Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The Day I was Mocked By a 15 Month Old

If you haven't quite figured it out yet, I am the mother of the world's strongest willed child. He knows what he wants, and meticulously calculates what it will take to get it. Too short? Push a chair up to get it. Too fat? Somehow wiggle his way into the small crack like a mouse. Not getting what he wants? Screams at the top of his lungs. Of course, if the latter happens, I generally ignore him, and if it goes on too long he gets his butt in timeout. Yesterday was no exception.

In the past two weeks B has learned how to climb onto our sofas on his own. I'm OK with this, because, well, this is his house too and I want him to be comfortable using our furniture. That IS what it's for. What I am NOT ok with is jumping on the furniture, standing on the furniture or having food or drink on the furniture. Those are no-no's. He really struggles most with the jumping and standing part. And who can blame him? Jumping is fun, especially when you are learning how to do it. So yesterday afternoon, he started jumping on the couch. I firmly told him no-no, that we don't do that, and that if he does it again, he'll have consequences. He got "the look" in his eyes, and the minute I turned around, was standing up, laughing his head off, jumping. He received his consequnce. Normally he'll usually whine about the situation, and then move on. This time it was different, and his response took me completely off-guard. He looked at me, LAUGHED (not just a chuckle, I am talking about a belly laugh folks!), and then said "doe, doe, doe, doe, doe, doe, doe." (which is his way of saying no-no over and over again). What in the world?!?!?!?! What do you do when your kid does that? I was torn between trying not to laugh my head off, and being completely pissed off that nothing I was doing was working. And then I thought, "Oh my word. He's only 15 months old. What the crap am I going to do for the next 18 years?!?!?!" And honestly, I have no idea. All I know, is that July 27, 2010 will be forever marked in my calendar as the day I was mocked by a 15 month old. Lord help me.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

An Update on Connor

I'm sorry for not posting this earlier today, but honestly our afternoon was CRAZY busy and I am just now getting time to sit down and type everything out. First off, I'd like to thank everyone for their comments and prayers. I had SUCH a peace going into the office today. Evidenced by my SUPER low blood pressure (my blood pressure is naturally low, but today it was the lowest it has been all pregnancy-- 96/54).

Unfortunately my doctor was delivering babies all morning, so she was running WAY behind. And by WAY behind I mean that we got there at 10:30am, and didn't even get CALLED BACK until 11:10. Then we waited another 15-20 minutes once we were called back and in an exam room. I wasn't in a rush, and had Drew there to talk to me so it was all good. Connor's heart rate was the highest it's been all pregnancy, coming in at 160 bpm. She said it sounded good and strong, which is always reassuring. After measuring my belly (first time she's done this and I am measuring exactly to the day!), we talked about the ultrasound. Basically she didn't give me definitive answers (which I wasn't really expecting since we haven't had the second ultrasound yet), but she did ease my mind by explaining things patiently and methodically. Yes, his kidneys are enlarged. But they are measuring at 4.5 and 5.5, which she said is the upper levels of normal. So he's still in the normal range, but they definitely want to monitor it to make sure they didn't get bigger. She said at this point, worst case scenario is that it does not resolve before birth and the pediatrician would need to do a renal ultrasound at birth. I asked what levels start to become concerning, and she said around a 10 they start worrying that something is really wrong. He's well under that, so right now she said she doesn't really have reason to worry about it at this point. She also said that of all the things that could show up as "bad" on an ultrasound, this is the "best" thing.

The sonographer did not get adequate views of the arteries of Connor's heart, nor of his spine (which we knew about the spine), and so the radiologist was not able to make an adequate report on those two organs. She said that more than likely it was due to to the way Connor was laying, and so they want to get better visualizations for the radiologist. Nothing they saw was concerning... just need more pictures.

So at this point I feel a lot better. Yes, I am still concerned, as any mother would be I would think. But from how my doctor explained everything to me, I have a better understand of everything and feel like right now there's really no need to worry.

And for the record, I did talk to the doc about my concerns about the nurse's bedside manner. Not sure anything will happen, and not really sure that was my intent to begin with, I just felt like she needed to know that it was not a one time occurrence and that there were other people I know of that have felt the same way.

Well, I am pooped from my long, exhausting day, in addition to my allergy problems. I'm hoping for a good night's sleep-- not sure I remember the last time I had one :(

Random Thoughts

Tomorrow (or should I say today since I am up in the middle of the night with pregnancy/allergy insomnia) is our OB appointment. It was a regularly scheduled appointment, so it's not in direct correlation to what we found at our first ultrasound with Connor, but we are hoping that by seeing the doctor we will at least get some more definitive answers as to what is going on with Connor's kidneys and heart. I thought I would be really nervous, and perhaps that will change as I am driving there today, but I have a peace. I am still concerned (what mother would not be), but I trust my doctor and know that I am in good hands. It helps that Drew will be coming too (he normally does not come to my OB appointments, but this one called for some support!). If we find out anything new, I will definitely fill you in. For now, please continue to pray as we walk blindly on this journey.

Sunday afternoon Brayden said the most beautiful thing to a mother's ears-- 'uv ew'!. Oh my goodness. My heart melted and I swear I had to scoop it up off the pavement in the backyard. I always ask Brayden if he can say what I am saying; most speech therapist will tell you that it's a key to getting your child to grow in their vocabulary. So from the moment Brayden was born I have always told him what we were doing, where we were going, etc. Sunday afternoon we were all in the backyard and I told B that I loved him and asked if he could say I love you. When he responded back, Drew whipped around (he was grilling) and we both just stared at each other. I asked him to say it again and he did! LOVE LOVE LOVE. He is really starting to learn new words so quickly. He learned Poppa (for my Dad, who is Poppa D), bubbles, uh oh, bye bye (and not only does he say bye bye, he goes to the backdoor, opens it up, goes to the car, opens IT up, and sits in the drivers seat. OH MY!). He also has learned to point out his arm, his legs, his feet and his toes, in addition to all of his facial body parts. 

I hit my 500th post the other day and didn't even realize it. I had thought about making it a big deal, but I guess it's too late now. Oh well.

For those of you who know me, I am an avid fan of my Baby Jogger City Mini. LOVE it. I knew I wanted the double, but it's a bit pricey, so we decided we'd get something different. We ended up getting a double Sit and Stand on craigslist and I literally was depressed. The thing is MAMMOTH. Took up the entire Civic trunk space. Both width wise and depth wise. It was ridiculous. I think God heard my heart, and through a strange series of events only the Lord could put together, I have found a way to purchase the double stroller I have wanted from the very beginning... the Baby Jogger City Mini Double. I can't wait to let yall know how it all worked out. I haven't purchased it yet; it's actually on back order from the company I am getting it through, but we aren't in a huge rush to get it so I am OK with that.  

