating by waving your hands.  You tell me you are thirsty by pointing to a drink that I have or going to the cabinet to get out a cup.  Sometimes, you even know exactly which cup you want, and you will keep trying until you get that one.  You learned to drink from a straw immediately.  I was shocked!  I gave you the straw cup, and before I could even squeeze it up into the straw, you started to suck on it.  I couldn't believe you figured it out on your own!  Right now, you are working on figuring out how to use a fork.  You try to put the food on top of the fork and eat it, or you will wave the fork around and hope that the food gets on it (but it always ends up on the floor).  We're working on learning how to stab the food.  When I help you with this, you get so excited to use the fork to eat!

You adore your sister!  You watch everything she does, and you do your best to keep up with her.  You laugh at a lot of the things she does, and she is always happy to make you laugh again and again.  You like to watch movies together, sing, dance, and play.  Your favorite thing to do together is "chase."  She pushes her scooter and you push your walker, and the two of you do laps around the center of our house.  Adriana will yell, "we are chasing!" and you will laugh so hard.  Whenever someone says, "chase," you know what to do.  You will run to get your walker and take off!  I hope you and Adriana are always great friends, like you are right now.

This summer, I enrolled Adriana in a music/dance class.  At first, I thought I would just take Adriana and you would stay with Hermie.  One week, Hermie couldn't watch you, and it turns out that was the best thing that could have happened to you.  You absolutely LOVE this class!  You love to play with the instruments and dance along to the songs.  Your favorite song is "No, No, No."  You recently started making the sign for "no, no, no" as you say the words.  This is my cue to start singing the song.  I love seeing your adorable smile when I start to sing.  I think you ask me to sing this song about 20 times each day.

You also love to play basketball.  This is a favorite game to play with Daddy.  You like to chase after the ball, and you know how to throw or roll it to someone.  You have so much fun watching Daddy, Adriana, and me throw the basketball in the hoop.

You are also SO, SO sweet.  You will give me kisses if I ask (occasionally, I don't have to ask).  You love to give hugs.  I love it when I pick you up and you put your arms around me and lay your head on my shoulder.  You also know how to say you're sorry.  If you hurt Adriana, I will have you tell her you're sorry.  You will walk over to her and give her a kiss.  You also show affection by head-butting.  This started as a game with Daddy, but you now do it with Adriana and me, too.  When you want to be friendly, you will lean your head into someone's forehead and push.

You have loved playing at the park this summer.  You absolutely LOVE to slide!  You also like swinging.  You will say, "go," when you want to go down a slide or be pushed in a swing.

Nemo is, by far, your favorite character.  You recognize him whenever you see him (or any other clown fish), and you love to look at fish because of him.  Your face lights up whenever you get a glimpse of him.  I don't think I've ever seen someone your age become so attached to a character.  It's so cute to see you developing your own interests at such an early age.

I hope that as you grow, you will continue to enjoy life and care about other people.  I know that you didn't really enjoy life for the first four months, and I hope that you are able spend the rest of your life making up for that.  Anyone who meets you today would never know that you were so unhappy at the beginning of your life.  You are the most fun-loving kid!  You are a wonderful little boy, and I want you to be happy.  I hope that you find little ways to be happy and enjoy life every day, whether it's watching Nemo, chasing Adriana, or some other fun activity you find.

I also want you to be a caring boy, and someday, I want you to turn into a caring man.  You need to always show respect to other people, especially girls and/or women.  You are so caring and sweet in the way you give kisses, hugs, and even head-butts.  I hope you always stay as sweet.  I feel like men get such a bad rap because of things that a few jerks have done.  I hope that you are one of the men, like your dad, who shows women what a good man is like.

I can't tell you how proud I am to be your Mommy.  You are sweet, smart, funny, personable, and loving.  I love how much time I've been able to spend with you during the first year of your life.  It's fun to see what new things you learn each day, and I love how much you love to be around me.  It makes my day to see how important I am to you because you and Adriana are everything to me.  I feel so lucky that I have been blessed with two wonderful children!  I only hope that I will continue to raise you to be as loving and happy as you are today.

I love you, Eric Anthony Herman!

Love, Mommy

Eric Anthony is 52 Weeks (12 Months) Old!

I will be writing my one-year post for Eric momentarily (now that his pictures have come in).  But I wanted to get his weekly pictures updated first.

Eric - 49 weeks:

Eric - 50 Weeks (it's getting harder and harder to get a good picture):

Eric - 51 Weeks:

And finally...Eric - 52 Weeks:

I know I'm biased, but I think Eric is SO adorable!  I think he's always been cute, but in the past couple of months, he has become absolutely adorable!  I love this last picture!  Now...wait until you see the professional photos.