Yesterday while helping Brayden clean his room, I sat down too quickly and landed squarely on the edge of his Little People firestation. And I landed cleanly on my butt. So now I have a bruised lower tailbone that is KILLER painful. I swear I need  a donut pillow. Just laying in bed hurts! I'm pretty sure the entire experience could make MckMama's blog posts "you might be a mother of many small children". 

I feel like I haven't posted a picture of Brayden in forever. Hopefully I can change that this week. Truth is, he's so active, that it wears me out to pull my camera out. He's more interested in all of the buttons than taking pictures. And trying to get down on his level is starting to get a lot more difficult with a basketball on my stomach :) 

It's now 2:30, which means I should probably try to resume sleeping. Between my constant allergy attacks, getting up to pee 2,323 times a night (ok, it's not that many really, but it seems like I wake up every 30 minutes for just a trickle since Connor likes snuggling up to my bladder these days), and my churning mind, I seem to wake up every night/morning at 2am. Which scares me because my sleeping patterns when I was pregnant with B turned out to be his schedule. I guess I should just get used to it. Love to all my readers... And sweet dreams to those who still hold the ability to sleep :)

Monday, July 26, 2010

A House Full of Blue

This weekend, every time we were out and someone asked what I was having, they always seemed disappointed that it was another boy. I'm not talking about people that we're close to or our family (and honestly, even some of them I think were a little disappointed that our home wouldn't sport some pink baby stuff), I am talking about complete strangers. Why is it that everyone thinks that if you have one you need the other? Why can't people be excited about the reality that our home will be a house filled with blue? I love the fact that I have cars and trucks scattered across my living room floor. The fact that I'll drive a minivan (someday) filled with stinky football pads and sweaty little boys who are mud stained and toothless makes me so happy inside. I love the fact that I have to say "vroom vroom" when we pass EVERY car, truck and trailer on the road. I love having little football jerseys hanging in the closets, mini soccer balls in my kitchen, baseballs in my couch cushions, and yes, even the dents on my once beautiful coffee table that were pounded by a make-shift sword-- I love that too. Boys are fun. They are rough. They are rowdy. They are full of energy and life. I LOVE having a son.
I literally have dreamed my whole life of having 4 boys (now that I have kids, not sure that the number I dreamed of will stand though... LOL!). It is no secret that I am a tomboy and I tend to lean more towards sports and news than dance and tutus. I love teaching my son to say "touchdown", "goal" and "score." So all of you people who keep frowning when I tell you that there's a little boy blue growing in me, you'll just need to get over it. Because I for one, couldn't be happier living in a house full of blue.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

21.5 Weeks

I'm sorry for the lack of updates on my growing progress. I feel like in the last week I have really grown. Which is fun because I really have a baby BUMP, but at the same time it also means that my muscles are starting to strain. Connor sits SO low that I already have that sudden urge to pee, only to find that I really don't have to pee it's just that I have a little brick laying on my bladder. Not sure I want to know what it's going to feel like in 15 weeks. EEK. For all of your pregnancy stalkers, I give you my picture from today, in between 21 and 22 weeks.

Weekend in Review

Well, we had a fun, family-filled weekend here at our house, and quite honestly, that's just the way I like it. There's nothing better than spending some good quality time with both of my boys, and with Drew in the thick of his hardest class yet with his MBA program, B and I were grateful to get some good "Daddy time" with him.

Friday evening we went to a local hospital to visit some good friends who just had their third baby. At 9 pounds 2 ounces, baby Ellen doesn't really hold the record for a small baby, but oh my, she seemed so small to me as I held her. She was absolutely perfect, and I was quite impressed with her momma Kara walking around the hospital room like it was just another day (Kara has c-sections, so a day after surgery is impressive to this gal, who was still limping around after 4 days of a regular delivery!). Holding that sweet baby girl put a little joy in my heart thinking that in a few months I will have one of my own little ones to hold. I can't even remember what it was like when B was that small. Well, besides the constant poopy diapers, middle of the night feedings and trying to figure out why he's crying. Besides those middle of the night feedings, not much has changed right? haha. Just kidding. Sort of.

Saturday Drew and I both woke up early with B, got dressed and headed to our fitness center. You see, our fitness center offers child care on Saturday mornings from 8-12. And not just child care. Child care where you can LEAVE THE FITNESS CENTER PREMISES. At $2 per hour, this is the cheapest babysitting around, and we took full advantage by having a Saturday morning date. And where better to spend a date morning brunch than Mimi's Cafe? I LOVE Mimi's, and it was SO nice to eat with Drew and not worry about food being thrown on the floor, or fruit to cut. After breakfast we strolled around the local farmer's market and ran a few errands sans baby. Saturday afternoon we headed to the pool and enjoyed some sunshine. Brayden was loving the pool on Saturday, and we were able to stay for an hour and a half before having to go and pick up Drew's dad from the airport. After picking up Drew's dad we went out to eat and ate some GOOD barbecue. Brayden did SO well during dinner. He even offered his fries to the man sitting behind us-- haha! He also had his first Oreos at dinner, and I have a feeling he has a new love. He literally ate two oreos and drank his entire cup of milk. He kept saying "MMMM" after he would take a bite. It was SO cute. It was the first time he'd really had a "real" cookie (right now he thinks a cookie is an organic toddler mum mum, which is OK by me!).

Today we served at church, attended the service, and then came home and all took naps. 4 hour naps to be exact. I think B was completely worn out from our weekend and was catching up. We ended the weekend with some grilled chicken while watching The Book of Eli. After hearing that it was a good movie we decided to rent it. It was an odd movie at best. Definitely glad I didn't spend money in the theaters for that one.

We have a busy week ahead of us. The most important day is Tuesday, when I go in for my 22 week checkup. We're hoping to get some more definitive answers from my doctor regarding Connor's kidneys, heart and spine. I'll definitely be updating yall if we hear anything new.

Also, I know some of you have asked where you can get the card that Brayden is on... my answer is that I don't know exactly (I do know Lifeway Christian stores and Family Christian Stores are carrying it). It would be a safe bet to say that most Christian book stores will carry it. It's a Dayspring card, and under the Praying for You category. The front of the card is a close up black and white picture of B's face. The back of the card, underneath the price has the card number 46955. I think if you ask the store about the card they should be able to look it up by that number. Hope that helps you find the card!

Friday, July 23, 2010

My Daddy's Funny!

Last night, Drew started throwing a tennis ball onto the bucket Brayden was playing with. For some reason, the boy thought it was the funniest thing EVER. I know this video may be boring to some, but I just can't pass up some baby laughs :)



Five Question Friday

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the finale of a week that was as stale as a 2 week old piece of bread. And by stale, I don't mean that it wasn't fun, I just mean that it wasn't eventful. And that was totally fine by me. The uneventful part that is. We've had too much sickness and drama going on around here and I was ready for a change. I am hoping that we keep up with our run of being sickness free... the hubs and I have a hot date planned for tomorrow morning at Mimi's Cafe. So while I sit here and wait for my date, I'll give you my answers for Mama M.'s 5QF (PS, sorry for my sabatical last week. I was still processing everything we learned about Connor, and just needed an off day.)



1. What were your school colors?
Blue and Gold. And by saying that my mind immediately starts singing my high school alma matter, and I kind of throw up a little in my mouth. Don't get me wrong, I loved my high school, but the fact that 10 years later I can sing the alma matter is kind of sickening I think. Or perhaps that's normal? Not really sure.
2. What's the best compliment you ever received?
This is a hard one because I tend to not really notice compliments that much. I kind of tend to make an opinion of myself based on my own perspective, not someone else's. That being said, I LOVE LOVE LOVE when people tell me that my husband and I make beautiful babies. I know I am biased and all, but I have to agree. B-man is pretty darn cute (and side note: I have had 3 people in the last week tell me that my son is BEAUTIFUL. I know people are well intentioned, but I would much prefer if they just said handsome).
3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?
Neither? I don't really like the super cheap stuff, as it, ahem, chaps my hide :) But because a certain someone in our house likes to wipe until they shine, we can't use the expensive stuff either or our toilets clog. So we've compromised and purchase the Members Mark brand toilet paper. At $15 for 72 rolls (and yes, our family of 3, with only two who are potty trained) use 72 rolls every other month. Just for the record, I am a 4 ply girl, so you can do the math and know that it's not me who's rolling out the toilet paper dough.
4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?
Yes. I was 8 (or 9, can't remember). I was playing the Sega Genesis at my Great Aunt's house, when my mom came to get me and brought me in the kitchen. All of our family was there, and they all yelled surprise. I am pretty sure I ran back into the living room to sulk. I HATE surprises. HATE them. That was the first, and most probably, last surprise party ever thrown for me.
5. What is one material possession that you "can't live without"?
If this question is hard to answer does that mean I am materialistic? EEEK. My first reaction answer is my computer. But then I think of my mattress, and how I love to sleep. So I'd have to say it's a tie between my mattress and my computer.

Those were some fun questions thins week! Thanks Mama M.! If you're new to my blog, you might want to check out the awesome giveaway I've got going on right now... and I've got more in the works that you'll not want to miss out on, so stay tuned! Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

It's Fun to Play with Daddy!

Tonight after Drew got home we all went to the backyard to play. For some reason Brayden was in a SUPER giggly mood, which is always fun. Drew was able to get him to laugh SO hard. I got some great shots of him laughing, along with some of him playing in the yard. I even got some great video, but as most of you know, you have to wait about 10 hours for a 1 minute clip to load to you tube, so I might not get that posted until tomorrow. Until then, enjoy these pics of our super giggle boy :) It's nights like these that make all of the hard days worth it!


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Sitting in his new big boy chair. And yes, if you're wondering, that's grass on his mouth. And yes, he ate some. And no, I don't really bother with it anymore. At this point, as long as it's not toxic, I just let him eat it. I figure he'll eventually learn that we don't eat grass and sticks. Until them, I just let well enough alone.
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Callin' the Hogs... we do this regularly these days!
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Gah... I know I say this all the time, but I HATE how fast he's grown up :(
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Picking grass and putting it in his bucket. No idea why he did this, but it was cracking us up!
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No ideas why this photo is so red. Editing didn't help one bit. This photo, along with the next few, are of B laughing at his daddy, who was throwing a tennis ball at the bucket. For some reason he thought it was HILARIOUS.
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I love this kid SO much!
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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

When the Lights Go Out

The title of this post is little deceiving, since the little furry mister tends to hop in bed shortly after Brayden retires. I love my dog to death, but goodness gracious, he's a bit spoiled (and I say that as if he is the one to blame... haha!). So usually, when I am ready to go to bed, I turn on the bedroom light, only to find this:


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You'd think he thinks he's human or something :) I love my Tobes... he's truly the best dog in the world... even if he thinks that the entire queen bed is 100% his :)

Monday, July 19, 2010

A Few Random Thoughts

Today was a hard day. Not because of any of the stuff with Connor, but just with B. He is such a finnicky child; if he is off his schedule even more than 15 minutes, the next day is HAVOC. He pretty much just whined all day, only took 30 minute naps, threw food everywhere, ate dog food, hit me several times... needless to say my patience was worn thin by this afternoon and I definitely lost my cool several times. To say that I am ready for our getaway to Dallas is an understatement.

Since B didn't want to sleep, I decided to run errands this afternoon. I stopped by one of our local Christian book stores to pick up B's card. They only had 6 in stock so I bought all 6. The ladies at the counter were ooing and ahhhing over how cute the card is, and I just couldn't keep my mouth shut. I said "thanks! I took that pic!" They were all so surprised, and then wanted to google over Brayden and flirt with him. Unfortunately at that point B was having an ultimate breakdown.... I was like "he's a lot cuter on the card than in real life right now!" haha.

When I got in the car and read the card, I kind of sighed. I find it of no coincidence that the inside of the card has Luke 1:37 (from the CEV) that says:
"Nothing is impossible for God."
The words in the card read "Oh yeah? Well my God's bigger than ANYTHING! Praying with you." 
Do you think God was trying to say something to me today? It was as if God used a picture I took almost a year ago, used my first son to speak a bit of peace about my second son. God's so good like that. I definitely hear him through the little things in life like that. Thank you Jesus for reminding me yet again that you are bigger than a medical diagnosis!

On other news that's a lot more shallow, I just have to mention the HORRID heat that we have going on here right now. Literally, the actual temp is mid-90s, but with the humidity, our heat indexes are reaching close to 110. I thought to myself today "it's quite possibly as hot as hell right now." Literally yall, I felt like the wheels of my stroller might melt off just walking from my car to the store. That's how bad it feels. And I know I am probably being a bit of a drama queen, but seriously, I feel like every day I could walk outside and reenact the wicked witch scene in the Wizard of Oz (you know, the one where she screams "I'm melting, I'm melting!").

As I type this I am watching the Bachelorette. Drew has study group on Mondays and so this is the only thing that is on usually. I hate getting sucked into this show. But seriously I just have to say. Frank the Tank... you are quite possibly the biggest. TERD. EVER. And that's putting it nicely. I just really hope she picks Roberto and that they live happily ever after, laughing at the tabloids of how Frank's ex dumped him two weeks into his "I think I am in love with my ex" love affair. Ughh. 

Thanks for all of the sweet comments and emails regarding Connor. Drew and I feel so blessed to know so many people are praying (if you aren't caught up on what's going on, you might want to click HERE) and supporting us right now. 

I'm pretty sure I need to go and clean the dishes from dinner. Hope yall had a better Monday than I did... and here's to hoping that B wakes up in a fabulous mood in the morning!

It's Release Day!


Today is July 19th. Probably not that important of a date to some, but to our family, it's an exciting day! Back in November, I was convinced by a good friend to send in a picture I had taken of Brayden to Dayspring Greeting cards. I really was reluctant, probably because I just don't really believe that my photography is all that great. But I sent it in with nothing to lose, and was surprised to find out 3 weeks later that they wanted to purchase my picture to use on a greeting card. Supposedly, today is release day, so we'll be searching Christian greeting card stores looking for THE card. If you live near me, you might not be able to find a copy because I plan on purchasing a TON of them :) So hooray for release day, and for my famous scrunchy faced boy!
 PS-- if you go out searching for it, I do know that original plans were for the card to be a 'praying for you card' (I know, not the category I would've thought with this face), and the picture is cropped to just include most of his face, not the full picture. Dayspring is a Christian greeting card company, and generally they are sold at Hobby Lobby and Christian book stores. It is also a subsidiary of Hallmark, so I guess there's a chance it could be at a Hallmark store.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Weekend in Review

After my day on Thursday, and subsequent worrying on Friday, I was grateful for some weekend diversions to get my mind off of worrying.

Saturday we had a nice morning just hanging out at the house (me and Brayden that is, since Drew is having to work a bit of overtime right now). We met up with Drew at Sam's for our weekly family trip. Brayden had samples before lunch, ate an entire piece of pizza for lunch, and then followed that up with samples again after lunch. The boy can pack it down! I think he might be going through a growth spurt, because he's been eating an ENORMOUS amount of food. With another boy on the way, I shudder at what our food bills will look like in a few years :o/ YIKES.

Saturday evening we had a birthday party for one of Brayden's very few boy friends (not boyfriends, but a friend who is a boy... you know what I mean!). Little Philip turned two, and had a backyard sprinkler/pool party. It was fun, but chasing Brayden all around the yard trying to make sure he didn't eat was a little exhausting. I did gather enough energy to capture a few cute pictures though:


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Lovin' him some watermelon!
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Hanging out with Paige and Seaghan
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We got Philip a Buzz Lightyear... it was a big hit!
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At first, Brayden wasn't sure how to use the scooter. It didn't take long though, and he got to ride all over the yard thanks to some help from Daddy.
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I love this picture! It's like Brayden and Laci are discussing the watermelon.
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I thought he might share, but he takes after me too much. Food is not for sharing :)


Sunday was a typical day with church, yard work (for Drew-- thanks babe!) and yet another party. This time, we had a pizza and ice cream social at the Porbeck's. There was a sand table and more splash pools, so Brayden was in heaven.


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watching Daddy mow the yard. He wants SO badly to help out. Little does he know that he'll be taking over this job in about 10 years.
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some day he won't be bailing out of the pool when the girls come :)
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he was playing with the girls. they wanted the door closed and he would open it and just laugh and laugh. haha.


We have a laid back week ahead of us, and honestly, I am grateful. I feel like this summer has been a whirlwind of events, and doesn't seem like it's going to slow down anytime soon. Hope everyone has a great week!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Fear Itself

Whoever came up with the phrase, "There's nothing to fear but fear itself," has obviously never had children. With children, there are a million and one things to fear. And while "perfect love casts out all fear," when life happens, that simple truth is so easy to forget.

On Thursday I received a phone call no expectant mom wants to receive. A message, nonetheless. It was the nurse from my OB's office, asking me to call back as soon as possible, and just tell the receptionist that she's awaiting my call. Considering it's like pulling teeth trying to get THROUGH to the nurses at my OB office, I had a hunch that this wasn't good. 

I called back immediately (why is it that we hate bad news, but we hurry up to get it?). Nurse A(the nurse, whom I should note I have had a few frustrations with in the past due to her lack of bedside manner and compassion) started explaining that Dr. S (my OB) wants me to go in for a second ultrasound in 4-6 weeks. {heart sinking, mind swirling}. I grabbed a piece of paper to hurriedly jot down what she was saying, as things were starting to blur. Basically there were three reasons behind having me go back in:
  •  The inside's of Connors kidneys are swollen. When asked what that meant, she said it could mean nothing, and that it's very common among baby boys (up to 25% of fetal males have this condition). Don't worry she says. RIIIIGHT.
  • They did not get a good view of the spine. This came as no surprise to me, since the tech had waited till the end of the ultrasound to get that view, and Connor was just not cooperating as far as positioning goes.
  • They were not able to get a "good visualization" of one of the outflow tracks to Connor's heart. I have absolutely NO idea what this means. The nurse basically said it could mean that the tech just didn't get a good angle. Don't worry she says. RIIIIGHT.
So, what does all this mean? Honestly, after talking with the nurse, I really don't know. She said that it's nothing to worry about, but who doesn't worry after hearing things like that about their children? I was kind of frank with her after she said "just don't worry about it." Basically I said "look, this may be your job. And you may be used to picking up the phone to tell people they've lost a baby or that their child has something wrong with it. But you need to realize that this is my LIFE. This is my BABY. You can't tell me there may be something wrong with his kidneys, but that it's no big deal and not to worry, and have me NOT worry. I am this baby's mommy. It's my JOB to worry. It's my JOB to make sure that he's safe and protected" After I said that she started kind of blabbering/backtracking about how that wasn't her intent to make it sound like she didn't care, and I explained that I know she may not intend to sound that way, but she needs to put herself in my shoes (which would be hard since she's not married and has no children). This same nurse acted pretty much the same way when we found out I may need to go on Clomid (before I got pregnant with Brayden), so honestly my patience level with her is pretty short. 

I am scared. I have worried and still worry about all of the unknowns at this point. I have cried tears. Have you ever heard that Mark Schultz song called 'He's my Son?' I feel like that right now. I wish there was some way that the health question would be ME. I'm OK with my kidneys failing or not working properly. I've lived a good life and have been able to experience so many things. Connor hasn't. And truth is, he may be totally fine. But as a planner, and as a worrier, I go there

I am thankful for a sensitive husband. Drew's been really good at letting me process this on my own terms. In the past, it's been hard for him to do since I tend to go to the extreme, and he tends to take life in stride, but I think he's learned that that's just how I process. It doesn't mean I don't trust God, it's just how I wrestle with God. I get to a place where I am broken in knowing that His will is best, but it definitely doesn't negate the feelings of grief that are associated with knowing something may be wrong with my baby and what kind of road we may be looking at moving forward.

So where do we stand right now? Basically, what I've typed is what we know. I've googled about the different conditions and honestly, I probably shouldn't have. I have my regularly scheduled OB appointment on the 27th. Drew will be going with me so that we can talk to the DOCTOR about what she sees and why she is ordering this new scan. We're hoping for more definitive answers. That's what I hate about the current medical system; too many dang people sue doctors, that the doctors don't give definitive answers. I just want the TRUTH. I want to know all the possibilities. I don't want some ho-hum answer that makes me feel like another cow being herded through the OB fences. It will be good to have Drew there so I can have another set of ears to hear, and someone who will remember all of the questions I have had. Our second ultrasound is scheduled for August 12th. Double edged sword right? On one hand, it seems somewhat comforting that they are not in a rush to get anything else done. On the other, it seems like an excruciatingly long way away, and gives too much time to sit around and think about the 'what-if's'. 

As always, I covet your prayers. Mainly for peace for Drew and I as we are forced to sit and wait. That we would rest in knowing that Connor is fearfully and wonderfully made and that God's works are marvelous and intricate, however faulty conventional medicine may say they are. Pray for Connor, that these things that we are going in for will be nothing to be concerned over, and that if there is something wrong that it will indeed fix itself before birth. God is the Healer and He is so much bigger than a doctor and an ultrasound. I know that in my head, but when life happens and things touch you personally, it's hard to live it out. So, pray, pray, pray. It's all I can do to plead with you to pray on behalf of our family. I was hesitant to even post all of this on the blog; but blogging is so therapeutic for me, and I believe there is power in numbers, and the more people I can get to pray for my little boy the better. Thanks so much for following my life, and for walking by me through the good, the bad and the ugly. I'll update as we know more.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Sprinkler Fun

Yesterday while we were out running errands I found a super cheap sprinkler pad for our backyard. The backyard pool was a bust, so I was hoping that this would go over a bit better. I'm pretty sure Brayden thoroughly enjoyed himself running through the streams... and getting his hair wet :) With our weather in the mid 90s, there's not much else to do than play in the sprinkler... and even that seems like torture these days to this pregnant momma! But I love watching my boy have fun, so guess a little sacrifice on comfort doesn't hurt me :)



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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Baby Wipes... It's What's for Dinner!

Apparently the latest item on our resident billy goat is baby wipes. I don't know what I'm going to do with this kid!


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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Pleased to Announce...

Thank you for all of the prayers today. I felt a peace as I drove to the imaging clinic. The ultrasound went smoothly, and our tech was really good at letting me know that everything looked healthy. Obviously that's not a 100% guarantee, but I left the appointment feeling more at ease for sure. The baby did not disappoint in making it clear what it was either. At first we weren't quite sure, and the tech said she wanted to make for certain, but after a few more twists of the wand, there was no doubt that this little one in my womb is a...
BOY!!!
Drew and I are beyond thrilled! I know deep down that we would have been happy with whatever God had given us, but I think if we were both honest we both really wanted a boy. I can't wait to see my two precious boys grow up playing together... I think brothers are so fun to watch! We're pretty sure we're going to name this one Connor Andrew. We're 100% sure on the first name, but only about 90% sure on the middle name. I really like Andrew, as obviously it's from Drew, but also because my dad's middle name is Andre, and I can't think of two greater men whose footsteps I'd want my son to follow than Drew and my Dad. Little baby Connor cooperated so well for the tech, and I finally got a profile shot that I've always wanted. 
Is that not the sweetest profile you've ever seen? I love him so much already and can't wait to meet him! Thank you so much for praying over me... please continue to keep the prayers coming as we journey through this pregnancy.... for continued health for both me and baby, and for a continued sense of peace as we expand our family yet again.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Today is Tommorrow's Eve

Today is no ordinary Monday. Or should I say was no ordinary Monday since we're almost through with this day? I ended up going to see my eye doctor (who is also a friend) today to check my eye. While the redness was pretty much gone, it still felt like I had sand in my eye. Not quite the most comfortable feeling. And after a week of feeling uncomfortable, I was ready to get the show on the road. There was good news, that the infection was gone (and I am not contagious anymore), so antibiotics were not needed. The bad news, if you can call it bad news, was that the reason I still felt scratchy and itchy was that I had bumps on my eyeball (similar to hives). She said to take some Claritin and it should help the problem until my allergies stop flaring up. Sure enough, I took some Claritin this afternoon and my eyes have felt normal! To celebrate Brayden and I went to our local outdoor mall, received a surprise visit from Drew before he headed to study group, and topped the evening off with dinner at Mimi's Cafe. It was a good day.

Tonight I sit thinking about tomorrow. It's our big ultrasound day. I am still nervous. I tend to always be nervous at the unknown. I hate change. I like knowing I am in control (which is really ironic since I really am not the one in control to begin with). But tomorrow as I lay on a table with jelly on my belly, we are not in control. We are at the mercy of the creator. It's a truly humbling experience all the way around. If you've never been able to experience an ultrasound, please watch some youtube videos. It's miraculous seeing new life forming right before your eyes. A little human that God created just for Drew and I. To join our family and bring a new element. So yes, I am nervous, but I am also excited. I feel like it will make this pregnancy all the more real. The baby will have an identity (hopefully a name), and we can look forward to November knowing who we will be meeting. I covet your prayers as we find out tomorrow.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Weekend in Review: Sickness Edition

Here I sit on a Sunday evening with not much to report on our weekend front. All due to the fact that I came down with pink eye on top of all the other ailments my poor pregnant body is trying to fight off. I am proud to report however, that last night I actually slept. Like deep sleep, dreaming good dreams, full night's sleep kind of sleep. It was good. My body is so worn out from everything. My eyes are still red and goopy feeling, but we are trying to flush out the infection without antibiotics. I'm thankful for having a friend who is also my optometrist, otherwise I would have already been to some type of urgent care facility to figure out what to do. We did do a few things this weekend...

Friday Drew's dad came up to visit before flying out for a mini-summer vacation. We headed down to a new sushi bar to try out some new cuisine. I was a bit hesitant since we had B with us, but he did remarkably well, and the food was excellent. As if we weren't stuffed enough, we went by Shake's Frozen Custard on the way home and got sundaes to top it off. I decided after that that I was officially in the stage of pregnancy where I have to watch how much I eat or I might get stretch marks... my skin literally felt like it was going to rip open, haha!

Saturday morning I woke up with pink eye. I was SO mad. Just when I finally started kicking all of the allergy problems to the curb, now this? So since Saturday morning I've been flushing my eye out atleast twice an hour. Despite my sickness, my friend Kara had me continue on with a maternity photoshoot that we had planned last minute. She's due in 11 days (she has c-sections), so we were on a literally tight timeline! Kara is beautiful and such an easy subject to photograph, and I had so much fun just laughing and bemoaning about pregnancy problems together. Here are a few sneak peaks from the shoot:


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By Saturday evening I was sure my eyes were headed to eyeball hell. Literally there was no white in either of them. We went to bed hoping it would go away. When I woke up this morning my right eye, which had not been that bad the day before, was now just as red. Obviously at this point I couldn't go to church, so Drew and B left me at home and headed on their way. I slept for another hour, then finally woke up and decided that I should take advantage of my empty house. I vacuumed and shampooed Brayden's room, the study and our front hallway, and dusted and vacuumed in the living room, cleaned all the dishes, emptied the dishwasher, and reloaded it... all before they got home. I felt so accomplished, and had a glimpse at what I had forgotten I could achieve in such a short time if I didn't have a 15 month old "helping" me all the time.

I don't really know what we've got going on this week because I don't really know when full health will visit our family again. I am anxious about our ultrasound appointment on Tuesday. It's the BIG one, and I mostly wanting to just hear that this babe growing in my belly is healthy. We still don't really know what we're having, although the other night we were talking about the baby and at the end Drew said "do you realize we just talked about the baby as a 'him' for the past 10 minutes?!" Not sure if it's so much prophetic as it is natural for us to say him when we talk about our child right now since we already have a boy. We've also narrowed girl names down a bit, so it gives me hope that if this babe is a girl, she might have a name by the time she's born :)

I hope everyone has a great week-- we'll have big news later this week, so be sure to check back often :)

Saturday, July 10, 2010

When it Rains, it Pours

Ah, the old cliche saying. I normally just say it, without any regard to what it truly means. That is, until last night. And I am not even talking about the downpour and subsequent flash flooding in our area. I am talking about my life. Let me see if I can recount the illnesses we've had lately (as in the past month):

-hand, foot and mouth disease. check.
-double ear infection. check.
-double eye infection. check.
-double eye infection that would not clear with oral antibiotics and so had to get the $70 drops. check.
-sore throat, post-nasal drip, stuffy nose, runny nose, itchy watery eyes. and hardly any drugs you can take because you're pregnant. check.
And last but definitely not least: pregnant with pink eye. check. 

When I woke up at 3am last night for my nightly pee session (and let's be honest, at this point in my pregnancy I might as well sleep on the toilet I have to wake up so often to pee), my eye was sealed shut, laden with the nasty green goop that pink eye brings along. Sure enough, my eye resembled Bob the Tomato more than an eyeball. I sighed heavily, dosed a rag with warm water to clean it out, and trudged begrudgingly back to bed to lay said warm towel on my eye. Then I couldn't sleep. I was so mad. We seriously hardly ever get sick, and I feel like in the past month the sickness bug will not leave us alone. Thankfully I am friends with my eye doctor, and she gave me a few tips to try and kick this puppy naturally before I go on antibiotic drops. No walk-in clinic for me today (even if I had wanted to I am not sure Drew would've let me go after the incident on Tuesday. So, instead of enjoying an afternoon at the pool, I sit at home, flushing my eye out with artificial tears every 20 minutes in hopes that I don't have to medicate myself once again. Such a waste of a weekend I tell you. I am ready to be well for once, and I know that Little Mister and Drew would agree.

Friday, July 9, 2010

15 months, Going on 30 years

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Today marks the Little Mister's 15 month birthday! I am pretty sure he already thinks he's going on 30, and to be quite honest, but boy's as sharp as a tack so sometimes I wonder if he truly is only 15 months old! In the past month I think I've watched him grow more developmentally in this short time span that any other since he's been born. Here's what he's up to at 15 months:
  • He's gone from wobbly walking, to all out "running" if he knows we're after him. It's cute if we're just playing, but when I really want him to come here, it can get rather annoying. 
  • He can reach the door knobs (actually they are levers) and open all the doors. My once brilliant idea of keeping the bathrooms closed to keep him out of the toilet paper and toilet are now useless. LOVELY.
  • He is a human billy goat. The only thing I've seen him remotely spit out was dog poo. I literally have to scoop out dead flies, pieces of magazines, bits of old kleenex (he rummages through the trash can) and shreds of books out of his mouth atleast once an hour. 
  • He is still eating like a champ. Generally for breakfast he'll eat a whole banana plus some other type of fruit (perhaps 1/4c. blueberries or some grapes) and a waffle, or a whole bowl of oatmeal and a 1/4c. blueberries. For lunch he usually eats an entire sandwich (peanut butter or grilled cheese), a thing of yogurt, and some fruit. For dinner I try to feed him what we're eating, but sometimes that doesn't go over very well, so generally he'll eat some type of meat, veggie and carb. 
  • He learned signs over the past month. He knew a few before this past month, but he's really blossomed. So far he knows hat, all done, eat, and please. We're working on more. He knows how to do it, but I think it's hard for him to put his fingers together to actually do the sign. He's really good at using signs if I ask him to (instead of fussing... which is SO nice!). 
  • His words have pretty much stayed the same as last month. He does now say "whoa" and sometimes he'll say "dude".
  • He loves Skype. Now whenever I say "Gigi" (my mom), he'll put his hand up to his ear like a phone, and then run to the computer and say "dis dis" because he wants to talk to her on skype. Ofcourse once we call her he only lasts for about 5 minutes, but it's so cute!
  • He does what we call crazy eyes. It's HILARIOUS. 
  • He can point out his ears, hair, mouth, tongue, toes, nose, and eyes. 
Brayden, I can't believe how grown up you're getting. Every day you amaze me with the way you soak up new things. Your love for life and adventure make me smile, and I love that you're a people person. I love you so much and am so proud to be able to be called your Momma!

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    5QF

    It's Friday. When this week is completely over and done with, I shall walk outside and scream at the top of my lungs "Good riddance!" Seriously. This week has been so hard. Sick baby (double ear, double eye infection). $70 eye drops for sick baby because oral meds weren't kicking the infection in his eyes. Sick mommy. Started out with just a sore throat. Turned into a full blown head/chest cold, and as of last night my ears feel as if an elephant is squishing them and they have been packed with cotton balls. I am contemplating a doctors visit today, but still scared that they'll slap me with a large bill all to tell me there's nothing they can do with me since I am with child. On a positive note, despite my ear woes, last night I was able to catch the longest stretch of sleep yet over the past 7 day period, so perhaps things are looking up. Or alteast sideways. I'd take sideways over backwards at this point. But enough of my whining. Let's get on with why you really hopped over here, which was to read my awesome answers for Mama M's 5QF.


    1. What is one food you could eat everyday?
    Mexican food. I swear I could drink salsa (homemade salsa, not the stuff you buy from the store), and fajitas never get old.
    2. Are you working in the career you thought you would be when you were 18?
    Not exactly. I mean, I knew I always wanted to be a stay at home mom, but at 18 I really thought I wouldn't get married until I was 40. So at that point I was going to college preparing to be an athletic trainer. I had high hopes of somehow making it with a major league team. Needless to say, those dreams changed when I met Drew my freshman year in college, and knew from our second date that he was "the one." I switched to a business major, graduated early, got married, spent 2 years in the corporate world before deciding me and the corporate world didn't mix quite well, spent the next 2 years after that working in the medical field in administration, and promptly left that industry 6 weeks before having Brayden.
    3. What is something that you wish you would have done when you were younger and you didn't?
    When I was about 14 or 15, my dad offered to give me $1000 to invest in the stock market if I would do all the research. He would help me ofcourse, but any profits I would have made from it I could keep (or half it with him, which was still a good deal!). I was stubborn, and thought my parents were not cool, so I told him to hit the road. I still hit myself for skipping that awesome opportunity.
    4. What color are your kitchen walls?
    They are in between red and orange. The exact color is called Teracotta. Sounds gross, but I love the color. Although I think at our next house I'll go with something a bit different. Like red, or perhaps a cool blue. I know, I know, those colors are on opposite ends of the spectrum. I'm eclectic like that I tell ya.
    5. Do you remember what your very first favorite song was?
    Well, considering my parents didn't allow me to listen to secular music until I was in 9th grade, this question is kind of hard. I have no idea what my first favorite Christian song was, despite the fact that's all I could listen to. But I do remember wearing my speakers out to Gangster's Paradise when I was finally allowed to listen to the "dark side" of music. And just re-reading the sentence that I listened to Gangster's Paradise enough to wear my speakers out kind of makes me chuckle. Boy did I think I was cool.

    Thursday, July 8, 2010

    Random Thoughts

    Yesterday was just an OK day. My OB's office said I am doing everything they would have suggested for all of my symptoms, and to go to a "real" doctor instead of a walk-in clinic. To be quite honest, I really don't want to shell out the dough for a "real" doctor to tell me the same thing my OB told me yesterday. So, I am waiting to see if I get any better. If not, I'll head to the docs office again. It's been an expensive month for medical bills... yuck!

    I am going on 6 nights of little to no sleep. I am doing surprisingly well, all things considered. I have noticed that my patience is wearing thin, especially with my child who likes to test EVERY SINGLE LIMIT that we give him.  I feel a tiny, wee bit better this morning. Meaning, my throat does not feel like both sides are caving in. I coughed pretty much all night. Taking drugs during pregnancy makes me nervous, even when they tell me that it's "safe," so I try to only take those at night. We'll see how well I hold up again today.

    Brayden had his first taste of dog poo yesterday morning. It all happened in slow motion (all but me sprinting across the backyard to get to him in time... what a sight that was!). It was the first time he's tasted something and spit it out. The problem (besides the fact that he ate poo) was that it was fresh poo, meaning it had squished in his hand. GROSS. I washed his hands thoroughly, and then scrubbed his mouth out. It was the first time I've thought I might puke in correlation to what he's put in his mouth. Yes, the poo beats the roach out on this one.

    I had the best chocolate shake from Braum's last night. It soothed my throat, and my stomach, and made the baby do somersaults. The baby will also respond to outside stimuli, like if we push on my stomach, it will kick back. Speaking of "it," I'll be glad when next week we can atleast call the baby a he or she. That's what I love about finding out the sex of the baby... the baby's identity is established long before they ever arrive. We are pretty much settled on a boy name (if it's a boy, we'll reveal that name next week), but cannot for the life of us agree on a girl name. There are a few girls name that we both like, but nothing that we both LOVE, like our boy name.

    And that's the end of my random thoughts. I'm off to do a bit of nothing today. I am needing to capture as much rest as I can get. I'm hoping Brayden will cooperate with my laid back plans for today.

    Tuesday, July 6, 2010

    Sick and Pregnancy Don't Mix.

    I should probably clarify that after this afternoon, I am still dealing with ruffled feathers... so to speak anyways. If you read my Weekend in Review post, you'll know that I've been feeling a bit under the weather. And as my friend Laura pointed out, being sick and being pregnant at the same time should be illegal. I concur Laura, I concur. So let me tell you how today went down.

    Brayden woke up with yet again, more green discharge in his eye. Drew had noticed the discharge coming back Sunday evening, and we've been monitoring it to see if it was indeed the infection creeping back. So this morning I put a call into the pediatrician's office to let them know what's going on. I mean, the kid's still on oral antibiotic, so this must be one heck of an infection. I was up in the middle of the night last night and early this morning because my throat is literally so sore that it feel swollen. SO I called the Mayo clinic hotline with our insurance to see what I should do. They recommended I see a doctor within the next 24 hours to make sure I didn't have a sinus infection or worse, strep throat. The pediatrician called back and said Brayden would need antibiotic DROPS in addition to his oral medication, so I decided to make a trip to Walmart and kill all the birds with one stone by stopping by the walk in clinic, picking up the prescription and getting a few things that we needed from Walmart. Can I just say, that on days you want your child to behave nicely, they rarely do, and this afternoon was no exception. Brayden wanted nothing to do with sitting in the buggy. I thought perhaps some McD's fries and an icee would help the situation. It made it worse. So while I was waiting for the nurse to call me back, I was dealing with my super fussy child. I had to apologize to the employees and the other patients there because I felt so bad that he was making such a ruckus. I finally got called back and thought it would go better. It didn't.

    We got into the exam room and he literally started going crazy. Pulling on things, eating his goldfish off of the floor (EWWW GROSS! I had a blood pressure cuff on so I was unable to get it before he ate it)... you get the picture. The nurse came in, and I apologized before hand for having my child with me... she said NOTHING. It was SO awkward. You know those times where you KNOW the person is just not a kid person... she was that person. GREAT. So while she asks me all of my symptoms I chase Brayden around, pick him up after he falls off the chair... horrid I tell you. The lady starts doing the exam, and thankfully Brayden was intrigued by everything she was doing so sat still for the 3 minutes it took her to do everything. She ran a strep swab... thought I was going to puke all over her (my gag reflex is STRONG right now, what did she expect?!). Strep test came back negative. So then she says "you might just want to follow up with your OB." That's it. That's what I paid for. For her to tell me to call my OB. OH. MY. WORD. At this point Brayden is going CRAZY in the exam room, so I swoop him up, and ask if she thinks maybe I might have a sinus infection. I mean, my head is POUNDING, I have the sorest throat EVER... please just think of something else. She looks at my throat again, and says, "well, pregnant women kind of freak me out. The CDC doesn't really recommend prescriptions unless you've been sick for more than 10 days. So call your OB after 10 days." I just stood there. She started working on paper work so I asked, "Are we finished?" She says... "yep." Then she has the gall to say "boy, your sure have your hands full." At that point, I was pretty sure I wanted to slap the lady across the face. I just wasted an hour of my time, stressing myself out with my toddler, all for you to tell me to call my OB. The nurse on our nurse hotline was more helpful than this woman. Can't wait to get that bill... thanks for nothing walk-in clinic!

    I head over to the pharmacy with my out of control child. Buy his $70 eye drops and wait for the pharmacist to give us our consultation. She looks at the Rx, and says, just pull his eyelids apart and put 2 drops in 3 times a day. Perhaps it was because my nerves were a bit frazzled at this point, but I wanted to yell... "LADY, He's 15 freaking months old! Do you realize what you just asked me to do????!" I swear, sometimes doctors tell you to do things without really thinking about what they just said. The least she could've done is said, it might be hard, but this is what you should TRY to do. Ughh. I grabbed the Rx, ran through Walmart frantically getting the rest of the things on my list before Brayden had an ultimate breakdown, and went home.

    To top everything off I had to clean our kitchen from top to bottom because we're dealing with bionic ants of 2010 in our house. Seriously, they are EVERYWHERE. We've sprayed, we have traps, we've cleaned out the pantry, under the fridge, in the microwave, around the dog food and high chair, and THEY STILL COME IN DROVES. It's driving us BATTY. So after I dealt with the terminator toddler (I did get drops in his eyes without a lot of fight which I was SO thankful for), I cleaned the kitchen and fumed about my aching throat, my pounding head, and the beauty of being sick and pregnant. Here's to hoping my symptoms magically disappear, because apparently, that's all that anyone can do for me at this point.

    Monday, July 5, 2010

    Weekend in Review...4th of July edition

    Well, we had a fun filled weekend, and it's still going strong here on this Monday evening... sort of :) Unfortunately I got sick on Saturday and still don't feel 100%, so our plans of running around rampant this weekend were pretty much halted. Here's the 411 on how this weekend went down:

    Friday, Brayden decided to start the weekend out with a bang... literally. I was sitting at the computer responding to some emails while eating my lunch (yes, I multitask-- you have to when you have a toddler). I heard Brayden fall, and knew it was a bad one. He started screaming, so I jumped up and scooped him up in my arms. When he screamed the second wind, I freaked. He had blood pooling in his mouth and I had no idea where it was coming from. It was all over my arms, my shirt... everywhere. And unfortunately for me, Drew had just left for study group, so I was left to fend for myself. I called Drew frantic, and thankfully he was able to calm me down enough for me to get my grip together and figure out what happened. From what I could tell, little B-man hit his lip and bit off the very tip of it. I got him to suck on some ice to slow down the bleeding, and gave him lots of hugs. It was his first BIG boo-boo, and a definite YES to the fact that I freak when I see blood.
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    Friday evening we set out to the pool and then to a Friday festival that one of our local towns has every first friday. We had a LOT of fun, strolling around chasing Brayden. One of the groups there was giving away free bags of Cheez-Its... Brayden was in HEAVEN.
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    This is in the middle of the downtown square. I thought it was neat how they put American flags around the statue.
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    Umm, hello. When did my baby turn into a little boy?! Gah. They grow up SO fast!
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    Just like his momma... loves to people watch!
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    Saturday I woke up with a sore throat, but didn't think much of it. We headed to a birthday party, which was also a swim party, but it started going down hill at the party. I chose not to go swimming since the water was so cold, which was probably the best decision I could have made. By about 1 hour into the party, I was ready to go home. I felt flu-like, and was tired of chasing Brayden around. We came home at noon, I crawled into bed and stayed there for the rest of the day. I ran a low grade fever, had the sore throat, felt chilled then burning up... basically I felt like POO POO. I was thankful for Drew being home so he could be Mr. Mom, and he was a good Mr. Mom too. Poor Drew had to deal with a fussy toddler most of the afternoon, plus deal with getting me Gatorade, chicken noodle soup and anything else I needed, since getting out of bed was even a tough feat for me.


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    The birthday girl
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    flip-flop crackers... too cute!
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    the birthday train :)


    Sunday I woke up feeling ALOT better, but we decided to lay low and not go to church. We headed up to my Aunt and Uncle's house around 11:30, and spent a majority of the day over there spending time with their family. I forgot my camera, and am so bummed because there were some cute moments with Brayden and our cousins. He LOVES going over there because the 4 girls just dote on him the whole time.

    Today I woke up still feeling a bit yucky with my sinus stuff, but we decided to attempt picking some blackberries this morning at a patch we had found a few months ago. It was HOT and HUMID, so I only lasted about an hour (Brayden screamed pretty much the whole time, which was no fun for any of us). We got close to a gallon of blackberries, and are looking forward to making some blackberry cobbler soon :) The rest of the day we just chilled, took naps and then capped the long weekend off with a trip to our favorite local Mexican restaurant for fajitas.

    I will probably be laying low this weekend trying to kick whatever my body is fighting to the curb. Plus, Brayden's eyes have started getting green gook again, so I am worried that the antibiotics aren't working completely, so I want to not overdo it for him either. Hope everyone has a good week!
     

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